May 23, 2023 • 36 mins
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon try and decode LeBron James cryptic ending to his press conference - “I got a lot to think about. … Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
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Speaker 2 (00:03):
Be sure to catch us live every.
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Speaker 1 (00:30):
Greetings, Welcome inside our three of The Jason Smith Show
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tire buying should be Well. The Nuggets eliminate the Lakers
(00:51):
one thirteen, one eleven. Lebron James just getting the podium
to meet the media after the Lakers get eliminated. We'll
bring you some Lebron James coming up in a few minutes.
But speaking of Lebron, look, we talked about the real
person that should deserve a lion's share of the blame.
In the final minute, Darvin Ham the Lakers not fouling
(01:13):
with less than thirty seconds left to go. I don't
understand that strategy, and we spent the last few minutes
on it. But let's go back a play, because this
really is what I failed to understand. And I don't
know if this was a Lebron play, this was a
Lakers this was a Darvin ham play. But the possession
before it, when the Nuggets are up to Jokic goes
(01:36):
in for that bucket that gives him a one to
thirteen to one to eleven lead. Lakers get the ball
back with fifty one seconds left to go. This is
what the play was. Lebron just dribbles outside of the
three point line. Yeah, for eighteen seconds.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Kind of back up to the three point line, back
towards half.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I'm not, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
There's no sense of urgency. There's no we gotta get in,
get a bucket, try to tie the game. There's no
going for a two for one, which they definitely had
time to do. If you go in, if you go
in for a hoop, you have time for a two
for one. There's none of that. It's just it's just
the Lakers taking time off the clock and the play
that they get that, and I again, I was this
(02:17):
a Darvin ham call? Or was this something the Lakers
had to had to know? Lebron segue two on the court,
you're telling me with forty seconds left, thirty seconds left
in the Lakers season. The play was Lebron whipping it
to Dennis Schreuder who comes off a pick and gets
open on the wing, who was then gonna then flip
it right to Austin Reeves who would be open in
(02:39):
the corner for a three.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Right.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
That was the play, Now, that was definitely a setup
play that, Like I said, what was it from the sideline?
Was it from on the court? Lebron dribbling for sixteen
or eighteen seconds and then at the very end, I
whip it over to Shrewder about eight to ten feet
away from me, who was gonna whip it real, real
fast over to Austin Reeves for an open shot in
the corner. Because that's it looked like it was going
(03:03):
exactly how the Lakers wanted to go to except Contavious
Callwell Pope jumps in to flex the ball out of bounds,
so the Lakers then had to fall for had to
follow up with Hey, we got four seconds left. Lebron
takes a bad off balance jumper that misses, and then
we get to the final play after the Murray miss
But you're really telling me that with thirty seconds left,
that was your play, not Lebron taking the shot, not
(03:26):
a d taking the shot. You're down to the play
was aw. Look I like Austin Reeves, you know, look
I like Austin Reeves a lot. He's a good players,
gonna make a lot of money this offseason, whether it's
you know, you get overpaid or not. But really that
that's your final play, Lebron to drip, to run clock
when you're down too and then to get it to Shrewder,
(03:46):
who's then going to get it to Austin Reeves for
three in the corner. That's your play, not Lebron, not
a d Well. And that's the curiosity of it. Right
with Lebron. Was he supposed to trigger it a couple
of seconds early and Shrewder was late to the cut
because he came across court right around players kind of
setting up a pick and trying to draw the defense.
So you create a little more space for Austin Reeves.
(04:07):
It got porter to suck up another two or three
feet or whatever footsteps as it were, from from that
area of the court, but wondering if it triggered faster
Shrewder can take a look back to see where Lebron
is because he's still at the top of the key.
Jokic had slumped a little bit back down in the lane,
(04:30):
So now it was gonna be one of those situations
like we'd seen Anthony Davis actually make make a play
defensively earlier in the series, same way slumps back, ball
rotates to the front and he's able to get a
hand up, and maybe that was it. But at that
point in the shot clock, Shrewders get against the ball
and he's immediately looking to just swing it to Reeves. Right,
(04:52):
it's I mean, the play was the play was there
because you saw the defender went up to so he
was gon had a shot shooter to double uh and
try to stop the ball and Cacp gets his hand,
can't hand in and so now you trigger the out
of bounds which Reeves ends up taking. But yeah, we
(05:13):
watched it in real motion, looking and gesturing to each other,
and Frostburg was jumping up and down uh angrily going,
what are we doing? Uh, you had the two for
one opportunity, you had all of those things in play,
and that's that's what you drew up well, and that's
where this falls on. I mean again, I want to
(05:33):
see whether this was this was the play we wanted.
This again, this is Darvin Ham. I'm gonna tell you
the truth of this, but this, this is Darvin Ham
not going to for one right, which you can said, hey,
get a shot, get a shot, go let's go two
for one. No one's not gonna do a ball, just
go drive. We're not gonna do it. I almost felt
like when a when a coach in the final minute.
This is the whole thing with Joe Mazula not using
(05:55):
timeouts to there's a difference in coaching when coaches get
caught watching the game, and it happens a lot. You
get caught watching a game instead of coaching it. And
I feel like that's what it's been like. Missoula gets
caught up watching. I'm not calling time I'm not thinking
about calling a time out, I'm not doing this. But
I felt like Darvin Ham got caught up in just
watching the game in the final minute, when hey, this
(06:16):
is where I got to be busting my ass, you.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Know, try to get us.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
This is where I've got Lebron. You know, the balls
get gets into Lebron's hand. I mean I'm in good
save harbor.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I mean, no, no, two for one. You're okay with Reeves.
You're not going to get a time out to try
to draw something. You're not gonna do that. We're gonna
let the game go in the flow. He did nothing.
I mean, he did nothing in the final minute, right,
And that's.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
What you didn't get the two for one. And then
you come back the other way and you and you
don't fall, and you let Murray get a look that
he goes too strong. He backs in beautifully and gets
his turnaround, which he'd hit a number of times during
the game, showing he's got some post play. And you
get that final possession because he's too strong off back iron,
(07:00):
the ball happens to bounce your way.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
You had one more chance.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, it would have been even worse for Darvin Ham
if that shot by Murray goes and suddenly he's doing
the you know they're they're they're they're all honking it
up going off the court going Yeah, man, we're let go,
We're god. I mean, that's a big deal because a
coach can make the wrong decisions in the final couple
minutes of a game in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
But if it.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Doesn't work out, okay, well we tried this play. Uh,
this play didn't work.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
It didn't work. It didn't work. All right.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
You can still blame the coach if you want to,
But hey, the coach drew up the play that they
thought were going to work.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Right.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
This is not something where hey, has anybody got anything, No,
this is we think this is gonna work here at
the end. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But
there was just so much inaction from Darvin Ham in
the final minute. And again this is this is a
rookie coach who's doing it for the first time, and
I watched a lot of opportunities that the Lakers had
to extend the game just go blank and nothing happened.
(08:00):
And that's where, Okay, Yeah, if you're a head coach,
you gotta wear it because this was you. You had
many chances, and this is your job as a head coach.
You had many chances to try to extend this game
and put your team position to win.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
It instead.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
The final fifty seconds of a two point game should
never go the way it goes. The final fifty seconds
went Lakers out of bounds, Lakers miss, Jamal Murray miss
Lebron miss. There were four plays, really three because one
possession for the Lakers. Let's say four plays because you
had to play. They tried to get it for the
Austin Auson Rey three and it goes out of bounds.
(08:34):
In the final fifty seconds of a two point game.
