PODCAST · sports
Pacific Rims
by Ric Bucher
Pacific Rims is a weekly basketball podcast from the United We Cast Network that delivers smart, authoritative coverage of professional hoops across the Pacific Rim and the growing influence of the region on the global game. Hosted by long-time NBA analyst and Yao Ming biographer Ric Bucher alongside former overseas professional player and Asia-based NBA executive Greg Stolt, Pacific Rims connects the dots between Asia-Pacific leagues and the highest levels of basketball in the United States. Each episode breaks down the need-to-know stories shaping professional basketball in Australia (NBL), China (CBA), Korea (KBL), and Japan (B.League)—from league trends and front-office decisions to coaching philosophies, player development pipelines, and the business of basketball in the region. The show also spotlights players from the Pacific Rim making
Episodes
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Japan’s Basketball Boom: Shawn Dennis on the B.League’s Rise and What Comes Next
New Sunrockers head coach Shawn Dennis joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt to celebrate Japan’s remarkable basketball transformation and explain how the B.League can become even better. Dennis discusses the league’s surging popularity, improved talent and coaching, why Japan needs to rethink player...
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From Jeremy Lin to Japan’s Biggest Turnaround: Ryan Marchand’s Unlikely Road Toward the NBA
Fukushima Firebonds head coach Ryan Marchand joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt to explain how leaving the U.S. accelerated his coaching career — taking him from the G League and NBA to head-coaching jobs in Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan. Marchand details how COVID changed his career path, what he…
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Why Ryan Richman Left the NBA to Coach in Japan—and His Plan to Return
Former Washington Wizards assistant Ryan Richman joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt to explain why he left the NBA to coach in Japan and how his experience with Alvark Tokyo and Japan's national team is shaping his pursuit of an NBA head-coaching job. Richman discusses Rui Hachimura's evolution,...
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EXCLUSIVE: AUBL Expands to 18 Teams — Jay Li’s Plan to Build Asia’s Answer to March Madness
Asian college basketball is about to get much bigger — and Pacific Rims has the news first. AUBL co-founder and CEO Jay Li joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt and reveals that the Asian University Basketball League is expanding to 18 teams for its first full home-and-away season beginning in November…
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Miela Sowah’s Long Road to the WNBA: Shooting, Sacrifice and Staying Ready
Golden State Valkyries development player Miela Sowah joins Ric Bucher for an inspiring conversation about the perseverance, preparation and personal relationships behind her journey from Australian basketball to the WNBA. Sowah explains how Australia’s development system shaped her into an...
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Inside China's Basketball Revolution: Guy Molloy, Enzo Li and the Jilin Tigers' Bold New Vision
Australian coaching veteran Guy Molloy joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt for a fascinating look at his first month inside the Chinese Basketball Association as an assistant coach with the Jilin Tigers. Molloy explains why the Tigers' partnership with first-year head coach Enzo Li represents a...
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Brian Goorjian on China, Japan’s Basketball Boom and Why Australia’s Best Days Are Still Ahead | Pacific Rims
Australian basketball legend and seven-time NBL champion coach Brian Goorjian joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt for one of the most insightful conversations yet on the state of basketball across the Pacific Rim. Goorjian reflects on his decade-long coaching journey in China, the lessons he learned...
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Inside NBA International Scouting: How Hansen Wong Went from Hong Kong to the Indiana Pacers Front Office
What does it take to discover NBA talent across Asia, Africa and the world? In this fascinating episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with Hansen Wong — manager of international scouting for the Indiana Pacers — for an insider’s look at the NBA scouting world and the global...
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How Mongolia Became Basketball’s Fastest-Rising Power | Tenuun Otgonbayar on Pacific Rims
How did Mongolia become one of the fastest-growing basketball cultures in the world? In this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt welcome Tenuun Otgonbayar — president of the Mongolian Collegiate Basketball Association and one of the driving forces behind the explosive rise of...
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Can College Basketball Unite Asia? Inside the Explosive Rise of the AUBL with Isaac Low | Pacific Rims
Is college basketball the future of Asian hoops? In this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with Isaac Low — co-founder, general counsel and head of media distribution for the Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) — to explore one of the most ambitious basketball...
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How China, Serbia and NIL Are Reshaping Global Basketball | Nenad Hrvoic on Pacific Rims
Serbian coach Nenad Hrvoic joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt on Pacific Rims for a wide-ranging look at how basketball is evolving across China, Asia, Europe and the NCAA. Hrvoic explains what has changed in the CBA after 15 years in China, why foreign players and coaches face a steep adjustment…
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The Coaching Unicorn: How Enzo Li Cracked the NBA Pipeline from China to the G League | Pacific Rims
How does a non-pro player from China break into the NBA coaching pipeline? In this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with one of the most unique figures in global basketball: Enzo Li — a rare bridge between Chinese basketball and the NBA system. From walking on at…
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Inside Global Hoops: Shocking China Coaching Stories, NIL Disruption & Why Mongolia Could Be Basketball’s Next Power
What really goes on behind the scenes of international basketball? On this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with veteran coach Bill Tomlinson to pull back the curtain on the realities shaping the game across China, Australia, and beyond. From winning championships with...
