A Tu Hermano Tuesday (Hour 1) 7/15/25

Petros and Money talk about the state of college football, talk Lakers and LeBron with Mark Medina and debate LeBron's Lakers tenure with Adam Auslund. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
On me Yukes, Petrosen, Money and five to seventy LA
Sports Live Everywhere on the iHeartRadio app full four hour show.
Today it is All Star Week, Dodgers off till Friday,
Galpin Motors Broadcast Booth. We'll have Dodger Brewers, Dodgers Brewers
from Chavez Ravine first pitch at seven to ten pm
at Dodgers on Deck at six pm. But four hour
shows today, Tomorrow and Thursday. As we had yesterday, What

(00:32):
a day we had yesterday. Our friend Ben Casparius came
in for a full hour.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yes if you missed the Inside the Locker Room yesterday
with Ben Kisparius, which was a very good, measured but
very good interview, check out the highlights on the Instagram
or Facebook or x on five seventy and Dodger Talk
Tonight will be the hour long recap of Matt and
I talking to Ben Kisparius, So look forward to that

(00:56):
between seven and eight as the All Star Game is
rolling tonight and we will do some counter programming, but
we will talk some All Star as well. And the
Casparius was brought to you by Marongo and still is
Marongo Casino Resort and Spawn ninety minutes fre moerever. You
are celebrating twenty years of good times. Today is All

(01:19):
Star Game Day, which means tomorrow there's nothing, nothing, and
the day after that even less there is nothing.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, you know how much we would break down the
All Star Game. You know, our Weds show was known national.
That's how we got our national show for that little
three to five year winter.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, because you talked about Ron Santo and it was
really really it hurts. It hurt people in their hearts
these It is interesting because we've done this for a
long time and I always find the calendar after the
football season's over and before baseball starts. I always find

(01:58):
that to be like the real end all of.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
The net, like post Super Bowl, pre baseball season.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, where you're just kind of like, what have we
got a Clipper game tonight? You know what I mean?
And then we get all geeked up for the baseball
and the baseball launches off and you run into the
snarling dog days of summer, which we are not upon. No.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
No training camp started Saturday for the jobbing football. The
Buffalo Bills are in training camp starting today.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, and I'm getting a lot of football in my
life on every corner of it because my son is
going to play football, real football this year. So I
had like a two hour meeting last night with all
the parents and you know, what do I do with
a mouthpiece? Well, you've got to attach to the you know,
oh my god. You know, there's those conversations and what
are these pads? Where do they go? And all that's fun,

(02:50):
and it makes me a little nervous, makes me nervous.
But there's that, and then this week I have to
go to Las Vegas for the last gasp of the
Mountain West and do.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Something the last gasp? Is it not?

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Well? Probably for me going to Vegas and covering it.
I think they signed a deal, well, the Pac twelve
signed a deal with CBS. Well, the Mountain West still
might want to sign a deal with Fox, depending on
who they add. I mean, what people, I.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Mean, are they losing like almost everyone, right, all.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
The all the ones with state in their name.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Right, San Diego State.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
I'm trying to I'm trying to ignore all of those
things because it doesn't really help. I mean, I'll come
back and talk about it, I'm sure, and get a
little bit of a layer of the land. But it
is kind of interesting because last year I was out
there in Vegas and they did that very very sad
Oregon State last supper washed. No, that was two years ago,

(03:47):
that's right. The last year was, Hey, we're Washington State
in Oregon and come to the Blagio and have a
drink with us. And I went over and remember what
upset me? Well drinks, Yogi, Roth and.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well drinks are very nice guys.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Well drinks are very nice drinks. So you got a
Yogi and Well drinks. If I got to sit there
and listen to Yo want top shell, Well, I'm not
asking for top shelf at least, but I don't want
Jim b right right, let me drink maker. If I'm
gonna sit there and listen to Yogi talk about how
great this is where everybody knows it's not great, everybody.

(04:27):
I want. I want middle shelf. I want Buffalo trays,
I want makers, I want I want bullet bourbon. Now,
if there's a knob creek on that thing, that's pretty high, bro,
I take it. I take it. Well Wood for not coming,
don't get crazy.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Well here's I say. If they serve it on a plane,
it should be accessible. I can get Woodford on Delta.
I should be able to Pac twelve.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Last supper was super bougie, right the Pac twelve.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
The pack two pack two come have a drink.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
They come have a drink with us at a bouge.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
He plays well before you spun that heel and went
back to the Mountain West.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well, I blamed Chuck McDonald because I didn't go back
to the Mountain West. I just went to a different
bar and I was and you know what.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
They happened to drink your cheap booze with cheap people,
cheap conference.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
And you know what else I didn't like. I didn't
Now look, I called a lot of Oregon State and
maybe no Oregon State last year, but I called Washington.
I saw Wazoo a few times when they were very good,
and the quarterback was great, John Matteer, and he's now
with that coordinator at Oklahoma. So it's not like everybody
sucks or anything like that. It's just during the summer
it's interesting to watch different ways that teams try to

(05:40):
call attention to themselves. And I just went to another
bar and in the Belagio and then with my fox
people and then retreated, uh to the to the Mountain
West without a doubt. Now, what I do not appreciate
is Merton Hanks, who's like Pack two. Yeah, but he

(06:03):
was standing at like the where you're signing into the
Pack two thing like a bouncer, like looking all hard,
like mean mugging people. And it's like but that neck, yeah,
and the neck is thicker, you know, because he's older,
but it's still very long, and he's intimidating. He's tall
and nice guy, but I didn't know why Murket Merton
Hanks was mean mugging everybody. It's like, you guys are

