July 26, 2025 • 8 mins
US correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to discuss the WNBA All-Star game, NBA offseason, and the MLB.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's get straight Side with Leon Busby, our American sports expert.
Lots happening on and off the courts and the fields. Leon,
can we start on the Women's NBA and the T
shirt saga? What is this all about?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
The afternoon, Jess and great to be back. So the WNBA,
they held their annual All Star Weekend with the usual
events including the Stills Challenge and three Point Contest and
Your Star Game itself. It took place last weekend. I
was the hidden terms of viewership numbers, even though the
face of the league, Indiana Fevers Kate and Clark, was
out injured. However, Piney, as you alluded to, the biggest
(00:46):
headline from the weekend was the All Star Game players
wearing shirts saying pay us what you owe us. Well,
I don't love the slogan, I do agree with the sentiment,
So I've got a background for transpiracy on this issue.
So we know that by professional tennis, most female athletes
are woefully underpaid compared to their male counterparts. The wire
(01:07):
the minimum contracts so different. Well, there are some major
differences between the NBA and the WNBA schedules and media
rights deals. The NBA plays eighty two regular season games
and recently inked the new media rights deal worth seven
billion dollars a year. Meanwhile, the WNBA plays forty four
regular season games and has a TV deal worth fifty
(01:29):
million dollars per year. WNBA players receive a pult we
ten percent of total revenue while NBA players receive fifty percent.
Now that's a huge disparity. However, because the popularity of
THEWNBA has increased exponentially in the last few years market,
the larger TV deal will kick in next season at
two hundred million two hundred million dollars. So last season alone,
(01:53):
the WNBA lost forty million dollars. In an almost three
decades since it began, has lost over wait for it,
three hundred million dollars, which is staggering. So if you
look at the playoffs, y you Owe us campaign the
WA NBA players have a point that this needs to
be put in proper context. From a solely financial perspective,
(02:13):
the paid gap for women's bus will one close over night. However,
continued investment, visibility and collective bargaining efforts of building the
foundation for female athletes to earn more of what they
feel they deserve. The end of the day, pintings, professional
athletes are paid commensary with what revenue their league makes.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Absolutely right now, the mighty dollar now staying with basketball
and to the NBA. The Lakers' sale. Are the Lakers
for sale? For listen here?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yes, so, the LA Lakers made headlines recently when their
owners of forty six years sold the team in nineteen
seventy nine. The franchise was purchased by the late Jerry
bus Or Hall of Fame inductee for sixty seven point
five million dollars, which is a bit of a bargain
if you look back on that, and they were sold
recently for a record ten billion dollars, smashing the record
(03:01):
for sports franchise by almost four billion dollars. Now the
new owner, Mark Walter, who also happens to own the
World Series champion LA Dodgers, that's deep pockets and he
could possibly fuel the Lakers' return to glory for who
for most part, had been underwomen in the last few years.
Another news regarding the famed Purple and Gold are persistent
rumors of a possible move for one of the greatest
(03:24):
ballers in NBA history, one Lebron James. He recently signed
a U two year deal, exercising his player option, meaning
he'll forgo his free agent status. There's still a possibility
he'll move on, even though most of his business interests
are in LA now. As recently as Friday, reliable sources
reported that James may be traded in the wild five
(03:45):
team trade deal, seeing him land back in his hometown
of Cleveland, where his NBA career began as an eighteen
year old straight out of high school. Even at the
age of forty, an entry in his twenty third season,
the first ballot Hall of Famers still seems to be
a major point of discussion on and off the court.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Absolutely, have you got a stat of the day for
us from the NBA?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I have, yep, I'll go in now. I should have
told you to bring your tinfoil hat, but here we
go to say he's at believe it or not statistic.
