Nick Wright weighs in on LeBron James’ response to Stephen A. Smith on The Pat McAfee Show and the GOAT’s buzzer beater vs the Indiana Pacers. Then, Nick discusses what the New York Giants are doing with their QB situation with Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, as well as what it means for the NFL Draft next month. Later, Nick reacts to Travis and Jason Kelce’s shoutout and recaps a busy few days in the NBA. Finally, as always, Nick and Damonza answer your questions. #Volume
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome in. We'll drive you to the great episode three fourteen.
Those of you who were in the YouTube chat or
watching beforehand, you got a little sneak preview of the show.
Luckily you know what I mean, and you know I'm
not the all time legend Mike Francessa out here, just
you know, just scolding my producers for bad information, because
(00:21):
I got great producers that don't give me bad information.
I'm not even So you guys got a little preview
of us when we thought we were off the air.
We were on the air. But luckily we're professional at
all times drownd here, so we ain't got to worry
about it. Being professional at all times seems to be
in short capacity in my industry these days. So let's
(00:41):
get right to it. Here's what missed the cut. Joker
came back, reminded everyone's Joker thirty nine, ten and ten
the Tennessee Titans like, but maybe don't love Cam Moore.
They might trade the pick major League Baseball opening Day.
None of that is on the show today because of well,
demon's a take it away.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, so Lebron's had quite a day. Obviously, he hit
the buzzer Beaterer yesterday. Yeah, a little bit of a
rough game, but obviously the buzzerbader to win.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, the McAfee hit. He's been having.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
The whole stephen A Smith thing going on is, yeah,
you want to start with the game?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Where do you want to go with it?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So since the moment Lebron walked up on steven A Smith,
I would, aside from the groin injury, I would argue
everything has come up Lebron, and it would appear we
(01:44):
are in the midst. And our younger producers or co
host or audience can tell me if I'm using this
term wrong, but it would appear we are in the
midst from steven A of what the kids call a
crash out, and it is day by day by day.
(02:10):
The moment Lebron confronted steven A, just between third and
fourth quarter of a game, Bron's team was trailing by tena,
steven A's favorite team. On the day, stephen A had
gotten and deserved his new five year, one hundred million
dollar contract, and then he had to sit there and
(02:33):
think about how am I going to respond to the
fact that this guy came up checked me, kept it moving.
Did the worst thing you can ever do to someone
in our profession, not give us a chance to respond,
not let us talk, and then walked my team down
(02:56):
and beat him. And then Lebron is very very judicious
with the interviews that he gives. And it was not
coincidental that Lebron then decides to go on with McAfee,
(03:24):
who some people consider Stephen A's rival for face of
the network, no rival for face of the league, by
the way, more on that. In the moment, we know
who that is, and after this week we know who
face of American Sports is. But face of the network,
that's an argument, Stephen ay Er McAfee. So Lebron picks
(03:48):
that guy to go on that show on that network
and then that night, and this is where I will
get to the soap opera stuff in a second, but
this is where the greatest of all time remind you
(04:10):
that they are. Lebron had put extra pressure on himself
by doing that interview. And guess what, through three quarters
he had the fewest points he's had through three quarters
in a game since I was in college. He's unfathomable.
(04:30):
One two hundred and eighty two game streak of double
digit points. When the second most is eight hundred something
is in real jeopardy. And of all days, the day
that the streak's going to be snapped is a day
that you know, the biggest voice in sports media the
(04:51):
very next morning is going to do everything he can
to rip you to shreds. That's when your streak might break.
That's when you're gonna give a little more fodder to
the folks who say, oh, great player, but you know,
doesn't quite have that clutch gene. So how does he respond,
(05:16):
not only by immediately in the fourth quarter getting the
to double digit points and leading the Lakers to where Okay,
they're gonna win. Wait, did they just squander a twelve
point lead? Okay, Ruey hit those two threes, They're fine.
Did they just give up a seven to zero run
out of nowhere? And then a perfect, absolutely perfect you
(05:43):
want to put on Lebron James basketball tombstone, a fifteen
second sequence put the end of that Pacers game with
the context of the day. So here's what it is.
Down one, gotta get a stop. Can't double off guys
(06:07):
on the Pacers because they all can shoot. Bron realizes,
oh shot clucks down to three, You're not gonna have
time to pass. Sins Is double creates the terrible shot,
and before the shots even miss has leaked out and
would have the go ahead layup. Luca doesn't see it
in time. They pitch it ahead late. All of the
(06:32):
guys who have fewer career playoff buzzer beaters, who are
have worse career field goal percentage in the clutch, who
are by any objective measure, worse in the biggest moments,
but we deify because those players historically have put their
personal glory ahead of the team. All of those guys,
(06:56):
when they get the pitch ahead down one six are saying,
I don't care that a double is being sent my way.
I'm taking this damn shot, not Lebron James. Make the
right play in the moment and for the big picture.
In the moment, Luca's more open and big picture we
(07:18):
need him to be the guy and be great. I'm
giving him the ball. And Lucas said after the game,
how much confidence that gave him that in that moment
that day, the Lebron James ESPN day, he could have
said I'm making sure I'm taking the last shot. He said, No,
(07:39):
make the right play and Luca missed, But for the
all around greatest player ever, guess what, right position, right effort,
a little more energy, a little higher IQ in the
(07:59):
right spot for the tip, ind for his first buzzer
beater since he walked off the Raptors in Game three
of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in twenty eighteen as a
cav eighth career buzzer beater, third in the regular season,
five in the playoffs, which, for those keeping track at home,
(08:20):
more than Kobe and might combined more on Kobe, the
late great Kobe Bryant, who didn't ask to be brought
into this but got brought into this in just a moment.
So go watch those last fifteen seconds and see why
Lebron's the best player we've ever seen, Because in year
twenty two, at age forty, he understood when to send
(08:41):
a double, He understood how to leak out. He understood,
oh I'm getting doubled, it's not about me and my ego.
And he understood, in case Luca misses, let me be
in the right spot. And so on a day that
as much pressure as could be on a player in
(09:12):
a regular season March game, Lebron delivered with another brilliant
fourth quarter and with the game winning tipping and then
got on his phone found out that stephen A had
(09:35):
told the world if Lebron had put his hands on me,
I would have swung on him. And so he posts
the pictures, the video of steven A boxing and now
the feud goes on. So now to the stephen A
(09:58):
of it all. I said it before, I will say
it again. It is a lost art in current culture.
(10:19):
Just taken l man, just taken L. All you had
to do the day after Lebron walked up on you
against the Knicks was do kind of what you did
on TV, which was be like, I don't really want
(10:41):
to talk about this. That was a father talking about
his son, and again that was a little misleading. It
wasn't so much about stephen A's commentary on bronni as
much as it was about stephen A's commentary about Lebron
as a father. And listen, all you had to say
was I think I've been more than fair. Lebron obviously disagrees.
(11:06):
I would have told him that if he had given
me the opportunity he seems to be, and it was
communicated to me he was really bothered by what he
thought was me questioning him as a father. That was
never my intention. I would never do that, and it's
dead and it's over. Instead, you do half a dozen
(11:31):
podcasts about it, you start fantasizing about what if he
had put his hands on me? You you do.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
On the putting his hands on him thinking. Lebron ended
up posting the boxing video. Stephen A did say that.
He said later in the video he would thoroughly kick
my butt.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So I feel it.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
I am.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
He wasn't, you know, he wasn't like faking the funk there, no, but.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
He but it's well, I disagree to it. You're right,
you're totally correct. He didn't imply. Steven A didn't imply
I would have whooped his ass, right, yeah, no, no, no,
I'm not saying that. But he is creating you know
what he's doing. Oh, this is gonna make him mad,
This will hurt the this will cut and I don't
(12:18):
mean it too. But steven A, in real time the
last three weeks, on national television and podcast and every
platform available is doing what we've all done standing alone
in the shower. You know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Gonna say, Yeah, like, go ahead, but yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Man, what I should have done. And then if I'd
have done that, he'd have done this, and then I'd
have done that, and then he'd have done this. He's
recreating in real time how the interaction should have gone.
For our older audience, it's Costanza and the Shrimp and
the jerk store ran out of you. But in real time,
(13:12):
in real life, against the world's most popular athlete, that's
what's happening. We are seeing it. Ah, Man, that would
have killed him in the argument, Oh, I should have
said this, But if I'd have said that, that might
have put him over the edge, and then they might
(13:33):
have hit me. And if they hit me, man, I'd
have to hit them back. I know, I'd get my
ass kicked right after. Stop it, man, there's no need
for it. And we can say, you know, Lebron should
be above this. Lebron been above this shit for twenty
five years. Lebron went his entire career without everone saying
(14:02):
these two words. Skip Bayless never mention his name. And
by the way, sidebar.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Man, Skip has to be sick livid that he is,
I mean just sick that this is.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Happening right now. The one of my demand knows. This
one of my kind of you know, sayings that I like,
sometimes you know, as a joke, sometimes as a lesson,
sometimes as an atta boy. Is every decision you've ever
made in your entire life has led to you to
this very moment. And that is true for all of us,
(14:44):
in every moment. And sometimes you know, it can be
a cut, it can be a positive, whatever it is,
you know. And again I have affection for Skip, and
so I'm not I'm just being honest. You know, there's
a moment last night or this morning when Skip is
(15:06):
like I'm about to instead of having this discussion on
national television sitting across from stephen A himself or Shannon,
I'm gonna have this discussion in my house, sitting across
(15:26):
from Ernestine. And that's not how this was supposed to go.
Like this is like this would be the moment. And
again my record reflects that I don't think that's unfair.
I know that if the wrong people clip it, whatever,
I'll deal with this.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Situation.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
That is the reality of the situation. And here's the
other piece of it. And I say this pretty confidently.
