I Asked the NBA The Run Team Everything!

I Asked the NBA The Run Team Everything!

Author: Spawn On Me LLC May 27, 2026 Duration: 50:32

This week on Spawn On Me, I land an exclusive sit-down with the team behind NBA The Run, the upcoming 3v3 arcade basketball game from Play by Play Studios. If you've been waiting for a true spiritual successor to NBA Street since EA Sports BIG went quiet, you're going to want to hear this one.

I talk with the team about how a small, passionate studio went from building a fictional streetball game called The Run: Got Next to landing an official NBA license — and how a single LinkedIn message changed the trajectory of the entire project. We get into Mike Young's two-decade journey from NBA Street, FIFA Street, SSX, and Madden to leading the revival of a genre that's been collecting dust since 2007.

We dig into what makes NBA The Run different: the fast-paced 3v3 gameplay, the 32 hand-crafted NBA stars with hero-shooter-style personalities, the rogue-like rule modifiers, and why iconic streetball spots like Rucker Park and Venice Beach matter to the culture. I also push the team on the bigger questions — who is this game really for, how do they balance arcade fun with depth, and what does it mean to bring streetball back to the mainstream conversation?

NBA The Run drops June 9 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Lace 'em up.

Follow Spawn On Me:🎮 Twitter/X: @SpawnOnMe📸 Instagram: @SpawnOnMe🎬 TikTok: @SpawnOnMe🎤 Host: @KahliefAdams


For over a decade, Spawn On Me with Kahlief Adams has been a vital voice in gaming conversations, long before such discussions entered the mainstream. Founded by Kahlief Adams in 2013, this award-winning podcast established itself as an essential space for exploring how video games intersect with race, diversity, and broader culture. Rather than focusing solely on reviews or news, the dialogue here digs into the people and perspectives that shape the industry. You’ll hear genuine, in-depth conversations with game developers, journalists, scholars, and other creators who are often left out of the typical narrative. These discussions have consistently helped to frame and advance critical conversations about representation and inclusion, examining both the art we play and the community that surrounds it. Tuning into this podcast means joining a long-running, thoughtful examination of gaming’s impact and its potential, guided by a host who has been at the forefront of this specific and necessary dialogue since its inception. The result is a consistently insightful listen that challenges assumptions and highlights voices that truly matter.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Spawn On Me with Kahlief Adams: A Video Game Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Is This the Best RPG of the Decade? Fable Hands-Off Impressions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:03
Day 2 of Summer Game Fest 2026 was all about Xbox — and I got behind closed doors. In this recap I break down the Xbox showcase and the hands-off demos, including the game that stole the show for me: Fable.Playground Gam…
This Is What a Perfect Sequel Looks Like | Control: Resonant Hands-On [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:43
At Summer Game Fest 2026 I got about 90 minutes hands-on with Control: Resonant — Remedy's return to the Control universe —, and I'm hyped.The big shift: it moves from gunplay to fast, melee-focused combat with real weap…
The Future of Gaming at Tribeca's 25th Anniversary with Casey Baron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:56
I sit down with Casey Baron, Senior Programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival's Games Program, for an exciting conversation about the newly announced 2026 Tribeca Festival Games Program.Casey shares his vision for the fes…
Matt Booty on the future of Xbox and Ball and Gun Game Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:39
On this episode, we talk about Xbox's Matt Booty's appearance on the Xbox Wire podcast — his discussion on the current state of their June showcase, Project Helix, and how teams are working together. I share my thoughts…
Sound System: The Rhythm Game That's Fixing Guitar Hero's Mistakes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:21
I got to check out Sound System at GDC and immediately knew I had to get the team back on the show. This conversation with Echo Foundry's Lennon Lange, who worked on the original Guitar Hero, breaks down exactly why this…