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, Japan’s B.League, and Australia’s NBL—from how imports are pressured to put up video-game stats, to why the best teams are built on elite local talent, to the surprising truth about Japan’s transformation from “company teams” into a legit modern pro sports business.

Stolt explains how Japan went from “people thought I was an English teacher” to packed arenas and NBA-style marketing, why Korea’s distinct style is underrated (and under-monetized), and why Australia might be the top hoops product in the Asia-Pacific right now. Plus: the emerging markets you should be watching next (Indonesia and Mongolia)—and why 3x3 basketball could be the accelerator.

• 00:00 Pacific Rims launches: China, Korea, Japan, Australia — and beyond
• 00:52 Why Greg Stolt’s Asia path started with Japan (and culture shock)
• 04:00 From Florida + Billy Donovan to overseas pressure: “numbers or you’re replaced”
• 08:50 The real cheat code: elite local talent beats import “hero ball”
• 10:30 Japan’s business energy and why Asia became the long-term play
• 12:40 Europe vs Japan learning curve — and why Japan felt more “player-ready”
• 15:20 Shanghai life + what the NBA’s mission in China really was
• 18:30 “Where are the next Chinese NBA players?” and why the pipeline flipped
• 21:30 CBA evolution: from 70-point imports to stronger Chinese impact
• 23:00 KBL scouting report: style, funding, and unrealized potential
• 25:00 How ownership works: corporate teams vs pro clubs (Panasonic story)
• 33:50 Japan’s B.League fanbase: 5K–15K arenas, sellouts, community-first
• 35:15 Australia’s NBL: the region’s best top-to-bottom product
• 38:10 Next wave: why Indonesia + Mongolia matter (and 3x3’s role)
• 40:00 Why Greg joined Pacific Rims + what’s coming next

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