

Off Guard with Austin Rivers
Austin Rivers
NBA veteran, Austin Rivers, is joined by one of his oldest friends, Pausha Haghighi, to give you that true insider’s perspective from someone who’s actively playing in the league on anything and everything happening inside the NBA. They hit on the biggest headlines and stories and of course sprinkle in some of the best stories and memories from Austin’s extensive career.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 19, 2024 • 38min
Allen Iverson and Steph Curry’s Influences. Plus, Giving Flowers to Isaiah Thomas.
Austin and Pausha discuss their feelings on JJ Redick and LeBron entering the podcast space together, then offer their take on the impact of Allen Iverson and Steph Curry on the game of basketball (3:00). They then talk in-depth about two plays that absolutely blew their minds: Kyrie Irving’s absurd game-winner and Anthony Edwards’s filthy dunk on Jason Collins (19:18). Later, they give their flowers to Isaiah Thomas after signing his 10-day contract with the Suns (29:54), and wrap things up with a True or False segment that touches on Joel Embiid’s return and Klay Thompson’s future (32:06).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 15, 2024 • 1h 2min
Sabonis Cooks AD AGAIN! And Is Isiah Thomas Right About KD and the Warriors?
Austin and Pausha close out the week with a discussion about the Anthony Davis-Domantas Sabonis “feud” following the Lakers’ latest loss to the Kings (10:05). Then, they talk through Isiah Thomas’s comments about KD saving the legacies of Stephen Curry and the Warriors (27:32), and compare his dominance to that of LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan (44:04). Later, they touch on the double-edged sword that comes with the new way referees are allowing defensive players to play (52:18).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 12, 2024 • 1h 13min
What If the Mavs Miss the Playoffs Again? Plus, the Impact of KAT and Sengun’s Injuries.
Austin and Pausha are back to discuss recent injuries, including the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun and the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, then break down where this leaves both teams (8:00). Then, they talk through the Mavericks’ unimpressive record—despite MVP candidate Luka Doncic lighting the league on fire—and suggest what another playoff miss could mean for the team (30:50). Later, they run through another edition of Rapid Fire questions, in which they propose moving Zion Williamson from the Pelicans to Miami (58:48).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 5, 2024 • 52min
Crickets for the Bucks’ Recent Success and Giving Caitlin Clark Her Flowers
Austin and Pausha are back and start things off by discussing why no one seems to be talking about the Bucks, despite being on a six-game winning streak (1:20). Then, they sort through the teams that could give the Bucks and Nuggets the most trouble throughout the rest of the season (16:00), and wrap things up with a shout-out to Caitlin Clark for becoming the all-time leading scorer in college basketball (42:10)!Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 1, 2024 • 1h 8min
Rapid Fire Friday: ‘Off Guard’ Edition!
Austin and Pausha are back with a Rapid Fire Edition of ‘Off Guard’! They answer a slew of “X Player" vs. "Y Player” scenarios and discuss historical NBA choices, then share how they would rebuild a few of the teams in the league. Later, Pausha opens up and discusses the time Damian Lillard absolutely roasted him and made him a huge internet meme!Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 27, 2024 • 56min
KD Puts Fan in Place, Meeting in the Middle on Court-Storming, and Why the Mavs Are for Real
Austin and Pausha kick things off with a talk about some on-court incidents, including Kevin Durant’s viral fan interaction during Suns-Mavericks, as well as the event in which Wake Forest fans stormed the court and injured Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (1:02). Then, Austin reveals why his early pro-player comparison for Cooper Flagg is Andrei Kirilenko (18:35) and discusses why Victor Webanyama needs to be the next face of the NBA. Later, they make their case for the Mavericks and the Magic as legitimate playoff contenders (48:48).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 23, 2024 • 1h 4min
Jayson Tatum’s Odds to Become Face of the League and Final All-Star Game Fixes
Austin and Pausha are back from break and share some ideas that could revitalize the All-Star Game and All-Star Weekend as a whole (1:20). Then, Austin responds to his latest stint in NBA headlines thanks to JJ Redick’s comments (26:44), before getting into a two-part discussion about Jayson Tatum becoming the face of the league and being excluded from the MVP conversation (35:14). Later, they touch on their favorite hoop shoes (45:12) and then wrap things up with their top storylines for both the Eastern and Western conferences heading into the stretch run of the season (49:52).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 16, 2024 • 1h 6min
The Warriors’ LeBron Trade Attempt and Our Favorite All-Star Memories
Austin and Pausha prepare for All-Star Weekend by talking through why they’re most excited for the Sabrina Ionescu–Stephen Curry 3-point showdown on All-Star Saturday night (6:28). Then, they discuss the reported attempt by the Warriors to trade for LeBron James at the trade deadline (24:36), why Austin thinks the Clippers are primed for a Finals run (44:32), and Jamal Murray’s comments on not making the All-Star team (54:45).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducer: Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 13, 2024 • 1h 4min
Is This Jayson Tatum’s Best Celtics Team? Plus, Our Favorite Dunkers of All Time.
Austin and Pausha kick off the show with their reactions to the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes’s greatness, and Usher’s halftime show (00:00). Then, they discuss whether this is the best Celtics team in the Jayson Tatum era (16:33), the importance of role players and good locker-room guys (34:52), and reminisce on their favorite dunkers like Vince Carter, Aaron Gordon, and Zion Williamson (49:00).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes, Ben Cruz, and Eduardo Ocampo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 9, 2024 • 57min
Knicks Are Officially Contenders and the Bulls Are in No Man’s Land
Austin and Pausha go through some of the biggest deals made at this year’s trade deadline. They start off by looking at teams that didn’t make any moves, such as the Bulls, Warriors, and Lakers (01:12). Then, they discuss why the Knicks hands-down won the trade deadline and cemented their status as East contenders with their acquisition of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks (17:15). Later, they look at other trades, including the Mavs acquiring P.J. Washington, the Sixers trading for Buddy Hield, and more (26:43)!Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes, Ben Cruz, and Eduardo Ocampo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


