In partnership with the Atlanta Hawks, sports media outlet The Ringer has announced a new podcast called Winging It. Hawks players Vince Carter and Kent Bazemore will co-host the show alongside Hawks digital media coordinator Annie Finberg.
The trio will host Winging It as they travel from city-to-city throughout the current NBA season, with the first episode scheduled to drop Dec. 3. Carter and Bazemore will discuss sports, news, and pop culture to offer “a behind-the-scenes look at what NBA players think and talk about when their minds aren’t on the court,” according to a teaser post by The Ringer.
The podcast network has not said how frequently new episodes of will be released, which appears likely to depend on the Hawks schedule during any given week. The show promises to feature an interesting dynamic between Carter, 41, a Hall-of-Fame caliber player near the end of his career, and 29-year-old Bazemore who has been a role player throughout his career. Bazemore previously hosted a podcast with Finberg and former Hawks forward Mike Muscala.
SportTechie Takeaway
The Ringer’s robust podcast network also includes a show hosted by Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard JJ Redick. Through outlets such as The Players Tribune, Uninterrupted, or SportTechie’s Athletes Voice series, digital media has paved the way for players to have a more direct voice to their audience. Perhaps Winging It could trigger more professional sports teams to partner with established media outlets to create player-hosted podcasts.