Ric talks with long-time ESPN live-event producer Mandy Cohen about how TV broadcasts have changed with the introduction of gambling, announcers calling games remotely due to the pandemic and Gen Zs who consume everything through their phones and haven't been conditioned to watch entire games on TV. Cohen started her career producing Bulls' games for all of Jordan's championship runs in Chicago and Cubs' games with the legendary broadcaster Harry Caray and gives her take on The Last Dance, which she lived firsthand.

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Ric shares insight from an NBA GM on how few players actually check all the leadership boxes and who the ones are that do. Also discussed: Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray's five favorite all-time players, his top five Canadian players and why his choices reflect how personality and style affect a player's popularity.

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Ric discusses what he was hearing about Warriors guard Klay Thompson leading up to the draft before his heartbreaking injury, the harsh reality the Warriors and their fans need to accept, along with a look at why so many players selected in the NBA Draft were in tears.

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Ric discusses the renewed appreciation for, and interest in, point guard Rajon Rondo, the reason LaMelo Ball is the prohibitive favorite as the No. 1 pick and what the Milwaukee Bucks acquired in Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

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Ric discusses what agents and NBA executives have told him about the practice of pre-determining where a player will be selected in the draft under the restraints of Covid-19 protocol. Also discussed is the approach to players and personnel testing positive in overseas leagues currently playing and whether the NBA could adopt the same approach. Last topic: NBA players' activism around the recent election -- how much credit they deserve for the outcome and whether or not the NBA should continue to serve as a direct platform for player causes.

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Ric examines the brewing battle between NBA players and team owners on when the next NBA season will start, how long it will last and whether or not the players will have say in the matter.

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Ric talks with Hall of Fame big man Spencer Haywood, the Forrest Gump of basketball for having been part of so many historic moments and crossed paths with so many historic figures -- from being at the Olympics with John Carlos and Tommie Smith when they made their black power salute, to being coached by legends Bill Russell and Hank Iba, to playing with Magic and Kareem and, of course, opening the door for every early-entry star in NBA history.

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Ric is joined by Brian Berger, host of the award-winning Sports Business Radio podcast based in Portland, Oregon, with plenty of insider knowledge on the shoe business in general and Nike in particular. The two discuss Nike not renewing nearly half of its promotional deals with NBA players that signals a dramatic shift in Nike's business model and its impact on future NBA stars and their agents.

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Ric examines how the Miami Heat fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers, the biggest beneficiaries of the Lakers winning the 2020 and a possible reason why LeBron James rewriting the NBA record books hasn't captured the public's interest or imagination.

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In a Bucher, Friendless episode, Ric talks about what it feels like to watch the NBA Finals from afar for the first time in 20-plus years, Doc Rivers' smooth move to Philly, his firsthand experience with the surgery Isaiah Thomas' underwent and players stealing material and not giving proper credit.

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