Handing Out the ‘Heat’ Awards for This NBA Season With Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Rob Mahoney

February 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: Live panel banter and awards show, riffing on the movie Heat by assigning its iconic quotes as humorous "awards" to NBA players, teams, and events from the 2025-26 season.
The Key Players:
- Bill Simmons: Host and ringleader, tying movie obsession to NBA chaos; famous for Ringer empire and sports pods.
- Chris Ryan: Heat superfan and co-host, delivers Pacino impressions and deep cuts; sparked the gimmick.
- Van Lathan: Troublemaker comic, drops wild NBA comps (e.g., LeBron as Neil McCauley) and personal anecdotes.
- Rob Mahoney: Level-headed Ringer NBA analyst, counters hype with facts amid the madness.
The Vibe: Hilariously chaotic and fun—movie nerdery meets savage NBA roasts, with crowd groans and live energy.

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What you'll learn

1 (02:14) **Live Show Intro and Heat NBA Awards Setup**
2 (04:28) **Why Heat? Panel Shares Movie Love**
3 (12:34) **Val Kilmer "Sun Rises and Sets with Her" Award**
4 (16:40) **Danny Trejo "Don't Leave Me Like This" Award**
5 (21:09) **"Slick is No Motherfucking Joke" Award**
6 (24:50) **Making Out with Pacino's Morning Breath Award**
7 (27:18) **Dennis Haysbert Short-Order Cook Award**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Rob Mahoney LIVE at the Wiltern in Los Angeles to hand out quotes from ‘Heat’ as awards for this NBA season (1:11).

Host: Bill Simmons

Guests: Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Rob Mahoney

Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo

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