Club Shay Shay - Nightcap Hour 1: Ant Man LEADS TWolves PAST Nuggets + Knicks END Spurs WINNING STREAK + Cavs BEAT Nets in James Harden RETURN + Byron Scott tells LEBRON to GTFO of LA

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson react to the Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves go on the road and beat Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 117-108, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks snap the San Antonio Spurs 11 game winning streak by beating them 114-89, and the Cleveland Cavaliers win a gritty hard fought game agains the Brooklyn Nets 106-102 and much more! Subscribe to Nightcap presented by PrizePicks so you don’t miss out on any new drops! Download the PrizePicks app today and use code SHANNON to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/NI... 04:20 - T Wolves beat Nuggets16:25 - Knicks end Spurs’ winning streak26:20 - Cavs beat Nets52:58 - Former Laker Byron Scott was LeBron to GTFOH5:28 - LeBron moves to 5th place on Lakers all time assists list (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Ocho, you guys have been asking for all the second half of the year. We're here. Nightcap Discord has launched. The link is pinned in the chat. Ocho, Ant Man and the T. Wolves moving to the fourth in the Western Conference, thanks to a 117 to 108 victory over the Nuggets. Minnesota beat Denver for the first time in four games this season. Ant Man had 21 Bones Highland, had 50.

of his 18 in the first half. And Minnesota sweeps is three-game road trip to improve the 3823, jumping to fourth in the west. Minnesota now moves a game ahead of Denver in the Western Conference. There's just two games separating the third seed, which is the Rockets, and the sixth seed, which is the Lakers. They got an outstanding performance in the fourth quarter from Nas Reed, who looked like Kobe Bryant.

He did an end and out, got an A-N-1. He did an out and end and threw it up with a left hand. He got that. his big three. So he played unbelievable. They got great contributions. Ant Man didn't go off like he had been in the last couple of games, but they get with a total team effort.

It was too much for the joke to overcome Joke and Murray. But they got sloppy with the ball late in the ball game. Ojo, watching this game, what did you like about what Minnesota did? I mean, Naz Reid, obviously being able to insert himself towards the end of the game. I think that made the difference in it. Ant Man not having the game that he's had the past previous games,

Obviously, he's been on fire. He's been hot, but he was efficient enough. I think he was 9 for 19. He had 21 points, if I'm not mistaken. Outside of that, they look good. They look good. And obviously, the goddamn Nuggets didn't help themselves turning the ball over and missing some opportunities

and chances to score in vital moments that could have changed the outcome of the game. Yeah, they didn't really get the contribution they needed from Cam Johnson and that. I think he was an offer. Yoke is going to be Yoke. I think he was, what, 35, 14, and 9. Um, Jamal Murray came on strong late.

I agree with you. The turnover was late. Definitely didn't help their cause, but they're going to have to do a better job because they were terrible when Yoke was off the floor today. They can't, they can't give up that kind of. I think there were minus 15, minus 16 or 17 when Yote was on the floor. And he played a lot more minutes than I'm sure Adelman wanted him to play in this ball game. And it seems like every time he went out, which he only went out, he played.

What he does is that he normally plays the entire first quarter. and then they try to give him somewhere six to eight minutes in the second quarter. Yeah. And then play the entire third quarter, obviously they're coming out of the half and then try to give them a big break in the fourth. But they had to bring them back a lot sooner than they wanted to because the game started to slip away. But give the team the lot of credit because every time the Nuggets made a run, they quailed it. Somebody hit a big three.

Devin Tenzo played unbelievable today, especially at the first half with those four three porters. Nass Reed picked it up. Nasree picked it up in the fourth quarter. He had a big three in and out, out and end. Did some great job. They did a great job of rebounding the basketball. They just got to do a better job because I thought, you know, the start the game, the way the Nuggets started up,

I'm like, damn, they might sweep this series. Yeah. And the next thing you know, here come the Nuggets. Here come Ant Man, Devin Chenzel, all those guys making contributions. And they ended up winning this game. But it's going to be, look, I think for me, the class of the Western Conference is OKC still. They got shade back and he comes back.

They played the Nuggets and his first game back. He drops, I think, 35. And he didn't play in overtime. He didn't play late in the ball game because they didn't want him to overextend himself in the ball game. They want to gradually build him back up. And thankfully, they didn't need him because I know that was really tough to watch a game of that magnitude.

And now they've already given you a minute's restriction, say, well, you're not going to play with this. I don't care what the circumstance called for. even though it was a close ball game, late in the ball game, and they could have definitely used them. They've guys, oh, Caruso did a great job down the stretch. But looking at this ball game, Mocho, they're going to have to find a way. This is why they got rid of Michael Porter, Porter, Jr.

Because they felt in situations like this. And maybe he wasn't a good fit because you look at what he's doing with the Nets. He's a guy that can legitimately be a one or two score. Yes. But he was never going to be anything more than the third score here, because you got Yoke and you got Murray. So Cam Johnson is going to have to be. He's more equipped to that.

And his mindset is more equipped to be a third option because pretty much that's what he's always been. And in that situation, I just think he has to be better. He hadn't been good in a couple of games. In order for them to get to where they need to be, he's going to have to be that third piece. Bruce Brown does what Bruce Brown does. I like what Kristen Brown does.