You had four plays. That is that is that is
giving the advantage to the team that's winning six days
a week and twice on Sundays in the final fifty
seconds because.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
We were pretty excited to be able to throw them
some flowers for getting ten minutes out of Tristan Thompson
at a plus minus of zero four points in a
board off the bench. But you know, the benches didn't
really play much of a role in this one. Some
weary minutes and some defensive sequencing and stuff. But from
the you know what paints the box score.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Not a whole lot.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
You look at the even the play with Jokichen and
the bucket he made, you would argue based on contact.
The rest of the night that you could have picked
one either Shrewder still moving in or Davis fouls him
twice before he ever goes to take a shot, could
have been just a side out on that play as well,
(09:30):
or Yokich at the line. But either way, you know,
it just gotted that curiosity along the way. Yeah, it
got chippy at times. We saw a lot of aggression
that early first half of Lebron, and all the records
and everything just seems a lifetime ago because you're sitting
there with that final minute both Darvin Ham and the
(09:51):
decisions and lack of execution from Lebron James that leaves
you just scratching your head. Twitter, Twitter, and how about
a fresco I get swollen down the Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Harmon. Tonight shoe brought to
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(10:12):
ATV and more all your protection. One plays Bundle and
Save at Progressive dot Com. So the Nuggets eliminate the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
They win it in four And let me say this,
because we're gonna hear from Lebron James coming up in
a few minutes.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
An old boy.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Did he say something walking out of the press conference
that is gonna have a lot of people going, what.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Did he just say?
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Let me just say this now about the Nuggets. The
Nuggets are going to the NBA Finals. Yeah, whatever, They're
gonna play the Heat.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah they are.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
There's gonna be a forty five day break in between games. Yeah,
June one is the first game. No, no, it's July first, now,
actually good, I need a break from that. We're gonna
go the NBA Finals right into free agency.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
But the Dodgers are back. Yeah, why they beat the Braves. Jason,
where's my thank you?
Speaker 6 (10:59):
Hey?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
At Dodgers win eight six, Thank you for eighty six
ing the Braves tonight. Hey, it doesn't matter that none
of the starting pitchers shot. It doesn't matter. But let
me just say this. They're gonna play the Heat again.
July first, NBA Finals start we go. Free agency will
begin in the middle of the NBA Finals. Players may
change teams in the middle of the finals. I can't
(11:23):
see the Heat getting a game from the Nuggets. I
can't see them getting a game. Jimmy from the Nuggets.
I can't the Heat. Look, the Heat are the little
engine that could right now. They're they're the beneficiary of
some teams that don't have their acts together the last
couple of rounds. Yes, well the Nuggets get a little
bit of a bounce maybe, but maybe not because you again,
(11:45):
you have eight days in between games. I can't see
the Heat getting a game against the Nuggets. And Nuggets
are just so much better than everybody else left in
the playoffs right now.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
But you can't say it bludging by the last two opponents.
I can't say them handle them both. They have they
have taken their souls.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
This is an Stones man Celtics. So yeah, but this
is the easy stones to get, Like, this is the
it wasn't he started coming into the series.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
This is like I started Stones. Where'd you get those
Infinity Stones? I just picked them up. I can play
the tape. You gave them no shots series, the Nicks
Infinity Stone, and that's the Celtics Infinity Stone.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah. Well the Celtics are running through him. Sure, and
you know what happened. He got fired.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah, okay, I did not, And I'll take the l
on this. I mean, the team with the teams in
the East would look as bad as they have over
the course, and it's not like the good fight.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah, all things even better, It should have been even better.
But all things considered, you actually fought. We're the team
that's played him the best so far. Heat, I really
can't run away from them. Can the Knicks hangar banner?
Knicks probably the third best team in the NBA? Can
the next stand all right? Very okay?
Speaker 6 (13:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
You just making a Browns bronze color. Oh, definitely bronze.
I'm dead third place definitely plays. Yeah, we can do that.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
I've got football on the brain because I mean there's
some basketball stuff's ending.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Browns would hang a banner for that.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
It really it is hard for me to see the
Heat getting a game. It really is, man, I bet
I don't know. Let's let's do a bat do a
bet okay, uh okay, Fat sALS on it being a sweet? Now,
these are pretty. This is a pretty big Bowld.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Prediction for me. So what's sandwich? So it is?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
But but I think you guys need to be putting
up more like I buy fat soles. Once you buy
fat soles twice have I not bought fat seals?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Doesn't matter. This is the matter. It doesn't it just
count how many times you've bought it.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It doesn't matter because because I'm making such a nothing,
because this is such a bold prediction, they won't the
heat will get one game. I buy fat sALS once
you went for for for for all of us, and
if you win, we'll get you.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
I win. Come on, you gotta go to New York
to get.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
No no no, And if I win, you each of
you buy fat sous for me once, Frostburg once and
you once.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That's a fair bet. What do you think I work?
Do you think I can afford that? Come on, you
can buy fat or you know what? How about how
about I get you a big man? How about you know?
I know? If all right? Money, If money is a
thing for you, how about middle.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Size extra sauce? How about small sous? Can you afford
small sous? Extra small souse? You wouldn't know what to
do with a small small souse. I'm trying to make
a joke here, And you said you I wouldn't know
what to do with an extra small I would eat
it whatever I really got.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
We were kind of.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Sandwich I'm getting from fat cells. I'm gonna eat it.
I'm trying to help you say, we're gonna go tiny cells.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I I I'm good, all right.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So that's so that's the bet. They're getting swept, that's
the bet, all right. If they keep it, we're eating good.
Well guaranteed I will. Either way, I'm gonna get You know,
I just may give one of my sandwiches the sagre
just for the hell of it. Got you're gonna give
him an invisible sandwich that doesn't exist. But the sandwich
doesn't will will exist when when the Nuggets sweep, that
(15:02):
will exist. Then I'll look at you on the Nugget train,
because I've told you this is the year.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
If the Nuggets don't win the chick they're never gonna win,
you know, the mile High Air and I don't get along.
What's next?
Speaker 1 (15:13):
You're gonna say, Russell Wilson's the MVP hat too many
headaches and stuff. You know, No, I don't want to
say that because I really want to get Marvin Mims
in my Dynasty draft. So there's so there is that
Twitter and how about a fresco? Mike gets swollen down
the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike carbon.
So there's the fat South Bet nuggets in a swite,
not a sponsor, not a sponsor sandwich coming up next?
(15:34):
What did Lebron just say ending his press confidence. You'll
hear it next right here, Jason and Mike Fox.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon. So the Nuggets eliminate the tell I'm
taking the Nuggets to sweep the NBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
But just when you thought, well now the conversation can
turn to the Nuggets now and everybody upset out there,
going why.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Can't we celebrate the Nuggets because it's about Lebron James
though we did, but we have and we have for
a long time.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Hey, you know what, They're still playing, and we have
eight days of activity beyond picking all two hundred and
seventy two NFL games, because there are spreads for all
of them, we're gonna pick them. There's a lot of
time to talk about the Nuggets.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
And but but just for a second to think that
the Nuggets are on the same level as when something happens.
Nothing is on the same level in the NBA is
when Lebron James winsor loses. Sorry, I'm sorry you're not
the Lakers, Michael Malone. I'm sorry you're not the Lakers.
We'll have plenty of time to everybody. And I bet
you might be Mark Malone at some point.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
You like that more? He much maligned Mark Malone. Yeah,
he could be Sam Malone. He could be Maloney. He
could be Carl Malone. He could be Malooney, he could
be just weird. He could be talking about him. Okay, Malone,
you like that? All right? May the other has a
lot of accolades. Sure greatness.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
She's also got other stuff that we just don't know
what about talk about. That could be post Malone. Sure
could be post Malone. I'm with you post Malone.
Speaker 7 (17:26):
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Do you have a Post Malone rookie card? I do?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Does it come with a tattoo on it or no tattoo?
You get a fake and that's on the card.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Wow, it's a picture of him. Okay, yeah, we gotta
think that. Okay, he was in the tops Allen and
Ginter product. You can get autographs.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, So Lebron James just finished speaking to the media.
We're gonna bring you a lot of what he talked
about in a few minutes. He spent a lot of
time talking about Carmelo Anthony, who called it quits earlier today,
retiring from the NBA after nineteen years. But Lebron ended
his press conference in a very cryptic Lebron style when
he was asked about his future. Hey, that cart think
(18:01):
about the future when he's asked about his future.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Going back to Batman nineteen eighty nine, then here was
Lebron talking about what is next for him in his
NBA career.
Speaker 8 (18:13):
Lebron, the franchise goal, your goal personally is championships in LA.
This this group got eight wins away. It was just close,
but there's still, you know, a way to go. How
do you view moving on to next year? You're twenty
one with the Lakers, and do you view contender status
now or there's upgrades to be made.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
I haven't even thought about next year. I don't know
if I could stick to this year.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
Then it was a four game series. Every game had
winnable moments, and you guys certainly showed it when you
reflect on it, what were the the margins, the edges
that that denver ultimately what's successful with.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Uh, it's just a they I think Uh, me and
A D was just talking in the locker room. Uh
for a little bit.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
I think we came to the consensus that's, you know,
if not one of the best, probably the best team
that we've play is and we've been together for four years.
They just well orchestrated, well put together. They have scoring,
have shooting, they have play making, have smarts, to have length,
to have depth, and Uh. One thing about their team,
(19:31):
h when you have a guy like Joker, who as
big as he is but also as cerebral he is,
you can't really make many mistakes versus whe's a guy
like that and even when you guard him to for
one of the best possessions that you think you've guarded 'em,
he puts the ball behind his head Larry Bird style
and shoots a fifty feet in the air and it
(19:53):
goes in.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Think think you did it like four or five times this.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Seriously, Yeah, we talked about that. We didn't.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
So y you do like this too, 'em?
Speaker 8 (20:04):
Lebron, How do you on an individual level reflect on
your season.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
You're thirty eight year twenty, you know.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
I really don't. I never That's not who I am.
I guess I reflected my career when I'm when I'm done,
But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
I'll let you guys talk about it.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
One thing that I only concern myself what is been
available to my teammates. And I don't like the fact
that I didn't play as many games as I would
like because of injury. That's the only thing I care
about is being available to my teammates.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
Hey, bron obviously all time scoring record, another season where
you essentially defeat Father time Again. On a personal level,
how would you evaluate the season.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
That you had. I don't know. I let it play
the game. I love to compete.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I love to be out there for my guys, my teammates,
whoever I have that that particular year, I think it
was special in the in the fact that having the
first year coach and the first year coaching staff to
be able to take, you know, take them to the
Western Conference Finals. I think that's dope for coach ham
and his coaching staff going forward. That's pretty amazing.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
For me.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
I mean, I just you know, it's all about availability
for me and keeping my mind sharp and things of
that nature. Being president on the floor, being president you know,
locker room and bus rides and playing rides and things
of that nature.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
It's challenging.
Speaker 6 (21:41):
It's challenging, you know, for sure, it was a very
challenging season, you know, for me, you know, for for
a ball club. And obviously you know, we know what
went on early on in whatever the case may be.
But it was a it was a pretty cool, pretty
cool ride. But I don't know, I don't know. I
(22:02):
don't know. I think it's okay, I don't. I don't
like to say it's a successful year cause I don't
play for anything besides winning championships at this point in
my career, and and I don't, I don't really. I
don't get a kick out of making a conference appearance.
I've done it a lot, and it's not fun to
(22:27):
me to not be able to be able to be
a part of, uh, you know, getting to the finals.
But but we'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
What happens going forward. But I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (22:44):
I had a lot to think about, to be honest,
I had a lot to think about to be honest
and just for me personally going going forward with the
game of basketball. Got a lot to think about.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
So WHOA there was the money?
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Sound by that at the end, I got a lot
to think about personally with the game of basketball. I
got a lot to think about it. So what could
this mean by Lebron James? Luckily you're listening to us,
and I can tell you exactly what it means by that,
it means he wants to be a nick No, he
wants to go.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
He understand top of it. He understands that Lebron is
now in the end game part.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Of his career.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
He knows he's in the end game now, and doctor
Strange is holding up one finger, going, Okay, I don't
have much time left. How do I want to end?
Is this as good as it's gonna get for me?
And I'm done after this year? Is this it should?
Speaker 4 (23:44):
I mean?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Is it gonna get better with the Lakers next year?
Or am I done? Or now that I'm in the
end game, is this as far as we're going to get?
And now I really have to look at where do
I want to go to be able to play my
last year with Bronnie? Because he said many times, I
want to play. I'm playing my last year is gonna
be with Bronni? He said that many times. Now good
(24:06):
things change, sure, but he has said that for a
long time. I want to go play with Brownie. The
only reason I would give a little bit of the
you know, retirement thing to him is that he doesn't
want to fall off the cliff. He's not gonna be
someone who was around. Go boy, I remember when lebron
James is great, Remember Lebron Jays. He's not gonna be
that guy. Can he hold on for another two years
(24:26):
until allegedly Lebronny Bronni gets to the league. And that's
that's the thing. The two things he's got to think of,
Do I have enough to hold on to still play
an elite level? Where is that going to be? Because
it may not be with the Lakers. I can't believe
he's gonna Hey, I know we're not winning, but hey,
you guys are gonna get Bronnie right so I can
go there. And I gotta worry about where am I
gonna go to play with Bronnie? And Bronny could end
(24:48):
up anywhere. The only place he could kind of control
it would be as he would call Cleveland and say, hey,
I'll come back for my last year, but you gotta
draft Bronnie. You gotta draft Bronnie and find a way
to trade up and get him, and let's have some
kind a deal that's done where we can move up
and go get and go get Bronni. And that's where
I'll go play. I will go play with you, or
he lets teams know I'm not gonna sign a deal
(25:10):
after next year. Whoever gets Bronnie, that's where I'm gonna go.
We're a package deal and lebron will use his influence
for that to happen. So but those are those are
the things. That's why he said, I don't know. I
got a lot to think about. Look, he loves being cryptic,
he loves the drama.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
But those are legit things for him. One is this
it with the Lakers? Is this as good as it's
going to get? And if it is, where do I
go to play with Bronni? But a little bit of
is this as good as it's gonna get?
Speaker 9 (25:36):
For me?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Am I gonna show up again next year and it's
gonna be really difficult. I can't see that being the
answer because he's still playing at such a high level now.
I mean, come on, the guy drop forty in even
the old game four and they lost. And even if
he's in a situation next year where it's, hey, I'm
playing forty games getting ready, we're getting ready for the playoffs.
Maybe I'm playing a lot less. Maybe that's what it is,
(25:58):
and he's able to get a lot out of that
next year. So I don't think it's going to be retiring,
But I think it's more about what's my future with
the Lakers and what's the end game going to be
for me?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, I think a lot of it.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
I mean, there's just so many things that came off
of that clip that we just heard won the love
of Darvin Ham and Staff Frostburg chuckling over there, Lakers
fan now realizes Darvin Ham's going to be his coach
for the next decade.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Off the Lebron endorsement, So you got that going for you.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
We'll go back to criticizing his late game management again,
just as a reminder, talked about being able to be
available physically right, the fact that he only played in
what fifty five games, fifty six games something like that,
He and Davis were about the same number. That's a
lot of games missed and so not being available to
(26:50):
the team. And we were talking about that in the
larger context of expectations for the team and everybody throwing
flowers or what they're know the expect You have two
guys that, when all is right, in the world, their
top ten players. And you told me for the last
two months what a great defense this was and everything else.
