• 25 minutes 29 seconds
    Celtics Collapse, Wemby Exposed, Sixers Shock Knicks: What NBA Opening Night Really Revealed

    Did NBA opening night expose some serious weaknesses among the league's contenders — or are fans jumping to conclusions?

    Ric Bucher explains why Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics' 22-point collapse against Cade Cunningham's Detroit Pistons hasn't changed his outlook on Boston. He also examines how the Philadelphia 76ers spoiled the defending champion Knicks' celebration and why Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs have bigger concerns after their loss to Oklahoma City.

    Plus, Angel Reese's impressive WNBA Finals performance and Ric's scathing review of ESPN's Being Ben documentary, including why he believes Ben Simmons never fulfilled his extraordinary potential.

    00:00 – NBA opening night and Angel Reese's WNBA Finals breakout03:15 – Pistons, Celtics, Sixers, Knicks and Thunder opening-night results04:50 – Why Boston's collapse doesn't change Ric's Tatum prediction07:00 – Cade Cunningham's greatness and Detroit's improved offense09:05 – Tatum's playmaking, Paul George and Boston's fourth-quarter collapse12:05 – Celtics' supporting cast and the Tatum vs. Brown debate13:45 – Sixers spoil the Knicks' championship celebration15:45 – Wembanyama struggles as Thunder overwhelm Spurs18:10 – ESPN's Being Ben: What the Simmons documentary gets wrong21:45 – Ben Simmons' missing accountability and unfulfilled potential24:48 – Closing remarks


    #OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #Celtics #JaysonTatum #CadeCunningham #76ers #Knicks #Wembanyama #Thunder #BenSimmons

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    22 October 2026, 8:37 am
  • 23 minutes 33 seconds
    Did the Celtics Get BETTER Despite Trading Jaylen Brown?

    Did the Boston Celtics actually improve despite sending Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia?

    Ric Bucher makes the provocative case that Jayson Tatum could thrive as Boston's undisputed leader, explaining why Tatum's unselfish approach, renewed motivation and the development of his supporting cast could make the Celtics more dangerous than expected.

    Ric also reveals why Mitchell Robinson's move from the Knicks to Boston could be a masterstroke, challenges the NBA's projected win totals for the Celtics and 76ers, and examines the enormous pressure facing Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse.

    Plus: Why the LA Clippers may be the NBA's most underrated team, and which preseason win projections Ric believes are wildly optimistic.

    00:00 – Why Boston chose Jayson Tatum over Jaylen Brown

    03:00 – Motivation, championship hunger and Tatum's opportunity

    06:00 – Kobe Bryant's influence and Tatum's leadership questions

    09:00 – Boston's overlooked supporting cast and Most Improved debate

    12:00 – Joe Mazzulla, Celtics chemistry and why Boston could exceed expectations

    15:00 – Mitchell Robinson's impact on the Knicks and 76ers

    16:11 – Celtics vs. Sixers win totals and Nick Nurse's job security

    19:30 – NBA coaches on the hot seat: Toronto, Utah and Charlotte

    21:00 – Clippers' surprising win projection; Warriors and Wizards skepticism

    22:55 – Closing remarks


    #OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #BostonCeltics #JaysonTatum #JaylenBrown #Sixers #NickNurse #LAClippers

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    15 October 2026, 7:04 am
  • 22 minutes 9 seconds
    Five NBA Teams With Enough Talent to Win — and Enough Problems to Fail

    The Philadelphia 76ers have assembled a potential powerhouse with LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. But Ric Bucher argues chemistry isn't their biggest concern — and they're hardly the only NBA team facing a difficult balancing act.

    Ric examines five intriguing rosters: the Sixers, Jazz, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and Wizards. Can Darryn Peterson handle NBA physicality? Will LaMelo Ball keep everyone happy in Minnesota? Can Ja Morant accept a lesser role in Portland? And who gets the ball in Washington?

    Plus, Ric questions whether Bronny James belongs in an NBA rotation and explains why Oklahoma City's depth exposes New Orleans' troubling collection of underachieving stars.

    TIMESTAMPS


    00:00 – Introduction and the Sixers' chemistry concerns

    03:21 – Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson, Keonte George and missing leadership

    06:00 – Peterson's defensive struggles and Utah's roster questions

    09:48 – Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Jonathan Kuminga

    11:42 – Trail Blazers: Can Ja Morant accept a supporting role?

