Fans don’t just want their teams to win anymore — they want the sport itself to be flawless: perfect coaching, perfect officiating, perfect behavior, perfect “fairness,” perfect outcomes. In this episode of On The Ball, Ric Bucher explains why that expectation is a fantasy… and why technology, replay, and analytics have actually expanded the outrage economy instead of eliminating “human error.”

Ric also takes a hard look at the growing “eliminate the NBA Draft to stop tanking” conversation — including Rich Paul’s idea of treating incoming players like free agents — and lays out why it sounds great for agents and top prospects… but would crush competitive balance for small-market franchises.

Then Ric pivots to the WNBA labor talks, arguing the players’ union is approaching negotiations like it’s a feel-good partnership — while owners hold nearly all the leverage. His message: if the players want real gains, they’ll need organization, discipline, public pressure… and a willingness to risk uncomfortable outcomes.

Sponsored by New Air Club — door-to-door private jet service built around value, comfort, and convenience. Learn more at newairclub.com.

Pre-order Ric’s upcoming book in May (link in Ric’s social bios / RicBucher.com).

00:00 — “We’re cooking with gas” + welcome to On The Ball

00:40 — Where to find Ric (FS1, Fox Sports Radio, United We Cast Network)

01:00 — Book update + where to pre-order (RicBucher.com / social bios)

01:59 — Sponsor: New Air Club (private jet travel, bundled service)

02:42 — Why fans now demand “perfect” sports

02:56 — The “Steve Kerr can’t coach” fallacy (development vs draft busts)

03:23 — The obsession with “perfect” players (foul-baiting, free throws, etc.)

03:43 — How one injury play becomes “dirty player” discourse

04:14 — Reality check: there is no perfect sports system

05:11 — Tech, replay, tracking… and the myth that error can be erased

05:45 — Why robo-umps still wouldn’t create “perfect baseball”

07:18 — Basketball is harder: judgment calls will never disappear

07:32 — Slow motion = instant outrage (landing space, gather step, etc.)

08:18 — Replay’s hidden cost: stoppages, momentum swings, unfair rest

09:04 — “Level playing field” is a myth

09:20 — Eliminating the draft to stop tanking: why it’s not realistic

09:33 — Rich Paul’s “incoming players as free agents” idea

10:45 — Why the rookie scale exists (and what the league learned)

12:14 — Why the draft matters for small markets

12:32 — Ric’s take: tanking panic is driven by gambling partnerships

13:40 — Tampering + trade demands: the competitive-balance problems ignored

15:39 — The WNBA negotiations: why it’s “painful to watch”

16:31 — Owners don’t need team profits; players need the deal

18:37 — Why players must be organized, disciplined, unified — and cutthroat

19:26 — Visibility problem: who’s leading the WNBA players’ message?

21:02 — The only real leverage: public + media pressure

23:02 — “Concession” vs “putback” (housing example)

24:02 — If the league won’t show the books, ask the obvious questions

26:22 — Wrap-up + rate/review + next episode tease

#OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #NBADraft #RichPaul #ClutchSports #Tanking #SportsBusiness #SportsMedia #WNBA #WNBPA #CollectiveBargaining #NewAirClub #UnitedWeCast #Basketball

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/bucher-and-friends.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NBA All-Star Weekend was this close to being declared dead—until Victor Wembanyama flipped the entire vibe, shamed everybody into competing, and turned a “jumped-the-shark” event into must-watch hoops. On this episode of On The Ball, Ric Bucher breaks down why the All-Star turnaround matters, what it revealed about the league’s real hierarchy, and why Adam Silver’s public tough talk (including the nuclear “eliminate the draft” idea) lands as hollow compared to the era of David Stern.

Ric also dives into the league’s messy optics: tanking, gambling partnerships, half-empty arenas, influencer-first priorities, and the growing sense that the NBA’s “brand showcase” is replacing the game itself—right up until Wemby decided otherwise.

Then Ric shifts to the off-court theater: Stephen A. Smith flirting with a presidential run (and why sports platforms + politics are a dangerous credibility cocktail), plus Ric’s take on LeBron James’ retirement fog—including a wild, hypothetical endgame that involves NBA expansion, Las Vegas, and a final-season father-son spectacle with Bronny James.

