logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
1h 30m

What’s the Future of the NBA Cup and the...

The Ringer
About this episode

Howard is joined by Rachel Nichols of Fox Sports 1 and ‘All the Smoke’ to discuss a myriad of NBA topics. The NBA Cup is in the closing stages as teams head to Vegas before the semis and finals, but what’s the future of the NBA Cup (4:22)? The All-Star game got yet another revamp, but will the competitiveness of the game ever return (20:14)? What’s going on with Joel Embiid and the knee (39:53)? Howard and Rachel give their NBA pardons (45:51). Plus, mailbag on Clippers and Knicks, as well as Howard and Rachel’s favorite interviews ever.


The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available.


Host: Howard Beck

Guest: Rachel Nichols

Producer: Clifford Augustin

Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz

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

Up next
Aug 22
Knicks Offseason Thoughts and Expectations for the 2025-26 Season With Fred Katz
Wosny Lambre is joined by The Athletic’s Fred Katz to talk about all things Knicks. They discuss the coaching search that led to the Mike Brown hire and what Brown can help the Knicks improve on from last season. They also discuss realistic expectations for the Knicks this season ... Show More
1h 14m
Aug 16
League Pass Rankings, Season Schedule Insight, and Opening Night Expectations
The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann and Tyler Parker get together to discuss the release of the 2025-26 NBA schedule, expectations for the opening night matchup between the Rockets and Thunder, and the weakened East. Plus, Kyle presents his NBA League Pass rankings for the upcoming season. ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 7
Top Five Best NBA Duos and Trae Young’s Frustration
Howard Beck and Michael Pina assess the NBA landscape and give their current top five duos across the league. Who’s the top duo, and who gets an honorable mention? They also reminisce on the top duos of all time. Plus, did De’Aaron Fox's extension make things that much harder for ... Show More
1h 12m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Do the Lakers and Warriors Deserve All Those National TV Games?
Verno and KOC react to the NBA schedule release and discuss the glaring lack of excitement around the release as well as the need for more rivalries in the NBA (01:19). Also, they debate whether the NBA is making the right call by positioning the Lakers and Warriors as the two te ... Show More
59m 47s
Oct 2024
The Biggest Questions Leading Up to the NBA Season
Verno and Jacoby go through some of the most burning questions leading up to the start of the NBA season (02:00). They talk about Joel Embiid’s comments about not playing anymore back-to-backs, which teams other than the Thunder can reach the 1-seed in the West, Donte DiVincenzo, ... Show More
1h 23m
Jul 2024
Team USA Survives Exhibition Games, Next Season's Wins Over/Under Reactions, and Knicks Talk
Zach and Fred Katz discuss Team USA winning competitive exhibition games and how they feel about the team heading into the Olympics, then they discuss the most interesting win totals by ESPN Bet and which teams they think will surpass or fail to meet expectations, and if there ar ... Show More
1h 23m
Jan 2025
An NBA Roundtable With Eddie Johnson and Justin Termine
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Eddie Johnson and Justin Termine of SiriusXM NBA Radio to discuss myriad NBA topics, including a down Embiid/76ers year, the 2025 All-Star rosters (2:34), potential Jimmy Butler destinations, playoff contenders (25:43), De'Aaron Fox's Spurs ... Show More
1h 41m
Apr 2025
Lakers’ Looking Dangerous + NBA Awards Selections
Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to talk the Lakers’ impressive wins of late, what that means for the playoffs, late season playoff seeding battles and Luka’s upcoming return game to Dallas. Then, the crew breaks down their takes on the NBA Awards ... Show More
57m 51s
Jun 14
Shai Saves the Thunder, and the NBA Finals Are Now 2-2: All the Drama in the NBA With Bill Simmons.
After a riveting Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis, Bill Simmons joins Zach to break it all down (1:52): Did tonight’s game decide the NBA title? They discuss Shai’s stellar MVP performance (16:51) and adjustments from both teams as it’s now a best-of-three for the champio ... Show More
1h 28m
Jun 10
SGA’s Game 2 Masterpiece, Summer NBA Chaos Watch, McDavid’s Cup Quest, and ‘Tires’ With Ryen Russillo
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to react to OKC taking Game 2 at home against the Pacers in the NBA Finals (2:25). Then, they discuss the bad ratings for these Finals and why the NHL Stanley Cup final may be more interesting this year (18:07). Finally, they p ... Show More
1h 56m
May 12
Rachel Nichols, Celtics Win Big, Pacers And Wolves Go Up, Derek Carr Retires, NHL Playoffs, Max Is Back And Jordon Of The Week
Max and the Celtics are back (00:00:00-00:21:02). We talk about the weekend in playoffs including the Warriors being a bummer without Steph, the Thunder and Nuggets playing horrendous basketball on Sunday, the Pacers blowout (00:21:02-00:43:52). We talk some hockey and PFT has a ... Show More
2h 26m
Mar 2025
SGA vs. Jokic, Celts-Lakers, and the State of NBA Media With Ryen Russillo and Bryan Curtis
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss the Thunder's 127-103 win over the Nuggets on Sunday, OKC's improvement from last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's incredible statistical season (2:06), Saturday's big Lakers-Celtics showdown, LeBron's late-game inj ... Show More
2h 10m
Aug 2024
Chet Holmgren on "Beef” w/ Wemby & SGA’s Brilliance | Karl Anthony-Towns on T’Wolves Future & More
Chet Holmgren and Karl-Anthony Towns recently stopped by Podcast P in Las Vegas to chat about the 2024 NBA Playoffs, their lives off the court, and how they handle distractions. First, Chet talked about his battles against Wemby, his journey back from injury, and what it's like p ... Show More
1h 51m