    14:42 – Portland's lineup dilemma and Washington's ball-dominant stars

    16:04 – Lakers: Bronny James' troubling preseason performance

    18:44 – Warriors rookie, Clippers' potential and early preseason impressions

    19:39 – Thunder's depth exposes the Pelicans' problems

    20:58 – Closing remarks and Mizzen+Main


    #OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #LeBronJames #Sixers #JaMorant #LaMeloBall #BronnyJames #NBAPreseason

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    8 October 2026, 7:23 am
  • 24 minutes 46 seconds
    The NBA’s American Star Problem: Why Wemby, Giannis & Jokic Are Taking Over

    Ric Bucher asks whether American basketball has a star problem as Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić increasingly distinguish themselves as both elite players and compelling ambassadors for the NBA.

    Ric also revisits Team USA’s handling of Caitlin Clark, challenges the coverage of A’ja Wilson’s confrontation with an Indiana Fever fan, and explains why treating WNBA stars seriously means scrutinizing them just as aggressively as male professional athletes.

    Plus: Jalen Duren’s contract dispute, Anthony Edwards’ curious assessment of Jonathan Kuminga, Cade Cunningham’s lack of national attention and one provocative question for LeBron James: Why tell Philadelphia fans that the Knicks were the team he really wanted?

    Timestamps

    00:00 – Caitlin Clark, Team USA and WNBA playoff rankings

    03:00 – A’ja Wilson’s confrontation with a Fever fan

    06:00 – Clark, Wilson and what WNBA coverage gets wrong

    09:00 – Why the WNBA needs tougher, more diverse analysis

    12:00 – Wemby, Giannis and Jokic set a different NBA standard

    15:00 – Jalen Duren, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards

    18:00 – NBA media, superstar treatment and credibility

    21:00 – LeBron’s Knicks admission and the problem it creates in Philly

    23:00 – Why international stars are taking over the NBA spotlight

    24:26 – End


    #OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #WNBA #CaitlinClark #AjaWilson #Wemby #Giannis #NikolaJokic #LeBronJames

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    2 October 2026, 1:01 am
  • 26 minutes 16 seconds
    NBA's Biggest Pressure Cookers: Why Jayson Tatum Has More to Prove Than Luka Doncic or LeBron James

    Kendrick Perkins calls Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball the NBA's best backcourt. Ric Bucher isn't buying it. But that bold proclamation raises a bigger question: Who faces the most pressure heading into the 2026-27 NBA season?

    Ric breaks down the five players and five head coaches with the most to prove, from Luka Doncic carrying the Lakers without LeBron James to Nick Nurse juggling Philadelphia's star-studded roster.

    Plus, why Jayson Tatum faces an unprecedented challenge without Jaylen Brown, whether Victor Wembanyama can take the Spurs to the next level, and why Anthony Edwards may be running out of time to turn superstar hype into championship success.


    00:00 – Introduction and Coachable announcement

    01:31 – Kendrick Perkins' best-backcourt claim: Ant and LaMelo

    02:34 – NBA backcourt comparisons: SGA, Luka and more

    05:03 – How superstar expectations create pressure

    06:46 – Five NBA coaches facing the most pressure

    07:02 – No. 5: Steve Kerr and the Warriors' future

    08:39 – No. 4: Joe Mazzulla and Boston without Jaylen Brown

    10:50 – No. 3: Mitch Johnson and the Spurs' championship expectations

    11:49 – No. 2: Chris Finch and Minnesota's LaMelo Ball gamble

    12:32 – No. 1: Nick Nurse and Philadelphia's superstar puzzle

    14:04 – Mizzen+Main sponsor message

    14:45 – Five NBA players facing the most pressure

    14:53 – No. 5: Anthony Edwards and the burden of superstar hype

    16:14 – No. 4: Victor Wembanyama's championship clock

    17:53 – No. 3: Paolo Banchero and Orlando's expectations

    19:43 – No. 2: Luka Doncic, Lakers ownership and life after LeBron

    23:03 – No. 1: Jayson Tatum's biggest test without Jaylen Brown

    25:31 – Final thoughts and closing


    #NBA #OnTheBall #RicBucher #JaysonTatum #LukaDoncic #AnthonyEdwards #LeBronJames #NBAPodcast

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    24 September 2026, 6:52 am
  • 24 minutes 42 seconds
    Caitlin Clark Just Changed the Team USA Equation — Whether They’re Ready or Not

    Team USA won another FIBA Women’s World Cup, but Ric Bucher believes the tournament exposed a decision USA Basketball won’t be able to avoid much longer: Is it time to stop worrying about hierarchy and start giving Caitlin Clark a bigger role?

