Can Wemby Save The NBA? An NBA Popularity Check In with Van and Wos | The Bill Simmons Podcast

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Van Lathan Jr. and Wosny Lambre to discuss the popularity of NBA today.
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[@connorobrien8763]

Calling Hakeem, the “Draymond of his day “is one of the most offensive things I’ve ever heard

[@backbreaker73579]

He should be banned from covering the NBA on all platforms after that comment. I howled in disbelief at the stupidity of that comment.

[@holla18atme]

Hakeem started a shit ton fights in the 80's. He wasn't talking skill.

[@JV-lr6sg]

What a good conversation. What basketball shows should be. Some thoughtful analysis on interesting topics and a bit of debate, but not taking themselves too seriously, mixed in with some friendly banter and humour. 🙌

[@jackcoghlan7200]

took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn't agree more! Fascinating, funny, and insightful conversation.

[@TheRyan1234Ryan]

“Skills make champions, stories make stars”. Cold 🥶 has that been coined yet? Lol

[@andysauro1500]

The game is watched more in highlights on KZbin and Tiktok. Even creators reacting. Which is an indictment of the game itself. 48 minutes of mostly 3pt shooting is unwatchable.

[@Behemothius]

More like 3 hours of watching 48 minutes of play, of which 50% shot attempts are three pointers. Who wants to watch that?

[@jalenroddey1419]

That’s because the lead marketed stats over skills and told people that winning doesn’t matter as long as you get a triple double

[@ayrtonsenna4302]

Outside of chris ryan, and russillo, Van is the MVP of the ringer.

[@Earl_E_Burd]

Van, yes. Chris Ryan on that list, seriously?

[@ws4jb]

Add Jacoby.

[@mattmcginn701]

@@Earl_E_BurdI love Chris Ryan, and couldn’t exactly tell you why. I dunno, he just feels genuine. One of the finest impressionists of our generation lol

[@burgercheezes]

@@Earl_E_Burd Chris Ryan is hilarious but you have to watch the movie/tv pods to see him shine, not the sports content.

[@hypeesagee7895]

You have terrible taste

[@pruney84]

Bill and Van going at each other (and getting personal!) never gets old😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@tickub]

"all these obsessions have something in common" fucking love van lmao

[@Jiturra01]

Wos is 100% right about Giannis. Promotional malpractice.

[@AcerbicOrder]

He's mostly correct. Nike and other companies have dropped the ball with their signature athletes shoes, marketing etc and are far to reliant on the social media aspect. Giannas embraces what comes with the league but he doesn't chase it in terms of building a brand or being in the mix with celebrities etc.

[@Riles3152]

@@AcerbicOrderCase in point what they’ve done and HAVEN’T with Caitlin Clark for the past year. They literally have not released any type of clothing, apparel, bearing her image and likeness. Nike is becoming a whole joke at this point.

[@WhoIsMikeJones568]

⁠​⁠@@Riles3152Caitlin should’ve signed with New Balance. The wytes would’ve went stupid with her merch

[@Kks-00]

Viewership has gone down due to all the different streaming platforms we have to get to watch 1 team and also blackouts for local teams

[@David-iv6je]

This. It is financially dumb to pay for all this stuff.

[@MaelstromEnergy]

And the better your local team, the harder it is to see them since they likley have more national games

[@Kks-00]

@ The logic should be pay for a product and have no restrictions since your paying a premium price

[@Jdp547]

I feel like this is obvious. Every night I have to go through 3 apps to try and find the game I want to watch. And then I give up and quit. And then I end up watching highlights the next day.

[@QGuides]

Exactly what in the fuck.

[@Earthling_FC]

Also as an International viewer (Australia) the amount of timeouts for commercial breaks makes a full live game impossible to watch. Rather watch highlights for free on youtube.

[@TheUltimateRage]

I'm halfway through the video, but one story I think you guys are missing is that this new NBA deal has actually made it literally impossible for many NBA fans to watch games. For example, I'm a Chicagoan, thus a Bulls homer, with Comcast. Only problem is, because of this, I can't watch my Bulls. The Bulls used to play on NBC Sports Chicago, but with the NBA's new TV deal, NBC Sports Chicago is now defunct. The Bulls now play on a new TV network called CSN (Chicago Sports Network), but CSN is in a contract dispute with Comcast because Comcast wants to feature CSN on a higher-priced payment plan, but CSN wants to remain available for everyone. Thus, 1 million Comcast customers have no access to CSN. I haven't been able to watch a SINGLE Bulls game (not even preseason). Apparently, this is happening in other areas as well (I recently learned that this was an issue in Houston). This is a direct result of enshitification via late-stage capitalism. THANKS COMCAST!!!!