I do not think Lebron will ever talk about this again. Now,
maybe the fact that Stephen A evidently a few minutes
(16:08):
ago said took a shot at Lebron for not being
at Kobe's memorial, maybe that will generate a quick reaction
because that is what Lebron was talking about last night
(16:30):
or yesterday on McAfee, was like, there's basketball criticism, then
there's this other criticism.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah, like that's how it bounds, right, like as like
how that's a really I mean, that feels out abounds.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
It feels out of bounds. I and now listen, I
try to be self aware enough. I look back and
I say, I've been out of bounds at times, but
I get when those guys don't like me, so like
something again, to kind of mix metaphors a bit, I
know you haven't. If people are kind of new to
(17:05):
the pod, well hi welcome everyone, like rate, subscribe review. Also,
if you're super new, you probably don't. You're maybe a
little confuser. Don't know. Me and Demonse's dynamic. Demansey's my son,
and Demonse didn't grow up like wanting to be in
sports media. It just came about that. I wanted him
to do this with me, and so we've done it together.
(17:27):
For now. The life of the podcast took a few
months off. His sister filled in. But that's what it is.
And there's a reason I'm explaining this, especially early on
in the pod. If you really disagreed with me on something,
you didn't say it, now you would like it's still
(17:49):
it's that's not like an asshole. It's my show, and
so you you understand the dynamic of it. But you
are You've been doing it long enough, and I think
and also you're older than you were or whatever. Or
if you think I'm way out of bounds on something,
you'll politely or kindly or whatever. So here's the reason, right,
here's the reason I mention it. There was time when
(18:13):
I know for a fact, even though he didn't put
voice to it, demands thought some of my Kyrie Irving
stuff was out of bounds. It was like, hey, that's
you know what I mean, that's not about basketball. You
know that's unfair, And I in the is am I
putting words in your mouth like that?
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Fair? I think it was a little heavy fork.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Right, Okay, So here's here's the reason I'm bringing that up.
If Kyrie Irving does not like me and has a
real issue with me because of that totally fair? Now,
what I like the opportunity ideally to at some point
(18:58):
because I am now not only really impressed by Kyrie,
but fascinated by Kyrie, and I actually think there are
a lot of really interesting things about him. If that
is how he feels about me, would I really like
the opportunity to give the full scope of my commentary
and say like, hey, maybe you haven't seen some of
these other things I've said, or you know whatever, I
(19:21):
would do. I think he owes me that, No, do
I just have to eat the fact. Hey man, that
guy might just think you're a fucking clown. He might, Yeah,
I hope not. And so I know that I was
unfair but a far about far less serious things. But
(19:43):
I took kind of basketball exclusive related cheap shots at
Durant on Twitter, and he took him back at me.
And I have since tried, truly tried through kind of
back channels to repair that because it's and I don't
(20:04):
even know if it needs repairing. But it was like, hey,
I think we all knew what was going on there,
you know what I mean that? And I was keeping
it purely about basketball, but it was it was there
were a couple things that were probably like, Okay, you're
going you are tweeting for the likes or whatever, rather
(20:24):
than it's not hardcore analysis and so like. But I
own that, I wear that, I know it. Part of
the business is accepting some of these guys aren't gonna
like you, and some of them are not going to
be wrong for not liking you. And here is where,
(20:48):
and this is where I think Steven A has made
a grievous error. He just today he's said, quote, He'll
smile on your face then stab you in the back.
That's why I don't like him. He's bringing up Wade's
Hall of Fame induction, Kobe's memorial. He's saying, quote, he
(21:10):
literally circummitted meritocracy in the NBA. Here's the problem, man,
And this is where, by continuing to talk about this
and not allowing yourself to take the l you are
really putting yourself in a bad spot. You always claimed
you had no problem with Lebron. You always claimed he
(21:34):
only had a problem with you. Up until six weeks ago,
the stance was, oh, nothing but loving Lebron James. I,
you know, a a great person in the community, a
great This a great that I just I just think
(21:58):
he's not the greatest basketball player ever. I just think
he's only the second greatest player ever. And because of that,
he has a problem with me. That's been the public stance.
And now the guy makes fun of you on Instagram
and takes a couple of jokes at your expense on McAfee,
(22:21):
and you're letting everyone know, actually, no, never liked him.
And so if the if, if we are going to
do a full, real telling of it, it then the
honest answer is, so why what's been the problem? Was
(22:41):
there something personal before? And the answer is no, Lebron
wouldn't talk to him, that was the problem. Lebron wouldn't
talk to him or acknowledge him. And Michael Jordan texts
with him. That's it. It's the whole thing. That's the
(23:04):
start of it. And so I.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
It is.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
People ask me all the time, man, do you believe
what you say? And my answer always is, now, do
I say it louder or more emphatically, or add some
spice to it or whatever? Do I dress it up? Sure?
Of course? But the reason and this is not my quote, uh,
(23:39):
but this quote is correct. If you never lie, you
don't ever have to remember anything when you do as
And I'm not acting like I'm someone that never lies.
I probably have a bit of a I'm probably true
character flaw of mine is I am my most honest
talking to you guys, friends and family. I might you
(24:02):
know what I mean. I might be like, you know what,
I can dance through the rain drops here a bit
and clean this up later. And that's not be honestly.
It's self serving. It's not out of some Woodrow and
Burnstein Woodward Woodrow Jesus Woodward and Burnstein journalism ethic. It's
(24:22):
because I don't want to have to. It is too
difficult to do this much content. If you're having to remember,
oh shit, I said that, and if your stance forever,
forever has been I have no problem with that person.
He has a problem with me. And then the first
(24:43):
time you get pressed you empty the clip about everything
you've always had a problem with. People are gonna say
you're fucking lying to us. You were lying to us,
and I don't. And here is the problem with people
(25:07):
in general who don't have the ability to take an
l and who are very online and who are public figures.
This applies to I guess some of our actual politicians
(25:33):
and some of our potentially would be or want to
be politicians. All you can do is keep doubling, tripling,
and quadrupling down because you don't have the ability to
be like I was wrong. You constantly are reminded of
(26:00):
the incident at hand, and you are constantly reading people
make fun of you or rip you. So again, I
am not trying to act like I am some I
am you know, the silver bullet on this stuff. However,
(26:21):
I do have one kind of just natural superpower, I guess,
and another decision I've made. The natural superpower is this
I am totally fine being wrong, like, oh shit, got
that one wrong. My bad, not a problem. And the
other one is I don't read my mentions, so people
(26:43):
are like, I'm I am not finding my and had
a third thing I'm very good at. I'm I'm on
the right side of the great athletes conversation. Like. The
other thing is like, I you know, I in the
hey Lebron James good or overrated. I had the foresight
to be like, I'll go with good, you know what
(27:04):
I mean. I think I'll plant my flag on good
and see how it plays out. Over the next fifteen years.
And so that's been help that's been helpful, But I
I can't believe that this is how these last few
weeks have gone. And the fact that so here's the
(27:29):
other piece of it that's important, demands on one one
party in this is fighting a war of war work.
I can never say that war of words reminders reminder
of the new people in the audience and young people. I,
(27:49):
as someone who my only skill is speaking and arguing,
had a really bad speech impediment growing up and couldn't
say my rs are my ls And now I do
it for a living. So I this is kind of
a s bar, but just for you know, young people
out there or whatever, like yeah, you can get over anything.
I shouldn't say anything, but you can work on stuff
(28:10):
and it won't hold you back.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Go ahead, No, I was just flexing on you.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
No, well yeah, and we're world and girl. Anything that
has the R L next to each other like that.
I still struggle with a bit. And I've told this
story nothing worse. And not being able to say your
rs and your last name starts with a hard R,
and when it's not an R, it sounds like a
different word. You don't know how many times I went
(28:35):
to basketball camp as a kid. They're like, what's your name?
Nick White? They're like, no white, white, no white. It
was brutal. Maybe that only happened once, but it's it
seared me. It scarred me. The guy wrote down on
my jersey right, and I'm like, no, it's not white,
it's white. Brutal doesn't matter. I'm good now.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Brutal.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Here's the point I was making. In a war, stephen
A is fighting a war of words. Lebron gets actually
go out and play the games, and he's still awesome.
So think about it. In the couple weeks since this
all happened, Lakers had a winning streak, Bronni drops thirty
(29:23):
nine drops, a career high in the NBA, has another
good game the other night, bron last night hits a
game winner. And you have positioned yourself. I can't imagine
being this box stend. You have now positioned yourself where
(29:47):
any time you give fair analysis about a good Laker
game or Bronni or whatever, you're gonna get ripped for
that too. Like you are all. You are so boxed in.
And the guy, honest to god, so much of this
(30:09):
as I've said before, so much of the toxicity of
sports media, across all sports and all our debates is
actually about Michael Jordan and that era and that era
of people who came up in that era being like, man,
(30:31):
my childhood was the best, I promise like and not
seeing that every single human being ever it's like, hey,
what's your favorite type of music? And for everyone it
just happens to be the exact type of music they
were listening to when they first got their car and
first were able to drive. Who were the best athletes
and it's like, oh, it just happens to be for everyone,
(30:54):
myself included the athletes like we watched in our formative
years and then into adulthood and not being able to
see that it's not special, it's just how human beings
brains are constructed. But point is, this whole thing really
generates from MJ's my body. This guy won't talk to me.
(31:19):
I must, against all odds, support MJ's legacy. But MJ
ain't playing anymore. You're never gonna be able to go
on the show and be like, ah, look what Michael did.
But this other guy won't fucking quit. He's he is.
(31:43):
We are in a span of ten days, his son
almost drops forty in the G League and scores are
leads the Lakers in points in the NBA, and he
has a buzzer beater. And so it's just a war
you're not gonna win. And it's a war you're not
(32:06):
gonna win because I think because of your popularity and
success and talent, people of what enough people have watched
you for long enough that we know what the record says,
(32:28):
and we know you have always claimed you have no
problem with Lebron. He has a problem with you, and
then today you say he will smile on your face
then stab you in the back. That's why I don't
like him, is that just in the last two weeks,
(32:49):
literally circumvented the meritocracy in the NBA. That in the
last two weeks, and also again on the two online
of this, if you were born in the previous century
as I was, as demands was, if you were born
(33:14):
as not in the two thousands, and you use the
phrase as evidently he did today privately via text or
god forbid, on television, but hurt, you're either way too
online or you're just way too online, and so like.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
What are we doing steven A said, but hurt. Yeah,
I thought that was Matt. I'm sorry that.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
No no, no, no, you thought I was just taking
a random shot at Matt Midranto. No no, And listen, I.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
The boxing video is bad.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Here's the thing. The boxing video is not bad. And
that's here's here's what I mean. And this is where
I'm And nobody ever listens to the whole thing. Nobody
ever hears the whole thing. I shouldn't say nobody ever.