So to him, and he even extolled the virtues of
(27:12):
the squad, saying, you know, this is the best team
that the two of us have been a part of, right,
saying he had talked to Anthony Davis about it, that
he recognized there was an opportunity here and that there's
still just that difference. And then he went on to
lavish praise upon Nikola jokic shooting style and unstoppable performances
(27:35):
at times, and Jamal Murray, et cetera, and their rotations.
But to get to that end game, right, a couple
of dramatic pauses and you can say, all right, it's
master Thespian Lebron at work. It's like, all right, maybe
this next sentence is going to be really impactful. So
make sure you get this one right. You know, as
he reflect on career when I'm done, right, and he's
(27:58):
just like, as everybody's miles start to draw. But is
he gonna retire right now?
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Is?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
No?
Speaker 5 (28:03):
No, No, that's for you guys to do and all that,
and so he laid that up. But yeah, it's the
all right, we need to go talk front office to
decide what this looks like because Austin Reeves is a
pretty huge chip in all of this. As much as
we can kind of we laughed about it for weeks
in terms of how much money he was gonna make
with each big game. Well now that's a very real
(28:24):
thing now that the season is in here gone of
what a big component he was down the stretch and
into these playoffs, Well now you have to replace him
and going.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Through the come back.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
I mean you got Kyrie Irvings sitting there. Uh was, Yeah,
that that's gonna fix things.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
No chance.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
I'd rather have Carmelo Anthony come back out of retirement
than then bringing him to float through. So yeah, now
it's the because he looking at his contract right, he's
got one year before the second year is a player option,
so he's got one more year with the Lakers unless
they make a deal. So what's he worth? What's the
(29:03):
value or you know he want or you know he's
He's a type of guy that I don't know, like
he's just prides himself on continuing that freight.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Train and keeping keeping the.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Line moving because we saw it. He played all every
minute of the game, right, he was not forty one,
and part of it being you're not gonna blame me.
The problem is going back to my cal Ripkin junior
quote for years and I celebrate the streak.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Okay, it's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
The whole showing up for work, doing your job, being
there for your team is fantastic. If at a couple
of moments in the Orioles run, if cal Ripkin had say,
taken a couple of days off here and there load management,
would he have been a little better hitter in September.
Maybe he'd gotten to another ball down the stretch to
where they might have posed you, I don't know, just
(29:54):
throwing it out. Then Lebron already missed. So like in
this game, the forty eight is a great number. However,
say he'd found a stretch at the end of that
first quarter into the second, Mighty had better legs and
not gone one to five. Mighty have been able to outmuscle,
to burn down the stretch, all of those things. But yeah,
there's many avenues and paths that he can choose.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Harmon, Now we're talking about avenues for Lebron James the
end of his cryptic press conference. I got a lot
to think about my future next year. I don't know.
You want a real hot take for Lebron? Doesn't involve retirement,
But do you want a real hot take? That's next
right here Jason and Mike from the Tireck dot Com
Studios Fox.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific. Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to
plug you right into the NBA Grape.
Speaker 9 (30:55):
Five all happening in only one place. This League on Cut,
the new NBA podcast with Me Chris Haynes and me
Mark Stein join us as we team up to expound
on everything we're covering. Hearing and Chason. Listen to This
League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Fox Sports Radio, The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon. We got Rick Bucker coming your way
in about ten minutes to break down what we saw
in the Western Conference Finals the Nuggets eliminate the Lakers.
But let's get to Lebron for a second. And you
want a great Lebron hot take Lebron who said at
(31:43):
the end of his press conference tonight, what about your future?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I don't know. I got a lot to think about
my future in the game, what I want to do?
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Very cryptic? WHOA is Lebron retiring? So he told you
probably not retiring. He still wants to play. He wants
to play with Bronny. He's in the endgame part of
his career.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
I'll still showed he can be greatly fact from part
of the game. Yeah, right, first half, it was fantastic.
Second half somebody else has to make a bucket at
some point. Well, and Anthony Davis getting his share of criticism.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
To So there's the So there's that. There's Okay, maybe
if I really want to play with Bronny. My final year.
I got to figure out where that's going to be.
At the same time, I also want to make sure
I'm not going to fall off a cliff and still
be a great player, because he's not going to be
a shadow of himself and getting dunked on and lose
the ball like he did with Jamal Murray being able
to keep his hand on his on the ball and
(32:31):
keeping it from going up for a shot at the end.
How soon before that's a slow motion gif?
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Oh, I think it already is. Yeah, I think it
already is.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
I mean that that play is going to stand for
the downfall of Lebron James not even strong enough to
go up with like a bully and dunket Jamal Murray
is able.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
To keep the ball down anymore. That took away a
lot of post basket celebrations.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
So let let us throw this hot take at you
with Lebron James. Okay, so he's not retiring, He's gonna
figure out anything. Figure out now, I'll be here we go.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
You want that vehicle that they have in Mad Max? Yes,
I need that.
Speaker 8 (33:06):
Yes, the guy?
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Uh what if Lebron James's future is he takes next
year off? Whoa recuperates, recharges, comes back for one final
year with Bronnie. He can control his minutes. Maybe I
(33:29):
only play twenty minutes a game. I am able to
dictate where I want to go. If if Cleveland drafts Bronnie,
if the Orlando Magic draft Bronnie, my last year is
with him. I take next year off because I'm worried
about falling off a cliff. And if I fall off
a cliff next year, where am I gonna go the
year after? But if I take next year off and
I come back for one final year, if I'm not
(33:50):
playing well, I can play just a few minutes here
and there, and I can still enjoy the whole year
of what I'm doing. And it's not about me anymore.
I'm playing it playing with Bronnie. We're on the court
at the same time. Highlights are everywhere. Tell me that's
not something that lebron can do. Take next year off, recharge,
figure out where he's gonna come back for his last
year with Browny. That way, if he falls off the
(34:12):
cliff his final year, it's well, I'm gonna I'm gonna
I'm gonna judge against it. I'm going to play less
minutes and I'm going to only do what I know
I can do, and maybe that's, you know, be a
dominant post player, because there's not a lot I'll pick
and choose the Knights I can play. I can dominate
against this team, but not against this team, So I'll
take that game off, but I'll play this game here.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Tell me that's not a possibility for Lebron. No, no, it's
a beautiful thing.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
We you know, we do the spider ring effect here
in the show side. But well, I actually I sent
you guys a picture of a DeVante Parker card that
was supposed to be signed and then is nicknamed to
be signed underneath. Instead he just signed it spider Man. Anyway,
the point is sometimes we used to use a sheet
of paper between us and we'd scrawl out some random things.
(34:54):
All right, yours talking points as we're watching games, and
I'm gonna break them down. And in this case, I
think we were converging on this same kind of path
of all right, what's what's an out of the box
kind of thing that saves his legs, saves his body,
et cetera, but keeps him vying towards titles? Right, not
in the year that it would be would be to
step away. Now obviously that has to happen in concert
(35:18):
with the Lakers and his contract and release, letting out whatever. However,
you have to work that in terms of structure, because
they're gonna have to eat the cap, right because then
because he can't or does he because if he retires
and retires, he still Oh, the.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Money can be fit.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
The money can always be fit, dance around, it can
always figure signs, trades.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
Spread out, whatever what else. But certainly for the next
year ahead it would be interesting with with cap implications.
