LeBron’s Back, Buss Brothers Fired, Cup On the Line

Mark Walter has officially taken control — and wasted no time firing Joey and Jesse Buss.

This episode breaks down the why, the fallout, and what it means for the future of the franchise. We also hit:
• Lakers surviving the Jazz 108–106
• Luka’s takeover performance
• Ayton’s knee injury and what it means long-term
• Lakers’ defense showing real identity
• NBA Cup group play — Lakers vs Clippers TONIGHT
• Jody recovering from the Bears beating his Steelers
• Around the league: OKC’s insane start, Pistons shocker, Beverley situation

If you’re a Lakers fan, this is a MUST-WATCH episode.
Subscribe for more Lakers news, breakdowns, and that trademark LNLS energy. #LateNightLakeShow #Lakers #NBA #LukaDoncic #MarkWalter #BussFamilyDrama #NBACup

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, what's going on y'all?

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Welcome to a new episode of the Late New Lake
Show podcast powered by nineteen Media Group. It is your host, Ricky,
Jody and Kwamee, and we got Brendan in the back.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Ass always, we got another pack show for y'all.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
We haven't robbed with y'all for a couple of weeks,
so we got to play a low catch up. Obviously,
there was a firing that went down a couple of them.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
We'll get into them.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
After shock of what is now an official new era
in Lakerland. We'll get into that. We'll get into the King.
Lebron James is back in the building, played his second game,
both against Utah, is working his way back into game shape.
As he said, he's using this last week or so
as his training camp. We'll take a look at how
the King is doing in his record setting twenty third season,

(00:44):
and then, as always, we will take a look around
the league. See who's up, see who's down, See if
anyone's gonna catch the damn Oklahoma City Thunder. But as always,
make sure you are subscribed to lateon Now Lake Show
wherever you get your hashtag good content. Before we get
into all that though, before I even ask Kwami, how
you doing? I do have to check in with my
brother Jody. Jody Joe.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
First of all, welcome, It's good to chop it up
with me. You how you doing? Man?

Speaker 3 (01:10):
What's man?

Speaker 1 (01:11):
You know?

Speaker 4 (01:12):
Living maintain We're trying to make it happen one way
or another.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love it or the other is kind of your story.
For Monday morning.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Sunday, Jody and ours favorite football teams clash. The Chicago
Bears played the Pittsburgh Steelers. I did not know, Jody
that the Steelers had only one once in the existence
of Soldier Field, and.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Who's to break tradition? Right?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
The Chicago Bears came out on top and another just
who wants to lose this game less competition? But Jody,
I guess I just did check it in, checking in
on the steel curtain one to kind of get your
sense your post how we feel in after the game
and losing to depth Bears.

Speaker 4 (01:52):
I mean, I was really shocked Aaron didn't play because
I figured he definitely wan. I know he wanted to
play that game. But man, that's why when you asked
me earlier if I wanted to bed, I was like, Nah,
I don't know about that, because this is just this
Stealers team is just it's not it. And I'm gonna

(02:13):
tell you what really sucks for you. This loss don't
even hurt that much because I've seen it coming, so
like you can gloat with and you know, God bless
but honestly, this is I am so happy that this
movie is almost over.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
I'm actually upset.

Speaker 4 (02:29):
That the draft is in Pittsburgh this year because that
means it's gonna be even more annoying to hear the
media talk about my team. So but good shit, though,
it looks like Caleb Williams is starting to turn the tide.
They was on the TV talking about Yeah, we call
them Iceman. Everybody call them ice man. I'm like this,

(02:51):
this thing got a nickname.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
I'm like, all right, well, hey.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
You know that was a winnable game though we we
could have won the game. But the problem is when
you don't have any receivers, can't throw the ball. You know,
we ran the ball reasonably will but when Mason Rudolph
is your quarterback and you don't he doesn't have anybody
to throw to, exactly you're gonna do? How are you
gonna make plays when you need to make plays, when
you got idiots doing stupid shit, having to blow timeouts

(03:21):
at the end of the game. You know what I'm saying,
because we get him off the field, but I think
you trying to throw the ball and it was incomplete pass.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
And then.

Speaker 4 (03:31):
Our guy got a fake an injury and we gotta
fucking blow a time out because.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
He's doing some stupid shit.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
So it's just man said his faking injury. He did.
He was pulling at the hamstring, the patented I need
to go down.

Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah, man, it's just Stealers is just a bad, bad
bill team, bad coach team.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Congratulations for beating you know, a bad team, But you
don't have to be bad as well.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Same that that is true.

Speaker 4 (04:01):
I will ask you a question, though, please, how many
times in your life have you seen your Bears be
eight and two?

Speaker 1 (04:08):
I need a number, maybe twice? Maybe? Brother? You deserve this, Yeah,
I do, I do. What say? I deserve it all.
I am happy for you.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Yeah, Lakers twelve and three. Yeah, Bears pick up the
eighth win of the season. Lie's good. I get nothing
to complain about, so I appreciate that.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Jody.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
You know, obviously Jody, my guy, and I just love
giving them shit. I'm actually most upset that the Steelers
weren't in a better position so I could have potentially
picked up a couple of dollars. But Jody ain't no dummy.
He wasn't gonna putt no shekels on his boys.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
And I didn't bet niggas against my for my team
on a timeline. It ain't no nigga out there that
can say I ain't paid up on no bet. There
is niggas out there that I can say have not
paid up on bets.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Though, let's get into a fellas.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
So the Lakers last night picked up a one, one
o six ugly, ugly when against the Utah jazz Lebron
James has made his return, but the Lakers definitely look
like they were pretty rusty right ten for thirty eight
from three. They did have that thirteen thirteen to oh
fourth quarter run to kind of keep that distance. Obviously,
Lori markten saw his childhood hero guarding him for a

(05:24):
game winning shot that he took with eight seconds left,
But hey, oh good, I don't blame him. If I
had that opportunity to hit game winner against the King
I'm taking that shot, especially if my team's as bad
as the Utah Jazz. Kwame, I'll kick it off with
you man, one Owa, one oh six win. The Lakers
are riding high. But the shooting concerns are they real
concerns or just working through the early season struggles.

Speaker 5 (05:47):
I'm just gonna say it's working through the early season struggles. Again,
you incorporated a piece as big as Lebron James, It's
gonna take a few guys out of rhythm get used
to just playing that new style. I don't think it's
anything to you know, ring the alarms for, but I
think it's just again people just getting used to it,
learning their spots a little differently. Again, they've had several
different starting groups since the season has begun, just through

(06:07):
injuries and whatnot, So I think it's just guys just
getting the feel of spacing, where people are gonna be,
where their spots are, running plays that they may not
have ran previously. Again, you get a completely different lineup
dynamic now when you have the second unit run with
Austin and Lebron. Previously it was just Austin, So there's
a lot of changes that are incorporated. Again, just adding

(06:28):
a piece as big as Lebron, So the shooting woes
don't really concern me a ton. I mean, we are
a roster that is not flush with a ton of
three point shooters either. We got guys that are capable
of making them, but by no stretch of the imagination
are these guys snipers. So that's just kind of our
play style, and I honestly believe that's how it's going
to be the rest of the season. That's kind of
how it's been for most of this tenure since Lebron

