Derek Thompson on the American Sports Plutocracy, the NBA’s 2016 Black Swan Event, and the WNBA’s Growing Pains
The Bill Simmons Podcast

Derek Thompson on the American Sports Plutocracy, the NBA’s 2016 Black Swan Event, and the WNBA’s Growing Pains

E 2026-08-21
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Derek Thompson to discuss the finances of sports and the developing story of Mark Walter's Lakers sale. Then, they discuss the 2016 NBA cap spike before ending with their WNBA theories. (0:00) Intro (2:10) American sports plutocracy and Mark Walter (42:28) 2016 NBA cap spike (01:05:39) WNBA growing pains Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Derek Thompson Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit
View more
Comments (3)

More Episodes

All Episodes>>

Get this podcast on your phone, Free

Create Your Podcast In Minutes

  • Full-featured podcast site
  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Comprehensive podcast stats
  • Distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more
  • Make money with your podcast
Get Started
It is Free