Nick Wright reacts to rumors that LeBron James may be traded from the Los Angeles Lakers after just half a season alongside Luka Doncic. Nick breaks down why he finds it ridiculous that LeBron is not commanding the same attention on the trade market as Kevin Durant did before his trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets. Did LeBron send LA a warning with his reaction, or lack of a reaction, to the Lakers acquiring Deandre Ayton? Later, Nick breaks down why it is ridiculous for people to rank Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen or Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson higher than Patrick Mahomes heading into the 2025 NFL season. Nick also explains why people who are doubting his Kansas City Chiefs clearly don't know what they are talking about. #Volume
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the best of the week for What's Right
with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this
week on the show Enjoy Soul.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Lebron opted into his fifty two million dollar contract, and
then came the trade rumors. Rich Paul came out with
a statement and said, Lebron knows the Lakers are building
for the future. He understands that, but he values a
realistic chance of winning it all. You thought they were
going to come away with a sinner. They ended up
hitting DeAndre Hayton, who was a sinner. Yeah, but something
about this whole process.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Has been peeing you off. Do you care to share
with the Audien? Yes? So, I have just been mystified
at the combination of misinformation, disingenuous commentary, and almost huffing
(00:54):
and puffing from the media, Like, ah, I guess we're
four first to talk about Lebron again. What the fuck
else has happened in free agency? The Kevin Durant trade
that all of us knew was coming, that we that
we talked about. That that was awesome, that was exciting.
(01:14):
Other than that, it's been the deadest free agent agency imaginable.
One team at cap space. It was the nets. They
they decided to use it just to take other teams
bad contracts. Sham's was telling us a month ago this
could be the craziest offseason ever. Nothing's happened other than
(01:35):
the Durant move. The most notable move is Norman Powell
getting traded to Miami. Norman Powell, who, by the way,
oddly enough, the only time Norman Powell's been discussed on
regularly on podcasts and TV shows aside from once focused
on the Clippers was a different Lebron James thing when
(01:56):
people were like, oh, what did anyone think of Norman
Powe and his all Star spot? If Lebron knew he
wasn't gonna play and so but but I'm listening to
and reading folks basically be like, all right, I guess
will feed the content and engagement monster and have the boring,
(02:20):
tired discussion of could Lebron James be traded? You mean
the greatest player of all time? Or you know what?
Do not argue with, folks, the at worst second greatest
player of all time who's never been traded, who is
open now potentially to being traded. That's a boring discussion.
(02:43):
We'd rather talk about the Pacers losing Miles Turner because
they don't want to pay the tax because Halliburton got hurt.
That's what we'd rather talk about, Cam Whitmore for two
second round picks, Like what are we doing? This is
and it's not lost on me today, this very moment
is the fifteen year anniversary. I didn't know that until
(03:07):
I saw an article wading about it this morning. Today's
the fifteen year anniversary of the decision, which means we've
had fifteen years of enhanced more, round the clock, more,
twelve month a year, three hundred and sixty five day
(03:28):
NBA transaction interest, from player empowerment, to the owners trying
to rustle it back, super Team's homegrown, all of it.
It came because Lebron and Maverick put together a TV
show and changed the whole paradigm. And fifteen years later,
(03:49):
he's still one of, if not the most interesting person
in the league, and folks who cover the league for
a living seem almost resentful that this is a story.
So I don't understand that. But that's I guess a
matter of taste. That's a personal preference, so be it.
(04:10):
But then there is what I considered the outright misinformation
might be too strong, especially in today's climate, but just
misleading and incorrect. I guess opinions on Lebron's money and
(04:30):
Lebron's value and Lebron's impact on winning, because here's what
I know. Last year we played, we had an offseason.
By the way, we're in the Olympics. They had a
whole All the best players in the world came together
in Paris to play a basketball tournament, and then they
(04:54):
voted on who was the most Valuable player in that tournament,
and it was Lebron James. Now, I argue you could
have gone co MVPs because Lebron carried the team up
until the final, and then Steph was so utterly brilliant
in the semifinal and the final. If you want to
split the baby, so be it. That's fine. But he
won the MVP of that. Then this year, we had
(05:16):
a whole NBA season, and then the entirety of basketball
media voted on awards, and after this season, if your
name was not Shay Gilgess, Alexander nikola Jokic, Giannis Antena Koumpo,
Jason Tatum, or Donovan Mitchell, basketball media said you were
(05:36):
not as valuable as Lebron James. Those are the five
guys that finished higher on MVP voting. Those are the
five guys who received more First Team All NBA votes.
That's the entire list, Not Steph, not Kawhi, not Durant,
not who's the younger guys that I'm leaving out, not Kid,
(05:58):
not Halliburton in the regular season. He obviously came on
huge in the postseason. None of those guys we had
an awards. We had a season sixth most First Team
All NBA votes, sixth most, sixth in the MVP voting.
(06:19):
And the reason I bring that up is then the
discussion around Lebron James being the thirteenth highest paid player was, well,
doesn't Lebron understand that a huge impediment to winning is
his salary? In what world? In what world is the
(06:41):
league's I don't know all be conservative eighth best player
being the thirteenth highest paid player an impediment to winning.
We just saw the Golden State Warriors trade for and
then extend Jimmy Butler, and the narrative surrounding that is
(07:05):
that open steps championship window. Jimmy Butler makes more money
than Lebron and is worse than Lebron. They say it again,
but no, I'm talking about the right now, the right now,
because by the way, I would bet Lebron's got as
many all NBA caliber seasons, more All NBA caliber seasons
(07:29):
left in him than Jimmy Butler does. Jimmy Butler's done
being an All NBA player. Lebron was last year, and
Steph and Lebron probably have about the same amount of
seasons left, give or take. And I'm talking about the
here and the now. People thought that the Warriors made
a great move giving Jimmy Butler that money, and it's
(07:54):
a touch more than Lebron makes, and he's a worse player,
great player, but a worst player. He like, in what
universe is Lebron James making less than Karl Anthony Towns
and the same as Paul George a bad contract, not
(08:15):
a world where he was second team All NBA and
sixth in MVP voting. So there's that piece of it
that if you're the seventh or eighth best player in
the sport and you're the thirteenth highest paid player in
the sport, you're on a bargain contract, then there was
this piece of it, Well, if he was really focused
(08:38):
on winning, he should have taken less to help the Lakers.
And that was that is a understandable opinion by fans
and a just abhorrent job by the media in perpetuating
that because Ron James, if he had cut his salary
(09:03):
demons from fifty if he had opted out of the
fifty two and said, you know what, I'll play for twiny,
you know how much cap space that opens up for
the Los Angeles Lakers zero dollars, not a penny, because
they're that far over the cap already. If Lebron James
had said I'll go from fifty two million to the
(09:28):
league minimum, it would have opened up roughly ten million
dollars in cap space for the Lakers. Ten million bucks.