(06:49):
James has joined the Lakers. Is that were for the
most part, a heavy paint attack team. Anthony Davis is
kind of that way we see now with Austin Reeves
and Luka Doncic. Guys just attacked the rim, get to
the free throw line a lot. But you know, we
take a decent bit of threes, but we don't make
a ton I think, to be honest, I think we're
probably in the bottom, like near the bottom of like
three point attempts and makes just throughout the league. We

(07:12):
just don't shoot as many as other teams. But that's
not our bread and butter. That's not necessarily our skill set.
So again, we're now second in the West. So I
can't say that the shooting is necessary and needed. Obviously
it'll need to be, that's like around, we can't just
not have it. But I don't think that's necessarily our style,
and I don't think we necessarily need to bend or
conform to a heavy three point shooting team. So again,

(07:33):
just the ugly game that was played last night, you know,
some lapses, even the final couple possessions, it just felt
like a lot of clunkiness, felt like guys didn't really
know exactly what to do, exactly how to execute. But
that's what the season's for, right you kind of get
those reps. Lebron I believe even said at the postgame
presser that this is kind of his preseason. You know,
he didn't get to participate a ton in preseason or
you know, just the practices, so he's kind of learning

(07:56):
in real time, you know, how to integrate back with
this team and some of the new pieces. So again,
I don't think it's anything to worry about long term.
It's just, you know, because some of the grind of
incorporating a massive piece into a team that has kind
of been rolling.

Speaker 6 (08:11):
So honestly getting a double against the Jazz.

Speaker 5 (08:14):
I think it was probably a good test team to
get Lebron back in the game shape with. So I
take kind of as it is, but I expect that
better days ahead of them. Then at the end of day,
they got the win. So you know, in the long term,
that's all it's gonna matter.

Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yeah, man, I agree, You know, I don't. I don't
know that this team is gonna be excellent or a
quote unquote great three point shooting team, no matter what.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (08:38):
But I know, for instance, I've seen playoff games where
I've seen Marcus Smart hit three three pointers, you know
what I'm saying. Yeah, we've seen guys make shots, and
I think that's what's most important, is that guys are
able to make shots situationally basically, and as long as
we have that, I think that's what matters. So, you know,

(09:01):
I'm not really the three point numbers really mean nothing
to me because I come from an era where there
was more than one way to win a basketball game.
You know what I'm saying. Different teams had different play
styles and you won differently. You don't got to play
somebody else's play style better than them to beat them.
You know, you play your style your best, and that

(09:22):
is supposed to be better than their style at their best,
you know what I'm saying, And I think that's mostly
what we need to focus on. Guys that have proven
to offset that their non you know, elite shooting is
offset by how much pressure they put on the rim
and get free throw teams and open looks for players.

(09:44):
So Lebron, we all, we all know Lebron doesn't get
the free throws he probably should, but the pressure that
he puts on the rim, couple with the open looks
that he's getting for guys, it makes up for what
we feel like that difference probably should be. For extra
free throws he probably get, you know what I'm saying,
and Get has a favorable whistle, So he may not.
He may have a bad night shooting from three, but

(10:05):
he's probably gonna get the six, seven, eight free throws
that might come out to be in the two and
a half threes he might fuck around make on a
given night, luca Is, you probably can pencil Luca in
for three made threes a night. Most likely on a
good night, he might give you five, six.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
And to that point, they might not be efficient threes, right,
it could be three for eight, three for nine, while
that's you know, thirty three percent a little bit higher.
You're gonna take a look and at the stat sheet
and how that impacts total team numbers.

Speaker 1 (10:45):
And you'll look at it one way.

Speaker 2 (10:47):
But you watch the game and know that these were
he checked threes or within the flow of you know,
pushing the momentum one way or the other. The stats
can't tell the whole story. Right, The Lakers are second
in field goal percentage in the league. Right, they are
towards the bottom in three point percentage. Okay, I am

(11:07):
okay to your point, Jody, of being who you are,
do you want to be higher than t fifth in
three point percentage?

Speaker 1 (11:16):
For sure?

Speaker 2 (11:18):
Are you going to take being the second best field
goal percentage shooting team in the league behind Denver?

Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (11:24):
That sounds like a team that is usually in the
mix for championships every year because they're dominating the paint.
Contrary to popular belief, shooting top five and threes is
not the only way to live a successful NBA season.
And also, that's such a stat that ebbs and flows. Man,
I'm sorry, three point shooting comes and go, even your

(11:45):
top marksman, right, they call what shooting slumps? Sorry, man,
they don't have dunking slumps, right, they have Aliu slumps.
That's what the Lakers are doing. That's their showtime. They're
getting to the free throw line easier points. I'm good
with that.

Speaker 5 (12:04):
Yeah, And I get what people talk about analytics, you know,
three point shot, the revolution of it. But I mean
we all watch Houston as twenty seven straight threes and
you know, losing opportunity to go to the NBA Finals
because they didn't know what else to do. That was
their whole game plan. So I'll be as to your point.
I think pressure on the rim is important. I think
every team needs a healthy balance, and maybe ours are
just a little more skewed towards getting into that paint. Again,

(12:26):
we got guys that are gonna draw a lot of
files and you know, we'll get to the paint and
you know, just cause havoc from that point. And you know, hey,
Luca threes, to me, those are were double points. The
way them step backs hit. I mean, he hit a
couple of those. You just you don't know if you're
gonna fall off the cliff or what's gonna come next,
So it get it gets spooky when he starts making
a few, and again he'll have ones that are clunkers.

(12:46):
I mean, he started last night's game, he was he
was shooting terribly and then you look up he got
thirty points.

Speaker 6 (12:51):
You know what I'm saying. It's like he'll he'll find
a way.

Speaker 5 (12:54):
And like I said, sometimes you got to shoot himself
in the rhythm, and you know that he carries that
burden on offense.

Speaker 6 (13:00):
Austin's kind of the same way. Lebron will find his
way too.

Speaker 5 (13:02):
But to Jody's point, we got we got three of
the most timely shot makers in the league on our team.
So when when when push comes to shove and you
need a guy to get a bucket, is your role
player the stands in the corner gonna be that guy
or you're gonna need a Luca, Austin and Lebron. Like
I said, we got three of those guys, So I'm
not worried about the team in their three point shooting.
Like I said, I think we'll get our buckets how

(13:23):
we get them, and you know something, it's got to
be a little dirty. And then some other teams so
be it. But the rim pressure I think is important.
Like I said, the free throw numbers. That's always been
big with the Lakers. We've always been a high, you know,
three point sorry free throw attempt shooting team. I think
it's just gonna continue that way late.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
So switching gears, all eyes to the King.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
Lebron James finally back from his sciatica stent, which I
will continue to say again what was not made up
because it is a real.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
Thing and it really really, really really hurts.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
But we're happy to add the King back. Lebron James
threw two games against the Utah Jazz, averaging fourteen points,
ten assists, shooting twenty eight percent from three but forty
eight percent from the field. There's been a lot of talk,
a lot of anticipation on how.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
The fit would be alongside Luka Dancic.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
You saw Luca and Austin and Ayton start to form
a little chemistry while Lebron was ramping up.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Lebron is back, Jody, how does Lebron look?

