Real Ones x Ringer-Verse: Heroes and Villains Edition | Real Ones

[MUSIC] Real ones we are live from Los Angeles and sicker more and I have entered the ringer verse. I have my guy Van Lathen. I have my guy, Jimmy Adinera, and we are here to play a game of heroes versus villains ringer NBA edition. Now, this is a pretty easy thing. We're gonna each pick our team of five players of heroes and villains. We're gonna do around Robinson. We have a list right here of that I have made with the help of Van in the help of Victoria as well of just potential names that we have that we can use for that. And we also have an extra set of blank slates that Van has and that we can add for the time being. Are you guys ready to do this? It's really having to see first. Are you guys doing okay? Are we doing good? I'm great. Thanks for letting me into your home. I'm feel great. I feel great. Let's start this show. Before we start it, I just want to give a quick shout out to our guy, Jamie here. He is going to be our official picker for this show for the next couple of hours. Okay, guys, I've I've seen you guys's work. Let's chill out. I'm the host here. Let's relax. Okay, we're gonna start with Van. We're gonna start with heroes who was your first pick for heroes. My first pick for heroes is Anthony Edwards. Yeah, yeah. All right. I think he's one of the biggest heroes in the league. Do I go over and put it over here? No, our guy Jamie is going to be the official picker. I think he is one of the people that we all want to take the reins. Yes. I think this year with a different supporting cast, if I upgrade the team a little bit, it's going to be a very fun season for him. Now, do you believe that the moves that the Timberls have made are actually upgrades? Or is it going to lead to hubris? I think they're grades whether they're up or down. It depends on everybody, but they grade like a mother. No, he was he was absolutely on my list to as a hero. I think with the addition of Lamello, you get to be his handles out of there, replacing with Jonathan Kaminga. There's a chance like he has an opportunity to do it. No bodies ever done the Timberls history and get it to the finals now. Is it going to be like impossible? Maybe kind of stuff. If he could do it, right? He's the man. Yeah, it's immense himself. We wanted for it. That's why do we want a friend to bat? No, we wanted for it. That's another reason why chill out. Just, you know, don't make it hard for yourself. And I'm going to get to post this. Are you going to, are you bringing higher loving and to the ringer? Is that what he's doing? It's like, I know. It's like, you know, just, you know, just keep, you know, keep the main thing, the main thing. I think that he, I think for a person that has all of the stuff around him that you are alluding to, I think he does the best job of like handling that once he's on the court. I have made this point a lot during my time in Los Angeles, that Anthony Edward should be known as a guy that, you know, similarly, how we look at Lucas, similarly, how we even look at Wimby, that's the one guy that can elevate a team that you can just pencil his team in to a certain point based on the fact that he is on the roster. And I think he has been able to do that over the last few scenes, last few seasons, despite all the hubas around him. So I, I think that is a great, all that to say, I think that was a great pick up by you. I'm actually jealous. My, my, this is my hope for that he continues to elevate to that elite level. My brother said that he is essentially Spider-Metal with good marketing. That's insane. That's, that is insane. By the way, is this respect for the spider who I actually love as a player, right? But I love spider. That's disrespectful to Anthony. But this respect for the Anthony Edward, but I will say this, for all of his prodigious talent, putting it all together in the playoffs on the team and becoming that elite top five player is something that he still has to do to stop people from hating on him like my brother hates. Well, I think, you know, with this team, I think he could submit himself as a top five player if he gets this, gets this team. You don't think he's a top five player? No, I said submit, submit himself as a top five player if he gets this roster to a conference finals. Right. Yeah. Absolutely. He will be one of those. Okay. My turn. I am going to go with. I've been taking a look at this one. Jalen Brown. Jalen Brown. As my hero pick, by the way, we are, this is just, this is, we are doing within the prediction market. I think that this is going to be, I think he is going to has a chance to be a hero because I think he's already come out of hero in Boston based on what has happened. I think so. And the way he has been traded. If black man leaves Boston, heroic and goes to Philadelphia. That's an upgrade to me. This is upgrade to me. As a black man, that seems like enough great to me as well. Yeah. But not even only that, like, I think that and I will just say this one of the, I don't know who's going to pick this, but analytics is on the board for heroes and villains. And I think in Jalen Brown's world, analytics have been a big villain of his career, right? There has been a dissonance between the winning that his teams have done and the individual analytics that have taken him down. Was it somebody, I forget who it was when the toll like trade talk was going down was like, people view him as like one of the like, they could be the seventh best player on the cell pictures. I'm like that. Yeah, which is, it's not for a final zimpy and an Easter cop. What is the only metric that matters? Winning his teams win. I thought analysts were supposed to explain why you win. Interesting that annex the land analytics explain. It's interesting when analytics explain why winning isn't quite enough, right? Which is odd to me. But I thought analytics were supposed to explain why and how you win. He's winning. If the analytics don't match up to that, it's kind of like fuck the analytics. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I think I think that plus he's going to play with a team that's loaded with talent. I think this is a big opportunity for him to tailor his game to within the confines of another team. I think that will give big stripes to him because I feel like there's been a narrative on him that he's won his own team. He is fed into that narrative. But I think that like ultimately he wants to win. I think that he like every other player he has egos, but like the proof is in the pudding. He has been able to show that he can you know, fit in instead of, you know, I imagine this like this diva that they're they're portraying. I imagine we'll talk about the sixes in a larger context later, but for Jalen Brown specifically, what does he have to do in order to like be a hero in your rights for this season? Continue to do what he's doing. I think he may I think one thing he is going to have to do. He's going to have to recognize that this is not his city. This is, um, it's not even a Brown City. This is a beat and max. This is a beat in maxi city. Yeah. Just be a support role. I think a lot of things that the thing that NBA players get wrong and this is a ego thing is they try to make it theirs and they think that when being something being theirs is going to get them everything I want, they want when an actuality would get you what you want is just playing your role to perfection. Play his role to perfection. Be a score. Help bring the young guys along. Take pressure off of LeBron. Take pressure off of Maxi. Take pressure off of Embed and just be a winner, man. I think that he'll be able to do that. So now who is your hero? First pick. Uh, I mean, this is obvious, you know, I got to gotta be the homer. Yeah. Let's get my guy up here, man. Luca. Luca Donch. Luca Donchich. Ladies and gentlemen. Uh, first of all, have you seen the pictures coming out of Slovenia? Do you try? I hold on. I have a question though. And me and Victoria, we're talking about this offline. Do you trust skinny Luca? Okay, because we've never actually seen skinny Luca because even when he was a teenager, he was skinny, but he still was a little husky, brusky as a, as a 19 year old. So like, this is the first time we have ever seen him in this great of shape before. Do you trust it? Even though you've seen the proof in the pudding that analytically speaking, Luca's probably done better with, with less, right? So let's see what happens. I need somebody to put a picture of Luca. Saint World sexiest man, first of all. Wow. Extreme high bar. Okay. He's like, you see the hair. Okay. You see the body. He's killing it. Right. That's one. And I think that kind of confidence is going to bring itself to the court. Do you have a crush on skinny Luca right now? I like skinny Luca because do you trust skinny Luca? I do. Okay. Like, I think skinny Luca, if this does really add athleticism to him, I mean, he's got, he's had some injuries. He's a little older now. But like skinny Luca used to get busy in a way that Husky Luca didn't now. Husky Luca still a bucket. But skinny Luca, like to me, was still, it was a little bit more dynamic. And maybe this indicates how the Lakers are going to play the show. I would hope so. I know like part of like the reason like, he's done what's in the basket as often as he did when he was young, young, right? Part of that, the soft tissue injuries, like his, but drive rate has gone down. But legitimately though, this season could be the year that Luca finally breaks through and gets to that like top three MVP. This is how I feel. This is how I, I'm high on the Luca Lakers right now. I think Conference Finals is in the conversation here because, and I've said this already. You guys will see the previews, the NBA previews as we go. I think this guy, we're doing hottest takes early. We're doing hottest takes early. The reason why is because I think more than skinny Luca, I think that camaraderie Luca and the roster around Luca is, is Taylor made for this. I would need and I think that he can do it. I would need to see the full roster come opening day or come. Damn, I even surprised you. I even surprised you. That was Being him or in a group, a Lakers group chat and he is the most optimistic person I have ever seen and I'm very surprised I wasn't wouldn't be mad that she were surprises. I'm very surprised So here's the thing right I believe Luca. I believe in Luca. I believe in off the reeds I believe in JJ, okay I believe that they have a system and to waste Lakers like even like Lucas first year, Lucas second year They're like a Praniel like third-four seed in the west way. They can win those type of games Let me let me let me let me just add to that. I think they were the right side of the bracket conference finals contender Right if things break right twenty eleven Mavericks Typing out y'all believe in white people and that's as opposed to as opposed to what? I just there's a lot of believe all right. Let me share a band of a man. You got me band. I love you But to me to me that this is going to be an exciting regular season team Let's kind of really give us a lot of great memories. Okay, all right Okay, how about this went they were 55 here's and the thing about Lucas specifically five is in play 55 is played 55 55 but I'm saying right side of the bracket and honestly and honestly shit by the time we get to the playoffs We'll even know it might just be who's left. Yeah, I mean the way things are going. That's how it's usually gone Yes, my thing is like at some point this guy has got to be like he has to be him He's got to be him. He has to be him. He's got like the time is ticking for him I mean, they finally have the roster that is that that he that he that he built around him. They At a certain point, you know, Lucas been to the finals but the MVP dominant Lucas season where he what There comes a lot. It's coming playoff run. It has to happen. It happens. That happens. Conference finals in play Your second pick for hero Jalen Brunson That was right there. It was they were staring you in the face. It was staring you in the face. Jalen Brunson almost probably should have been I don't know. I'm gonna say he should have been first pick kind of should have been first pick So like my bad to New York Sorry, Ben. I apologize. I think that Jalen Brunson And I'm not trying to do a max thing right here. I think that Jalen Brunson is actually the biggest hero In the history of the game in the history of the game. Let me tell you why I and that I've been watching Jalen Brunson Legitimately is the Batman of the NBA Wait biggest hero like over 2016 LeBron. Yeah, but let me tell you why don't that I 2011 dirt. Let me can't tell you why I don't need Bible why I think so a magic. So I tell you why let me tell you why A team a team like the Lakers can't have the biggest hero I disagree the reason why a team like the Lakers couldn't have the biggest hero is because there's too much tradition This team had never ever won the championships It's 1972 in the biggest market in the entire media world, right to me Jalen Brunson takes two or three generations two or three generations of Nick's fans and Deliver's them something like that the entire city got behind what about what about how does he compare to peak Jeter to Peter it's the Yankees. Yeah, so what I'm saying is like too many there's too many world to his point though Yeah, they've got they are twenty seven of us is the Yankees that you can't be a bigger a bigger hero than Babe Ruth You can't be a bigger hero than like whomever is the Yankees is like in this situation the next Actually, although the next have a tremendous amount of culture the next did not have a lot of basket ball greatness To really look they they have a an amazing culture, but to have somebody come along and captivate an entire city That entire city that city that is different than Cleveland that city is different and deliver that for them Yeah, in the way that he did it I think is one of the biggest hero stories if he's not the biggest hero It's fair right in the history of the NBA. He's a mayor in New York people I mean after the finals people are talking about him like he can walk in anywhere Have you guys been in New York sense that happened? Yeah, I was in New York right now. What's New York like right I was crazy is it okay? Okay, okay, do you do you think that my question is before I get to mine? Do you think that the the the beauty will wear off of this do you think that the the beautiful stench of winning will ever wear off for this thing about it right? The patch giving them they they didn't win they went to they went to finals and they're loved and they're beloved They're beloved and a person could go anywhere in New York He the man, but I think about this the same way. I think about the idiots in baseball the same way I think about what it must mean for you if you are Along suffering Boston Red Sox fan and Euclis and Malar and Pedro and Poppy With the way that they did it coming together to deliver that franchise something I'm not saying that the