But for Lebron it's it's an interesting uh road less traveled.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Twitter And how about a Fresco Mike get swollen, don't
think about taking a year off and then come him
back to finish his career. Contender he said, well, well,
a contender contending for Brownie.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's all about titles.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Rick Buker on.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
The way next. This is Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Be sure to catch us live every.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Weeknight ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports
Radio dot com, or stream us live every night on
the iHeartRadio app by searching FSRU.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
If you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Greetings, Welcome inside our three of The Jason Smith Show
with my bass friend Mike Harmon, live from the Tirack
dot Com studios tirec dot com. I'll help you get
there at unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection,
over ten thousand recommended installers tirack dot com the way
tire buying should be Well. The Nuggets eliminate the Lakers
(00:51):
one thirteen, one eleven. Lebron James just getting the podium
to meet the media after the Lakers get eliminated. We'll
bring you some Lebron James coming up in a few minutes.
But speaking of Lebron, look, we talked about the real
person that should deserve a lion's share of the blame.
In the final minute, Darvin Ham the Lakers not fouling
(01:13):
with less than thirty seconds left to go. I don't
understand that strategy, and we spent the last few minutes
on it. But let's go back a play, because this
really is what I failed to understand. And I don't
know if this was a Lebron play, this was a
Lakers this was a Darvin ham play. But the possession
before it, when the Nuggets are up to Jokic goes
(01:36):
in for that bucket that gives him a one to
thirteen to one to eleven lead. Lakers get the ball
back with fifty one seconds left to go. This is
what the play was. Lebron just dribbles outside of the
three point line. Yeah, for eighteen seconds.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Kind of back up to the three point line, back
towards half.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I'm not, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
There's no sense of urgency. There's no we gotta get in,
get a bucket, try to tie the game. There's no
going for a two for one, which they definitely had
time to do. If you go in, if you go
in for a hoop, you have time for a two
for one. There's none of that. It's just it's just
the Lakers taking time off the clock and the play
that they get that, and I again, I was this
(02:17):
a Darvin ham call? Or was this something the Lakers
had to had to know? Lebron segue two on the court,
you're telling me with forty seconds left, thirty seconds left
in the Lakers season. The play was Lebron whipping it
to Dennis Schreuder who comes off a pick and gets
open on the wing, who was then gonna then flip
it right to Austin Reeves who would be open in
(02:39):
the corner for a three.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Right.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
That was the play, Now, that was definitely a setup
play that, Like I said, what was it from the sideline?
Was it from on the court? Lebron dribbling for sixteen
or eighteen seconds and then at the very end, I
whip it over to Shrewder about eight to ten feet
away from me, who was gonna whip it real, real
fast over to Austin Reeves for an open shot in
the corner. Because that's it looked like it was going
(03:03):
exactly how the Lakers wanted to go to except Contavious
Callwell Pope jumps in to flex the ball out of bounds,
so the Lakers then had to fall for had to
follow up with Hey, we got four seconds left. Lebron
takes a bad off balance jumper that misses, and then
we get to the final play after the Murray miss
But you're really telling me that with thirty seconds left,
that was your play, not Lebron taking the shot, not
(03:26):
a d taking the shot. You're down to the play
was aw. Look I like Austin Reeves, you know, look
I like Austin Reeves a lot. He's a good players,
gonna make a lot of money this offseason, whether it's
you know, you get overpaid or not. But really that
that's your final play, Lebron to drip, to run clock
when you're down too and then to get it to Shrewder,
(03:46):
who's then going to get it to Austin Reeves for
three in the corner. That's your play, not Lebron, not
a d Well. And that's the curiosity of it. Right
with Lebron. Was he supposed to trigger it a couple
of seconds early and Shrewder was late to the cut
because he came across court right around players kind of
setting up a pick and trying to draw the defense.
So you create a little more space for Austin Reeves.
(04:07):
It got porter to suck up another two or three
feet or whatever footsteps as it were, from from that
area of the court, but wondering if it triggered faster
Shrewder can take a look back to see where Lebron
is because he's still at the top of the key.
Jokic had slumped a little bit back down in the lane,
(04:30):
So now it was gonna be one of those situations
like we'd seen Anthony Davis actually make make a play
defensively earlier in the series, same way slumps back, ball
rotates to the front and he's able to get a
hand up, and maybe that was it. But at that
point in the shot clock, Shrewders get against the ball
and he's immediately looking to just swing it to Reeves. Right,
(04:52):
it's I mean, the play was the play was there
because you saw the defender went up to so he
was gon had a shot shooter to double uh and
try to stop the ball and Cacp gets his hand,
can't hand in and so now you trigger the out
of bounds which Reeves ends up taking. But yeah, we
(05:13):
watched it in real motion, looking and gesturing to each other,
and Frostburg was jumping up and down uh angrily going,
what are we doing? Uh, you had the two for
one opportunity, you had all of those things in play,
and that's that's what you drew up well, and that's
where this falls on. I mean again, I want to
(05:33):
see whether this was this was the play we wanted.
This again, this is Darvin Ham. I'm gonna tell you
the truth of this, but this, this is Darvin Ham
not going to for one right, which you can said, hey,
get a shot, get a shot, go let's go two
for one. No one's not gonna do a ball, just
go drive. We're not gonna do it. I almost felt
like when a when a coach in the final minute.
This is the whole thing with Joe Mazula not using
(05:55):
timeouts to there's a difference in coaching when coaches get
caught watching the game, and it happens a lot. You
get caught watching a game instead of coaching it. And
I feel like that's what it's been like. Missoula gets
caught up watching. I'm not calling time I'm not thinking
about calling a time out, I'm not doing this. But
I felt like Darvin Ham got caught up in just
watching the game in the final minute, when hey, this
(06:16):
is where I got to be busting my ass, you.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Know, try to get us.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
This is where I've got Lebron. You know, the balls
get gets into Lebron's hand. I mean I'm in good
save harbor.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I mean, no, no, two for one. You're okay with Reeves.
You're not going to get a time out to try
to draw something. You're not gonna do that. We're gonna
let the game go in the flow. He did nothing.
I mean, he did nothing in the final minute, right,
And that's.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
What you didn't get the two for one. And then
you come back the other way and you and you
don't fall, and you let Murray get a look that
he goes too strong. He backs in beautifully and gets
his turnaround, which he'd hit a number of times during
the game, showing he's got some post play. And you
get that final possession because he's too strong off back iron,
(07:00):
the ball happens to bounce your way.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
You had one more chance.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, it would have been even worse for Darvin Ham
if that shot by Murray goes and suddenly he's doing
the you know they're they're they're they're all honking it
up going off the court going Yeah, man, we're let go,
We're god. I mean, that's a big deal because a
coach can make the wrong decisions in the final couple
minutes of a game in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
But if it.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Doesn't work out, okay, well we tried this play. Uh,
this play didn't work.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
It didn't work. It didn't work. All right.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
You can still blame the coach if you want to,
But hey, the coach drew up the play that they
thought were going to work.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Right.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
This is not something where hey, has anybody got anything, No,
this is we think this is gonna work here at
the end. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But
there was just so much inaction from Darvin Ham in
the final minute. And again this is this is a
rookie coach who's doing it for the first time, and
I watched a lot of opportunities that the Lakers had
to extend the game just go blank and nothing happened.
(08:00):
And that's where, Okay, Yeah, if you're a head coach,
you gotta wear it because this was you. You had
many chances, and this is your job as a head coach.
You had many chances to try to extend this game
and put your team position to win.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
It instead.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
The final fifty seconds of a two point game should
never go the way it goes. The final fifty seconds
went Lakers out of bounds, Lakers miss, Jamal Murray miss
Lebron miss. There were four plays, really three because one
possession for the Lakers. Let's say four plays because you
had to play. They tried to get it for the
Austin Auson Rey three and it goes out of bounds.
(08:34):
In the final fifty seconds of a two point game.