I wanted to share with your audience that during the
NBA regular season this year, three of the biggest names
in the league shed something in common that I could
probably have the X four esteem music plaint in the
(04:25):
background for effect. But anyway, so all star players Damien
Linard of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jason Tatum of the Boston Celtics,
and Arres Harburton of the Indiana Pacers suffered the same
arcalis tear injuries. And wait for it, they all wore
the same jersey number zero. There's not just weird or
simply a coincidence.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Pinting well, I wouldn't be wearing zero. I wouldn't be
wearing zero leagues, I'd be changing my second number. Look
it is. It is one of those I love. I
love stats and little anomalies like that. I love it. Hey,
Major League Baseball, where are we with the Major League
Baseball season right now?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yes, so in the A League, we've got the A League,
American League in the air now or the National League.
So in the A League we start in the East,
where we have the Trontred Blue Jays from Canada. They're
actually leading all the teams in terms of their winning percentage.
Close behind them are the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros.
Now in the National League we have the New York Mets,
who have been the best win and loss record and
(05:26):
the highest winning percentage, and close behind them are the
Milwaukee Brewers and LA Dodgers. They're out of those sixteens
the Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers are on an eight to
two tear in their last ten starts, with a slightly
lower winning percentage in the Blue Jays, and most people
actually favoring the Detroit Tigers to come out of the
world and actually make a push for the World Series.
(05:47):
But the best odds as you'd expect with the reigning
champion LA Dodgers because their team is absolutely stacked, so
everyone's expecting them to win it in the end.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Aaron Judge, the Yankees home run King, You got some
info on him.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yes, that he recently crushed his three hundred and fiftieth
rear home run, the fastest and Major League Baseball history
to do. Say so the outfielder, he's truly in physical
space and I'm not sure you've seen him before, Pony,
but people want to see him a nation. There's plenty
of highlights online to see the future Hall of Famer
doing what he does best. So I didn't bit of
a background on I'm at high school. He started for
(06:24):
his high school basketball, football, and baseball teams and still
was destined for sporting greatness from a young age. Judges
considered to be one of the best home run hit
is and right handed batters of all times. That he
stands at six foot seven, one hundred and twenty eight Telegram,
you could easily be mistaken for a tiny end or
middle linebacker for an NFL team. So the thirty three
(06:47):
year olds won multiple awards many times over and will
certainly be a first ballot with dipping into Cooperstown once
he hangs up his pinstripes, just like superstar face of
the league Shohe or Tiny Aaron Judges again odds on
favorite to win his third MVP and four seasons this year. However,
Poney and breaking his just this morning, who was reported
that Aaron just ruled out of today's lineup and as
(07:08):
awaiting results on image being performed on his white elbow.
I think it's fair to say the Yankees fans are
nervously waiting on the outcome of this injury, as Judges
their main hope of making another deep running Octaber. So
we'll keep eyes on that developing story.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
We certainly will. And just to finish some NFL news
out of season at the moment obviously, but the Steelers
and their latest contract signing yep. So.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
In the NFL, every team is run underway with mandatory
training camps, but most interest is happening off the field,
much like the NBA. Pro football has headlines galore in
the off season, and most of them this year had
been around the story Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. After finally confirming
Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback, which dragged on or
ad nauseum, the attention shifted to their future Hall of
(07:51):
Famer defenseman TJ. Watt So, the All Pro linebacker has
been holding out for a new contract extension as one
of the league's a lead pass rushers since turning pro.
The thirty year old, who's entering his ninth season, and
the team front office finally agreed to terms with the
new deal, a three year, one hundred and twenty three
million dollar extension which comes with us YEO, I can't
(08:11):
believe he's amounts. So he's guaranteed one hundred and eight
million dollars fully guaranteed as signing, making what the NFL's
highest paid non quarterback. So the forty one million dollars
average per year puts them at the top of the pile.
Well now, at least there are a couple of other
Big nine name linebackers still holding out and also looking
the cash, and now that what has reset the amount
(08:32):
for the lead. So wa'ts the space not better if
you can get to a pony. But as I always allude to,
the big news is that the NFL regular season kicks
off and only forty days time.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Bring it on, I know you're marking the days on
your wall. Leon Great to Tanty as always mately on Busby,
our American sports expert taking his states.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk ZB weekends from midday, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's get straight Side with Leon Busby, our American sports expert.