curse was on the same level for the nicks But I am saying with how much they love the nicks in he galvanized Brought together and almost started like an insurgency of basketball in New York and they got the championship I was legitimately happy for them. Okay, I think I'm gonna take a zag and I don't even know if I necessarily believe this But I would like to have this conversation and just kind of maybe do a beek from yoga stretch My next hero potential hero if you place this right maybe and again, I don't know if I believe this Then we'll go steep armor Stuff. Yeah, I think I'm gonna try this. I think I'm gonna try this I think I'm gonna try this I think I'm gonna try this I don't know if I believe this is my number one villain. You are gonna. I'm gonna try this I'm gonna try this what if he leans all the way into the hubris like you know what y'all I was just trying to do I cut all right cut that out All right, you guys are pushing me back. I'm probably not right like I'm probably not I want to hear this because like this is the thing like if he is I'm trying to explore if there's a pathway that he could end up being a hero in all this Well, this is the way that's what I'm trying to explain that I am not trying to I'm trying to explore this can he like How would he how would he do that right if he so um Bill and Nick Wright did a pod and call it Mary the nanny right right The end of the day. You just like bet. This is my life now. We going this is what we're doing. I listen I did it. I was doing this to try to win. I was trying to get the clippers of championship I didn't know what I was doing and then like he just builds like a groundswell somehow is there playing that is there a way that he can do that Gotta be honest with you big dog. I don't see it. You don't see it. Okay, you gotta think about it. You do all that the team loses five first round Yeah, it's tough now they get some back in the the Coitre to Toronto however the team you built a brand new stadium all them seats all them toilets and the team is going to be bad That's not a good basketball. It's not even not even like I tried. I like there's not even a night's ride here Here's the thing and then we let's light even like play around this if they somehow May like the playing game or like we're like found a way to get an AC. Yeah, they should raise the banner That hey, we make the playoffs this year. That's true. That's it. I lose a great coach. That's true But the talent on that team is not there So if they were to make something happen you gotta remember he suspended this year You know, I'm going to be in the bill. Hey Jamie. Can you can you do it? Can I get that pin real quick? Can you put just the asterisk on that one just put an asterisk? He can be on there. You know, just take him down Put an asterisk. That's a Jordy La Forge. That's Jordy La Forge. What's that what I do? Tell me what happened. So a couple of years ago we get a black superheroes draft Don't we all draft it fucking black pants or blades. Yeah, yeah Steve drafted Jordy La Forge from Star Trek, man with the blue play with the blue play with the plume This is Steve but play with a plume by the barbard we're here with the girls and we was like and we was like good pick. Good pick if it was like I'm feeling that right now. I'm feeling that right now, but let me make I but I wanted to make I wanted to have a conversation Let me make the case. Let's make the case. This is the case. Okay. Okay, so there's one way he can become a hero And that is to make a cultural push with the clippers. Yes, the basketball push not gonna be able to happen for right now They're gonna have to get a little creative, right, but the cultural push Don't leave the family because the family is dysfunctional stay and whether it yep galvanize right who is going to be the Person the figure from the clippers that says we are the clippers. Mm-hmm that says we are a team that has a history that has a culture and even if we don't because none of that's true But you know how you do that but you know how you do that the next five years or however long you go to Chris Paul you gravel you say You know what no, but like hey But here's a deal though. Here's a deal though. You can't even actually do it with one player. No, I'm saying all of them's like I have potlisten I know like griffy get all griffy get all in the company like I apologize. I'm building statues for you I probably I am going to I'm going this is actually yours. I apologize I don't even know why we did that but to me all of that stuff the clippers have to wipe the slate and start This is year zero. Yeah, it has to start now and if he continues to be dedicated to building there. I think in 10 years, you could look back on it and go, Steve Balmer didn't cut and run. He didn't leave his family. He stayed there and look at the clippers. You know what? Still might not work. All right. Well, I tried. Give it a shot. I gave it a shot. That's where the letters live. Hey. Next word. This is not a Homer pick, but I mean, you might know this, but you know, go with my man. Oh yeah, always. Man, big stuff he looks right here. Maybe put that to the camera. Can you put that to the camera? There we go. So here's the thing. Teams, it's not looking great. Not at all. It's not letting go up there and go to state. But the one thing we always count on is that Stephanie comes out and he's going to deliver. And every great has this time in a day career, right? I think the crazy thing about Steph was he could come out party at MSG. Right, we're all victims like wow, and this guy, he could really be next up. Then they win, they win chips, right? KD comes. It's all gravy. Then he gets hurt, right? And now we're looking around like, man, maybe this is Steph's low years, but then 2022 it all comes together. They get that one chip. One of the most important championships ever. Ever history, yes. Ever. And now this is the time in Steph's career, where we're looking around like, ah, yo, y'all should not really look out for you right now. Nope. It's the perfect time to do it. But how does he do that within the season though? It just be Steph? Just be Steph. Just be Steph. Remember that in 2021. I want to say, or 2021 season, when he kind of got them to like a seven seed or something, and they got into the plan, they ended up losing the job, but it was a great Steph season. But he was the man. Yep. That's the kind of stuff I'm thinking about. I don't know. I know he's older. I just don't know if he has the legs to pull that off. I'll tell you what, man. There's one way that Steph stays the hero. Is the hero and stays the hero. Just never let us see you in another jersey. That is exactly what I mean. But I don't think, here's the thing. I don't think that's going to happen. That's not going to happen either. But there ain't no rumors though. You hear it, you hear the rumors. Just do this, man. Not happening. The thing about Steph was that sometimes the game makes you choose, especially nowadays, when players have such distinct styles. Sometimes the game makes you choose between joy and winning. Sometimes you have to watch players that aren't that much fun to watch. Sometimes you have to watch players that are hell of fun to watch, but they don't win. So a lot of times the game makes you choose between joy and winning. Steph never made us choose. It was a joy to watch him and he won. So right now, even if he don't win, man, have fun, man. That's what I'm saying. Have fun. If we can score the ball. If we can get won it like I want to get the fuck out of Twitter, I'm not on Twitter, but I want to get the text that goes, "Are you watching right now?" Yep. Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. It's one of those nights where you got like a third quarter, man. Steph just said it before. How many nights is he like for this whole season though? Cause he might not be able to do it on a nightly basis. He can't do it on a nightly basis. He's like four or five. But if we can get, we can get like once a month, once every two months. Okay. Just this. And by the way, I can't tell you another thing that Steph did that I always was respect him for. He shut in his canter the fuck up. I want you guys to go back and watch that fucking 30 footer at the end of the okay, see again in 2016. I want you guys to watch this. Pay close attention on the sideline to in his canter. They do have a timeout. Decide not to use a curry. Wait a minute. Damn. Damn. I want a shot from curry. I used the ball and as soon as the shot goes up in his canter goes, when he was a visionary, when he shoots, right? Not when the ball goes into the basket, when this is like, how the fuck did we let this guy shoot the ball? Like he goes, he shoots and in his canter goes like this and it goes in. Shut him the fuck up. Walk your dumbass off. That's a similar story. Shout out my guy Daniel Jude. He's a big warriors fan and we have connected, like especially 2022 against the Celtics. I was, we believe warriors, but in those two weeks, it was crazy, but the gold medal game against France. That was him. You man, you watch him pull those threes and to your point of and his canter, watch the last two French coaches on the bench, when he hits that shot, they cannot believe what they're watching. They literally go back in the chair like, like what, what are you, what are you supposed to do? Double team fall away. That's supposed to be a miss. That was just like last year, like that he could still do it. He could still produce moments of magic. And that's what I want to see from initial, I don't, they don't need to win no games, I don't need nothing. So I need, what I'm, what I'm going to need you to do before I get to Van, I need you to stop sending me edits of step curry and Lakers jerseys. He's not. I think you stop doing that. I can't do that. I need to stop doing that. After this conversation, he's doing that van, who is your next hero? Lamello ball. Yeah. Lamello ball is my next hero, yeah, so I got to tell you guys something. I'm going to tell you how I know that Lamello ball loves hoop more than anything, he loves basketball. I think of you know this story. I was at Lamello balls 16 birthday party. That's right. Why? Because. So, so because. Hey, man, why are we going to see because back in the day, there was a guy that worked with him that worked with the big ball of brain who don't work with the big ball of brain no more. But he got the interview where LaVar ball says, step curry, Lonzo ball is not going to be as good as step. He's going to be better than step. The interview that kind of started that whole thing. He was actually talking to me. Oh, okay. That was the interview I did for Tennessee sport. So I had done a couple of interviews with LaVar ball and had a relationship where I was doing stories for the family. So they wanted us to cover the 16 birthday party, which was this big deal for Lamello, right? LaVar. It was a big deal for Lamello. He was already a big deal high school back. Lonzo was already in the league right? They were already established as a ball family. No, I think Lonzo was in. I think it was a UCLA. Okay. But they were established as the ball family. They were established because before they were like local stories about how crazy they were. Then those stories became national stories when Lonzo got to UCLA. Then when LaVar's a sense started, they became even bigger. So went to the to the birthday party to cover it. Now you go to the birthday party, way out, hot as fuck. You go to the birthday party. People don't realize how far Chino Hills is from Los Angeles. Yeah. It's not even close. Yeah. I think it went out there and it's like a celebrity type thing. It's like people there and stuff like that. It's a deal. It's like Lamello 16. They're positioning him as a star. All of this stuff is happening. People are talking. People are making deals and there's people around and Lonzo everybody's there. Lamello and his friends the whole time. The whole time. The kids there are playing knockout on the basketball court. Everybody is trying to get him to come say hello to people. Everybody is trying to get him to come come over here and take pictures. Come over here and do this. Like be a young celebrity basketball influencer the entire time. They do not come off the basketball court. They lower the rim and then have like a dunk contest like the he wasn't above the rim yet. The whole thing and I was like, I remember leaving the party on the seven hour drive back to regular Los Angeles. I remember leaving the party thinking for everything else that they say about these kids. They love basketball. They love to play basketball. So if he gets this right and he is just the formable number two behind Anthony or is this still Anthony over show and he is the guy man that will I will change so many so much on our perspective of him as a basketball player. That's the big thing right because I mean as Charlotte people was like, you know, again, you hear stories like, I was on a winner. He does not commit it to this. In Minnesota, their big problem was they didn't have a second ball. My colleague is getting up there and so you double team and he doesn't know where to pass the ball. Nobody else can make a play. You put a Lamello in that situation. You take some pressure off and if Lamello can produce there and play some like, not that they weren't doing having winning basketball on Charlotte, but you know, it is what it is. If you can go to Minnesota and produce some winning ball and get them a top four seed even in the top six, right? You start, we start to look at Lamello differently. History. Well, this is a very big opportunity for me. That's it for my sake. It's the big one. Do you drink? No, I take a little rosé. Here and there. Oh, yeah. It's black. You drink. Sometimes. We know about you. Yeah. You like to, you have to remember the blue, the blue, the girls? Yeah. That was a good time. Yeah. Okay. There's nothing wrong with drinking, but you have to drink responsibly. Yeah. There's nothing wrong with being a hooper. Got a hoop responsibly. But you got a hoop responsibly or driver responsibly. Uh, Lamello. No, get a driver. Bro, it's fine. Like, it's really, it's really, like I'm going to California. It's really hard to drive a Minnesota, all that. You know, the real winners. People of Charlotte. Yeah. They don't, Lamello's on the streets. Yeah, it's tough. He just got a hoop responsibly when he up there. Let him be the same hoop herself, but understand that there is a different cause to play when in basketball. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, but if he shows that off, they can lift him and they can figure something out brother We're talking about a special special combination. We're talking about it Timberwolves Lakers Coppers finals Joel imbeade for me as a hero, okay, huge opportunity for Joel And not the hater Joel that is on regor tailgate with why you not a hater man. Yeah, I just don't understand Joel No, anyway, so I just think this is a huge opportunity for him to and I Think there's a lot of a lot has been overblown with the fact that like he hasn't talked all off season Yeah, or about the pick-ups about the LeBron pick-up he doesn't have to talk man He just needs to play then he needs to be Figured out on the court the thing that Embed has dealt with over the backstretch of his career is just trying to figure out his new self within the compines of his new body Right the ones with the injuries and all those things if he just Takes his foot off of the gas and let everybody else figure it out during the regular season get himself, right? Play within you know this it's such an identity crisis when stars have to not be stars anymore And if he can just be in a star whatever his new role is be what be what Patrick you and should have been in you know On the backstretch of his career, right? Yeah be you know Just this is the best chance you have to win embrace it do what you have to do on the floor I think he can figure it out. He will be a fairly legend. Don't worry about the credit Just do which the team this particularly team needs you to do you'll be submitted as a legend I think the math for them is obviously health, but if they let's like let's put on our like super duper positive hats Yes, and if they can figure out even get to the finals or win the finals, man And beat is the hero. Yeah, right even if like it's maximum as finals have you peered ever He said he's to well the process and beat he was there from the beginning to see that is the only need he'll use one game You know needs one time to see that opportunity to see that moment pay off to see him holding a Sixers fans made see Joel and beat holding the Larry O'Brien that would mean something for everybody, right? So to your point man if they can they can get it done in this year even with Braun even with Jalen Brown Even with Edge com even in Tariq's maxi. He's the avatar. Right. He's the person who's gonna like Be the person lean that ship. So it would be it'd be it'd be great for him. Yeah, Joel and beat yeah You don't like it. I do you don't like it. I do I do I don't know at this point This career how to feel about him be that's a fair. That's fair. No, that's fair because like Embed is incredibly accomplished. He's a league MVP. Yes, he's in the pantheon of NBA players who have ever lived he's had Both this incredibly accomplished career that still feels like sort of a disappointment Like this because of the playoffs and the injuries the injuries I think is this man knew the job was dangerous when he took it He wasn't as not like he didn't have injuries coming into the job He did based on based on his injury history coming into the draft. It's actually Pretty remarkable that he's played this long and so for me right now It's almost anything that Joel and B does I'm happy for yeah, that's like that You know what I think in a weird way like that Boston series kind of like it made it might have started to change the discourse on him because he tried He did his best. I meant something to me man that I know it meant something. Yeah, that was beautiful. That was amazing Yo, it's Maxi Matt game seven. Yeah, Boston got it down Yeah, like I love something that Maxi said funny, bro I'm going to really enjoy watching this six or three. Yeah, man I love all of these guys. I love watching these guys. I can't wait Okay, we got the pin. We got the first use of the pin today Where I can have Jordan? I'll Jordan who we got somebody Kind of scared. I'm trying to scared. Uh-oh Paras Wow Pat big Pat. Let me tell you why man There have been conversations on this particular podcast, but people feel like yo, it's pat Riley lost us fast Well, is he is he watch as he cooked man? Does he not have it anymore the guy is one of the greatest basketball months of our time But he couldn't land any of the big fish he wanted to land. Yeah, you could make the argument Got the biggest fish out there in the honest maybe three years too late maybe three years too late, but he still got him now He will be good. I believe that okay defensive. They'll be one of the best teams defensively. Yes, that we may have ever seen Y'all know spam dev y'all Mitchell and you weakens out there It's gonna be hard to put a slog ball. That's the issue That's the issue. I feel like show me's gonna be like you know what I can see that you guys are going to be good I'll see you in May. I'm a seeing man. I will see you in May. I'm a seeing man. The whole issue is my question To you though is if they make it to the conference finals of the finals how cold is pat Riley's pit block on be walking into the arena How cold is it going to it's going to be not the Taylor suit flicked back here. How does pat Riley like eighty eighty seven eighty seven Like he's like eighty two eighty three oh, okay. He's that we shouldn't concentrate on the pit walk and just concentrate on the walk itself Anybody that's walking straight like that at eighty two got to give it to you know what I'm saying now But the fact of the matter is he needed to have one more swing after all the misses and he finally landed Yana so you can argue how about how many years too late but that team is still gonna be a good team and he's the architect of it So he's a hero. I would like that. I would like to see that. You know one more you know one more moment I love Miami. Yeah, I'm a Yana's guy Pat Riley has always been somebody that to me represented the best of what goes on in the NBA playing the game the right way Sacrificing for the game building the culture. I would be great It would be great if he was a hero this season. I'm happy your turn Club 520 Oh god, to other parts Where's this camera pointed to the camera club 520 I'm gonna tell y'all right now if y'all know I listen to club 520 The single funniest person on the entire internet be in be in When you went at no when he went at KG and just stood on his square the single funniest person. I gotta be real with you Let me tell even if the guys from club 520 don't know Why they so popping the reason why be hinting the rest of that is so popping every single person that's from a town Anywhere that has a crew knows a guy just like the hip and his thing in the old days Those dudes never got a chance to shine You know who you know three dates that I've a take who live our ball. No, not to me No, the guy that says that like I can bust your ass in these shoes right here Lavar Lavar different because Lavar is the type of Everywhere I will go like when you start to like the bars also like my uncle Yeah, like you start to get you start to get like Stuff starts to happen in your career and people say something that say oh you're funny or you this or you that and you always go You know, it's a guy that I know if y'all think this guy is funny As a comedian who the funniest guy is he's always gonna say some guy that he grew up with that It's the man that just is funny in every situation. Yeah, smart and all of that and in the past that do always have to be anonymous The guys that I grew up with with Baton Rouge That's really the funniest guys that ever been been around my cousin Rara. Yeah, when I see he be in That's why I remember So I love watching the club 520 all of it. I could think of 10 or 15 different bits dog. The Julia new hit take Every time it's You know I toned it down Going in when it's time to go in I can't like I watch the show in the all season, but I can't wait for the NBA to come back to watch I mean be here to obviously hilarious, but Jeff T Jeff T Jeff T keeps it real like when he's going down man There's so many teachers, but one that always six to me is the one where he's interviewing Damien Lillard and he's talking about how him and Damon Westberg used to go at it. Yep, and how like, you know He didn't really talk to Jeff T, you know, I'm saying and then Jeff T Westberg is trying to talk to Jeff T Jeff T was like man care about that and then Westberg would be like well, that's your problem That's why you not like that and I was just like and like he'd ask anyone in the league that is Westbrook to a T on the court But like like at every moment at NBA history you it's like a black-and-white photo and you see like Jeff T back there because he's in like every single He's the forest. Go. He has a little Roger. He's the forest. Go Roger. NBA history. He's the whole pod is fantastic. That's a great salute salute salute. Um, okay. All right. There's some names in here. Where am I gonna go with what am I gonna go with I know you want to go. I know your heart want to go. No, that's where you're gonna pick next. I can do it Go to one shed homerun. Oh, you know what shed homerun. Oh As a hero as a hero. I think he has a potential to be a hero. It's what we predict. Right. Right. Right. Lock me in lock me Are you not one he I want to hear this if I just this is the this is the way. I'm just this is I think this is a way for me to say how he can become the hero. Okay. This is what he needs to do to become a hero He needs to stop with all the like you know what I'm bigger than back I'm bigger than this matchup between me and Wimbee. I'm just here as a team. I need to do this. He needs to just say, you know what? Lock him. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of getting pushed through the basket on every possession. And I'm going to stand up for myself. So that's a really good point. And all I'm going to do, all I'm going to do is play defense. I'm going to let Shade handle the scoring. I am just going to foul him at every turn. And I'm going to see, I'm just going to get up off the mat. And you're going to be really upset with this. But if he is 0-9-pow, if he's 0-9-pow, after you remember, you know how you felt no way when KG did what he did to Pow. I did. I don't know how you felt. I don't even know what you're doing. I wanted Pow traded multiple times. Right. What a Pow do for you, 0-9. I stepped up. If he can do that, if Shade can do that over the next two seasons, it doesn't even matter to Stateline. If the motor just goes in a different way, he can have that type of impact. And he can be the hero this season. I see the vision. Two things. Number one, I know what I saw, two shots in that game seven. You supposed to be the man that paid you all that money. That's how you going to do it. All right. He saw Wendy coming on me, got scared. I gave you a blueprint. OK. To move early, we-- Wendy hates him on a level that we cannot comprehend. What have you hated on that level of the way that Wendy hates, Shade? What have you-- I honestly have answered you. I don't think-- maybe Brady only. Maybe Brady only, so I'm going to play my football. Yeah, Alabama football for you? Alabama football for all day. What year of Alabama football did you hate as much as Wendy hates, Shade? I guess it's four to go. It's just like, well, I hate him. I hate everything that they got going on. The colors-- those gold elements. Shout out to everybody I want. Everybody family to be healthy and happy. So I don't wish no bad on nothing. The Tuscaloos have been through a lot. Shout out to all of them people. But if they never won another game, I would laugh. I'll be very happy. That would be great. It would be like a tear coming down your face after-- I just don't fuck with him in any way, shape or form. Like, he's nothing to be. But that's the type of level where it's at. So Shade has a long way to go to reach that hate. And I don't know if Shade got that dog in him like that. But if there's a difference between the pile thing as well, there's no Kobe over there. So there's no Kobe over there. That's going to-- OK, see, that's saying, guess what? My legacy and your legacy are intertwined. And if you don't do your job, I can't say that I got one more ring in Shaq. So if you're going to be here, you got to get your fucking thing going. There's no analytics for that. So the question is, who are his teammates in OK, see? Going to hold him accountable for the fucking no show? Getting outplayed is one thing. Yes. But you can't give somebody your heart out there on the sports. It really can feel basketball court, tennis court, fucking javelin throwing a Olympics. Third point. He put 41 and 20 on him in game one when we did the chat. But to be honest with you, I actually agree with Logan. I think you got to come out there and deliver a hard file. You got to deliver a file like they would have delivered-- You got to pretend like he's-- He delivers that foul and just gets like a suspension. Like the first matchup, well, five minutes in the game, he just levels them. I mean, just get deliver a file like-- Deliver a file like Wimbee trying to be the first black player in the league in his 1963. Just like deliver-- Carambe, Carambe, what is it? Deliver one at end. Here's the thing, here's the thing. We all watch the finals, right? What did the Knicks do to Wimbee? They just beat him up. They literally just beat him up. Because Wimbee and the Spurs in hindsight basically felt like the OK, C series was the finals in hindsight, right? They did not take this-- They did not take C series, right? So what I'm saying is, there is an impression around the league right now that if the Spurs get punched in the mouth, they might fall. Very young team. I think they maybe did. But also, like early on, Cat just provided a unique puzzle for Wimbee to try to solve. Oh, yeah. I was very-- I was like, oh, shit, Cat. Boom, boom, boom, to the basket. Wimbee didn't know what to do. Cat has only played that way twice on the biggest stage of his whole career. That series that gets Denver. Yes. With him when they went crazy, him and-- 2014. Or 2024. It was when him and Go Bear went crazy on Yokers. Yep. And did not-- and that series-- I mean, he was great in the whole playoffs. Yeah. But that particular-- I was just going to match up because-- Had Yokers gassed. Had Yokers going crazy and had Wimbee-- Wimbee could not figure it out. They ended up figuring out a way to deal with Cat. He tells off a little bit. But that bought them the time that Jellyn Brunson wasn't playing well. So, like, it back into his game. All right. You guys got the blueprint. Chat. This is what you need to do. You become a hero. Who's your hero? This is easy. Let's go with them. What a look heaven to win. I don't want that much to say Logan. Is there anything you'd like to say about Kevin Durant? Why are you doing this? You got anything to say. This is your moment. You got two minutes. Honestly, I actually agree with you. I think that he has the opportunity to be a hero this season. He has to do everything that he didn't do last year in terms of being-- what didn't he do last year? He can't do the burner stuff. The burner stuff can't happen. This is the opportunity for him to have a moment in the sun and be the leader that we all, at least, I guess, hope a superstar of that acumen will be. And carry this team. Make sure that Outman is getting what he needs to get in his shine. Make sure the addition of Fred Van Bleet back into the lineup is seamless. Be the leader that we all hope a star can be. Do not know. That's, I guess, maybe a big ask, but do that and figure it out. And I think he has an opportunity. One thing that