UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma joins Alex Sherman to discuss the state of the WNBA, his demanding coaching philosophy, the UConn dynasty, NIL and recruiting, and legendary rivalries with Pat Summitt and Dawn Staley. Auriemma also reflects on sustained success, leadership, accountability and what could eventually make him retire.

Episode Notes

Geno Auriemma, the longtime UConn women’s basketball coach and 12-time national champion, sits down with Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation about winning, leadership and the evolution of women’s basketball.

Auriemma reflects on the coaches who shaped his philosophy, including Hubie Brown, Dean Smith, Pat Summitt, Kay Yow, Leon Barmore and Cathy Rush. He also explains how his early coaching experiences in Philadelphia and at the University of Virginia helped prepare him to build UConn into a national powerhouse.

The conversation explores the current attention surrounding the WNBA and Auriemma’s belief that discussion of women’s basketball should remain centered on the game, its players and the quality of competition. He also shares his perspective on leadership, accountability and the challenge of communicating strong standards in different environments.

Auriemma addresses the demanding coaching style featured in Apple’s documentary about the UConn dynasty, explaining why he continually pushes players toward what he believes is their full potential. He discusses how that philosophy translates beyond basketball, why high expectations matter, and why he has never been comfortable becoming satisfied after winning.

The episode also covers his rivalry and relationship with legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, the rise of Dawn Staley and South Carolina, UConn’s championship drought before its 2025 title, and the role that health and timing can play in winning an NCAA championship.

Auriemma also weighs in on NIL and college basketball recruiting. He explains why UConn continues to prioritize players who want the challenge of the program rather than recruits whose college choice is driven primarily by money. Finally, he discusses retirement and says he has not yet reached the point of deciding when his coaching career will end.

Topics discussed:

• The current state and visibility of the WNBA
• Keeping the focus on basketball amid wider cultural debates
• Geno Auriemma’s coaching philosophy and leadership style
• Building accountability and maximizing player potential
• How coaching the U.S. Olympic team changed his approach
• UConn’s recruiting philosophy in the NIL era
• Transfer portal challenges and player development
• The UConn women’s basketball dynasty
• Pat Summitt and the UConn–Tennessee rivalry
• Dawn Staley, South Carolina and modern women’s college basketball
• What UConn needed to return to championship form
• Geno Auriemma’s thoughts on retirement

Timestamps:
01:16 The state of women’s basketball and attention surrounding the WNBA
03:35 What a WNBA commissioner can and cannot control
05:04 Auriemma discusses the transgender-athlete debate in women’s basketball
06:50 How Auriemma began coaching women’s basketball
08:38 Lessons from his years at the University of Virginia
10:03 The demanding coaching style featured in the UConn documentary
13:45 NIL, the transfer portal and maintaining high standards
14:21 What Auriemma looks for in recruits
15:31 Pat Summitt, rivalry and being a man coaching women’s basketball
17:37 What Pat Summitt meant to Auriemma and UConn
19:03 How the rivalry changed after Summitt stopped coaching
20:19 Why UConn went years without another national championship
22:04 Dawn Staley, South Carolina and a new championship rivalry
24:56 Applying Auriemma’s coaching philosophy to leadership and the workplace
27:24 Winning, recruiting and how Auriemma thinks about retirement
28:13 UConn’s recruiting philosophy in the NIL era
30:14 Whether Auriemma is seriously considering retirement

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Pro Padel League CEO Michael Dorfman explains why padel is rapidly gaining traction in the U.S. and how the league is turning the fast-growing racket sport into a professional sports business. He discusses franchise valuations, athlete compensation, media strategy, live events, demographics, investment interest, and the sport’s potential alongside tennis and pickleball.

Episode Notes

Padel is one of the fastest-growing racket sports in the world, and the Pro Padel League is betting that its combination of accessibility, competition, social connection, and spectator appeal can make it a major professional sport in the United States.

In this episode, Alex Sherman speaks with Pro Padel League CEO Michael Dorfman about how padel works, why participation is accelerating, and how the league is building a professional sports ecosystem around the game. Dorfman describes padel as a hybrid of tennis and squash that is played exclusively in doubles, with glass and metal walls keeping the ball in play. He says the sport has more than 35 million players globally and that U.S. participation has grown dramatically since the league launched in 2023.

The conversation explores the business model behind the Pro Padel League, including its 10 city-based franchises, men’s and women’s teams, tournament structure, prize money, player compensation, and developmental ambitions. Dorfman also discusses the league’s capital raises and the sharp rise in franchise valuations, with early teams selling for $200,000 and more recent valuation marks reaching into the double-digit millions.