Speaker 4 (14:23):
And he's looked how I expected him to look. I
definitely was interested in seeing this guy run consistently because
I know I've seen people who have a bastiattic at
how it impacts them to walk, you know what I'm saying.
So I was just interested in seeing him kind of
like banging a little bit, but he looked about as

(14:47):
I expected. I knew we was getting at least ten points.
You knew that was gonna come. No matter what he
was going. Lebron would tackle somebody before not getting his
ten points, and in this game he come back, you
know what I mean. I think the most thing that's
indicative of it is is his assist numbers. Like nobody
honestly cares about what Lebron does scoring at this point,

(15:09):
Like who really gives a fuck with Lebron does scoring?
There's nothing that he has not proven scoring of basketball,
So truly, who gives a fuck about the scoring part
of it? That's gonna come because like you know, it
goes without saying. I think him being able to pass
and get that many assists his first night out, his
second night out just shows he's able to you know

(15:30):
what I'm saying, really just see how the game goes,
no matter who's he no matter who he's playing with.
And then also I just I think the conversation about
if Lebron can play with Luca or or ar together,
because it's just hilarious to me because it's almost like
we didn't just see this shit earlier this year, as

(15:51):
if Luca and Lebron didn't play together in twenty twenty five.
I don't know if people remember these things. To me,
it's not a if they can, it's a how far
can they go together?

Speaker 3 (16:04):
Type of thing.

Speaker 4 (16:05):
I just think about it, like remember that game I
forget who was playing, and I think Luca took the
game winning shot and it ended up rimming out and
then Lebron just tipped the shit in. You know what
I'm saying, Yep, Luca's like first couple of games on
the team. Yeah, it made me think, like, just like
last night when Luca just had some moments where he's

(16:27):
just like, hey man, I'm just not letting this shit
slip away. Lebron can just be the free guy, let
Luca do what he want to do. And then those
moments where you know Luca's about to get this last shot,
Lebron can be the guy crashing the glass just in
case there's a you know what I'm saying, there's so
many roles that we really haven't seen Lebron get to
play that.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
He probably is going to get the opportunity.

Speaker 4 (16:47):
To do now because we've never really seen Lebron get
be in position to get a quote unquote game winner
because it's a tip shot from the best player on
the team, you know what I'm saying. And for him
to be able to still have the presence of mind
and make that shot, even though this is last year
I'm talking about to the point of them being able
to play together, Like, for him to be able to

(17:09):
do that, it obviously shows he has the mental ability
to stay locked in the game even though he's not
the one making the final decision on who shoots or
passes the ball. You know what I'm saying. I think
that was my best way of kind of like when
I think about if Lebron and Luca and ar can

(17:31):
play together, like we've seen flashes of them being successful.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Lebron's a basketball player, man, He's a basketball genius. He's
a basketball wizard, He's basketball sabond. It's whatever positive adjective
you want to add outside of it. I don't think
we have sat here and watched him play for over
two decades and thought, Wow, that man can only play
basketball one type of way.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
He can only fit with one type of player.

Speaker 2 (18:03):
I don't understand. He's played with Kyrie before. He's won
a championship with Kyrie, He's played with He's won a
championship with d Way, He's played with Anthony Davis. He's
won championship with Anthony Davis. Whatever concoction of this may
not work. Lebron's already adjusted man with a similar style
basketball player. Is Luca more talented than Kyrie?

Speaker 1 (18:25):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (18:26):
Y'all can argue that on your podcast, but all I
know is as far as volume, dribble the air out
the ball, but you let them do it because they're
that cold.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
They're in the same bucket.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
Lebron seems like he can figure it out, and I
believe he's going to. And what better way to kind
of get acclimated to that than a little or at
least he's in ramp up period. No one's expecting Lebron
James to go off for thirty five a night. I
don't think we're expecting that more than maybe five times,
and hopefully they're all in the playoffs. Right outside of that,

(19:02):
we just got done talking about it. It's starting to
get a little cold outside, y'all. I don't see no
snow on the ground. Where we haven't talked about Super
Bowl party plans until then, leave me alone about Lebron's
fit and how much he needs to adjust.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
Kwamia, my tripping? Or is that that's not about right?

Speaker 5 (19:18):
Oh, you're right on the money, man, Like all the
conversation about Lebron's fit was absolutely ridiculous. Like, I don't know, again,
it's just it's just for clicks, it's for conversation, it's
to fill the dead air, it's to fill you know,
time slots on you know TV shows. But it everybody
knew that this would be fine. Again, I don't know
why people still think that Lebron James, twenty three years

(19:40):
and who's been bagging to throw the keys at somebody else,
would think that now that he can come in and
be second even honestly, do these first two games, he's
basically been the third option. Why would again? I think
he's fine with that. People think that he's so wrapped
up in himself and so egotistical that he couldn't fathom
another player on his possibly getting the recognition that he

(20:03):
that he deserves. Like, come on, Guys, what are we
talking about? Lebron is fine, He's a plug and play player.
The way people talk about Kevin Durant, how he can
just go around and plug himself in any system and
be a player. Lebron an almost any great player can
do that. Again, is there an adjustment period at the beginning? Sure,
people got to get used to each other. But once
that happens, for the most time, it works.

Speaker 6 (20:24):
Man.

Speaker 5 (20:24):
We don't see a ton of times where it doesn't.
And I guess if you define works and doesn't work
simply by winning a championship, I guess you could say
there's instances where it hasn't. But on the court, products
are usually pretty good for the most part. But Lebron's
one of these players who is so versatile in his
skill set that he could do anything. How could he
possibly be a negative? How could he possibly be a negative?

(20:46):
You get another high IQ player, you get another playmaker
on the court, you get another shot maker, you get
a low post threat like you get so many things
kind of wrapped up in one player. And now he
doesn't have the pressure being the number one option that
has to deliver on all those measurables. Now he could
pick or choose where he needs to. Obviously, like I said,

(21:07):
is his energy going to be you know, one hundred
percent all time? No, man, he's gonna be forty one
in like a month in some change. So like we
gotta gotta you gotta understand that. But I think he's
fine with this.

Speaker 6 (21:18):
Man.

Speaker 5 (21:19):
I don't even think he wants to be the second option.
I think he's totally cool, even being third behind ar Man.
It really feels like, especially watching these last two games,
he's totally fine doing whatever. He had some wild passes.
I think the role players are really gonna eat a
little bit more with Lebron James on the court. Not
to say Luca isn't a willing passer, but Luca's gonna
dial his own number more times, and he's gonna dial

(21:39):
somebody else's you know what I'm saying. He's gonna get
that thirty four through hell or high water. He's gonna
get the muckets if he can't.

Speaker 4 (21:45):
Luca, he got a lot of that James hardening him
where if he's getting the assists, it's coming at the
very end of the possession when he gotta get rid
of the ball. After he did danced and you know
what I mean. And I'm not hey to be clear,
I'm just saying that's how a lot of it is
gonna is gonna look, unless it's like a said player

(22:06):
you above the break or something like that. But that's
kind of a lot of that going, whereas Lebron he'll
let he'll let that thing go, you know what I'm
saying whenever, if.

Speaker 5 (22:18):
You know what I'm saying, Yeah, And I think the
role players are really gonna like that. Like you saw Ayden,
he was eating game one, and not to say he
wasn't eating the rest of the season, but Lebron is
intentially going out his way to dish him easy buckets.
Like I said, Luca, might you know, he might see
that pass, but I'm gonna take this bump, get to
the free throw line, or I'm gonna call my own number.
Like I said, Lebron gonna make them passes to them

(22:38):
role players. I was watching Jake Larevia and DeAndre and
East off his passes in these two games, man, So
I think that's only gonna continue to happen. And again
even in that second unit where it's kind of him
and Austin, some role players Austin, you can kind of
be the score. Lebron is fine being magic Johnson bro like.
I don't think he has a problem with that either.
He led the league and assists the championship year, he
could do so many different things. Like I said, wait

(23:00):
till he gets his legs under him a little bit
more winding him, I think he'll be a lot better
on the defensive end. Two, just in terms of rotations
flying around, he looked a little flat in game too, specifically,
especially on his jump shot. Looked very very flat. Looked
like he just didn't have his legs under him. But again,
you know, going from you know, injury management to full
blown NBA games.