But if you I stand by these shows in their
(34:26):
entirety one it's hard to always stand by little individual snippets,
you know what I mean. But in their entirety, I
think I'm fair. I really do. Here the so this
is a piece of boxing video is not bad. Steven A,
by his his own claim, was not in the shape
(34:50):
he wanted to be in. Was overweight by his client.
Not it's not me Nick saying it his client. So
this guy at fifty something hired a trainer, lost a
bunch of weight, got pretty jacked, and took up boxing.
(35:11):
That's fucking awesome. That's cool. Actually I respect that and
him feeling good about what he accomplished and being like, hey,
here's me, you know, sparring or whatever it is, like
people can make fun of it looks better than it
if I did it, and I'm twenty years younger than it,
(35:32):
that's cool. Actually, the problem is knowing that that is
out there and then being like, yeah, man, me and
bron might have had to throw down in the middle
of Staples Center. You can't. You just can't leave yourself
(35:56):
open like that. Like there is again it. There are
a few old uh tiktoks that either your sister, your mom,
(36:17):
or uh your auntie posted that I am like the
funny final reveal of like a dance they're doing. Okay,
those have never gone like megaviral, but they're there. There's
somewhere you can find them through the internet. You better
(36:39):
believe that. If I ever was like, you know what,
I'm gonna go on TV and explain how you know,
if this happened, I'd give it to Chris Brown like that.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
I might be like, oh no, wait a minute.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Wait, wait a minute, that's got gonna end well for me.
And I do think there is an element of megal
Lamania two in the same timeframe. Thinking even though I'm
(37:26):
on the wrong side of the argument, I'm gonna win
this pr battle with Lebron James, and that's going to
be one of the side quests. I'm on the other
one is seriously contemplating running for president of the United States,
(37:47):
like like, maybe maybe we've bitten off a little more
than we can chew. So I really wonder in a
year and two years and three years, how we're going
to look back to this period and whether we're going
(38:08):
to say, holy shit, this catapulted stephen A into another stratosphere,
or if we're going to say that was as far
as cultural, social, political relevance the high water mark. We'll see,
(38:29):
I know what I would bet, but we'll see to
the basketball piece of it for just another moment. I
really do want to harp on that game itself, and
the end of that being why I am I think
(38:55):
it is so ludicrous to think any other player in
the history of the sport is in the general vicinity
of this guy in Lebron. The double digit point streak
(39:18):
is something that I am old enough to remember. It
was a big deal once upon a time when it
was Jordan's and everyone was like, this guy scored ten
plus points for ten more than ten years in a row.
(39:39):
In every single game. It was considered unbreakable and unfathomable.
And now that instead of the record being in the
eight hundreds, the records in the high twelve hundreds. It
is an afterthought. It is never mentioned, and I think
(40:00):
a lot of people watched last night and weren't even
aware of it.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Now.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
There was just an article written this week about about
people betting on it, and it was really interesting. People
bet Demond's air betting like, you know, minus ten thousand
or I don't even.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Just for the for the double digit to hit that night,
for him to continue.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Will Lebron get ten plus points? People are betting the yes.
Sharp betters are betting the yes and just taking the
one percent return or whatever it is. And there was
an article written about it literally four days ago, and
then it looked like it was gonna get snapped last night.
It was crazy. But and there is a one of
(40:47):
my favorite kind of Lebron anecdotes is he has suffered
two major injuries in his career. Major the torn growing
on Christmas against the Warriors his first year with the Lakers,
and Solomon Hill somersaulting into his ankle and messing up
(41:08):
his ankle and foot he missed months. Those are the
only times he's missed months in his career. The Solomon
Hill game, which knocked him out for months. After when
Solomon Hill hit him, he had seven points, there was
an injury, there was a timeout, Lebron said, I can
(41:30):
keep going, played one more possession, hit a three in
the corner to keep the streak alive, and did not
play again for a couple months. He so it. Those
types of things don't mean everything to him, but they
mean enough that he was like, let me see if
(41:51):
I can knock down one shot because I'm about to
be out of here for a bit. And so last night,
at no point was ill he'll score ten. The only
way he won't score ten is suffering a very early injury,
or if at some point he gets thrown out of
(42:11):
the game. Those are the only ways they're either. Last night,
there was no question to me whether or not even
with three points going into the fourth quarter, he was
gonna get it go ahead. What are you about to say?
Speaker 3 (42:21):
I'm just thinking, like, what was the last time Lebron
was thrown out of the game.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
I don't I think he's been thrown out a couple times.
He's fouled out obviously a few, but fouling out takes
out so much later. But the double digit point thing
is just a added piece. The end of the game.
Is why he's I'm gonna go back to hold on, sorry,
(42:51):
And this might glitch for a moment Lebron's first career
playoff games because it is instructive. So it's not so
much that in Lebron's is that hold on. Let me
(43:14):
make sure I have this right there. It is. It's
not so much that his first ever career playoff game
he played all forty eight minutes and had thirty to
eleven and eleven. That's not the story I'm telling here
when he was twenty one years old. It is that
if you remember that first playoff series, he was playing
(43:41):
the Wizards, and in that very first Playoff series, ever
after that brilliant Game one, I'm gonna pull up the
play by play it was so maybe it wasn't Game one.
I have to find the exact game it'll. I promise
(44:02):
this story will be worth it. He got it was
game one or Game two. He was criticized because down
three late, he passed to the open guy. They didn't score,
and they ended up losing and it was you have to,
(44:24):
you know, take the final shot. And so, you know what,
I have the year wrong because the next game he
did hit the game winner. That happened, but he did
hit the game winner. I want to because I was
doing radio in Kansas City. So this is later in
his career. Oh no, that's not it either. Gosh darn it,
(44:45):
I don't have it, and I apologize. Uh morel of
the story is, in one of his first playoff series,
he passed the open guy for a playoff game winner.
The I missed and he got annihilated for it. And
(45:05):
you know what I do have I do have it right.
It is his first playoff series because that's how the
series ended, and then he hit a game winner of
his own, but he had been criticized for not taking it.
And then, at twenty one years old, in his first
playoff series ever, the final two games go to overtime
(45:30):
and in both of them he has the opportunity to
take it himself, and in game five he does and
hits what should have been his first career playoff buzzer beater,
but there was zero point four left and in game
six to win the series because the other team is like, no,
(45:54):
you're not doing this to us again. He finds the
open guy in Damon Jones, hits the game winner and
they win. And that has flatly been who he's always been.
And it was last night when, on a day nothing
would have been better than him hitting the game winner,
(46:16):
he found Luca because it was a better shot, and
then he still ended up with the game winner that
first play. This is why the Lebron narrative has always
been so batshit. First playoff game ever thirty three eleven
and eleven, third playoff game ever down one five seconds left,
(46:42):
jump shot to win the game. Fifth playoff game ever
down two point four left lay up to win the game.
So he had two not quite not technical buzzer beaters,
but two inside five second playoff game winners in his
first five career playoff games, two in his first five,
(47:06):
and it was still and then the very next year
had essentially three game winners or game tying ones in
the same game, the forty eight special against Detroit, that
game where he scored twenty five straight points, where he
scored twenty eight of the last twenty nine or twenty
(47:29):
nine of last thirty he had dunk to put the
game in overtime. He then had a and then in
overtime had a three to tie it, and then a
layup to win it. And still the narrative was created, Guys,
(47:56):
not clutch because instead of serving his ego or instead
of with respect to the late great Kobe Bryant, doing
what Kobe would have done, which is what Michael Jordan
would have done, which is I'm taking this shot no
matter what he said, I'm gonna make the right play.
(48:17):
And last night he made the right play and the
basketball gods rewarded him with a game winner. Anyway, and listen,
I don't know if you'll play tonight, coming off the injury,
second night of a back to back. My guess is
he will because he plays. I do know this, I'm
(48:40):
gonna be there in Memphis. I don't know if that games.
I don't think that games. I thought the game was
gonna be on national TV. I don't think it is
on League On League Pass, you'll be able to see me,
and I you know, listen, for all I know, Lebron's
gonna run up on me and I'm gonna a month
(49:00):
long media tour. My guess is the interaction will be
a little bit differently, But we'll see. But I'll I'm
leaving tomorrow to go to Memphis see Lakers Grizzlies for
a game that's wildly, wildly important. Can't wait. When it
comes to college basketball in March Mania, one thing's for sure.
Nothing's for sure gonna be upsets. There's gonna be buzzer beaters.
(49:23):
We haven't had as many upsets. We just had a
sick buzzer beater, and theoretically Cinderellas should be advancing top
seeds going home early. It all could happen. Bet the unexpected,
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(49:46):
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see dking dot co slash b ball. All right, demons,
(51:21):
let's get to as quickly as we can some of
these other topics, because we did just do an hour
long a block. But I think it was I think
it's the audience wanted there.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
It is worth it.
Speaker 2 (51:32):
Yeah, So Dame is out indefinitely with a blood clot
in his leg. Giannis missed the loss last night against
the Nuggets. Bucks are rough shape right now, and they're
their odds are dropped from plus twenty thousand. That's a
thirteenth best in the NBA for the title. What do
you think about that right now?
Speaker 1 (51:50):
I think they're I think they're totally cooked. Yeah, and listen,
the way I understand blood clots is very simple when
it comes to the NBA. If you get put on
blood thinners, you are out six months. So that's why
the Spurs instantly ruled out, ruled out Wimby and brandon
(52:15):
Ing Listen, brandon Ingram missed six months of Sir Thompson
missed six months. Wimby they think he's gonna miss six months.
