Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast

Sports, Strategy, and Standouts with David Pivnick of McGuireWoods LLP

Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Scott Becker
Guest: David Pivnick

Episode Overview

In this lively, sports-focused episode, Scott Becker welcomes David Pivnick, partner at McGuireWoods LLP and law school valedictorian, for an energetic conversation centering on the intersection of sports and business. The duo covers the thrilling 2025 World Series (Blue Jays vs. Dodgers), the revitalized Chicago Blackhawks, the outlook for the Chicago Bulls, and trending topics in NBA basketball – all with a nod to how strategy and team dynamics drive both sports and enterprise success.

While rooted in Chicago and Canadian allegiances, the conversation gleams with broader observations on building winning teams, leadership, and how star power and payroll influence outcomes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 2025 World Series: Blue Jays vs. Dodgers

• Underdog Blue Jays Surpass Expectations

  • “Almost every expert… thought the Dodgers were going to just walk all over the Blue Jays. I remain very cautiously optimistic that the Jays are going to win it.”
    — David Pivnick [01:53]
  • The Blue Jays, overlooked against the Dodgers’ nearly $400M payroll and star power, have shown resilience and surprising strength.
  • David recaps attending both the Jays’ opening win and their stifling loss to Yamamoto in Game 2, as well as the grueling 18-inning Game 3 ("…all time painful game if you’re a Blue Jays fan" [02:37]).
  • Despite the Dodgers' individual talent, the Jays’ collective effort across the lineup, solid defense, and effective pitching have kept the series tight.

• Shohei Ohtani’s Impact

  • “Shohei Ohtani is clearly far and away the best player in the world, maybe the best player ever. And what he’s doing is insane.”
    — David Pivnick [03:10]

• Team-Building Philosophies

  • Becker and Pivnick discuss the tendency to root against big-payroll teams like the Dodgers, noting:
    “Cheering against the team with the highest payroll… is a perfectly rational response…”
    — David Pivnick [04:19]

• Forecast for Dodgers’ Dominance

  • With stars like Ohtani, Freeman, and Betts locked in for years, and a deep pitching rotation, the consensus is that the Dodgers will remain contenders barring significant injuries:
    “Short of injuries or just a bunch of guys having to get down here at the wrong time, I think the Dodgers are going to be good for the foreseeable future.”
    — David Pivnick [05:10]

2. Canadian Contributions and Player Perspectives

• Fun revelation that Freddie Freeman, “who always shows up in the big games” [05:32], plays for Team Canada despite his career in the US – adding another layer to his warm Toronto reception [06:00].
• Canadian and ex-Blue Jay Teoscar Hernandez also received warm homecoming applause in Toronto.

3. Chicago Blackhawks: From Bottom to Buzzing

• Turnaround Story

  • Season’s early surge: “They are just playing much better hockey… They've had two games where they have had eight goals and seven goals… and people are now putting them more in the 20s someplace” in rankings [06:25].
  • Jeff Blashill, though not Pivnick’s first coaching choice, is credited with building stronger practice habits and instilling competitiveness:
    “He seems to have resonated with the players... They’re not taking any shifts off. They’re a lot more combative on the ice… finishing every play and they compete every game. And I think the head coach deserves a ton of credit for that.”
    — David Pivnick [07:32]

• Goaltending Upgrade

  • Spencer Knight shines with top-five stats, stabilizing a still-developing defense [07:55].

• Speed and Youth Movement

  • For the first time in years, the Hawks are no longer visibly slower than their competition; young stars like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are “just electric” [10:22].
  • Bedard credited for offseason focus:
    “Truly great athletes… make themselves better by figuring out their weak points and fixing them. And that’s exactly what he’s done.”
    — David Pivnick [11:11]

• Depth and Pipeline

  • Rockford AHL team is “absolutely dominating” with notable prospects (Kevin Korchinski, Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis) spotlighted as future impact players [11:59].
  • Notable quote: “He [Nick Lardis] scored 70 goals last year in the OHL… The other guys who’ve done that are guys like John Tavares…” [12:33]

4. Chicago Bulls: A Cautious Optimism

• Bulls start season 3–0, but Pivnick remains skeptical:
  “If they were playing basketball in the desert and looking thirsty, we call this a mirage… I don’t think they’re going to make the playoffs this year and… 45 wins seems ambitious even after a 3–0 start.”
  — David Pivnick [14:13]

• Eastern Conference is described as weaker due to injuries and player movement, but the Bulls’ ceiling remains that of a .500 team.

5. NBA Power Shifts: Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs, Rockets, and Bucks

• Luka Dončić and the Lakers

  • Dončić injured early in the season: “I don’t think it’s a long term injury, but I think he’s already been bagged up” [15:33].
  • Lakers (now with Dončić and LeBron) expected to be “entertaining… but I don’t think they’re a contender yet” due to defensive and interior weaknesses [15:47].
  • “I think Luka is one of the best players in the world and certainly one of the most talented…” [15:53]

• Western Conference Standouts

  • San Antonio Spurs’ Wembanyama (“Wemby”) looks “absolutely insane to start this year… his future is incredibly bright” [16:06].
  • Thunder and Rockets (“with Kevin Durant”) are seen as serious competitors.

• Milwaukee Bucks’ New Look

  • Giannis is “off to a great start” and expects a “very strong MVP contender season” [17:15].
  • The Giannis/Miles Turner pairing is more effective, with more athleticism than previous lineups.
  • Bulk of supporting cast are guards “who are unselfish, decent passers… and all of them are great three-point shooters” [17:45].
  • “I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people this year… I don’t know that they’re going to compete for a title, but I think they’ll compete for the Eastern Conference and are… a lot more entertaining than they’ve been in years past.” [18:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ohtani:
  “Shohei Ohtani is clearly far and away the best player in the world, maybe the best player ever. And what he’s doing is insane.”
  — David Pivnick [03:10]

• On rooting against high payrolls:
  “Cheering against the team with the highest payroll… is a perfectly rational response to how they’ve approached team building.”
  — David Pivnick [04:19]

• On work ethic of Canadian players:
  “That’s what you get when you have a Canadian baseball player. Just great work ethic. And they show up in the big moments.”
  — David Pivnick [05:41]

• On Connor Bedard’s improvement:
  “He had a year last year that was not bad by any stretch, but probably not what he was hoping for. And he really took it to heart. And he spent the offseason working hard, training with other elite players… and working on weaknesses in his game. And I think that’s what truly great athletes do…”
  — David Pivnick [11:05]

• On the Bulls’ start:
  “If they were playing basketball in the desert and looking thirsty, we call this a mirage… I don’t think they’re going to make the playoffs this year and… 45 wins seems ambitious even after a 3–0 start.”
  — David Pivnick [14:13]

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 00:00–01:46 | Introduction, World Series setup (Blue Jays vs. Dodgers)
• 01:46–06:25 | Blue Jays’ World Series performance, Dodger payroll & strategy, Canadian MLB connections
• 06:25–12:58 | Chicago Blackhawks’ improvement: coaching, goaltending, speed, young prospects’ pipeline
• 12:58–15:00 | Chicago Bulls’ season outlook and young players
• 15:00–16:45 | NBA national landscape: Dončić with Lakers, Spurs’ Wembanyama, Thunder, Rockets
• 16:45–18:45 | Milwaukee Bucks’ evolution and Giannis’ MVP potential

Closing Thoughts

Scott Becker wraps the conversation noting the diversity and depth of topics, while promising a business and football-focused follow-up. David Pivnick provides measured, insightful takes with a blend of humor, candor, and a clear appreciation for talent development, whether on the field or in the boardroom.