In the fourth episode of Season 3, Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo explain why future Hall of Famer Chris Paul is so hard to evaluate historically. They compare him to Isiah Thomas and other smaller stars, break down his biggest playoff moments (and stumbles) and decide where Paul ranks in Bill’s Hall of Fame Pyramid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the third episode of Season 3, Bill Simmons and Jackie MacMullan explain why Kevin Garnett’s career should have been even greater than it was, compare and contrast him to Tim Duncan, break down what it was like to cover him every day, reveal why he may have been the most secretly impactful player of the past 25 years, and decide where KG ranks in Bill’s Hall of Fame Pyramid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the second episode of Season 3, Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman explain why Julius Erving kept basketball fun before Bird and Magic arrived, why his barely seen ABA seasons added to his legend, why he eventually became an underrated superstar, and where he ranks in Bill’s Hall of Fame Pyramid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the first episode of Season 3, Bill Simmons and J.A. Adande break down Allen Iverson’s incredible career, the surreal experience of seeing him in person, why he belatedly became one of the league’s most beloved superstars, and where he ranks in Bill’s hall of fame pyramid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to revisit the 2010 NBA draft and discuss some of its subplots, draft comedy, and NBA legends before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and ESPN’s Zach Lowe revisit the 2009 NBA draft and discuss some of its subplots, draft comedy, and NBA legends before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to revisit the 2008 NBA draft and discuss some of its subplots, draft comedy, and NBA legends before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to revisit the 2007 NBA draft and discuss some of its subplots, comedy, and legends before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Chris Ryan and Joe House to revisit the 2006 NBA draft and discuss some of its subplots, comedy, and legends before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to revisit the 2005 NBA draft and discuss some of its subplots, draft comedy, and NBA legends before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House to revisit the 2004 NBA draft and discuss some of the subplots, draft comedy, and NBA legends from that class before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Chad Ford to revisit the 2003 NBA draft and discuss some of the subplots and legends from that draft class before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Chris Ryan and Joe House to revisit the bizarre 2002 NBA draft and discuss some of the subplots and legends from that draft class before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by ESPN’s Zach Lowe to revisit the 2001 draft and discuss some of the NBA subplots and legends from that draft class before redrafting the top 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to revisit the 2000 NBA draft, talk through some of the NBA subplots and what made this draft the worst in NBA history, and then break down the first 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House and Chris Ryan to revisit the 1999 NBA draft, talk through some of the NBA subplots and legends in that draft class, and redraft the first 14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo and Chris Ryan to revisit the 1998 NBA draft and some of the legends in that draft class, before redrafting the first 15 picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House to revisit the 1997 NBA draft and discuss the gravitas of NCAA basketball, the lack of info on most draft prospects, the "Duncan Lottery," and more before redrafting the top 15 picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to revisit the 1996 NBA draft and discuss mid-'90s NBA subplots and legends of the '96 draft class before redrafting the top-14 lottery picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What made Bill Russell so great? Was Russell a pioneer, a genius, or both? Why did he mean so much to the 1960s? Why did he walk away after his 11th title and never look back? And why wouldn’t he forgive the city of Boston? In 2012, Bill Simmons flew to Seattle and spent two days with the greatest winner in sports history, hoping to find these answers and more. It ended up being the highlight of his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Remember the night when Tim Duncan’s Spurs basically ended Shaq and Kobe’s quest for a four-peat, only they blew a huge lead and got saved because Robert Horry MISSED the game-winning shot? Remember when Duncan won a series against Shaq and Kobe in their primes? Remember when the thought of Duncan winning five titles seemed absurd? Remember the season when Kobe looked the most like MJ? Bill breaks it all down with The Ringer’s Shea Serrano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices....
Everyone remembers Kobe’s Lakers finally winning a title without Shaq in 2009. But why don’t they remember Orlando’s epic Game 4 collapse? Was this one of the biggest Finals meltdowns ever? Should the Magic have won the the series? How did those two missed free throws change Dwight Howard’s legacy? And just what the hell was Jameer Nelson doing? Bill breaks it down with The Ringer’s Kevin Clark and Joe House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dwight Howard was the league’s best center for five straight seasons. He even toppled LeBron in a conference finals to make the 2009 Finals. So what derailed him from being an all-time great? Was it injuries? Was he just kind of a jackass? Had the level of competition at center dipped so much that it made him seem better than he was? How do you explain his redemption with the 2019-20 Lakers? And why was Dwight the most properly rated NBA star ever? Bill breaks it all down with The Ringer’s Ryen ...
Chapter 18: In December 2012, Kobe Bryant wasn’t even halfway through his last elite Lakers season, but he was putting more thought into the bigger picture than ever before. What was leadership all about, anyway? How could he use social media to advance his message? Would he rather be remembered as a winner or a great teammate? And what made him want to pick up the phone and call Bill Simmons out of the blue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 2015, Kobe Bryant joined Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose on the Grantland Basketball Hour to discuss the tail end of his NBA career, his partnership with Shaquille O’Neal, the state of basketball in 2015, and his upcoming basketball documentary, ‘Muse.’ Watch the video here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Was Larry Johnson’s 4-point shot the last truly great Knicks moment? Was he fouled in the first place? Why was basketball so BAD back then? Why did we still love it so much? And was it a coincidence that James Dolan took over the Knicks shortly thereafter and ruined all the fun? Bill breaks it all down with The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Jason Concepcion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 7: Was Reggie Miller a superstar? Is he the best example of a player who was way ahead of his time? Did he save pro basketball in Indiana? What would he have been like during the advanced metrics era? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 6: What’s the second-best thing you can win if you never win a title? Critical acclaim! Bill made Hall of Famer Steve Nash rewatch Game 4 of the infamous 2007 Spurs-Suns series—when the Suns were derailed by suspensions, bad luck, and one terrible commissioner decision—before breaking it all down. Did the Suns get screwed? What would Nash do-over in that series? Were the Suns way ahead of their time or not ahead of their time enough? And did Phoenix’s front office sabotage that season mo...
Remembering the Game 7 when Kawhi Leonard became immortal, the Jimmy Butler era ended in Philly, Joel Embiid cried, the 2019 playoffs shifted gears, and Kawhi sank the greatest (and craziest) series-winning shot of all time. Would the NBA ever be the same? Was this one of the greatest performances ever? And why did Kawhi shoot 39 times while still obeying the Secret? Bill Simmons breaks it all down with The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo and Chris Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...
Cleveland won a championship? The Cavs rallied back from 3-1? LeBron delivered on his promise to Ohio? The Warriors blew a chance to become the greatest team ever? How did one dramatic Game 7 yield The Shot, The Block, AND The Stop? Why wasn’t Stephen Curry a bigger goat? Was this LeBron’s greatest performance ever? And did this nudge Kevin Durant to the Warriors and change the course of NBA history? Bill answers all of these questions and more as he breaks down Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals wit...