[@markmausner]

Bro just watch methstreams

[@charlesmcgovern2395]

I completely agree. This reason is why I pirate stream all these games unapologetically at this point. I would have no problem paying if there was an option that gave me ALL the games with no excuses or blackouts but the streaming wars are a complete mess because cable TV won't die already.

[@Earthling_FC]

The answer is 100% cost to the fan. League Pass is too expensive, game tickets are too expensive. Everything is too expensive. Period.

[@NellofTOC]

All to make a bunch of 20-something’s who barely play/play to win GENERATIONALLY WEALTHY and keep the aging superstars on the court long enough to justify the insane media deals.

[@chadams7753]

I just can’t imagine paying that much to have blackout local games, and the best games are on TV, and all the stars are sitting out

[@LiamborninDC]

How dare they say Shaq didn't have a shoe, the Shaqnosis from the 90s was incredibly popular and it still holds up to this day.

[@thehoboman]

Yep. Even his $20 shoes sold well. I grew up poor and I remember lots of kids rocking those.

[@ozz7602]

😂😂 shaqnosis i remember the ones from payless and they were under 20 bucks in the early 00s, but the hood clowning if yo momma got ye those ones to save money 😂

[@LiamborninDC]

@@ozz7602 Better to have cheap shoes on your feet than expensive shoes being removed from your feet.

[@ozz7602]

@@LiamborninDC what do i look like a piece of cake.. with a gun you charge, a knife you run away.

[@bradyoung1714]

Why dont we mention how media is why most people don't watch it. Nobody has cable anymore, sports streaming is just as fractured as it was on cable, youtube makes highlight videos of every game, and there are pirated streaming sites out there that get millions of viewers. The media makes it as hard as possible to watch a game. Thats why I don't watch very often. For the love of god, put all the games somewhere easy to watch that isn't an additional $110 a year on top of all your streaming services and possibly cable packages. Who wants to spend $1000 a year to watch tv?

[@lunarlasso]

This is the best podcast episode I've ever heard. Sincerely. I'm not on social media much. Van is now my favorite person. I love these three together! I'm watching everything Van is on/in. Love the takes and the insight and intellectual depth of every conco.

[@CitizenoftheWorld1]

Before an 8pm/10pm game, I already consumed a segment from ESPN, a basketball podcast, and maybe a couple analysis videos on youtube. By game time I'm already maxed out as far as basketball

[@jackburton6178]

I'm the biggest fan of the NBA you'll find that never watches full games. My job allows me to listen to content like this for hours a day, and I have just enough time in the evening to watch some highlights and Thinking Basketball style of content. If it weren't for KZbin, I would know nothing about the current NBA.

[@edgardoMurnia]

slave?

[@kevingeorge7843]

Same boat for me

[@andyn7548]

Not even of your own team? I record and watch only the actual play time, skip free throws, and I’m done with a game in less than an hour. Without watching a game through you’ll never grasp the progress and nuance of whether x player or team played well in a win or loss.

[@rob826]

Man I hear ya! Look up ‘goat’ and watch his weekly nba recaps that drop every Saturday- trust me! (anonymous guy on internet). Really incredibly made content and exactly what the modern nba fan needs

[@nomorepartiezz]

You’ cant be the “biggest fan” of any sport if you don’t even watch games lol. You’re a fan of podcasts and youtube content not the actual league/sport then.

[@214Beans]

The problem is the blackouts. People can't even watch the teams in their region.

[@jc1sttwin]

Bill is great with these 2 i like the laughs they get specially when they both rag on bill in good fun

[@eugenesullivan3889]

Maybe because of my Lithuanian roots , Luka , Nikola, and Giannis are great players I love for their success and their story s are amazing!

[@ajil112]

The nba is my second favorite sport to follow behind the nfl and I never watch regular season games. I keep up with it via the ringer, inside the nba and my socials but only actually watch come playoff time.