But it wasn't enough today. Give Minnesota credit. Minnesota played a heck of a ball game. Yeah, I mean, Minnesota played a heck of a ballgame, but for me, and I think about mentality, I think about confidence, especially who comes to any sport. Right now, the Pacific topic is basketball. And for Cam Johnson, I think he needs to insert himself a little bit more. I understand that there's a pecking order when it comes to shot selection and who has a green light to take as many shots as they want to. But I think players like Cam Johnson in that role of when Yonkers is not doing well, when Murray's not doing well, I need to insert myself into the game. How do I do that? I already need to be. I already need to be. in rhythm. I need to have some type of confidence about my game where I don't feel scared or I don't feel nervous or gun-shy to take certain shots. And there's only one way to do that is being able to get yourself in rhythm and find ways to insert yourself into the game even when it doesn't call for you to do so. And I think if he's able to do that late in ball games in situations like this, then he'll be able to

insert himself and feel okay about taking certain shots where it means much more as opposed to the first three quarters in the game where it matters between wins and losses. Well, I think the biggest thing you mentioned confidence is that getting into a rhythm early. It's hard to miss all those shots and then because, you know, shoot or shoot. But the confidence goes a long way. And because he struggled the last couple of games, he was over today, scored zero points. And I'm looking at Yoke, Yoke with 15 or 26, 1 or 4 from 3, but he was 35, 13, and 9. You look at Jamar Murray, 25, and wasn't efficient at all.

He was 9 of 22, 2 or 6. Kristen Brown was 15 points. He played really well. Strother gave him only two points. So you got two of your starters, Ocho gave you two points. Two points, and they played a combined 40 minutes. You can't have that. Valichuner's two points.

Hardaway Jr. played well. He was five or six, three or four from the three. Bruce Brown, six points in 34 minutes. but they just got to fight, they got to fight a third option because you know exactly what you're going to get from Yoke. And sometimes people just going to, at the efficacy, look, we can't stop this man. Yoke is going to get somewhere between 30 and 40.

He's going to get somewhere between 12 and 17 rebounds, and he's going to get somewhere between 8 and 12 assists. We just can't let him get 40, 20, 20. That's what we got to stop. So we're not going to stop him getting those, you know, 28, 29, 30 points. He's going to get that. he's going to get the rebounds.

We've just got to control him getting those 15, 18, 20 assists because he's getting his points and he's getting other people involved. Once he starts getting other people involved, now what do we do? Because we can't leave anybody. There is nobody that's going to be able to deal with him one-on-one. So you try to make it as difficult as you possibly can. And maybe you let him go one-on-one and says, look, I'd rather give him, well, the Clippers tried that, and then he ends up getting 56 and 13 and 17.

but I can't let him get 15 assists, Ocho. I can't let him get 18, 20 assists because he's going to have somewhere between 20 and 30 points. He might even get 35, 40. So now he has 40, and he's contributed because of those 15, 20 assists, you know at least seven of them on three-pointers. Yeah.

So you can't have that, but they're going to have to find a consistent third option. Cam Johnson has been in these moments before he won a championship. If I'm not mistaken, with the, no, he's on that team that end up losing to Milwaukee. But he's been in pressure situations before, and he's just going to have to come through

because right now he's not playing well, and I don't know what happened. I think he did have an injury, Ocho, so I think he might be coming back from an injury. But look, they don't do excuses in pro sports. No. You don't. Either you do or you don't.

And right now he's not doing. Go ahead, what you want to add? Oh, I forgot. And Jew Randall played an unbelievable game. Now, he didn't have 25, 30 points, but I thought the 14-9 and 7 that he did have came at a very opportune time. They did a great job on the glass,

but I thought all the auxiliary pieces, look, they're more, and McDaniel played well. They're more than just Ant-Man. I know Ant-Man gets a lot of the pub, and rightfully so, because he's electric, he's a dynamic score. There's nothing he can't do. He can block a shot to save a game.

He can hit a clutch three to win the game. He can play outstanding defense when he wants to sit in the chair and guard. But he's a consistent player, and we know what he is. He's a superstar. But when you get, contribution from Randall, you McDaniel and Devenzo and all those guys start to chip in. Now it makes them difficult.

You know, Rudy Gobert was Rudy Gober. He gave you six, eight points, 15 rebounds. And so that's what he's going to do. But I thought overall, I thought that I thought Minnesota going on the road, the end of this road trip, going to Denver, and that's a very, that's not an easy place. And plus, they had been, the Nuggets have been playing well, even though they lost a tough game the other night to O KC. Okay, C. But when you deal it, when you deal it with Yoke and Murray, and we.

know what those two guys represent. They're a good as duo that we have in this league. They can put you in the pick and roll. Obviously, Yoke can hit the three. He can roll. He can hit the mid-range. Jamal Murray is sensational. You see him poke on Rudy Gobert.

So he's sensational. He can hit the three. He can end and out of you. So, but I was surprised how well Minnesota withstood everything that they had going on, especially the first quarter, to withstand that because I'm looking at it. And they had like a 12-point lead, and then they cut it down to like five and a half.

And they think, I know the team wolves up seven. I'm like, well, damn, that was quick. And it didn't take a whole lot of effort. But we'll see how this thing play. I think they got about 20 games left, Ocho, in the season. And when you got the kind of closeness between three and six, obviously you want to stay in the six spot because you don't want to go into the play-in. So you want to try to maintain where you are.

You want to stay-in because right now the Lakers are in the six. spot. And so you got the seven, eight, seven, eight, nine, ten are in the playing tournament. Right. You don't want to get into the playing tournament. You don't want to play, you, you want to play as few, as few games as possible. And playing those, you know, obviously, what is it, seven, seven plays ten, eight plays nine. So obviously if seven wins, they're in. Yeah. Whoever wins the seven, ten matchup is in. And then a situation like that, and then the losers play each other for the chance to be out finish up the 8C. So you got OKC.

That's 47 and 15. You got the spurs are 43 and 17. They lost got blown out today. The Rockets are 37 and 22. The nuggets are 38 and 23. Excuse me, no, the Timberwolves are 38 and 23. The nuggets are 37 and 24. The Lakers are 35 and 24.

