The Bill Simmons Podcast

In Part two of the two-part Sunday podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss Round 1 of the NBA Western Conference playoffs. They talk about the Clippers' Game 4 blowout win vs. the Mavericks, Luka Doncic's injury, and Kawhi Leonard’s impressive series stats (2:00). Then they discuss the Suns’ Game 4 win vs. the Lakers, Anthony Davis’ groin injury, Chris Paul rallying back from his shoulder injury, DeAndre Ayton’s real-time development, looking ahead to Game 5 in Phoenix and more (22:00). Next they hit on Jazz-Grizzlies, Donovan Mitchell’s return, a confusing Nuggets-Trail Blazers series, and more (48:30). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 1 of the two-part Sunday podcast, The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss Round 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs. They talk about the Nets' shellacking of the Celtics in Game 4 as well as some tough decisions Boston may have to make during the offseason (3:00). Then they discuss the Bucks sweeping the Heat, how Milwaukee will match up with their likely Round 2 opponent in the Nets (26:00), the 76ers' 3-0 series lead vs. the Wizards as Philly looks ahead to face the winner of Knicks-Hawks, another Knicks loss to the Hawks bringing the series to 3-1, Trae Young's phenomenal play, how New York should handle Julius Randle's contract, and more (51:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Kyle Mann and Rob Mahoney to discuss the Lakers’ Game 3 win over the Suns, the Nuggets’ win over the Trail Blazers bringing the series to 2-1, another Bucks blowout win over the Heat, a look ahead to the possible Round 2 Bucks-Nets matchup, and more (3:10). Then Bill talks with Wesley Morris of The New York Times about being in Madison Square Garden for Knicks-Hawks Game 1, before discussing HBO’s limited series ‘Mare of East Town’, Kate Winslet’s stellar performance, and her career as a whole (53:00). Finally Bill’s daughter, Zoe Simmons and her best friend Ella discuss Olivia Rodrigo’s album ‘Sour’ (1:49:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Kyle Mann, Rob Mahoney, and Wesley Morris Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons shares his thoughts on another stellar Luka Doncic performance in the Mavericks' Game 2 win over the Clippers, putting the Mavericks up 2-0 on the series (2:45). Then Bill talks to business and tech analyst and Milwaukee Bucks fan Ben Thompson about the Bucks' Round 1 series vs. the Heat, the Bucks' 34-point victory in Game 2, the hypothetical Round 2 matchup vs. the Nets, and more (16:00). Next they discuss AT&T’s announcement to merge Warner Media and Discovery, streaming giants, Epic Games vs. Apple, and more (42:00). Finally, Bill talks with singer, songwriter, and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz about the origin of the band, their iconic first album ‘August and Everything After’, behind the scenes stories about some of their most beloved songs, adjusting to a meteoric rise in the early 1990s, maintaining artistic integrity over three decades, Counting Crows' new album, ‘Butter Miracle, Suite One’, and more (1:09:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Adam Duritz, Ben Thompson Produ

In Part two of the Sunday night podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss the Grizzlies' win over the Jazz in Game 1 (2:00), the Lakers losing their first game to the Suns (24:00), the Mavericks’ Game 1 upset over the Clippers, Trail Blazers-Nuggets (42:30), Game 2 predictions, an impromptu Parent Corner, and more (1:08:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss Round 1 NBA playoff basketball! In Part 1 of a two-part podcast, Sean Fennessey makes a cameo to discuss the Knicks' Game 1 loss to the Hawks (3:45), the Bucks' hard-fought win over the Heat and why it was a must-win (31:30), the Nets' double-digit victory over the Celtics, 76ers-Wizards, NBA ratings, and more (55:30). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo, Sean Fennessey  Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons makes the case for Stephen Curry to crack the Basketball Pantheon (3:00), before talking to ESPN’s David Jacoby about the 4-seed New York Knicks! They discuss the upcoming Knicks-Hawks series, Clippers-Mavericks, Nuggets–Trail Blazers, Heat-Bucks, 10 years of working with Jalen Rose, and more (23:30). Finally, Bill talks with screenwriter, producer, and lifelong Lakers fan Alan Yang about the Lakers’ win over the Warriors in the play-in tournament, LeBron’s eye injury, the upcoming Lakers-Suns series, getting sucked back into MLB, ‘Master of None’ Season 3, post-pandemic films, and more (1:04:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: David Jacoby, Alan Yang Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House to discuss the Wizards’ loss to the Celtics in the play-in tournament, Jayson Tatum’s 50-point game, the anticipated Lakers-Warriors matchup, most fun play-in tournament outcomes, the upcoming PGA championship, and more (2:30). Then Bill talks with NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki about NBA playoffs stories, the 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash, and much more (50:30). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Dirk Nowitzki, Joe House Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of a two-part podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss the Clippers' loss to the Thunder, which locked them into a first-round series with the Mavericks. They discuss a Nuggets–Trail Blazers first-round series, the upcoming play-in tournament, what some of the most shocking outcomes would be, and whether or not the new format will stop teams from tanking. Then, as the NBA regular season comes to a close, Bill and Ryen look at the teams with the worst records and what they have to look forward to in the 2021 NBA draft and beyond; they discuss the NBA Hall of Fame, Bill's finalized All-NBA ballot, Western Conference playoff predictions, and more. Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 1 of a two-part podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss the Warriors’ win over the Grizzlies, the play-in tournament, and the anticipated Lakers vs. Warriors matchup. They also discuss the 76ers' path to the Eastern Conference finals, the hopeless Celtics, Hawks vs. Knicks, the Heat-Bucks rematch, MVP thoughts, and more. Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Jackie MacMullan to discuss the end of the NBA regular season, the upcoming NBA Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, the rudderless Boston Celtics, the “We Believe” Warriors 2.0, NBA awards, and more (3:20). Then Bill talks with Warren Sharp about the winners and losers of the NFL 2021 season schedule release, some futures bets, and more (1:11:00). Finally Bill talks with actor-director Andrew McCarthy about his new book ‘Brat: An ’80s Story’; some of his early films, including ‘Class,’ ‘Heaven Help Us,’ ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ ‘Pretty in Pink,’ ‘Weekend at Bernie’s,’ and more. They discuss “The Brat Pack,” 1980s Hollywood stories, working with legendary director John Hughes, and more (1:45:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Jackie MacMullan, Warren Sharp, Andrew McCarthy Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Wosny Lambre to discuss the new generation of NBA stars, fans of teams vs. fans of players, favorite and least favorite NBA players, and more (2:45). Then Bill talks with The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson about the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rollout, American vaccine hesitancy, returning to pre-COVID-19 normalcy, the CDC, and more (51:00). Finally Bill talks with legendary actress-producer Sharon Stone about her new book, 'The Beauty of Living Twice'; some of her past films including 'Basic Instinct,' 'Total Recall,' 'The Specialist,' and 'Casino'; working with Hollywood royalty like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Douglas; making documentary films; and more (1:26:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Sharon Stone, Wosny Lambre, Derek Thompson Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss NBA playoff seeding and Round 1 sleeper teams (2:45), Russell Westbrook tying Oscar Robertson’s record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history (26:00), All-NBA teams and a stats deep dive (47:00), the best “unbreakable” NBA records (1:07:00), burning NBA questions, and more (1:34:45). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons runs through the biggest subplots to watch heading into the NBA playoffs (2:45) before talking to three-time World Series champion baseball executive Theo Epstein about bringing the Boston Red Sox their first World Series win since 1918, bringing the Chicago Cubs their first World Series win in more than 100 years, Red Sox fans vs. Cubs fans, MLB's strikeout epidemic, experimenting with making changes to baseball, and more (31:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Kevin O'Connor and J. Kyle Mann to discuss Nikola Jokic's MVP-caliber play, his presence on the court, the Nuggets' playoff hopes without Jamal Murray, the era of positionless basketball, and more (2:50). Then Bill talks with CNN's Jake Tapper about what it was like to cover political news in the past year-plus, covering non-Trump topics on 'The Lead With Jake Tapper,' moderating both Democratic and Republican presidential candidate debates, mega-panel TV shows, his new novel 'The Devil May Dance,' and more (1:02:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss the Milwaukee Bucks' statement win against the Brooklyn Nets, how the Lakers' seeding could shake things up for Round 1, scariest possible first-round playoff exits, All-NBA teams, news of Aaron Rodgers not wanting to return to the Packers for the 2021 NFL season leaking hours before the NFL draft, and more! Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Warren Sharp of NBC Sports and Sharp Football Analysis to discuss an exciting first round of the NFL draft. They discuss the 49ers drafting Trey Lance third overall, the Bears trading up to draft Justin Fields, the Falcons’ savvy move drafting TE Kyle Pitts with the fourth pick, the Patriots securing QB Mac Jones, the Vikings' great first round, Ja’Marr Chase to the Bengals, the Aaron Rodgers news surfacing just hours before the draft began, and much more (3:50)! Then Bill talks with his dad and his longtime pal and fellow Patriots fan Kevin Hench about QB Mac Jones falling to the Patriots with the 15th pick (53:30). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Warren Sharp, Kevin Hench, and Bill's Dad Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Fox and NFL Network's Peter Schrager to discuss the upcoming NFL draft including what the 49ers will do with the third overall pick, rumors of quarterback Justin Fields sliding, the Bengals choosing between a top wide receiver and a (possibly) generational offensive lineman, trying to get a read on the Patriots, NFL draft prop bets, and more (3:30). Then Bill talks with civil rights activist and podcaster DeRay Mckesson about continuing the fight for police reform in the United States. They discuss the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, police departments that have reformed their policies with the 8 Can't Wait campaign, some of the challenges to reforming police policy, informative statistics, and more (1:01:15). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons talks with Joe House about Russell Westbrook’s revival and the surging Wizards, Eastern Conference play-in game scenarios, the disappointing Celtics season, the Porzingis problem in Dallas, the baffling Pelicans, potential playoff scenarios, Finals odds, and All-NBA lineups (2:12). Then Bill talks with Wesley Morris from The New York Times to break down the 93rd Academy Awards, including whether the production was a success, why the ratings were down, the state of movies, Anthony Hopkins winning the Oscar for Best Actor, Chadwick Boseman’s legacy, Frances McDormand’s astounding career, and more (62:08). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Joe House and Wesley Morris Producer: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by J. Kyle Mann to discuss the Knicks’ win streak, the superb play of Julius Randle, playoff scenarios, and more (3:20). Then Bill talks with UFC president Dana White about his 20 years with the company, how the sport has grown, historically great UFC fighters, how the pandemic's Fight Island came to be, inking a deal with ESPN+, incorporating gambling across major sports, Conor McGregor’s upcoming fight, and more (47:30). Finally Bill talks with ESPN’s David Jacoby about the finale of MTV’s 'The Challenge: Double Agents,' where CT and Amber finished in first place, as well as Bill's million-dollar idea for next season (1:50:00). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Dana White, J. Kyle Mann, David Jacoby Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices