Podcasts by Book of Basketball 2.0

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.Produced by Bill Simmons and Kyle Crichton Music by Jackson Lowe Lyrics and vocals by Tic Tac and Melatonin

Further podcasts by Bill Simmons & The Ringer

Podcast on the topic Basketball

All episodes

Book of Basketball 2.0
6. “Who Can You Trust?” | What If? The Len Bias Story from 2021-07-07T10:00

By the summer of 1986, America’s relationship with drugs was already at the brink of combustion. And in the highly publicized death of Len Bias, policymakers found a spark to light the flame. The d...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
5. “Someone Had to Pay” | What If? The Len Bias Story from 2021-06-30T10:00

Despite the ongoing Brian Tribble investigation, there was still a question the press and public had no answer for: Who was to blame for the tragic cocaine intoxication of Maryland’s star basketbal...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
4. “They Weren’t Grown Men” | What If? The Len Bias Story from 2021-06-23T10:00

Before the fallout from Len Bias’s death could ripple through society, the facts surrounding the night of his death had to be established. So why was that so difficult? In this episode, we examine ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
3. “One Time, I Was Gone” | What If? The Len Bias Story from 2021-06-16T10:00

In this episode, we examine the life and career of Spencer Haywood, a basketball Hall of Famer and one of the sport’s biggest stars of the 1970s. Haywood spent the latter half of his career battlin...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2. “He’s Gone” | What If? The Len Bias Story from 2021-06-09T10:05

On June 17, 1986, Len Bias was picked second overall in the NBA draft. He was the next chapter in the book that was the 1980s Boston Celtics dynasty. Then, just two days later on June 19, 1986, he ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Introducing ‘What If? The Len Bias Story’ from 2021-06-02T16:00

From The Ringer and Spotify, this is the story of Len Bias: University of Maryland phenom, second pick of the 1986 draft to the Celtics, and just two days later, one of the most tragic and shocking...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Chris Webber: The Star-Crossed Superstar  from 2020-12-17T04:59

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 con...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Rick Barry: The Disagreeable Superstar (With Malcolm Gladwell and Tony Kornheiser) from 2020-12-10T04:58

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Chris Paul: The Almost Point God (With Ryen Russillo) from 2020-12-03T04:59

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Kevin Garnett: The Stealth Superstar (With Jackie MacMullan) from 2020-11-25T21:00

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Julius Erving: MJ Before MJ (With Brian Koppelman) from 2020-11-17T04:59

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,...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Allen Iverson: You Had To Be There (with J.A. Adande) from 2020-11-12T04:59

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 leagu...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2010 Redraftables: PG-13, Wall, Hayward, and the Snakebit 2010 Draft With Ryen Russillo from 2020-07-01T04:01

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2009 Redraftables: Curry, Harden, and Kahhhhhhhhhn With Zach Lowe from 2020-06-29T17:47

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 abou...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2008 Redraftables: A Genius Westbrook Pick and Rose vs. Love With Ryen Russillo from 2020-06-24T04:01

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2007 Redraftables: Oden vs. Durant With Ryen Russillo from 2020-06-17T04:01

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2006 Redraftables: The Unluckiest, Goofiest, Most Incompetent Draft of the 2000s, With Chris Ryan and Joe House from 2020-06-15T18:37

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2005 Redraftables: The Revenge of CP3 With Ryen Russillo from 2020-06-11T04:00

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2004 Redraftables: A Series of Unfortunate Events With Joe House from 2020-05-29T14:42

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 p...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2003 Redraftables: LeBron Arrives, Darko vs. Melo, Wade The Sleeper + the First “Modern” NBA Draft with Chad Ford | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-04-21T20:29:19

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 mo...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2002 Redraftables: The Ultimate Bad Luck Draft With Chris Ryan and Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-04-14T20:51:22

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2001 Redraftables With Zach Lowe: Parker or Pau? Arenas or Iso Joe? Elgin, MJ, and Wallace Doing Stuff! | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-04-08T16:00

