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On The Ball with Ric Bucher

by Ric Bucher, NBA insider and Fox Sports NBA analyst

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Latest episodes

Five NBA Teams With Enough Talent to Win — and Enough Problems to Fail

October 8, 2026 · 22 min

The Philadelphia 76ers have assembled a potential powerhouse with LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. But Ric Bucher argues chemistry isn't their biggest concern — and they're hardly the only NBA team facing a…
The NBA’s American Star Problem: Why Wemby, Giannis & Jokic Are Taking Over

October 2, 2026 · 25 min

Ric Bucher asks whether American basketball has a star problem as Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić increasingly distinguish themselves as both elite players and compelling ambassadors for the NBA. Ric also revisits…
NBA's Biggest Pressure Cookers: Why Jayson Tatum Has More to Prove Than Luka Doncic or LeBron James

September 24, 2026 · 26 min

Kendrick Perkins calls Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball the NBA's best backcourt. Ric Bucher isn't buying it. But that bold proclamation raises a bigger question: Who faces the most pressure heading into the 2026-27 NBA season? Ric breaks…
Caitlin Clark Just Changed the Team USA Equation — Whether They’re Ready or Not

September 18, 2026 · 25 min

Team USA won another FIBA Women’s World Cup, but Ric Bucher believes the tournament exposed a decision USA Basketball won’t be able to avoid much longer: Is it time to stop worrying about hierarchy and start giving Caitlin Clark a bigger…
STEPH CURRY’S LAST ACT: When Does Loyalty Become a Liability for the Warriors?

September 11, 2026 · 23 min

Steph Curry has earned virtually unlimited goodwill in Golden State. But is that goodwill about to face its toughest test? On this episode of On The Ball, Ric Bucher challenges the annual fantasy that Curry and the Warriors have one more…

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The Clippers Got Hammered — But History Says They’re Far From Dead

September 3, 2026 · 28 min

Five first-round picks. A $30 million fine. Steve Ballmer suspended for a year. The NBA came down hard on the Clippers over the Kawhi Leonard cap-circumvention scandal — but Ric Bucher explains why calling it a franchise “death penalty”…
Enes Kanter Freedom Found the NBA’s Weak Spot — And Analytics Are Killing Its Game

August 28, 2026 · 29 min

Ric Bucher examines Enes Kanter Freedom’s WNBA protest and why his real target may be the NBA — a league he believes ended his career to protect its business interests. Then, Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis’ revelation that he’s been…
The NBA Has Made Winning Too Expensive

August 21, 2026 · 28 min

Ric Bucher opens this episode of On The Ball by addressing the backlash to his recent WNBA commentary — including criticism from former ESPN colleague Jemele Hill — and explains why he believes social-media outrage routinely turns nuanced…
Landry Fields: Project B Has Players Signed — And the Men’s Stars Are Coming

August 18, 2026 · 34 min

Former NBA player and Atlanta Hawks GM Landry Fields joins Ric Bucher for a special edition of On The Ball to pull back the curtain on Project B, the ambitious new global basketball league aiming to rethink how professional basketball is…
The WNBA’s Real Problem Isn’t Caitlin Clark, Trans Athletes or Hard Fouls — It’s the NBA

August 13, 2026 · 23 min

The WNBA is generating more attention than ever, but Ric Bucher argues that the controversies dominating the conversation — Caitlin Clark, officiating, physical play, transgender athletes, player conduct and media coverage — are symptoms…
Jalen Brunson Gave Up $113 Million to Join the NBA’s Most Exclusive Club

August 7, 2026 · 27 min

Jalen Brunson is now an NBA champion, a Finals MVP and a New York Knicks legend — and Ric Bucher argues that the decision that helped make it possible reveals an uncomfortable truth about what most NBA players actually value. On this…
Pump the Brakes on the Sixers: Why LeBron James & Jaylen Brown Don't Make Philadelphia NBA Favorites

July 30, 2026 · 25 min

The NBA media has already crowned the Philadelphia 76ers after adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Ric Bucher isn't buying it. In this episode of On The Ball, Ric explains why championship teams aren't assembled overnight—and why history…

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About the show

A weekly sports podcast with inside information and one-of-a-kind perspective on the hottest topics and behind-the-scenes happenings from veteran NBA insider, author and TV analyst Ric Bucher. Find all his work at RicBucher.com. Support this show at http://supporter.acast.com/bucher-and-friends Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/bucher-and-friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.