Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

There are two marquee games tonight (7:19); which is a more likely Finals preview? Thunder-Pistons or Celtics-Nuggets? Max gives Rich props on his Pistons take, but it’s SPURRED a different thought (13:11): Why aren’t people saying that San Antonio is the best team? What is he missing? Next, today’s Get Rich Quick breaks down the difference between being popular and famous (22:53), while a discussion about the criteria for MVP actually ends up being today’s Five-Minute Max (32:51). Later, more emails (55:55)! Should there be a Pippen Award? Plus, Rich’s advice to rookies and more discussion of a future GOAT.

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Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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Rich and Max begin by debating whether they’d rather have access or money before teasing a bigger discussion about social media. But they have to get to Celtics-Lakers (8:15), where the guys were together courtside yesterday rubbing shoulders with Pat Riley. After reminiscing about those classic Showtime teams, Max gives his thoughts on who he’d rather have, Jaylen Brown or Luka Doncic (16:16). Next, the fellas react to Shaq challenging Karl-Anthony Towns (25:54) and to Tyrese Maxey’s great performance, which in turn leads to an ongoing conversation about the 2028 U.S. men’s Olympic team (41:59). Plus, Rich really puts Max’s ’90s rap knowledge to the test (50:19), a Five-Minute Max on Zuffa Boxing (53:44), and a great first batch of your emails, including a question about an all-Kentucky All-Star team!

Email the show!

[email protected]

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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If you’re just a listener to this show, Rich’s outfit today has to be seen to be believed. The guys start with the Pistons' impressive win in the Garden (8:29): Are they the team to beat in the East? If not them, who? And inspired by Cade Cunningham’s performance, and Zach Lowe’s first pass at All-NBA teams, Max and Rich run through who would be on their ballots (29:31). Then, today’s Five-Minute Max (39:40) starts with Obama and aliens and gets to New York and James Dolan, all while leaving Rich speechless! Later, story time from Tyronn Lue’s talk to the Cavs before Game 7, and a new edition of Get Rich Quick (52:14) on what’s really going on with Darryn Peterson.

Email the show!

[email protected]

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, Jomi Adeniran

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The guys begin with a conversation about hoarding that turns into a deeper conversation about life! Then, a dead spot in the sports calendar has led to more chatter about “you know who” (9:16), which leads the fellas to continue the ongoing “face of the league” discussion. That conversation stumbles into who the BEST player in the league is (26:10), and Rich’s answer may surprise you! Today’s Five Minute Max continues the tanking discourse, building on Mark Cuban’s contrarian take. And finally, the debut of Get Rich Quick (52:27), where we get a wealth of college basketball knowledge, including who to watch for heading into the tournament, the state of the blue bloods, and Mick Cronin’s outburst last night.

Email the show!

[email protected]

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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

This year’s NBA All-Star Game was a win (5:05). Why? Was it the format or the players' attitudes? Max still thinks a tweak could make it even better. The dunk contest, on the other hand (19:10), didn’t go as well, but Rich still had some great stories from the weekend. Today’s edition of Five Minute Max (31:08) touches on baseball’s upcoming labor war and what the issues are. Lastly, the fellas talk about this bizarre Kevin Durant story, NBA role players, and their overall excitement for the stretch run of the regular season (40:43).

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, Jomi Adeniran

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After discussing Rich’s busy day ahead of All-Star Weekend, the guys get into some NBA incentives (7:44): first, a possible fix to the draft that would help with tanking. Rich has a great idea, but Max wants to remind everyone that perfect is the enemy of good—we just need some improvement. Next, Max pitches an incentive-driven fix for the All-Star Game (30:35). Rich agrees; however, he still wants to look at the bigger picture and make sure that everyone is thinking about the future. Finally, the fellas touch on James Harden’s recent comment on loyalty (49:13), Evan Turner’s comment about fitting in, and rotary phones!

Email the show!

[email protected]

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuj, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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

Big news! Have a question, comment, or idea for the show? Let the fellas hear it by emailing [email protected]! The show begins with today’s hottest NBA topic, tanking (4:58). However, Max and Rich's thoughts on the matter and how big of an issue it is may surprise you. There’s a recent quote from Pat Riley going around (36:24) that has the guys thinking about where the league is heading, some of its development issues, and competition in general. Finally, today’s Five-Minute Max (43:47) made Rich take some notes on science vs. religion, disproving a hypothesis, and the two recent Super Bowl QBs.

Email the show!

[email protected]

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Kevin Cureghian

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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

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After a brief discussion of their weekend hobbies, the guys dive into the headlines from Super Bowl LX (9:06): Kenneth Walker won the MVP and the Seahawks had an unsung hero on the sidelines, but was there really a star-making performance? The fellas also go through some other takeaways from yesterday, including Sam Darnold’s status and Bad Bunny’s performance (19:58). Then, a discussion about Drake Maye unexpectedly pivots to a heated debate about Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Warriors in 2016 (39:37). Get your popcorn for this one!

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: Jesse Aron, Trevor Rabone, and Kevin Cureghian

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, Jomi Adeniran

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

Rich is relieved now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, and Max is alongside him to break down which teams were the most aggressive about improving now and for the future (4:53). Also, are the NBA’s soft cap and the NFL’s hard cap actually reversed, and does the NBA need to borrow some of the NFL’s salary flexibility structure? Then, can an injury lead to a dynasty like Steph Curry’s Warriors, and can a team’s drafting continue or end those dynasties (17:28)? Georgetown’s Ed Cooley lamented that kids don't know how to fail today, and Rich explains why this aligns with why he believes youth sports are broken (26:51). Max wonders whether the younger generation has become softer or whether things have just become better for them. Then, it’s on to the big game (35:04)! Max and Rich give their picks for Super Bowl LX, predict who’ll be the star coming out of the game, and talk about why turnovers are the key for the Patriots. Could Robert Kraft actually look better than either Tom Brady or Bill Belichick now that a new era of New England is making it to the Super Bowl? And could decades of that winning culture play a role in determining the winner?

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: David Jacoby, Trevor Rabone, Chris Thomas, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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

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

The NBA trade deadline buzz has escalated quickly since Monday’s show! Max and Rich are here to discuss the latest moves, starting with James Harden heading to Cleveland while Darius Garland heads west to the Clippers (4:55). Why does Max think the Clippers pulled off a heist in broad daylight? Or do both players win in this deal? Rich breaks down what happens behind the scenes leading up to the deadline and when the talks first started. Then, the fellas go around the association, starting with the Cavaliers’ outlook for the rest of the season and beyond, before touching on the Celtics and the Bulls (23:00). Does the NBA hurt when big markets like Chicago are down? Finally, we preview Super Bowl LX. While the lead-up may not have star power, is it a game where a star will be born (41:34)? All this, plus why Pro Football Hall of Fame voters should stop using their ballots to file complaints. And can Max be trusted with any of Rich’s basketball information before Thursday afternoon?

Hosts: Max Kellerman and Rich Paul

Producers: David Jacoby, Trevor Rabone, Chris Thomas, and Devon Baroldi

Director of Photography: Neal Lett

Social: Alysha Tsuji, Keith Fujimoto, and Jomi Adeniran

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

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