(06:23):
not going to catch a lot of flies with this vinegar. Like,
you guys are not in a position. You're not a
position to mean mug people. And so we'll see what
happens this year. There is no have drinks with the organ.
Well no, because that's a funny thing. Like once the
season started, alliance has shifted and the two teams in

(06:44):
the Pac two started to poach the friends that they
made a deal with in the Mountain West. You think
you think the Mountain West wants the Pack two to
piggyback on their media day. This year, they're all suing
each other, for God's sakes, and that's an interesting kind
of thing. But on tomorrow night, I have a dinner

(07:04):
with the Mountain West powers that be, which should be Commissioner,
I guess yeah, the commission is a nice lady. And
then I'll talk to all the coaches tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
So next year, as I'm looking, the beaves are just like,
we got to figure this thing out. It's not the
Mountain West New packed pac eight Pack nine schedule next year.
Next year, it's yeah, we got a little Cow, we
got a Fresno State, we got a Texas Tech.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
It's a patchwork quilt.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
They're playing at Appy State.

Speaker 1 (07:31):
Oh that's a great one, going out to boom.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Out the boon. They're playing Wake and La Fayette. Sam
Houston no longer Sam Houston State.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
I've done a Sam Houston game there now on FBS
team and they're well coached.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
We're gonna put this thing together. So I'm gonna throw
these schedule together.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
People. I'll let you know what it's like on the
fringes of the world of college football in the next
couple of days, but there's no Last year, when I
was out there, everybody else was out there too, because
a Big twelve media day. Right this year, the Big
twelve Media Day was in Dallas. SEC's going on. The
Big Ten's popping off at some point.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
I just saw an interview with arch Manning. It's popping off.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
Did you know that arch Manning is about to be
the best quarterback on the history of the world ever?

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yes, I didn't know that about to be. I did
know that, and I heard that.

Speaker 1 (08:20):
The crazy thing is is that his talent last year
was so dormant, like a volcano, that he couldn't even
get on the field.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Well, here's here's something. Even though you're a college football analyst,
maybe you don't know. Well, you know I have escaped
you love. I love to get clowned on my football
knowledge here on the shelf, because here's what I know
about arch man Tell me about it.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
Please.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
As incredible of a football player as he is, he's
an even better human being.

Speaker 1 (08:47):
Are you telling me that he's a good teammate?

Speaker 2 (08:49):
And not only is he a good teammate, he's an
exceptional teammate, which is why he was completely comfortable sitting
behind Quinn, you weres for those two years instead of
transferring somewhere he could get on the field right away.
That shows the level of character of Arch Manning. He
could have gone anywhere for ten million plus dollars and started.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
And you're telling me that his blue blood football pedigree
from the Garden District, sir. Oh yes, sir, bring me
the cat's ass. You're telling me that that has not
clouded his ability to be a gregarious and fun leader
and teammate.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
Exactly right. That's what separates excited. Oh wait, I got
one other thing.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
I'm getting excited.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
You might not know this either, you know, Matt, and
you know.

Speaker 1 (09:37):
A lot of football analysts wouldn't want this right, They
wouldn't want to sit there and just take it.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Some chicken leg fool telling you what you don't.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
Know, like a bottom. And yet I am. But here's
what I saw a thing from a gay guy the
other day. He's like, my dog saw me bottoming and
now he doesn't respect me.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
I don't even know where to start with that. I
don't know.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
It was a whole article.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
It was it like a lifestyle know if you knew this,
Unlike Peyton Manning and Eli Okay, yeah, Cooper was an athlete.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
Tell me about him. Cooper was a wide receiver. You know,
I think I've met him, but I didn't get that vibe.
You know, I was a wide receiver. Soup.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
He was the athlete in the Manning family.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
He looked more like a house of representatives.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
Guy and Arch has his athleticism with the processor of
uncles Peyton and Eli. What about Grandpap and well that's
the other thing. See, thank you. Now I've been made
a fool because I forgot right. Grandpap was the athlete.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
Oh you know, Matt, you know I'm here to help
color analyst. I'm here to color things in.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
Archie was the athlete. Cooper got Grand got Dad, Arch's
grandpaps athleticism, an Eli. A lot of people don't know
they got their mother's cooler sized head.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
Cooper was going to be like Steve largent buddyheads the
noses of the spot.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
It's correct. Archie and Arch basically is the Frankenstein of
all all four of those individuals, Archie, Grand Pat, Pops Coop.

Speaker 1 (11:07):
Okay, well, I can't wait to watch Steve Sarkisian coach him.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
It's gonna be incredible. I mean, we are in store
for a season. I heard somebody say this exactly. You know,
I haven't had expectations for a quarterback like this, and
this is exactly what they said, Since Andy Luck. I
always thought he went by Andrew, But this person knows

(11:31):
him so intimately that he said, since Andy Luck.

Speaker 1 (11:34):
When you known him as long as I do, it's
John Daniels. Well, Matt, you know that set the stage
for me. Thank you, you know, because I'm a little
roach you're walking into. I mean, you know, I gotta
be honest. And I don't know if I've made this point.
Being interviewed a bunch, but maybe not on this show.
Most most entities that we cover, the NFL, the NBA, WNBA,

(11:59):
maybe not so much MLB. They they they do pretty
well and it's a modern sports thing, but they all
do pretty well, staying relevant, staying in the news during
the off season. I think about Doc Rivers swooning DeAndre
Jordans away from Mark Cuban and offering his daughter up

(12:21):
his tribute And that was an off season story. I know,
but that was an off season story, right, you know,
anything Lebron said, right, you know, the NFL Rogers does
a great job with their off season and all that stuff. Uh,
the off season in the NC Double A, in the

(12:42):
world of college football, which is a wildly enormously popular sport,
is not palatable. I mean, it is no longer digestible,
even for a guy who's supposed to be an expert. Yeah,
and it's not savory, right, it's not. There's nothing.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
This guy's cutting out for a million. This person left
him holding this.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
People are suing these people. This is what the House
of Representative says about this. They're laying off these people
because they've got to pay these people. This kid committed
to this place, this place, this place at last. Nico
Ia malayava Is is Sue is leaving Tennessee in the
middle of spring after trying to hold him over a
barrel and transferring to the CLA.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
Now his brother's coming with him right now.