Speaker 6 (23:20):
Like that's hard.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
Man.

Speaker 5 (23:21):
It's gonna take some time to ramp up. So I
think ultimately he's gonna be fine. The fit was never
concerned to me. We literally saw it last year. If
they just had a starting caliber center, it probably is
a very different playoff run they have last season, you
know what I'm saying. So the limitation is not Lebron,
Austin and Luca. That is not the limiting factor here.
It's a lot of the role players and how that goes.

(23:42):
But we went out get ourselves a starting caliber center
who has been phenomenal all season. Lebron's been good, man,
He's gonna continue to be good. But again, at the
end of the day, Luca's the driver of this car.

Speaker 1 (23:51):
Man.

Speaker 5 (23:52):
Lebron's gonna fit in where he needs to fit in. So,
you know, I just feel bad for people who just
don't get to embrace the greatness that Lebron's been able
to show us. This is just another way that he's
going to do it. So I'm excited to see how
he integrates the rest of the season. But for me,
I'm chilling. There's no pressure. There's no pressure as a
as a as A, as a monk from Lebron temple,
this is no pressure for us. Man, were chilling.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
I just wrote a story on a website that you
guys don't know about. We'll talk about later on a
different pod. But I made the I made the analogy
that the transfer of the Lebron James era to the
Luca Donchets era is a lot like that feeling that
when you in charge of the ox cord at the
party and you find that next song that you know

(24:36):
really gonna fuck him up. The flow is going everything
sounding good and then you find that d cut right there.

Speaker 1 (24:43):
Hey, who you? That's you? Hey, my nigga. That's what
it feels like moving from Lebron James.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
It is a it is a natural transfer of power
because we have a gracious, older superstar that is not
fighting and kicking and screaming for post touches or perimeter
you know, and dribbling the ball the air out the ball.
Lebron James is here to share the wealth. His final
form is Magic Johnson. Sorry, y'all, that's that's just gonna

(25:17):
have to be something that y'all deal with. And that
might be a little disrespectful to some people maybe, But
Lebron James two games in averaging fourteen and ten. You
don't think when he's back to full strength that goes
to I don't know, twenty and twelve, twenty and thirteen.
Lebron James, he wanted to get average fourteen assists the game,

(25:38):
especially with this the amount of scores on the court,
easy money and to.

Speaker 4 (25:43):
Y'all point about Lebron's an assists, like Luca is playing
a different game right now with the Lakers that only
certain great players get to play, like the Shacks, the
Kobe's the Lebron's the Lucas, and so he's gonna go
after that. So he got a do what he gotta do.
You know, he gonna get his numbers. He's gonna try
to lead his team, and Lebron is gonna be able

(26:06):
to be the bridge to the other guys on the
team that make sure that they can consistently get their looks,
consistently get their touches, consistently get their shots in their
pockets in a smooth way. And that's gonna be really
really great about his game. And that's what I meant
when I was like, who cares about Lebron's scoring?

Speaker 3 (26:24):
Like?

Speaker 1 (26:25):
Who cares? Like Lebron? What does it matter? Brake?

Speaker 4 (26:29):
Like if somebody get the scoring record or whatever, they
gonna have earned it. You gonna, hey, this is a
worthy person to take my record, you know what I'm saying.
So that's why I feel like I'm imagining Lebron is
probably thinking, I need to do nothing but pass to
get guys involved to make this team as dangerous as possible.

(26:51):
Let me pass a rebound, let me clear this glass
and get the ball out to where it needs to be,
and I'll get my easy points when it's there, you
know what I'm saying, because they gonna always worry about me.
It's it's almost like the perfect time because it's like, man,
I can you can't stop him from passing the ball
because he sees everything. So I just really, I really

(27:14):
think Brian is like the bridge between the past generation
and the newer generation, you know what I'm saying. And
I think I think that's like like you were saying, too, Rick,
Like it's just gonna go so seamlessly into Luca, and
Luca got another I'm assuming eight to ten years depending.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
On of his prime.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yea of his prime, you know what I mean, like
boys in his mid twenties. Let's like, let's let's be clear,
there's a long runway. And they still will never make
sense to me why the Dallas Mavericks would punt on
a player entering his prime that didn't how.

Speaker 3 (27:51):
Perfect could that? You couldn't have written some shit like that?

Speaker 5 (27:55):
No that I was like, this is just Lakers fan
fiction that came to truth, Like there was no way
that you would have could like if the scriptwriters were
in their back for this one, because I couldn't have.

Speaker 6 (28:05):
I couldn't have come up with this one in a
million years.

Speaker 5 (28:07):
But this is the reality begin and it's nice to
have Luca Dontons as a Laker man.

Speaker 1 (28:12):
Light's good.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
Luca Doncons will not be alone in this next era
of Lakers basketball. He will be joined by a brand
new top dog running the show. We'll get into it soon,
light O Lake Show. We'll be right back, all right, fellas,
Let's get into the biggest story in Lakerland and honestly,
probably the biggest story in the NBA front office world
right now if you're not the Los Angeles Clippers. Mark

(28:35):
Walter didn't just get the Los Angeles Lakers for ten
billion dollars to become majority owner. He came in and
immediately started making moves. Joey Buss, Jesse Buss gone off
into the ethos to I don't know, do what other
billionaire owners do, kick their feet up in the sand
and enjoy the rest of their lives. What they will
not be doing is making decisions for the Los Angeles Lakers.

(28:56):
News reported last week that Mark Walter had removed both
Joey and Jesse Buss from the Lakers basketball operations departments.
Same Joey and Jesse Buss who have been integral, integratedly
to the Lakers, both scouting Department, the South Bay Lakers,
and all of those second round steal of fine Larry
Nance juniors, Jordan Clarkson's hell, even your Austin Reeves. I

(29:19):
guess that all led to nothing, which would lead us
to the fact that it came out in the report
that both Joey or Jesse Buss had not talking talked
to their sister Jeanie Bus or Rob Polinka, you know,
little Finger in the Sault situation in about five months.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
So what does that mean?

Speaker 2 (29:39):
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without two members of
the Bus family who have been a part of the
organization for over twenty years. I have thoughts, but I
want to kick it to our two newer Laker lifers, right.
Both you guys came with the Church of Lebron. The
Bus family has been synonymous with the Los Angeles Lakers.

(29:59):
We all know the story about doctor Jerry Buss passing
it down to Genie, Jeanie having beef with her family,
and now we fast forward to the year of Our
Lord twenty twenty five and blood is not thicker than
water fellas your reaction to the Mark Walter firing of
Joey and Jesse Buss.

Speaker 3 (30:17):
The Walters sitting there regards.

Speaker 4 (30:23):
That's exactly what it was. When you said they down
voted him. He was like, oh right, bet, we don't
take care of that.

Speaker 2 (30:29):
And just to clarify, Joey and Jesse Buss brought up
to the Board of Governors to have a vote on
this situation and the whole Genie selling to Mark Walter,
the team this was something that would combat that if
you got enough people to vote no, it wasn't gonna
go down.

