Book of Basketball 2.0
Bill Simmons's podcast breaks down the NBA's most important games, players, and teams, extending and reinventing his New York Times bestselling book from 2009. He uses new commentary and fresh interviews with players and top media members to explore how the league has evolved over the past decade and where it's headed. The show is produced by Bill Simmons and Kyle Crichton, with music by Jackson Lowe and lyrics and vocals by Tic Tac and Melatonin.
Episodes
Chris Webber: The Star-Crossed Superstar
In the sixth episode of Season 3, Bill Simmons and Joe House explain why Chris Webber should have been one of the best power forwards of all time had bad luck, bad timing, and bad decisions not conspired against him. He may have one of the ultimate “What If?” careers of all time, yet wasn’t he memorable and talented enough to make the basketball Hall of Fame anyway?
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Rick Barry: The Disagreeable Superstar (With Malcolm Gladwell and Tony Kornheiser)
In the fifth episode of Season 3, Bill Simmons, Malcolm Gladwell, and Tony Kornheiser explain why Rick Barry was one of the 35 greatest players ever, as well as one of the most influential stars of the league’s first 40 years. However, his prickly personality and a few unfortunate mistakes somehow overshadowed much of his basketball legacy.
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Chris Paul: The Almost Point God (With Ryen Russillo)
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.
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Kevin Garnett: The Stealth Superstar (With Jackie MacMullan)
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.
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Julius Erving: MJ Before MJ (With Brian Koppelman)
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.
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Allen Iverson: You Had To Be There (with J.A. Adande)
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.
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2010 Redraftables: PG-13, Wall, Hayward, and the Snakebit 2010 Draft With Ryen Russillo
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.
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2009 Redraftables: Curry, Harden, and Kahhhhhhhhhn With Zach Lowe
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.
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2008 Redraftables: A Genius Westbrook Pick and Rose vs. Love With Ryen Russillo
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.
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2007 Redraftables: Oden vs. Durant With Ryen Russillo
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.
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2006 Redraftables: The Unluckiest, Goofiest, Most Incompetent Draft of the 2000s, With Chris Ryan and Joe House
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.
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2005 Redraftables: The Revenge of CP3 With Ryen Russillo
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.
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2004 Redraftables: A Series of Unfortunate Events With Joe House
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.
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2003 Redraftables: LeBron Arrives, Darko vs. Melo, Wade The Sleeper + the First “Modern” NBA Draft with Chad Ford | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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2002 Redraftables: The Ultimate Bad Luck Draft With Chris Ryan and Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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2001 Redraftables With Zach Lowe: Parker or Pau? Arenas or Iso Joe? Elgin, MJ, and Wallace Doing Stuff! | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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2000 Redraftables: The NBA Draft WOAT. With Ryen Russillo | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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1999 Redraftables: Francis in Purgatory! Odom in Hell! Weis Over Artest! Remembering an Unusually Hilarious Draft With Chris Ryan and Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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1998 Redraftables: Sleeping Dirk, Free-Falling Pierce, and the Craziest NBA Draft Ever With Chris Ryan and Ryen Russillo | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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1997 Redraftables: Duncan the Sure Thing, T-Mac the Sleeper, and Rick Pitino the Ruiner With Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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1996 Redraftables: Kobe, Iverson, Nash, Allen, and the Draft That Changed Everything With Ryen Russillo | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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The Genius of Bill Russell | Book of Basketball 2.0
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 h
Duncan’s Revenge: 2003’s Lakers-Spurs Game 5 With Shea Serrano | Book of Basketball 2.0
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
A Magic Collapse: 2009's L.A.-Orlando Game 4 With Kevin Clark and Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0
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 an
Dwight Howard and the Pyramid (With Ryen Russillo and Joe House) | Book of Basketball 2.0
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 w
The Night Kobe Called Me Out of the Blue | Book of Basketball 2.0
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
Kobe Bryant, Jalen Rose, and Bill Simmons Talk Hoops on the Grantland Basketball Hour (Recorded Feb. 2015) | Book of Basketball 2.0
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
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The Last Fun Knicks Team: Indy-NY Game 3, 1999 (w/ Sean Fennessey & Jason Concepcion) | Book of Basketball 2.0
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.
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Reggie Miller and the Pyramid (With Shea Serrano) | Book of Basketball 2.0
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?
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Steve Nash on “the Horry Shove,” 2007’s Heartbreak, and the Critically Acclaimed 2004-10 Suns | Book of Basketball 2.0
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
Kawhi Shoots Philly: 2019’s Most Important Game (a BoB Rewatchables With Ryen Russillo and Chris Ryan) | Book of Basketball 2.0
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 dow
LeBron Wins a Cleveland Title: The Game of the Decade (a BoB Rewatchables With Brian Windhorst) | Book of Basketball 2.0
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 histo
Dirk’s Game 7 Breakthrough and the Decade’s Greatest Series: Spurs-Mavs, 2006 (BoB Rewatchables w/ Marc Stein) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 5b: On the verge of blowing yet another playoff series, this time after building a 3-1 lead against San Antonio, the Mavs dig down deep in a classic Game 7. Was 2006 a wildly underrated NBA season? Has Dirk Nowitzki ever been better? Could that Spurs team have won five straight titles? Is Mark Cuban the first and only owner-chemist? And what the hell was Manu Ginobili doing? Bill breaks it
Dirk Nowitzki and the Pyramid (With Marc Stein) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 5: How did the 2011 playoffs change Dirk’s destiny as a top-35 player? Would he have been even better in the current 3-point-happy era than the previous one? Is he the most popular Dallas athlete ever? And could Dirk crack the Pantheon in Bill’s 100-player Hall of Fame Pyramid? These questions and more are broken down in our fourth “Pyramid Podcast” with Marc Stein of ‘The New York Times.’