Phoenix is 34 and 26. Golden States in the 8 spot. And it's reported that Steph Curry is going to be out another, at least, at least five games. And I don't know where they get offense without Steph Curry. Portland is in a night spot at 29 and 33 and the Clippers

fading. Obviously, you know, they're not going anywhere because why I looted as much. He said, I think this season is already over. They're 27 and 31. So that's where they are right now. That's the rankings. I mean, go ahead.

Right now, with the rank is where they are right now, where we are in basketball season with 20 games left. I mean, based on your expertise in watching the game and your knowledge of the game over time, if you were to take your picks now for... Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything. Like packing a spare stick. I like to be prepared.

That's why I remember 988, Canada's Suicide Crisis Hubline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988, suicide crisis. This helpline is funded by the government in Canada. This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 IHeart Podcast Awards.

Live from South by Southwest, March 16th, will honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge, and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is, See all the nominees now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award.

Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped.

This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg, free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, pro days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move.

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Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Coming out to ease and coming out the West, planning the finals, who would you have to this point right now unless some team just comes out of nowhere and does some extraordinary, you know, the last 20 games and shocks everybody? I think, okayC would really love somebody to knock off San Antonio because so they don't have to deal with that. Yeah, they don't have to deal with Wembe and those guys. That's the team that caused OKC the most problem. Me personally, I think it's probably going to be San Antonio in OKC

in the Western Conference Finals, but you never know because Ant Man, Ant Man has been there and done that before. So he knows, he knows how to rise to the occasion. Nuggets have won a championship before. I just think the Rockets, I'm surprised the Rockets did not get a point guard. Chris Paul was there and maybe they didn't want to deal with Chris Paul. And I don't know what that issue is. Right.

They need a point guard and they don't have a point guard. And I think that's the biggest thing. That's the biggest hindrance to them. Phoenix, okay, book is out. Dylan Brooks has a broken hand. How soon can those guys get back? Do I think even with those guys back, they can contend in the West? I do not.

I do not think they have enough firepower to contend. The Lakers don't play good enough defense to contend. We saw last night, Austin Reed, get blown by, Aiton, I just, I don't know. I just don't know about him. I just don't know. Really, all things being equal,

I mean, look, I think there's four teams, seriously, that can end up in the Western Conference Final. That's Denver, Minnesota, San Antonio, and OKC. Those are my teams that I think can make it to the Western Conference Final with realistically, realistically. Right. You make me put some money, something that matters to me,

and if it's my money, it matters, I probably pick OKC. I probably pick OKC. So the double back again and win the championship? Yep. Yep. The Knicks snapped the Spurs 11-game winning street with a blowout,

114 to 89. McHale Bridges had 25. Jalen Brunson had 24. The Spurs couldn't overcome 22 turnovers that led to 24 points, and they were out rebounding 54 to 41, something that they're really, they're not because of Wimby.

Wemby played well, but, you know, they went on the run. I think the Nix went on a 20, a run outscored him 22-0, and they could never get back in the game after that. They never could. But they played, look, you got McHale Bridges and Alvarado.

He comes in the game, and he's a smart plus. And you knew he would be that type of guy that the Knicks crowd would love because he plays with a lot of energy. They like that. A lot of hustle, a lot of grit. He's going to make a big shot. He's going to get

you a couple of turnovers. He's going to feed, you know, get the crowd, energized. I'm not surprised that the Nick base love him as much as they love him. I'm trying to pull up this game. Here. Yeah.

Champini, three points. Wemby was 25 and 13, but they shot terrible from the three. Nine of 34, 24, 24, what's that, 26%, 42% from the floor. And the matter of fact, that they only had 89 points, less you know. But OG had 12, Kat had 12. Josh Hart almost had a triple double. He had 10. McHale Bridges had 25.

Brunton had 24. DeWari. had 14. But they got overall contributions. And look. From everybody? Yes, they did. And like, and you know the Knicks want to play, you know,

want to play, they got McHale Bridges, who's a wing defender. They got Josh Hart who can defend. They got O.G. could defend. Right. Mitchell Robinson comes in and he can bang and he can defend. But they do a great job. They do a great job of creating chaos and turning,

turnovers into points. And that was really the difference in the ball game. They just kept turning the spurs over. The spurs couldn't protect the ball. And they're going to have to do a better job. of that, look, they had won 11 games, had been playing really, really well. And to play at the level,

I don't think they were going to go undefeated heading into the postseason. But I think they're, you know, I think the coach is pleased with the way they played thus far. But today was just one of those games, a nationally televised game. It's an early game. They don't normally play that early, Ocho. But give those guys, give those

guys credit. They played, the Knicks played an unbelievable game today and they got to win and blow out fashion. And the Knicks needed this, too, aren't? They needed this. They haven't been playing too well, especially as a group collectively. The way they play today is how they can play it. They can find some type of balance, you know, not too high, not too low, but find an even-kill way to play collectively as a group the way they did today.

They can make some hay and make some noise similar to what they did last year. I know I've been watching Stephen A, he's been upset with the Knicks, the past few games, and what they've displayed out there as far as the product is on the court. but I mean, shockingly to me, knowing that the Spurs were playing the Knicks, I thought obviously the Spurs would run away with this game and the Knicks looked completely different,

you know, a completely different team, watching them play today. What is warm when we? Wemby have seven turnovers by himself of those 22. You can't turn the ball over like that because now you create, you get runouts,

things of that nature. And like I said, the Knicks can cause you that type of problem if you turn the ball over because they got really good defenders. OG can defend in this high level. We know McHale Bridges can. We know Judge Hart can.

So they got guys that can clamp the ball and keep the ball in front of them. And so Mitchell Robinson comes. Obviously, Kat is seven foot and he'll block a shot here or there, but that's not what Kat is known for. He's known for, you know, being a perimeter big that can shoot the ball extremely well.