Speaker 1 (30:47):
It's so funny.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
I just started watching Secession just finish season one, fire
fire show.

Speaker 1 (30:52):
This feels like television.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
This literally feels like it was season one of Secession
just brought to the Lakers door step. They wanted to
block the sale. The sale goes through what is the
head nigga in charge? Due on day two? Get rid
of to the traders? Makes sense to me, Kwame, you
surprised that that those heads were the first ones to go.

(31:16):
It was just kind of how it goes when you
start clearing house and taking over.

Speaker 5 (31:19):
Yeah, come on, they had to see the riding on
the wall. You can't downvote the majority sale and then
when the big dog walks through, think you just gonna
escape the guillotine. Nah, your head's gonna roll down the
center of the town lobby like everybody else. So like
it's unfortunate. It's unfortunate for them, because I feel like, again,
just in my brief Laker tenure of like what like
six years or so, I remember I remember Joey and

(31:43):
Jesse getting a lot of praise for again the draft picks,
the players they were scooping up, the guys in South Bay,
the farm system, how they were able to bring actually
some pretty decent talent. I mean, you think Alex Cruz,
so you think Austin Reeves, like you said, the Larry Nances,
the Jordan Clarkson's, like they've been a part of the
process for a long time. Tim and especially Lakers have
had pretty good drafts, especially when you think like second

(32:04):
round and those type of guys. They've been able to
pick up people who are stuck in the league, and
maybe not stuck with the Lakers organization, but have found
their footing in the leagues. Give their credit where credits due.
I think they did a good job of being able
to scout and find talent.

Speaker 6 (32:16):
But this is just the case.

Speaker 5 (32:17):
Man, when you when you're against new ownership, and new
ownership comes in, they're gonna clear house against people who
weren't who don't see the vision, who don't see the mission.
Why you want people who are against your best interests?
You know, in your own house with you, you know you're
gonna sleep in the same bed as your enemy.

Speaker 6 (32:33):
Probably not.

Speaker 5 (32:34):
You know, whoever closed their eyes first gonna get the ink.
So I get it. I understand it. This makes total sense,
and they had to understand this.

Speaker 6 (32:41):
Now.

Speaker 5 (32:42):
It's unfortunate that again their their father's business, which they
thought would essentially sit within the Bus family forever, it's
no longer theirs. And that's not to say it's a
complete sale, like they are minority shareholders. They still have
stake in the business. It's just you know, they're not majority.
They don't get to make the calls, the claims, all
that stuff. I think this is a necessary step, man.
The NBA has moved away from mom and pop ownership

(33:04):
like nowadays. You know, there's so much money in these
sports ownerships. You know, these are guys that this is
their second, you know, or third or fourth source of income.
It's not their main source as it was with the
Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaker 6 (33:16):
I think if you looked.

Speaker 5 (33:17):
At like all the owners and you know network, Genie
was near the bottom of the list man of NBA owners.
So it was and again, this is the most popular
basketball franchise in the entire world, you know what I'm saying.
So it needed a fresh set of eyes and needed
a fresh pocketbook, so to speak, your Lakers fans Los
Angeles locals already know what Mark Walter has been able

(33:37):
to do with the Dodgers and how they've been able
to rise from the ashes and just dominate the MLB.
So what's to say that same back and can't come
to the Lakers. So I know there's a ton of excitement.
It is unfortunate for Joey and Jesse, but I mean,
come on, man, this is this is running the mill
business to me. So you know, I guess the bright
side of it for Joey and Jesse. I think they

(33:59):
each pulled in a what like a billion for themselves
just in the sales, so you know they'll they'll be
the sadest rich people I know. So hey, you take
it with the brain of salt, right.

Speaker 4 (34:08):
Yeah, I mean, it's probably gonna kill him to not
still be truly synonymous with the Lakers like the Bus
family always have been. But you know, in a while,
win a lion, kill another lion and take over his pride.
What they usually do, kill the other baby lions.

Speaker 6 (34:23):
Too, Gotta get rid of them.

Speaker 3 (34:25):
And you know, so they've seen that Covin.

Speaker 4 (34:27):
They was probably like, you know what, this is just
a formality at this point, so they probably don't care.
But I was just say, this probably just a beginning changes,
and I would imagine it could be anything. If you
don't if you don't get out, you're gonna lay.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Down type of deals. Well that's why I wanted to
go Jody obviously. With these departures, right, and it's on
both sides, there's the immediate hole that is left. You know,
the Bus brothers for all intensive purposes, Kwame touched on
it earlier. They were legit player development guys, right, they
found talent, they built the scouting departments and now the

(35:03):
scouting departments no more, like they were not the only
heads two roll. Let's just be clear. There was another
Bus name that I didn't even know existed. He had
a job, right, I don't know if he was the
team of seuse of the water boy, he's out and
a few other guys, and you said to see people
lose their good paying jobs. But you know, in the
short term, is the tearing down the house to the

(35:25):
studs going to let in a draft? And if that
draft gets in, is there going to be some hiccups
on the way to rebuilding this in your image?

Speaker 1 (35:35):
If you're mister walk Walter, do you expect a pretty.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
Fast turnover right now that he is thanos with in
al segundo.

Speaker 4 (35:45):
I mean, it's gonna be missteps and you know what
I'm saying, but it doesn't matter because he's the like
you said, the hn I c now, So whatever missteps happen,
they gonna you know, keep it, keep going and move forward.
The good thing is you got the player, you got
the coach. Those are like two legit cornerstones, you know

(36:08):
what I'm saying. And as good as the Buzz Brothers
may have been, maybe are, they're not the only people
that's capable of being great scouts, you know what I mean.
So it's not as if the job can be filled
with somebody else that's just as capable of a man or
a woman that's just as capable and just as good

(36:29):
as picking talent and seeking talent and going out and
finding what's what, where's where, you know what I'm saying.
So I don't even look at it as like a
bad thing.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
I think.

Speaker 4 (36:42):
Just like you said, with what they've done with baseball,
I'm just hoping that they are able to hire the
right people to know what they're looking for. I don't
know how you determine what makes a scout good or bad,
you know what I'm saying, But hopefully they have the
resources and wherewithal to figure out who was who, it
was what, And at the end of the day, if

(37:03):
it all works out, if the Lakers win a championship,
and the next what the Lakers win a championship in
twenty twenty, it's twenty twenty six. Now, yeah they got
four years, so yeah, how long was it before when
they when this group bought the Dodgers to win The
Dodgers won their most recent of these last title. Like,

(37:24):
I feel like something relative to that should be like
the window, not that baseball that's one hundred and sixty
two games is apples to apples to basketball that's eighty
two games, you know what I'm saying. So it's it's
not necessarily the same, but I'm imagining that should be
something to your point about like are we letting.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
A rock if it's a hiccup or how's it?

Speaker 3 (37:47):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (37:47):
I feel like that should be like a good reference
point of what we're looking at and we can be
consistent on that because we have a player that's in
the heart of his prime that we know for a
fact has been to the finals and has been to
that promised land, taking Lebron out of it. Because whether

(38:11):
he plays one year, two years, whatever, we've seen the
we've seen eighty five to ninety percent of the time
that he's going to be a Laker, you know what
I'm saying. So you got the coach that you trust.
I feel like JJ and Luca do y'all think they
have a good working relationship that they could probably be
that they could be good. I feel like, if you

(38:32):
think Jason Kid's a good coach, I feel like you
should feel have confidence in JJ red basically, so I
think everything is right there for him.