Speaker 1 (13:28):
These are not Actually At first, when I thought the
brother was coming with him, somebody, everybody's like, that's just
a joke, Stop saying that. I was like, no, No, the
brother's coming with And it's it's very interesting because those
aren't fun stories. They're not good stories. The off season
for college football is terrible. Worse than ever now. It

(13:52):
was a little bit of a cottage fun industry when
the world of recruiting got big maybe fifteen years ago,
and all the recruitings and all that different stuff happen.
But that, as we have talked about over the years,
has also become a real rumble jumble because you got
really good players that are great high school players that
should be going to college on scholarship and developing in

(14:16):
an FBS program and they're having a hard time because
of the transfer portal and all of those different things.
So even and I never liked covering the recruiting stuff
because I kind of see it for what it is,
But at the same time, I'd rather do that than this.
You know, our off season is terrible. So the college

(14:36):
game is just dying, begging, clawing, scratching to get to
the games because that's the only thing they have. It
makes you feel good, it's the only thing they have.

Speaker 2 (14:47):
The games are great.

Speaker 1 (14:48):
The games are great, and really the truth is it's
the same with the NFL. The games are what attracts people,
but they do a better job of presenting the product
because they're one big entity. And that's the big problem
with college football. You have the NCAA, which is powerless
and toothless. You have ESPN, which represents the SEC, and

(15:10):
you have Fox which represents Big ten, and they're not
gonna get along with each other.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh, that was one of the more unsavory headlines that
showed up yesterday, which is, and you think about whatever,
it is one hundred and thirty five FBS teams that
compete for championship however, whatever level you want to say,
they have accessibility to that championship. But there are one
hundred and thirty five teams, and the headline was Big
ten in SEC can't agree on twenty twenty six moving

(15:38):
forward and what the playoff format should look like. Right, Well,
that that's just two conferences. There's another one hundred teams
out there that should have some say in this.

Speaker 1 (15:47):
And it's not even two conferences. No, it's two TV companies. Yeah,
And that's the thing. It's not the conferences. It's the
TV companies controlling the conferences, and they are more powerful
than the controlling entity, which is still the figurehead, which
is the NC DOUBLEA. But remember the NC DOUBLEA championship

(16:08):
for football is not an NC DOUBLEA championship. It's the
College Playoff ten contract.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Yeah, it's a college college football playoff.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
So the NC DOUBLEA needs their cash cow, so they're
gonna do whatever the TV networks say. But the TV
networks don't get along because they don't they want different
things as far as schedule uniformity and all that so.

Speaker 2 (16:30):
And they want as many of their teams included as possible.

Speaker 1 (16:33):
Years ago, we were talking about well, you know, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
Everybody wanted five Big Tens. Well then I need six SEC.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Well I need and USC is like only the top
seven Big ten teams get in. My god, we can't
play Notre Dame. Then, God, you guys are pathetic. It's
amazing to me though, because maybe five six years ago,
even though you know, I've been here the whole time,
I've seen the riding on the wall and seen a
lot of these different things coming over the years. But
five or six years ago, I guess I didn't factor

(17:02):
in how the TV networks weren't going to be able
to get along to create a super league and get
rid of the NC DOUBLEA. They don't get along. Maybe
they will in a couple of years. Maybe they will
down the road to box out the NCUBAA completely, but
ESPN and Fox they don't get along well enough to

(17:22):
make this more palatable in the offseason and to make
it a more uniform deal, which is what some people love. Like.
One of the things I love about college football is
that it's the opposite of the NFL. The hash marks
are in a different place. There's more space out there.
There's a lot of talented, fast, big, strong people just

(17:42):
like you find in the NFL. But they're young and
they make mistakes, and that leads to chaos, wild games,
wild circumstances.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
Oklahoma, State, Central, Michigan, all that kind of.

Speaker 1 (17:53):
Stuff that you love, and we see it every week.
You know. Sometimes you see it and it's funny. Sometimes
you see it's this inspiring. But I do like that
chaotic part of college football.

Speaker 2 (18:03):
It's a good point because think about the NFL and CBS, NBC, ESPN, Amazon, Prime, Fox,
they all get along. Hey, we're gonna pluck this game
and put it here and you and oh, we can't
just have the AFC. We got to get some NFC,
all right, Fox, give him something.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
And I'm sure that you know NBC and Amazon or
whoever are pissed off because Fox and CBS. You know,
they're longer for it, and they dictate probably a little
bit more to the league. But like you said, make
it work. Well, there's one guy in charge, exactly. You know,
there's one guy in charge.

Speaker 2 (18:36):
NBC is going to get this game. CBS, quit your belly.
Aken will make it good on the back end.

Speaker 1 (18:40):
Even in the NBA, which is less well managed, I think,
or less of a savory product in these days, even
the NBA has got one guy in charge so they
can have uniformity. We don't. Yeah, he's a vampire, he
sucks human blood. But for this, it's what the commissioner
of the Big Ten, who's really a guy who used

(19:00):
to be a Fox or MLB executive working directly with Fox.
So you have Fox and it slive, and then you
have yes powerful man and yeah football.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
The Commission of the SEC and the.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Commission of the SEC, and the SEC has been so
stubborn for years about how many conference games they're going
to play and they're weird little cupcake game that they
play in November. If they never get rid of that,
how can we ever have uniformity? We just can't. So anyway,

(19:33):
it's a sad offseason and it's going to get sadder.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Live is like ninety years old.