So this is brutal for Dame. And I think it's
obvious that the Bucks championship aspirations, while they were quite thin,
(52:36):
are now down to zero. Despite how great Giannis is.
I also think that Jannie's future in Milwaukee comes into
question a bit. He's thirty years old. It is he
has finished Demon's a This is his MVP finishes over
(52:59):
the last seventh season. Simmons brought this up, and he's,
I mean it's remarkable first, first, fourth, third, third, fourth,
and this year he'll finish fourth, maybe third, but third
or fourth. It'll be Tatum and him or him and Tatum.
A seven year run of dominance with one great playoff run.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
And we don't put many of the deconstruction of the
Bucks on you, honest, Like, I think he really wanted uh,
I think you really wanted Drew Holliday out of the
building because he thought that Damian Lillard had the better
chance of getting them back to the championship and that
you're just seeing that play out.
Speaker 1 (53:43):
You're listen, You're not wrong. You're not wrong. Like the
the Bucks went all in to get Drew because they
had to get over the hump. They did, and they
won a title the next year. I think they were
the best by a lot. I think they would have
crushed sorry the Warriors in the finals. But Middleton gets hurt.
(54:08):
Your guy Tatum goes crazy in that round two in
game six, and then Grant Williams. Tatum's crazy game was
Game six. Grant Williams had the Game seven that that
Game six was, you know, and I talk about this
game a lot because this is one of those just
(54:28):
insane playoff moment games where Tatum was unbelievable and Jannis
was unbelievable, but Boston ended up running away with it.
So Yannis in that game forty four twenty and six,
forty four to twenty and six, but Tatum forty six,
(54:52):
nine and four on you know, seventeen of thirty two
from the field, seven of fifteen from three and they win.
And then Game seven, if people don't remember it, I
call it the Grant Williams game because Grant Williams let
me I have hit seven three pointers and the Celtics
(55:12):
went twenty two to fifty five from three, and you
just lose, you know what I mean, It's just you lose.
Then the next two years, Gianni's hurting the playoffs. But
in the interregnum of those next two years, they trade
for Dame because they're worried Giannis isn't gonna resign the
Signs extension and the Dame thing hasn't worked out, just hasn't.
Speaker 2 (55:37):
And appreciate it though, you appreciate say it again, I said,
we appreciate it though who's.
Speaker 1 (55:43):
We the Celtics.
Speaker 3 (55:44):
Yeah, the Celtics.
Speaker 1 (55:46):
Oh yeah, well that's the other thing. By trading Dame
and we win, they know. But also that's how you
guys get Drew, Like.
Speaker 2 (55:56):
Oh, that's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Drew
Holliday saying I'm saying thank you Giannis for you know,
wanting to get him out of the building.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
And I got yeah, And I mean he wasn't traded
from Milwaukee to Boston, but.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
That's how they got the same type of deal, right, yeah, no,
it is right.
Speaker 1 (56:14):
He's part of the Dame trade and then he ends
up being shipped to Boston and it is Yeah. So
I tough times in Milwaukee, and you know, they've made
some mistakes. Firing the head coach for Doc probably was
a mistake. The Dame trade has not worked out, and
(56:37):
I just I do want.
Speaker 3 (56:38):
To try to get a technical last night on purpose
and get I don't know if you saw that, but
they wouldn't give it to him. They wouldn't give it
to him.
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Yeah, he need the time, they wouldn't give it to him.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
All right, let's move on to the next topic.
Speaker 2 (56:49):
Seeah, last night, not Tatum, no problem. He obviously went
down with an ankle injury against Sacramento the other day,
but yeah, they still beat up on the Suns. You
said the Celtics are in a dynasty or deconstruction tier.
Speaker 3 (57:02):
Please explain that.
Speaker 1 (57:04):
Yeah, so here's what I mean. Oh, let me send
this text. If they win the title this year, I
just think they have to. They are obligated to run
it back with everyone. Everyone's under contract except for Horford,
(57:25):
and they could go for a real dynasty, a three
pet if they don't win the title, especially if they
somehow don't make the finals. Got new ownership, there's some
private equity involved. It's gonna be the most expensive team ever.
I wonder if they cut salary. So the new ownership
(57:51):
always worries me, man, Like, listen, new ownership came in
with the Suns, did the opposite of cut salary, like
we're going crazy. But it hasn't gone well, right, New
ownership came into the MAVs and it wrecked basketball in
Central Texas, just ruined it. I don't know, so that's
(58:14):
what I listen. I think the Celtics are. I think
the Celtics are the smartest bet right now to win
the Championship, even though I'm picking the Lakers because I
could see at least two maybe three teams coming out
(58:35):
of the West, the Thunder obviously, the Lakers obviously, and
maybe Denver. I could not see anyone coming out of
the East. But Boston. I just don't think the Caves
can beat them in a series. So the Celtics, to me,
are the smarter play. So I'm not knocking them, but
if they don't win, tough one, tough one, tough one,
(59:01):
all right, let's let's go on to uh the Travis
Kelcey thing, just because I want to have some fun
before we go.
Speaker 2 (59:10):
Yeah, So Travis and Jason, they saw that you were
trying to come on the show and do like the cat.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
I wasn't trying to come on the show. They were
looking for a cap expert, and I knew that. They
were like I'm sure that they in the head were like,
we should ask Nick, right, Oh, he's super busy.
Speaker 3 (59:26):
We don't want to bother him.
Speaker 1 (59:27):
And so I was just like, guys, don't worry about it,
but go ahead.
Speaker 3 (59:30):
So what one hundred percent?
Speaker 2 (59:32):
And so they mentioned you on the show and we're
just gonna play that for the fancy.
Speaker 1 (59:37):
Let's hear.
Speaker 5 (59:39):
We could go outside of the organizations and go to
somebody who is just maybe he used to work in
the NFL or works in the media. Nick Right threw
his hat in the ring on Twitter.
Speaker 3 (59:50):
Nice known Kansas City chief Homer fucking love Nick Right.
Speaker 1 (59:57):
My god, my guy, Trav.
Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
What a delight.
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
So here's the thing. Trav and I have not like
talk talked since he's been serious with Taylor Swift, since
he's been become like a super celebrity. No, I just don't.
So it's the here's the thing. I didn't. I don't
(01:00:24):
want to bother him during the year and then last
offseason he was traveling the world with Taylor I and
then at the parade last year we were going to
I think get together after the parade we're during, but
there was obviously the tragedy and the shooting at the parade,
(01:00:46):
and so everything got a skewed. So I didn't. I
haven't talked to trave in a while, so appreciate the
shout out on you know, one of the world's most
popular podcasts, and also to the folks. I think it's
Wave that does that. Into the New Heights, I'll do it,
and I'll wave my appearance fee just to help them out.
They want someone to come on and really just break down.
(01:01:07):
I don't have an appearance fee. Really just break down
the cap. Nothing would thrill me more. All right, let
me before we get to our listener questions, remind you.
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All right, demande, Let's get to these last two things
(01:02:33):
before we go.
Speaker 2 (01:02:36):
Yeah, So, New England signs Stefan Diggs to a three
year deal that's gonna be worth a twenty six million
is going to be guaranteed there, so he's obviously coming
off his torn aco.
Speaker 3 (01:02:49):
I thought this was crazybe yeah, I mean I twenty.
Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
Six people are like, well, it's really just a one year,
twenty six million dollar deal and then that's fine, but
million he's not gonna be ready week one. So, like Diggs,
Diggs was a good slot receiver last year, but the
yards per catch deterioration concerns me. So here is Stefan
(01:03:18):
Diggs the last three years yards per catch thirteen point two,
eleven point one, ten point six. That's that's alarming. And
now he's coming off an injury, and you know this
(01:03:41):
is going to be And I like Drake May, but
the worst quarterback play he's had in years and years
and years. After all that time with Josh Allen and
CJ that, I understand that they feel like they have
to add a wide receiver and they have money to spend.
I just don't know that. I think Digs is still
a real difference maker.
Speaker 2 (01:04:03):
I was gonna say for Stefan Digg's career, like it
kind of seems like you're that's where you're at in
your career now, like you're kind of just it seems
like you'd be done, like close to It's like, not.
Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Good for him for getting one more payday, but yeah,
not competing for anything and rough spot all right, the
sweet sixteen tonight. So I gave out with our friends
at DraftKings. I gave out a nice little three to
one parlay yesterday plus actually three thirty to one, and
(01:04:35):
I'm gonna roll with that. It's going to stay pretty chalky.
So I like Houston, Bama, Tennessee and Michigan State all
just straight up to win, not against the spread, just
straight up to win. I am if I were of
the games today, the one that if I had to
(01:04:58):
pick an up set, the one upset that I would
go with is Arkansas over Texas Tech. I just think
Coach cal I think those guys. I know they're a
ten seed, but I think that's again I'm not betting it,
but I would. I think that one's certainly more plausible
than the other three. And tomorrow, maybe I'm crazy, but
(01:05:25):
I think Michigan could beat Auburn and so but either way,
I listen. We talked about this on Tuesday. The lack
of upsets means we are going to get an unbelievable
Sweet sixteen in the leit eight and all these games
(01:05:45):
should be close, they should be good, and I can't
wait for it. And I'm also excited to see if
Duke can kind of, you know, finish this thing off,
or if someone's gonna clip them. Duke was the smart bet,
there's no doubt about it. And the team I picked Tennessee,
they got their hands full with Kentucky tomorrow, so like
that's that's going to be a war. Just to get
to Houston. Just have a chance to get to Duke.
(01:06:07):
But I wonder if someone can clip Duke or if
Duke's just too talented. One quick listener question Hayes asks
when is the grand opening of Club Superstar? Same time?
It is every year, right before, you know, very beginning
of the playoffs. We don't have a set date, but
it's the very beginning of the playoffs, all right. Demon's
a great job, Blue Dock, great job. DraftKings volume day.
(01:06:29):
Appreciate y'all like rate, subscribe reviews. Seems like we might
have had a lot of people watching us live. We
appreciate that. So if you're new, if you would subscribe
to this on YouTube, if you would also subscribe on
iTunes or Spotify, that oddly helps us out a ton.