You had four plays. That is that is that is
giving the advantage to the team that's winning six days
a week and twice on Sundays in the final fifty
seconds because.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
We were pretty excited to be able to throw them
some flowers for getting ten minutes out of Tristan Thompson
at a plus minus of zero four points in a
board off the bench. But you know, the benches didn't
really play much of a role in this one. Some
weary minutes and some defensive sequencing and stuff. But from
the you know what paints the box score.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Not a whole lot.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
You look at the even the play with Jokichen and
the bucket he made, you would argue based on contact.
The rest of the night that you could have picked
one either Shrewder still moving in or Davis fouls him
twice before he ever goes to take a shot, could
have been just a side out on that play as well,
(09:30):
or Yokich at the line. But either way, you know,
it just gotted that curiosity along the way. Yeah, it
got chippy at times. We saw a lot of aggression
that early first half of Lebron, and all the records
and everything just seems a lifetime ago because you're sitting
there with that final minute both Darvin Ham and the
(09:51):
decisions and lack of execution from Lebron James that leaves
you just scratching your head. Twitter, Twitter, and how about
a fresco I get swollen down the Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Harmon. Tonight shoe brought to
you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes bundling easy and affordable.
Get a multi policy discount by combining your motorcycle, RV, boat,
(10:12):
ATV and more all your protection. One plays Bundle and
Save at Progressive dot Com. So the Nuggets eliminate the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
They win it in four And let me say this,
because we're gonna hear from Lebron James coming up in
a few minutes.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
An old boy.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Did he say something walking out of the press conference
that is gonna have a lot of people going, what.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Did he just say?
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Let me just say this now about the Nuggets. The
Nuggets are going to the NBA Finals. Yeah, whatever, They're
gonna play the Heat.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah they are.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
There's gonna be a forty five day break in between games. Yeah,
June one is the first game. No, no, it's July first, now,
actually good, I need a break from that. We're gonna
go the NBA Finals right into free agency.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
But the Dodgers are back. Yeah, why they beat the Braves. Jason,
where's my thank you?
Speaker 6 (10:59):
Hey?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
At Dodgers win eight six, Thank you for eighty six
ing the Braves tonight. Hey, it doesn't matter that none
of the starting pitchers shot. It doesn't matter. But let
me just say this. They're gonna play the Heat again.
July first, NBA Finals start we go. Free agency will
begin in the middle of the NBA Finals. Players may
change teams in the middle of the finals. I can't
(11:23):
see the Heat getting a game from the Nuggets. I
can't see them getting a game. Jimmy from the Nuggets.
I can't the Heat. Look, the Heat are the little
engine that could right now. They're they're the beneficiary of
some teams that don't have their acts together the last
couple of rounds. Yes, well the Nuggets get a little
bit of a bounce maybe, but maybe not because you again,
(11:45):
you have eight days in between games. I can't see
the Heat getting a game against the Nuggets. And Nuggets
are just so much better than everybody else left in
the playoffs right now.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
But you can't say it bludging by the last two opponents.
I can't say them handle them both. They have they
have taken their souls.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
This is an Stones man Celtics. So yeah, but this
is the easy stones to get, Like, this is the
it wasn't he started coming into the series.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
This is like I started Stones. Where'd you get those
Infinity Stones? I just picked them up. I can play
the tape. You gave them no shots series, the Nicks
Infinity Stone, and that's the Celtics Infinity Stone.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah. Well the Celtics are running through him. Sure, and
you know what happened. He got fired.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah, okay, I did not, And I'll take the l
on this. I mean, the team with the teams in
the East would look as bad as they have over
the course, and it's not like the good fight.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah, all things even better, It should have been even better.
But all things considered, you actually fought. We're the team
that's played him the best so far. Heat, I really
can't run away from them. Can the Knicks hangar banner?
Knicks probably the third best team in the NBA? Can
the next stand all right? Very okay?
Speaker 6 (13:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
You just making a Browns bronze color. Oh, definitely bronze.
I'm dead third place definitely plays. Yeah, we can do that.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
I've got football on the brain because I mean there's
some basketball stuff's ending.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Browns would hang a banner for that.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
It really it is hard for me to see the
Heat getting a game. It really is, man, I bet
I don't know. Let's let's do a bat do a
bet okay, uh okay, Fat sALS on it being a sweet? Now,
these are pretty. This is a pretty big Bowld.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Prediction for me. So what's sandwich? So it is?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
But but I think you guys need to be putting
up more like I buy fat soles. Once you buy
fat soles twice have I not bought fat seals?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Doesn't matter. This is the matter. It doesn't it just
count how many times you've bought it.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It doesn't matter because because I'm making such a nothing,
because this is such a bold prediction, they won't the
heat will get one game. I buy fat sALS once
you went for for for for all of us, and
if you win, we'll get you.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
I win. Come on, you gotta go to New York
to get.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
No no no, And if I win, you each of
you buy fat sous for me once, Frostburg once and
you once.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That's a fair bet. What do you think I work?
Do you think I can afford that? Come on, you
can buy fat or you know what? How about how
about I get you a big man? How about you know?
I know? If all right? Money, If money is a
thing for you, how about middle.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Size extra sauce? How about small sous? Can you afford
small sous? Extra small souse? You wouldn't know what to
do with a small small souse. I'm trying to make
a joke here, And you said you I wouldn't know
what to do with an extra small I would eat
it whatever I really got.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
We were kind of.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Sandwich I'm getting from fat cells. I'm gonna eat it.
I'm trying to help you say, we're gonna go tiny cells.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I I I'm good, all right.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So that's so that's the bet. They're getting swept, that's
the bet, all right. If they keep it, we're eating good.
Well guaranteed I will. Either way, I'm gonna get You know,
I just may give one of my sandwiches the sagre
just for the hell of it. Got you're gonna give
him an invisible sandwich that doesn't exist. But the sandwich
doesn't will will exist when when the Nuggets sweep, that
(15:02):
will exist. Then I'll look at you on the Nugget train,
because I've told you this is the year.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
If the Nuggets don't win the chick they're never gonna win,
you know, the mile High Air and I don't get along.
What's next?
Speaker 1 (15:13):
You're gonna say, Russell Wilson's the MVP hat too many
headaches and stuff. You know, No, I don't want to
say that because I really want to get Marvin Mims
in my Dynasty draft. So there's so there is that
Twitter and how about a fresco? Mike gets swollen down
the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike carbon.
So there's the fat South Bet nuggets in a swite,
not a sponsor, not a sponsor sandwich coming up next?
(15:34):
What did Lebron just say ending his press confidence. You'll
hear it next right here, Jason and Mike Fox.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon. So the Nuggets eliminate the tell I'm
taking the Nuggets to sweep the NBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
But just when you thought, well now the conversation can
turn to the Nuggets now and everybody upset out there,
going why.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Can't we celebrate the Nuggets because it's about Lebron James
though we did, but we have and we have for
a long time.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Hey, you know what, They're still playing, and we have
eight days of activity beyond picking all two hundred and
seventy two NFL games, because there are spreads for all
of them, we're gonna pick them. There's a lot of
time to talk about the Nuggets.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
And but but just for a second to think that
the Nuggets are on the same level as when something happens.
Nothing is on the same level in the NBA is
when Lebron James winsor loses. Sorry, I'm sorry you're not
the Lakers, Michael Malone. I'm sorry you're not the Lakers.
We'll have plenty of time to everybody. And I bet
you might be Mark Malone at some point.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
You like that more? He much maligned Mark Malone. Yeah,
he could be Sam Malone. He could be Maloney. He
could be Carl Malone. He could be Malooney, he could
be just weird. He could be talking about him. Okay, Malone,
you like that? All right? May the other has a
lot of accolades. Sure greatness.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
She's also got other stuff that we just don't know
what about talk about. That could be post Malone. Sure
could be post Malone. I'm with you post Malone.
Speaker 7 (17:26):
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Do you have a Post Malone rookie card? I do?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Does it come with a tattoo on it or no tattoo?