Speaker 1 (19:37):
He has no Langer. No Slive is gone. It's a
different guy is what's his name?

Speaker 2 (19:41):
Well, uh, come on, Matt, you put in commission of
the Greg Sankye Thanky.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
That's right, Sankie's the guy Sanka. I wanted caffeinated coffee.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's terrible.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
So there's a little Uh. I'll have some college football
stuff either during the week as we move on or
when we get back.

Speaker 2 (20:01):
It is an interview with Arch's not ready for him.
You're not ready for this level.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
Arch. We'd like you to grow your hair so you
look like a kid in an after school special in
nineteen seventy nine.

Speaker 2 (20:10):
Yes, sir, you got it, Sir, I will sir, Yes, Sir,
Mark Medina he's a perfect gentleman is really he is.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
Mark, and he will join us next to talk about
the NBA. I wanted to talk NBA with fully functional
employee Adam, just because, like I think, when he hears
us talking about the NBA, he's like, God, these guys
are so stupid. I know so much.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
About this freaking casuals there it is, I feel it casual.

Speaker 3 (20:39):
They don't listen to the ringer. They don't know about
Zach Lowe.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
See see yeah, but Medina first and then Adam can
come in.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
You know about.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
Actually Adam is the one that called him. Yeah, but
we know about him. I am aware of his exuccess.

Speaker 2 (20:56):
We are aware he exists and the different stops he
has made on his basketball coverage career. I don't know
which stop he is currently at right now, though.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
If the commissioner of the Mountain West reaches over the
table and slaps the new Fresno coach Matt Enz who
was at SC last year for leaving for the PAC
two or whatever him, I will report just like I
reported on Merton Hanks like a big bouncer acting hard.

Speaker 2 (21:31):
Well, that would be something because you know who the
commissioner of the Mountain West Conference is. He's a lady,
Gloria nib at It.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yes, I've met her. That's why I said, slap a
not punch right. We'll be back. How could you you
left me? How could you.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Don't show some money? In five sebody on Sports Live everywhere,
on the iHeartRadio app, Dodgers Off, It's the All Star break.
They'll be back in action on Friday. NBA summer League
action last night, though, Pete a little Clippers v. Lakers
there in Vegas.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, a lot of people very interested in that, including
our own fully functional employee, Adam and joining us right now.
And NBA expert reporter with the Lakers. Remember when he
was up there with the Warriors. You hear him on
Fox Sports Radio, you see him on CBS R. You's big.
It is Mark Medina, Petros and Money Show guest on

(22:30):
your Southern California Toyota Dealers Celebrity Hotline. What's cracking? Mark?
How are you?

Speaker 4 (22:37):
I am doing well even though the Vegas Heat losing money,
you know, some choice beverages and Lebron James drama. I'm
not exhausted. I'm ready for it all.

Speaker 1 (22:47):
Speaking of the Lebron James drama, Mark, help us process
this because it doesn't really feel like anything is going
to happen. It's just weird offseason posturing or or are
we wrong? Would you be surprised if something actually took
place here other than you know, talking about dinner and
wine and craigs.

Speaker 4 (23:07):
Yeah, Petre's like a lot of times, you're one hundred
percent right. What it comes down to is Lebron James
wants his money and he wants to eat it too,
or wants your kick and eat it too. This is
his last gas at trying to pressure up for an
office into making win now moves. And you understand it.
Lebron could be in the final year of his career

(23:28):
or another year after that because of where he's at
his age. He wants to win championships. So do the Lakers.
But you know they're gonna do it through the lens
of what's best for Luka Doncic because he's the next star,
and because he's still in his prime, they can think
a little bit more strategically beyond next season. So I

(23:48):
think that's where it is. But I think the reality is,
you know, he can yell or subtly he hasn't yelled yet,
but suddenly say he wants to break up. But when
it comes to you know what that means. That means
that he'd have to negotiate a buyout, which not gonna happen.
That means the Lakers would have to find a viable
trade partner that would give him enough assets in return,

(24:10):
and I don't think that's going to happen either. So,
like with this entire relationship with Lebron James at the Lakers.
It's been transactional from day one. I think he'll be
a transactional toward the end. He'll retire as a Laker,
may not feel warmest and fuzzy, but he'll at least
play good basketball.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
One of those transactions was selecting his son with the
fifty to fifth pick of the twenty twenty four NBA Draft.
You watch the summer League broadcast and you would think
we're watching the second coming of Lebron James the way
he is being celebrated now, Mark, I may not watch
the NBA as closely as I once did, but I
remember when you had to drop like forty in a

(24:48):
summer league game because of the nature of the game
for really people to say, Okay, he's a little too
good for the summer league. Let's get to the NBA season. Like,
am I missing something with how Brownie looked. He looked
better than last year. But this is not one of
those summer league performances where you're like, yeah, I get
this guy out of here. He's too good.

Speaker 4 (25:07):
Yeah, no, you hit on the head. He's better. But
I think when you're starting at the bottom last year
you can only go up. I think, in fairness to Brownie,
you know what his short term trajectory could be is
on a regular season roster, end of rotation, doesn't play
a lot of minutes consistently, but is at least not
on a two way contract and playing in the G League.

