Overview of The Real Ones 2026 Awards Episode
The season-finale episode of Real Ones is a fast, funny, and at times heated NBA awards show where Howard Beck, Raja Bell, and Logan Murdock hand out their own unofficial honors for the 2025-26 season. The conversation centers on LeBron James’ endless relevance, the Knicks’ breakthrough title run, the league’s biggest winners and losers, and a few very spirited debates about trades, crash-outs, and who kept it “real.”
Biggest Award Winners and Picks
OG of the Year
- LeBron James was the unanimous pick.
- The hosts praised:
- His still-elite production at age 41
- His ability to dominate the league’s attention
- The sheer volume of “LeBron discourse” he creates every summer
- Raja also gave a nod to Kawhi Leonard for a strong season, but LeBron was the clear winner.
Newcomer of the Year
- Dylan Harper emerged as the strongest pick by the end of the segment.
- Why he stood out:
- Fearless play in a major spotlight
- Strong two-way flashes
- Looked like a vet during the NBA Finals despite being a rookie
- Cooper Flagg also got a lot of love from Raja for his development and star trajectory.
Worst Trade of the Year
The panel debated a few candidates, but the discussion narrowed to two major ones:
- Celtics trading Jalen Brown to the 76ers
- Blazers acquiring Ja Morant
Howard argued the Ja-to-Portland move was the more nonsensical basketball fit, while Raja ultimately landed on the Celtics/Jalen Brown deal as the worst and most damaging move.
Why Jalen Brown-to-Philly got so much heat
- Boston was close to title contention with Brown
- The move felt like a step backward for the Celtics’ championship window
- Brown was beloved, and the team gave up too much continuity and identity
Crash Out of the Year
- The episode started with Draymond Green as the obvious candidate.
- But the conversation shifted hard to Brad Stevens / the Celtics after Jalen Brown’s Twitch comments and the team’s reaction to them.
- The panel’s point: Boston overreacted, and the front office ended up looking like the one that “crashed out.”
Moment of the Year
The episode featured two major contenders:
- Howard’s pick: Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game against the Wizards, which became a symbol of NBA absurdity, tanking, and the league’s obsession with big numbers
- Raja/Logan’s pick: OG Anunoby’s tip-in in Game 4 of the Finals, the comeback moment that defined the Knicks’ title run
Final vibe: OG’s tip-in was the defining moment of the season.
Who Won the Year
- The Knicks won the year, with Jalen Brunson as the face of the entire story.
- Other Knicks-era winners mentioned:
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Mike Brown
- Mikal Bridges
- OG Anunoby
- Landry Shamet
- The entire fanbase and New York sports culture
- The hosts treated the Knicks’ championship run as a cultural takeover, not just a basketball win.
Who Lost the Year
- Adam Silver was the unanimous answer.
- Reasons included:
- The league’s ugly tanking problem
- A lottery overhaul forced by credibility issues
- Gambling scandals and the growing shadow of betting
- Collective bargaining and apron-related tension
- Fractured media rights/streaming landscape
- A weak dunk contest and uneven All-Star product
- Ongoing uncertainty around the Kawhi investigation
- Blazers ownership and arena concerns
Raja Bell Memorial Defender Award
- Victor Wembanyama won this one.
- Raja’s reasoning:
- He changes how opponents game-plan
- He creates real fear at the rim
- He impacts games before opponents even attack him
- The award emphasized not just blocks and stats, but the psychological effect of elite defense.
Real One of the Year
This one was more of a personal roundtable than a single consensus winner:
- Howard Beck: Victor Wembanyama
- For growth, competitiveness, edge, and showing the full range of what a superstar looks like
- Raja Bell: Jalen Brown
- For being honest, standing on his beliefs, and keeping it real even when it cost him
- Logan Murdock: Ben Stiller
- For being a consistent friend of the pod and showing up for the Knicks moment in a memorable way
Key Themes and Takeaways
The LeBron Summer Still Runs the League
- The hosts made clear that LeBron’s indecision remains a leaguewide event.
- They debated whether he truly owes the league and media a timely decision, or whether he’s simply exercising the right he earned.
The Knicks Changed the Conversation
- New York’s championship run was treated as a cultural reset.
- The title made everyone around the team feel bigger, louder, and more relevant.
The League Is Entering a More Complicated Era
- Tanking, betting, luxury-tax mechanics, media fragmentation, and star movement all point to a messy but fascinating NBA landscape.
Real Ones Values “Keeping It Real”
- Whether it was Wemby’s honesty, Brown’s bluntness, or Ben Stiller’s loyalty, the episode consistently rewarded authenticity over polish.
Final Note
The episode closes with the hosts thanking the Real Ones and Ringer teams, teasing summer content, and correcting a small outro slip about the season year. It plays like a true offseason sendoff: part awards show, part group chat, part therapy session for NBA obsessives.