So this idea that the Lakers could have been these
major players in free agency if Lebron had simply taken
a discount is belied by just the facts. And it's
(09:52):
also it's also, and we all know this is true,
a disingenuous to discussion because had Lebron, let's say Lebron
opted out and said, I'm going to be a free
agent and guess what, guys, I'm going to play for
the minimum, the entire conversation would be about stacking the deck, unfair,
(10:18):
faking like that. So there was him simply saying, I
don't know, I'm the thirteenth ice paid guy in the league.
I'm probably pretty underpaid. And that's even before you consider
all of the off court stuff that I bring to
the table. So yeah, I'll just play for my fifty
(10:39):
million is more than totally reasonable? Was there?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Like, so you have to but he opted into the contract,
Like what would his other options have been?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
He could have opted out and been a free agent.
He could have opted out and been a free agent
and signed anywhere for the literally any where for the
league minimum and leave fifty million on the table or
a lot of places for the mid level, which is
about fourteen million bucks. And the only team that could
(11:13):
have signed him for more than fourteen million dollars would
have been the Nets, which would have made no sense.
So those were go ahead? And why did he not
do that?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Are you saying, like because he thought the Lakers were
going to do a better job with secure in a
better SAE.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Well, yeah, I mean I think it's a I don't
think there is a perfect solution here for you know what,
they're trying to accomplish all these things. And I'm a
big believer of you can't have everything you want in life,
and sometimes, like you, you know, you have to make
(11:46):
trade offs. I'm not sitting here arguing that the Lakers
owe him something more than they owe Luca, which is
to try to win a damn chancepion chip this season.
And I'll get to the Lakers piece of it in
a minute. I'm not saying that there is a perfect
(12:07):
solution for what he's trying to accomplish. What I'm saying
is the narrative that a huge impediment to winning is
you know, when you pay a player way more than
he's worth, that's gonna hurt you. Like the example of
(12:30):
people use is you know, Kobe at the end when
Lebron was, according to NBA voters, which I am not,
was the sixth best player in the league last year.
So that part is to me just erroneous. Then there
is the Okay, you've made over a billion dollars, you
(12:52):
want the Lakers to be more competitive, take less money
Dirk style and give them flexibility. When you look at
it that him taking less money would not have given
them any flexibility. And then there is this other part
of it which I mentioned on TV yesterday, and it
(13:17):
was the way it was captioned made it seem like
more of a shot at Durant than I wanted it
to be. But I said what I said, which was
and this is the part to me demans that I
find no one can explain this to me correctly, nobody.
(13:40):
Do who do you think right right now this moment,
And there's no wrong answer here to monse because you
might disagree with me. Who do you think right now
this moment is better Durant or Lebron? And do you
think it's close in either direction?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Offensively, I'd say Kevin Durant. But as far as who's
a better player, the better players just yeah, better all around.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
I'd have to give it to Lebron. But it's either way,
it's pretty close, probably, right, yeah, exactly, like the like
if one guy's the eighth best player in the league,
the other guy's the tenth best player in the league
or nine to twelve or whatever. Right, So I and
despite the age, I think we can agree that Lebron
(14:26):
is the more durable player has been Like you know
what I mean? Lebron is less likely to miss thirty
games with an injury. That's just that's not a matter
of opinion. We just we just know it. Okay. So
here's what I don't understand. Kevin Durant was available for trade,
(14:53):
and the media lost its mind. Who should go after him?
These are the teams Rant doesn't want, the Minnesota Should
Minnesota trade for him? Anyway? If you trade for him,
do you just do you want to just give him
a contract? The Rockets were the two seed, gave up
their leading scorer, a valuable defender who I don't like
(15:14):
in Dylan Brooks, and the tenth pick of the draft,
and everyone's reaction was like, what a great job by
the Rockets. They might win the title. A guy who
at the very least is as good as Durant and
I think a touch better is available potentially, and the
same media is like, who fucking want him? I mean, really,
(15:36):
it doesn't make any sense. That's what I don't understand.
Like last year, last year, Lebron was better than Steph.
They are similar, and Lebron's older, but again like the
kind of similar port places in their career. Steps team
was in twenty four and twenty five when they traded
(15:58):
for Jimmy Butler, you felt like it made them contenders.
They lost to the Timberwolves and five in the playoffs.
Lebron's team was hanging on to the three four seed.
They trade for Luca you felt like it made them contenders.
They lost to the Timberwolves and five in the playoffs.
That's like they had after very similar Olympics, very similar seasons.
(16:19):
They Lebron finished hire an MVP and all NBA voting,
But it was very close. Right If Steph Curry had
released a statement like I don't know about the future
of the Warriors and people thought he might be available,
it would be a full stop freakout about what teams
(16:39):
should package, what things to try to get him. And
we just saw it happened with Durant when last year
Lebron was better than both those guys, and the collective
reaction is well, I guess maybe maybe a team or
two should make a courtesy call and a collective eye
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Speaker 1 (19:09):
So Aiden is.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Getting settled in in La, getting all comfy and all that.
Luca sent him a welcome message, you know, welcome to
La DeAndre. Aiden decided to play with you next year.
Lebron James not said anything to him though. Is there
something to read into here?
Speaker 1 (19:27):
It's not nothing? Yeah, uh so this DeAndre did this
interview two days ago, I think one whatever it was,
the interview that he did, we played a piece of
(19:49):
on the TV show yesterday, and we did not play
this piece because it was a radio interview in La
and I, you know, I had I didn't know that
this was said. So credit to whomever clipped this and
you know, posted it, because I didn't. I hadn't listened
(20:11):
to the full fifteen minute or whatever radio interview it was,
and so I had only seen kind of what had
made mainstream, so to speak. But I saw this and
I was like, oh, well, that's something. So And the
(20:32):
reason it's something is because it is either how do
I phrase this properly, Lebron's not gonna be there? Well,
to me, it's not that is so that is by
no means like, oh lock it in because of that this,
(20:56):
but it certainly added a little more fuel to the
idea that Lebron James might not be a Laker next year.
That it's that so famously or I shouldn't. I don't
know if it's famous, but at least to me, it
is Lebron when he announced he was going back to Cleveland,
(21:21):
and he did it with Lee Jenkins. In an SI article,
he listed all the guys he was excited to be
playing with with the Caps, and he had not listed
number one overall pick from a week prior, Andrew Wiggins.
(21:43):
And one way to read that was the article was
written before the draft, or that he was you know,
he was only thinking about or including the active veterans.
And another way to look at it was Lebron exp
did that they would be trading Wiggins as part of
(22:03):
getting a veteran win now guy, and that is exactly
and so he did not want to include Andrew Wiggins
when he did not think he was ever going to
be playing with Andrew Wiggins, which is exactly what they did.
So here are before I give my opinion on what
I think this actually is, let's lay out all of
(22:27):
the available options for this and we can, you know,
put a percentage on each of them at the end.
Option one busy guy forgot. Let's like again, like these
are not power ranked in order. I'm just saying, if
we want to lay out all of the possibilities, right,
(22:50):
Option one Busy guy forgot. I guess Option two is
not that Busy didn't forget, but has some feud with
DeAndre eight we didn't know about, and he's furious about
this trade. I would say of all these, that's probably
the least likely. I think if there was a DeAndre
eight and Lebron beef, we would have known about it right.