(25:27):
I think the reasons is, you know, he's professional, he
works hard, doesn't have the entitlement good practice player, and
you know teams and coaches value that. I don't know
if he is going to be in his career a rotation,
end of the bench player, at least not yet. But
you know, in fairness and you know you can laugh

(25:48):
at all you want, there are some people I've talked
to in the NBA that do think that his long
term trajectory could emphasis on the word, could be that
where he's a eight ninth tenth man on a roster
getting some minutes, you know, every season for a few
games here or there, and you know what, given where
he started, I guess that is gonna considered a success story.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
Why would we laugh, Mark Medina, I is to laugh, haha.
Mark Medina joining us right now. He's at the Backstreet
Boys concert at the Sphere and we are talking about
NBA Action because it's the All Star Game and it's
a little bit of a desolate tie. What what is it? Medina?

Speaker 4 (26:28):
At first, I wish I was. I wish I was
at the backstroop.

Speaker 1 (26:31):
That's like a real to do.

Speaker 4 (26:32):
My wife, My wife went there on this trip. She said,
I was the best concert she's ever seen in her life.

Speaker 2 (26:39):
You missed out, Mark, you missed out.

Speaker 4 (26:41):
I know, you know what. I had to watch Bronnie
James Bloy. What can I say?

Speaker 1 (26:44):
Sorry, sweetie, Bronni's colin. Uh. But you spoke to it
uh in the first answer, and it is interesting. I mean,
it does feel like, uh, this is getting a little
bit awkward between Luca and Lebron, or the Lakers and Lebron.
I mean, I guess maybe this is just par for
the course if Lebron is on your team over the years,

(27:06):
with all the weird sub tweeting and things we've covered
over the years. But do you expect this to be.

Speaker 4 (27:11):
Awkward beyond awkward tweets? Honestly, not really. I think the
fascinating contradiction with Lebron James is that on the court,
he's professional, he's like team first guy, plays the right way,
and I think that what we saw last season with
Luka Donci is the film wasn't perfect, but it was

(27:32):
more because they just needed more time together. But Lebron
was totally content with Luca being the playmaker. I think
the only frustration that not only Lebron had, but sometimes
the team itself was Luca would sometimes resort to when
he was with the Dallas Mavericks before they were a
finals contending team with Kyrie Irving, where he's dribbles down,
dribbles down before the shot clock zero and hoist a shot.

(27:54):
The Lakers do want more ball movement, but in terms of,
you know, playing a backseat to Luca in terms of workload, shots,
having a more defensive responsibility, I think Lebron is all
fine with that. It's more of the behind the scenes
of what's the front office going to do with roster constructions?
Is the best roster they can come up with to
help his odds of winning a championship. That's where I

(28:17):
think the source of conflict can emerge. So what I
think happens here is that he reports the training camp
with the Lakers uniform, He Tow's company line down plays,
you know, everything that happened this past summer and basically
blames the media, and then he will play reasonably well
beginning of the season, all star caliber. And what we
have to keep our eyes on is that if or

(28:40):
when the Lakers starts struggling, especially leaning the trade deadline,
then we could see some more pressure about making more
moves or maybe even Heaven forbid saying I want to
be moved. But I think with all these moving parts,
it's going to have a pretty boring ending. Lebron James
retires as a liquor.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
If since you're hearing about Bronnie from the people, what
about is there anything being discussed about Luca in this
potential extension? Is there any reason to believe that there
could be any issue there, whether it's you know, the
three so he can get more money or the four
so he can take max money. Is there any issue
there with him maybe waiting this thing out another year

(29:22):
to really decide whether or not he wants to stay
in La.

Speaker 4 (29:26):
Yeah, I think the only scenario that he doesn't sign
the extension when he's eligible August second is if it's
more tactical regarding the numbers that you mentioned that maybe
if he waits it another year, he'll get more money.
But I don't think that he has any misgivings about
committing to the Lakers. I mean, let's be clear, he

(29:46):
was emotional and happy with the trade, but not because
it was to the Lakers. It was because he was
with the Mavericks and he thought he was going to
be their franchise corning cornerstone for his whole career. But
once he got through that, he embraced being a Laker.
I think it's also telling when the Lakers, you know,
when the bus family shoulder majority shared them all. Mark
Walter Luka Donci just tweet said something along the lines

(30:10):
of wanting to help the Lakers win multiple championships. Well,
without this extension, he has one year left on his deal.
If he has to win, if he wants to win
multiple championships, he's gonna have to sign a new contract
with the Lakers. So I think it's just a matter
of when, not if he signs that extension.

Speaker 1 (30:27):
Hell, I remember when Lebron was gonna win six with
the Miami Heat. Mark Medina is our guests on your
Southern California Toyota Dealer Celebrity Hotline. We are talking hoops.
You just mentioned it Mark Walter now the owner of
the Lakers, and for all practic for all practice, practice
and purposes. But I'm not sure if that means it's

(30:49):
different next year or the year after that with Genie
in charge. How do you how do you feel like
that transition is going to go and will the Lakers
automatically be a different run for.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah? I think I saw Sam Amic from the Athletic
reporting that Genie Buss is going to still maintain her
responsibility title for at least the next five years.

Speaker 1 (31:13):
You know.