Greatly appreciated. I will see you guys on TV in
a few hours. What's right,
Welcome in. We'll drive you to the great episode three fourteen.
Those of you who were in the YouTube chat or
watching beforehand, you got a little sneak preview of the show.
Luckily you know what I mean, and you know I'm
not the all time legend Mike Francessa out here, just
you know, just scolding my producers for bad information, because
(00:21):
I got great producers that don't give me bad information.
I'm not even So you guys got a little preview
of us when we thought we were off the air.
We were on the air. But luckily we're professional at
all times drownd here, so we ain't got to worry
about it. Being professional at all times seems to be
in short capacity in my industry these days. So let's
(00:41):
get right to it. Here's what missed the cut. Joker
came back, reminded everyone's Joker thirty nine, ten and ten
the Tennessee Titans like, but maybe don't love Cam Moore.
They might trade the pick major League Baseball opening Day.
None of that is on the show today because of well,
demon's a take it away.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, so Lebron's had quite a day. Obviously, he hit
the buzzer Beaterer yesterday. Yeah, a little bit of a
rough game, but obviously the buzzerbader to win.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, the McAfee hit. He's been having.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
The whole stephen A Smith thing going on is, yeah,
you want to start with the game?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Where do you want to go with it?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So since the moment Lebron walked up on steven A Smith,
I would, aside from the groin injury, I would argue
everything has come up Lebron, and it would appear we
(01:44):
are in the midst. And our younger producers or co
host or audience can tell me if I'm using this
term wrong, but it would appear we are in the
midst from steven A of what the kids call a
crash out, and it is day by day by day.
(02:10):
The moment Lebron confronted steven A, just between third and
fourth quarter of a game, Bron's team was trailing by tena,
steven A's favorite team. On the day, stephen A had
gotten and deserved his new five year, one hundred million
dollar contract, and then he had to sit there and
(02:33):
think about how am I going to respond to the
fact that this guy came up checked me, kept it moving.
Did the worst thing you can ever do to someone
in our profession, not give us a chance to respond,
not let us talk, and then walked my team down
(02:56):
and beat him. And then Lebron is very very judicious
with the interviews that he gives. And it was not
coincidental that Lebron then decides to go on with McAfee,
(03:24):
who some people consider Stephen A's rival for face of
the network, no rival for face of the league, by
the way, more on that. In the moment, we know
who that is, and after this week we know who
face of American Sports is. But face of the network,
that's an argument, Stephen ay Er McAfee. So Lebron picks
(03:48):
that guy to go on that show on that network
and then that night, and this is where I will
get to the soap opera stuff in a second, but
this is where the greatest of all time remind you
(04:10):
that they are. Lebron had put extra pressure on himself
by doing that interview. And guess what, through three quarters
he had the fewest points he's had through three quarters
in a game since I was in college. He's unfathomable.
(04:30):
One two hundred and eighty two game streak of double
digit points. When the second most is eight hundred something
is in real jeopardy. And of all days, the day
that the streak's going to be snapped is a day
that you know, the biggest voice in sports media the
(04:51):
very next morning is going to do everything he can
to rip you to shreds. That's when your streak might break.
That's when you're gonna give a little more fodder to
the folks who say, oh, great player, but you know,
doesn't quite have that clutch gene. So how does he respond,
(05:16):
not only by immediately in the fourth quarter getting the
to double digit points and leading the Lakers to where Okay,
they're gonna win. Wait, did they just squander a twelve
point lead? Okay, Ruey hit those two threes, They're fine.
Did they just give up a seven to zero run
out of nowhere? And then a perfect, absolutely perfect you
(05:43):
want to put on Lebron James basketball tombstone, a fifteen
second sequence put the end of that Pacers game with
the context of the day. So here's what it is.
Down one, gotta get a stop. Can't double off guys
(06:07):
on the Pacers because they all can shoot. Bron realizes,
oh shot clucks down to three, You're not gonna have
time to pass. Sins Is double creates the terrible shot,
and before the shots even miss has leaked out and
would have the go ahead layup. Luca doesn't see it
in time. They pitch it ahead late. All of the
(06:32):
guys who have fewer career playoff buzzer beaters, who are
have worse career field goal percentage in the clutch, who
are by any objective measure, worse in the biggest moments,
but we deify because those players historically have put their
personal glory ahead of the team. All of those guys,
(06:56):
when they get the pitch ahead down one six are saying,
I don't care that a double is being sent my way.
I'm taking this damn shot, not Lebron James. Make the
right play in the moment and for the big picture.
In the moment, Luca's more open and big picture we
(07:18):
need him to be the guy and be great. I'm
giving him the ball. And Lucas said after the game,
how much confidence that gave him that in that moment
that day, the Lebron James ESPN day, he could have
said I'm making sure I'm taking the last shot. He said, No,
(07:39):
make the right play and Luca missed, But for the
all around greatest player ever, guess what, right position, right effort,
a little more energy, a little higher IQ in the
(07:59):
right spot for the tip, ind for his first buzzer
beater since he walked off the Raptors in Game three
of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in twenty eighteen as a
cav eighth career buzzer beater, third in the regular season,
five in the playoffs, which, for those keeping track at home,
(08:20):
more than Kobe and might combined more on Kobe, the
late great Kobe Bryant, who didn't ask to be brought
into this but got brought into this in just a moment.
So go watch those last fifteen seconds and see why
Lebron's the best player we've ever seen, Because in year
twenty two, at age forty, he understood when to send
(08:41):
a double, He understood how to leak out. He understood,
oh I'm getting doubled, it's not about me and my ego.
And he understood, in case Luca misses, let me be
in the right spot. And so on a day that
as much pressure as could be on a player in
(09:12):
a regular season March game, Lebron delivered with another brilliant
fourth quarter and with the game winning tipping and then
got on his phone found out that stephen A had
(09:35):
told the world if Lebron had put his hands on me,
I would have swung on him. And so he posts
the pictures, the video of steven A boxing and now
the feud goes on. So now to the stephen A
(09:58):
of it all. I said it before, I will say
it again. It is a lost art in current culture.
(10:19):
Just taken l man, just taken L. All you had
to do the day after Lebron walked up on you
against the Knicks was do kind of what you did
on TV, which was be like, I don't really want
(10:41):
to talk about this. That was a father talking about
his son, and again that was a little misleading. It
wasn't so much about stephen A's commentary on bronni as
much as it was about stephen A's commentary about Lebron
as a father. And listen, all you had to say
was I think I've been more than fair. Lebron obviously disagrees.
(11:06):
I would have told him that if he had given
me the opportunity he seems to be, and it was
communicated to me he was really bothered by what he
thought was me questioning him as a father. That was
never my intention. I would never do that, and it's
dead and it's over. Instead, you do half a dozen
(11:31):
podcasts about it, you start fantasizing about what if he
had put his hands on me? You you do.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
On the putting his hands on him thinking. Lebron ended
up posting the boxing video. Stephen A did say that.
He said later in the video he would thoroughly kick
my butt.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So I feel it.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
I am.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
He wasn't, you know, he wasn't like faking the funk there, no, but.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
He but it's well, I disagree to it. You're right,
you're totally correct. He didn't imply. Steven A didn't imply
I would have whooped his ass, right, yeah, no, no, no,
I'm not saying that. But he is creating you know
what he's doing. Oh, this is gonna make him mad,
This will hurt the this will cut and I don't
(12:18):
mean it too. But steven A, in real time the
last three weeks, on national television and podcast and every
platform available is doing what we've all done standing alone
in the shower. You know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Gonna say, Yeah, like, go ahead, but yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Man, what I should have done. And then if I'd
have done that, he'd have done this, and then I'd
have done that, and then he'd have done this. He's
recreating in real time how the interaction should have gone.
For our older audience, it's Costanza and the Shrimp and
the jerk store ran out of you. But in real time,
(13:12):
in real life, against the world's most popular athlete, that's
what's happening. We are seeing it. Ah, Man, that would
have killed him in the argument, Oh, I should have
said this, But if I'd have said that, that might
have put him over the edge, and then they might
(13:33):
have hit me. And if they hit me, man, I'd
have to hit them back. I know, I'd get my
ass kicked right after. Stop it, man, there's no need
for it. And we can say, you know, Lebron should
be above this. Lebron been above this shit for twenty
five years. Lebron went his entire career without everone saying
(14:02):
these two words. Skip Bayless never mention his name. And
by the way, sidebar.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Man, Skip has to be sick livid that he is,
I mean just sick that this is.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Happening right now. The one of my demand knows. This
one of my kind of you know, sayings that I like,
sometimes you know, as a joke, sometimes as a lesson,
sometimes as an atta boy. Is every decision you've ever
made in your entire life has led to you to
this very moment. And that is true for all of us,
(14:44):
in every moment. And sometimes you know, it can be
a cut, it can be a positive, whatever it is,
you know. And again I have affection for Skip, and
so I'm not I'm just being honest. You know, there's
a moment last night or this morning when Skip is
(15:06):
like I'm about to instead of having this discussion on
national television sitting across from stephen A himself or Shannon,
I'm gonna have this discussion in my house, sitting across
(15:26):
from Ernestine. And that's not how this was supposed to go.
Like this is like this would be the moment. And
again my record reflects that I don't think that's unfair.
I know that if the wrong people clip it, whatever,
I'll deal with this.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Situation.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
That is the reality of the situation. And here's the
other piece of it. And I say this pretty confidently.
I do not think Lebron will ever talk about this again. Now,
maybe the fact that Stephen A evidently a few minutes
(16:08):
ago said took a shot at Lebron for not being
at Kobe's memorial, maybe that will generate a quick reaction
because that is what Lebron was talking about last night
(16:30):
or yesterday on McAfee, was like, there's basketball criticism, then
there's this other criticism.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah, like that's how it bounds, right, like as like
how that's a really I mean, that feels out abounds.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
It feels out of bounds. I and now listen, I
try to be self aware enough. I look back and
I say, I've been out of bounds at times, but
I get when those guys don't like me, so like
something again, to kind of mix metaphors a bit, I
know you haven't. If people are kind of new to
(17:05):
the pod, well hi welcome everyone, like rate, subscribe review. Also,
if you're super new, you probably don't. You're maybe a
little confuser. Don't know. Me and Demonse's dynamic. Demansey's my son,
and Demonse didn't grow up like wanting to be in
sports media. It just came about that. I wanted him
to do this with me, and so we've done it together.