Lots happening on and off the courts and the fields. Leon,
can we start on the Women's NBA and the T
shirt saga? What is this all about?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
The afternoon, Jess and great to be back. So the WNBA,
they held their annual All Star Weekend with the usual
events including the Stills Challenge and three Point Contest and
Your Star Game itself. It took place last weekend. I
was the hidden terms of viewership numbers, even though the
face of the league, Indiana Fevers Kate and Clark, was
out injured. However, Piney, as you alluded to, the biggest
(00:46):
headline from the weekend was the All Star Game players
wearing shirts saying pay us what you owe us. Well,
I don't love the slogan, I do agree with the sentiment,
So I've got a background for transpiracy on this issue.
So we know that by professional tennis, most female athletes
are woefully underpaid compared to their male counterparts. The wire
(01:07):
the minimum contracts so different. Well, there are some major
differences between the NBA and the WNBA schedules and media
rights deals. The NBA plays eighty two regular season games
and recently inked the new media rights deal worth seven
billion dollars a year. Meanwhile, the WNBA plays forty four
regular season games and has a TV deal worth fifty
(01:29):
million dollars per year. WNBA players receive a pult we
ten percent of total revenue while NBA players receive fifty percent.
Now that's a huge disparity. However, because the popularity of
THEWNBA has increased exponentially in the last few years market,
the larger TV deal will kick in next season at
two hundred million two hundred million dollars. So last season alone,
(01:53):
the WNBA lost forty million dollars. In an almost three
decades since it began, has lost over wait for it,
three hundred million dollars, which is staggering. So if you
look at the playoffs, y you Owe us campaign the
WA NBA players have a point that this needs to
be put in proper context. From a solely financial perspective,
(02:13):
the paid gap for women's bus will one close over night. However,
continued investment, visibility and collective bargaining efforts of building the
foundation for female athletes to earn more of what they
feel they deserve. The end of the day, pintings, professional
athletes are paid commensary with what revenue their league makes.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Absolutely right now, the mighty dollar now staying with basketball
and to the NBA. The Lakers' sale. Are the Lakers
for sale? For listen here?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yes, so, the LA Lakers made headlines recently when their
owners of forty six years sold the team in nineteen
seventy nine. The franchise was purchased by the late Jerry
bus Or Hall of Fame inductee for sixty seven point
five million dollars, which is a bit of a bargain
if you look back on that, and they were sold
recently for a record ten billion dollars, smashing the record
(03:01):
for sports franchise by almost four billion dollars. Now the
new owner, Mark Walter, who also happens to own the
World Series champion LA Dodgers, that's deep pockets and he
could possibly fuel the Lakers' return to glory for who
for most part, had been underwomen in the last few years.
Another news regarding the famed Purple and Gold are persistent
rumors of a possible move for one of the greatest
(03:24):
ballers in NBA history, one Lebron James. He recently signed
a U two year deal, exercising his player option, meaning
he'll forgo his free agent status. There's still a possibility
he'll move on, even though most of his business interests
are in LA now. As recently as Friday, reliable sources
reported that James may be traded in the wild five
(03:45):
team trade deal, seeing him land back in his hometown
of Cleveland, where his NBA career began as an eighteen
year old straight out of high school. Even at the
age of forty, an entry in his twenty third season,
the first ballot Hall of Famers still seems to be
a major point of discussion on and off the court.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Absolutely, have you got a stat of the day for
us from the NBA?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I have, yep, I'll go in now. I should have
told you to bring your tinfoil hat, but here we
go to say he's at believe it or not statistic.