You get a fake and that's on the card.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Wow, it's a picture of him. Okay, yeah, we gotta
think that. Okay, he was in the tops Allen and
Ginter product. You can get autographs.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, So Lebron James just finished speaking to the media.
We're gonna bring you a lot of what he talked
about in a few minutes. He spent a lot of
time talking about Carmelo Anthony, who called it quits earlier today,
retiring from the NBA after nineteen years. But Lebron ended
his press conference in a very cryptic Lebron style when
he was asked about his future. Hey, that cart think
(18:01):
about the future when he's asked about his future.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Going back to Batman nineteen eighty nine, then here was
Lebron talking about what is next for him in his
NBA career.
Speaker 8 (18:13):
Lebron, the franchise goal, your goal personally is championships in LA.
This this group got eight wins away. It was just close,
but there's still, you know, a way to go. How
do you view moving on to next year? You're twenty
one with the Lakers, and do you view contender status
now or there's upgrades to be made.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
I haven't even thought about next year. I don't know
if I could stick to this year.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
Then it was a four game series. Every game had
winnable moments, and you guys certainly showed it when you
reflect on it, what were the the margins, the edges
that that denver ultimately what's successful with.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Uh, it's just a they I think Uh, me and
A D was just talking in the locker room. Uh
for a little bit.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
I think we came to the consensus that's, you know,
if not one of the best, probably the best team
that we've play is and we've been together for four years.
They just well orchestrated, well put together. They have scoring,
have shooting, they have play making, have smarts, to have length,
to have depth, and Uh. One thing about their team,
(19:31):
h when you have a guy like Joker, who as
big as he is but also as cerebral he is,
you can't really make many mistakes versus whe's a guy
like that and even when you guard him to for
one of the best possessions that you think you've guarded 'em,
he puts the ball behind his head Larry Bird style
and shoots a fifty feet in the air and it
(19:53):
goes in.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Think think you did it like four or five times this.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Seriously, Yeah, we talked about that. We didn't.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
So y you do like this too, 'em?
Speaker 8 (20:04):
Lebron, How do you on an individual level reflect on
your season.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
You're thirty eight year twenty, you know.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
I really don't. I never That's not who I am.
I guess I reflected my career when I'm when I'm done,
But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
I'll let you guys talk about it.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
One thing that I only concern myself what is been
available to my teammates. And I don't like the fact
that I didn't play as many games as I would
like because of injury. That's the only thing I care
about is being available to my teammates.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
Hey, bron obviously all time scoring record, another season where
you essentially defeat Father time Again. On a personal level,
how would you evaluate the season.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
That you had. I don't know. I let it play
the game. I love to compete.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I love to be out there for my guys, my teammates,
whoever I have that that particular year, I think it
was special in the in the fact that having the
first year coach and the first year coaching staff to
be able to take, you know, take them to the
Western Conference Finals. I think that's dope for coach ham
and his coaching staff going forward. That's pretty amazing.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
For me.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
I mean, I just you know, it's all about availability
for me and keeping my mind sharp and things of
that nature. Being president on the floor, being president you know,
locker room and bus rides and playing rides and things
of that nature.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
It's challenging.
Speaker 6 (21:41):
It's challenging, you know, for sure, it was a very
challenging season, you know, for me, you know, for for
a ball club. And obviously you know, we know what
went on early on in whatever the case may be.
But it was a it was a pretty cool, pretty
cool ride. But I don't know, I don't know. I
(22:02):
don't know. I think it's okay, I don't. I don't
like to say it's a successful year cause I don't
play for anything besides winning championships at this point in
my career, and and I don't, I don't really. I
don't get a kick out of making a conference appearance.
I've done it a lot, and it's not fun to
(22:27):
me to not be able to be able to be
a part of, uh, you know, getting to the finals.
But but we'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
What happens going forward. But I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (22:44):
I had a lot to think about, to be honest,
I had a lot to think about to be honest
and just for me personally going going forward with the
game of basketball. Got a lot to think about.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
So WHOA there was the money?
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Sound by that at the end, I got a lot
to think about personally with the game of basketball. I
got a lot to think about it. So what could
this mean by Lebron James? Luckily you're listening to us,
and I can tell you exactly what it means by that,
it means he wants to be a nick No, he
wants to go.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
He understand top of it. He understands that Lebron is
now in the end game part.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Of his career.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
He knows he's in the end game now, and doctor
Strange is holding up one finger, going, Okay, I don't
have much time left. How do I want to end?
Is this as good as it's gonna get for me?
And I'm done after this year? Is this it should?
Speaker 4 (23:44):
I mean?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Is it gonna get better with the Lakers next year?
Or am I done? Or now that I'm in the
end game, is this as far as we're going to get?
And now I really have to look at where do
I want to go to be able to play my
last year with Bronnie? Because he said many times, I
want to play. I'm playing my last year is gonna
be with Bronni? He said that many times. Now good
(24:06):
things change, sure, but he has said that for a
long time. I want to go play with Brownie. The
only reason I would give a little bit of the
you know, retirement thing to him is that he doesn't
want to fall off the cliff. He's not gonna be
someone who was around. Go boy, I remember when lebron
James is great, Remember Lebron Jays. He's not gonna be
that guy. Can he hold on for another two years
(24:26):
until allegedly Lebronny Bronni gets to the league. And that's
that's the thing. The two things he's got to think of,
Do I have enough to hold on to still play
an elite level? Where is that going to be? Because
it may not be with the Lakers. I can't believe
he's gonna Hey, I know we're not winning, but hey,
you guys are gonna get Bronnie right so I can
go there. And I gotta worry about where am I
gonna go to play with Bronnie? And Bronny could end
(24:48):
up anywhere. The only place he could kind of control
it would be as he would call Cleveland and say, hey,
I'll come back for my last year, but you gotta
draft Bronnie. You gotta draft Bronnie and find a way
to trade up and get him, and let's have some
kind a deal that's done where we can move up
and go get and go get Bronni. And that's where
I'll go play. I will go play with you, or
he lets teams know I'm not gonna sign a deal
(25:10):
after next year. Whoever gets Bronnie, that's where I'm gonna go.
We're a package deal and lebron will use his influence
for that to happen. So but those are those are
the things. That's why he said, I don't know. I
got a lot to think about. Look, he loves being cryptic,
he loves the drama.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
But those are legit things for him. One is this
it with the Lakers? Is this as good as it's
going to get? And if it is, where do I
go to play with Bronni? But a little bit of
is this as good as it's gonna get?
Speaker 9 (25:36):
For me?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Am I gonna show up again next year and it's
gonna be really difficult. I can't see that being the
answer because he's still playing at such a high level now.
I mean, come on, the guy drop forty in even
the old game four and they lost. And even if
he's in a situation next year where it's, hey, I'm
playing forty games getting ready, we're getting ready for the playoffs.
Maybe I'm playing a lot less. Maybe that's what it is,
(25:58):
and he's able to get a lot out of that
next year. So I don't think it's going to be retiring,
But I think it's more about what's my future with
the Lakers and what's the end game going to be
for me?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, I think a lot of it.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
I mean, there's just so many things that came off
of that clip that we just heard won the love
of Darvin Ham and Staff Frostburg chuckling over there, Lakers
fan now realizes Darvin Ham's going to be his coach
for the next decade.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Off the Lebron endorsement, So you got that going for you.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
We'll go back to criticizing his late game management again,
just as a reminder, talked about being able to be
available physically right, the fact that he only played in
what fifty five games, fifty six games something like that,
He and Davis were about the same number. That's a
lot of games missed and so not being available to
(26:50):
the team. And we were talking about that in the
larger context of expectations for the team and everybody throwing
flowers or what they're know the expect You have two
guys that, when all is right, in the world, their
top ten players. And you told me for the last
two months what a great defense this was and everything else.