(17:27):
For now. The life of the podcast took a few
months off. His sister filled in. But that's what it is.
And there's a reason I'm explaining this, especially early on
in the pod. If you really disagreed with me on something,
you didn't say it, now you would like it's still
(17:49):
it's that's not like an asshole. It's my show, and
so you you understand the dynamic of it. But you
are You've been doing it long enough, and I think
and also you're older than you were or whatever. Or
if you think I'm way out of bounds on something,
you'll politely or kindly or whatever. So here's the reason, right,
here's the reason I mention it. There was time when
(18:13):
I know for a fact, even though he didn't put
voice to it, demands thought some of my Kyrie Irving
stuff was out of bounds. It was like, hey, that's
you know what I mean, that's not about basketball. You
know that's unfair, And I in the is am I
putting words in your mouth like that?
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Fair? I think it was a little heavy fork.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Right, Okay, So here's here's the reason I'm bringing that up.
If Kyrie Irving does not like me and has a
real issue with me because of that totally fair? Now,
what I like the opportunity ideally to at some point
(18:58):
because I am now not only really impressed by Kyrie,
but fascinated by Kyrie, and I actually think there are
a lot of really interesting things about him. If that
is how he feels about me, would I really like
the opportunity to give the full scope of my commentary
and say like, hey, maybe you haven't seen some of
these other things I've said, or you know whatever, I
(19:21):
would do. I think he owes me that, No, do
I just have to eat the fact. Hey man, that
guy might just think you're a fucking clown. He might, Yeah,
I hope not. And so I know that I was
unfair but a far about far less serious things. But
(19:43):
I took kind of basketball exclusive related cheap shots at
Durant on Twitter, and he took him back at me.
And I have since tried, truly tried through kind of
back channels to repair that because it's and I don't
(20:04):
even know if it needs repairing. But it was like, hey,
I think we all knew what was going on there,
you know what I mean that? And I was keeping
it purely about basketball, but it was it was there
were a couple things that were probably like, Okay, you're
going you are tweeting for the likes or whatever, rather
(20:24):
than it's not hardcore analysis and so like. But I
own that, I wear that, I know it. Part of
the business is accepting some of these guys aren't gonna
like you, and some of them are not going to
be wrong for not liking you. And here is where,
(20:48):
and this is where I think Steven A has made
a grievous error. He just today he's said, quote, He'll
smile on your face then stab you in the back.
That's why I don't like him. He's bringing up Wade's
Hall of Fame induction, Kobe's memorial. He's saying, quote, he
(21:10):
literally circummitted meritocracy in the NBA. Here's the problem, man,
And this is where, by continuing to talk about this
and not allowing yourself to take the l you are
really putting yourself in a bad spot. You always claimed
you had no problem with Lebron. You always claimed he
(21:34):
only had a problem with you. Up until six weeks ago,
the stance was, oh, nothing but loving Lebron James. I,
you know, a a great person in the community, a
great This a great that I just I just think
(21:58):
he's not the greatest basketball player ever. I just think
he's only the second greatest player ever. And because of that,
he has a problem with me. That's been the public stance.
And now the guy makes fun of you on Instagram
and takes a couple of jokes at your expense on McAfee,
(22:21):
and you're letting everyone know, actually, no, never liked him.
And so if the if, if we are going to
do a full, real telling of it, it then the
honest answer is, so why what's been the problem? Was
(22:41):
there something personal before? And the answer is no, Lebron
wouldn't talk to him, that was the problem. Lebron wouldn't
talk to him or acknowledge him. And Michael Jordan texts
with him. That's it. It's the whole thing. That's the
(23:04):
start of it. And so I.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
It is.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
People ask me all the time, man, do you believe
what you say? And my answer always is, now, do
I say it louder or more emphatically, or add some
spice to it or whatever? Do I dress it up? Sure?
Of course? But the reason and this is not my quote, uh,
(23:39):
but this quote is correct. If you never lie, you
don't ever have to remember anything when you do as
And I'm not acting like I'm someone that never lies.
I probably have a bit of a I'm probably true
character flaw of mine is I am my most honest
talking to you guys, friends and family. I might you
(24:02):
know what I mean. I might be like, you know what,
I can dance through the rain drops here a bit
and clean this up later. And that's not be honestly.
It's self serving. It's not out of some Woodrow and
Burnstein Woodward Woodrow Jesus Woodward and Burnstein journalism ethic. It's
(24:22):
because I don't want to have to. It is too
difficult to do this much content. If you're having to remember,
oh shit, I said that, and if your stance forever,
forever has been I have no problem with that person.
He has a problem with me. And then the first
(24:43):
time you get pressed you empty the clip about everything
you've always had a problem with. People are gonna say
you're fucking lying to us. You were lying to us,
and I don't. And here is the problem with people
(25:07):
in general who don't have the ability to take an
l and who are very online and who are public figures.
This applies to I guess some of our actual politicians
(25:33):
and some of our potentially would be or want to
be politicians. All you can do is keep doubling, tripling,
and quadrupling down because you don't have the ability to
be like I was wrong. You constantly are reminded of
(26:00):
the incident at hand, and you are constantly reading people
make fun of you or rip you. So again, I
am not trying to act like I am some I
am you know, the silver bullet on this stuff. However,
(26:21):
I do have one kind of just natural superpower, I guess,
and another decision I've made. The natural superpower is this
I am totally fine being wrong, like, oh shit, got
that one wrong. My bad, not a problem. And the
other one is I don't read my mentions, so people
(26:43):
are like, I'm I am not finding my and had
a third thing I'm very good at. I'm I'm on
the right side of the great athletes conversation. Like. The
other thing is like, I you know, I in the
hey Lebron James good or overrated. I had the foresight
to be like, I'll go with good, you know what
(27:04):
I mean. I think I'll plant my flag on good
and see how it plays out. Over the next fifteen years.
And so that's been help that's been helpful, But I
I can't believe that this is how these last few
weeks have gone. And the fact that so here's the
(27:29):
other piece of it that's important, demands on one one
party in this is fighting a war of war work.
I can never say that war of words reminders reminder
of the new people in the audience and young people. I,
(27:49):
as someone who my only skill is speaking and arguing,
had a really bad speech impediment growing up and couldn't
say my rs are my ls And now I do
it for a living. So I this is kind of
a s bar, but just for you know, young people
out there or whatever, like yeah, you can get over anything.
I shouldn't say anything, but you can work on stuff
(28:10):
and it won't hold you back.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Go ahead, No, I was just flexing on you.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
No, well yeah, and we're world and girl. Anything that
has the R L next to each other like that.
I still struggle with a bit. And I've told this
story nothing worse. And not being able to say your
rs and your last name starts with a hard R,
and when it's not an R, it sounds like a
different word. You don't know how many times I went
(28:35):
to basketball camp as a kid. They're like, what's your name?
Nick White? They're like, no white, white, no white. It
was brutal. Maybe that only happened once, but it's it
seared me. It scarred me. The guy wrote down on
my jersey right, and I'm like, no, it's not white,
it's white. Brutal doesn't matter. I'm good now.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Brutal.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Here's the point I was making. In a war, stephen
A is fighting a war of words. Lebron gets actually
go out and play the games, and he's still awesome.
So think about it. In the couple weeks since this
all happened, Lakers had a winning streak, Bronni drops thirty
(29:23):
nine drops, a career high in the NBA, has another
good game the other night, bron last night hits a
game winner. And you have positioned yourself. I can't imagine
being this box stend. You have now positioned yourself where
(29:47):
any time you give fair analysis about a good Laker
game or Bronni or whatever, you're gonna get ripped for
that too. Like you are all. You are so boxed in.
And the guy, honest to god, so much of this
(30:09):
as I've said before, so much of the toxicity of
sports media, across all sports and all our debates is
actually about Michael Jordan and that era and that era
of people who came up in that era being like, man,
(30:31):
my childhood was the best, I promise like and not
seeing that every single human being ever it's like, hey,
what's your favorite type of music? And for everyone it
just happens to be the exact type of music they
were listening to when they first got their car and
first were able to drive. Who were the best athletes
and it's like, oh, it just happens to be for everyone,
(30:54):
myself included the athletes like we watched in our formative
years and then into adulthood and not being able to
see that it's not special, it's just how human beings
brains are constructed. But point is, this whole thing really
generates from MJ's my body. This guy won't talk to me.
(31:19):
I must, against all odds, support MJ's legacy. But MJ
ain't playing anymore. You're never gonna be able to go
on the show and be like, ah, look what Michael did.
But this other guy won't fucking quit. He's he is.
(31:43):
We are in a span of ten days, his son
almost drops forty in the G League and scores are
leads the Lakers in points in the NBA, and he
has a buzzer beater. And so it's just a war
you're not gonna win. And it's a war you're not
(32:06):
gonna win because I think because of your popularity and
success and talent, people of what enough people have watched
you for long enough that we know what the record says,
(32:28):
and we know you have always claimed you have no
problem with Lebron. He has a problem with you, and
then today you say he will smile on your face
then stab you in the back. That's why I don't
like him, is that just in the last two weeks,
(32:49):
literally circumvented the meritocracy in the NBA. That in the
last two weeks, and also again on the two online
of this, if you were born in the previous century
as I was, as demands was, if you were born
(33:14):
as not in the two thousands, and you use the
phrase as evidently he did today privately via text or
god forbid, on television, but hurt, you're either way too
online or you're just way too online, and so like.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
What are we doing steven A said, but hurt. Yeah,
I thought that was Matt. I'm sorry that.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
No no, no, no, you thought I was just taking
a random shot at Matt Midranto. No no, And listen, I.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
The boxing video is bad.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Here's the thing. The boxing video is not bad. And
that's here's here's what I mean. And this is where
I'm And nobody ever listens to the whole thing. Nobody
ever hears the whole thing. I shouldn't say nobody ever.
