Snapshot · The Bill Simmons Podcast
Tim Legler explained that Victor Wembanyama's missed 18-foot shot to win Game 1 failed partly because he fell backward instead of staying upright, a correctable youth mistake.
Where this was said
At 1:18:30 · chapter starts 1:02:42
Legler refuses to walk back his claim: what Brunson did — against Vassell, Castle, Harper, Champagny, and Wemby behind them all — was mind-blowing from courtside. It wasn't athleticism. It was strength, balance, footwork, touch, IQ, and an ability to actually thrive under pressure that barely anyone possesses. The physical profile said he shouldn't be able to do this, but that's what made it remarkable. Simmons layers on the Prefontaine metaphor: the Knicks liked being down 10, liked the pressure building, knew exactly when they would make their move. The Spurs, by contrast, had no settle-down guy — Wemby isn't there yet — and eventually their will broke. A Bucks fan email triggers a brief Giannis 50-point closeout Game comparison, where Simmons distinguishes what makes Brunson's series different: the inevitability of the scoring runs.
Bill Simmons argued that flipping the minutes between Dylan Harper (31 MPG) and De'Aaron Fox (36 MPG) in the Finals might have changed the series outcome.
Fox was making his usual shots mechanically — he was getting to his spots, his release was clean. But the ball wasn't going in. Tim Legler, sitting courtside, says that told him everything: it was entirely in Fox's head, not his body.
Dylan Harper didn't rush anything in the NBA Finals. Against elite defenders, he controlled his body, finished with English on the ball, and made it look routine. Bill Simmons doesn't think it's hyperbole to say Harper could be one of the best guards in 30 years.
Brunson didn't blow by anyone in Game 5. He out-thought them. Footwork, balance, touch, IQ — and absolute immunity to the pressure of the moment. Tim Legler calls it one of the greatest Finals performances of all time, and says watching it live was genuinely mind-blowing.
Tim Legler called Jalen Brunson's 45-point Game 5 performance against the Spurs one of the greatest Finals performances of all time, given the caliber of defenders he faced.
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.
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