[@cjs21m]

Bro you can’t say magic/bird, Jordan, Kobe, lebron, Steph. And just leave it there. Shaq was fucking huge and known worldwide, and I’d argue AI although a small stretch, had a gigantic world wide influence as well.

[@keenannorris3309]

I think AI was much less worldwide, more of a national phenomenon. Shaq was global.

[@leungsz]

@@keenannorris3309 Disagree. AI is huge in at least Asia. His everyman build makes him even more appealing.

[@ozz7602]

Nah put a.i out, he had one run, there were years he couldnt lead his sixers teams to the playoffs in the forever weak eastern conference. You still make a good point cuz i remember at one point every dude wanna be like a.i and all the girls are in love with him.

[@keenannorris3309]

@@leungsz OK, I can't speak to Asia so I'll take your word for it and stand corrected on that.

[@МатијаЦаричић]

You're right about ai not being world famous, at least in europe he was never that huge​@@keenannorris3309

[@DanielCarin]

this trio more please

[@lunarlasso]

Yes, 100% Yes!

[@88smjls]

No player is even close to as famous as Jordan was in the 90s.

[@Fidel_cashflo]

LeBron and Curry are pretty much on that level of popularity

[@je5406]

​​@@Fidel_cashflo to basketball fans yes. Jordan transcended sport.

[@purplemonkeydishwasher4241]

@@Fidel_cashflo They're not even close. In a 1996 interview Oprah introduced him as "maybe the most famous man on the planet" and in the late 90s it was said that the three most famous people on the planet were him, Princess Diana, and the Pope. LeBron, Curry, nor any other player that will ever play the game will ever be that famous again.

[@NoellaScott]

@@Fidel_cashflo I'm going to guess you were born in the late 90s onward. Jordan was not even a basketball star - the man was a cultural icon. He was the most famous American on the planet, and one of the most famous people, as that Simpsons fan said. He was Kim K but the best athlete, too.

[@williambamann1845]

I cannot agree more with everything discussed... AWESOME conversation guys!!

[@mmageek]

Get rid of League Pass? What about the blackout situation? I live in Oregon and can't watch Portland, Utah, GSW, or Sac. The blackouts are limiting the number of games I can watch.

[@DMacSince94]

Bill unlocking his iPad in the final moments to check the time is too damn relatable 😂

[@marcusharris4586]

Love Van Lathan! Need more of him on the pod

[@slightexag]

Wish Bill would face the reality that the supersaturation of sports gambling has had a huge hand in how much worse the NBA is than it used to be.

[@SkiLILs]

He knows but can't talk about it imo

[@slightexag]

@@SkiLILs he's the problem tbh. you can't listen to his podcast if you have a gambling addition b/c it's all he talks about

[@natedogg890]

This generation of players are either very private like Jokic or Luka, just have boring and inauthentic personalities like Tatum or Townes, or are heels that can't back it up. Like Embiid is just pathetic at this point, Ja doesnt have two brain cells to rub together, Trae Young is a losing player, Zion is always hurt and also a moron... There isn't anyone that inspires and compells off the court

[@deepvoicedude4749]

Anthony Edwards

[@Sable813]

​@@deepvoicedude4749 too messy off the court with his baby mama drama

[@zbt62]

@@Sable813no real basketball fan gives af about his baby mama drama

[@deepvoicedude4749]

@@Sable813 Lol I bet you thought Allen Iverson was a thug back in the day too.

[@natedogg890]

@@deepvoicedude4749 Yeah thats true, I love Ant, he's such a dog

[@le9335]

Listened to pod twice cause this trio is so great. So many laughs.

[@chazmaru9583]

Not the biggest fan of Wos on podcasts but he was perfect in this context, providing great conversation fodder and knowing when to assist or let the two crazy uncles cook.

[@redman6790]

Why don't you like him on pods?

[@utho8080]

The real issue is the level of competitiveness isn’t the same. The style of play isn’t unique team to team anymore (everyone jacks up 3s), and the season is long.

[@anon-ju9bg]

Celebrity status of its stars ≠ overall popularity of a sports league

[@brownhairydog6472]

I'm an old head who watched 1990s basketball so there's the context for these comments. I'd say a modern game has a few challenges; Too many stoppages and timeouts which interrupt the flow and make a 48-minute basketball game go for over 2 hours. Load management and just the general lack of intensity from some of the biggest stars. Evolution of the three-pointer as the premier shot which has killed a lot of the variation in style. A lot of foul-baiting and soft calls which interrupt the game and prevent hard defence.