But if you I stand by these shows in their
(34:26):
entirety one it's hard to always stand by little individual snippets,
you know what I mean. But in their entirety, I
think I'm fair. I really do. Here the so this
is a piece of boxing video is not bad. Steven A,
by his his own claim, was not in the shape
(34:50):
he wanted to be in. Was overweight by his client.
Not it's not me Nick saying it his client. So
this guy at fifty something hired a trainer, lost a
bunch of weight, got pretty jacked, and took up boxing.
(35:11):
That's fucking awesome. That's cool. Actually I respect that and
him feeling good about what he accomplished and being like, hey,
here's me, you know, sparring or whatever it is, like
people can make fun of it looks better than it
if I did it, and I'm twenty years younger than it,
(35:32):
that's cool. Actually, the problem is knowing that that is
out there and then being like, yeah, man, me and
bron might have had to throw down in the middle
of Staples Center. You can't. You just can't leave yourself
(35:56):
open like that. Like there is again it. There are
a few old uh tiktoks that either your sister, your mom,
(36:17):
or uh your auntie posted that I am like the
funny final reveal of like a dance they're doing. Okay,
those have never gone like megaviral, but they're there. There's
somewhere you can find them through the internet. You better
(36:39):
believe that. If I ever was like, you know what,
I'm gonna go on TV and explain how you know,
if this happened, I'd give it to Chris Brown like that.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
I might be like, oh no, wait a minute.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Wait, wait a minute, that's got gonna end well for me.
And I do think there is an element of megal
Lamania two in the same timeframe. Thinking even though I'm
(37:26):
on the wrong side of the argument, I'm gonna win
this pr battle with Lebron James, and that's going to
be one of the side quests. I'm on the other
one is seriously contemplating running for president of the United States,
(37:47):
like like, maybe maybe we've bitten off a little more
than we can chew. So I really wonder in a
year and two years and three years, how we're going
to look back to this period and whether we're going
(38:08):
to say, holy shit, this catapulted stephen A into another stratosphere,
or if we're going to say that was as far
as cultural, social, political relevance the high water mark. We'll see,
(38:29):
I know what I would bet, but we'll see to
the basketball piece of it for just another moment. I
really do want to harp on that game itself, and
the end of that being why I am I think
(38:55):
it is so ludicrous to think any other player in
the history of the sport is in the general vicinity
of this guy in Lebron. The double digit point streak
(39:18):
is something that I am old enough to remember. It
was a big deal once upon a time when it
was Jordan's and everyone was like, this guy scored ten
plus points for ten more than ten years in a row.
(39:39):
In every single game. It was considered unbreakable and unfathomable.
And now that instead of the record being in the
eight hundreds, the records in the high twelve hundreds. It
is an afterthought. It is never mentioned, and I think
(40:00):
a lot of people watched last night and weren't even
aware of it.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Now.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
There was just an article written this week about about
people betting on it, and it was really interesting. People
bet Demond's air betting like, you know, minus ten thousand
or I don't even.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Just for the for the double digit to hit that night,
for him to continue.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Will Lebron get ten plus points? People are betting the yes.
Sharp betters are betting the yes and just taking the
one percent return or whatever it is. And there was
an article written about it literally four days ago, and
then it looked like it was gonna get snapped last night.
It was crazy. But and there is a one of
(40:47):
my favorite kind of Lebron anecdotes is he has suffered
two major injuries in his career. Major the torn growing
on Christmas against the Warriors his first year with the Lakers,
and Solomon Hill somersaulting into his ankle and messing up
(41:08):
his ankle and foot he missed months. Those are the
only times he's missed months in his career. The Solomon
Hill game, which knocked him out for months. After when
Solomon Hill hit him, he had seven points, there was
an injury, there was a timeout, Lebron said, I can
(41:30):
keep going, played one more possession, hit a three in
the corner to keep the streak alive, and did not
play again for a couple months. He so it. Those
types of things don't mean everything to him, but they
mean enough that he was like, let me see if
(41:51):
I can knock down one shot because I'm about to
be out of here for a bit. And so last night,
at no point was ill he'll score ten. The only
way he won't score ten is suffering a very early injury,
or if at some point he gets thrown out of
(42:11):
the game. Those are the only ways they're either. Last night,
there was no question to me whether or not even
with three points going into the fourth quarter, he was
gonna get it go ahead. What are you about to say?
Speaker 3 (42:21):
I'm just thinking, like, what was the last time Lebron
was thrown out of the game.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
I don't I think he's been thrown out a couple times.
He's fouled out obviously a few, but fouling out takes
out so much later. But the double digit point thing
is just a added piece. The end of the game.
Is why he's I'm gonna go back to hold on, sorry,
(42:51):
And this might glitch for a moment Lebron's first career
playoff games because it is instructive. So it's not so
much that in Lebron's is that hold on. Let me
(43:14):
make sure I have this right there. It is. It's
not so much that his first ever career playoff game
he played all forty eight minutes and had thirty to
eleven and eleven. That's not the story I'm telling here
when he was twenty one years old. It is that
if you remember that first playoff series, he was playing
(43:41):
the Wizards, and in that very first Playoff series, ever
after that brilliant Game one, I'm gonna pull up the
play by play it was so maybe it wasn't Game one.
I have to find the exact game it'll. I promise
(44:02):
this story will be worth it. He got it was
game one or Game two. He was criticized because down
three late, he passed to the open guy. They didn't score,
and they ended up losing and it was you have to,
(44:24):
you know, take the final shot. And so, you know what,
I have the year wrong because the next game he
did hit the game winner. That happened, but he did
hit the game winner. I want to because I was
doing radio in Kansas City. So this is later in
his career. Oh no, that's not it either. Gosh darn it,
(44:45):
I don't have it, and I apologize. Uh morel of
the story is, in one of his first playoff series,
he passed the open guy for a playoff game winner.
The I missed and he got annihilated for it. And
(45:05):
you know what I do have I do have it right.
It is his first playoff series because that's how the
series ended, and then he hit a game winner of
his own, but he had been criticized for not taking it.
And then, at twenty one years old, in his first
playoff series ever, the final two games go to overtime
(45:30):
and in both of them he has the opportunity to
take it himself, and in game five he does and
hits what should have been his first career playoff buzzer beater,
but there was zero point four left and in game
six to win the series because the other team is like, no,
(45:54):
you're not doing this to us again. He finds the
open guy in Damon Jones, hits the game winner and
they win. And that has flatly been who he's always been.
And it was last night when, on a day nothing
would have been better than him hitting the game winner,
(46:16):
he found Luca because it was a better shot, and
then he still ended up with the game winner that
first play. This is why the Lebron narrative has always
been so batshit. First playoff game ever thirty three eleven
and eleven, third playoff game ever down one five seconds left,
(46:42):
jump shot to win the game. Fifth playoff game ever
down two point four left lay up to win the game.
So he had two not quite not technical buzzer beaters,
but two inside five second playoff game winners in his
first five career playoff games, two in his first five,
(47:06):
and it was still and then the very next year
had essentially three game winners or game tying ones in
the same game, the forty eight special against Detroit, that
game where he scored twenty five straight points, where he
scored twenty eight of the last twenty nine or twenty
(47:29):
nine of last thirty he had dunk to put the
game in overtime. He then had a and then in
overtime had a three to tie it, and then a
layup to win it. And still the narrative was created, Guys,
(47:56):
not clutch because instead of serving his ego or instead
of with respect to the late great Kobe Bryant, doing
what Kobe would have done, which is what Michael Jordan
would have done, which is I'm taking this shot no
matter what he said, I'm gonna make the right play.
(48:17):
And last night he made the right play and the
basketball gods rewarded him with a game winner. Anyway, and listen,
I don't know if you'll play tonight, coming off the injury,
second night of a back to back. My guess is
he will because he plays. I do know this, I'm
(48:40):
gonna be there in Memphis. I don't know if that games.
I don't think that games. I thought the game was
gonna be on national TV. I don't think it is
on League On League Pass, you'll be able to see me,
and I you know, listen, for all I know, Lebron's
gonna run up on me and I'm gonna a month
(49:00):
long media tour. My guess is the interaction will be
a little bit differently, But we'll see. But I'll I'm
leaving tomorrow to go to Memphis see Lakers Grizzlies for
a game that's wildly, wildly important. Can't wait. When it
comes to college basketball in March Mania, one thing's for sure.
Nothing's for sure gonna be upsets. There's gonna be buzzer beaters.
(49:23):
We haven't had as many upsets. We just had a
sick buzzer beater, and theoretically Cinderellas should be advancing top
seeds going home early. It all could happen. Bet the unexpected,
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(49:46):
check out the matchups, and pick a team to win.
It's that simple, you guys know right, I'm on Tennessee.
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see dking dot co slash b ball. All right, demons,
(51:21):
let's get to as quickly as we can some of
these other topics, because we did just do an hour
long a block. But I think it was I think
it's the audience wanted there.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
It is worth it.
Speaker 2 (51:32):
Yeah, So Dame is out indefinitely with a blood clot
in his leg. Giannis missed the loss last night against
the Nuggets. Bucks are rough shape right now, and they're
their odds are dropped from plus twenty thousand. That's a
thirteenth best in the NBA for the title. What do
you think about that right now?
Speaker 1 (51:50):
I think they're I think they're totally cooked. Yeah, and listen,
the way I understand blood clots is very simple when
it comes to the NBA. If you get put on
blood thinners, you are out six months. So that's why
the Spurs instantly ruled out, ruled out Wimby and brandon
(52:15):
Ing Listen, brandon Ingram missed six months of Sir Thompson
missed six months. Wimby they think he's gonna miss six months.
So this is brutal for Dame. And I think it's
obvious that the Bucks championship aspirations, while they were quite thin,
(52:36):
are now down to zero. Despite how great Giannis is.
