The Ringer NBA Show: "Texas Three-Step Ready to Takeover? Plus, Latest on NBA Gambling Probe."

Episode Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, Howard Beck

Episode Overview

In this episode, the "Real Ones" crew—Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard Beck—delve deep into two major NBA storylines:

1. The NBA Gambling Scandal: Scathing new indictments involving coaches and players put the integrity of the league under the microscope.
2. Texas Three-Step: A sweeping discussion of young talent and roster evolution in Texas, featuring Victor Wembanyama’s breakout, the developmental burdens on Cooper Flagg and Amen Thompson, and what it means for the Mavericks and Rockets.

The hosts bring a lively, insightful, and sometimes humorous lens to the toughest questions facing the NBA. If you care about scandals rocking the league, the rise of transformational talent, and the challenges young stars face, this episode is essential.

Key Segments and Insights

NBA Gambling Scandal: Deep Dive

[03:22 – 21:43]

Scandal Details [03:22]

• Logan quickly outlines the indictments:
  • Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones are implicated.
  • Billups: Charged in connection with a Mafia-run illegal poker ring.
  • Rozier: Accused of in-game performance manipulation for gambling gain.
  • Jones: Charged in both indictments.
  • Billups and Rozier placed on leave; Thiago Splitter is acting head coach for Portland.
• “This is just... I've been trying to wrap my head [around] what this means for the NBA and sports in general... it was only a matter of time before this happened.”
  —Logan [04:13]

Comparison to 2007 Tim Donaghy Scandal [05:17]

• Howard on scope and stakes:
  • 2007 was limited to a “rogue referee.”
  • Current case involves multiple actors, and gambling is now legal and everywhere.
  • “This is far more extensive and... far more perilous for the league... This is a very scary moment for the NBA—and just for pro sports, period.”
    —Howard Beck [06:08]

Integrity, Accessibility, and Cultural Shifts [10:18]

• Raja contextualizes gambling's deep roots and new accessibility
  • NBA’s embrace of gambling paved the way for this crisis.
  • Bets are now “as easy as putting a four-leg parlay on your phone.”
  • “As soon as the NBA said we're in bed with gambling... you were headed to something like this.”
    —Raja Bell [11:46]
• Cultural impact: Even teenage fans are now immersed in sports-betting culture, raising alarms about normalization.

Adam Silver’s Role and League’s Crossroads [13:57]

• Howard on Commissioner Silver:
  • The need for Adam Silver to directly address the crisis.
  • Silver’s advocacy for regulated, legalized betting (quoting his 2014 NYT op-ed).
  • “The next... 8, 10, 12 months will ultimately, I think, define Adam Silver's tenure... This is the one.”
    —Howard Beck [19:22]

League-wide Ramifications & What’s Next [19:34]

• Logan & Howard underscore the precedent:
  • This is the “first big gambling scandal of [the] new era.”
  • All major leagues are watching.
• No evidence (yet) of actual game-fixing
  • “The saving grace... there is nothing to imply that Rozier or anybody else was actually trying to throw games.”
    —Howard Beck [21:20]

Victor Wembanyama: Arrival of a Superstar

[21:43 – 34:21]

A Performance for the Ages [21:43]

• Logan’s victory lap and awe:
  • Wemby’s debut: 40 pts, 15 reb, 3 blk; looked like “six different legends all in one.” [22:32]
• Raja on the spectacle:
  • “It’s unfair. It's like a kid playing on a Nerf hoop... that’s a crossover skill set... at 7-whatever-the-hell he is.”
    —Raja Bell [24:49]
• Howard: Wemby’s intangibles and confidence
  • “Great makeup—supreme confidence, but not arrogance.”
  • Not forcing dominance, but recognizing it’s “his time.” [28:30]

What Makes Wemby Special [24:56]

• Raja on blending skills and physical traits:
  • Compares creating a 2K player—all 99s, but with no downside.
  • “Very few people on the planet can combine those different area on the court skill sets... It really is pretty remarkable.” [27:03]
• Logan on league implications:
  • “I thought I was watching the best player in the game... He's about a year away from... this is the year he takes that mantle.” [30:38]

Wemby’s Impact on the Spurs and League [31:42]

• Logan: Wemby’s ability as a franchise pillar raises Spurs’ ceiling beyond expectations.
  • “He can lift this team to heights that maybe they shouldn't be at... The team that isn’t supposed to be there and no one wants to face.” [32:47]
• Howard: Spurs could make a thunder-like leap, but this season will show how far youth can go in the West’s hierarchy. [34:21]

Burden on Young Lead Guards: Cooper Flagg & Amen Thompson

[39:08 – 63:39]

The Mavericks and Cooper Flagg [39:08]

• Logan ponders developmental dilemma:
  • Mavericks expect championship contention while breaking in Cooper Flagg at point guard—can you have both?
• Raja’s caution:
  • “Point guard play... they're usually bred from like early... transitioning from off the ball to on the ball, that's really, really difficult.” [40:58]
  • The Mavs should focus on holistic skill development, not expecting Flagg to become a primary PG in one year.

