Podbit · The Bill Simmons Podcast
Charlotte flipped $78M in salary to $52M, generated a $41M trade exception, loaded up on first-round picks, and has the infrastructure to build something real. They may have just become the best-positioned franchise in the Eastern Conference for the next 7 years.
Where this was said
At 58:00 · chapter starts 54:23
With LeBron's future unresolved, Simmons and Lowe work through the realistic options. Simmons has said Golden State for three months and sticks with it, while also making the basketball case for San Antonio: the Spurs were a Finals contender who appeared to be missing one veteran leader, the money works with Cornette and Keldon Johnson's expirings, and at 41 years old nobody is going to begrudge LeBron chasing another ring [1] — Bill Simmons "San Antonio solves real roster needs and LeBron could be the missing piece from their Finals run. But Golden State offers the sunset ride w…" 1:08:21 . Lowe flags San Antonio's dignity as a franchise — it befits how LeBron sees himself. Denver comes up briefly (Jokic + LeBron would be mesmerizing) but the money is tight. Golden State wins the 'most fun' vote from both hosts: the LeBron-Curry rivalry arc — from bitter Finals opponents through Team USA's 2024 Olympics run — has transformed into something that could close beautifully if they won together. Both agree Anthony Davis to Washington is the most likely blockbuster of the summer, and Simmons floats Detroit and a weird LeBron destination as the wildcard 'wow' moments to watch for.
Phoenix gave up an unprotected first-round pick in 2033 to get Miles Bridges — a rental who'll need to be re-signed. No protections, no ceiling on the pick, and Charlotte walks away with what could be a lottery pick a decade from now.
Charlotte traded LaMelo, Green, and Bridges ($78M in salary) and received Nas Reid, O'Neal, and Grace Nowen ($52M), instantly generating massive cap flexibility.
Both Giannis and Bam want to operate in the middle of the floor. That's not a problem until you need spacing — and then you have a traffic jam. For Miami to be a true contender, Bam needs to become a legitimate 3-point threat. He's not there yet.
Memphis would take Jalen Green straight up and call it a win. But Lowe argues even that requires no draft sweetener — it's Morant or nothing. The list of teams that need a point guard is short, and none of them seem particularly interested.
San Antonio solves real roster needs and LeBron could be the missing piece from their Finals run. But Golden State offers the sunset ride with Curry and the chance to sell out every arena on a farewell tour. Either way, nobody's calling it a ring chase at 41.
San Antonio was a Finals contender last year and was missing one veteran leader. LeBron in the Keldon Johnson and Luke Kornet minutes changes everything — and at 41, nobody calls it a ring chase. It's just the old gunslinger riding with a great young team.
Thomas's wife deferred her CrossFit career — she's in the global top 1% of athletes — to put him through law school debt-free. He wants her to chase the dream now; she wants the emergency fund and house down payment first. On a $200K lawyer income with no debt, the opportunity cost is just a few months of slower saving.
Underground calisthenics battles are exactly like UFC meets a rap battle — 150 people crowded around a circle, fighters walking out with masks and chains, nicknames like 'Extra Money' vs 'Calisthenics the Prince,' and people throwing money and betting. The battle set: 100 burpees, 50 muscle-ups, 75 dips, 75 squats with a 65-pound dumbbell. This is the next big spectator sport.
Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials admitted the fight was stopped after the bell. The result was never overturned. Rogan calls it either incompetence or corruption, and argues the money behind Usyk made an upset politically inconvenient.
Rogan lays out a blunt case: boxing's 3-judge system is structurally broken, and the judges know who the promoter wants to win. Glory's 5-judge format is the right model. Corruption doesn't have to be conscious — just knowing Usyk is the cash cow is enough to tilt the scales.
With the Usyk-Wilder fight stalling and Fury-Joshua coming too late, the real fight the world wants is the rematch. Rico is a free agent. Usyk vacated his belts. The story is unfinished and both Rogan and Rico know it. His Excellency Turki Alasheikh already called for it ringside — the question is money.
Rico texted Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight. Statham showed Rico's highlight videos to promoters. Two days later, Rico was on a call about fighting Anthony Joshua. When Joshua pulled out, Rico pitched Usyk himself — Undisputed vs. Undisputed. Usyk said yes in two weeks. The whole thing started with one text.
Every heavyweight who faced Usyk tried to move to the right — straight into his power hand. Rico and Peter Fury identified the obvious solution: move left, away from the left hand, and smother him with size. It sounds simple. Nobody had done it. That one adjustment was the foundation of 10 dominant rounds.
MMA fans boo when fights go to the ground. They love stand-up. Kickboxing is pure stand-up. Yet it barely exists in America while boxing and MMA are enormous. Rogan's diagnosis: no promotion machine. If the UFC got behind kickboxing the way they've built MMA, it would explode. The talent is there — the storytelling machine is not.
A nation of 17 million people gave the world Ramon Deckers, Peter Aerts, Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef, Rob Kamen, Ernesto Hoost, and Rico Verhoeven. Rico's theory: the country is so small that every gym shares knowledge freely. In the US, you need a flight. In Holland, you drive 40 minutes and spar the national champion.
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