00:00 — Intro: “Cooking with gas” + where to find Ric Bucher

00:41 — Ric’s new book: The Value of Being Coachable (pre-order info)

01:20 — United We Cast Network shows: Full Court Passport, Finding the Seams, Pacific Rims

02:03 — Was All-Star Weekend cooked? The “dead event” narrative

02:18 — Tanking panic: Adam Silver hints at eliminating the draft

02:46 — David Stern vs. Adam Silver: who actually had the hammer?

05:14 — Stern’s punishments: Sprewell / Joe Smith / Malice at the Palace

06:21 — Silver’s biggest power move: Donald Sterling (and why it was “easier” than it looks)

07:06 — The mood was bad: NBA Europe confusion + teams openly gaming losses

07:52 — Half-empty stands, weak dunk contest, and low expectations

08:18 — Wembanyama ignites the weekend: “no prisoners” intensity

08:45 — Team Stars vs. Team World goes OT; Anthony Edwards crediting Wemby

09:02 — Team Stripes (LeBron/KD/Kawhi) adds drama; De’Aaron Fox buzzer-beater

09:37 — MVP debate: Ant wins, but did Wemby actually deserve it?

10:05 — Ric’s airport confession: this All-Star > Super Bowl for entertainment

10:39 — All-Star as brand showcase vs. real basketball storytelling

12:41 — A “page-turn” moment: new generation vs. old guard

14:47 — Why Wemby losing might be the best future fuel (playoffs + next All-Star)

15:10 — Calling out Luka Dončić + Nikola Jokić for minimal effort

16:23 — Jokić mocking Wemby’s pregame book… and what that says about the league

17:28 — The “pickup game” truth: hierarchy and roles exposed

18:06 — Reads on stars: Edwards, Fox, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Alperen Şengün, Karl-Anthony Towns

20:02 — Stephen A. Smith for president? Ric’s benchmark for leadership credibility

23:10 — LeBron retirement uncertainty + “at the right price” reality

24:31 — The big hypothetical: NBA expansion fast-tracked (Vegas + Seattle)

26:17 — The spectacle plan: LeBron + Bronny as an expansion-team launchpad

28:06 — Sponsor: New Air Club + outro

#NBA #NBAllStar #VictorWembanyama #Wembanyama #AnthonyEdwards #AdamSilver #DavidStern #NBADraft #Tanking #LeBronJames #BronnyJames #KawhiLeonard #KevinDurant #StephenASmith #OnTheBall #RicBucher #UnitedWeCast #NBAExpansion #LasVegas #Seattle

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/bucher-and-friends.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is NBA tanking really ruining basketball — or is the outrage just noise?

In this solo episode of On The Ball with Ric Bucher, Ric dismantles the modern hysteria around tanking and explains why what fans think is a crisis is actually a decades-old strategy baked into the league’s business model.

Drawing on 30+ years covering the NBA, Ric reveals:

• Why tanking isn’t new — and never stopped
• How the media profits from outrage narratives
• The hidden economics behind losing on purpose
• Why the 2026 draft may justify tanking more than ever
• The real difference between subtle tanking and obvious tanking
• Why some franchises must draft stars to survive
• And why tanking is only a 50-50 gamble anyway

He also breaks down real-world examples involving the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings — plus historical tank jobs involving the Spurs, Cavaliers, and Rockets.

Bottom line: the NBA isn’t broken — you just haven’t been told the whole story.

00:00 Intro + show update (now video + audio)

00:53 Why tanking outrage is overblown

02:42 Ric’s philosophy on sports media vs hot takes

04:12 Tanking history from a 30-year NBA insider

05:30 Don Nelson’s hidden Warriors tank attempt

08:10 The Chris Webber–Penny Hardaway draft saga

10:05 Famous tank jobs vs forgotten ones

12:02 Why tanking makes financial sense

13:19 Why the 2026 draft is different

14:21 Teams openly tanking today

16:12 Wizards strategy breakdown

17:39 Pacers injuries vs tank narrative

18:45 Kings reset under Scott Perry

20:50 Why tanking rarely guarantees titles

22:00 The truth: tanking is permanent NBA strategy

22:40 Closing thoughts

#NBA #NBADraft #NBATanking #Basketball #NBANews #RicBucher #UtahJazz #WashingtonWizards #NBAPodcast #SportsMedia #NBATalk #UnitedWeCast

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/bucher-and-friends.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.