Book of Basketball 2.0

Six years later, Seattle waits patiently for a chance to bid for an expansion franchise. Will the city have a team again? Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Bobby Wagner, Matt Dollinger and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sonics pack their bags, and Seattle spends more than a decade wondering: Where do we go from here? Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Waiting, hoping, fighting: Seattle takes its final stand. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time, the man who brokered the deal between Howard Schultz and owners from Oklahoma City tells his story. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Schultz and Bennett strike a deal, and Seattle wonders if all is lost. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oklahoma City prepares for a major league opportunity. But will the NBA bite? Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seattle vs. Schultz. Who really owns our teams? Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who is Howard Schultz? Getting to know the man who bought the Sonics and sold them away. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our pilot episode, we dive into the relationship between Seattle and the Sonics, telling the story of the franchise’s iconic teams of the '90s. And we see how decisions made in that decade ultimately laid the groundwork for the team’s move, more than a decade later. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Noah Malale, Isaac Lee, Kara Kornhaber, Karan Nevatia, Catherine St. Louis, Jonathan Hirsch an...

Did Seattle ever have a chance? Who are the villains in this story? Hear from the NBA legends, politicians, diehard fans, business executives, and more as The RInger's Jordan RItter Conn unearths never before heard truths about the NBA's greatest heist. Dive into the chronicle of a perfect storm of events: how Seattle went from an iconic NBA city to a basketball orphan. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Pr...

The faces of the modern NBA take on many shapes, sizes, and brands, but have a few things in common: more money and influence than any of their predecessors. In the face of this increased responsibility, will they continue the club? And if so, who’s coming next? In the series finale, Jackie takes a look at how far the league has come, and where it might be headed. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers:...

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are one of the most successful—and combustible—duos in NBA history. Their contrasting styles led to tension in the locker room, but dominance on the court. And in the end, each of them changed the rules of the Icons Club forever, just maybe not in the way you’d expect. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Kaya McMullen, Noah Malale, Jonathan Kermah, Isaa...

Some players have unassailable Icons Club resumes–MVPs, championships, iconic playoff moments–but find themselves on the outside, looking in. In this episode, Jackie lays out the criteria for becoming a club member, and examines a few of the most enigmatic stars. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Noah Malale, Jonathan Kermah, Isaac Lee, Justin Verrier and Vikram Patel Sound Design: S...

The Dream Team was an unprecedented experiment for the Icons Club—an opportunity for the game’s best players to form bonds and swap notes. It also gave the NBA a chance to show off its best players to the world, and the league did not miss. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Noah Malale, Jonathan Kermah, Isaac Lee, Justin Verrier and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott Somerville Theme S...

Michael Jordan built his career—and his billion-dollar brand—by going it alone. But Jordan himself explains how he pulled from Dr. J’s business acumen and Magic’s charisma to chart his flight, and even offered pointers to certain Icons who followed in his footsteps. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Noah Malale, Jonathan Kermah, Isaac Lee, Justin Verrier and Vikram Patel Sound Design...

Magic vs. Larry is the rivalry that, for many, defines the NBA. On-court battles between these bitter foes showed a ravenous public just how enticing the NBA could be. But how about Magic and Larry: friends? In this episode, Jackie compares and contrasts the icons of the '80s, tracing a bond how that went well beyond the court. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Noah Malale, Jonathan...

Julius Erving ushered in a new era of the Icons Club. His unique style, on and off the court, brought a jolt to the game and opened doors to new marketing opportunities. And even as punches flew during his era, Dr. J forged relationships with his peers—and future Icons, like Michael Jordan—that made him arguably the most beloved member of the club. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, N...

Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are the founding members of the Icons Club. The big men navigated a completely different NBA than the one we know today and, along with stars like Oscar Robertson, put the league on course for unimaginable growth and success. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Noah Malale, Jonathan Kermah, Isaac Lee, Justin Verrier, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scot...

When Jackie started covering the NBA, it was every player for himself. But during Kobe Bryant's final season, he revealed to Jackie a secret mentorship with Michael Jordan, unlocking the door to a club that only the game's greatest players have access to. Host: Jackie MacMullan Producers: Bobby Wagner, Noah Malale, Jonathan Kermah, Isaac Lee, Justin Verrier, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Scott So...

From The Ringer and Spotify, ‘Icons Club’ will examine how an exclusive group of NBA superstars made the league what it is today. These icons were not just the best of the best on the court, but they also changed the NBA’s culture. Host Jackie MacMullan interviews Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Isiah Thomas, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwyane Wade...

In the finale, we examine how the passing of time has changed the way we process the memory of Len Bias, what his death meant to the city of Boston and the Celtics franchise, and why his story lingers for sports fans and non-sports fans alike. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Hannah Beal, Isaac Lee, Noah Malale, and Bobby Wagner Production Assistant: Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choi...

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 draconian legislation introduced on Capitol Hill thereafter, especially the ratification of mandatory minimum sentences, disproportionately targeted Black citizens — one of whom, ironically, was Len’s chi...

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 basketball player? The spotlight shifted to Maryland University and the man who had built the basketball program up in his image: Lefty Driesell. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Hannah Beal, Isaac Lee, Noah M...

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 Brian Tribble’s trial on charges of cocaine distribution, the public’s need to assign immediate blame for Bias’s death, and the ensuing chaos caused by that need. Host: Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Hann...

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 battling a cocaine addiction at a time when the league lacked both an understanding and a policy for how to deal with a growing drug problem. We explore the climate around cocaine in basketball in the lead-up t...