Why All The Smoke Is Proof Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson Have Found Their Second Act

The All the Smoke podcast, hosted by ex-NBA stalwarts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, bills itself as a show that “will dish on the latest news and drama from on and off the court without boundaries.” The description does not do it justice. Barnes and Jackson were really good basketball players who played in an era when toughness was still a requisite. However, All the Smoke goes far beyond basketball commentary.

As players, Barnes and Jackson did not win any popularity contests. In fact, they were considered two of the toughest and most ornery players in the league. Barnes and Jackson played hard and pushed the rules, as well as their opponents’ patience, to the limit. They were the type of players you hated to play against or simply just hated.

That attitude and fearlessness are now available for your viewing and listening pleasure on All the Smoke.

Barnes and Jackson are making an impact. They’ve had some tremendous guests on the show, including Harold Reynolds, Jeff Passan, Cecil Fielder, Barack Obama, Charles Barkley, Will Ferrell, Michelle Obama, Horace Grant, Keyshawn Johnson, Dusty Baker, Cheryl Miller, Mike Epps and many more top-flight personalities from the sports and entertainment world.

Be warned: If you decide to tune in to All the Smoke, the program is certainly no-holds-barred. Bare-knuckled commentary and a few F-bombs will be dropped. I have no issue with this because it fits the context of the program. Barnes and Jackson are not there to shock you. But if you listen, they might just educate you.

This duo has one hell of a good time on the show, but there is also a real depth to All the Smoke.

In addition to possessing vibrant, and sometimes virulent, attitudes, both Barnes and Jackson have developed really good interview skills. Many of their guests are peers from their NBA playing days, but they do not miss a beat when they step outside their hoops comfort zone. In July, they broadcast a show from the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia. These guys know sports and have the ability to communicate sports.

Moreover, they have that same communicable knowledge of life’s ebbs and flows.

All the Smoke is presented in a laid-back setting, but the topics are often anything but comfortable. Barnes and Jackson delve into every aspect of sports, from game plans to off-field issues. They frequently offer their respective takes on news headlines and social justice issues as well. The pair makes no bones about their political stances and has absolutely zero agendas. Barnes and Jackson made a few bucks in their playing days, so they are hardly doing this for the cash.

I cannot speak for their initial goal. But if it was to create a podcast with a different look, feel and temperament, All the Smoke fits the bill.

Barnes and Jackson are not going to ask stock questions. They are going to go off the grid with real talk. They do not always get responses as direct as the questions, but at least they have the guts to ask.

Don’t get me wrong, All the Smoke is not all about serious stuff. Barnes and Jackson love to have fun with a show topic. They did just that on an episode that featured top-flight guests like Deion Sanders, Ice Cube, Eric Dickerson, Sammy Sosa and Dominique Wilkins. Did they talk to these A-listers about memorable interceptions, movies, touchdowns, home runs or baskets? No, the topic was about athletes who had the best and worst Jheri Curls in the 1980s and 1990s.

The interviews were highlighted by Deion Sanders once again boasting about his curl, “It looked wet, but it was dry!” Just awesome.

Barnes and Jackson challenge conventional viewpoints and offer new perspectives and options for thought. This is not your run-of-the-mill sports podcast. You are not going to get scores, game highlights or the same repetitive analysis. All the Smoke is atypical and presents a distinctive attitude.

While this pair resides squarely on the razor-sharp edge of sports talk, they are still all about heart. Barnes and Jackson were teammates on the 2007 “We Believe” Golden State Warriors, an eighth-seeded team that upset top-seeded Dallas in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. That team was led by Don Nelson, the Hall of Fame coach and five-time world champion player with the Boston Celtics, who passed away on August 9.

Barnes and Jackson recorded a special version of All the Smoke to talk about that team and remember Nelson.

All the Smoke finds its truth in the hosts themselves. Both Barnes and Jackson have experienced the ups and downs of basketball and life, with on- and off-court issues in their careers. They have ridden high on winning teams and been at the center of controversies and legal issues. In short, they have lived. They are human, with the same flaws and foibles we all possess.

If you watch All the Smoke, you may not agree with, or even like, Barnes and Jackson. But you will realize that these are two very intelligent, provocative and articulate men.

We live in an age of copycat media. If something works on one network or platform, you can bet that something similar is going to be on three or four others within the next few weeks. All the Smoke tosses this cookie cutter to the floor and steps on it. The style, look, sets and hosts are quite singular. Barnes and Jackson don’t BS anyone about anything.

They also share a lot of cool ‘What If’ stories. One was about how superstar point guard Jason Kidd almost joined the San Antonio Spurs in the midst of the team’s championship dynasty. Jackson played in San Antonio at the time and interviewed Kidd about the move that never happened.

Barnes and Jackson are bold and brash, but when I watch All the Smoke, I see two guys who truly respect the games. They can sit and reflect on great sports moments while also bringing a level of realism and grit to the conversation. There is definitely an emotional and personal texture to the hosts’ rough edges.

As a guest on the show, Steve Kerr, Barnes’ former coach with the Warriors, told the story about Barnes bringing his twin sons to a Warriors team meeting. When Kerr announced the starting lineup for a game against San Antonio and it included Barnes guarding Kawhi Leonard, his twin boys stood up and started cheering for their dad. Kerr stated that it remains one of his favorite all-time memories.

Barnes and Jackson can be intimidating because they pull no punches and do not hesitate to debate interview subjects or each other. Still, big-name guests seem to want to be on the show and engage in conversation. Barnes and Jackson are media forces to be reckoned with, both with more than 1 million followers on Instagram. If you haven’t checked out their podcast, you should, just to see what All the Smoke is about.

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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.

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