Option three he did and DeAndre didn't see the text.
(23:15):
Deandre's wrong because he said Luca texted him and Lebron
didn't so at night and he didn't say anyone talked
to him on the phone. They missed the text. Got
so many texts that you know, when the news broke
that he got a text from a number that he
didn't have, it was like, yo, congrats man, let's get
it and he was like, okay, whatever, and it turns
(23:35):
out that's Lebron James. Again, these are not power ranked
in order. I'm just trying to lay out all of
the available possibilities. Those first three, by the way, slim
to very very slim, but they're on the possibilities all
right now. The more salacious ones that Lebron does not
(24:03):
want to tell DeAndre Ayton excited to play with you
when he does not know if he will be playing
with him, and then the last option is Lebron wants
to expect to be playing with DeAndre Ayton, but wants
(24:27):
to keep maximum pressure on the Lakers to make every
move possible to make their team better going into this year,
and the only leverage he has over them right now
is the specter of well maybe I don't think I'm
(24:47):
going to be on this team. That to me, those
are the those five possibilities cover you know, ninety nine
percent of the call it one hundred percent of what
the reason could be. Here's how I would apply the
(25:10):
likelihood of each my first draft pick of that would
be Lebron thinks he's going to be on the Lakers,
did not reach out to DeAndre because he had a
feeling it would be become public that he had not
yet reached out to DeAndre and wants to keep the
(25:31):
pressure on Rob Polenka to continue to improve the roster, which,
if we're being honest, they have had a underwhelming off season.
On that note, if I may, then I'll get back
to the percentage's parts. Because Brew and I got into
this yesterday. Going into this off season, we felt like
(25:55):
the Lakers. It was an absolute lock and mandatory that
they upgrade the center position. They did do that, and
they did that in an interesting way where they didn't
have to give up assets, where it didn't cost them
a lot of money, and the talent upside is quite high.
But it's also a guy who's six years into his
(26:17):
career has been unreliable and not that mature and really
alienated teammates and coaches.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
So I really think Lebron James is like, man, y'all
got DeAndre and that's not the center I wanted.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
I'm not texting him, I'm not welcome. Oh it's got
to the team. Oh so youth. Oh so you think,
oh I should have included that one. I guess as
a good Lebron is Lebron is pissed that it was
a Yeah, Oh so I didn't. Actually, So the reason
I didn't even think of that, but that's obvious. I
definitely should have. I guess that's kind of that, you know,
(26:52):
in the lock of de Thief. Oh yeah, for sure.
So here's the reason that I'm I don't put a
pin in that real quick, and let me finish this
other thought. Then we'll get to that one. Because that's good.
I'm glad you mentioned that one. So they did get
(27:15):
a center, and we can argue about if it was
their best option, if it was the best of bad options,
whatever it is. But the rest of the roster not
only remained basically unchanged, but got to touch worse because
switching out Dorian Finney Smith for Jake Lauravia is at
the very least in the short term of downgrade and
(27:36):
so there would be real frustration there. So I would
put Lebron expects to be a Laker but wants to
keep the screws on the Lakers to continue to make
moves as the reason for him not reaching out. I
would put that at sixty five percent. I think that
(27:59):
is the biggest percentage here. I would put Lebron didn't
reach out because he does not think he's going to
be a Laker next year at twenty percent. I think
there is a one in five shot right now that
(28:21):
Lebron thinks, yeah, I'm not going to be on the team. Now,
that's not that's that's not huge, but it's not nothing.
It's you know, more likely than rolling a single die
and rolling a six or any number on the die,
(28:42):
any particular number on the die, so sixty five percent
he's trying to keep the pressure on him. Twenty percent
he he doesn't think he's going to be there. I
will give Demons's he you know this is not the
(29:02):
player he wanted and therefore he didn't reach out at
five percent. I will certainly massively upgrade Demonse's theory if
we found out he did reach out to Jake Laavia,
if like he was like, yo, man, let's get it,
(29:23):
then then your likelihood is way way higher. I will
put it at busy guy just didn't do it at
five percent, and that leaves what oh, that leaves five
more percent left, and I will put it at he
did reach out. DeAndre Ayton didn't have the number saved
(29:45):
and did not know it was Lebron who was like,
why is this person texting me with a crown at
four percent, and I will put there is a long
standing maybe base, maybe out of loyalty to his buddy
crisp All DeAndre Ayton beef at one percent. So that's
(30:06):
that's how I handicap this whole thing. It's not nothing though,
that's my takeaway. It's not nothing, and I I am
interested in the next time could you know, because you
know what's also not nothing? Demanse if we're doing the
(30:27):
not nothing meter. The Lakers who sent out a bunch
of press releases about a bunch of offseason moves. The
Lakers not sending out a press release about Lebron opting
into his player option. That's also not nothing. Now does
(30:49):
that mean it's everything at no? No, no no. This
press releases come from the team, like your official press
release is released by the team and sent to all
NBA media. The most you want to know, the most
famous NBA press release ever. Hold on, I gotta, I gotta.
I want to quote it to you exactly. This is
(31:10):
an all time one. So pat Riley, who's never my
light just fell? Do I still look? Okay? I hope?
So the so pat Riley un official in Miami Heat
letterhead sent out to the league, league comes and everyone
(31:32):
covering the league after Danny Ainge took a shot at
pat Riley. So this is so let me give you
the background. Danny Ainge till Boston is twenty thirteen, Danny
Angelo Boston radio station WEI that Lebron James had no
(31:57):
cause to challenge officials for failing to classify fouls assessed
Kirk Heinrich and Taj Gibson as flagrant. He said, quote,
I think the referees got the calls right. I don't
think it was a hard foul. I think the one
involving Lebron against Boozer that was a flagrant. I think
the officials got it right. I think that it's almost
(32:17):
embarrassing that Lebron would complain about officiating and the So
Danny Ainge, who was running the Celtics, comments on the
radio about something that was happening between the Heat and
the Bulls. So pat Riley has the Miami Heat press
(32:39):
office type up an official press release that reads, and
I quote, Danny Ainge needs to shut the fuck up
and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner
going when he was playing, and I know that because
I coached against him. End of statement. I like, at
all time, at all time, all take the fine, but
(33:05):
I've never liked this guy. I coached against him, we
now play against him. And I quote Danny Ainge needs
to shut the fuck up and manage his own team.
He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing,
and I know that because I coached against him. Oh
my goodness, gracious, Danny ains then again, I don't know
(33:27):
why we're doing this. Aine then replies, I stand by
what I said. That's all. I don't care about pat Riley.
He can say whatever he wants. But this is just
Danny Ainge talking. This isn't a press release. This is
Danny Ainge. And then Aine added, I don't want to
mess up his Armani suits and all that hair goop.
It would be way too expensive for me. And so
(33:52):
I mean, this is a that's so sorry about that.