Speaker 4 (31:13):
Even before that, The impression I got from the Lakers
is that her job description isn't changing because her responsibility
is more overseeing the business side. That's not going to change.
I think what could and likely will change is that
she would greenlight major basketball moves. I think now that
she doesn't have to worry about that, and so I

(31:34):
think what this means moving forward. I don't think this
honestly really impacts anything with how the Lakers manage Lebron
James or Luca Docich. I still think the strategy would
have been the same if the you know sale did
not happen. I think what will change is just more
and more investment in everything else behind the scenes, with

(31:55):
team staffing, analytics department, beefing up the front office even more,
having a little bit more of a threshold for spending
to keep key role players and absorb some of those
luxury taxes. That's where I think you're going to see
the imprint or Mark Walter. The other thing is, I
don't think this is imminent, but you always have to

(32:15):
keep your eye on us. Is that inevitably when there
is new ownership, they're going to always evaluate everything. And
so at this point, JJ Reddick, Rob Plink, you don't
have anything to worry about. Polinka signed a new extension
in April. He has some equity with seeing the Luka
Doncic Steele that to happen. Even though Nico Harrison played
the heavy part in that. JJ Reddick has gotten a

(32:37):
lot of credit within the organization where how he did
his first year head coach and is expected to continue
to get better as he gets more experienced. But you know,
at some point ownership will evaluate the results and adjust accordingly.
But those are all things more long term and short term.

Speaker 2 (32:53):
Last thing for you, Mark, and we appreciate it out
there in Vegas not able to attend a Backstreet Boys
show because you had to watch Brannie James take on
the Clippers other side of that court.

Speaker 1 (33:03):
That's tough, you know what I mean? Back Streets back.

Speaker 4 (33:06):
I will try to get over it. I will try
to get over it.

Speaker 1 (33:09):
But I heard it was a hot ticket. Robert Parris
was there. Everybody that right, don't want to be sitting
behind him. I about this.

Speaker 4 (33:18):
My wife told me that Lance Bass was in the
in the building instinct member and join the backstroop.

Speaker 2 (33:24):
That tells you what kind of ticket that way? What's next?
Wade Bog's going to be a Yankee?

Speaker 1 (33:29):
What uh?

Speaker 2 (33:33):
Last thing? Mark the Clippers are man adam oslind Uh
in the other room does a bang up job on
the pre half and post and in game commentary for
the Clippers. They signed Brook Lopez. A lot of people
are expecting them to get into the buy out market,
maybe for the likes of Bradley Beal or maybe Chris
Paul Like what is there anything? Is there anything happening

(33:55):
when it comes to the Clippers.

Speaker 4 (33:57):
Yeah, I would keep my eye out on what you
just about the Clippers being very interested in getting Chris
Parr Bradley Beal obviously remains to be seen, but that's
very a strong possibility. I think beyond that, what we've
seen with the Clippers is that they try to thread
the needle of retaining the uh, you know, their most
of their core, but also giving themselves some cat flexibility

(34:21):
so that they could make a major move, you know,
next summer. And I think you know the reason why
I concluded that is, uh, not extending Norman Palell really
signifies that they're trying to pourd assets then go all in.
Because Norman pale he played I think at an All
Star caliber level, should have been on the All Star team,

(34:41):
adjusted seamlessly as a two way bench player from a
to a two way starter. But they think extend him
when he was eligible. But I think what they have
in the short term with Kawhi Leonter being back, James
Harden returning, Nico Patum returning, getting Brook Lopez, getting John Collins,
it's a good roster, not great. It's due you know,

(35:03):
for a first round appearance, maybe second, but I think
it's more about building that for the bridge for next
summer and maybe they make another major move like they
did six years ago with Kawhi and Paul George like.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
The Bridge to the sphere to see the Backstreet Boys
at lance Backs.

Speaker 4 (35:18):
Watch to night or maybe or maybe into itsm at
some points together.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
Light show with the black Backstreet Boys, I mean Backstreet's back.
All right, thank you, mister Medina. Have a good time
out there, and our best to your lovely wife.

Speaker 4 (35:33):
I appreciate it, or we I will try to continue
to uh, you know, cope without seeing the concert while
finding white in glow over the best concert ever.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
Drink it away, drink your troubles away. Booze is free.
If you're sitting at a slot.

Speaker 1 (35:47):
You know, I'm sitting here with you with the Medinas,
and she seems to just be a lot more happy
than Mark.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
All this guy's doing his the word Bronnie yeah and
over again.

Speaker 1 (35:56):
Maybe maybe he could be like a ninth man. Maybe,
h thank you, Mark, We'll be back. You know what.
You know, who's going to clean it up in the
next segment.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
Now look what Adam's doing. He's cleaning up our idiocy
with Mark. Hey man, I'm sorry for those Yeah, he's
gonna come on those idiots. Fully functional employee. Adam has
done a good enough job to where he can come
on and pedal his NBA wares and tell us how
ready for thirty minutes of talk, because that's what he's
used to. He's a marathon or pe. He's not a sprinter.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
He's gonna have to adjust his event. In the very
next segment, we'll be back with Mark Great sportsus Adam.
We've got twenty minutes to fill. Tell us about the
La Sparks. Wa they got that girl from the Vegas Aces.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
Big thing you Mark Medina Petros and money in five
to seventy La Spo.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
I didn't think he was gonna sit in here and
do it.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
Of course he is. That's what he does. I mean,
he's a guest, and our first in studio guest, says
text does since David vass A, Well you invited him in.

Speaker 1 (37:06):
Well, Dan, I didn't invite him in. I invited him all.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
Put that sock on the microphone. It's picking up my voice. Please,
thank you. We're not used to this. Nobody comes to
see us.

Speaker 1 (37:16):
Well, Vassay that you told me to join you in here,
did I?

Speaker 3 (37:20):
Yeah, you said it early.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
I said on I thought you were going to talk
to us on the mic and.

Speaker 3 (37:24):
There that Mike. I don't trust that microphone.

