Impolitic with John Heilemann

Marques Johnson: Crenshaw Chronicles, HOF Snubs & White Men Who Still Can’t Jump

October 6, 2026·2h 2m
Episode Description from the Publisher

John welcomes former UCLA and Milwaukee Bucks star Marques Johnson to discuss his new book, “The Crenshaw Chronicles,” and all things NBA. Johnson explains why the infamy of his high school alma mater as an epicenter of South Central LA's gang culture, though not unearned, is only part of the story; what it was like to be a five-time All Star in the 1980s still overshadowed by Bird, Magic, and the other MJ; his repeated snubs by the Basketball Hall of Fame; and how he wound up playing a blade-wielding playground baller in “White Men Can’t Jump.” He also weighs in, from his perch as a Bucks TV analyst, on Giannis’s Milwaukee exit, Lebron’s Philly relocation, and Wemby's paradigm-shifting potential.

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