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Pacific Rims

Pacific Rims

Written by: Ric Bucher
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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 an impact in the NBA and U.S. college basketball, examining how international prospects transition to the American game and how NBA teams evaluate and invest in Asia-Pacific talent.

Blending insider reporting, executive perspective, and global basketball context, Pacific Rims is essential listening for fans, scouts, coaches, executives, and anyone interested in international basketball, Asian leagues, NBA global strategy, and the future of the game across the Pacific Rim.

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Ric Bucher
Episodes
  • Yao Ming Was the “Gateway”… So Why Didn’t China Produce the Next NBA Wave? | Pacific Rims (Ric Bucher + Greg Stolt)

    Yao Ming Was the “Gateway”… So Why Didn’t China Produce the Next NBA Wave? | Pacific Rims (Ric Bucher + Greg Stolt)
    Jan 23 2026

    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 stories from the early days of the CBA to the league’s modern, professional era—then dig into the toughest question: why Asia still hasn’t produced NBA-caliber guards at scale.

    Ric shares what he saw the first time he scouted Yao in Shanghai (and the cultural shock of Yao’s fame back home), while Greg explains how China’s basketball ecosystem matured fast—foreign coaches, global connections, and higher-level imports—but still faces major barriers in development, language, and consistent elite competition. They also spotlight Joe Tsai’s scholarship pipeline and the emerging Asian University Basketball League (AUBL)—a potential bridge between high school hype and pro basketball across the Pacific Rim.


    📺 Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@UnitedWeCast

    Time Stamps
    • 00:00:11 — What Pacific Rims covers: China, Korea, Japan, Australia & beyond
    • 00:01:10 — Why this is an “intro” stretch + global guest plan
    • 00:01:47 — Ric’s Yao Ming origin story: Shanghai Sharks scouting + first impressions
    • 00:04:33 — Yao’s celebrity in China: airports, hotels, stampedes (no crowd control)
    • 00:06:14 — The promise that didn’t happen: why the “next Chinese NBA wave” never arrived
    • 00:08:02 — Greg’s “walk in like you belong” CBA era → today’s security/pro evolution
    • 00:10:05 — Training culture, sports science, and the delicate “outside influence” dance
    • 00:15:37 — The biggest barrier for foreign coaches in China: language + trust in interpreters
    • 00:20:42 — The guard problem: why Asia produces bigs more than point guards
    • 00:21:52 — NBA Academy lessons: exposure, English, and why elite reps come “too late”
    • 00:33:39 — Evaluating Yang Hansen: stretch-5 skills vs modern NBA athletic demands
    • 00:40:12 — Joe Tsai scholarship program: how it works + who it’s producing
    • 00:44:18 — AUBL explained: filling Asia’s “empty college basketball space” + 2026–27 launch plan
    • 00:47:05 — Next stop: Japan + the broader Pacific Rim pipeline

    #PacificRims #RicBucher #GregStolt #YaoMing #CBA #ChinaBasketball #AsianBasketball #NBAGlobal #NBADraft #BasketballDevelopment #PointGuardPlay #NBAAcademy #JoeTsai #AUBL #InternationalHoops #HoopsCulture #UnitedWeCast

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    48 mins
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