2026 Finals Lessons, Giannis’s Next Stop, Brunson’s Apex, and Mike Brown’s Magic Touch With Doc Rivers

**Bill Simmons** (0:00)
This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Countless hours in the gym, a thousand shots before tip-off, day after day on the same court with the State Farm stanchion right there. That's right, the best players put in the work, and State Farm is the same way with insurance experts who put in the work as well. Whether you get a digital quote or reach out to a local agent, State Farm is there to get to know you and help you select the right coverage that fits your life and your budget. Putting in the work is what separates the good players from the great, and that's why you want State Farm on your team. So get the coverage that's right for you. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Coverage options are selected by the customer availability and eligibility vary by state.
The Bill Simmons Podcast is brought to you by PayPal. We are also brought to you by The Ringer Podcast Network, where you can find the new episode of The Rewatchables. We put it up Sunday night. Hand That Rocks the Cradle, part of From Hell Month. The next one is gonna be Domestic Disturbance with John Travolta and Vince Vaughn. This movie's really something. It's on Netflix right now if you wanna go check it out. Don't forget all our basketball and soccer coverage. I'm loving the World Cup. The World Cup's been fantastic. You can check out the beautiful pod with Adam Friedland, and Chris Ryan has been popping on there a bunch. We've had a whole bunch of fun guests. That's on Adam's Feed Ringer Gambling Show as well. A lot of good gambling tips. I'm gonna have the Bundo on I think at the end of the week to talk even more soccer. Try to get some tips before we have this amazing USA game on Friday. Can't wait for that. All right. Doc Rivers, he came here for a game or didn't come here, but we did a podcast together after game one. I've not talked to him since the finals. Just a lot of big historical stuff coming from that finals, a lot of strategy stuff. We had to talk, Giannis, what we think is gonna happen this summer with all different teams, favorite players, refs, all kinds of things from his last season with the Bucks.
And he came over, which was great. So we're gonna take a break. Pearl Jam, and then in the house, Doc Rivers next.
This episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast is presented by PayPal. You know a clutch move and you see one, a no look pass, a buzzer beater, a big steal. Well, imagine if your wallet could pull off moves like that. That, my friends, is PayPal. Right now you can find offers from hundreds of brands, like Sony, Allbirds and Viator, and save offers before you check out. Earn unlimited rewards. Plus you can add those rewards on top of credit card points. Now that is clutch. Download the PayPal app today, save those offers, start scoring rewards. Terms and exclusions apply. See paypal.com/rewardsterms, credit card points subject to issuers, terms and conditions.
All right, Doc Rivers is here in studio. We've never, this is great. Look at this.

**Doc Rivers** (3:27)
This is nice.

**Bill Simmons** (3:28)
This is got posters, people you played with in the jam session.

**Doc Rivers** (3:31)
Yeah, I see Austin Carr up here, which I was telling you, my son Austin Rivers was named after. He played with my uncle, Jim Brewer.

**Bill Simmons** (3:38)
Did you have a Nike poster or no?

**Doc Rivers** (3:40)
Converse. No, I had a Reebok.

**Bill Simmons** (3:41)
You had a sub-poster.

**Doc Rivers** (3:42)
I had a Reebok poster.

**Bill Simmons** (3:42)
That's what it was.

**Doc Rivers** (3:43)
Yeah, yeah.

**Bill Simmons** (3:44)
I gotta get that, maybe I gotta hunt that down and have to put you in here.

**Doc Rivers** (3:46)
I have to get that again.

**Bill Simmons** (3:48)
We have so much to talk about, but let's do finals, because you never talked about that.
So, big picture, levitating over every beat. What did you think? What was your big takeaway from that series?

**Doc Rivers** (3:59)
I wanted more.
It was the first take. It was interesting, Bill. I played for the Knicks, and I played for the Spurs.

**Bill Simmons** (4:09)
Right.

**Doc Rivers** (4:09)
And so I caught myself going back and forth. I was a Knick longer, so probably leaned more that way.
But I just wanted more basketball, and it got to the point. My son Spencer said it, because he was cheering for the Spurs, because when he grew up, he was living in San Antonio. Right. So he's cheering for the Spurs, and he says, I don't want any more basketball. And I said, what? He's like, I can't take them doing the same thing every game.