When Adam DeVine, Anders Holm and Blake Anderson aren’t in the writers’ room cooking up classic ideas for Workaholics—the final season of which returns to Comedy Central tonight—they’re either watching hoops at home or live from the Staples Center or Oracle Arena. With Season 7 of the show airing this January, we caught up with the trio at their famous cubicle to talk NBA predictions, casting players and more.
SLAM: Who’s your pick for NBA champs?
Adam DeVine: The Clippers are going to win it all this year. They’re going to finally start to jell. I don’t think Blake [Griffin] is going to hit anyone this season and he’s stretching out those hammies pretty fierce. He’s ready to jump out the gym. Go Clip Show!
Blake Anderson: I’ve been fortunate enough to be from the Bay Area and be a Warriors fan, so it’s looking pretty good for my team.
Anders Holm: I’m watching the Knicks. I want to see what happens with them this year. They have an interesting lineup.
SLAM: Which NBA player—past or present—would you cast for the show?
AH: Shit, I got this: Bill Russell. He would come on and play a wizard that would grant us superpowers and knowledge.
AD: Shaq would be fun to have on. I love Shaq. I met him at a [Los Angeles] Kings game once and I was up to his waist. It was embarrassing.
BA: We actually tried to get Baron Davis for Season 1 for the “Bear Coat Clippers” episode we did. The whole ending was supposed to be [him] wanting the bear coat so he could say “Bearon Davis” in a press conference. Of course later it became Marc Summers, and the rest is history.
SLAM: What’s your earliest NBA memory?
AD: I just remember loving the Bulls when they won the championship [in 1998].
BA: My first memory definitely comes from [Michael] Jordan as well. I just kind of remember listening to the Bulls-Knicks game on the radio by the pool with my family.
AH: Jordan looked in the camera and winked right after an interview. I was like, “Did he just wink at me?” Obviously now working behind or in front of the camera as a professional, I understand that was not what happened.
SLAM: Did you guys ever play organized basketball growing up?
AD: I tried out for my high school basketball team every year and it wasn’t very good. I’m also really short—every year you had to get the shoes before you knew you made the team or not, so I would always buy the new shoes. By my senior year, the coach was like: “DeVine, you don’t need to buy the shoes! You’re not going to make the team!” I mean, he was looking out.
BA: No, I was always just a streetballer, not of the AND1 Mixtape-caliber, but I was out there with the hoops with the chain-link nets. Those were sick. Do they still have those? They need to bring those back.
AH: No organized basketball, more like spur-of-the-moment-wadded-up-paper-to-the-trash-can-type ball.
SLAM: Which of you comes out with the W in a game of 21?
AD: I would probably say Blake. Probably. I keep saying probably because I think my knee doesn’t give out, which could happen. I do foul a lot and throw a lot of elbows.
BA: I would say Adam plays a really big man game for not being the tallest dude, and he has a decent hook shot and can get hot, but I think I can take it.
AH: Not me. I get worked up. If Adam threw an elbow at me, I don’t know if it would be an elbow back. I take stuff like that too personally.
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Photo by Atiba Jefferson