So to him, and he even extolled the virtues of
(27:12):
the squad, saying, you know, this is the best team
that the two of us have been a part of, right,
saying he had talked to Anthony Davis about it, that
he recognized there was an opportunity here and that there's
still just that difference. And then he went on to
lavish praise upon Nikola jokic shooting style and unstoppable performances
(27:35):
at times, and Jamal Murray, et cetera, and their rotations.
But to get to that end game, right, a couple
of dramatic pauses and you can say, all right, it's
master Thespian Lebron at work. It's like, all right, maybe
this next sentence is going to be really impactful. So
make sure you get this one right. You know, as
he reflect on career when I'm done, right, and he's
(27:58):
just like, as everybody's miles start to draw. But is
he gonna retire right now?
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Is?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
No?
Speaker 5 (28:03):
No, No, that's for you guys to do and all that,
and so he laid that up. But yeah, it's the
all right, we need to go talk front office to
decide what this looks like because Austin Reeves is a
pretty huge chip in all of this. As much as
we can kind of we laughed about it for weeks
in terms of how much money he was gonna make
with each big game. Well now that's a very real
(28:24):
thing now that the season is in here gone of
what a big component he was down the stretch and
into these playoffs, Well now you have to replace him
and going.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Through the come back.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
I mean you got Kyrie Irvings sitting there. Uh was, Yeah,
that that's gonna fix things.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
No chance.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
I'd rather have Carmelo Anthony come back out of retirement
than then bringing him to float through. So yeah, now
it's the because he looking at his contract right, he's
got one year before the second year is a player option,
so he's got one more year with the Lakers unless
they make a deal. So what's he worth? What's the
(29:03):
value or you know he want or you know he's
He's a type of guy that I don't know, like
he's just prides himself on continuing that freight.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Train and keeping keeping the.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Line moving because we saw it. He played all every
minute of the game, right, he was not forty one,
and part of it being you're not gonna blame me.
The problem is going back to my cal Ripkin junior
quote for years and I celebrate the streak.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Okay, it's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
The whole showing up for work, doing your job, being
there for your team is fantastic. If at a couple
of moments in the Orioles run, if cal Ripkin had say,
taken a couple of days off here and there load management,
would he have been a little better hitter in September.
Maybe he'd gotten to another ball down the stretch to
where they might have posed you, I don't know, just
(29:54):
throwing it out. Then Lebron already missed. So like in
this game, the forty eight is a great number. However,
say he'd found a stretch at the end of that
first quarter into the second, Mighty had better legs and
not gone one to five. Mighty have been able to outmuscle,
to burn down the stretch, all of those things. But yeah,
there's many avenues and paths that he can choose.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Harmon, Now we're talking about avenues for Lebron James the
end of his cryptic press conference. I got a lot
to think about my future next year. I don't know.
You want a real hot take for Lebron? Doesn't involve retirement,
But do you want a real hot take? That's next
right here Jason and Mike from the Tireck dot Com
Studios Fox.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific. Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to
plug you right into the NBA Grape.
Speaker 9 (30:55):
Five all happening in only one place. This League on Cut,
the new NBA podcast with Me Chris Haynes and me
Mark Stein join us as we team up to expound
on everything we're covering. Hearing and Chason. Listen to This
League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Fox Sports Radio, The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon. We got Rick Bucker coming your way
in about ten minutes to break down what we saw
in the Western Conference Finals the Nuggets eliminate the Lakers.
But let's get to Lebron for a second. And you
want a great Lebron hot take Lebron who said at
(31:43):
the end of his press conference tonight, what about your future?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I don't know. I got a lot to think about
my future in the game, what I want to do?
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Very cryptic? WHOA is Lebron retiring? So he told you
probably not retiring. He still wants to play. He wants
to play with Bronny. He's in the endgame part of
his career.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
I'll still showed he can be greatly fact from part
of the game. Yeah, right, first half, it was fantastic.
Second half somebody else has to make a bucket at
some point. Well, and Anthony Davis getting his share of criticism.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
To So there's the So there's that. There's Okay, maybe
if I really want to play with Bronny. My final year.
I got to figure out where that's going to be.
At the same time, I also want to make sure
I'm not going to fall off a cliff and still
be a great player, because he's not going to be
a shadow of himself and getting dunked on and lose
the ball like he did with Jamal Murray being able
to keep his hand on his on the ball and
(32:31):
keeping it from going up for a shot at the end.
How soon before that's a slow motion gif?
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Oh, I think it already is. Yeah, I think it
already is.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
I mean that that play is going to stand for
the downfall of Lebron James not even strong enough to
go up with like a bully and dunket Jamal Murray
is able.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
To keep the ball down anymore. That took away a
lot of post basket celebrations.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
So let let us throw this hot take at you
with Lebron James. Okay, so he's not retiring, He's gonna
figure out anything. Figure out now, I'll be here we go.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
You want that vehicle that they have in Mad Max? Yes,
I need that.
Speaker 8 (33:06):
Yes, the guy?
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Uh what if Lebron James's future is he takes next
year off? Whoa recuperates, recharges, comes back for one final
year with Bronnie. He can control his minutes. Maybe I
(33:29):
only play twenty minutes a game. I am able to
dictate where I want to go. If if Cleveland drafts Bronnie,
if the Orlando Magic draft Bronnie, my last year is
with him. I take next year off because I'm worried
about falling off a cliff. And if I fall off
a cliff next year, where am I gonna go the
year after? But if I take next year off and
I come back for one final year, if I'm not
(33:50):
playing well, I can play just a few minutes here
and there, and I can still enjoy the whole year
of what I'm doing. And it's not about me anymore.
I'm playing it playing with Bronnie. We're on the court
at the same time. Highlights are everywhere. Tell me that's
not something that lebron can do. Take next year off, recharge,
figure out where he's gonna come back for his last
year with Browny. That way, if he falls off the
(34:12):
cliff his final year, it's well, I'm gonna I'm gonna
I'm gonna judge against it. I'm going to play less
minutes and I'm going to only do what I know
I can do, and maybe that's, you know, be a
dominant post player, because there's not a lot I'll pick
and choose the Knights I can play. I can dominate
against this team, but not against this team, So I'll
take that game off, but I'll play this game here.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Tell me that's not a possibility for Lebron. No, no, it's
a beautiful thing.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
We you know, we do the spider ring effect here
in the show side. But well, I actually I sent
you guys a picture of a DeVante Parker card that
was supposed to be signed and then is nicknamed to
be signed underneath. Instead he just signed it spider Man. Anyway,
the point is sometimes we used to use a sheet
of paper between us and we'd scrawl out some random things.
(34:54):
All right, yours talking points as we're watching games, and
I'm gonna break them down. And in this case, I
think we were converging on this same kind of path
of all right, what's what's an out of the box
kind of thing that saves his legs, saves his body,
et cetera, but keeps him vying towards titles? Right, not
in the year that it would be would be to
step away. Now obviously that has to happen in concert
(35:18):
with the Lakers and his contract and release, letting out whatever. However,
you have to work that in terms of structure, because
they're gonna have to eat the cap, right because then
because he can't or does he because if he retires
and retires, he still Oh, the.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Money can be fit.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
The money can always be fit, dance around, it can
always figure signs, trades.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
Spread out, whatever what else. But certainly for the next
year ahead it would be interesting with with cap implications.
But for Lebron it's it's an interesting uh road less traveled.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Twitter And how about a Fresco Mike get swollen, don't
think about taking a year off and then come him
back to finish his career. Contender he said, well, well,
a contender contending for Brownie.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's all about titles.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Rick Buker on.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
The way next. This is Fox Sports Radio.
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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