The 3-point shot is king in the NBA. So much so that people are asking if it’s ruining basketball. And while it seems like this all began 10 years ago with Steph Curry’s knack for shooting the ball, it actually goes back much further—to the curious world of a reclusive genius named Martin Manley. He only drank Pepsi, only listened to James Taylor, and decades before anyone saw it coming, predicted basketball’s future from a basement in Kansas. Then he vanished. And all he left was a website. From 30 for 30 Podcasts, Chasing Basketball Heaven follows two sports reporters as they take an unforgettable trip through basketball history to uncover the lengths a person might go to be remembered.
From the basketball-nerd mecca of the Sloan Conference to the always-brilliant mind of stats guru Bill James, Martin’s unusual legacy lives on—along with some of the questions that defined his life.
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22 Jul 2025
The Last Manley
Our hosts take a trip to Kansas, where the women in Martin’s life speak about the man they knew and loved—and hunt for Martin’s buried treasure.
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22 Jul 2025
Clock Management
Martin’s blog shines a light on a troubled but brilliant mind—and a tumultuous life defined by passion and obsession.
The following podcast contains discussion of suicide and self-harm, which some listeners may find disturbing. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, or is in emotional distress, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or 988lifeline.org.
Listener discretion is advised.
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22 Jul 2025
Almost Vulcan
Martin’s compulsive number-crunching lays the groundwork for people like Daryl Morey and Dean Oliver to later transform the sport, while the hunt for statistical meaning impacts his own life in profound ways.
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22 Jul 2025
Shoot Your Shot
A young Midwesterner becomes obsessed with basketball, with an opportunity to make history.
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22 Jul 2025
The Imperfect Arc
The dominance of the 3-point shot in today’s NBA can be partially traced to strange and humble origins - the curious world of a Kansas genius named Martin Manley.
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22 Jul 2025
CHASING BASKETBALL HEAVEN
Today, the 3-point shot is king in the NBA. But has it ruined basketball? The tale of a reclusive genius who predicted basketball’s future, then vanished. What he left behind: A website. And maybe buried treasure.
From 30 for 30 Podcasts, Chasing Basketball Heaven follows two sports reporters as they take an unforgettable trip through basketball history and uncover the lengths a person might go to be remembered.
Available now.
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Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.5 / 5
43 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
58
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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