Houston’s 2018 Almost-Champs and the NBA’s Advanced Stats Revolution (With Daryl Morey) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 4c: After becoming the spiritual leader of the Advanced Metrics Revolution, Daryl Morey spends the 2010s building a contender around James Harden and Chris Paul, only to watch his title dreams vanish in a gut-wrenching series against the defending champion Warriors. What inefficiencies did Morey first exploit last decade in Boston and Houston? What was the thinking behind the Harden trade?
Spurs-OKC 2012 and KD’s Almost-Dynasty (BoB Rewatchables With Joe House) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 4b: Up 2-0 in the Western Finals and riding a 20-game winning streak, the seemingly invincible Spurs are demolished by Kevin Durant and a Thunder team that peaked at the perfect time. How did the series flip? Was this the best-played and most-loaded series of the decade? Was this OKC’s Apex Mountain? Why was the last minute of Game 6 so emotional? Were the 2012-14 Spurs historically underr
James Harden and the Pyramid (With Zach Lowe) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 4: Is Harden the NBA’s best scorer since Michael Jordan? Was the Harden trade the NBA’s biggest “what if?” ever? How much should Harden’s playoff stumbles matter for him historically? Where does his beard rank among the NBA’s greatest facial hairstyles ever? And where does Harden rank on Bill’s 100-player Hall of Fame Pyramid? These questions and more are broken down in our third “Pyramid
2004 Finals, Game 4: Shaq’s Last Great Game (The Rewatchables With J.A. Adande) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 3b: With the Shaq/Kobe era crumbling against a hungry 2004 Pistons team, Shaquille O’Neal tried to save the day with a memorable throwback performance. It ended up being his last great Lakers game. What did that night say about Shaq, that bizarre Lakers season, and a now-underrated champion from Detroit that wouldn’t roll over? Bill breaks it down with his former ESPN colleague J.A. Adande
Shaquille O’Neal and the Pyramid (With J.A. Adande) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 3: Was Shaquille O’Neal the one Pantheon player who could have been top five if he really wanted it? Would vintage Shaq have been better or worse in 2019? Were Shaq and Kobe always destined to turn on each other? Was 'Kazaam' better than 'Steel'? And where does Shaq rank on Bill’s 100-player Hall of Fame Pyramid? These questions and more are broken down in our second Pyramid Podcast, with
OKC-GSW, Game 6 2016 (a 'Rewatchables' Flashback With Chris Ryan and Joe House) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 2b: No 2010s NBA game unleashed more “what ifs” than Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference finals. It’s impossible to figure out Stephen Curry’s phenomenal decade without hashing through everything that happened that night. So what happened? In the pilot episode of TBOB Rewatchables, recorded earlier this year on 'The Bill Simmons Podcast,' Bill re-lives that historic night with The Ringer
Stephen Curry and the Pyramid (With Ryen Russillo) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 2: Will we remember the 2010s for Curry or LeBron? Is Curry already the greatest shooter of all time? Has any modern superstar ever had more career-related “what ifs”? Is Curry STILL underrated? And where does he rank on Bill’s 100-player Hall of Fame Pyramid? These questions and more are broken down in our first Pyramid Podcast with The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo.
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Steve Kerr on 25 Years With The Secret (and Why Curry’s Warriors Couldn’t Keep It) | Book of Basketball 2.0
Chapter 1: Future Hall of Famer Steve Kerr joins Bill to discuss a quarter-century of learning “The Secret” in Chicago (with Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson), San Antonio (with Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich), and Phoenix (with Steve Nash), and then how Kerr watched it unfold during his historic run as the coach of the three-time champion Golden State Warriors. Were they the greatest team of all ti
The Secret Is Now Rented (Prologue) | Book of Basketball 2.0
The Prologue: Bill Simmons remembers the day when he learned “The Secret” of basketball from Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, then built his New York Times no. 1 bestselling book around the premise in 2009. Only one problem: 10 years later, we’re in the middle of the player empowerment era and “The Secret” might not matter anymore.
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Introducing Book of Basketball 2.0
Bill Simmons’s new podcast breaks down the NBA's most important games, players, and teams, extending and reinventing his New York Times no. 1 bestselling book from 2009. Playing off the NBA’s dramatic changes during the past decade, Bill uses new commentary and fresh interviews with players and top media members to determine how the league has evolved and where it’s headed.
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