Katie needs, he needs a star of that caliber needs is a moment in the sun at this stage of the career. So he needs to earn that. It's a really big, it's really proud of you. Wow, you really pulled that together. Why are you trying to insight this is my problem. This is my problem. I like regular niggas, man. I like people that don't understand. I like regular, I like because they just talk shit, like two people. And they don't get the thing the biggest fucking star in the NBA. He does that the biggest star in the NBA. Like I'm going to just talk to you. I'm just going to give you a deal that I'm going to talk to you like a normal person. Yeah. Well, I've made the argument, though. I will say this. I have made the argument that I feel like he is the most normal superstar. It's normal athlete we've ever seen. Even if he's not normal. No, I mean, normal in the sense of like, yo, if somebody, if you put us in the hospital, you don't count your, you know, and you are an obstacle. But I'm saying, like, if you put me and Jomey in the fishbowl or put somebody in the fishbowl of being Kevin Durant, there is a chance we might creep into somebody's DMs and be like, yo, what are you talking about? Well, to me, to me, that is still, to me is still endearing is like, you say, you go to Kevin Durant and you say, fuck you and he goes, nah, fuck you. You haven't done anything that I've done. You only know me because I hover over, I get all of the stuff that happened last year. And if you believe that that is him on those burners, yeah, if you believe it, but at the same time, I don't know, man, like, one time he came into my comments, this is what I posted. I posted what's the best type of pie? And he said apple pie is undefeated. And somebody come into under when they were when the real ring. By the way, and this is like part of the thing, I don't know if you guys watched that Lakers, rocket series where Katie only played one game and you go back, you look at all the burner texts and stuff that he sent out of the people, was it wrong? That's not the point though. That's not the point. I can't do that. You cannot do that. You cannot do that. I'm not saying. I'm not saying. I would say this so adding to that, like, if it was, if it was him, if it was him, that just immoralizes the rest of your team, bro, you know, like, but get to the, like, to, like, close the hero point, if they keep, he can come back and obviously, like, they've said that they're not talking about the burner stuff. But if he can come back, reintegrate, friendly, amen, got that big contract. They can come and put together something. I don't think they're old. I just think they're old. Now, I mean, but that, but again, like, that was not a bad team. But here's the other thing, man, like, it's not even just the ability, man, what happened against the Lakers was an embarrassment. You don't, that just, you want to do it? You can art is your, it was the second blessed player on the team. That's good. I know you had a great time. That missed it. I don't know. I mean, a lot to you. Um, but you, that can't happen. There's a bigger point, right? And they're a year older. They, they're not a young team, man. You have family who's coming off of a major injury, but that's what I'm more concerned about. I, I don't disagree with you. However, I think if Kevin Durant, to your point, takes ownership and goes, I'm going to be a leader right now. Yes. It's a long, uh, long in the tooth for him, but if I'm going to be right now, I'm going to do what I can't elite this team. I think that's, I'm going to say that stuff, not on burners to random people. I'm just going to, like, maybe build my teammates up. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'll appreciate it. Allegedly. You got it, man. Anyways, you're, you're last, uh, you're last year, no, seeing goal. This is a great, hey, hey, hey, hey, play, stop the cap, play, stop the cap. This is guy. Guys, lies, don't let him fool you. Go read the tweets. I'm going with Nicholas, the joke. Joker. Okay, incredible cat. I'm going with the Joker, and let me tell you why. This is the first time that a certain Joker loving entity that I work for. Joker dick riding entity. You're gonna say any names. Almost everybody. You don't really make any sense of singling anybody out. Okay, wait, you made him a hero to this one? No. This is the first one on the board for that. This is the first time. Let me finish. This is the first time that Yokech has been, in my opinion, by the people that love him seriously criticized and doubted. With the way that they went out, there was no way to argue that was doing this. There was no way to argue that it was anybody else's fault. Because normally, Yokech wins. Yokech is the greatest. Yokech loses. It's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, yeah, it's like, yeah, it was healthy. Listen, yeah, I am going to have a lot of fun watching him this season. Yokech is so excited for the NBA season. I'm going to have a lot of fun watching him this season, because I want to watch him. I think really respond to the fact that some people feel like his legacy might have took a hit in the playoffs, no matter how great that he has been in the playoffs over the course of his career. But in that situation, that was a very embarrassing loss. And I think that he is probably going to be one of the more funner fierce competitors to watch this season. He is that every year, but I think this season's going to be special. I don't think this year, like, means a lot to you, because obviously, like, they have to get rid of pain watching because of all the CBX stuff. And so if he can elevate the nuggets with the roster not being as it is. That's a lot to ask, but he's one of the three best players in the league. But like, what's the ceiling on that? Right? Like we've seen that, right? When it was a 2025, when he almost took the 2024 two examples, 2024 and 2025 are two examples where they just ran out of gas. The nuggets ran out of gas. He had a few demand though. No, but in 2020, 2025, he had a, not a similar roster, but he had a roster where it was just him and by and large, like Jamal Martin a bunch of, but this is worse. And this is worse, right? So what I'm saying is he could have the career year he could ball out. I don't know if that's enough. It might be the other thing that I was thinking was like last year was such a, it was probably the last best shot of the nuggets, man. It was probably the last best time, right? Because I always make this 50 cent Wimbe analogy. He's here. Now he's here. Now get ready to try trying. It's coming out. There's nothing you can do. It's over. It's over. And then you're okay. See as well. I don't know if his brilliance can overcome just the lack of moves made by the nuggets from office. I just, I don't think that's the case. And that doesn't mean he can't be a hero. No, I mean, to me, he can't be a hero. To me, he's going to be a hero no matter what, just because the skillset is so uncanny. Yeah. I don't even say because he's waiting. I mean, maybe, you know what I'm saying? Put them things together. Don't keep me on my shit. Me and Joel already doing, but I stay so. But what I'm saying is in this, I'll be more watching how you'll get your competes if and when they make the playoffs. Yeah. Like how he scratches and claws and how he responds to actually some criticism. I think it'll be with great basketball and incredible competitive intensity. There you go. All right. I think I'm my last hero. Oh, okay. I thought you might probably work it. Calculate. Calculate. Calculate. Calculate. Calculate. Don't worry. We'll get to that. Yeah. We'll get to that. Yeah. We'll get to that. I'm gonna go. Yeah. I said, I did a combo. Greek freak. I think we talked, we've talked about, we talked about the Pimp went that Pat Riley's going to have. If they go to the finals, now if Janus takes this roster to the NBA finals, I don't, I don't think he's going to win it. But if he does, there's a real opportunity here. No, I think his finals are bus for him, right? It is finals are bus. It's easy. This reign. Oh, this one, this reign. This is my enemy team has to be successful. Yeah. It has to be successful. This season, they have to go. They don't have to go to the finals. Yeah. But he has an opportunity to lay the groundwork. Go to, you know, don't just go to Brickle, you know, go to Lil Hady if you need to, but ingratiate yourself to the Miami to Miami. Be a Miami. Now, the math on on him and that team specifically, and we alluded to earlier is they got a score to basketball. They have to, right? And we don't know how they're going to do that. You don't think they can be the O4 pistons? I'm sorry, that's a sore, I know that's a sore spot for it. I mean, if you're the O4 Pistons, you have to play defense at like an all time level, and you have to have the versatility of some players, like Wallace, you have to have a pin wall. Yeah. That's the best defense generation. You have to have versatile place. That was a very, very uniquely constructed team. Yeah. Right. And this one, like, I only had a clutch performer. Johnson. Yeah. What about if Kyrie gets straight in mid season? I mean, we have to see what that looks like. We do. We do. Yeah. That would be crazy. That would be exactly what they need it. But the thing like, this is the team that you need to look for at the deadline as all of us. If you, oh, I forgot, like Thompson was over there. Yeah, he is. Oh, and also, I think you're going to have, you're going to have a better version of Clay Thompson just by simply the proximity to water. That's true. Good be. And the thing with the honest in particular is like, you take away the 2021, which is like one of the best games like Game 6 performance you've ever seen, like a close out game, 50 points, like that's something you all time regardless. You take that away, you look at his resume outside of that. It's looking. His playoff success. Yes. But he's not looking. It's, you know, it's playoff stats. No, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's a lot of high. But yeah, the exit to the heat of the next year. It just, hey, hey, hey, they just need them to be, they'd seem one game. They seem one good. I do think like there is a chance, like next year he could be a hero, but to your point, they don't have to win next year, but at some point, they have to figure it out. They got a figure. But he can lay the groundwork to be a hero right here. Yeah, right now. Your last hero. I got some ops. Got some options. I'm curious to see who you are going to pick. Wow, man, okay, all right. This might be, I'm in big. I'll ever look at me for picking. This might be, this might be a Steve bomber. This might be a Steve bomber level pick right here. Shout out to James. We're here, but you, you, I've heard the taste is the same. Pick up his, hey, put his, his, his social media's tweets or something alongside this. His worst James. Do not search games on it. Searching right now. Victoria clip, whoever's in charge, but he right there right next to it. Give the damn thing to Jamie so he can tape it. I mean, it's a simple point. I hate him. Get in the bag. Okay, go get in the bag, MVP. One of the greatest get in the bag guys we have ever seen in our entire lives. But you know, I can't say something, bro. It's like, yeah, he's a good big get the bad guy. That's a fucking phenomenal basketball player brother. That's a phenomenal back. He, you know why he gets James Harden gets the back. James Harden is a really, really good basketball player. A little great. Yeah, durable. Yeah, wrecked like a regular season performer. Like, we've never seen before, right? MVP, six man, scoring champion, assist champion. Like James Harden, don't get it twisted while we are analytics. Love them. While we in the Twittest fear. Yeah, James Harden is a badass motherfucker historically. So he's the man and you hate him being just, yeah, I can't be the guy to do. I can't be the guy to do it. But, and I saw a tweet. That was really funny. I can't remember who said it, but this is a guy who always gets out right before it all goes crazy. Yeah, right. He sees the right. Just like, all right, it's time for me to go even if it's his fault that it's all fucked up. He still gets out of there. He goes to a new situation for like a year or a year. You know, I think, I mean, I like, you know, I think I might, you know, I think I want to give me an extension. I'm a girl. Go to Cleveland. Now look at what's going on. Right? The, the nets was like, oh, yeah, damn, you know what? You know, like when it's time for him to go, y'all are, man, when he went, he was in China. He was like, Darryl Mory is a liar. That's an old time, bro. Darryl Mory is a liar. And also to that point, he was saying that whilst getting the bag and talking to children. Let's not talk about his playoff. Well, that's the thing that's going to make him a hero, Joe. I mean, that's what undercut your whole thing is the fact that he's going to be a hero this season. He has all the individual accolades. The thing that'll make him a hero is actually showing up in the playoffs when it matters the most. Are you confident even that? Well, so here's the thing. And this is like, because if you're not, why the hell did you pick him? He's playing on a team with Donovan Mitchell. Okay. And the, the really funny thing is that we've over the last of what our last year, at least, we were, we were looking at it. We looking at the team. We go, man, uh, we, we laughing at James Arden, but the real, the real Joker, the guy who's supposed to be the number one dude who's not doing his thing is D Mitch. Think this is the year where we start to put the microscope. Why would it just be both? That's how it works. Nah, it's usually just one guy. We only pick one. You're fraud, dude. You're fraud. Okay. Let's go. Let's go. I gotta tell my point, man. Okay. Yeah. That was insane. That was you, you, you picking Steve Balmer with a fifth pick. That was insane. That's a shame. I took him to the last. Okay. That's fair. So that was your second pick. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. I know, but I'm saying it's on the level. It might be on the level. No, it's not. It's not. It's not. Let's take a quick break, but we're going to go to villains. All right, and we are back. This is the moment that Banna's always been waiting for. In fact, he was really, I saw it in your face as you were. that I went heroes first you really wanted to go villain I know you're gonna go just go pick it right there You already did it just go pick it bill let's just go ahead and pick it you wrote it let's look at this pinning ship Let me tell you why wimby is a villain Wimby's a villain Because I need it Because you're a hater. Joel. You are officially off the hook my friend. I'm gonna tell you guys straight up right now I love the fact that wimby is going to torture all of the people who don't fuck with him for years Mm-hmm y'all think this is bad. This is healthy. Y'all think this is hate. Mm-hmm. This is love Yes, the wimby era is coming is nothing any of us wimby non wimby people can do to stop it The rest of you guys that somehow got glamored into rooting for the spurs because wimby plays for them I've never rooted for the spurs and I'm not about to start now But I am happy that he continues to ascend Up the rankings of greatest athletes in the world because he is the most worthy villain in all of sports right now What makes him so worthy? He's many reasons number one is going to happen He's going to be the best player in the league. That's number one. If it if it hasn't already happens for number two He's legitimately an asshole. Yes, like he's legitimately an asshole Is he or is he just French on that but no on that basketball court wimby is a player that when you're on the other side You want to hate him, which is good and the last thing is what makes him to me a great villain is that You can't hate him off the court No, you can't so so this is what I'm Some might argue you could you can't hate him off the court It'd be this whole villain hero thing is words only gets toxic when it becomes personal and racist and racist when we start Comment through people's personal lives and Inventing real reasons to hate them as human beings. There is absolutely Nothing wrong with hating somebody as a basketball player or as a competitor Yeah, so in that regard wimby is the perfect villain because he is a villain that you do not want him to win But you don't hate it when he does Actually that that's a good point Some people might argue I remember when he was playing chess in a street senior and people were calling it fake Call him fraud say he doing it for clicks. Wimby's not a clicks guy man I do was up in the mountains chained with the monks You know say you have to drop a tick though for the cloud I mean, there's an argument to make that he could just went up to the mountains and no one even knows I feel like if a seven foot six French man went into the mountains and didn't get a picture. That's more shocking man But look nigga Kareem was doing karate with Bruce Lee on the movie That's y'all y'all need to go wide go go if y'all haven't seen game of death It's a weird movie because Bruce Lee wasn't around for the whole of it But like if y'all if y'all go having a watch game of death before go watch right now Again, watch Kareem in a fight with Bruce Lee. Watch the way Kareem is moving. How in the fuck could anybody fuck with him? And they couldn't they can watch the way Kareem is moving in that scene by the way Bruce Lee you stoke an legend True true. That's true. Okay, I think it's my turn. Yeah, for a lot a lot a lot a lot of options here a lot of options a lot of options Let's get this out the way You know, this is just a personal thing. Oh damn. I wouldn't expect. Okay. Okay. Wow. All right Why do you feel that way and I'm not mad at I'm not mad at the math that goes in the analytics in the hard work That a lot of people do within the front office to make sure that we have the best information possible and the teams have the best information possible Maybe I should add something. Let me see that real quick. Let me see that. Gotta add a caveat Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Sorry. It is the analytics discourse What sort of the analytics discourse because none you can make numbers whatever you want them to be right and also, man I mean me and Van don't drink we're we don't drink like that We know we're at the wine bars chilling, you know, right, right, I should rosé, but you know when you're at the bar Do you want to hear like? Yeah, oh, man This dude, you know one of your favorite players, you know one favorite player is Kobe, right? We want to go to a bar and just hang and they're like, yo, man Who do you like Kobe? Well, like you know, I'm literally speaking. It's like I don't even I can't even believe that you would even think that It's effective. Ilgo rate was you have no business even like me and league MVP 30,000 points score go fuck yourself How about those analytics? I give you some numbers. Like, but you get what I'm saying It makes it not fun sometimes man. There is a little bit of like it's it's a bit of I know what I saw It's like I know what I saw, but also dude. We're watching sports, bro. Yeah, we're watching sports, man Yeah, okay, let's just have some fun. I'm not saying it I'm not saying it from the professionals that do it and like give great information and get like diamonds and the roughs and stuff like that I am saying just the average discourse. Yo, man. I like this player. What the hell do you like this player? It's really really crazy that you would even think that because this this such a such he's actually asked I'm like dude We're having fun, man. What are we doing? You know what it reminds me of? I have friends and they were singers, right and they would tell they were talking about who was the best singer Yeah, and they would be like, you know man, I can hear somebody and they got like a 12 octave range and they can go So what are you used to settle all of that stuff, but I heard of because the what I would come back They will talk about all of these things and then I'd be like man, what am I gonna say, bro? What am I gonna say? What a slap? Yeah, we're like, you know what I'm saying? It's like hey because we sitting around we talking and this was the 90s So I'm not gonna mention the people that we were talking about were the best in R&B because some of these names are to know Oh, yeah, we know But we saw and then people would be people would be like yeah, but my boy Ian will come in like yeah But I can tell you somebody right now and they sing way better than him. I'll be like you know what a record said, man What's your show the records? Yeah, I get that they could do all the technical stuff and all of that stuff What a record said man? What a what a what's the soul of the joints? What a joint set? It's like people today being like yeah But you sold how many how many albums in a week like bro? We're not trying to hear that I'm gonna talk about like how good is the how good is the music the analytics matter only if the music is good Yes, so if you're if you're if if if it's gonna enhance the winning then they matter, but Kobe fucking won go fuck yourself and that a three-point game is bullshit Okay, hey You know what? He took your turn. He just took your turn Oh Okay, okay, okay, we're just gonna add that all right. We're done with that one. Who is your villain? Who is your first villain? My first really mean it's gotta be oh Damn down the word. Well, so here's You weren't even there the tariff for the whole NBA media staff record label and motherfuck yeah all of it We talked about this yesterday The media is in the dirt. It's bad football came back last week and I'm watching football and they would never say a bad thing about the shield. Oh, yes No, no, there is not a there is nary a soldier in that army let her go up and say I didn't like this This was bad even if they're supposed to be a level of honesty Though like couch it as much as they can and you know, I love the game, but this right here is not how I'm supposed to go down and whichever whatever every single day in the NBA media sphere there's a conversation where this game is good They're arguing like We don't talk about we don't break down coverages. We don't break down what this team will look like coming forward like Yeah, man Came these guys. There's always drama. There's never real conversation about the hoops that we're watching It's always ancillary stuff that didn't happen over there. I don't think there's a sport where that actually does happen baseball soccer There's a love of the game. There's a love of the game that the media has in no sports And I want to put a I want to add to that and I know like when you say there's a love of the game I don't mean people have to be like homers and like you know Buyers towards I mean, I guess former players can be bias, right? But what more of it is it's like having appreciation for the sport just but there's like overall discussion problem like In terms of like you don't have to have a take. I feel like I feel like and I'm not even taught I'm not even putting any names out there. I'm not even putting the name that you put there I'm just feels like I'm not gonna do that. I'm not it those are vans waters or not my waters what I'm saying is He just did a higher learning topic that I am not ready to fully indulge but I just feel like the NBA of all places It's just the most internet-filled discourse of all time. Yeah, it's not actually rooted in anything other than like Yo, man, I'm bored today. Let's just throw a take out there. Let's see what happens. I also say something else is that the intergenerational competition in the NBA is It's bigger than it is in any other sport. Absolutely. So the intergenerational competition in the NBA exists in a way that it just doesn't Another sports like you don't really hear Troy Ackman on Rockass talking about whether or not he thinks that he could throw for 50 million yards in this potential in this NBA when he When this in this NFL when he was more of a pedestrian throw of the ball because he had in the Smith and because I all of this stuff like this, it's different. And when you hear a lot of guys talk about the league now, they're actually not even critiquing the basketball as much as they're critiquing the culture and structure of it. They're critiquing the, they think what they did was superior. And they have to let people know that. And sometimes it's funny, like sometimes it's funny. Sometimes it's funny, like when Charles Barkley said, if I play today, I show up in a spaceship. It's funny, that's funny. But because this game is so individualistic, the legacy that you leave is tied, that you leave, it's tied to you as a person. - Yeah, I also say this too, man. Like there's always the critique about from former players to people that didn't play the game. All you wouldn't understand, you never played the game. - But one of the things that I see from former players is just all you all doing is settling scores, right? Like you're settling scores with other players. You're yelling at them for what they didn't do. Actually, you know, I don't like, or if somebody don't return your text, you're gonna go on the internet and be like, "Yo, man, I don't like this dude." Like it's never like the, you're never analyzing the game. Like, "Yo, man, like, that's what I love about Roger." And I'm gonna give a plug to Roger Bell. It's like whenever he is in front of a mic, he's really just talking about the game. It's never anything personal. And I feel like with the influx of, you know, I know we've shouted out some player pods, but even with the uptick of player pods, it's now been like, okay, how can we do a take that's clippable? How can we do all of that? That is like everybody. All right, let's go. - Specifically in the NBA. - People have jobs to do. Let's calm down, I've gotta get my clips out, I'm sorry. - I'm not talking about you, I'm not talking about you, dude. I'm just saying just what the incentive structure in the NBA is when I see relative to the other leagues. Okay, that's all. - Yeah, I mean, I'm talking like for me, like specifically it's, it's like ESPN. It's like the people who like are supposed to like cover this board and like really push it forward. And they're holding it back with all these type of conversations. - Who's next? - It's fans turn, bands turn. - Roppelinka. - You did this to inside him, didn't you? - It's true though. It's true. Roppelinka. - Are you gonna get through this little side? - Just let him talk to you. - Just let him go, just let him go. I don't have any words, I've got no words, please. - Roppelinka is basically the Tiger of GMs. - The Tiger of GMs. - Are you calling me aye? - No, this is what I mean. Like I wake up in the morning and you know, I get ready to different songs. - What songs do you get ready to? - It's different ones, like lately it's been-- - Got a little need of Baker. - Taste, nah, hell nah. I gotta get ready for the day. I love a need of butt, need this for the evening. - That's fair point. - It's a fair point. So, taste by Tiger has been coming on. - I love that record. - Okay. - You like that shit? - Yeah. - Like, I love that record. That's a good ass record, right? Like, Rack City. - That's a great record. - That's a good ass record. Even that lime in the coconut shit that he's on, I like when that shit comes on. What I'm saying is the reason why Roppelinka is the Tiger of rappers of GMs is because the consistency is not there. But every once in a while, he hits with a crazy move, right? So, every once in a while, Roppelinka makes a move. That's really good. - Lebron. - Lebron. - Luca. - AD. - AD. - Okay, on the way. - But what-- - Giving him Luca. - But when Nico Harrison said, hey-- - That's fine. - Also giving him AD when our co-workers-- - That's fine, but what I'm saying is, what you really want out of a rapper is for the quality of every song to be at a certain level. And Tiger never really did that. But every time somebody would say Tiger sucks, Tiger would come with a undeniable ridiculous hit. He got like four of those in his entire career. - I will say, on the Tiger Point, Hotel California came out. I thought he was gonna be the man, bruh. - Yeah. - He got to join with the two chains. He had a-- - Don't get his copy right, Strick. - No, we don't. - I'm saying we don't do that. - High jack, switch lanes. I thought he was gonna have-- - So do you think the comparison is disrespectful to who Tiger or to Roblin? - It's disrespectful to Roblin. - Okay, shame. - It's definitely not. - I know it's not. - You're on the money. I think the Roblin could think is tough because he should not have this job. - Yes. - By all means, he should not have this job. And a serious organization. But I've let him go years ago, right? But because Genie is like that got their family, that familial tie with him being Kobe's agent, he's never gonna leave the job. So if you're a Lakers fan, you have to understand that until that ownership situation is sorted out, he's the guy. That's the problem. - And also that man, when you bout to get him out of here. - I'mma just say it's something about to take that city, bruh. - And man, that Luca, that's a Rack city, bruh. That's a hit, bruh. - The thing-- - The thing for Tigger. - Did this run office final? - That's a taste, bruh. He knew if you went like, "Oh, the 2019 2020 chip." I would say we put that together. Got AD, signed Danny Green, this and that, bruh. He did that by accident. You and I both know this. - Well, who did well by accident? Like Austin Reed? - Rob Polinko in the 2020 chip. - I give them credit for stick, I do give the organization credit for sticking with Austin Reed's and like recognizing his talent. - Absolutely. Shout out to Reggie Berry. - I just think that in a, in a, I, not an ideal, but like in an almost situation. He'll be in God. - Yeah. - Rob after, after this summer. But obviously that's not gonna happen. So you're stuck with the guy who teams, or teams don't like to call and