    On this episode of On The Ball, Ric breaks down what Clark demonstrated while surrounded by elite talent — scoring when necessary, pushing tempo, creating shots for teammates and adapting her game to whatever Team USA needed. He also examines what the tournament revealed about Paige Bueckers, why Angel Reese and Clark may be far more compatible as teammates than their rivalry suggests, and why the shrinking gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world could soon make reputation-based rotation decisions costly.

    Then Ric uses a revelation about LeBron James’ role in assembling the 2024 Olympic team to explain why the Michael Jordan-vs.-LeBron GOAT debate will never be resolved: their supporters aren’t simply arguing over players — they’re measuring greatness by fundamentally different standards.

    Ric also revisits the Clippers/Kawhi Leonard fallout, what some predictions about the Toronto trade misunderstood about the NBA’s unwritten rules, and Pablo Torre’s face-to-face question to Adam Silver about how the league vets its owners.

    Finally, Ric shares what he’s hearing about NBA Europe, why its launch is struggling, EuroLeague’s resistance to surrendering control, and one potential NBA strategy: lure several marquee EuroLeague clubs into a rival competition and let the league’s financial muscle do the rest.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 – Welcome to On The Ball

    01:28 – What’s ahead: Team USA, Adam Silver and NBA Europe

    02:16 – Team USA’s World Cup title draws record attention

    03:14 – Why playing the final during NFL Sunday wasn’t Team USA’s fault

    04:15 – What national-team basketball reveals about star hierarchy

    04:25 – Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark: what their roles revealed

    04:55 – What makes Clark more than a scorer

    05:32 – Clark adapts her game to Team USA’s stars

    06:28 – Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese: rivals who actually fit together

    07:15 – What Reese gives Team USA — and what remains missing offensively

    07:48 – Could Clark and Reese’s Team USA experience change their rivalry?

    08:55 – The international threat to American women’s basketball

    09:30 – Italy nearly punctures Team USA’s aura of invincibility

    10:29 – Why roster politics could eventually cost the U.S.

    10:44 – Kara Lawson’s veteran starting lineup

    11:19 – Why Team USA looked different with Clark running the offense

    11:44 – Is USA Basketball underusing Caitlin Clark?

    12:14 – How Clark changed her game to fit Team USA

    13:07 – What LeBron James reportedly did to assemble the 2024 Olympic team

    13:50 – The fundamental difference between Jordan and LeBron

    15:21 – LeBron’s approach: get as much help as possible

    16:03 – Why Jordan and LeBron supporters will never agree

    16:48 – “Jordan’s dominance was visceral. LeBron’s is analytical”

    17:24 – The Kawhi Leonard trade takes Ric expected to age badly

    18:02 – The NBA’s unwritten rules and why the Clippers weren’t backing out

    18:58 – Pablo Torre confronts Adam Silver

    19:31 – Should the NBA change how it vets prospective owners?

    20:13 – The NBA’s long history of controversial ownership

    21:35 – Torre, journalism and “killing the messenger”

    22:18 – Why salary-cap circumvention can be difficult to uncover

    22:47 – Trouble for NBA Europe?

    23:14 – Why the NBA and EuroLeague are headed toward a power struggle

    23:28 – Could the NBA peel away Europe’s biggest clubs?

    23:58 – In the end, it’s still about the money

    24:03 – Closing thoughts

    #OnTheBall #RicBucher #CaitlinClark #AngelReese #TeamUSA #USABasketball #FIBA #WNBA #NBA #LeBronJames #MichaelJordan #KawhiLeonard #LAClippers #AdamSilver #PabloTorre #NBAEurope #EuroLeague

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    18 September 2026, 5:08 am
  • 23 minutes 23 seconds
    STEPH CURRY’S LAST ACT: When Does Loyalty Become a Liability for the Warriors?

    Steph Curry has earned virtually unlimited goodwill in Golden State. But is that goodwill about to face its toughest test?

    On this episode of On The Ball, Ric Bucher challenges the annual fantasy that Curry and the Warriors have one more championship run left in them. Golden State is coming off a 37-win season, made no transformative offseason addition and is relying on a 38-year-old superstar whose workload already has to be carefully managed. Yet Curry could remain among the NBA’s highest-paid players for years to come.