[@SkiLILs]

Playing defense is bad for business, if the game went back to a more 90s like game players would have to play and that's just not realistic today.

[@Jiturra01]

Had to look up who threw someone through a glass window. Chuck lol

[@specialwhenlit8435]

Chuck chucked 'em, after the dude threw a drink in his face at the bar.

[@supershmackedbros7723]

League pass doesn’t let me watch half the games I want to see. We need more games on tv not less

[@grospipo20]

League pass need some fixing!

[@whatabouttob9749]

Pop sent the Big Three and Danny Green home for that game against the Heatles, and the Spurs bench almost won that game. Had a chance to tie with 20 seconds left but bricked a three. Was one of the better games of the season and the Spurs still got fined a quarter million dollars

[@specialwhenlit8435]

Not just the Spurs, Pop got fined personally. Always been proud of him for that stood up against truly horseshit scheduling: Heat on 4 days rest, Spurs in their 4th game in 5 nights. On national TV. Normally guys would just be left on the bench but Pop essentially flipped Stern the double bird by flying the guys home early. The San Antonio Cube Steaks almost pulled that one out, up about 7 with 3 minutes to play. Damn that game was fun. Absolutely gave the guys confidence when they played the Heat in that year's Finals and in the rematch in 2014.

[@karimgreen8732]

I’m watching Van and Woz on anything! This trio is great 👍🏾

[@rvpearson]

Great convo, really enjoyed this

[@UnlykeMst]

I am one of those weird new fans who listens to basketball pods every day but only watch 3 games a week

[@AB-sw4kb]

we all know what the geometry of the court looks like and we all know what highlights look like. the discussion and drama around the game is often more engaging than the game itself

[@seanogle4543]

8:00 I am like this too, not much time to watch games and don't have access to them even if I wanted to. I do watch the playoffs though. Problem is the season is just too long.

[@joemagnum611]

That game where Pop sat Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, and I think Danny Green was a TNT game and it went in to overtime in a loss and he was ran into the ground for it

[@chancemack]

Great convo. I enjoyed this

[@WycoTL]

I love Wos's take about Giannis. He's definitely been marketed as this aw shucks guy, which was cute when he was a rookie but in hindsight definitely hurt his marketability and brand. And Wos didn't say it, but he plays in Milwaukee. At the end of the day though, with how people consume social media now, I think a huge burden is on individuals to market themselves, and right now none of the top dogs seem interested in doing that. The NBA can only push so much. People want to see the players, not the games.

[@mxhughes]

This why jimmy butler didn't play into that homeless kid backstory they were first tryna push once he started becoming a star.He kept shutting it down and wanted ppl to acknowledge him as a hard working basketball player who wants to win

[@WhatIsNumberOne]

20+ women have accused Trump of sexual crimes and he was just elected President. I'm not sure Kobe wouldn't be able to survive today.

[@SkiLILs]

Feds also accused Trump of trying to rig the 2020 election and we all know they're the ones who did that. Bad argument

[@vitocarlucci111]

The difference is that Trump is his own his own brand. Kobe represents the Lakers and the NBA, and in todays climate, even if Kobes massive fanbase didnt care, the media will and they would pressure the NBA (which is media driven) into suspending Kobe or supressing Kobes spotlight. Kobe would end up like Iverson.

[@heevestenry5384]

There is something weird about Trump. That stuff just doesn't stick for some reason, like it does to others.

[@TheInferno0099]

​@@heevestenry5384it's because the NBA if fully liberal now just look at their commissioner there's no other side that would take kobe's side especially since a lot of the fanbase left during the bubble because of all the political statements they made during that time

[@sadtwolvesfan]

As a sidenote Kevin Porter Jr is still in the league he's just ass so noone really cares.

[@samwisegamgee1635]

Love Wos's point about F1 having interesting, authentic personalities while the NBA has Jayson Tatums

[@flyfettle]

Tier A Trio! I’m here for it.

[@youngair24]

Quality is bad and Players are unrelatable I am Knicks fan this is the best team we've had in a long time but something is lacking

[@jimsimonetti2929]

Can’t remember what year it was but there was a mini lockout and games didn’t start until Christmas and the only played 66 games and it felt like the perfect year. The league keeps telling us they’re more popular than ever on social media but can’t get people to watch the games. There can’t be that many people watching illegal streams online. Certainly not millions of people at least. This is why I’m very interested in how nba games will do in NBC and Amazon next year. Way more people have broadcast tv and prime video than have cable. If making it easier to watch doesn’t help ratings they might have a marketing problem.