make deals with him because of the agent stuff, whatever. It's just like, this 2026, we should be past this. We should be in the past the Roppling era. He outlasted, what's it called? - Joey and, and I mean, kind of, he actually did. - Outlasted magic, right? Remember the whole thing, the whole thing started because they were beefing. And Max said I'm not working with this dude anymore. What, what do you say at the conference? - I'm not sure, I'm still, I'm not gonna be there. I'm still in the days right now. - It's just, I, I, you're right. He's a supervillain and until he's gone, I don't know. The Lakers and I'm a starting four. Guys, guys, the Lakers don't have a starting four. - Yeah, yeah, it's September. - It's in the goddamn finals. - Yeah. - I didn't say that. I didn't say that. I said right side of the bracket, there's a chance. And you know what, fuck you because you kind of agree with me, you said, you know what? Who knows in May? Who knows in April? Everybody can be an agent. - I believe you did say that. - I think that there is a viable path to the Lakers having a much better season than people think that they would have. - With this roster, as it stands right now. - Long season. - Walker, Kessler. - I love Walker Kessler, don't do that. I was on the. - But you know I was on the Walker Kessler. - I just don't understand something that they do. Like, I don't understand not bringing back players that were really successful for you. - Marcus Smarr. - Marcus Smarr. Like, I don't get not bringing up that. - Who can art? - Connor and Smarr. - Connor, the one that's serious for you. - Connor and Smarr, I just don't feel like, I'm looking at it. - You know what this is? - Connor and Smarr and Rui have to be on that team. That's the way I look at it. The Rui thing was truly his question. - I cannot believe it. I mean, all he does is shoot and doesn't rebound or play demons, but that's why. - Your turn. - Let it go. - I'm going to go Tom Dundin. - El Chippo. - Shout out to my man Anthony Sella. - You love El Chippo. - Just one of the worst people in our league right now. - Or the best, depending on how you look at it. - In terms of saving money? - Like I said, fuck y'all. They're going to play with save-way patches. (laughter) - Fuck you guys. (laughter) - Bro, y'all don't go to the stadium, importantly. And they go have lunch and bulls. - Here's how they go. - I want to say this to my child, bro. I've never seen this before. You've got to give a fuck, bro. Like this guy doesn't give a shit. - Oh my god. - I'm telling you man, it's like, this is the one. This is the one for me. No, you're absolutely right. I just, the NBA wants to keep basketball importantly. - Have you been to Portland with basketball? What's amazing? - Oh, he's a Ferrari, never been. - Yo, go to a Portland game. This is what I'm going to say. You guys are in Portland. Well, they're like, maybe early April. I'll see maybe October in the beginning, right? Maybe if you can, maybe a 230 start. It's beautiful. Motocenter isn't bad either. Yeah, good basketball. You got a great fan base. And they know the thing that I love about their fan base is they're very knowledgeable. There's something to be said about the love that Portland has for its blazers. And that can't be replicated no matter where else you go. You try to take them, it just cannot be replicated. I think that, I mean, okay, see notwithstanding. - No, they love their basketball. - Love their basketball team. You just don't take. And also, man, there's a chance, like I know there's a big decision coming up in December about the arena, but like too. - No, man, come on. - This is not how you, this is not how you make a good impression on a team like this, man. It's not and it's just, it's tough. - The guy, the guy stinks. He's like having a horn about keeping the team in Portland brother. That city loves. - It's also like secretly one of the foundational teams in NBA. - I can't most certainly is. I couldn't agree more. - You cannot have basketball in Portland. - We have to. - You have to, especially in just abandon the entire Pacific Northwest, there's there would be no team obviously Vancouver. There's no team in Seattle as it stands right now, then no team or it would make no sense. You have to keep that team there and you have to take ownership literally of that city of that team brother. You literally put the roots down man and stop all this and you know the city is just ridiculous. I'm off. Okay. Your turn. Watch it. It was going to have to happen at some point. Okay. I just want you guys to know that I am brave. I am bold. I'm my own man and I have to do this. Okay. Oh, that's not okay. Oh, okay. So, Brian, are you in your feelings right now? Well, not about not about the the Laker stuff that all that's fine. I understand it. The part of the market stuff is tough brother. That's hard stuff. You hate to see that from one of your greats, man. Somebody who, you know, we've talked about it on our podcasts on this podcast, so many podcasts all the time. I figured out it's my personal go. But to wake up on a Saturday morning and the first thing you see me on Instagram, Brian and Paulie market. I don't really know. You don't need that money, man. LeBron James of all people. Don't need that money. Yeah, let's don't need that money. Many of these guys need the prediction market money, man. And here we are. That's tough. The reality is this and I'm not going to get into a whole lefty thing here. You can, but money is not to be needed once you get to a certain point, it's to be grabbed. And the system that we're in just says grab whatever you can hold and hold as long as you can. So you wouldn't even think about not doing something for money because endless growth is the plate of the system. And that's not just with the economy itself. It's also with the individual. So just it's just a tough, tough look when I'm seeing my guy who hopefully he plays a lot of games, you know it is and his grand old age is like, yeah, man, that was great. You know, it's really good. Paulie market. Go. So I'm just like, no, man, I don't want to see that. I don't want to see couchy. I don't want to see none of those things on my sports. Like I just, I'm sick of it. I think there's also just just the change in like LeBron just off the court in the last. And I would like to get your opinion on this, certainly. There's been a change in the way LeBron, I feel like has looked at himself. I would say over the last six years, right? And I don't even know the politics of the polymarket necessarily, but like 2020, I want to go back to 2020. Remember 2020? Yeah. Great year for everybody. Oh, remember when he was just trying to be at the forefront of social change. And he was read, not even just, but yeah, but like, I'm not even, I'm going to give him some, but I'm not even talking about that. I'm more so talking about like campaigning for a rough. Yeah. Right. Doing more than a vote. Yep. Really trying to make the world and his eyes a better place. Now, was he going to be Muhammad? I need Ali, not necessarily, right? But he at least portrayed himself as a moral authority within the league, right? And over the last few years, you see subtle changes for that from that. You see, he's stepping away from more than a vote. He's giving that to neck of the moon. Okay. Right. He was another instance that I thought was like a watershed moment. I was actually in Vegas when this happened. It was when Kamala Harris came to go see T USA, right? And you know, LeBron, whenever he sees a political figure that he seems to be like someone aligned with, right? I don't know his personal personal politics. But like he tends to be in the front, right? Like he can't paint for Hillary Clinton, you know, he, but when Kamala came, he really just stayed out of the way. He stayed in the background. And I thought that was really telling him. And I've just seen a subtle, I don't know what it is. I don't know if he wants to, he's trying to just build up capital to own an NBA team because I know that was a goal of his and, you know, teams of the market for teams of skyrocketed since even he is expressed interest. But like, I just seem just to change in this guy that was like, I am going to be, I'm not going to step in front of everything. No, but I am going to be the moral compass of this league. And I feel like that's changing. A couple of things. Number one, I think LeBron James and his want to, I think his want to be an NBA owner is, is interesting because that's something that he could far and away do better and say that he did it better than Michael Jordan. So like being an NBA owner and controlling players and like building an organization and all that that stuff, you can do that. And you can say, hey, this is something that nobody can argue. I did this better than Michael Jordan. So I think that that ended up happening for him. I honestly have almost zero critiques or criticisms of LeBron James off of the court. I think that off of the court, my criticisms from LeBron are the same as the wimpy thing. It's the same as the wimpy thing, a player that I cast as the foil to Kobe Bryant, partly because of marketing and stuff like that. So my entire career has always been a little thing. So I wasn't a LeBron guy. But I think three things when I think about LeBron James, I'm going to come back to some of the things that you said a second ago. Number one, I think of the I promise school. And when I think of the I promise school, what I think about the school is that man, having a charter and he's not the only person that has that has had a school, Jalen Rose. Yeah, other people have a school shirt, you know, get into a whole conversation about school choice and all that stuff is different. The I promise school was a comprehensive scholastic experience for people for their parents, a pantry for people. So they don't have to go to school like hungry. Yeah. When I think about stuff like that, I think about the tradition of the black panthers and the breakfast program and what it meant for kids to have food and their bellies when they go to school. I think about all the activists that lay down the blueprint for someone to be able to understand that. I think about taking a stand during the NBA during his most popular days in the NBA against police brutality, supporting Trayvon Martin against the president. This might be some what controversial for for people to hear from me. LeBron is in the twilight, not just of his NBA career, but also in his relevance as an athlete, which means earning power, which means earning power. I am actually less concerned with what he does now. And more thankful for the fact that when he was at his most powerful, his most influential, the peak of who he was as an athlete and a cultural figure, when he had the most to lose that he was clear about who he was that doesn't mean that I don't care now. Yeah. That doesn't mean that that doesn't mean that everything that you just said isn't true. As far as like him and which political people that he supports, I think that's an interesting observation. But for me, like I have to look at where I've sort of evolved to politically, and maybe he was more excited about politics in general before then he might be now, right? Don't know. But I will say that like at the peak of who you are, because there's a lot of people that do the inverse. There's a lot of people that at the peak of their popularity, and they shrink. And then at the end, when they need something to continue their relevance, they go on to social issues or they go on to political issues or they go on to things like that, not that it's ever not. But then you can look at it as cynical. I mean, if you wanted to also make the comparison, like Muhammad Ali did, you know, after what he did, did sit, go to my house and with Reagan, right? And I'm not saying that this in Apple's Apple's comparison, because like, like, LeBron has never showed that. Yeah. But there is like, even with our heroes, sometimes it gives like a little. Well, you know, like my Muhammad Ali is like a season. It's untouchable. It is an advantage. But you get what I'm saying. Yeah. But so, so to me, when I look at what LeBron, James, because I look at LeBron 2012, 13, 14, 15, 16, when he was most needed, he was not just available at 17, 18, 19, 19, yeah, when he was not just available rhetorically, he was available to feed children, get them to school. He was in lockstep against what this president is into. There's like, I don't have very many. I think LeBron James as a man, as a father, and as a social figure. Some of the things that we could talk about, like there's some other stuff, man, father, and social figure. I think he's been nothing short of a revelation. And I really get credit to him and really the whole team on that. There's some shit that he's done that I've been like, scratch my head, be like, why are you doing that? You know, but like, as far as that's concerned, I think his life off of the court has been, has been really, really phenomenal. For sure. Yeah. All right. Who is, who is your villain? Oh, shake your hands. I'm surprised it took us that long to get there. Oh, look, look, look, hey, hey, what? Hey, man. Thank you. Hey, man. From it's got to stop. Hey, man, shake. Just go out there and get these buckets, bro. Some of the, some of the con job, like, you know, like it's, it's, she has become saying that the thunder themselves have become sort of the mascots for like what the problems people have. with the basketball right now. Here's the particular problem, watch it. He's been waiting for you. You hate him. You put me on this. I used to fucking like to watch it. And now I can't watch it 'cause like when I look at it, all I see, and that's a bad motherfucker, but when I look at it, all I see is what you say. Remember game seven, when he was literally just about there, he was like, I'ma get these buckets. He stopped the flopping and he was hooping. We were like, man, if you can do that, what's all the need for the-- And like, here's another thing, not for nothing. Like, he has had like signature games or he has gotten buckets. I think about the end-of-pacers. That nigga Cole is, he's so good. Also, he doesn't need to do it with all his shit that we said right here. I would say he's still worth the prize of a mission 'cause he's that good. Yes. But he doesn't need to do the insurance fraud. We know how good you are. We've seen it with our eyes, brother. You don't have to, uh, uh, uh, rat for his my call. You don't need none of that. Hey, man, I'm next. But you're next? Are you next? I'm next. I'm next. That's what you did there. Yeah. That's a good reference. That's a good reference, bro. But seriously though, the guy is so talented, so amazing. You could even ignore that he's kind of corny after court. But-- Kind of quiet. Why is he corny? Why is he corny? I don't think he's corny, bro. I want to push back a little bit. What's corny about, man? Having like swag? Like, you know what I mean? He's like, dude, you got it. He got all kinds of difference. What's corny about it? What's