Media and audience growth are another major focus. Dorfman explains why the league partnered with CNBC and Versant for live national broadcasts and why exposure, rather than near-term media-rights revenue, is currently the priority. He also discusses padel’s affluent, largely millennial audience and the sport’s growing popularity in markets including Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Chicago, and Atlanta.

Topics discussed:

• 01:53 How padel is played and how it combines elements of tennis and squash
• 03:06 Why padel is attracting new recreational players
• 03:52 Global participation and rapid U.S. growth
• 05:29 How the Pro Padel League’s franchise and tournament structure works
• 06:08 Player compensation, prize money, and professional salaries
• 09:08 Why Pro Padel League franchise valuations have risen
• 10:08 The league’s CNBC and Versant media partnership
• 12:01 Why audience growth currently matters more than media-rights revenue
• 13:17 Miami’s role as a major U.S. padel market
• 13:53 The demographics of padel players
• 14:49 How padel fits alongside pickleball, tennis, squash, and other racket sports
• 15:41 PPL Two and the development of North American talent
• 16:17 Michael Dorfman’s path from insurance and technology to professional sports
• 18:44 Why investors are increasingly interested in live sports
• 19:54 The emerging padel equipment, footwear, and apparel market
• 21:01 The Pro Padel League’s Los Angeles event and CNBC broadcast

Dorfman also explains his broader investment thesis around live sports: as more of everyday life becomes automated, he believes demand will increase for distinctly human, in-person experiences. For the Pro Padel League, that means building participation, community, live events, broadcast exposure, and professional opportunities before maximizing media monetization.

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This episode explores two ambitious plans to reshape professional sports. First, Shaquille O’Neal joins CNBC’s Alex Sherman to discuss Dunkman, a competitive league created to showcase elite independent dunkers from around the world. Shaq explains why basketball’s most spectacular play deserves its own professional platform—and why today’s best dunkers are not necessarily NBA stars.

Dunkman brings international competitors together in a structured league with professional judging and an initial $500,000 prize. Shaq says that figure could rise to $1 million as the competition grows. He also explains how online video and social media have helped independent athletes build audiences, develop increasingly difficult dunks and create opportunities outside traditional professional basketball.

The league evaluates performances across seven categories: difficulty, execution, originality, power, vertical leap, completion and crowd reaction. Shaq also shares memories of watching Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, explains why he never entered the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and offers a blunt assessment of why the event has declined. For Shaq, elite athletes have a responsibility to reward fans by competing and putting on a memorable show.

In the second conversation, Alex speaks with Larry Berg following the announcement that Berg will become the next commissioner of Major League Soccer. Berg discusses his lifelong connection to soccer, his experience as a minority owner of LAFC and his desire to help grow the sport across the United States and Canada.

Berg describes MLS as being at a “fork in the road” following the World Cup. He argues that the league already has world-class infrastructure but must now improve the quality of play, strengthen youth development, refine its roster and spending rules, and capitalize on increased interest in North American soccer.

He introduces the idea of an “MLS 3.0” grand bargain in which owners consider multiple interconnected reforms rather than debating one issue at a time. Berg also explains why European-style promotion and relegation could discourage investment in American stadiums, training facilities and player rosters. Instead, he suggests that MLS can create competitive jeopardy through knockout matches, playoff changes and performance-based spending opportunities.

Topics discussed:

• Why Shaq created a global professional dunking league
• Dunkman’s $500,000 prize and potential future payouts
• How professional dunkers are evaluated across seven categories
• Why top NBA players often avoid the Slam Dunk Contest
• Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins’ influence on Shaq
• Social media’s impact on athletes and sports entertainment
• Larry Berg’s path from Apollo and LAFC to MLS commissioner
• How MLS can convert World Cup interest into long-term growth
• Berg’s proposed MLS 3.0 strategy
• Why promotion and relegation may not fit the MLS business model
• Salary rules, transfers and roster-building flexibility
• MLS academies, pay-to-play concerns and youth development
• The importance of supporter culture and live match experiences
• Leagues Cup as a bridge between MLS, Liga MX and World Cup-style competition

Approximate timestamps:

01:30 Why Shaq believes dunking deserves a professional league
03:00 Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Shaq’s early inspiration
04:30 Social media, YouTube and modern athlete visibility
06:00 Dunkman’s international competitors and prize money
07:45 The seven Dunkman judging categories
10:15 Shaq’s long-term vision for competitive dunking
11:45 Why the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has declined
13:35 Larry Berg’s path to becoming MLS commissioner
16:35 How MLS can benefit from World Cup momentum
19:20 Why promotion and relegation may not work in MLS
21:25 Berg’s MLS 3.0 plan and proposed grand bargain
24:15 Turning new soccer viewers into MLS supporters
26:55 Youth soccer, academies and pay-to-play concerns
30:10 MLS relationships with FIFA and national soccer organizations

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