[@AmirCooper-r9q]

Stream east is killing the view ship because we are still watching but it’s just not being counted

[@denniswise1460]

Shhhhhh quiet bro

[@hjayc414]

Narc

[@AB-sw4kb]

@@denniswise1460it's not a secret club, everyone knows about this. you've only scratched the surface

[@MONEYPOWERRESPECT773]

That would be a valid issue if every sport was down , nfl and cfb is UP while streaming continues to go up

[@sbjoka56]

The unfortunate thing is the regular season just kinda doesn’t matter anymore. Stars don’t play enough & it feels like the prime time matchups are blowouts 50% of the time. Basically it’s gotten to a point where you can just watch game highlights of incredible performance by players & show up for the 2nd round of the playoffs while not missing anything important.

[@sitandletgo]

creativity needs authenticity...thats why bill and mike and steph are goats lol.

[@stephenanderson3995]

I have used league pass for 12 years and the cost has been a huge relief to me. The access to entertainment shouldn't be limited to people who can spend more. Let the masses have access to the basketball culture, athleticism, and entertainment of the NBA. It is important in good and chaotic times to have anchors and being able to see live basketball is a solid anchor. The number of games in a season does need to be lowered. They play crazy hard and should be able to take more time off between games. Try to work it so instead of having like 6 games in a day have 3 and put the other 3 on another day. More days to watch and less games. Just keep the price like the Costco hot dog and drink.

[@rickyricardo2208]

Nba Gotta get the players to buy in more in the season. Adam Silver gotta create a way make most every game meaningful That why NFL is king .

[@Riles3152]

Bill is one of my all-time favorite basketball commentators, but I just don’t understand his bullish view that the game is better. That’s literally one of the biggest complaints for why the league has clearly lost relevancy in the past 35 years. Because for the most part, even though these guys appear to be far, more advanced in skill, the style of play has become redundant and reduced to a three-point shooting contest. People who are diehard NBA fans may love it but the casual, and those who can do with or without the NBA are not satisfied or much interested with this product.

[@irvinglambert9316]

Players are more skilled, but the games themselves are far less entertaining. In the same way that every player is squeaky clean and polished as a personality, the game itself is clean and polished and not compelling. No danger, no physicality, no rivalry or intensity, and no stakes (outside of playoffs). I know that the players care, but as a viewer, it doesn't feel like there is any conflict when I watch an NBA game. It is sterile in a way that reminds me of Olympic sports.

[@JohnDoe-k5r]

The NBA sucks because there's no variety. Everyone plays the same, everyone has the same skill package. And they shoot way too many threes. They don't even run to the paint on fastbreaks anymore. No one plays defense and the stars miss way too many games.

[@ccw301]

catch a few games with this version of the warriors...constant ball movement, lots of action off the pnr, tough defense, smart/not spamming usage of the three, and curry'/draymond both rejuvenated

[@Yosemite44]

82 games is way too much for a GenZ short attention span generation. And I understand. Why can’t you have each team play each other team twice. Now games simply don’t matter too often.

[@sambrobst6852]

The "Giannis as a brand has been mishandled" is a really interesting take. I completely agree. I feel like I should be OBSESSED with him, and he should be my favorite player, but he's just kinda... around.

[@joeb588]

If they could ever cut the # of games in half and they switched to a smaller playoff format with like 12 teams making it and best of 3 game series, the nba could eventually become the biggest sport in the world. But nobody wants to lose short term gains for long term gains.

[@Aryehjackson]

Need more Van and Wos together please👏🏾

[@olenskafanboy]

How long is Van gonna keep the cowboy hat bit going? 😅

[@s.omerozer]

10:10 what a great idea. instead of decreasing the number of games he's proposing to make league pass more expensive. unbelivable

[@Silversurfermeetsgalactus]

Love Wemby. Must watch TV. Great kid. Plays hard. Uber talented.

[@Jiturra01]

Id watch half of the games I watch if it wasn't for Jokic

[@multi-florum]

It's nice feeling relatively confident that when I sit down to watch a Denver game Jokic will actually be on court, too.