corny? It's not like super duper like big time. What's the little bit like? Respect his Pinterest paper? You're not too big. You eat too big for the program, too little bit of that. How do you hate him? How? What do you mean? You know how I'll push back on that? If he was too big for the program, his teammates would hate him. He's beloved. You just say that. You know what he had on? What I saw him. What you had. And the height. And the height of the West Coast Canadian hip hop beef. I saw this man with the Toronto blue jays. Yeah. Jack it all. I'm sorry. Yeah. Remember that commercial you did with chat two years ago? It is. It is. Come on. It is. It is. It is. It's a little bit of like, all right, bro. Come on, man. Let's open that up a little bit. You don't got to. But you know what? I can't say something. I blame all of these dry ass commercials that these niggas is doing and these commercial suck. All right. Like not good, bro, I'm just going to be honest, bro. We had commercials back in my day. What? We had little penny. We had the fucking puppets. Yeah. We had George despite we had we had the Charles Barclay as the game show host. Hell, we even had a covid jumping over cars with a date is like jumping like full court. We had a sprite cipher. But that where people were rapping about Tim Dome. We had a Nike cipher. Yeah. Yeah. Brian slam dunk. Johnny. The KD one. No, the KD was playing with DJ. I do like to say quick, type of rising, every day, I got to say, y'all are just dropping the ball. Do you remember the commercial with the dudes and they was like street ball players dribbling the ball and like the best commercial ever when there was at the airplane hanger all 12 of the Nike guys. Yes. All right. We Kobe Nash. Y'all. Y'all. Y'all. So these commercials are not bringing the heat and in Christmas, I thought we did, it was cool. Yeah. Like these commercials are not bringing the heat. Like they do. You know what it is? Le more herbs at these. These sneakers. I'm used to be. I'm just going to be honest. I know the OGs at the sneaker industry were not as big as I'm just saying, like put these players in a and you know what the other thing is. You know the other thing is all crazy. And you guys you guys know this. You live in LA. But the creativity now is just retreads. It's just like a hot homage to other people. We're so in love with nostalgic. Yeah. I mean, I'm saying like put these guys in the position to succeed in these commercial what they look cool. Okay. Do Jordan. Playing again. It also helped that Jordan was the coolest. But Jordan. Jordan playing against the younger version of himself. It's just a good commercial. It's really. It's just a good commercial bird magic. Everybody shooting, but it's just a good commercial man. I'm going to give the floor to you. I thought he was going to change my life and then it turns out that he did change your life. Mark Walzer did change your life like five seconds. And then it turns out he's going to super prison if we can't return to my question for you. Question for you. And I think I know the answer to this. Is that Dodgers, that last Dodgers world series worth it for your last, the last one that they had. We win it again. No, but I'm saying the last one on record. Was that worth it? Was that have been worth it? If he does scale. Uh, yeah. If Mark Walzer. He's not going to fuck whether he go to jail or not. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Got them. He right is worth it. Like game seven against the Toronto Blue Jays. They can get at it in like 50 years. Like I don't give a fuck whether he's going to put money in his commentary. We go to jail. Yeah, like good for him. I go. But you just know, hold on. I'm just going to say, you see him fake in real time. You were just about to this roast yourself and then you can't convince yourself. I'll go visit him. No. That was great. The Dodgers got the job done. Miguel Rojas. Yeah. Right. That's the difference. Okay. We're talking about NBA right now. We talking about NBA right now. Yeah. I thought he was going to fix my life. It turns out he was doing some little, you know, some some for one on the side. Right. You can't do that. You can't. I don't even know what that is. What is that? It's Nigerian. I'm Nigerian person. You can be acting like you don't know about. Did I ever say I didn't know about that? You try to act like I shouldn't bring it up. You know, we send me your email. I try to act like you don't know about it. Hey, we were my wallet. But seriously though, he, you, he buys the Lakers, they make that big trade for Walker Kessler, right? You send all those picks. And you're like, this is the direction of team. And then how many months later, they're sold again, right? And so if you're the new owner, right, you come back. You don't have all the, like all the picks, like all the stuff that you need that you would like to have. You like to have a clean slate going into a team. That last one, right? Did they? Yeah. Ramaswami. No. You know, Rhonda D.Vay. No, no. I mean, this is basically just the King's organization as a whole. Are you not excited about this Ben Simmons edition? Would you be excited about the Ben Simmons edition? I'm not. I don't think anybody would be. It's a thing. And this is something that I mean Rob have talked about, like in passing. And that, I mean, the entire organization is a failure. It's like, the second one means making how much money? Oodles. Oodles. And Oodles of money. And is doing what exactly? Not winning. Score and 25 again. Good for him. If you score, they got to pay you. Yep. Right. But you also have to win basketball. This is so bad. They're worth it. If you score, like, I don't, man, I like that. I like it. Fuck. Please. Listen. Like if you, yeah, I'm not mad at that. I'm not mad at you. If you, if you're pocket watching this, with the only, you have some different shoes. Hey, another thing. I know. I know you, dog. If you score it, if you score, they got to pay for it. It's so bad in Sacramento that they offered Russ a chance to shoot probably like 28 shots of season at some point this season. And he was like, no, I'm not going back to sack. I'm going to, I'd rather retire than go back to Sacramento. I'm good. It's cool. That's a basketball graveyard right there. Unfortunately, they don't have any plans with the, the features like people would argue. It's just great fans to sack. Great fans. Yeah, Cuff. You have some bonus there. And they have all their picks to even with all that they have all their picks. What, who's, did they sign up? What's the name? Um, the dude who's been on all the teams, German, uh, he did it shorter. Oh, sure. Yeah. He's not going to. He's not going to be the whole season though. I like it. Yeah. Is that like his fifth stand? I feel like he played with the Kings already. I don't think so. But you like legitimately, you look at that team and you go, you can look at pretty much all the other 2019's NBA, but like those guys want to win, those guys want to tank this and this. Look at that team. That's a team that like, they will tell you, I mean, every team tells you want to win, but you talked to Vivek. You talked to all these guys. Like, yeah, man, this is our year. Man, we're going to do it. And then you look up in January and it's like, oh, you guys are 14 15 games below 500. Get ready for a lottery again. Congratulations. And it just happens year after year after year after year. You have that. It looks like action now 2023, right, where they see, and we're looking like, yo, man, they turned it around. They did it. Congrats. And I will say, I was being, I was at that series, Sacramento, yank, the fans want a win or so bad. And they deserve it. They deserve it. And if you give them one, they will come out there and support. Yep. You should never trade a reason. Who's your villain? Um. Wow. Whoa. Wait, hold on. I want to say, hold on. Before you get to that, and it's Jason Tatum, you have been writing villains down and you've been pump faking on the villa. A lot of gamers written down. A lot of gamers. Because I'm trying to be like, I'm trying to be like not emotional about some of this shit. Some of the almost bookers. I don't like y'all. Do the one real. Do the real one. You got it. Fuck it. Do the real one. Yes. Thank you. Yes. Come on. Yes. Yes. I don't like how you grow to record. I don't like it. And it wasn't even a record. Joe. Joe. Joe was very funny about that. Joe was like, it's funny. And Kobe's number two. Now he's number three. I don't like that, bro. I don't like I, I, I, I, how much of your Kobe stand on this is in the Saskatchewan? It's 100%. That's all it is. All Kobe stand. I want you guys to understand the relationship I had with Kobe. Kobe was two years older than him. Also a lot. You know how I knew that where you go? You know how I knew that the Lakers had a big stamp on Louisiana. All I kept seeing from boozing when I was growing up. Like talking about Kobe and loving him. I feel like every time he went to New Orleans or in Louisiana in general, he was beloved. Why is that? Is it the part? Well, some of it was shack. Some of it was shack. LSU. Like some of it was shack LSU shack leaves Orlando and then goes to the Lakers. Some of it is some with colors. You can have your same color palette is shit like that. Some Omega's. Some of Omega's. For me, for me, the first basketball ever, basketball game I ever saw was in the form. Oh, wow. Yeah. So like we, we were out here. We lived here for a couple of years. So the first basketball game I ever saw was in the form. And then later on, it's, it's a lot. But for me, Kobe is just a unique athlete for me to ever have followed because when Kobe's coming out of high school, he's not a post player. He's a guard. It seemed like Kobe believed too much in himself. It seemed like he came out and everybody was talking about how good he was. But he wasn't the seven foot one, six, 11, whatever. But he meant that you could see how he was going to dominate the league. He was going to have to like figure it out. And then he comes out and he gets there and it seems like he's not at first. And then I watch every dribble Kobe ever takes. I watch him use his athleticism. Yes, but also will himself into one of the best players in the league. I watch it every step. It's a unique connection with him. So anybody who fucking threatens that fucking piss me off. So, so, so, so, so, So me, the reality is, anybody that came along. - So it's not even Bam's fault. - No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no like yo man, stop. - You should come on man. - I'm supposed to hate. - Come on man. - I don't know how I sound found out man. No, let's get it bro. It's tough. - I'm watching. - Listen hold on, I'm not. - I'm watching the fourth quarter brother. Watch the fourth quarter. I'm like okay, he might get there. Then they start to found him man. - The whole team have him. - That's not shameless. - Okay. - This goes to my next one. I had other ones that I was going to do. - That's what I'm talking about. - This is my villain. - It's crazy. - This is retaliation. - It's actually, this doesn't even round out my team. I didn't know if I was going to do it. Just for that, it's going to be so much hating on the timeline this year with this dude. It's just going to be so much nonsensical back and forth and rollercoaster bullshit. - Yeah. - A lot of line. - There's going to be a lot of just line and coping and a lot of just hate. - That's my favorite part is the line. That's my favorite part because people will be like, people will pull out receipts and then you just lie about it. You just be like, "Nah, that was. - In Lakers Twitter in general, it's going to be you, it's going to be Rye Cole. It's going to be this all we've got. - I said Rye Cole. - What do you say Rye Cole? - I'm just saying Rye Cole. - I love Rye Cole. - I love Rye Cole. - I love Rye Cole. You know what, I also like Snotty dripping. - Snotty? - Yes. - Snotty. - Snotty. - I like him. - I love NBA Twitter. He was Kobe meet me to make him, right? - Yeah. - But I'm just like, yo dude, I just think he's used to be better. - Just be better, bro. - I'm not going to be a better man. - You know, and let's see your villain, okay? We got time, we got shit, we got to do, we got to run. - Who's a villain, bro? - Who's your fucking villain? - You're my villain. - Matt. - Oh, Laker. - Laker. - Yep. - Joe Laker. I mean, we talked about a little bit in the stuff situation. But my thing with you is like, how do you balance like loving Steph with slander in the lawyer? So I feel like it's a battle against balance. - That's pretty easy actually. - You go by a man, Steph's really good, but the team's things. And so it sounded like Laker's problem. Steve Kerr has two more years, right? He signed for two more years. - Everybody's getting checks. Everybody's getting backs. - But I'm saying, Steph is out into, I mean, somebody's got to pick him. But he, the Dreymon is gone. - Do you want to do a package deal? I don't know, were you going to pick Dreymon? - I'm going Jason, take him home, sir. - Okay, do you want to pick Dreymon? Just do that as a little thing. - We'll write it underneath. - We'll package deal, right? - We'll package deal Dreymon and Joe Flagan. - I'll put Dreymon up there. - Because here's the thing, right? Eventually, that team's going to, you know, those guys are all going to get old. It's the same that Klase, Niggas old, Niggas old, Niggas old. You mean like they're eventually going to be out of the game? - They're eventually going to be out of the game, right? And Joe Flagan's going to be holding that team. They got that nice arena. - Hey man. - And what do you have to show for? - Valks, Valks, baby. Valks is my way of title this year. - That's not, wait, wait. - No, that's not my fifth pick, bro, I still got one more, baby. - We're just going to put them underneath. - We're going to put them together. - Put them underneath. - This is a package deal. - That's a lake of Joe Flagan. - Green, really, this is the warrior's safest. And the sense of, they wasted the end years of Steph Curry on my two-time mind stuff. You had the chance to get there in years wasted. And I said that with Curry, but here's the thing though. You know, normally they don't have another two-pick in the draft, right? To go and get like a Lamello or a Tyree Salaburn. Instead, you pick James Weissman, how'd that go? Poorly, right? And that you could, you know. - That was a basketball decision though. - Right. You could put that on the shoulders of Bob Myers as well. But Joe Lake, but Joe Lake was the guy. - Wasn't that the right draft pick for them though? No, I mean, it wasn't the right draft pick in retrospect, but in the moment, no. - Well, in the moment. - They could also trade it. - They could have traded it, but in the moment, if you weren't going to trade it, weren't you going to grab somebody in the post being that you were set with the splashed brothers in the backboard? - No. - So you go, so you go get Lamello. - Go get Lamello. - I don't know, Lamello. I'm not, I'm gonna see