Book of Basketball 2.0

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 was dead of cocaine intoxication. In this episode, we talk about the 48 hours leading up to one of the sports world’s most crushing losses. Host: Jordan Riter Conn Producers: Hannah Beal, Isaac Lee, Noah...

By his senior year at the University of Maryland, Len Bias was thriving. He was perhaps the best college basketball player in the country, earning burgeoning Michael Jordan comparisons, and going second overall to the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA draft. In this episode, we set the stage for how Len Bias, the Maryland kid, became Len Bias, the basketball phenom; how a dark premonition weighed on...

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 deaths in sports history. Over the next seven episodes, we’ll investigate how Bias’s death changed the trajectory of NBA history, sparked America’s cocaine panic, and made a lasting impact in the world...

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? Learn more about your ad choice...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about yo...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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...