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Inside India’s Basketball Revolution: Scott Flemming on NBA Academies, Untapped Talent & the Fight for Global Relevance
Is India the next sleeping giant in global basketball—or proof that infrastructure beats population size? In this revealing episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher sits down with globe-trotting coach Scott Flemming to break down the real story behind India’s basketball evolution—from NBA-backed...
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Stanley Johnson’s REDEMPTION in Japan 🇯🇵 | From NBA Setback to B.League DOMINANCE
Former No. 8 overall pick Stanley Johnson isn’t just still playing—he’s thriving. On this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with the ex-Detroit Pistons forward turned global hooper, now leading Nagasaki Velca to one of the most shocking turnarounds in Japan’s B.League....
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Kyle Anderson’s China Journey: From Team USA Cut to Leading Team China 🇨🇳 | Identity, Culture & Hoops
What happens when an NBA vet discovers his roots… and ends up representing an entire nation? In this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with Kyle Anderson—aka Li Kaier—to unpack one of the most unique stories in global basketball. From tracing his ancestry back to…
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Andrew Gaze EXPOSES Global Hoops Reality: Why Asia Is Catching the NBA Faster Than You Think
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...
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From England to the NBA to Japan's Women's League — Coach Tim Lewis Has Done It All (And Has No Plans to Stop)
The globe-trotting coach who turned a struggling Japanese women's team into Empress Cup champions breaks down what it really takes to win — and survive — in basketball's most overlooked markets. He grew up playing rugby and cricket in England. He ended up coaching in the NBA. Now he's winning...
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Inside Asia’s Basketball Boom: Why China Isn’t Dominating, The Philippines’ Rise & The NBA’s Global Talent Hunt | Pacific Rims
Why isn’t China producing more NBA stars? Which Asian country could become basketball’s next global powerhouse? And what really happens inside the NBA’s development system across Asia? In this revealing episode of Pacific Rims, NBA analyst Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with former NBA China...
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KBL Culture Shock: Tyler Gatlin Explains Korea’s High-Pressure Hoops, Military Curveballs & Why Top Talent Leaves for Japan
What’s it really like coaching basketball in South Korea—where the league runs on efficiency, hierarchy, and zero patience for underperforming imports? On this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with Tyler Gatlin (assistant coach, Goyang Sono Skygunners; former NBA/G…
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Coaching Asia’s Hoops Cultures: Bruce Palmer on Japan’s “No Questions” Rule, China’s Chaos, Korea’s Blueprint | Pacific Rims
What happens when an old-school Aussie hoops lifer drops into Japan, Korea, and China and realizes the basketball is the easy part? On this episode of Pacific Rims, co-hosts Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt welcome legendary coach Bruce Palmer to pull back the curtain on coaching across the Pacific Rim:...
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Why Yuta Watanabe Quit the NBA for Japan’s B.League — and What It Says About Asian Hoops NOW
An NBA player opting out to go home is rare — but Yuta Watanabe did exactly that, walking away from his NBA player option to join Japan’s B.League (Chiba Jets). Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt break down the real reasons: the grind of “NBA glamour,” the pull of stability and stardom at home, and the...
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Yao Ming Was the “Gateway”… So Why Didn’t China Produce the Next NBA Wave? | Pacific Rims (Ric Bucher + Greg Stolt)
China had the population, the passion, and the Yao Ming moment—so why didn’t the “funnel” to the NBA ever truly open? In this introductory episode of Pacific Rims, NBA analyst and Yao Ming biographer Ric Bucher and former overseas pro / former NBA China executive Greg Stolt trade first-hand…
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Pacific Rims Ep. 1: The Asia Hoops Gold Rush — Why the NBA Still Can’t Find the “Next Yao”
Asia is already a basketball superpower — so why doesn’t the NBA have a steady pipeline of Chinese stars after Yao Ming? In the inaugural episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt (former overseas pro + longtime NBA China basketball ops exec) pull back the curtain on the CBA, KBL…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Pacific Rims is a weekly basketball podcast from the United We Cast Network that delivers smart, authoritative coverage of professional hoops across the Pacific Rim and the growing influence of the region on the global game. Hosted by long-time NBA analyst and Yao Ming biographer Ric Bucher alongside former overseas professional player and Asia-based NBA executive Greg Stolt, Pacific Rims connects the dots between Asia-Pacific leagues and the highest levels of basketball in the United States.
Each episode breaks down the need-to-know stories shaping professional basketball in Australia (NBL), China (CBA), Korea (KBL), and Japan (B.League)—from league trends and front-office decisions to coaching philosophies, player development pipelines, and the business of basketball in the region. The show also spotlights players from the Pacific Rim making
HOSTED BY
Ric Bucher
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Pacific Rims have?
Pacific Rims currently has 24 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Pacific Rims about?
Pacific Rims is a weekly basketball podcast from the United We Cast Network that delivers smart, authoritative coverage of professional hoops across the Pacific Rim and the growing influence of the region on the global game. Hosted by long-time NBA analyst and Yao Ming biographer Ric Bucher...
How often does Pacific Rims release new episodes?
Pacific Rims has 24 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Pacific Rims?
You can listen to Pacific Rims on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Pacific Rims?
Pacific Rims is created and hosted by Ric Bucher.
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