We know Brunson is Brunson. He's going to get you buckets. He's going to make clutch shots. He's as clutch as any player that we have in this league, so we know what he represents. is that when they play defense like this, they force you in the turnovers and they make you shoot 26% from the three.

You're not going to beat them. And they double, you know, they made 17 threes. You made nine. So now they're 24, they're plus 24 from the three point line. So if somebody's plus 24 from the three point line and they force you in the 22 turnovers, this is probably what's going to be the outcome of the game. You're probably going to get blown out.

Yeah. It's really that simple. It's really that simple. And so give the next credit. I mean, I'm sure Stephen A is happy about this. Happy, but not satisfied. Right. Because he knows they got an uphill struggle because Boston is played well.

Boston is playing extremely well. Toronto's putting that thing together. Toronto's better than people think. I watched them the other night. You know, Scotty Barnes and BI, those guys are playing R.J. Barrett. They got some scores over there. They're playing really well.

Yacopoldo. portal. They're better than you think. Now, do I think they can beat the Knicks and the seven? Nah, I don't. I don't think, you know, when it's all said, done, it's probably going to be Boston and probably the Knicks, looking at how everything is kind of like shaping up Ocho.

Like it's going to be Boston and the Knicks. If I had to bet anything, I like Philly, but I just don't know if. Embed. Embedie's going to be healthy enough. Tyrese max is going to be Tyrese max. Etcham is going to do Edgham things. They probably, you know, I don't know if and when PG is coming back.

But if I had it, you was like, okay, Shannon, who do you, I mean, who do you think is going to be in the Eastern Conference Finals? I'd probably say Boston and, uh, Boston and Nix. And that's a, that's an old rivalry that they had, well, it happened last year. I don't know if we'll ever get those, those 80s rivalries like, like it once was. but we'll see we'll see the Knicks played well today and they needed this ball game they definitely needed this ball game more than the Spurs the Spurred needed it to try to keep plays with O KC because the thing is like all things being equal like I think they probably need the home court more than O KC because the type of ball the O KC play it does travel they got a lot of wing they got five six guys that can defend at an elite level. Shee you already know pimps and shee in for 30 you just feel something in for 30 you know he's going to get there. And so now you get a couple of those other guys to come along with him.

You get Chad, you get J-dub, you get Wallace, you get some of those other guys. Ayesel Joe, you get some of those other. And Carusha, he always shows up in big games. He's going to make the right play. He's going to create chaos. He's going to create turnovers. He's going to knock down a big three. He's going to get a big steal.

He knows what these moments mean. Having played on that Lakers championship team and before that, and last year, he was a big reason why they won the championship last year. Some guys just understand the moment. And they can rise to the occasion in said moment. And Caruso is definitely one of those guys. So the Spurs, look, 11 straight games, Ocho, to get back in this thing. And they're the team that gives OECC the most trouble.

But you never know in a seven-game series. You never know an injury here or injury there. Change everything. It completely flips the series. Yeah. The Cavs showed their toughness today when they beat the Nets 106 to 102, James Harden. Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything. like packing a spare stick.

I like to be prepared. That's why I remember, 988, Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada. This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 IHeart Podcast Awards. Live from South by Southwest, March 16th, will honor the very best

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I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg, free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, Pro Days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down. on every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits, to my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included.

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Kian Ellis also played with a fracture finger today and still was able to put up five blocks and three steals. The cows got a defensive menace at the trade deadline from the Sacramento Kings. Uh, yeah, look, the thing is that I think. it's on this non-shooting hand. James is the left end. I think it's his right thumb. Right, yeah. He played well today in the return.

I think he had 22, nine and seven. I say something like that. The bigs played, played okay. I thought Evan Mobley played well. You look at this, this, this grad, I don't know if you guys can see it, but Detroit, 45 and 14, the one seed currently. Boston, 40 and 20, the two seed,

the Knicks are 39 and 22, the three seed, The Cavs are 3824, the 4 seed. Toronto, 35 and 25 to 5 seed. So if the season ended the day, Cleveland will face Toronto. The Knicks were faced the 76ers. Boston would face the Magic. And Detroit, well, we play the whoever wins out of the 7-10 matchup. But look, it's close.

Obviously, it's not as, you know, what is three and six. Three and six, it's a bigger separation than what it is in the Western Conference because it's only two games separating three from six

in the Western Conference and it's about six games separating five and a half separating three to six in the Eastern Conference. But Detroit, Detroit's looked well all year they played really well.

They got an all-MBA selection and Kate Cunningham. I think Duren is going to be an NBA selection also. He might make the all-MBA selection also. He might make the all-MBA selection. defensive team. Hell, K bike make the all defensive team because he's, he's

that good. The problem they're going to have is that Dernard is going to, damn to get a max contract five years over 200 million dollars. And it's better, it's kind of like football a choice, better to sign these guys early than late because they'll, in basketball, they don't give discounts.

And teams don't even ask them. In baseball, they don't give them no discounts. Ain't nobody with there and just, hey, hey, Joe, check this out, man. We try to put a team around you. Can you cut, no. The owner, the player, the players association won't let you do it. Show Hey, ain't cut no deal. The only deal that he cut is that he's like, you know what, I'm nice.

I'm nice like boss. Give me $2 million a year. And then the other 68, so he gets, so he's only costing them $2 million a year. That's why they're able to just stack players on top of players. You get a Brady Freeman, you get a bets, the guy that just signed for $60 million a year. You get those kind of guys because you get guys taking deferred compensation. Now, they'll do that, but it still keeps the market up here. Right.

And so, but it's going to be very, very interesting. The NB has kind of been quiet this year, Ocho. Uh-huh. In terms of what? Well, Steph has been out because you can see the shift coming. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The shift's coming. The Yon is coming out.

