Ric and Boki welcome their first-ever guest, Kyle Hines — a four-time EuroLeague champion, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and now assistant GM of the Long Island Nets. Hines shares how his 16-year European career and leadership in forming the EuroLeague Players Association prepared him for a front-office role, emphasizing the importance of relationships, professionalism, and embracing team roles over personal stats. He discusses adapting to life and basketball across Germany, Greece, Russia, and Italy, the cultural and structural contrasts between leagues, and how self-awareness and consistency sustained his success. The hosts note that EuroLeague named its “Most Respected Player” award after Hines. The episode also features analysis of Barcelona’s win over Valencia in the Spanish EuroLeague, highlighting Barça’s depth and Valencia’s rising young star Sergio de Larrea — and a broader discussion on European fan culture and hostile arenas. Turkey being ranked 12th in the world after reaching the EuroBasket 2025 Finals and the impact of the Lakers resting Slovenian star Luka Doncic in training camp are also discussed.

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