Speaker 1 (37:28):
Ronnie keeps that one down, and you know how loud, God,
do you know how loud Ronnie's mike is, Like how
loud compared to everybody else's mic I do is a
matter of facts, and it's like, dude, I know.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
He's not here, Katie, but you didn't adjust his levels
and if you did, he'd probably kill you.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
So that's neither relevant. That is not what I read.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
The material to this conversation is.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
Well, we've had NBA conversation and I've gotten a few texts.
I likened Adam oslind Yes today when Matt and I
were talking about the NBA in quick Hits, I likened
Adam's face to the face of the bad guy in
Napoleon Dynamite, like the a whole high school guy that
it was like, ooh, you know, every time Napoleon's up

(38:13):
there doing something, Adam Adam really just it's almost like
he can barely hear us discuss it, you know, like chickens, Yeah,
and uh, and that's fine, you know, And if he
wants to flex his NBA muscle, that Medina just didn't
flex for us. I mean, look, I got this text,
it says, Adam sitting through PMS NBA talk is like

(38:35):
the calculus kid sitting in the math for daily life class.

Speaker 2 (38:40):
Hey, you tell me what's more applicable, Math for daily
life or calculus. What are we gonna use?

Speaker 1 (38:45):
Well, we do sports talk for daily life. We do
not do NBA calculus. Where have we gone wrong, Adam?
We what have we done wrong? Where are we airing
to make you skin up your face in such a way.

Speaker 3 (38:56):
No, I'm not upset with you guys at all. Skin
up your face the picture perfectly. I only disagreed with
Mark about him calling Norman Powell a two way player,
which I think a lot of Clippers fans would disagree with.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
No defensive acumen from Norman Powell, not much.

Speaker 3 (39:09):
Since UCLA, since he played with the Toronto though. Oh yeah,
and he should have been an All Star last season.
I agree with you guys for the most part. I
know you probably think I carry water for Lebron because
I defend him once in a while.

Speaker 1 (39:20):
Because the Lakers.

Speaker 3 (39:22):
Look, he does have a point. And you skimmed over
this on Friday, Matt during your dissertation.

Speaker 1 (39:27):
See that that's why skimming up his fad with Skim.

Speaker 2 (39:30):
I did an eighteen minute dissertation and all I could
possibly do was skim. He did a deep dive.

Speaker 3 (39:37):
Apparently there was one part of the article by Ramona
Shelbourne you didn't want to talk about, which was and
that was the state of the Lakers before Lebron, which
I think has been conveniently overlooked because I got a
long memory.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
I did mention that there.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
Was about three months of the Lakers or a dumpster
fire talk on this station after Magic Johnson unceremoniously resigned.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
I did mention that.

Speaker 1 (39:59):
But he was the when that happened, though, wasn't.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
He No, he wasn't that a summer think Johnson had resigned,
everybody said the sky is falling, and then a couple
months later Lebron James joins them, and then I'm at
Blaze Pizzaway.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
So that how did Magic sit outside his house with
the contract to deliver it to him to sign.

Speaker 3 (40:19):
For He still was working behind the scenes. Just resigned
as president, Yes, he resigned.

Speaker 1 (40:25):
My point.

Speaker 2 (40:26):
My point was, despite the dumpster fire, Lebron did not
come here to save the Lakers. Lebron came here to
move to Los Angeles as Mark said it was transaction.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
I didn't come here.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
I don't disagree with that.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
I came here to save you. I didn't come here
to rescue Rambo from you.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
I came here to rescue you from him.

Speaker 3 (40:47):
I don't like all the Lebron stuff either, So I
just think that was.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
My only point. Like, don't tell me that he that
he went out of his way to leave his hometown
in Cleveland, came to LA to save the Lakers from
five years of disappointment. He came here to open spring
Hill Studios, to found the shop, to set up what
he thought was going to be this mega media empire
that would then sustain post playing career, and he wanted

(41:13):
and to put the Clutch Sports Agency in LA, not Cleveland.
Like all, do you.

Speaker 3 (41:18):
Think winning with the Lakers was a side mission for
him completely?

Speaker 2 (41:22):
I don't know it that far. Yeah, I don't think
he came here to win that. He was like, Oh,
I'm gonna go to the Lakers and we're going to
win a championship. I think he was like, I'm going
to LA and wherever I go, we win championships, So
it doesn't matter. Well, like I go to Cleveland, go
to the Finals Sports.

Speaker 1 (41:36):
Lebron signed with the Lakers in twenty eighteen. Right, Magic
resigned April twenty nineteen.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
Yeah, he absolutely was still with the team. Remember when
Lebron correct.

Speaker 1 (41:45):
But I just looked it up. For God's sake.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Lebron got hurt and that season derailed and he wanted
Luke Walton fired and it got messy. When Lebron was
here his first year, they sucked and he hated everybody.
He hated it. So he injured. Yes, so let's not
pretend like he showed up and they went to the
fin No, they were a dumpster fire. And that's when
he demanded the trade for Ad and it got all

(42:11):
sideways up.

Speaker 3 (42:12):
They were, they were averaging winning twenty five games per season.
They were the five years before.

Speaker 2 (42:18):
They were because Magic selected Lonzo Ball instead of Jason Tatum. Yes,
they had their draft after.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
A bad moves, including him trading the Clippers of eats
a zoo box with the trade deadline.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
But listen, Miscal is a hell of a player. We love.

Speaker 1 (42:29):
He's proved, that's proven out. Don't be an idiot about it.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
At h Yeah, he had that ankle injury. They thought
he was going to shoot threes for him. But look,
I don't disagree with anything Mark Medina said earlier. I
thought it was spot on. He wants to have his
cake and eat it too.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
You're you're walking away from your in at You came
on with two NBA experts and you made a misstep
and you don't want to acknowledge it.

Speaker 3 (42:50):
I'm so sure about that.