The Yon is going to move on. Steph is going to move on. Katie's going to move on. You know, and so things are going to be different. Right. Things are going to be different. The league is transitioned away from those guys, and that's okay.

The league is in great hands. It moved on from Dr. Jay, Larry, and Magic. It moved on from Jordan. It moved on from Kobe and all those Shaq and all those guys. The league will be fine. The legal will continue to prosper. Yeah. It'll be fine.

I'm trying to, hold on. I'm trying to look at these stats right quick. I think, I mean, the NBA, obviously, the new guard that is coming in, They have a lot of excitement. Obviously, players that put butts in the seats at a lot of fans regardless of what team you support. You look forward to watching them. Obviously, Ann Man, you got Wimby.

I'm not sure if you would put Zion in that due to the inconsistency of actually being healthy and actually playing. You know, Jah could have been in there. Cade, Cade. Obviously, in that conversation, Jha, I'm not sure what's going on with Jai over. But you got Wemby, you got SGA. You got Ant Man. Yeah, yeah, okay.

You know, you got Yoke. Obviously, we mentioned we got Brunson. J.B., J.T. is out. But, you know, the young guy, I mean, there are a lot of under 30, under 30 guys that's going to, you know, the league that's going to have to carry the league, like those old guys, like Magic and Byrd and Doc and Jordan and then Kobe and Shaq and here come LeBron and K.D.

And Steph and all those guys, Harden is going to, you know, going to move on also. But those guys, you know, go ahead. You know it's funny. It's obviously with the new guard coming in and all the great names you just named, who the hell is the face of the NBA now? Once the old guard moves on, who's the face? They don't have one.

And they won't Ant Man, but Ant Man said, no, let Wimby do it. Ant Man want to be Ant Man. And, you know, Ant Man want to go, you know, because there's a pressure that comes along with that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So you have to, you know, your image and everything and where you're going, how you can dump yourself and thing like that. Yeah.

And they said, no, that ain't, that ain't. because I ain't been to hold y'all. You know, I ain't really try to, you know, when I'm in Atlanta, y'all see that the collab that's going on with Magic City and the Hawks. You know, I'm trying to be downed. I'm trying to get on the lemon pepper wings.

Hey, the collab is Mar 16. We're going, right? You and Joe going? Okay, okay, okay. Well, me and Joe, we'll tell you about it. Yeah, we'll tell you about it. I'll about hit Madge up and say, man, let me get one of them hoodies.

Yeah. They got to let a whole Magic City collab hoodie. I might take a look at that. But right now, right now, Ocho, I don't think they got to face of the league. And, you know, obviously all things being equal. Who they want to be the face of the league, that's not what he wants to be. And, you know, you want somebody to embrace that. Yeah.

Guys used to embrace, you know, magic and Bird and Kobe and Jordan, LeBron and death, they embraced it. And there are guys that are willing to embrace it, but the NBA is like, nah, we don't kind of want y'all to be the face. We want him, we want him to be the face. Right, right, right, right.

But I think eventually it might have to because it's becoming such an international game and some of your best players are international, if you probably had to take a pick, your top five players in the NBA, maybe top seven are all international players. So it might be your face of your league, it might have to be.

Someone that's not even from here. Yeah. Yeah. Because if you look at, if you look at, I mean, if you look at baseball, it's one or two players. It's Aaron Judge or Shohei. And if you take a poll, they're probably going to say 90% to say show hey. Yeah. Yeah.

But the MLB-Ocho has always had that. They've always had Dominican. They've always had Cuban players. They've always had players from, you know, those countries. Yeah. That have dominated. And been the face, yeah, yeah.

Yeah. And so now, and the Asian-born players were it be, Nomo or Hedeky Matsui, Ichiro. Yeah, yeah, they've also, some Korean players. So they've always had that. Basically, this shift that happened, yeah, there were a few foreign-born players. Like I said, I think I read somewhere

it might have been nine players that was in NBA in 92. Right. And now you might have every team that play in the Olympics might have three, four guys. Look at Canadians. damn than the Canadians whole team is in the NBA. The Slovenian team have players in the NBA. The Serbian team, Yokech team, Greece.

So it's a lot more. So now it might be, it might, you might not have a choice, but to have a Shay or a Janus or, you know, one of those guys, you know, a yoke as the face. It is what it is. It is what it is. Yeah. Right now, Kate is coming.

I think he's a couple. I mean, Aunt. man, but it's Antman that has the charisma. He has the personality. He has the shoes. He's perfect. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He is. He is. He has a game to match.

But Ocho? Yeah. You have to want someone to want it. He has to want to be it. Yeah. You can't force it on him. And it comes with too much, uncle. It comes with too much pressure because you have to conduct yourself a certain way, not only on the court as an example, but even off the court. And aunt, I mean, if you know, and personally, that ain't happening.

That ain't happening. That definitely happening. You look at the quarterbacks. You look at them that's been the face of the league. You know, you look at, be it, Marino or Elway or Montana or Brady or Manning or Mahomes. You see, Josh Allen, the way they kind of lead to that. Yeah. You know, Josh Allen, like, man, I want to be the fact.

Baby, we've been doing this thing. We've been dating for like six months. You want to get married? You know what I'm saying? You want to get married, don't you? You see the quarterback. They don't be wasting no time, Ocho. Oh, no.

Quick. Quick. They don't play. So we will see. I think there's some American players that's getting better. Like I said, Kay Cunningham is getting unbelievable. We got Ant-Man. We got J-T.