    Ric explains why Curry deserves every dollar after transforming the Warriors and the NBA—but also why his salary, age and diminished supporting cast create a late-career situation unlike the ones faced by Magic Johnson, Larry Bird or Michael Jordan. Can Warriors fans simply enjoy Curry’s remaining magic without expecting another championship? And if the losses pile up, will they?

    Ric also looks beyond the NBA storylines the national networks are likely to push, explaining why Oklahoma City and San Antonio are more compelling than LeBron James’ first week in Philadelphia, why the Western Conference may be more top-heavy than wide open, and why the Eastern Conference could become the NBA’s real battleground after a massive migration and consolidation of star talent.

    Plus: why last season’s panic over tanking was overblown, and Ric closes with a personal remembrance of his former ESPN colleague Barry Melrose and the lesson he took from not reaching out before it was too late.


    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 – Welcome to On The Ball

    01:16 – The NBA storylines Ric believes actually matter

    01:40 – Why the LeBron-in-Philadelphia hype misses the point

    02:55 – OKC and San Antonio: the matchup Ric really wants to see

    03:40 – The annual Steph Curry “one more ring” fantasy

    04:25 – Why the Warriors no longer look like contenders

    05:03 – Curry’s next contract and the coming test of Warriors fans

    05:21 – Ric addresses his history with Golden State

    06:15 – How team relationships influence sports media coverage

    07:38 – Why access has become king in sports television

    07:43 – Ric’s real feelings about Steph Curry and the Warriors

    09:02 – Why the end of the Warriors dynasty fascinates Ric

    09:30 – What makes Curry different from past NBA icons

    10:25 – Bird, Magic and Jordan: how legends exited the NBA

    12:11 – Why Curry’s late-career situation is different

    13:05 – The reality of Golden State’s chances in the West

    14:09 – Does Curry deserve to remain one of the NBA’s highest paid?

    15:16 – Why Curry’s salary could eventually create backlash

    16:07 – The limits of Steph’s late-career magic

    17:03 – The dilemma: Golden State needs more Curry but must play him less

    17:28 – Enjoy the Steph Curry show—without expecting another trophy

    18:06 – Why the Eastern Conference could deliver the NBA’s best drama

    18:59 – How deep could the East really be?

    19:24 – Why the NBA’s tanking panic was overblown

    20:15 – Remembering Barry Melrose

    21:34 – Ric’s regret—and the lesson Barry’s death left behind

    22:41 – Final thoughts and sign-off


    #NBA #StephenCurry #StephCurry #Warriors #GoldenStateWarriors #LeBronJames #76ers #Thunder #Spurs #EasternConference #BarryMelrose #OnTheBall #RicBucher

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    11 September 2026, 11:08 pm
  • 27 minutes 35 seconds
    The Clippers Got Hammered — But History Says They’re Far From Dead

    Five first-round picks. A $30 million fine. Steve Ballmer suspended for a year. The NBA came down hard on the Clippers over the Kawhi Leonard cap-circumvention scandal — but Ric Bucher explains why calling it a franchise “death penalty” would be a mistake. The Timberwolves survived a remarkably similar punishment and actually got better.

    Plus: Jonathan Kuminga bets on himself in Minnesota despite an NBA market that keeps questioning his value, and Peyton Watson tells a revealing Michael Malone story that helps explain why Denver eventually moved on from its championship coach.

    #NBA #Clippers #KawhiLeonard #SteveBallmer #JonathanKuminga #Timberwolves #MichaelMalone #Nuggets #OnTheBall #RicBucher


    00:00 — Why offseason conditioning can be misleading

    02:57 — Clippers hammered over Kawhi cap circumvention

    05:21 — Kawhi, Ballmer and who deserves the blame

    06:33 — Five lost picks — severe, but no “death penalty”

    08:54 — Ballmer’s fine, appeal and Clippers’ future

    10:10 — Jonathan Kuminga bets on himself in Minnesota

    14:14 — Why Kuminga’s next payday is far from guaranteed

    17:00 — The Jalen Brunson lesson Kuminga should follow

    19:00 — Why Portland might've been a better fit

    22:22 — Peyton Watson’s revealing Michael Malone story

    24:29 — What Malone’s confrontation says about his coaching

    26:02 — Did Malone maximize Denver’s potential?

    27:00 — Wrap-up

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    3 September 2026, 8:57 am
  • 29 minutes 23 seconds
    Enes Kanter Freedom Found the NBA’s Weak Spot — And Analytics Are Killing Its Game

    Ric Bucher examines Enes Kanter Freedom’s WNBA protest and why his real target may be the NBA — a league he believes ended his career to protect its business interests.

