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

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Everyone says sports coverage is too negative — and the “fix” was supposed to be ex-players taking over the microphone. So why does it feel like the takes are hotter, harsher, and sloppier than ever?

In this episode, Ric digs into the hypocrisy of modern sports debate culture: endless era wars, manufactured arguments that can’t be settled, and the engagement-driven “hamster wheel” that turns players into pundits… and pundits into flamethrowers.

Ric spotlights recent examples — including Draymond Green’s baffling defense of Bronny James — and explains why “I played” isn’t automatically a media credential. Then he shifts to the NBA’s newest pressure cooker: Cooper Flagg in Dallas, why the criticism is missing the point, and what the Mavericks’ post-Luka Dončić reality says about leadership, context, and expectations.

Plus: Ric’s trade deadline observations, including what Chicago’s moves signal, why Mike Conley could boomerang back to Minnesota, and why Boston’s move for Nikola Vučević is the kind of “he killed us, so get him” logic teams swear they don’t use… until they do.

• 0:00 “We’re cooking with gas” — welcome to On The Ball
• 0:39 Ric’s third book: Coachability (pre-order info coming)
• 1:30 “There’s only one place you hear me” — why this pod is different
• 1:44 The myth: players hate “negative media”… so ex-players should fix it
• 2:42 The reality: negativity is worse than ever (era wars, cheap shots)
• 4:10 Why era debates are a trap (and a ratings machine)
• 4:48 Example #1: Draymond Green, Bronny James, and basic facts
• 6:45 “Only players can talk hoops”? Here’s why that argument collapses
• 7:46 Example #2: Jamal Mashburn takes a shot at Cooper Flagg
• 12:38 The real topic: what Flagg is carrying in Dallas (post-Luka)
• 18:44 Dallas watch: Jason Kidd, Sean Sweeney, front office intrigue
• 22:44 Trade deadline quick hits (what caught Ric’s attention)
• 23:05 Bulls signal the end for Coby White (and why)
• 24:17 Mike Conley path back to Minnesota?
• 26:14 Celtics get Nikola Vučević — and the “he torched us” phenomenon
• 28:21 Outro + what’s next (deadline aftermath + All-Star weekend)

#OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #NBATradeDeadline #CooperFlagg #DallasMavericks #LukaDoncic #DraymondGreen #BronnyJames #SportsMedia #NBAAnalysis #UnitedWeCast

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Toronto just did something that should scare the league: they’re winning big without a single “ball-stopper,” and the vibes aren’t a gimmick — they’re the engine. On this episode of On The Ball, Ric Bucher breaks down why the Raptors’ pregame “house party” bench routine and locker-room freedom aren’t cute… they’re culture, and culture becomes chemistry, and chemistry becomes wins.

Ric contrasts that with Golden State’s current reality: an oddly quiet locker room, outsized expectations, and the uncomfortable question nobody wants to ask out loud — what exactly are the Warriors supposed to be right now? If you’ve been wondering why some teams look like they enjoy basketball and others look like they’re surviving it, this is the roadmap.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 “Cooking with gas” + show intro
• 00:40 Ric’s third book tease: The Value of Being Coachable
• 01:45 Why this episode became “All Raptors” (and why that matters)
• 02:17 The Raptors’ bench mob: conga line energy, welcome-in vibes
• 03:24 Locker-room leaders you wouldn’t expect: Jamal Shead + Gradey Dick
• 04:03 Why hierarchies can help… or suffocate a team
• 05:12 Off-court chemistry → on-court chemistry (especially for young teams)
• 06:31 Warriors locker-room contrast: quiet, pressure, veteran routines
• 08:02 The Warriors’ expectation problem: “one move away” thinking
• 09:13 The Buddy Hield reality check (and what fans project onto role players)
• 10:26 What the roster actually is: youth, second-rounders, undrafted grinders
• 11:18 Raptors parallels to early Mark Jackson Warriors (joy + hunger)
• 13:32 Raptors “secret sauce”: unselfishness + relentless help-and-recover defense
• 14:34 Ric interviews Darko Rajaković: character, consistency, no favorites
• 17:13 The “no hesitation” rule — why Toronto’s ball movement is different
• 19:54 The possession that explains everything (Ingram → Jamal Shead → Walter)
• 22:21 Context: OKC injuries, January realities, why panic takes are lazy
• 24:08 Ric’s bigger point on greatness — and why highlight culture lies
• 24:41 Ingram’s evolution: proving he can win, not just score
• 26:18 Scottie Barnes as “team janitor” (dirty work that closes games)
• 28:23 Can this translate to playoffs? Ric’s honest outlook
• 29:32 Tease: Giannis, Milwaukee, and a “game of chicken” next episode

#OnTheBall #RicBucher #NBA #TorontoRaptors #Warriors #NBAAnalysis #NBACulture #TeamChemistry #BallMovement #ScottieBarnes #BrandonIngram #DarkoRajakovic #StephCurry #DraymondGreen #UnitedWeCast

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