I mean, pat Riley's just such a legend. I mean,
he's just sucking y'all. I remember when that came out
and I was like, I didn't even know that was
like a loud like in official communications. I guess, you
know what a simpler time. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
So Holmes wants to get past that Super Bowl loss
and get that nasty taste out of his mouth, and
he's it's also getting tired of all the talk, saying
that he wants to just settle all this on the
football field. This is another thing that really annoyed you,
which I'm curious what the angle is here?
Speaker 1 (34:29):
What what pg off? Well, it's not no, no, no,
his comments didn't annoy me last week, which was so,
here's the deal. If someone wants to have the courage
to come out and be like, you know what, you know,
(34:53):
here's a take, free take for someone who wants it. Okay,
It's just sometimes sometimes I'm disappointed in uh my industry
because there are these I can see these. I'm like, oh,
that would be a good take. I don't believe it.
(35:16):
But no one has made had this take, and it's
right there, and I know it would cut through the
noise and you could establish yourself with it, and no one,
no one, no one has said it. Now, I don't
believe this. This is not my take. So consider this
like the sports take version of developing some type of
(35:44):
vaccine or cure for something and be like, we're not
patenting it. Anyone can copy it free for the world
public use. Here's a take. The last few years, Patrick
Mahomes has pretty clearly not been judged based on his numbers.
(36:08):
He's been judged based on the fact that his team wins,
that he is a leader, that he plays his best
in the biggest spots, and that is how he has
held onto the best quarterback alive Moniker despite the fact
that his two biggest conference rivals, Josh Allen Lamar Jackson,
(36:34):
have both won league in vps in this time and
if that has allowed Mahomes to climb to the top
of the quarterback mountain, then the exact same standard should
(36:55):
be used to evaluate Jalen Hurts and Jail Who's never
missed the playoffs, whose team wins double digit games every year,
who's been to two Super Bowls, been awesome in both.
Some would argue out played Mahomes in both, certainly in
(37:15):
this last one, and has done it with what you know,
let's call it, a polarizing coach and a polarizing receiver
in a tough city and now is coming off, you know,
leading an offense to damn near one hundred points combined
(37:37):
in the conference championship game in the Super Bowl and
puts his body on the line, doesn't care about his
passing numbers for the most unstoppable play in football. That
player the defending Super Bowl MVP. He's the best quarterback alive.
(37:59):
And take that take is again, I do not believe it,
but it doesn't have a ton of logical holes if
someone wanted to have it instead, these dopes want to
(38:26):
knock Mahomes off his perch of best quarterback in the league.
And they are doing it for one of three quarterbacks,
really one of two and mostly one of just one
who's never once out played him in a big spot.
(38:48):
It's the majority of quarterback rankings lists right now. I
have Josh Allen number one, which is hilarious and in
the file, and it is not an allowable take until
one time in a spot that matters. He it's not
(39:11):
a quarterback winsday he outplays Patrick, and the last two years,
one in his building, one in the Chiefs building, He's
had the ball in his hands, chance to go do it,
and it couldn't get forty yards either time, So that's
not allowed. Lamar can win every MVP from here until retirement,
and until he wins a single big game, it's obviously
(39:34):
not allowed. And Joe Burrow had outplayed Patrick in a
big spot, had a chance to really put a stake
in the heart of the Chiefs through fourth quarter interception
the conference championship game lost and hasn't been back to
the playoffs since, And the amount of people trying to
(39:58):
argue any one of those three guys has ascended past
Patrick because Patrick got beat by Jalen Arts and they
played poorly in the Super Bowl. It's the dumbest shit
I've ever heard. You then combine it with this whole
ooh to the Chiefs era over based on what that
(40:22):
they were just the second best team in football last year,
based on the fact that they just completed the best
three year stretch in the history of the league and
are tied for the best five and seven year stretches
in the history of the league. What is the what
is the piece of evidence you have, like, oh, this
might be the Broncos or Chargers year. There is none,
(40:45):
And so the again, the Eagles have bragging rights and
Jalen Hurts has bragging rights. And the Eagles have it
because they won as a team, and Jalen Hurts has
it because individually he played. You know, he was the
best quarterback on the field that Sunday. But these AFC
also rans that are being elevated because of what I
(41:12):
just I can't I can't deal with just one time
at one time? Can I just see? It's what I
said to that guy in Hawaii, the is guy I'm
walking I'm walking with the family down the boardwalk in
(41:32):
Honolulu and this guy walks up to me. It's like,
a man, this is Bill's country out here in my head,
I'm like, no, it's fucking not, man. It's actually I'm
not sure there's a place in the United States that
(41:54):
is that is further removed literally geographically but also spiritually
from Buffalo, New York as the boardwalk in Honolulu. Like,
first of all, it's just a bad take. Second of all,
get a life. I didn't say any of that. I'm like, okay,
(42:18):
nice to me. Like five minutes later, he runs me
down and was like, hey, man, I'm so sorry I
said that. Can I please get a picture? And I'm
like sure, so I take the picture. He's like yeah, man, thanks,
sorry about that, and I'm like sorry. But then I
(42:40):
couldn't resist because I was like, I'm with my wife
and kids like, so I was like, I was like,
hey and listen, man, one day you'll win a big game.
And I saw a look on his face and it's stung.
You know why. It's stung the same reason why when
people put up that picture of me and Mahome a
couple of parades ago, where I'm smiling and my nose
(43:03):
is casting a shadow on my teeth. It stings because
you know it's true. I'm like, damn, that is weird.
That is like a thing that most people like. It
shouldn't be physically possible, but it's a thing, or it
does cast a shadow like that sucks. But that's why
it stung him, because he knows it's true. And so
(43:27):
I just don't that I it is. It's really beyond
dumb to me, the every other let me add one
(43:49):
other thing. And I said this to Cowherd, and he
just laughed because he knew I was right, not just
like this year, but basically for all of modern NFL history.
(44:10):
If there is a team in a division that everyone
agrees the same team has the division's best quarterback and
the division's best coach, that team will be the pick
(44:31):
to win that division. If there's no debate, like it's
just like so, I'll give you an example. NFC West,
there's a debate is McVeigh or Shanahan the best coach?
And I guess for some there might be a debate
is perty or Stafford the best quarterback? Not to me,
but what like, there's it's not often there that it
(44:54):
is crystal clear on both but when it is, uh,
that team is everyone's picked to win the division and
the amount of people this year that are gonna pick
fucking bon Nicks, sorry for all the curse words today
to win that division. Or Justin Herbert who again, I
(45:15):
I don't I don't know if he's won a big
game since high school, and I have to look at
the high school. I don't think he did it Oregon.
I it's just it's just dumb, you know what.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
I just I just people get fickleed with the greatness.
I don't know if people just don't sometimes.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
But they think we have the next Trent Williams and
John Simmons. Oh boy, oh boy. Now that might be
a little strong. True Williams one of the greatest players
of all time. But if they just if Josh Simmons
just ends up being the tenth best tackle left tackle
in the league slightly above average, it is such a
(46:04):
I mean, Mahome has been to five Super Bowls. He
had a different starting left tackle in all five. It
would be just such a massive, massive wors line situation.