We got J-B. J-T would gladly, gladly accept that role. The problem that he's having that he's, he's getting pushed from a teammate. Right. It's hard to be, hold on, how are you to face the league

and you're not even the best player on your own team? Oh, some would say, now that all depends on the end. That's my point. Right, right. And so, you know, normally with the guys

in the face of the NBA, you got to be the one guy on your team, yeah. So it's going to be, it's going to be very interesting in the next. I think, look, we do all this target all we want to. Until 23 for the Lakers League, he's still it.

You think so, still? He's still it. He's still it. Right. You look at his social media. You look at his engagement. You look at who moves the needle. Right.

It ain't no question. No question. Understandable. Former Lake of Byron Scott wants LeBron James off the team. Scott said, I think he should be his last year here. I don't, he don't have to go home, but you got to get the hell out of here. Ocho, are you surprised to see Byron Scott publicly calling for LeBron's departure? that that wasn't AI bairn scott really said that you heard me on

brian scott really said that publicly that's what he said yeah you're on the podcast i mean that that's crazy and obviously maybe maybe i don't i doubt that bairn scott would really feel that way or maybe he actually does because lebron is not the same lebron of old but but but but but but saying that he needs to leave l'a and luke would just be the only person there that that that is somewhat consistently outside of austin Reeves makes no damn sense. So why is LeBron being the one that's being called out from Byron Scott when all the other issues that even Ray Charles can see that they have going on with the Lakers right now?

I don't know. I think the thing is, and I don't know when this started happening that guys from an organization, great guys from an organization would all of a sudden call out guys that's currently within the organization. And maybe this is a Kobe thing. LeBron was never really accepted, even though he really. really revitalize the Lakers organization. I don't care what anybody says,

and I think the fans understood. They know that. They know what the Lakers were Kobe last three years. And when Kobe left, they know what the Lakers were. I don't know what is this. Right. What are we talking about?

If LeBron doesn't come, the Lakers are not selling for a billion dollars. Right. You're not going to be able to get Luca because you don't get AD. AD is not coming to L.A. I don't know what LeBron did to piss so many great players off.

Oh, no, he didn't. No, he didn't. I get it. Ocho, and a lot of times, we talk about this on the show all the time, Ocho. These guys currently in the NFL get privileges and things we didn't get. But I don't begrudge them

because we got things in the 90s and 2000 that guys in the 70s and 80s didn't get. Didn't get. things in the 70s and 80 that guys in the 50s and 60s didn't get. It's this thing called evolution. The game grows, the game evolves, and people get more things. It's okay. But this notion that LeBron James is the only one that's ever had power within

the organization, do y'all realize that a man won a championship and magic had a falling out and he says, this is either him or me? And Dr. Buzz fired the coach that won an NBA title. Yeah. That happened. Landberg did the same thing. It happens. But for some reason, anything that goes wrong, that is the reason why.

That's what free agency was meant to do. So you need to tell me you want free agency and then want guys to stay. If that was the case, what was free agency for? What was free agency for, Ocho, if guys are not going to move around? Yeah. I get it. Team a trade a player like it's nothing. Don't perform in what they do.

even if you do perform, if they think they can get better, they'll move you. Yeah, they move on. But now a player say, you know what? I think I've gone. I think it's going about as far as it can. Yeah, I can't carry in the move. Yeah. But LeBron, there are been a lot of guys that's moved,

but nobody has caught the criticism. And LeBron James has never asked for a trade. Every time LeBron James has moved, Ocho, he's played his contract out. Check out. He played his contract out in Cleveland. He went to Miami. He played that four years out. He went back to Cleveland.

He played that four years out and he headed the L.A. I just don't get it. I don't know. I've never, you've never, I've never heard so many great players, championship winning players, take shots at LeBron. What you have to understand. It comes with the territory. He sits at the top of the mountain.

He's the great one. He's the chosen one. He's the one with the moniker, the king. So what do they do? Regardless of his accomplishments, regards of his accolades, you know, I mean, people, they argue that you're in LeBron debate. What's about the greatest basketball player of all time?

So what happens when you're the greatest of what you do, regardless of what you've done, even those that have played, you know, your sport. They're going to have something to say, whether it's good or bad. Because what you've done is not enough to them, despite what we may think on the outside, despite what you may think and understanding how great LeBron is and what he's done for organizations to date.

Again, he moves the needle. So what's one way to move the needle on a platform? we want eyes and viewers to listen. You talk about the one all the way at the top. Yeah. But I think LeBron is smart enough to know Ocho. He knows there's nothing he could do to topple Kobe. That's not what you do.

Just because I'm trying to achieve something, that doesn't mean I'm trying to take his statue down. Why can't we both regret? I think he understands that in Miami is going to be, is Wade County. He understood that. Do I believe, do I believe in Duane Wade knows? that LeBron is a better player, yes.

But if you might ask Miami Heat fan, they'll say D. Wade. Right. So he knew, no matter what he did, he could not be winning us championships to overcome Kobe, Magic, Kareem, and Shaq. That wasn't going to happen. No. And I think he, I don't think he's, he was that naive,

just like, man, you know what? And I don't think he winning with that mindset. He didn't go with that mindset. Kobe, Kobe came there as a 17-year-old kid. and left as a fully grown, married father of three, four kids. Yeah. Rest his soul and Gigi. That's what he did there.

And that's okay. Same thing with magic. Magic came there and never left. Magic was a 20-year-old. Now, mostly the other great play, I mean, obviously, a shack spent four years, if I'm not mistaken, in Orlando. Corrine spent, I think, six years. in Milwaukee.

But, you know, you look at James Worthy, you look at Jerry West, you know, and Elgin Baylor, those guys, you know, spent their careers there. But I just, I don't know what LeBron did to piss off so many people. Hey, a lot of it. Ocho.