that. - You go get Tyreece. That could have been great. Like Tyreece could have been great. That is a different brand of basketball. - Also, well, no Tyreece is going to be this. - Right. He at the, I recall. - At two, it would have been a stretch to draft it. Maybe at two, but. - Could have traded it. - Maybe, maybe trade it. Could have traded it. Maybe you should have traded it. - They tried to, they tried to have it both ways. - How are Beck is, is said you should have traded all that shit. Traded all of it, traded all the way. All the young guys, moody, pack your stuff. That's what, that's what Beck says. - But it's, you know, he's the expert. - But it's in a similar vein of the Pat Riley stuff, pre-ionist where I'm in trying to get AD. They're always in conversation to trade for another big fish. - This is the thing about the other warriors and the NBA at large. And this new day and age, you need to be willing and motherfucking dealing around your stars. - Yeah. - Yes, the lesson that everyone needs to know. And he did not do that. - I'll say something else about just the holding on to the glory days. In 1990, I guess, eight, it was. I can't remember when the last Bulls championship was in '98. - '98. - '98, the Chicago Bulls won their last championship. That is a team that featured Dennis Robin, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippin. And since then, the Chicago Bulls have not in any way been a team when you are in your golden era. When you are in the golden era of your franchise, and you know it's your golden era, and this is clearly the golden era of the warriors, right? - The golden state era. When you are in that era, and you know that you are in it, you squeeze the life out of it. - And the words of YG brothers that they made me will make another me. - Well, I'm telling you, it happens for the legacy franchises. - Yeah. - But the warriors are not a legacy. - It is much more difficult to pull off than what you think. - Now, the question is whether or not they even did a good job at that because you can't have it both ways. If it's all about Steph Dre and Clay, then you trade everything around them to make sure. But the Bulls cut that off and was like, hey, let's go youth movement, Tim Floyd, all of this stuff happening, and then that was it. - Yeah. - And they've had to fight with it. You know, they've had to fight with it, but it hasn't been that. - Also, Dremont is there because, you know, you know, I wanna say this 'cause you know he's full of shit sometimes. - Right. - You know, I mean, I'm in various group chats with him. - For like five minutes. - No. - He was, he was ready for Dre Mon on the mid level exception. And like 2022, 2023. No, he was like, yo, man, in the middle of the day, he will take him off your hands. That's what he was saying. - That's not what I said. - That's what he said. I will look at the text. - Matter of fact, we have to, we're pressed for time. Go ahead. - Dre Mon Green is one of the most valuable players in NBA history. - Absolutely. But it's your turn. Who is your, Jason Taylor? - I think that'll be good for him. - Hot take. - Jason Taylor. - He wants to turn heel, I think that'll be good for him. - Jason Taylor, gotta be the villain now. - Gotta be. - It's actually a positive villain. - Yeah, this is a light skinned dark skin worse. - Who? - We draw one, don't we? - Let's not do that. Let's not do that. - No, what do you mean? - Him? - We got three different shades. We got all the way a little bit and black in the blecks. - Okay, okay. - All right. - Well, this is what, this is what we got the diaspora. - We're already the higher learn of the ringer NBA feed. Now we're just like, we've had a stamp tonight. - So what I'm saying is Jason Taylor, bro. If you don't ball out this year, dog, you're gonna annoy the shit out of me. All of this shit we've been going through. - 'Cause everybody was saying, that Jason Tatum was the one, he's the one you always pick, he's the one you always do if everybody was ever a chance, put him up, that's who you pick. Yeah, I, I, the Peyton Pritchard area begins now. No, I'm just joking. But you, you're not actually, but I'm saying Jason Tatum, this is his, this is his time. He got to do it. I, for some reason, can't quite get there with Jason Tatum, but this is the season to me that's going to, what does he have to say in the presser? What does he have to do? Or do you like to you to be impressive? What do you want to see? I don't see. It's such a great question. Yeah. He's just, I, I can't, and maybe I'm not a smart enough basketball guy. There's something missing. Yeah. It's, it's, it's, there's, I don't know how to articulate it. There's, there's something missing. Yeah. People see it all the time. Like, there's, for whatever reason, you see, you, you watch him hoop and you feel like, okay, this is a complete basketball player. He scores, he rebounds, he defends. But to your point, there's a, there's a reason he's not like MVP conversations, right? He's, he can play like on his best days, be one of the top five guys to the league. But maybe he's not stringing enough together to the point where we're like, yes, we got to chabby him. Think about it. It comes out of it two years later. And we're already like, ask the best to guard and lead. Yeah, I think also like, I think there's also something to say to just like the marketing apparatus around him where he's not very interesting. He's has all the wins. He has all the accolades. He doesn't have, I don't think he doesn't have an MVP, but he has all the accolades yet the championship. He has a lot of stuff that Ant doesn't have, but Ant has the risk. But Ant's the best, but maybe like who's the best maker player? You go and in real like, is it, is it? And got time on that team USA. Um, okay, my turn. I think that's my time. I think that is my turn. I think we just have to discuss it. That I'm silver. That was, I was going to go there. You were going to go there. That I'm silver. Where's that? I'm just, this is some of the discussion point. Where is Adam silver? In the discourse between you guys. Where do you guys feel? Adam silver is the, Adam silver is like, she's got two wins and like a million losses and both of his wins have come against the clippers and the Donald Sterling debacle and the Steve Balmond thing. Outside of that, one of the worst commissioner sports as ever. Why? Why? Why? So he gets the lip right in 2014. Right. His first year as commissioner, um, David Stern recipes for tires and he comes out and he's like, I talked to David Stern on the phone. Really? How was that conversation? Man. So we used to have this system at TMZ to where we could look at phone numbers. There are two, there are two people that I call, there are two people that I call and they were legitimately like, yo, how the hell you get this? Yep. One was the owner of the Seattle store. I called her for, I can't remember which one is three ladies on the team or something like that. And I call call somebody for comment on something and she said no comment. Whatever. Then she goes, can I ask a question? How in the heck did you get this number? And I was like, oh, we have a thing. That sounds like what I think the, the PR person for you have a Seattle store. No, this is one of the owners of the store. Yeah. That's that exactly what. And so during this entire thing, like the entire Donald Sterling thing, which TMZ was on the forefront of like the forefront of we broke it. Yeah. It's looking for David Stern, looking to talk to David Stern. And I use the service. And I see a number I call David Stern. He answers the phone. Like he's on the other day of the phone. Hey, it was Vandellator from TMZ about they say, whoa, wait, what? How'd you get this number? And I'm like, well, we have a service that we use about why he was like, oh, okay, he's like, all right, what do you want? Yeah. And I was like, well, I was wondering what you thought about the Adam Silver and Donald Sterling, and he talked to me, he goes, I'm not going to give you a comment because there's a new commissioner and this commissioner is fully empowered to handle this. He's a great guy for the job. And he gave this like glowing statement about Adam Silver, talked about how Adam Silver could get it done and all of this stuff. But he's like, you can't use any of that because I'm not talking to you, but he just gave you a conversation. But he gave me, I think it was maybe like two or three minutes of it. And then after I said that they were like, type it up, let's run it. I was like, no, he said that he wanted to buy car, call them on the phone. He talked, but he was like at his house, like a landline. Just saying, that's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. What name, like something that Adam Silver has done that's made the league better since he's been made money for the league, man, made money for the team for the owners. That's who he works for. It literally is job. Guys, and you know what I mean? So you guys like, I'm not, I'm not. You guys know what I mean? Like what do you, what do you, what do you gauge as, as like Roger can tell is the, is the comp, right? Like what would a good owner do? What would a good, not owner? What a, what would a good commissioner do? Good owner would like the opposite of Kathy. A good, a good commissioner, not owner. Commissioner, good commissioner. What a good commissioner. A good commissioner. He stir them through a pandemic, bro. The bubble is a, the bubble is a gigantic achievement. I'm not capable for. So you guys are absolutely like worse than history, worse than history. I'm asking you what makes him so bad. Gary Batman is also terrible. Oh, that motherfucker is the poster child. Gary Batman's bad. We're back commissioners. I would argue that the MLS commission is also terrible. Man, what do Roger can also also awful. But who's made, who's made his bosses a ton of money? Roger, no. That's true. I mean, I, but I'm not capable for that in the, I'm talking about my game. Okay. So what, what, what, what, what's the metric though? The math for me is that in the 30 years that David Stern was the commissioner of the league. Groot, I know it's like a, it's different errors. He's part of the game, you know, I'm going to call it, can't believe I'm blanking on the word expansion. Yeah. Right. Like, also move, move teams from Vancouver to Memphis. I'll say he lost the, he lost the song. Moved Charlotte to New Orleans. And all that's in all that stuff. But legitimately, when I'm like the NBA cup is a cool, it's like, like if that's your big eye, you don't like some of the, I don't like, I don't like a lot of stuff. And some of the stuff, you're talking about as a fan. As a fan like, and this is like really stupid and really silly. But logos, the NBA logos used to be different. Right. Now, if you want to redesign your logo, it has to be a circle because he wants it, like, sacrificed. Yeah. Right. Everything is optimized. Not for the absolute decision. Yeah. Okay. It's for, it's because of branding. It's for, it's for money. The owners are making all the, all the money. The owners are looking at this. Like, yeah, I'm so, even grateful us before the fans, when you guys think about the game. Yeah. Over the last 12, 12 years has the game improved. It's been come more optimized. And these criticisms or criticisms of lay stage capitalism. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. But, and but he's the post Trump for that. Yeah. So I don't, I don't know what you guys want me to say other than like, I'm watching the games. I've, I love, I love basketball. Basketball is my first sports love. I love the Lakers. I love basketball. This is my everything. Right. And when I look at the, and I know I'm going to sound really old man when I say this. No, I just turned 30. But this is a real old man stuff right now. It's not my game anymore, brother. It's not, it's not for love of the game. It's all about the bread now. And I think that's that he's part of that. He's part of that. Yeah. Oh, one more. You got my last one. I was good. You're going to, you're going to end it on, end it on one. Does CBA count as Adam sulfur? Yeah. But that's not him. That's actually, you know, that was the great negotiation on behalf of the Irish. Oh, in that case, and actually, yeah, let's see. You never come. Wow. Wow. You never come. Um, what you did to my league, uh, indefensible. Uh, he was the, uh, he was the, uh, one of the NBA press Association. When, uh, the new CBA was, uh, ratified. And, uh, what you've done to my league, which is like the CBA four teams, like talk about what happened to Boston, right? They win the championship in 2023. You got to disperse the whole team because the tax bills too high. You can't play, though, you can't pay those guys under the, the new CBA. Same thing happen with Denver, right? It's going to happen to OKC at some point. Uh, sooner, actually, OKC might be fine. And the spurs in the future, it'll, oh, come for everybody. Essentially, you bet a good, a good team. You can't even build teams anymore the way he used to. And, and I will add to that, um, basically, like, uh, crunch the numbers. So like, it's hard for players now to get paid. They're like, he kind of just, he messed it up for both like teams and players. The middle class of squeeze is now, these are restricted free agents used to get brand hard. It's tough. Jalen Durham. Sorry, brother. It's not, it's not, it's not happening for you. It's not, if you be dog, either take the money, actually, tell the dirt. Well, I got a second brother. How you doing, man? Like, you good? Everything's good. Take the money. Take the money because that nine point six you've been to play on this year, brother. It's not worth it to go to Sacramento. No less brother. Take the back. But part of that is the CBA and where it's at. And it's, it's not actually CJA McCulloch's fault. But like he is the most child for that. So, but at the end of the day, man, you look at the league and how it's built. People like say parody is good for the league. No, it's not dominant. Every, every league has gotten bigger and better because a team starts winning. We start hating. And then it just cycles over and over again. This one, like what? Since 2019, a new team was won every year. That's fun. Everybody feels like they got a chance, but the end of the day, that's not are growing the game and so they need to figure that out. Sorry, you had to wear a CJ. - You need to figure out how to consolidate talent and power to a couple of different franchises. - Just the Lakers really, that's all I'm gonna say. (laughing) - Yo man, it's gonna pleasure, man. You know I love you guys, man. Thank you guys so much. Yo man, did it around. That is the Van Lathen, and this is the beginning of Real Wins, 2020 Chicks, 2020, 27 season. We have a whole bunch of programming coming your way in the coming weeks, and then me, Raja, and Howard Mother, fucking Beck. - Peace. - I'm gonna take the reins and hold it down. It's gonna be a great season. Thank you all so much. Hala, peace, bye. (upbeat music) [BLANK_AUDIO]