I also think that Jannie's future in Milwaukee comes into
question a bit. He's thirty years old. It is he
has finished Demon's a This is his MVP finishes over
(52:59):
the last seventh season. Simmons brought this up, and he's,
I mean it's remarkable first, first, fourth, third, third, fourth,
and this year he'll finish fourth, maybe third, but third
or fourth. It'll be Tatum and him or him and Tatum.
A seven year run of dominance with one great playoff run.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
And we don't put many of the deconstruction of the
Bucks on you, honest, Like, I think he really wanted uh,
I think you really wanted Drew Holliday out of the
building because he thought that Damian Lillard had the better
chance of getting them back to the championship and that
you're just seeing that play out.
Speaker 1 (53:43):
You're listen, You're not wrong. You're not wrong. Like the
the Bucks went all in to get Drew because they
had to get over the hump. They did, and they
won a title the next year. I think they were
the best by a lot. I think they would have
crushed sorry the Warriors in the finals. But Middleton gets hurt.
(54:08):
Your guy Tatum goes crazy in that round two in
game six, and then Grant Williams. Tatum's crazy game was
Game six. Grant Williams had the Game seven that that
Game six was, you know, and I talk about this
game a lot because this is one of those just
(54:28):
insane playoff moment games where Tatum was unbelievable and Jannis
was unbelievable, but Boston ended up running away with it.
So Yannis in that game forty four twenty and six,
forty four to twenty and six, but Tatum forty six,
(54:52):
nine and four on you know, seventeen of thirty two
from the field, seven of fifteen from three and they win.
And then Game seven, if people don't remember it, I
call it the Grant Williams game because Grant Williams let
me I have hit seven three pointers and the Celtics
(55:12):
went twenty two to fifty five from three, and you
just lose, you know what I mean, It's just you lose.
Then the next two years, Gianni's hurting the playoffs. But
in the interregnum of those next two years, they trade
for Dame because they're worried Giannis isn't gonna resign the
Signs extension and the Dame thing hasn't worked out, just hasn't.
Speaker 2 (55:37):
And appreciate it though, you appreciate say it again, I said,
we appreciate it though who's.
Speaker 1 (55:43):
We the Celtics.
Speaker 3 (55:44):
Yeah, the Celtics.
Speaker 1 (55:46):
Oh yeah, well that's the other thing. By trading Dame
and we win, they know. But also that's how you
guys get Drew, Like.
Speaker 2 (55:56):
Oh, that's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Drew
Holliday saying I'm saying thank you Giannis for you know,
wanting to get him out of the building.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
And I got yeah, And I mean he wasn't traded
from Milwaukee to Boston, but.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
That's how they got the same type of deal, right, yeah, no,
it is right.
Speaker 1 (56:14):
He's part of the Dame trade and then he ends
up being shipped to Boston and it is Yeah. So
I tough times in Milwaukee, and you know, they've made
some mistakes. Firing the head coach for Doc probably was
a mistake. The Dame trade has not worked out, and
(56:37):
I just I do want.
Speaker 3 (56:38):
To try to get a technical last night on purpose
and get I don't know if you saw that, but
they wouldn't give it to him. They wouldn't give it
to him.
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Yeah, he need the time, they wouldn't give it to him.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
All right, let's move on to the next topic.
Speaker 2 (56:49):
Seeah, last night, not Tatum, no problem. He obviously went
down with an ankle injury against Sacramento the other day,
but yeah, they still beat up on the Suns. You
said the Celtics are in a dynasty or deconstruction tier.
Speaker 3 (57:02):
Please explain that.
Speaker 1 (57:04):
Yeah, so here's what I mean. Oh, let me send
this text. If they win the title this year, I
just think they have to. They are obligated to run
it back with everyone. Everyone's under contract except for Horford,
(57:25):
and they could go for a real dynasty, a three
pet if they don't win the title, especially if they
somehow don't make the finals. Got new ownership, there's some
private equity involved. It's gonna be the most expensive team ever.
I wonder if they cut salary. So the new ownership
(57:51):
always worries me, man, Like, listen, new ownership came in
with the Suns, did the opposite of cut salary, like
we're going crazy. But it hasn't gone well, right, New
ownership came into the MAVs and it wrecked basketball in
Central Texas, just ruined it. I don't know, so that's
(58:14):
what I listen. I think the Celtics are. I think
the Celtics are the smartest bet right now to win
the Championship, even though I'm picking the Lakers because I
could see at least two maybe three teams coming out
(58:35):
of the West, the Thunder obviously, the Lakers obviously, and
maybe Denver. I could not see anyone coming out of
the East. But Boston. I just don't think the Caves
can beat them in a series. So the Celtics, to me,
are the smarter play. So I'm not knocking them, but
if they don't win, tough one, tough one, tough one,
(59:01):
all right, let's let's go on to uh the Travis
Kelcey thing, just because I want to have some fun
before we go.
Speaker 2 (59:10):
Yeah, So Travis and Jason, they saw that you were
trying to come on the show and do like the cat.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
I wasn't trying to come on the show. They were
looking for a cap expert, and I knew that. They
were like I'm sure that they in the head were like,
we should ask Nick, right, Oh, he's super busy.
Speaker 3 (59:26):
We don't want to bother him.
Speaker 1 (59:27):
And so I was just like, guys, don't worry about it,
but go ahead.
Speaker 3 (59:30):
So what one hundred percent?
Speaker 2 (59:32):
And so they mentioned you on the show and we're
just gonna play that for the fancy.
Speaker 1 (59:37):
Let's hear.
Speaker 5 (59:39):
We could go outside of the organizations and go to
somebody who is just maybe he used to work in
the NFL or works in the media. Nick Right threw
his hat in the ring on Twitter.
Speaker 3 (59:50):
Nice known Kansas City chief Homer fucking love Nick Right.
Speaker 1 (59:57):
My god, my guy, Trav.
Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
What a delight.
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
So here's the thing. Trav and I have not like
talk talked since he's been serious with Taylor Swift, since
he's been become like a super celebrity. No, I just don't.
So it's the here's the thing. I didn't. I don't
(01:00:24):
want to bother him during the year and then last
offseason he was traveling the world with Taylor I and
then at the parade last year we were going to
I think get together after the parade we're during, but
there was obviously the tragedy and the shooting at the parade,
(01:00:46):
and so everything got a skewed. So I didn't. I
haven't talked to trave in a while, so appreciate the
shout out on you know, one of the world's most
popular podcasts, and also to the folks. I think it's
Wave that does that. Into the New Heights, I'll do it,
and I'll wave my appearance fee just to help them out.
They want someone to come on and really just break down.
(01:01:07):
I don't have an appearance fee. Really just break down
the cap. Nothing would thrill me more. All right, let
me before we get to our listener questions, remind you.
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All right, demande, Let's get to these last two things
(01:02:33):
before we go.
Speaker 2 (01:02:36):
Yeah, So, New England signs Stefan Diggs to a three
year deal that's gonna be worth a twenty six million
is going to be guaranteed there, so he's obviously coming
off his torn aco.
Speaker 3 (01:02:49):
I thought this was crazybe yeah, I mean I twenty.
Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
Six people are like, well, it's really just a one year,
twenty six million dollar deal and then that's fine, but
million he's not gonna be ready week one. So, like Diggs,
Diggs was a good slot receiver last year, but the
yards per catch deterioration concerns me. So here is Stefan
(01:03:18):
Diggs the last three years yards per catch thirteen point two,
eleven point one, ten point six. That's that's alarming. And
now he's coming off an injury, and you know this
(01:03:41):
is going to be And I like Drake May, but
the worst quarterback play he's had in years and years
and years. After all that time with Josh Allen and
CJ that, I understand that they feel like they have
to add a wide receiver and they have money to spend.
I just don't know that. I think Digs is still
a real difference maker.
Speaker 2 (01:04:03):
I was gonna say for Stefan Digg's career, like it
kind of seems like you're that's where you're at in
your career now, like you're kind of just it seems
like you'd be done, like close to It's like, not.
Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Good for him for getting one more payday, but yeah,
not competing for anything and rough spot all right, the
sweet sixteen tonight. So I gave out with our friends
at DraftKings. I gave out a nice little three to
one parlay yesterday plus actually three thirty to one, and
(01:04:35):
I'm gonna roll with that. It's going to stay pretty chalky.
So I like Houston, Bama, Tennessee and Michigan State all
just straight up to win, not against the spread, just
straight up to win. I am if I were of
the games today, the one that if I had to
(01:04:58):
pick an up set, the one upset that I would
go with is Arkansas over Texas Tech. I just think
Coach cal I think those guys. I know they're a
ten seed, but I think that's again I'm not betting it,
but I would. I think that one's certainly more plausible
than the other three. And tomorrow, maybe I'm crazy, but
(01:05:25):
I think Michigan could beat Auburn and so but either way,
I listen. We talked about this on Tuesday. The lack
of upsets means we are going to get an unbelievable
Sweet sixteen in the leit eight and all these games
(01:05:45):
should be close, they should be good, and I can't
wait for it. And I'm also excited to see if
Duke can kind of, you know, finish this thing off,
or if someone's gonna clip them. Duke was the smart bet,
there's no doubt about it. And the team I picked Tennessee,
they got their hands full with Kentucky tomorrow, so like
that's that's going to be a war. Just to get
to Houston. Just have a chance to get to Duke.
(01:06:07):
But I wonder if someone can clip Duke or if
Duke's just too talented. One quick listener question Hayes asks
when is the grand opening of Club Superstar? Same time?
It is every year, right before, you know, very beginning
of the playoffs. We don't have a set date, but
it's the very beginning of the playoffs, all right. Demon's
a great job, Blue Dock, great job. DraftKings volume day.
(01:06:29):
Appreciate y'all like rate, subscribe reviews. Seems like we might
have had a lot of people watching us live. We
appreciate that. So if you're new, if you would subscribe
to this on YouTube, if you would also subscribe on
iTunes or Spotify, that oddly helps us out a ton.
Greatly appreciated. I will see you guys on TV in
a few hours. What's right,
Host
Nick Wright
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