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.L...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2000 Redraftables: The NBA Draft WOAT. With Ryen Russillo | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-04-08T04:00

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
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 from 2020-04-03T04:00

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 lotter...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
1998 Redraftables: Sleeping Dirk, Free-Falling Pierce, and the Craziest NBA Draft Ever With Chris Ryan and Ryen Russillo | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-04-01T04:00

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
1997 Redraftables: Duncan the Sure Thing, T-Mac the Sleeper, and Rick Pitino the Ruiner With Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-03-31T06:30

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
1996 Redraftables: Kobe, Iverson, Nash, Allen, and the Draft That Changed Everything With Ryen Russillo | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-03-31T06:11:52

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.Le...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
The Genius of Bill Russell | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-03-03T05:00

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 f...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Duncan’s Revenge: 2003’s Lakers-Spurs Game 5 With Shea Serrano | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-02-25T05:00

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? Remembe...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
A Magic Collapse: 2009's L.A.-Orlando Game 4 With Kevin Clark and Joe House | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-02-18T05:00

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 ...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Dwight Howard and the Pyramid (With Ryen Russillo and Joe House) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-02-11T05:00

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 i...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
The Night Kobe Called Me Out of the Blue | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-02-04T05:00

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Kobe Bryant, Jalen Rose, and Bill Simmons Talk Hoops on the Grantland Basketball Hour (Recorded Feb. 2015) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-01-30T05:00

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
The Last Fun Knicks Team: Indy-NY Game 3, 1999 (w/ Sean Fennessey&Jason Concepcion) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-01-23T05:21:02

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 coincidenc...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Reggie Miller and the Pyramid (With Shea Serrano) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-01-14T05:00

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 m...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Steve Nash on “the Horry Shove,” 2007’s Heartbreak, and the Critically Acclaimed 2004-10 Suns | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2020-01-07T05:00

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 Sun...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Kawhi Shoots Philly: 2019’s Most Important Game (a BoB Rewatchables With Ryen Russillo and Chris Ryan) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-12-24T05:00

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) serie...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
LeBron Wins a Cleveland Title: The Game of the Decade (a BoB Rewatchables With Brian Windhorst) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-12-19T05:00

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Dirk’s Game 7 Breakthrough and the Decade’s Greatest Series: Spurs-Mavs, 2006 (BoB Rewatchables w/ Marc Stein) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-12-10T05:00

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Dirk Nowitzki and the Pyramid (With Marc Stein) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-12-03T05:00

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 a...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Houston’s 2018 Almost-Champs and the NBA’s Advanced Stats Revolution (With Daryl Morey) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-26T05:00

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 dre...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Spurs-OKC 2012 and KD’s Almost-Dynasty (BoB Rewatchables With Joe House) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-19T05:01

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 d...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
James Harden and the Pyramid (With Zach Lowe) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-19T05:00

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
2004 Finals, Game 4: Shaq’s Last Great Game (The Rewatchables With J.A. Adande) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-14T05:00

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 Lake...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Shaquille O’Neal and the Pyramid (With J.A. Adande) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-12T05:01

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
OKC-GSW, Game 6 2016 (a 'Rewatchables' Flashback With Chris Ryan and Joe House) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-05T08:03

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 ev...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Stephen Curry and the Pyramid (With Ryen Russillo) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-05T08:02

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 underr...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Steve Kerr on 25 Years With The Secret (and Why Curry’s Warriors Couldn’t Keep It) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-05T08:01

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...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
The Secret Is Now Rented (Prologue) | Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-11-05T08:00

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 2...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Introducing Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-10-30T19:12:16

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 drama...

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Book of Basketball 2.0
Introducing Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-10-30T19:12:16

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 drama...

Listen
Book of Basketball 2.0
Introducing Book of Basketball 2.0 from 2019-10-30T19:12:16

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 drama...

Listen