Speaker 6 (38:40):
Yeah, I would agree.

Speaker 5 (38:41):
I mean, it's at the end of the day, you
don't think like was the bus family only employing you know,
family members, I mean maybe a little on the cheaper side.
You run into as a family business where I mean,
I don't know the stipulations around front off is hiring
and if there's a cap or anything, but you would
assume that Mark Walter, you know, his pocketbook can get
the best in the business. You know, the best money

(39:01):
could buy. And that's maybe something that the old Lakers
guard couldn't when you think of scouting. But I mean,
I think this is just kind of a common thing.
I mean, you think except the last several teams to
roll off on the sale book. You think of the Mavericks,
you think of the Timberwolves, you think Celtics, Lakers, Trailblazers,
all teams that have recently gone for sale. Owner even
the Phoenix Suns new ownership is often want to get

(39:23):
in and make their mark, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (39:25):
So they're going to.

Speaker 5 (39:25):
Clean house how they need to, whether it's star players,
whether it's gms. Again, you know this is these are
you think, these are these billionaires like playthings, so to speak.
So they they're gonna fix it however they want to
it again, if it doesn't go the way it is,
they sell it and they move on, you know. And
that's not to say people aren't you know, invested in
winning or anything of that shape. But they want to

(39:46):
make the mark their own. You know, Patrick Dumont, that
was one of the things he said when he when
the Luca Trey went down. You know, they want he
wants to make his mark, you know what I'm saying.
So is Anthony Davis the mark for his erap? I mean,
we'll see, we already saw Nico Harrison got booted already,
didn't even get a year past the trade, you know
what I'm saying. And he was already out. You see

(40:06):
with the Suns, you see how he was quick to
bring guys in in the moment it didn't work. He
fired coach year after year. You know what I'm saying.
He didn't care. It's a carouself for these guys. And
you know, so they're gonna bring in people or remove
people as they deem fit to fit the vision they
have for the team, regardless of the history, regardless of
how long you've been there. And I think Mark Walter's
gonna be a little more sensitive to that fact. As

(40:28):
you see you know he's spared Genie spared Rob. But again,
those guys, those sound like people who are with the vision,
and if you're not with the VI.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
Feel like they don't notice.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
Though.

Speaker 4 (40:36):
That's why I was asking about Genie and Rob, like,
I feel like even when people be like, oh, yeah,
it's gonna be all good, Yeah, they still double back
and be like, you know what, I got somebody better
that I actually won't in this position that I think
is gonna be better. And so we appreciate your contributions,
but we're gonna have to.

Speaker 6 (40:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
Yeah, everybody but Jennie, I feel like, has an unknown
next to their name. I think Genie and Mark Walter
know exactly what Genie's off off ramp looks like, what
her off boarding looks like, for her Laker decision making career.
They did, you know that announcement when they sold the team.
What was the next thing they set out their mouth?
Genie will still be a part of basketball decision making.

(41:20):
They ain't say the Bus family. They said Genie Bus
is going to stay. This isn't a full break, so
I can almost guarantee behind closed doors, that's all written
in paperwork.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
Lawyers already got it. They figured all that out before
the sale even went through. Now arrested him.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
Brother, There's gonna be a lot more cardboard boxes around
those El Segundo offices. I can guarantee you that man,
No one's safe. And honestly, it did make me think
about Rob. Now, Rob Alinka trade for a top three
NBA talent?

Speaker 6 (41:53):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (41:54):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
My final question on this topic for y'all is, all
things considered, how much time I'm just that by you
trading for Luca Docich?

Speaker 1 (42:04):
What do you think? Ooh?

Speaker 5 (42:06):
To be honest, probably I probably give Rob to the
end of the what. I don't know when his contract's up,
but that's probably how long he's got I doubt that
unless something drastic happens, they'll probably keep him on board
until you know that contract.

Speaker 6 (42:19):
And so then they re evaluate. That'd be my guess.

Speaker 5 (42:21):
Again, unless he does, you know, a Nico Harrison level move,
I expect him to kind of finish out his contract,
and again, who knows. You know, Genie seems to go
to bat for Rob every opportunity she has, so she
might help move that that needle a little bit longer
and keep Rob extended again, So it's hard to it's
hard to really tell, but yeah, I'll be honest, even
your point where you say, you know, Genie's probably the

(42:42):
only one who's locked in. I mean, we look what
just happened with the Mavericks. Mark Cuban was supposed to
still be in the executive room, but then the trade
went down and he said he ain't.

Speaker 6 (42:50):
Get a word.

Speaker 5 (42:51):
He's just season ticket holder, Mark Cuban down and Mark
Cuban got money. Bro, He's no, he's no, he's no
bum out here, and they casting him to the side
because this is a new era of Mavericks basketball. So,
like I said, Genie and all of them, they can
hold their positions only as long as Mark Walter wants
them to hold. At the moment, he doesn't feel like
they're necessary, they're out and they don't get no second

(43:12):
choice about it. So again, we don't know what his
personality or anything, not to say that he's going to
just cast people to the side. But don't be surprised
if more comes down the pipeline sooner than y'all think.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
Yeah, man, this reminds me of a guyfather. I don't
know if y'all ever if y'all really watched a Guy Father,
But that's one of my favorite favorite movies.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
But I remember.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
Towards the end of Vido Life when he was talking
to Michael and he's trying to tell him how it's
gonna go as the succession is going, and he's like,
they're gonna come to you with somebody that you absolutely
trust to set up a meeting guaranteeing your safety, and
at that meeting, you will be assassinated, right yeah, And

(43:58):
that's exactly what they try to you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (44:01):
And so that to your point about like.

Speaker 4 (44:06):
Rob Polinka, like cause you're like, yeah, like a sale
probably can't go down without one quote unquote bus family
member having a smooth transition out of ownership, you know
what I'm saying. But to your point of like how
long does Rob have, Like, I'm not sure. It's probably

(44:28):
one of those it's a fluid type of thing like, oh, yeah,
you're gonna be good to the indio contract at least,
and then something like they I'm pretty sure what's his name,
Mavericks GM, It was.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
Yeah, you got to the indio contract, do what you're
gonna do.

Speaker 4 (44:44):
And then Ad got hurt, and then Kyrie got hurt,
and then you're looking at it.

Speaker 1 (44:48):
And you're like, you know what, Yeah, go ahead and
step off, bro.

Speaker 4 (44:53):
You know we we appreciate what you then did, but
we'll go ahead and get you out of here, you know.
So that's why I feel like Jimmy might be like, yeah, man, Rob,
it's gonna be all good. Here.

Speaker 1 (45:03):
Come on, We're about to go get some lunch. You
know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (45:06):
I have a good time and be there with some papers, like, man,
it's all good.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
You know, I appreciate we had a good run.

Speaker 5 (45:17):
Yeah, sign these severance papers right here to your point.
It's all good till it's not. Man, Once it's not. Yeah,
it's on the chopping block.

Speaker 4 (45:25):
Yeah, man, they'll tell you it's all good until everything
is setting stone.

Speaker 3 (45:30):
Now we can take you out back.

