On The Mark With Mark Carman

FanSided Senior NBA Editor Ian Levy gives his view on the surprising trade that sent Kyrie Irving from Cleveland to Boston. Levy also weighs in on who had the best offseason and how Lonzo Ball will do in his rookie year with the Lakers. ?

Hall of Fame basketball star Nancy Lieberman discusses her amazing career which started on the playgrounds of New York City. Lieberman was a fixture at Rucker Park growing up and credits the friends she met at Rucker with helping her get to where she is today.She also discusses her special relationship with Muhammad Ali, what Ali was like behind the scenes and how Ali pushed her to make a difference in the world.

Houston Astros radio play-by-play voice Robert Ford is in studio to discuss his journey to the big leagues, one of two current African American broadcasters in baseball. Ford also discuss the Astros rebuild and their chance to win the World Series in 2017

BIG3 Commissioner Roger Mason Jr discusses why LeBron James was the best teammate he ever played with and how he was initially intimidated by Gregg Popovich. Mason looks at the success of year one of the BIG3 and the league hoping to add Kobe Bryant in years to come. Also, whose idea was the 4-point ball?

?5-time All-Star catcher Buster Posey weighs in on the struggles of the 2017 San Francisco Giants. Posey acknowledges that changes need to be made saying "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." Posey also seems steadfast about continuing his career as a catcher versus first base.

The always entertaining Brian Scalabrine takes a look at one detail that changed his life and his career in the NBA. Will the Big 3 in Boston ever get back together? Scal has a ton of respect for Kevin Garnett, but it seems like Rajan Rondo is in a category all by himself. Scal is back on the court in the BIG3 and is keeping his eye on the NBA this summer and has an interesting angle on what is happening with Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.

Jerome Williams, aka the Junk Yard Dog, is back on the court with "Power" in the inaugural BIG3 season. Williams looks back at his time in the NBA coming up with the Detroit Pistons and making the dog pound bark in Toronto. Williams talks about who his favorite dunk was over, his favorite dunkers period and what it means to be on the court barking today.

Chicago Sun-Times baseball writer Gordon Wittenmyer takes a look at how the Cubs have turned the corner on their 2017 season, what the future holds for Jake Arrieta and down the road Kris Bryant.

Mark Carman sits down with former Chicago Blackhawk and Carolina Hurricane forward Bryan Bickell. Bickell was forced to retire from the NHL after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is now working on raising awareness for MS and helping those who are affected. Bickell is a 2-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015.

Chicago Cubs Outfielder Albert Almora Jr discusses how he balances being in and out of the lineup. Almora takes a look at the grind of the baseball season as the Cubs get ready to start a series with their crosstown rival Chicago White Sox. Also, what is the perfect way he would like to end a baseball game? Almora deliberates for a moment before answering.  

NBA free agency is here and the draft has come and gone. Senior FanSided NBA editor Ian Levy discusses who has done well to this point and where the marquee free agents will most likely land. To date, Chris Paul is a Rocket, Paul George is in limbo, the Warriors are enjoying the championship sunshine.

Mark Carman sits down with four-time NBA champion John Salley. Among the topics are whether the 2017 Golden State Warriors are good for the NBA.Also, Salley picks the best team he played on and details his somewhat complicated relationship with Bill Laimbeer.

Mark talks with ESPN personality Mike Greenberg about his radio relationship with Mike Golic, his co-host of the Mike and Mike sydndicated radio show.Greenberg does not approve of the NBA in 2017, nor of his New York Jets seemingly trying to lose on purpose to get good someday. Who is the best NBA player ever? Greenberg has an interesting top two.

Mark Texiera takes a look back at his career and how his former team the New York Yankees are surprising him a bit with their performance so far in 2017. Texiera gives his opinion on what is the best baseball movie, how to speed up the game and whether or not he feels he should be in the Hall of Fame. Texiera is on the Producing sports Panel at the Greenwich International Film Festival.

Two-time NBA champion Kenny "The Jet" Smith weighed in on the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate. He also gave his opinion on what the Boston Celtics should do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Smith is working with lottery picks to be Malik Monk and De' Aaron Fox along with JCPenny on career readiness. Smith, Monk and Fox were at the Vanderbilt YMCA in New York City. Monk discussed who should go first in the draft between him and his Kentucky teammate Fox, and who would win a one-on-one battle between the two.

Drew Brees calls into On The Mark to talk all things NFL. Brees breaks down his plans for the future and if he can see himself playing longer than Tom Brady. Brees also weighs in on the status of Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback who played led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl but has not been signed by a team as of yet. And Brees says he would have a home on the Saints.Finally, Brees sheds light on Tony Romo and Jay Cutler's future in the broadcast booth and don't think they're done playing quite yet.Brees is working with "The Heat Factor" trying to raise awareness for Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS), a severe form of heat illness. EHS is a dire condition that could put vital organs and the brain at risk of permanent damage, potentially even causing death in some extreme cases.

Jim Courier weighs in with On The Mark on ways to make Davis Cup better and for the casual tennis fan to actually experience the intensity of the tournament. Courier talks about his greatest win ever which came over Andre Agassi and the amazing play in 2017 of Roger Federer. Could Serena Williams win a match while pregnant? Jim says yes, although most likely kidding, but never sell Serena short. Also, who Courier thinks will win the French Open on both the men's and women's side. Jim Courier will be at the PowerShares Series at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on May 17.

Tennis star Andy Roddick calls into the On The Mark podcast to chat with host Mark Camran. Roddick chimes in on Maria Sharapova’s suspension being lifted. He also discusses the incredible year of Roger Federer, who looks like a younger version of himself. As the last American to win a Grand Slam in 2003, Roddick talks about the future of American tennis. Roddick also weighs in on his favorite to win the French Open.

Chicago Tribune columnist and long time baseball beat reporter Paul Sullivan talks about the changes at Wrigley Field with renovations. Sullivan also weighs in on whether or not the Cubs are as interesting of a story now as they were before they won the World Series, ending a 108-year title drought. Sully has a Hall of Fame vote and is open about who he will vote and not vote for when it comes to the steroid era. Also, Sullivan discusses how the game has changed and relives some of his battles with former players like Hall of Famer and Chicag White Sox legend Frank Thomas. ?

NBA basketball legend Hubie Brown sat down to discuss how the game has changed from the more physical post-up style with hand checks to what we see today. Where does LeBron James rank all time? Who is the MVP for 2017. Hubie touches on it all in with standard Hubie Brown passion.