Yeah. I believe I can like Travis Kelsey without constantly taking shots at Grom. constantly taking shots at at Gates or Gonzalez. I believe I can do that. But it's almost like, I wonder if he was anywhere else other than the Lakers

with Byron. And I love B. Scott. I used to see B. Scott all the time in the gym. We used to see the gym, Equinox. And I used to see B. Scott all the time. We always talk hoop, and he's a great guy. But I wonder if LeBron wasn't on the Lakers,

would he still feel his time for LeBron to leave? No, absolutely not. Because, I mean, his love for the Lakers, it'd be different because it's not on my team. It's not a team that I was a part of. When Kobe hit Kobe last years, do you hear anything about the Lakers? You know, damn well, nobody would dare say that, huh? No, but, no, I ain't talking about talking about Kobe to leave, but he wasn't even even mentioned the Lakers.

The Lakers ain't nobody talking about Lakers and a chance to contend for a title. Nobody mentioned that. And then when Kobe left, ain't nobody mentioned Lakers to contend for a title. Right. mere fact that you even think it's possible for a team with a 41-year-old to get to the championship lets you know just how great this man is. Tell me the time in history. Another 40-something-year-old has played, and you know what? They got a chance to get to the championship, or they had a chance to contend for a title. Outside of time, leaving New England to goddamn NBA.

Okay. Not Jordan, not Kobe. No. His longevity is, no. Yes. Different. But look, he got his reason for whatever it is. I don't know. I don't know. So I don't want to get into speculating.

There was something to say, I don't know. And I know B. Scott love his Lakers. And if you played in this organization, most especially, he spent most of his years there. Yeah. Mm-hmm. But B. Scott, you know now, you know that there was a transition that when Kobe won the championship in 10, 9 and 10,

they didn't come close. They didn't come close. And nobody said the thing. Ain't nobody said. So 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18. So eight years, nine years, they ain't nobody like if they ain't come close. Yeah.

Mm-mm. And y'all had COVID. So you had COVID 11, 12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 15, 50, 15. Hey, but they ain't had nothing to go with him, though. Hey, it was the main course with no side. Why, well, you don't need nothing? Because when LeBron, when LeBron didn't have nothing to go on him,

y'all would say, if he was great, he would win. That's what y'all did with LeBron now. They did this. When LeBron, you never did that with anybody else. Yeah. You didn't do that with, like, you see what you said? You see what you said on your, they don't got you convinced to that. Oh, no, I'm just being honest.

I'm just being honest. I mean, Kobe, Kobe's the main dish. There was no size to go with it. There wasn't no dessert. So the chance of winning was slim to none. I thought when you so great, that's what you do. You don't need nobody. Who needed teammates?

That what y'all tell me? Every time I turn around, he couldn't win a championship without D.Way. He couldn't win a championship without Kyrie. He couldn't win a championship without Anthony Davis. And you just told me Kobe ain't have nobody to go with him. Last I checked, Shacks's in the Hall of Fame. Last I check, Powell Gasol is in the Hall of Fame. Last I checked,

Scott and Pippen's in the Hall of Fame. Dennis Browman's in the Hall of Fame. So in other words, what you're trying to tell me is that no matter how great you are, you need a teammate or two. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, okay.

I'll just check. I'm just, you know, just clarifications. You got to have a two-headed monster. If you got three, it'd make it that, it make it that much easier if you got three. Yes. But thinking you're going to get it done, but one man, you got four, you know,

just four partners out there just going through the motion. It's not happening. Duncan. Definitely not happening. Duncan had Manu, had Manu and Tony Parker. And then the last one, he had Kawai. Mm-hmm. Hey, boy, Kawhi was crazy at the Spurs, boy.

Oh, after Timmy left? What? After Timmy left, yeah. My goodness. He knew he knew he had to take over more of a role. He had to take a, you know, he was perfectly tip, playing the backseat, you know. Hey, I let all, hey, let Manu, let T.P., let Timi. Pops and nah, bro.

It's time for you. He's like, okay. I get you 25, 26 a night, and lock it down on the other end. But I'm surprised. I think the thing that's surprising is that people say, look, people might feel a certain way and might say things in private, Ocho, that never get public air. But to say this publicly, I'm a little surprised. You know what?

And you know what we don't know also? What? There might be things that go on behind closed doors. there might be things that are said that going behind closed doors that we don't know about that also makes Byron Scott say something like this publicly that has nothing to do with with anything that we know. Okay. Scott also seemed to take issue with LeBron saying today's games is harder to play than in the 80s

and 90s. The game is different. I want people and our fans to understand that playing 82 games in the 80s and 90s is not the same as playing 82 games in the 2020s. It's just not the way we play, the level of pace, the level of speed in which we're playing is different. It's a different game now. It's a totally different game.

It is. It is. When Beescott played in the 80s and the 90s, they might have two guys per team that can shoot the three. Yeah. Now on a 12-man roster, they got 10 guys that can shoot the three. And you have to guard them all.

Bless you. Everybody is a viable option. There wasn't no such thing as no stretch five, no stretch four. Right. they have that now. The pace is increased. Bless you.

Yeah. The pace has increased. And you have to guard multiple. For the most part, every, again, evolution, guys are more skilled.

The guys are skilled. Yeah, much better. You ain't have no Kevin Durant's. You ain't had no damn wimpies? Mm-mm. You didn't have that. You doubt you ain't have no stealth courage.

Bless you. It's okay. It's okay. It's a, it's a different game now. The NBA is different. The NFL is different. It is. I mean, the game has become,

the guys are doing, oh, guys are doing more exotic coverages now than when, when you and I played. Yeah. That's okay. It's okay to say that.