Speaker 1 (45:32):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
That's why you gotta have that, you know that that
ace up to sleep again. Seceession Season one, Greg the
tall awkward Dude, Greg the Egg. Greg getting less and
less stupid as the season went on. I remember one,
you know, he told the oldest son as they was
about to go do the whole coop switching, you know,
try to take his dad off the throne. Greg was like, hey,

(45:55):
you know, just so you know the papers they had
me shred up about the cruise ship. Yeah, I made
some copies of those, so you know, any regime change,
i'd expect to be kept if you feel what I'm saying.
And I feel like even at that level of business
and back door workings, but what does Sun do Me
couldn't do? Number of respected Right, there's again and then

(46:17):
the father at the end when he was the senator,
went to say, you want to shake hands. He's like,
I don't think any of us want to get our
hands dirty, meaning that everybody involved is doing some two
way and stuff. You know, I guess maybe except Genie
because she leave it to her. She ain't speak to
not one of them.

Speaker 6 (46:38):
Go ahead and get him out of here.

Speaker 3 (46:40):
Cool.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
She put on that new iPhone feature that you know,
just sends everybody to voicemail and does the screening.

Speaker 1 (46:45):
She say, Oh Joey, Nope, no good, he's gonna get
his money. He's straight. Yeah, he'll be all right, man,
talk about it.

Speaker 2 (46:56):
Can't can't help but to think at least a couple
of those strings on the parachute with Joey and Jimmy,
they feel like have been cut but best of luck
to them. I do think as to close this out,
it is unfortunate that this is clearly the signal of
the end of an era, right the bus Lakers era
is ending, and maybe this was the funeral, right like,

(47:19):
because outside of them being minority owners and Genie publicly
saying is going to be a part of the decision
making the Lakers up until twenty twenty, Mom and Pop
ran organization. Kwame said it earlier. Those don't exist anymore
in America, right, Yeah, you may have made your money

(47:39):
off of the NBA coming up, but those owners have
long sold out to the tech bros. Then counter their
paper and rolled off into the sunset. I appreciate Genie
running this organization, you know, and getting us to the
point where we're at now. To be honest, if you're
asking me, this is a pretty natural off ramp, especially

(48:00):
when everybody has had a chance to run almost everything,
and there's been so much turmoil along the way. It's
not like this is the happiest family in the world.
Leading up to this point, they've been in the tabloids
with each other with beef almost all of my life.
So if this is just the end of one of
the great family ran sports organizations before it moves into

(48:23):
Silicon Valley. Let the richest billionaire wins, all right, man,
Ben is gonna live forever, and they all gonna have
the bust names attached to them and forevermore.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
I'm sure they'll state my own owners, but forever.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
But we are the money team now, baby, we with
the big billionaires, right.

Speaker 1 (48:39):
Mister Walter, Mister Walter, what you need me.

Speaker 7 (48:42):
To do, Man, I'll sweep a clean. Hey, I'm good
with calculation. What you need, big dog? Shoot, I'm looking
for a job. Let's get into it real quick before
we get out of here, fellas. The Los Angeles Lakers
are two to zero in NBA Cup play. The Los
Angeles Clippers somehow were also to it. Oh, I think
I had four wins the season.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
How they're undefeated in NBA Cup players pretty impressive, but
Quhi Leonards out the owners being investigated. Chris Paul has
announced that this is his last season in the NBA.
By the time the listeners are hearing this, they Lakers
and Clippers will be playing tonight. Just overall NBA Cup
predictions with the Lakers take care of a business and
move on their way to Las Vegas to count that money.

Speaker 4 (49:24):
What you second, I.

Speaker 5 (49:26):
Would say, so, I mean, I don't think our group
is too too scary. In terms of the NBA Cup.
We have the Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Pelicans. I mean,
all four of those teams outside the Lakers are are
pretty are pretty rough, man like the These are teams
that are not making any noise out west. So to
your question, I think we definitely get out of this

(49:46):
group phase after that.

Speaker 6 (49:47):
You know, those kind of single game elimination.

Speaker 5 (49:49):
But uh, we got guys that if they roll to
a gym, it's not going to be an easy game
to play. So I'd be curious just how how invested
the Lakers are in winning the NBA Cup. I don't
teams have act like it won't a big deal. In
the past, Lakers could be the first team to be
a two time Cup champions. Hey, win whenever you can.
I don't see why there's a reason that we don't.

(50:09):
So honestly, I think we're gonna sweep group play. I
don't think we're gonna lose a game.

Speaker 6 (50:13):
In this sucker in the group player.

Speaker 5 (50:14):
There's just no way unless guys just decide to not
show up at like literally not get on the bus
to the arena otherwise. I think this is gonna be
pretty straightforward. Like I said, once you get beyond that,
it's a little it gets a little dicey. But I
think the Lakers have as good of an opportunity as
any team in the Western Conference to get to the
NBA Cup Final in Vegas. I think we are a

(50:35):
top four team in the Western Conference. I think the
other teams are the Thunder, the Nuggets, in the Rockets,
and that's just early season, the top four seeds. I'll
be honest, I don't know if anybody really breaks that mold.

Speaker 6 (50:45):
Just we think a.

Speaker 5 (50:46):
Talent, cohesion, top player like those guys. These teams got
it all. So I like where the Lakers are slotted
right now, and as we continue to go through the season.
I predicted what kind of stay in that fold, Like
I said, Barnet injuries or anything extravagant, But I like
to their chances. Man, I like their chances. So hopefully
we put to the Clippers to bad man that team.

(51:07):
Oh my goodness, what a what a disastrous offseason those
boys had. I mean, they brought in Brooke Lopez and
Chris Paul and Bradley Beal and John Collins said they're
just not getting anything done. And obviously the Bradley Beal
injuries just unfortunate. Unfortunate for a guy who hasn't seemed
to be able to get his footing in man since

(51:27):
John Wall was playing next to him in the league.
You know what I'm saying, It is really a really
tough road for him to just kind of get back
to that star level. To be honest, at this point,
we might not see it again. I think, what was
it a hip fracturies out with?

Speaker 2 (51:41):
Yeah, it might be, but yeah, I don't think we're
checking for Bradley Beal Chris Paul.

Speaker 6 (51:46):
I mean, I don't know.

Speaker 5 (51:48):
I'll be honest, I would have I would have pegged
his retirement to have come maybe two seasons earlier. Last
season he did play eighty two games, though, so good
for him playing with the San Antonio Spurs played the
entire season, So good for him. But I mean, ever
since he left what was it the Suns, Yeah, and
they sent him to Golden State.

Speaker 6 (52:05):
That to me was the nail of the coffin for
Chris Paul.

Speaker 5 (52:08):
And now he's just a journeyman coming off the bench
for the Clippers. At this point, he's just playing to play,
but he already announced his retirement.

Speaker 6 (52:15):
Hell of a career.

Speaker 5 (52:16):
He was one of my favorite point guards dating back
to what like two thousand and eight. I remember the
old school Hornets. I love Chris paul Man. He was
a little guy who got it done on the court.
So I had a ton of respect for him in
his game. But it's time to put a clothes to that.
But the Clippers, man, they're a nothing team.

Speaker 7 (52:31):
Man.

Speaker 5 (52:32):
I'm still curious what's going on with all the Kawhi Leonard,
Steve Balmer stuff. There's just so much surrounding that team
and the lack of on court success. They just kind
of fallen out of people's minds of just caring about them.

Speaker 6 (52:45):
So I hope we put belt to them on Tuesday.

Speaker 5 (52:48):
And I mean belt, like I want to smack these
dudes around, you know what I'm saying, because they were
preying on us for like five years prior, so I'm
ready to flip the tides back in the Lakers favor
of us just smacking them every time we see him.