I wanted to share with your audience that during the
NBA regular season this year, three of the biggest names
in the league shed something in common that I could
probably have the X four esteem music plaint in the
(04:25):
background for effect. But anyway, so all star players Damien
Linard of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jason Tatum of the Boston Celtics,
and Arres Harburton of the Indiana Pacers suffered the same
arcalis tear injuries. And wait for it, they all wore
the same jersey number zero. There's not just weird or
simply a coincidence.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Pinting well, I wouldn't be wearing zero. I wouldn't be
wearing zero leagues, I'd be changing my second number. Look
it is. It is one of those I love. I
love stats and little anomalies like that. I love it. Hey,
Major League Baseball, where are we with the Major League
Baseball season right now?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yes, so in the A League, we've got the A League,
American League in the air now or the National League.
So in the A League we start in the East,
where we have the Trontred Blue Jays from Canada. They're
actually leading all the teams in terms of their winning percentage.
Close behind them are the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros.
Now in the National League we have the New York Mets,
who have been the best win and loss record and
(05:26):
the highest winning percentage, and close behind them are the
Milwaukee Brewers and LA Dodgers. They're out of those sixteens
the Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers are on an eight to
two tear in their last ten starts, with a slightly
lower winning percentage in the Blue Jays, and most people
actually favoring the Detroit Tigers to come out of the
world and actually make a push for the World Series.
(05:47):
But the best odds as you'd expect with the reigning
champion LA Dodgers because their team is absolutely stacked, so
everyone's expecting them to win it in the end.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Aaron Judge, the Yankees home run King, You got some
info on him.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yes, that he recently crushed his three hundred and fiftieth
rear home run, the fastest and Major League Baseball history
to do. Say so the outfielder, he's truly in physical
space and I'm not sure you've seen him before, Pony,
but people want to see him a nation. There's plenty
of highlights online to see the future Hall of Famer
doing what he does best. So I didn't bit of
a background on I'm at high school. He started for
(06:24):
his high school basketball, football, and baseball teams and still
was destined for sporting greatness from a young age. Judges
considered to be one of the best home run hit
is and right handed batters of all times. That he
stands at six foot seven, one hundred and twenty eight Telegram,
you could easily be mistaken for a tiny end or
middle linebacker for an NFL team. So the thirty three
(06:47):
year olds won multiple awards many times over and will
certainly be a first ballot with dipping into Cooperstown once
he hangs up his pinstripes, just like superstar face of
the league Shohe or Tiny Aaron Judges again odds on
favorite to win his third MVP and four seasons this year. However,
Poney and breaking his just this morning, who was reported
that Aaron just ruled out of today's lineup and as
(07:08):
awaiting results on image being performed on his white elbow.
I think it's fair to say the Yankees fans are
nervously waiting on the outcome of this injury, as Judges
their main hope of making another deep running Octaber. So
we'll keep eyes on that developing story.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
We certainly will. And just to finish some NFL news
out of season at the moment obviously, but the Steelers
and their latest contract signing yep. So.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
In the NFL, every team is run underway with mandatory
training camps, but most interest is happening off the field,
much like the NBA. Pro football has headlines galore in
the off season, and most of them this year had
been around the story Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. After finally confirming
Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback, which dragged on or
ad nauseum, the attention shifted to their future Hall of
(07:51):
Famer defenseman TJ. Watt So, the All Pro linebacker has
been holding out for a new contract extension as one
of the league's a lead pass rushers since turning pro.
The thirty year old, who's entering his ninth season, and
the team front office finally agreed to terms with the
new deal, a three year, one hundred and twenty three
million dollar extension which comes with us YEO, I can't
(08:11):
believe he's amounts. So he's guaranteed one hundred and eight
million dollars fully guaranteed as signing, making what the NFL's
highest paid non quarterback. So the forty one million dollars
average per year puts them at the top of the pile.
Well now, at least there are a couple of other
Big nine name linebackers still holding out and also looking
the cash, and now that what has reset the amount
(08:32):
for the lead. So wa'ts the space not better if
you can get to a pony. But as I always allude to,
the big news is that the NFL regular season kicks
off and only forty days time.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Bring it on, I know you're marking the days on
your wall. Leon Great to Tanty as always mately on Busby,
our American sports expert taking his states.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk ZB weekends from midday, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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