    Then, Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis’ revelation that he’s been discouraged from shooting mid-range jumpers launches a deeper look at how analytics have reshaped — and homogenized — NBA basketball. Plus: Caitlin Clark’s evolution, Stephen A. Smith’s WNBA take, Jalen Brunson’s old-school brilliance and whether load management is actually making players more vulnerable.


    00:00 – Welcome to On The Ball

    01:16 – Enes Kanter Freedom, the WNBA and the controversy

    04:27 – Challenging the WNBA’s eligibility rules

    07:16 – Is Kanter Freedom really supporting women?

    10:30 – Ric’s perspective from years around women’s basketball

    13:44 – Why Kanter Freedom’s real target may be the NBA

    15:21 – Caitlin Clark’s evolution and Stephen A. Smith’s WNBA take

    16:35 – Matas Buzelis and the NBA’s war on the mid-range

    18:23 – How analytics took over NBA basketball

    21:20 – The math behind eliminating the mid-range

    22:24 – What analytics fail to measure

    23:48 – Kenny Atkinson and analytics taken to the extreme

    25:40 – How distinctive NBA offensive systems disappeared

    26:48 – Jalen Brunson proves old-school basketball still works

    27:41 – Load management, injuries and unintended consequences

    28:14 – Why modern NBA basketball has become too formulaic

    28:46 – Closing thoughts


    #NBA #WNBA #EnesKanterFreedom #MatasBuzelis #CaitlinClark #JalenBrunson #ChicagoBulls #OnTheBall #RicBucher

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    28 August 2026, 7:08 am
  • 28 minutes 19 seconds
    The NBA Has Made Winning Too Expensive


    Ric Bucher opens this episode of On The Ball by addressing the backlash to his recent WNBA commentary — including criticism from former ESPN colleague Jemele Hill — and explains why he believes social-media outrage routinely turns nuanced arguments into something they were never intended to be.

    Then comes the bigger NBA issue: Are teams still being constructed primarily to win championships?

    The four-team trade sending Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets to the Cleveland Cavaliers is the latest example of why Ric believes instant NBA trade grades are nearly worthless. Denver didn't lose Watson because it suddenly decided he wasn't worth keeping. His new contract would've pushed the Nuggets' luxury-tax bill from roughly $68 million to more than $220 million. The real mistake, Ric argues, came years earlier, when organizational dysfunction between former coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth squandered precious seasons of Nikola Jokic's prime.

    Ric applies the same long-term test to the Celtics' Jaylen Brown trade, the Clippers' acquisition of Max Strus, and other moves increasingly dictated by the NBA's punitive second apron. The result? Instead of asking how Denver can put another championship roster around Jokic, fans are left discussing tax bills, cap sheets and whether Jokic eventually needs to leave.

    But the money isn't the only thing changing the league. Ric examines the transformation of NBA ownership from locally rooted businessmen who viewed players as employees into globally connected billionaires who may see franchise ownership as membership in an exclusive social club — with superstar players becoming prized relationships as much as prized employees. That shift, he argues, has changed the balance of power among owners, stars, agents and even the reporters who cover them.


    Has the modern NBA become better at creating billionaires than creating champions?

    00:00 — Welcome to On The Ball

    01:15 — Why Ric changed the show's introduction

    02:20 — Responding to the backlash over the WNBA episode

    03:13 — Jemele Hill's criticism and what Ric actually said

    04:49 — The question about WNBA broadcast diversity

    05:15 — Lynx-Valkyries and the problem with “safe” commentary

    07:15 — Transgender athletes and what Ric says his argument actually was

    09:01 — Men's scout teams, women's basketball and competitive advantage

    10:12 — Peyton Watson traded: why Denver's return isn't the real story

    11:32 — Why Ric says NBA trade grades are “worthless”

    12:16 — Why Denver couldn't afford Watson's $88 million deal

    13:00 — The real Nuggets failure: Malone, Booth and wasted Jokic years

    14:15 — How close Denver may have been to more championships

    15:08 — Why Jokic's best championship window may already have been squandered

    15:52 — Cleveland's tax savings and the contradiction in grading the trade

    16:45 — Denver's real grade: wasting two prime Jokic seasons

    16:59 — Jalen Brown to Philadelphia: why that trade can't be graded yet

    18:19 — Boston's squandered opportunities with Brown and Tatum

    18:41 — Clippers get Max Strus — but what's their actual plan?