Speaker 6 (53:00):
So yeah, that's kind of my assessment.

Speaker 5 (53:01):
Thus far, but I think we're good in NBA Cup
play and you know, no love loss for the Clippers.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Jody, I'll let you get the final word, but I
just want to echo what Kwame said. Is basketball throughout
the season, right, especially if you've been watching the same
team year over year, you kind of understand the identity,
the flow where the team usually has issues growing up.
The Lakers, anytime they went up to Portland, it was trouble.
Even if Portland wasn't a great team. I still have
PTSD going up to Portland and playing the Trailblazers for.

Speaker 1 (53:28):
Those reasons exactly.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
But you think back to, you know, Lebron's Laker tenure,
even with all the success we've had, they usually have
been coupled with during the regular season the Clippers putting
belt to our ass and that's been honestly one of
the most not really important, but annoying pieces of the
Lebron James era. Not on Lebron, but just this stretch

(53:50):
because of the Clippers and all the big moves that
they made at the same time we got the hardware.
They do not street light over, spotlights rings over, you know,
tree donations, but that's neither here nor there. Just appreciate
those signs in the season that say it feels different,
this looks different last year, last few years, I think

(54:11):
the Lakers were the jack that you taw game away,
even with Anthony Davis, even with Lebron James. I think
it's different now. And a Clippers ass whooping while they're down.
I would love to dance.

Speaker 1 (54:24):
On their grace. What about you, Jody, Oh, I'm loving
this whole thing.

Speaker 4 (54:28):
This whole thing the way that the Clipper's been talking
was spoken about in twenty nineteen, twenty twenty, the beginning
of the decade, and now we're at the turn of
the decade and it's all crash into the fucking ground.
Everything built on some bullshit, lies, bullshit, propaganda, and propaganda

(54:51):
in NBA is okay if they're substance to it. For instance,
people love the Chicago Bulls in the nineties. Was there
some propaganda with the Bulls? Absolutely? But you want to
know why that's okay? Those guys put hardware, the one
in the building.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
Tell whatever story you want, make what more you want.

Speaker 2 (55:16):
When you win at that women in twenty men a night,
and that's what led to his fifteen rebounds again You
can say whatever you want when you went at that level,
I might say we played five on fifteen and we
still beat them, Nigga.

Speaker 4 (55:28):
But when you do all of the propaganda and the
hoop lie and the bullshit, and we ain't seen their
final lipitting at least the heat where they did the
hoop lie and the propaganda and the bullshit. At least
Lebron had enough respect for us to melt in front
of the world at the finals. When we've seen that
nigga touch the final stage. At least we got there,

(55:50):
you know what I mean. They did all of the
hoop lie and the extra bullshit and was talking across
the networks like you did all of the bullshit. You
didn't circumvented the salary cab, you didn't launder money, you
didn't did people, you didn't you did everything under the
sun for a guy that was never I don't listen, man,

(56:15):
I don't know what Kawhi. I don't know to the
extent of what Kawhi is. Listen, man, God blessed that man.
And for real, you know, you know, kah Kawhi is
not the bad person here. You know what I'm saying,
Because if they're giving them money away. You gotta take it.
It ain't on me that they're doing this. That's on
them that they're doing this, you.

Speaker 1 (56:36):
Know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (56:37):
So I have you know, I'm not judging him because
I would have did the same thing.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
If you're telling me you responsibilities on the Clippers.

Speaker 4 (56:44):
Yeah, but so but you know what, Let's say the
Clippers win a championship in twenty twenty one. Let's say
they beat the Lakers in the bubble in twenty twenty.
Does this happen right here?

Speaker 2 (56:55):
No one cares. No, to be honest with Jody, no
one cares any of this happens. Those say, good, it
was worth it. They got championship. But where you get
the things?

Speaker 1 (57:08):
Bro the sorry not to cut you off.

Speaker 2 (57:10):
The main thing that people talk about in Chicago Land area, right,
especially if you are not eight a huge trunk guy,
is did the Cubs sell their soul for a World
Series because the same year Trump took over office. You know,
it's a joke or dead ass serious, no matter how
you look at it. But that's the kind of the thing, right.

(57:33):
It's sure you can get it, just make sure it's
worth it. And the Clippers have not gotten their other
end of the bargain, and guess what rent's becoming due
either way, and.

Speaker 3 (57:44):
Now you gotta pay that ticket.

Speaker 4 (57:46):
Now you gotta walk out there on Sports Center and
talk about how you've been duped and you've been hoodwinked
and mamboozled and run them up at Lantis Stray and
had and took and Smeckel Dwarf and all of this shit.

Speaker 1 (58:00):
You know what I'm saying. You remember that episode of SpongeBob.

Speaker 4 (58:03):
Yeah, ye, But so I love to ask you your question,
Rick and wrap this up to close out this great pile. Like,
I love that this has happening to the Clippers because
it's apropos for the bulls because anybody with eyes could
see that they were on some type of bullshit. We've listen, man,
we were all in our mid thirties. Niggas are getting

(58:23):
close to forty. He never in my life seeing a
type of propaganda that the fucking Los Angeles Clippers got, Like, nigga, please,
I don't care if Kawhi is coming off of fucking
Finals MVP with the with the Spurs, he was also
coming off of not playing for an entire year. Yeah,

(58:45):
with the Spurs. So everything that has happened was precursed,
like it was all right there, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (58:55):
And so the point he because he was on the
ultimate what they call it, they're not the right rest
and relaxation.

Speaker 4 (59:01):
What the hell is it like physically unable to perform
or whatever they like, example.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
Or management, that's the world man management.

Speaker 5 (59:12):
Yeah, I mean you had teammates calling him out. Tony
Parker said his quiet injury, injury ain't nothing.

Speaker 6 (59:17):
He just sitting there.

Speaker 1 (59:17):
He said, I had the same quiet injury to him.

Speaker 4 (59:20):
YEA, of all people like Nigga, you guys a nerve
talking about anybody, So that should let you know how
bad it was with Kawhi, of all people, Tony Parker
coming out trying to point the finger and look at somebody, funny, Nigga,
you got some motherfucking nerve. So that should let you
know they thought Kawhi was on some real ship like

(59:43):
this Nigga really is just not playing. He's just saying, no,
I'm not gonna play. I don't know that to be true.
I'm saying what they're what they're saying. I'm not trying
to say Kawhi was faking.

Speaker 2 (59:55):
A lot of people are though, and we're gonna get
out of here to appreciate y'all rocking with us. On
this episode of The Late Show podcast. We will see y'all.
Y'all have a good Turkey Day. You know, I know,
Thanksgiving ain't really a thing besides the food anymore football,
which is fine with me. But y'all get out there,
enjoy your time with family. If you're doing a Turkey Bowl,
please come back with all your acls, MCL's, achilles, the

(01:00:18):
kill eyes, whatever. Just make it back to your family.
Enjoy the rest of your day. Lakers are rolling, no
matter how you want to cut it. Ugly winds, cute wins,
not shooting threes.

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
Well you they never ask you how, They only ask
you how many.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
Yep, count the wins. Everybody's chasing the okay see thunder. Well,
maybe we'll get into that next week. If anybody will,
we'll be able to catch them during the regular season.
But until then, enjoy the show, Enjoy the Lakers, Lebron's
getting healthier, Lucas rated, Supreme. Life's good. Y'all have a
good holiday. We'll see y'all next time. Late Night Lake

(01:00:57):
Show Boost, Late Night Lake Show