PROGRAMMING NOTE: In the video version of this episode, a clip of guest Andrew Gaze appearing on "Dancing With The Stars" is played; as a result, there is a brief stretch of silence in this audio-only version right around the two-minute mark.

Australia’s GOAT Andrew Gaze joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt for a wildly revealing Pacific Rims episode that starts with Dancing with the Stars stories… and ends with a reality check on global basketball power.

From surviving China trips with the Melbourne Tigers to breaking down how the Chinese Basketball Association has exploded in talent, facilities, and resources—Gaze explains why Asia is no longer “developing”… it’s arriving.

He also pulls back the curtain on:

Why early international stars lacked NBA confidence (and today’s don’t)
How Australia quietly exported its basketball brain across Asia
The NIL era flipping global talent pipelines upside down
His biggest career regret: passing on the NBA when the door was open
And why today’s global game is more competitive—and more connected—than ever

Plus: the hilarious origin story of Bucher nearly getting stranded in China… and saved by Gaze.

If you think the NBA still owns basketball development, think again.

⏱️ TIME STAMPS

00:00 Welcome to Pacific Rims

00:52 Andrew Gaze intro + “Australia’s GOAT” claim

01:10 New Air Club sponsor read

02:00 Dancing with the Stars + beating Chris Hemsworth 👀

06:37 Bucher’s China survival story (Gaze to the rescue)

07:50 China’s basketball boom: talent, money, infrastructure

10:40 Australia exporting coaches & elevating Asia

13:30 Gaze’s Seton Hall journey + global recruiting evolution

18:50 NCAA controversy + missed NBA opportunity

21:30 Why early international players lacked NBA confidence

24:30 Dirk, Dražen & the global breakthrough era

28:00 NIL vs NBL: global talent war begins

32:00 Coaching his son + “coachability” plug

34:00 Yuki Kawamura + Japan’s rise (Bulls, national team)

42:30 Asian Games cuts + parity problem

45:00 Outro

🏷️ HASHTAGS

#PacificRims #AndrewGaze #InternationalBasketball #NBAGlobal #NBL #CBA #NIL #BasketballDevelopment #YaoMing #JapanBasketball #NBA #UnitedWeCast

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