[@J-R__]

I got league pass to watch Jokic and the Nuggets

[@JakeDantoni]

In America, FOOTBALL is King. Does anyone actually watch NBA games anymore??? Players don’t play and trash teams just chucking 3s makes it damn near unwatchable.

[@ryandieter]

The NBA is a bad product. Too many 3s, no defense, load management, guys switching teams it’s just not interesting

[@sJ504nola]

Man the biggest reason the NBA is losing ratings is because too many of the superstars barely play games. You can’t get most of them to play 50 games let alone 82. The entitlement is unreal right now. And they only want to play in like 5 markets. People are tired of supporting this. Adam Silver has lost control of the league.

[@skylertaylor7283]

Jokic, lebron, giannis, Tatum, Shai, lebron, Davis all played over 50 last year

[@sJ504nola]

@ dude you named like 6 players. There are countless others that don’t. And bringing up Davis only healthy year in the last 6 is wild but ok.

[@aaronruff8712]

Great conversation here

[@johnnytimestamp8224]

Booker loves his dog, Haven. And video games. and vintage cars

[@samoso6979]

Also these guys don’t stay in college long enough to build up their brands now.

[@JoLaf-d6y]

You get asked why people watch the games less and all you talk about is the celebrity of the players… people watch the celebrities, but not necessarily them playing the sport, even less an entire game. Highlights at most. Stern chose individuals over teams back in the days for marketability reasons, it was a - brilliant - business decision but they went to far. No soul, no identity anymore

[@MikeBeltMikeBelt]

This was gold.

[@lasagna1534]

13:05 shoutout wos that’s the best basketball take I’ve heard in awhile

[@burgercheezes]

Bird, Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, Lebron, Curry They all have the same thing in common. 3+ rings as best player on a team. We elevate winners. Maybe the next won’t be an American and in my opinion this is podcast overthinking, but that speaks more to the point. The exception is Duncan so you need the other thing our culture elevates, ego. Actually, maybe it has changed With social media winning matters less, we elevate egotistical losers, give them money, and worship them more.

[@SkiLILs]

And winning in the NBA today means getting a super max contract from the top players, not competing for a title.

[@deepvoicedude4749]

They also are all American, which I think is most important. All of those guys except for maybe Kobe Bryant were really well known before even making the NBA. With Magic, Bird, and LeBron being top 5 most famous athletes in the USA before being drafted.

[@christopherwilliams2351]

Kobe never won 3 as the best player though. Which is why he’s not in the group with the others imo. Even though he’s my favorite

[@christopherwilliams2351]

Neither has Steph actually

[@MrOctober44]

Steph and Kobe weren't the best on all of their championships.

[@AustinSportsGuy]

People are always talking about shortening the season, which will never happen because of the labor dispute it would cause. Owners would come for contracts. “I paid you for an 82 game season. If the season is shorter, I owe you less.” Players would push back and eventually nothing would happen.

[@edwardflanagan2623]

A+ Trio talking sports right here

[@GarbageTimeSports]

Am I the crazy one for not caring at all about my athletes personal lives? Don't really care to know their life or opinions on things outside the sport.

[@TimothyFitzgerald-s8w]

Van and Russillo aren't afraid to talk about the elephants in the room. ( I know Russillo isn't on this pod)

[@sonofsarek]

Watch some of the CBS intros and games from the 1980s. That was peak basketball.

[@yegrosal]

the nba is like the Kardashians. LOTS of people know what's going on with the Kardashians, but very very few people have ever watched their show.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot2]

Great take. The NBA really feels more compelling for the off court stuff. It’s like the way people talk about wrestling. They love the curtain pulled back and hypotheticals more than the actual product a lot of the time. So much energy is spilled on “who is/was better?”

[@sixtentore8655]

It's fine. Jordan changed the whole thing and it has to slowly go back to normal. One year at a time

[@AustinSportsGuy]

What everybody forgets about Pop sending the guys home for the Miami game is that it was San Antonio’s fourth game in five days, which is such egregiously bad scheduling that it isn’t even done anymore!

[@TalesOfTheTrade]

I fail to see how it’s a problem if the best players in your league are foreign.