The Two-Timeline Trap [43:07]

• Howard highlights Dallas’ dilemma:
  • Straddling a win-now window with established vets versus a need to invest in Flagg’s long-term growth as a playmaker.
  • “They’re caught in between on every level here.” [45:02]

Houston’s Experiment: Amen Thompson and the PG Void [46:56]

• Logan initiates discussion on the Rockets and Amin Thompson:
  • Post-Fred VanVleet, Houston lacks a true point, so Thompson is thrust into the lead creator role.
  • “You want [Amin] in the post and run offense through him... but this seems a bigger problem for Houston that can threaten to sink their season.” [48:20]
• Raja drills down on Thompson’s psychology:
  • Cites “unwillingness to shoot wide open shots,” a confidence issue, not just a skill issue.
  • “When you're open, shoot it... We'll get to the makes later but you can't be afraid.” [51:11]

Did Houston Push the Button too Early? [52:48]

• Logan asks if KD trade came a year before the roster was ready.
  • Is the team’s growth now stunted by urgency?
• Raja disagrees:
  • Thompson’s hurdles are internal, not about KD’s presence.
  • “I just think this is more of a personal issue with him and his confidence in his own ability to shoot the ball... We've got to be able to do that, dude.” [54:21]

Need for a Point Guard—Now, Not February [61:04]

• Howard and Raja agree:
  • The Rockets’ playoff ambitions require urgent PG help.
  • “Not just to organize you... but because that's not necessarily fair to Amen Thompson.”
    —Raja [63:31]
  • “You need a PG now. You can’t wait ‘til February.”
    —Logan [63:39]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is a very scary moment for the NBA... This is the one that will define [Adam Silver’s] tenure.”
  —Howard Beck [06:08, 19:22]
• “It’s unfair. It’s like a kid playing on a Nerf hoop... that’s crazy.”
  —Raja Bell on Wembanyama [24:21]
• “I thought I was watching the best player in the game... It's special. He’s about a year away from the mantle.”
  —Logan [30:38]
• “If I were forecasting... I'd be really, really scared. Because if [Wemby] stays healthy... that's coming way sooner than later.”
  —Raja [31:12]
• “When you're open, I'm shooting it. We'll get to the makes later, but we can't be afraid.”
  —Raja on Amen Thompson’s psyche [51:11]
• “PG is just... like playing quarterback. It's almost impossible to just switch someone into that role and expect them to succeed.”
  —Raja [45:15]

Segment Timing Summary

• [00:00 – 03:22]: Opening banter, Court Week anecdotes
• [03:22 – 21:43]: NBA Gambling Scandal—deep breakdown, league implications
• [21:43 – 34:21]: Victor Wembanyama’s statement debut—what it means for the Spurs and league
• [34:21 – 39:08]: Spurs as rising contenders; parallels to other young teams
• [39:08 – 63:39]: Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg & Rockets’ Amen Thompson—the challenge of giving young players high-leverage responsibilities, team-building quandaries
• [63:39 – end]: Closing thoughts and podcast housekeeping

Tone & Takeaways

The crew brings the mix of gravity, historical context, and humor that defines "Real Ones." They are open about the existential threat posed by gambling scandals, but equally energized by the rise of transcendent young talent. Both segments, in vastly different ways, highlight the NBA’s defining tensions in 2025: integrity versus entertainment, and the promise and pitfalls of generational change.

If you want the pulse of what matters in the NBA—on and off the court—this episode is a must-listen/quick-read.

Listen If You Want...

• Informed, candid analysis of the NBA’s biggest scandal in decades
• Front-line commentary on Victor Wembanyama’s ascension
• Nuanced discussion of player development and front-office tradeoffs in Dallas and Houston
• The authentic, signature banter of The Ringer’s best NBA minds