Snapshot · The Bill Simmons Podcast
In the high school recruiting rankings for the DeBonza class, AJ DeBonza was ranked #1, followed by Darren Peterson at #2 and Boozer at #3 — matching the first three picks of the 2026 NBA Draft exactly.
Where this was said
At 1:53:56 · chapter starts 6:59
The panel wraps with final grades and closing thoughts. Simmons gives the 2026 draft an A for talent — all three top picks were legitimate A+ selections, and the quality held up deeper than most years — but only a C- for entertainment, since the whole thing was just too competent and predictable. House's parting wish is for a new generation Running Diary writer who can make the savage observations about family dynamics, living-room sets, and draft night spectacle that the Ringer principals can no longer make on air. Mann reflects on the historic nature of a draft where all three top teams could legitimately come away satisfied — no clear hierarchy. Simmons closes on a note of genuine warmth and public health: he's getting a colonoscopy on Thursday and encourages everyone to take care of themselves. A new Rewatchables episode — The Good Son — drops Thursday. He'll be back Sunday unless a Jaylen Brown trade breaks, at which point, drugs or no drugs, he's going live.
Five franchises — Washington, Utah, Memphis, Chicago, and Sacramento — all received promising picks, meaning roughly one-sixth of the NBA entered the offseason with legitimate hope.
Bill Simmons argues fewer than 10 players since LeBron have prompted the 'kind of a LeBron body' comparison — and AJ DeBonza is one of them. At 6'9" with paint-touch efficiency ranking 3rd among all Division I players, the physical upside is undeniable.
Among Division I players who averaged over 20 paint touches per game this season, AJ DeBonza ranked 3rd in downhill paint touch scoring efficiency, behind only Ibuka Okorie (#1) and Darius Aikufu (#2).
The Washington Wizards signed Trae Young to a 4-year, $212 million contract with a player option in year 4, a move Bill Simmons called a crime against the franchise.
Thomas's wife is already ranked in the top 2,000 CrossFit athletes in the world — roughly the top 1% — and Thomas wants her to pursue the sport professionally now that he is graduating law school.
Research shows athletes who mentally imagine practicing basketball or soccer have better performance than those who do not include imagination in their training.
Rico Verhoeven dominated approximately 10 of 12 rounds against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk before a controversial post-bell stoppage.
Rico's appeal confirmed the fight was stopped after the bell rang, and the ringside doctor found no concussion or disorientation — yet the result was never overturned.
Glory Kickboxing uses 5 judges rather than boxing's 3, which Joe Rogan argues reduces the chance of a corrupt or incompetent minority swinging the result.
Rico Verhoeven had only one professional boxing match before fighting undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC title.
Despite having just one pro boxing match, Rico Verhoeven had been training boxing for 15 years alongside his kickboxing career.
Rico used a full 6 months to transition from kickboxing stance to a proper boxing stance under trainer Peter Fury, calling it essential rewiring.
Rico Verhoeven has had approximately 75 professional kickboxing fights, giving him a massive combat sports experience advantage over pure boxers.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.