[@chrisberry7640]

You know what I'm never gonna buy? League Pass. You know what I'm never gonna buy? Cable. I am a complete casual NBA fan, and the league makes most of their money off complete casuals. I would watch way more basketball if there were more ways of watching it without spending money on a monthly subscription. The league (and sports in general) needs to adapt to a generation of people who will not watch something if they have to pay for it. I'd be way more inclined to watch entire games if there was at least like 1 or 2 free games a week on KZbin or something

[@artistjim114]

My guy Worsny is speaking knowledge! Sak Passe’

[@AikosBuilds]

Great guests

[@keisukeyoshida2839]

The game within the lines is boring, the game for political for a little while, the stars don’t have personalities, superstars teaming up, media succumbing to LeBron. I haven’t watched a full game in 4-5 years. Especially the media. Ex. My eyes are telling me that Bronny is trash but the media won’t tell us that. You begin to lose trust with the product that they are selling.

[@austiin8981]

Ever since the 2004 Pistons dominated the Lakers. We've seen this sport slowly deteriorate.Adam Silver was given the ability to turn this sport into a WWE product. The NBA sold out

[@lesbo37]

The NBA's biggest problem is the on court product stinks right now. I'm a lifelong fan but I find it hard to watch a game. The players are so skilled but the style is horrible and the complete lack of effort has ruined it. Players don't even pretend to play defense until the playoffs and that's ruined the sport. The removal of physicality has made it even worse. The tech fouls for showing personality are awful. Player movement has totally ruined all sense of rivalries. I hate that the CBA has basically become intended to break up teams who draft and trade well. The refs not calling the rules has also taken away from it, when you make something easy you remove its value. It was only a decade ago that there were videos trolling Harden for how bad his defense is, somehow the league took them as instructional content on how to play defense. The all star weekend has become a real microcosm of the sport as a whole. The 3pt contest basically hasn't changed since the first one and yet now it's by far the highlight of the weekend because all the other aspects are now trash. It feels like the sport is the same, 3pt shooting is great but everything else is trash.

[@SkiLILs]

The 3 ball is just a way for players to inflate their stats and its low effort. By half time teams have already shot 50 3s. Leads to more possessions and inflates other stats like rebounds and assists.

[@David-iv6je]

Dude the loafing accusation goes back to the 70s

[@deepvoicedude4749]

If people hate the 3 ball, why are Steph Curry and Caitlin Clark so popular?

[@cboyz20]

​@@SkiLILs Real life sports are reflecting the way games are played on a video game. There is now an entire generation that has been able to interact with a very large sample size and we are finding the real life "meta". In basketball you basically want 3s and layups. In football, smart teams defer to receive the ball to start the 2nd half, go for it on 4th down if you are close to the 50 yard line, 1st down throw percentage, etc. Baseball is all about HRs. Best soccer teams press high and tend to create repeatable low hard crosses across the 6 yard line when in possession, and they all try to counter attack super fast.

[@skamvids413]

Who's Van referencing when he says this athlete will "throw you through a plain glass window"? Wilt? These two are a great foil for Bill, good stuff looking forward to more.

[@mikelowery1911]

Charles Barkley

[@skamvids413]

@mikelowery1911 ahh thanks bro. Going to have to look up that story now.

[@caracasaltavista]

Hmmmm how about televiaing the games on national TV at least a bit more during the week, so more people can see games?

[@jeffreyroedel9804]

Agree the season should be 70 games, not 82, with those 70 spaced out the same length of time as 82. The game is harder to play. Faster. Harder on the joints and everything. More injuries. And there should be a full week off before All-Star Weekend. And Round 1 of the playoffs should be Best of 5. And no back-to-backs.

[@jimgeary]

Hot take: I don’t think Karl Malone is the victim.

[@fexcab]

Big Wos is a gem🫡

[@casualobserver4773]

Wos - good take on the Giannis narrative

[@TheeDevinMartin]

LaMelo could be that star if you get him on a big market team

[@jeffreyvalentyn6815]

I really like the point made at 10:50

[@patrickmiller6236]

Hakeem was not the draymond of that day…. Are you guys basketball people??? Is this tongue and cheek??? Zero respect with that

[@ThatOnePat]

12:41 really interesting take I’ve never thought of. Gianis was humanized too much, when he should have been just the freak athlete greek god robot that we see on the court and in awesome insane Nike commercials. Protect his image and character more

[@mcsquarewolf9557]

lol, this is the honesty nest. Will Ferrell would be proud