Yet right course of this, you know, the thing is
what's weird is the Chiefs had a really good guard
(46:24):
center guard O line this year. The tackle, it was
the worst tackle play he's had, and previously they had
they had been bat up the middle but good of
the like, and so it got really shaky by the
end of it.
Welcome to the best of the week for What's Right
with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this
week on the show Enjoy Soul.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Lebron opted into his fifty two million dollar contract, and
then came the trade rumors. Rich Paul came out with
a statement and said, Lebron knows the Lakers are building
for the future. He understands that, but he values a
realistic chance of winning it all. You thought they were
going to come away with a sinner. They ended up
hitting DeAndre Hayton, who was a sinner. Yeah, but something
about this whole process.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Has been peeing you off. Do you care to share
with the Audien? Yes? So, I have just been mystified
at the combination of misinformation, disingenuous commentary, and almost huffing
(00:54):
and puffing from the media, Like, ah, I guess we're
four first to talk about Lebron again. What the fuck
else has happened in free agency? The Kevin Durant trade
that all of us knew was coming, that we that
we talked about. That that was awesome, that was exciting.
(01:14):
Other than that, it's been the deadest free agent agency imaginable.
One team at cap space. It was the nets. They
they decided to use it just to take other teams
bad contracts. Sham's was telling us a month ago this
could be the craziest offseason ever. Nothing's happened other than
(01:35):
the Durant move. The most notable move is Norman Powell
getting traded to Miami. Norman Powell, who, by the way,
oddly enough, the only time Norman Powell's been discussed on
regularly on podcasts and TV shows aside from once focused
on the Clippers was a different Lebron James thing when
(01:56):
people were like, oh, what did anyone think of Norman
Powe and his all Star spot? If Lebron knew he
wasn't gonna play and so but but I'm listening to
and reading folks basically be like, all right, I guess
will feed the content and engagement monster and have the boring,
(02:20):
tired discussion of could Lebron James be traded? You mean
the greatest player of all time? Or you know what?
Do not argue with, folks, the at worst second greatest
player of all time who's never been traded, who is
open now potentially to being traded. That's a boring discussion.
(02:43):
We'd rather talk about the Pacers losing Miles Turner because
they don't want to pay the tax because Halliburton got hurt.
That's what we'd rather talk about, Cam Whitmore for two
second round picks, Like what are we doing? This is
and it's not lost on me today, this very moment
is the fifteen year anniversary. I didn't know that until
(03:07):
I saw an article wading about it this morning. Today's
the fifteen year anniversary of the decision, which means we've
had fifteen years of enhanced more, round the clock, more,
twelve month a year, three hundred and sixty five day
(03:28):
NBA transaction interest, from player empowerment, to the owners trying
to rustle it back, super Team's homegrown, all of it.
It came because Lebron and Maverick put together a TV
show and changed the whole paradigm. And fifteen years later,
(03:49):
he's still one of, if not the most interesting person
in the league, and folks who cover the league for
a living seem almost resentful that this is a story.
So I don't understand that. But that's I guess a
matter of taste. That's a personal preference, so be it.
(04:10):
But then there is what I considered the outright misinformation
might be too strong, especially in today's climate, but just
misleading and incorrect. I guess opinions on Lebron's money and
(04:30):
Lebron's value and Lebron's impact on winning, because here's what
I know. Last year we played, we had an offseason.
By the way, we're in the Olympics. They had a
whole All the best players in the world came together
in Paris to play a basketball tournament, and then they
(04:54):
voted on who was the most Valuable player in that tournament,
and it was Lebron James. Now, I argue you could
have gone co MVPs because Lebron carried the team up
until the final, and then Steph was so utterly brilliant
in the semifinal and the final. If you want to
split the baby, so be it. That's fine. But he
won the MVP of that. Then this year, we had
(05:16):
a whole NBA season, and then the entirety of basketball
media voted on awards, and after this season, if your
name was not Shay Gilgess, Alexander nikola Jokic, Giannis Antena Koumpo,
Jason Tatum, or Donovan Mitchell, basketball media said you were
(05:36):
not as valuable as Lebron James. Those are the five
guys that finished higher on MVP voting. Those are the
five guys who received more First Team All NBA votes.
That's the entire list, Not Steph, not Kawhi, not Durant,
not who's the younger guys that I'm leaving out, not Kid,
(05:58):
not Halliburton in the regular season. He obviously came on
huge in the postseason. None of those guys we had
an awards. We had a season sixth most First Team
All NBA votes, sixth most, sixth in the MVP voting.
(06:19):
And the reason I bring that up is then the
discussion around Lebron James being the thirteenth highest paid player was, well,
doesn't Lebron understand that a huge impediment to winning is
his salary? In what world? In what world is the
(06:41):
league's I don't know all be conservative eighth best player
being the thirteenth highest paid player an impediment to winning.
We just saw the Golden State Warriors trade for and
then extend Jimmy Butler, and the narrative surrounding that is
(07:05):
that open steps championship window. Jimmy Butler makes more money
than Lebron and is worse than Lebron. They say it again,
but no, I'm talking about the right now, the right now,
because by the way, I would bet Lebron's got as
many all NBA caliber seasons, more All NBA caliber seasons
(07:29):
left in him than Jimmy Butler does. Jimmy Butler's done
being an All NBA player. Lebron was last year, and
Steph and Lebron probably have about the same amount of
seasons left, give or take. And I'm talking about the
here and the now. People thought that the Warriors made
a great move giving Jimmy Butler that money, and it's
(07:54):
a touch more than Lebron makes, and he's a worse player,
great player, but a worst player. He like, in what
universe is Lebron James making less than Karl Anthony Towns
and the same as Paul George a bad contract, not
(08:15):
a world where he was second team All NBA and
sixth in MVP voting. So there's that piece of it
that if you're the seventh or eighth best player in
the sport and you're the thirteenth highest paid player in
the sport, you're on a bargain contract, then there was
this piece of it, Well, if he was really focused
(08:38):
on winning, he should have taken less to help the Lakers.
And that was that is a understandable opinion by fans
and a just abhorrent job by the media in perpetuating
that because Ron James, if he had cut his salary
(09:03):
demons from fifty if he had opted out of the
fifty two and said, you know what, I'll play for twiny,
you know how much cap space that opens up for
the Los Angeles Lakers zero dollars, not a penny, because
they're that far over the cap already. If Lebron James
had said I'll go from fifty two million to the
(09:28):
league minimum, it would have opened up roughly ten million
dollars in cap space for the Lakers. Ten million bucks.
So this idea that the Lakers could have been these
major players in free agency if Lebron had simply taken
a discount is belied by just the facts. And it's
(09:52):
also it's also, and we all know this is true,
a disingenuous to discussion because had Lebron, let's say Lebron
opted out and said, I'm going to be a free
agent and guess what, guys, I'm going to play for
the minimum, the entire conversation would be about stacking the deck, unfair,
(10:18):
faking like that. So there was him simply saying, I
don't know, I'm the thirteenth ice paid guy in the league.