That's not to diminish our era. That's not to enhance their error. It's just facts. You know more. The scouting departments have gotten better. You think scouting now back, you think when they started scouting players with Cleveland Browns, when they first started,

the thing is that Paul Bryant's reported that Paul Brown, the reason why they timed the 40-Ocho, because that's how far the punt went. So how fast could somebody get down there to get him? The ball normally hung up there about 4.5 seconds. Right. Hmm, 4.5 seconds. You can run like that,

because you're running pretty good. So then the guy was Dallas Cowboys and Gil Brand took it a step further. Because Ocho, you know they used to draft players and never work them out. They just look at the Scottish fan, look at them, look at them in college. Well, you know, like that play, son. Come on. We're going to draft you first. We're going to drive you the second round.

We're going to draft you the 15th round, the 17th round. Then the Cowboys take it a step further. Yeah. Gil Brandt takes tram. They're actually brain player. They put them through everything. Hence, a combine-style workout. Right.

So you think the way they started scouting players in the 60s is the same way they scout players now? No, absolutely. They got these scouts on the road every day and weekend, Ocho. Every week, they find somewhere looking at players. Yeah. They didn't do that in the 60s. As a matter of fact, they didn't even have a combine.

They just drafted a guy based on what his college numbers were, how he looked at college, and they drafted him. So things changed people. And it's okay. It is okay. That doesn't mean that doesn't take away anything from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000, and so forth and all. It's just, that's just the way it is. It is.

It happens. Technology changes, Ocho. Look at the cleats. Look at the helmets. Look at the basketball shoe. Look at the way they train horses. They've changed. I don't know why people can't see that evolution.

It's going to happen. with your blessing or without it. Or not, yeah. I mean, or they don't care. One or the other. To complain about it anyway, everything gets better over time. Tonight, LeBron moving to fifth place

on the Lakers' all-time assist list, surpassing Michael Cooper. Magic is one, Kobe is two, Jerry West is three, Storm and Norman Nixon is four, LeBron is five, Cooper is six, Kareem is seven,

Elgin Baylor is eight. excuse me. This is LeBron's eighth season with the Lakers. Obviously, we know Kobe spent 20 years there, Magic, I think, from 79. I think Magic played about 12 years. Coup played. We know Kareem played, I think 13, 14 years there.

And I saw LeBron is the second Laker to make a thousand threes only behind Kobe. And obviously, you would. know Kobe played 20 season with that organization and was great. And LeBron is already second. Obviously, they shoot more threes now than they did back when Kobe got into the league. Ocho, how do you think LeBron would be remembered as a Laker? You think that he, you think he gets his jersey retired?

You think he gets a statue out front? You know what? I don't think he gets a statue out front, but I think he gets in Jersey retired. I mean, what he was able to do? once he came to the Lakers and helping that franchise obviously went a ring, a ring that a lot of people put an asterisk behind because it was

a bubble ring or whatever it may be. Because LeBron wanted. Somebody else wanted, they would have put no bubble behind it. Yeah. They wouldn't put no asteroid behind it. Yeah, I understand what you're saying. But people have to understand and take whatever hate they may have for LeBron

and understanding what he was able to do during his time, during his tenure with the Lakers, with what he had to work with. Outside of that, I mean, being one of the greatest are to be the greatest, the one or two basketball players to ever play this game, I think he should be acknowledged in such a fashion and such a way based on that alone. Whether he gets the statue or not, but retiring the 23 jersey for the Lakers, it would only be right. And not to do so, it'd be ridiculous.

It'd be damn egregious. I mean, imagine, Ocho, just think about this. I want you to picture this. Tom Brady is one of the three greatest high school football players. ever. Yes. He goes to college and he's one of the three

greatest college football players ever. And this, the next big fame. And he comes to the NFL. And even as a great high school player and a great collegiate player, he's even better in the NFL. Well, that's what LeBron James was.

Yes. He was one of the three great high school players ever. and whatever you made of thought he could have been, he superseded that. He exceeded it completely. He's exponentially. Nobody thought this man would be a four-time league MVP.

Go to 10 NBA finals, win four of them, four finals MVP's, what two, three, all-star game MVP's. He's the all-time lead score. He's the fourth leading or sister. He's a top 30 rebounder. He's a top 15 or 10 of, a six guy, I mean a, a, a, a, a steel's guy. Nobody thought that.

Whatever you thought LeBron James can be based on what he was in high school. And they've been a lot of great high school players. Right. LeBron is, oh, Joe, and his name hadn't come up on any crime blotter. He hadn't been a source of tabloid speculation. He's been squeaky, squeaky, clean. Yeah, most definitely, most definitely. And still people find fault.

Well, he flops. All great players hunt calls. They do. Just like every time the quarterback gets hit, what does he do, Ocho? Look to the, you ain't going to throw the flag? Yeah, something. I just saw that man hit me.

I know we playing football, but he wasn't supposed to hit me. He wasn't supposed to hit me, hit me. You know, he's supposed to lay me down. You know, hey, he's got to go to the sideline and get him a pillar so he can throw me on a pillow. People always complain. It just depends on who's doing the flopping. It always depends on who's doing the hunting.

Then they turn the blind. that. Depends on who it is. That's all it is. True. I agree with you, though. I don't think he gets a statue, but I do think they,

based on what he's done, you know, the all-star, the all-star games, I think. So he's been the eight all-star. He's been, what, he's going to be, he was a seven-time all-NBA selection. So if you cut his career up in sevens,

in sevens, or if you cut it up in eights, he's a Hall of Fame player every eight. Every eight, he's a Hall of Famer. That's crazy. And I know they're going to miss him when he's gone. Let them tell it. The game will continue to go on. It's going to go on.

Yeah, it's going to go on, but it won't be anything like that. We won't see anything like this for a very long time, if ever again. No, no, no, no, no. A guy that played this long and to play, play back great. rate this long. Yeah. This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 26 IHeart Podcast Awards.

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