The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Popularity Check and Tyson’s Big Comeback With Wosny Lambre and Van Lathan
Thu, 14 Nov 2024
In Part 1 of a two-part podcast, The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Wosny Lambre to discuss whether tanking in the NBA is possible with as much talent as the league currently has, the new-look Knicks, the serious Cavaliers, and the confounding 76ers (2:07). Then Van Lathan joins Bill and Wos to zoom out on the NBA and wonder whether it's in a better or worse spot now than in other eras (31:29). Finally, they discuss the upcoming Jake Paul–Mike Tyson boxing match and remember Tyson's turbulent career (1:01:51). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Wosny Lambre and Van Lathan Producer: Kyle Crichton The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: Is tanking still possible in the NBA?
What's happening? It's Todd McShay, and I'm back with a new home and a new show at The Ringer and Spotify, The McShay Show. It's a video and audio podcast coming to you year-round with all my NFL draft information, big boards, mock drafts, and player movement. Plus, I'll be chatting with some of my best friends in football, including some of your favorite football analysts.
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Do you know this one friend who just comes out of bed in the morning and then doesn't come out of his grin? Who is even in front of the first coffee, shamelessly well-groomed and shines around the world with the morning sun? Terrible, disgusting, how can you just be so... Restless?
Very simple. Train your sleep and become a morning person. With the Galaxy Watch 7 or the Galaxy Ring and the Samsung Health app.
We're also brought to you by the Ringer Podcast Network. Put up a new Rewatchables on Monday. We did Meet the Parents. You can watch on the Ringer Movies YouTube channel as well. You can watch a whole bunch of Rewatchables podcasts on that as well. You can watch all the clips and videos from this podcast on the Bill Simmons YouTube channel. We got a two-parter today. I don't know. A lot going on.
Wanted to talk basketball and wanted to talk about the Tyson fight and why NBA ratings are going down as interest seems to be going up. So I have Big Was, I have Van Lathan. They're joining us for part one. And then part two is going to be a football podcast that's going up later tonight after. I want to see what happens with that Eagles-Washington game too. So part two will go up much later.
Part one's going up early. And let's bring in our friends from Pearl Jam. All right, Big Waz is here. We're taping this 1230 Thursday afternoon. Last time I saw you, we were doing the league pass rankings. Yep. And trying to figure out who we like the most, who we were the most excited to watch. What's changed for you since the season has started? Has there been a team jump out?
Has there been somebody that captured your fancy? Has there been a new league pass mistress for you that you didn't expect to be cheating on with some of the other favorites?
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Chapter 2: What has changed for the Chicago Bulls this season?
I mean, Nick Nurse did a great job last year. I think the Sixers definitely overperformed most of our expectations. Maybe the playoffs wasn't ideal. Playoffs are pretty rough. They overperformed most of our expectations. And I think which we can be bullish about.
You're in the Nick Nurse Kool-Aid drinking camp.
I'm just saying last year they were good. Wasn't on my research. Last year they were good. The thing is, Embiid, I know a lot of people killed him for saying, I don't care about MVP. It's about the playoffs. It's about winning. I like that.
For a team that's trying to incorporate Paul George, that has Maxie, who's ascendant, I like the idea that he's not going to feel the onus to dominate every possession like he traditionally has for the team basically his entire career. And so... That's a good sign. I think they're going to be straight. You know what I mean?
When Embiid isn't beating dudes up in the locker room for writing bad columns.
Well, here's the thing. Yabasele and McCain are guys who could play in a playoff series. So, you know, when they're operating on the fringes and trying to, you're picking out of the lottery, you're trying to grab, take flyers on dudes, and usually it doesn't work out. And it seems like both of those guys, I feel like, could be in a top seven on a good team.
So, but the Embiid is going to be the big thing. Let's take a break and then I got a couple more things for you. Van Lathan is here. We're going to talk about the NBA Cup because sometimes in basketball, 30 points could be worth more than 30 points. You get 30% profit boost on 30 plus points scores with FanDuel's 30 on 30. Like it.
The Ringer, teaming up with America's number one sports book to give you a 30% profit boost when you pick a player to score more than 30 points during Friday's NBA Cup action. I will give you the games and you tell me what you think. I'll give you a couple options. Brooklyn Knicks. Anybody loving that one? For 30? The Cam Thomas action? No. Clippers Houston?
James Harden going against the Terror Twins? No.
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