I'm probably pretty underpaid. And that's even before you consider
all of the off court stuff that I bring to
the table. So yeah, I'll just play for my fifty
(10:39):
million is more than totally reasonable? Was there?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Like, so you have to but he opted into the contract,
Like what would his other options have been?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
He could have opted out and been a free agent.
He could have opted out and been a free agent
and signed anywhere for the literally any where for the
league minimum and leave fifty million on the table or
a lot of places for the mid level, which is
about fourteen million bucks. And the only team that could
(11:13):
have signed him for more than fourteen million dollars would
have been the Nets, which would have made no sense.
So those were go ahead? And why did he not
do that?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Are you saying, like because he thought the Lakers were
going to do a better job with secure in a
better SAE.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Well, yeah, I mean I think it's a I don't
think there is a perfect solution here for you know what,
they're trying to accomplish all these things. And I'm a
big believer of you can't have everything you want in life,
and sometimes, like you, you know, you have to make
(11:46):
trade offs. I'm not sitting here arguing that the Lakers
owe him something more than they owe Luca, which is
to try to win a damn chancepion chip this season.
And I'll get to the Lakers piece of it in
a minute. I'm not saying that there is a perfect
(12:07):
solution for what he's trying to accomplish. What I'm saying
is the narrative that a huge impediment to winning is
you know, when you pay a player way more than
he's worth, that's gonna hurt you. Like the example of
(12:30):
people use is you know, Kobe at the end when
Lebron was, according to NBA voters, which I am not,
was the sixth best player in the league last year.
So that part is to me just erroneous. Then there
is the Okay, you've made over a billion dollars, you
(12:52):
want the Lakers to be more competitive, take less money
Dirk style and give them flexibility. When you look at
it that him taking less money would not have given
them any flexibility. And then there is this other part
of it which I mentioned on TV yesterday, and it
(13:17):
was the way it was captioned made it seem like
more of a shot at Durant than I wanted it
to be. But I said what I said, which was
and this is the part to me demans that I
find no one can explain this to me correctly, nobody.
(13:40):
Do who do you think right right now this moment,
And there's no wrong answer here to monse because you
might disagree with me. Who do you think right now
this moment is better Durant or Lebron? And do you
think it's close in either direction?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Offensively, I'd say Kevin Durant. But as far as who's
a better player, the better players just yeah, better all around.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
I'd have to give it to Lebron. But it's either way,
it's pretty close, probably, right, yeah, exactly, like the like
if one guy's the eighth best player in the league,
the other guy's the tenth best player in the league
or nine to twelve or whatever. Right, So I and
despite the age, I think we can agree that Lebron
(14:26):
is the more durable player has been Like you know
what I mean? Lebron is less likely to miss thirty
games with an injury. That's just that's not a matter
of opinion. We just we just know it. Okay. So
here's what I don't understand. Kevin Durant was available for trade,
(14:53):
and the media lost its mind. Who should go after him?
These are the teams Rant doesn't want, the Minnesota Should
Minnesota trade for him? Anyway? If you trade for him,
do you just do you want to just give him
a contract? The Rockets were the two seed, gave up
their leading scorer, a valuable defender who I don't like
(15:14):
in Dylan Brooks, and the tenth pick of the draft,
and everyone's reaction was like, what a great job by
the Rockets. They might win the title. A guy who
at the very least is as good as Durant and
I think a touch better is available potentially, and the
same media is like, who fucking want him? I mean, really,
(15:36):
it doesn't make any sense. That's what I don't understand.
Like last year, last year, Lebron was better than Steph.
They are similar, and Lebron's older, but again like the
kind of similar port places in their career. Steps team
was in twenty four and twenty five when they traded
(15:58):
for Jimmy Butler, you felt like it made them contenders.
They lost to the Timberwolves and five in the playoffs.
Lebron's team was hanging on to the three four seed.
They trade for Luca you felt like it made them contenders.
They lost to the Timberwolves and five in the playoffs.
That's like they had after very similar Olympics, very similar seasons.
(16:19):
They Lebron finished hire an MVP and all NBA voting,
But it was very close. Right If Steph Curry had
released a statement like I don't know about the future
of the Warriors and people thought he might be available,
it would be a full stop freakout about what teams
(16:39):
should package, what things to try to get him. And
we just saw it happened with Durant when last year
Lebron was better than both those guys, and the collective
reaction is well, I guess maybe maybe a team or
two should make a courtesy call and a collective eye
(17:06):
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Speaker 1 (19:09):
So Aiden is.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Getting settled in in La, getting all comfy and all that.
Luca sent him a welcome message, you know, welcome to
La DeAndre. Aiden decided to play with you next year.
Lebron James not said anything to him though. Is there
something to read into here?
Speaker 1 (19:27):
It's not nothing? Yeah, uh so this DeAndre did this
interview two days ago, I think one whatever it was,
the interview that he did, we played a piece of
(19:49):
on the TV show yesterday, and we did not play
this piece because it was a radio interview in La
and I, you know, I had I didn't know that
this was said. So credit to whomever clipped this and
you know, posted it, because I didn't. I hadn't listened
(20:11):
to the full fifteen minute or whatever radio interview it was,
and so I had only seen kind of what had
made mainstream, so to speak. But I saw this and
I was like, oh, well, that's something. So And the
(20:32):
reason it's something is because it is either how do
I phrase this properly, Lebron's not gonna be there? Well,
to me, it's not that is so that is by
no means like, oh lock it in because of that this,
(20:56):
but it certainly added a little more fuel to the
idea that Lebron James might not be a Laker next year.
That it's that so famously or I shouldn't. I don't
know if it's famous, but at least to me, it
is Lebron when he announced he was going back to Cleveland,
(21:21):
and he did it with Lee Jenkins. In an SI article,
he listed all the guys he was excited to be
playing with with the Caps, and he had not listed
number one overall pick from a week prior, Andrew Wiggins.
(21:43):
And one way to read that was the article was
written before the draft, or that he was you know,
he was only thinking about or including the active veterans.
And another way to look at it was Lebron exp
did that they would be trading Wiggins as part of
(22:03):
getting a veteran win now guy, and that is exactly
and so he did not want to include Andrew Wiggins
when he did not think he was ever going to
be playing with Andrew Wiggins, which is exactly what they did.
So here are before I give my opinion on what
I think this actually is, let's lay out all of
(22:27):
the available options for this and we can, you know,
put a percentage on each of them at the end.
Option one busy guy forgot. Let's like again, like these
are not power ranked in order. I'm just saying, if
we want to lay out all of the possibilities, right,
(22:50):
Option one Busy guy forgot. I guess Option two is
not that Busy didn't forget, but has some feud with
DeAndre eight we didn't know about, and he's furious about
this trade. I would say of all these, that's probably
the least likely. I think if there was a DeAndre
eight and Lebron beef, we would have known about it right.
Option three he did and DeAndre didn't see the text.