    19:57 — Giannis, Jokic, Steph and the Clippers' possible 2027 strategy

    20:25 — The NBA's second apron is changing the purpose of trades

    21:00 — Denver's “yard sale” and why Jokic departure talk is inevitable

    21:51 — Jalen Brunson's sacrifice vs. what Jokic may eventually face

    22:43 — How a new generation of NBA owners changed the league

    23:37 — Are NBA teams becoming billionaire status symbols?

    24:07 — From employees to “wingmen”: how owners now view superstars

    25:03 — Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard and modern owner-player relationships

    25:28 — How agents and NBA newsbreakers became intertwined

    26:36 — Why losing old-school owners like Jeanie Buss matters

    27:27 — What disappearing local ownership means for NBA fans

    27:40 — Closing thoughts

    #NBA #NikolaJokic #DenverNuggets #PeytonWatson #ClevelandCavaliers #BostonCeltics #JalenBrown #WNBA #JemeleHill #JeanieBuss #Lakers #NBATrades #OnTheBall #RicBucher

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    21 August 2026, 11:51 pm
  • 33 minutes 58 seconds
    Landry Fields: Project B Has Players Signed — And the Men’s Stars Are Coming

    Former NBA player and Atlanta Hawks GM Landry Fields joins Ric Bucher for a special edition of On The Ball to pull back the curtain on Project B, the ambitious new global basketball league aiming to rethink how professional basketball is played, presented and consumed.

    Fields, now Project B’s head of men’s basketball, confirms that players are already signed, says recognizable names are coming to the men’s side and reveals that announcements should begin rolling out soon. He explains why Project B believes it can lure elite talent with player equity, fewer games and back-to-backs, competitive compensation, greater career longevity and opportunities to build truly global brands.

    Fields also lays out Project B’s unusual F1-style global model, integrating men and women on the same platform while taking events to cities and countries around the world. He discusses the worldwide search for talent, why the women are currently leading Project B’s development, and what he learned about leadership, culture and decision-making from stops with the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Overtime Elite.

    Fields also gets candid about his Hawks tenure and the lesson he carries forward: when you’re the decision-maker, set the vision, own the vision and build toward it.

    And, yes, Ric also uncovers one of the more unexpected chapters of Fields’ résumé: the former Knick once impersonated Nicki Minaj, Pitbull and Lionel Richie on national television.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 – Landry Fields joins On The Ball

    00:49 – Nicki Minaj or launching a global basketball league: which is harder?

    03:00 – How Fields unexpectedly became a TV singing competitor

    04:21 – Why Project B appealed to Fields

    05:50 – The F1-style vision for a global basketball league

    07:37 – Igor Kokoškov and Project B’s player-development plan

    08:17 – How Project B can recruit men against the NBA and EuroLeague

    09:40 – The untapped pool of global basketball talent

    11:10 – Lessons Fields took from the Spurs, Hawks and Overtime Elite

    12:09 – What R.C. Buford taught Fields about leadership and culture

    14:20 – Fields looks back on his tenure as Atlanta Hawks GM

    15:16 – What he would do differently as an NBA decision-maker

    16:33 – Where Project B will find its men’s players

    18:00 – What the women’s side tells us about Project B’s men

    19:00 – Women leading the way toward an equal men’s/women’s platform

    20:30 – Will recognizable stars sign with Project B? Fields says yes

    21:00 – Equity, fewer games, compensation and Project B’s recruiting pitch

    22:00 – How Fields was recruited to Project B

    23:00 – What his job looks like right now

    23:40 – How NBA insiders are reacting to Project B

    24:20 – Taking live basketball to underserved fans around the world

    25:40 – Project B’s YouTube partnership and global accessibility

    26:20 – Why Fields calls the format “incredibly groundbreaking”

    28:20 – Fields’ response to Project B skeptics

    29:35 – “It is happening”: players are signed and infrastructure is in place

    30:00 – When Project B’s first men’s names will be revealed

    30:35 – Why player announcements will arrive in stages

    31:11 – The type of player Project B wants

    32:40 – Fields and Bucher look ahead to what comes next

    33:10 – Closing thoughts and future Project B coverage

    #ProjectB #LandryFields #NBA #GlobalBasketball #Basketball #NBANews #AtlantaHawks #Spurs #OvertimeElite #OnTheBall #RicBucher

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    18 August 2026, 5:35 am
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