Speaker 1 (42:52):
Magic. Look it up.

Speaker 2 (42:53):
Magic was at his Magic April twenty nineteen.

Speaker 1 (42:56):
Lebron signed in twenty eighteen Blaze Pizza at twenty eighteen
April twenty nineteen. I'm not gonna be here.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
Ama Johnson took credit for it. I am at his
house with the paperwork at nine pm Pacific to let
him know he's priority number one.

Speaker 1 (43:11):
Everything before is a little bit of a blur. We understand.
We're right up. Got COVID fog and I looked it up.
I looked it up on my phone right here.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
Regardless, there was months of dumpster talk before he came.
He didn't make them worse record wise. They weren't in
some great spot like everybody acts like they were now.
They were desolate.

Speaker 1 (43:30):
It was eight.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
They couldn't bring in free agents. They can bring anybody.

Speaker 2 (43:35):
Oh it was. It was Linda and Kurt Rambis. And
if you want Tyleru to be your head coach, you
got to put Kurt on the staff. It was a disaster.

Speaker 1 (43:41):
Who can they bring in down as a free agent?
Does anybody want to play with Lebron and make him better?

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Not Brook Lopez. He's like, I don't want no part
of that.

Speaker 3 (43:49):
Yeah, it does look like, why, well, that.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Was the Paul George trade. That was a great one.

Speaker 3 (43:55):
Oh, we don't have to go there.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
Well, should have listened to Jerry West. He told you
nothing to.

Speaker 1 (43:59):
It better than to fall in love with you.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
I think there's a bit of a mischaracterization, a little bit.
Everybody said to do that trade that day. I remember
I was doing a three hour Clippers talk show afterwards.

Speaker 1 (44:10):
Everybody, now, great, it was Yeah, we knew that Shae
Gil just Alexander, Well, you loved them.

Speaker 2 (44:15):
You called him Sega.

Speaker 1 (44:16):
I remember, Yeah, we knew that he was very special.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
Oh, Visa Zubots as well. I'll give you guys credit
for that.

Speaker 1 (44:22):
We're also very early on the Aviza Zubats trade team.

Speaker 3 (44:25):
Meglex forever, who is many people's favorite Clipper.

Speaker 2 (44:27):
Now, why wouldn't he the.

Speaker 3 (44:28):
Only guy signed right now through twenty twenty seven is Mark.
Madina alluded to the Clippers have all that flexibility coming up,
but Big Zoo will still be here.

Speaker 2 (44:36):
And you know what, Joannis is going to join them.
You watch.

Speaker 1 (44:40):
So what you didn't like, regardless of you know, a
little bit of a miscalculation with the dates, what you
didn't like on Friday during Matt what was a very
popular segment. It was red meat to the crowd. I
mean very popular. Somebody told me that they heard a
lady say that's right, damn it. You know, well, Matt
was talking and got the y's and the name. What

(45:01):
you didn't like. What you didn't like was the fact
that Matt somehow glossed over the fact that the Lakers
sucked before Lebron got here.

Speaker 3 (45:11):
It's been kind of an undercurrent of a narrative that's
been going.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
On for a while.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
He ruined the Lakers. It's like, wait a second, the
Lakers were ruined.

Speaker 1 (45:20):
They weren't bad.

Speaker 3 (45:21):
They were in a really bad spot before you.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
Can can't we just blame Genie for all of it?

Speaker 3 (45:25):
I mean, at that time, everybody wanted Genie out. I
remember that too. They were calling for gen.

Speaker 2 (45:29):
Well, no, we were calling for Linda. Linda, that was
really causing the problem. Our point is Lebron James eight
straight finals trips, three titles comes to the Lakers, one
finals trip, one title?

Speaker 3 (45:46):
Is he in his prime?

Speaker 1 (45:47):
Still?

Speaker 2 (45:47):
Like? What do you expect? Signed them? Seven years ago?
He was what thirty five? He had been to eight
straight finals.

Speaker 1 (45:53):
This text says this, Bat, we know that Eastern Conference
is not the West. What this text says this? I
would tread if I'm Adam to challenge you both on
your Lebron and magic history of hatred.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (46:06):
You better watch out.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
There's one thing we've cataloged.

Speaker 1 (46:10):
Hey, you better watch out, dog.

Speaker 3 (46:12):
I am going to tread lightly tiptoe through the tulips
a little better, tiny, Tim. Look, you guys are still
my idols and my heroes after all this time, even
when I disagree about something. And Matt has been one
of the NBA analytics guys.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
For years years.

Speaker 1 (46:30):
Matt is an analytical man.

Speaker 3 (46:31):
That is where the NBA mind, i mean, trade talk
mingle came from.

Speaker 1 (46:36):
I had to sit through a lot of that over there.

Speaker 3 (46:37):
So damn it, I'm following it.

Speaker 1 (46:39):
Now.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
I've got to follow your lead on the second apron.
I don't even know what the hell that is.

Speaker 3 (46:43):
It sucks, is what it is. It's terrible.

Speaker 1 (46:46):
Get rid of it. I'm only reading this because I
haven't heard of fido dido reference since I was a child.
Get Fido out of there. Want to be NBA Hot Taker,
Jason mackin. I love a fight. I mean, you don't
even know what final Dino is. You're too young, most are.

(47:06):
We'll be right back, Thank you, Adam. That was hot
NBA top.

Speaker 2 (47:10):
And I do like the new Clipper logo. That's a
good looking at.

Speaker 1 (47:12):
And I can see you kicking yourself over that date thing. God,
I had it. I had us back against the wall,
but now your back is to the wall and your
d is in the dust.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
We'll be right back. That was good stuff at him,
Oh real good dog.