(23:15):
Deandre's wrong because he said Luca texted him and Lebron
didn't so at night and he didn't say anyone talked
to him on the phone. They missed the text. Got
so many texts that you know, when the news broke
that he got a text from a number that he
didn't have, it was like, yo, congrats man, let's get
it and he was like, okay, whatever, and it turns
(23:35):
out that's Lebron James. Again, these are not power ranked
in order. I'm just trying to lay out all of
the available possibilities. Those first three, by the way, slim
to very very slim, but they're on the possibilities all
right now. The more salacious ones that Lebron does not
(24:03):
want to tell DeAndre Ayton excited to play with you
when he does not know if he will be playing
with him, and then the last option is Lebron wants
to expect to be playing with DeAndre Ayton, but wants
(24:27):
to keep maximum pressure on the Lakers to make every
move possible to make their team better going into this year,
and the only leverage he has over them right now
is the specter of well maybe I don't think I'm
(24:47):
going to be on this team. That to me, those
are the those five possibilities cover you know, ninety nine
percent of the call it one hundred percent of what
the reason could be. Here's how I would apply the
(25:10):
likelihood of each my first draft pick of that would
be Lebron thinks he's going to be on the Lakers,
did not reach out to DeAndre because he had a
feeling it would be become public that he had not
yet reached out to DeAndre and wants to keep the
(25:31):
pressure on Rob Polenka to continue to improve the roster, which,
if we're being honest, they have had a underwhelming off season.
On that note, if I may, then I'll get back
to the percentage's parts. Because Brew and I got into
this yesterday. Going into this off season, we felt like
(25:55):
the Lakers. It was an absolute lock and mandatory that
they upgrade the center position. They did do that, and
they did that in an interesting way where they didn't
have to give up assets, where it didn't cost them
a lot of money, and the talent upside is quite high.
But it's also a guy who's six years into his
(26:17):
career has been unreliable and not that mature and really
alienated teammates and coaches.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
So I really think Lebron James is like, man, y'all
got DeAndre and that's not the center I wanted.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
I'm not texting him, I'm not welcome. Oh it's got
to the team. Oh so youth. Oh so you think,
oh I should have included that one. I guess as
a good Lebron is Lebron is pissed that it was
a Yeah, Oh so I didn't. Actually, So the reason
I didn't even think of that, but that's obvious. I
definitely should have. I guess that's kind of that, you know,
(26:52):
in the lock of de Thief. Oh yeah, for sure.
So here's the reason that I'm I don't put a
pin in that real quick, and let me finish this
other thought. Then we'll get to that one. Because that's good.
I'm glad you mentioned that one. So they did get
(27:15):
a center, and we can argue about if it was
their best option, if it was the best of bad options,
whatever it is. But the rest of the roster not
only remained basically unchanged, but got to touch worse because
switching out Dorian Finney Smith for Jake Lauravia is at
the very least in the short term of downgrade and
(27:36):
so there would be real frustration there. So I would
put Lebron expects to be a Laker but wants to
keep the screws on the Lakers to continue to make
moves as the reason for him not reaching out. I
would put that at sixty five percent. I think that
(27:59):
is the biggest percentage here. I would put Lebron didn't
reach out because he does not think he's going to
be a Laker next year at twenty percent. I think
there is a one in five shot right now that
(28:21):
Lebron thinks, yeah, I'm not going to be on the team. Now,
that's not that's that's not huge, but it's not nothing.
It's you know, more likely than rolling a single die
and rolling a six or any number on the die,
(28:42):
any particular number on the die, so sixty five percent
he's trying to keep the pressure on him. Twenty percent
he he doesn't think he's going to be there. I
will give Demons's he you know this is not the
(29:02):
player he wanted and therefore he didn't reach out at
five percent. I will certainly massively upgrade Demonse's theory if
we found out he did reach out to Jake Laavia,
if like he was like, yo, man, let's get it,
(29:23):
then then your likelihood is way way higher. I will
put it at busy guy just didn't do it at
five percent, and that leaves what oh, that leaves five
more percent left, and I will put it at he
did reach out. DeAndre Ayton didn't have the number saved
(29:45):
and did not know it was Lebron who was like,
why is this person texting me with a crown at
four percent, and I will put there is a long
standing maybe base, maybe out of loyalty to his buddy
crisp All DeAndre Ayton beef at one percent. So that's
(30:06):
that's how I handicap this whole thing. It's not nothing though,
that's my takeaway. It's not nothing, and I I am
interested in the next time could you know, because you
know what's also not nothing? Demanse if we're doing the
(30:27):
not nothing meter. The Lakers who sent out a bunch
of press releases about a bunch of offseason moves. The
Lakers not sending out a press release about Lebron opting
into his player option. That's also not nothing. Now does
(30:49):
that mean it's everything at no? No, no no. This
press releases come from the team, like your official press
release is released by the team and sent to all
NBA media. The most you want to know, the most
famous NBA press release ever. Hold on, I gotta, I gotta.
I want to quote it to you exactly. This is
(31:10):
an all time one. So pat Riley, who's never my
light just fell? Do I still look? Okay? I hope?
So the so pat Riley un official in Miami Heat
letterhead sent out to the league, league comes and everyone
(31:32):
covering the league after Danny Ainge took a shot at
pat Riley. So this is so let me give you
the background. Danny Ainge till Boston is twenty thirteen, Danny
Angelo Boston radio station WEI that Lebron James had no
(31:57):
cause to challenge officials for failing to classify fouls assessed
Kirk Heinrich and Taj Gibson as flagrant. He said, quote,
I think the referees got the calls right. I don't
think it was a hard foul. I think the one
involving Lebron against Boozer that was a flagrant. I think
the officials got it right. I think that it's almost
(32:17):
embarrassing that Lebron would complain about officiating and the So
Danny Ainge, who was running the Celtics, comments on the
radio about something that was happening between the Heat and
the Bulls. So pat Riley has the Miami Heat press
(32:39):
office type up an official press release that reads, and
I quote, Danny Ainge needs to shut the fuck up
and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner
going when he was playing, and I know that because
I coached against him. End of statement. I like, at
all time, at all time, all take the fine, but
(33:05):
I've never liked this guy. I coached against him, we
now play against him. And I quote Danny Ainge needs
to shut the fuck up and manage his own team.
He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing,
and I know that because I coached against him. Oh
my goodness, gracious, Danny ains then again, I don't know
(33:27):
why we're doing this. Aine then replies, I stand by
what I said. That's all. I don't care about pat Riley.
He can say whatever he wants. But this is just
Danny Ainge talking. This isn't a press release. This is
Danny Ainge. And then Aine added, I don't want to
mess up his Armani suits and all that hair goop.
It would be way too expensive for me. And so
(33:52):
I mean, this is a that's so sorry about that.
I mean, pat Riley's just such a legend. I mean,
he's just sucking y'all. I remember when that came out
and I was like, I didn't even know that was
like a loud like in official communications. I guess, you
know what a simpler time. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
So Holmes wants to get past that Super Bowl loss
and get that nasty taste out of his mouth, and
he's it's also getting tired of all the talk, saying
that he wants to just settle all this on the
football field. This is another thing that really annoyed you,
which I'm curious what the angle is here?
Speaker 1 (34:29):
What what pg off? Well, it's not no, no, no,
his comments didn't annoy me last week, which was so,
here's the deal. If someone wants to have the courage
to come out and be like, you know what, you know,
(34:53):
here's a take, free take for someone who wants it. Okay,
It's just sometimes sometimes I'm disappointed in uh my industry
because there are these I can see these. I'm like, oh,
that would be a good take. I don't believe it.
(35:16):
But no one has made had this take, and it's
right there, and I know it would cut through the
noise and you could establish yourself with it, and no one,
no one, no one has said it. Now, I don't
believe this. This is not my take. So consider this
like the sports take version of developing some type of
(35:44):
vaccine or cure for something and be like, we're not
patenting it. Anyone can copy it free for the world
public use. Here's a take. The last few years, Patrick
Mahomes has pretty clearly not been judged based on his numbers.
(36:08):
He's been judged based on the fact that his team wins,
that he is a leader, that he plays his best
in the biggest spots, and that is how he has
held onto the best quarterback alive Moniker despite the fact
that his two biggest conference rivals, Josh Allen Lamar Jackson,
(36:34):
have both won league in vps in this time and
if that has allowed Mahomes to climb to the top
of the quarterback mountain, then the exact same standard should
(36:55):
be used to evaluate Jalen Hurts and Jail Who's never
missed the playoffs, whose team wins double digit games every year,
who's been to two Super Bowls, been awesome in both.
Some would argue out played Mahomes in both, certainly in
(37:15):
this last one, and has done it with what you know,
let's call it, a polarizing coach and a polarizing receiver
in a tough city and now is coming off, you know,
leading an offense to damn near one hundred points combined
(37:37):
in the conference championship game in the Super Bowl and
puts his body on the line, doesn't care about his
passing numbers for the most unstoppable play in football. That
player the defending Super Bowl MVP. He's the best quarterback alive.
(37:59):
And take that take is again, I do not believe it,
but it doesn't have a ton of logical holes if
someone wanted to have it instead, these dopes want to
(38:26):
knock Mahomes off his perch of best quarterback in the league.
And they are doing it for one of three quarterbacks,
really one of two and mostly one of just one
who's never once out played him in a big spot.
(38:48):
It's the majority of quarterback rankings lists right now. I
have Josh Allen number one, which is hilarious and in
the file, and it is not an allowable take until
one time in a spot that matters. He it's not
(39:11):
a quarterback winsday he outplays Patrick, and the last two years,
one in his building, one in the Chiefs building, He's
had the ball in his hands, chance to go do it,
and it couldn't get forty yards either time, So that's
not allowed. Lamar can win every MVP from here until retirement,
and until he wins a single big game, it's obviously
(39:34):
not allowed. And Joe Burrow had outplayed Patrick in a
big spot, had a chance to really put a stake
in the heart of the Chiefs through fourth quarter interception
the conference championship game lost and hasn't been back to
the playoffs since, And the amount of people trying to
(39:58):
argue any one of those three guys has ascended past
Patrick because Patrick got beat by Jalen Arts and they
played poorly in the Super Bowl. It's the dumbest shit
I've ever heard. You then combine it with this whole
ooh to the Chiefs era over based on what that
(40:22):
they were just the second best team in football last year,
based on the fact that they just completed the best
three year stretch in the history of the league and
are tied for the best five and seven year stretches
in the history of the league. What is the what
is the piece of evidence you have, like, oh, this
might be the Broncos or Chargers year. There is none,
(40:45):
And so the again, the Eagles have bragging rights and
Jalen Hurts has bragging rights. And the Eagles have it
because they won as a team, and Jalen Hurts has
it because individually he played. You know, he was the
best quarterback on the field that Sunday. But these AFC
also rans that are being elevated because of what I
(41:12):
just I can't I can't deal with just one time
at one time? Can I just see? It's what I
said to that guy in Hawaii, the is guy I'm
walking I'm walking with the family down the boardwalk in
(41:32):
Honolulu and this guy walks up to me. It's like,
a man, this is Bill's country out here in my head,
I'm like, no, it's fucking not, man. It's actually I'm
not sure there's a place in the United States that
(41:54):
is that is further removed literally geographically but also spiritually
from Buffalo, New York as the boardwalk in Honolulu. Like,
first of all, it's just a bad take. Second of all,
get a life. I didn't say any of that. I'm like, okay,
(42:18):
nice to me. Like five minutes later, he runs me
down and was like, hey, man, I'm so sorry I
said that. Can I please get a picture? And I'm
like sure, so I take the picture. He's like yeah, man, thanks,
sorry about that, and I'm like sorry. But then I
(42:40):
couldn't resist because I was like, I'm with my wife
and kids like, so I was like, I was like,
hey and listen, man, one day you'll win a big game.
And I saw a look on his face and it's stung.
You know why. It's stung the same reason why when
people put up that picture of me and Mahome a
couple of parades ago, where I'm smiling and my nose
(43:03):
is casting a shadow on my teeth. It stings because
you know it's true. I'm like, damn, that is weird.
That is like a thing that most people like. It
shouldn't be physically possible, but it's a thing, or it
does cast a shadow like that sucks. But that's why
it stung him, because he knows it's true. And so
(43:27):
I just don't that I it is. It's really beyond
dumb to me, the every other let me add one
(43:49):
other thing. And I said this to Cowherd, and he
just laughed because he knew I was right, not just
like this year, but basically for all of modern NFL history.
(44:10):
If there is a team in a division that everyone
agrees the same team has the division's best quarterback and
the division's best coach, that team will be the pick
(44:31):
to win that division. If there's no debate, like it's
just like so, I'll give you an example. NFC West,
there's a debate is McVeigh or Shanahan the best coach?
And I guess for some there might be a debate
is perty or Stafford the best quarterback? Not to me,
but what like, there's it's not often there that it
(44:54):
is crystal clear on both but when it is, uh,
that team is everyone's picked to win the division and
the amount of people this year that are gonna pick
fucking bon Nicks, sorry for all the curse words today
to win that division. Or Justin Herbert who again, I
(45:15):
I don't I don't know if he's won a big
game since high school, and I have to look at
the high school. I don't think he did it Oregon.
I it's just it's just dumb, you know what.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
I just I just people get fickleed with the greatness.
I don't know if people just don't sometimes.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
But they think we have the next Trent Williams and
John Simmons. Oh boy, oh boy. Now that might be
a little strong. True Williams one of the greatest players
of all time. But if they just if Josh Simmons
just ends up being the tenth best tackle left tackle
in the league slightly above average, it is such a
(46:04):
I mean, Mahome has been to five Super Bowls. He
had a different starting left tackle in all five. It
would be just such a massive, massive wors line situation.
Yet right course of this, you know, the thing is
what's weird is the Chiefs had a really good guard
(46:24):
center guard O line this year. The tackle, it was
the worst tackle play he's had, and previously they had
they had been bat up the middle but good of
the like, and so it got really shaky by the
end of it.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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