Gil's Arena - Gil's Big Idea TO FIX the NBA All-Star Game

Episode Date: February 21, 2023

Gilbert, Josiah, and Brandon Jennings dive deep into how the All-Star Game has lost its luster, dunk phenom Mac McClung, and why Devin Booker is the guy for the Suns. GIl's Arena is NOW LIVE. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Brought to you by Underdog Fantasy: Sign up here for a deposit match up to $100 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This is our very first show. The checks have already been deposited, so there's no stopping now. We are here. I'm Josiah Johnson. We got the man, the myth, the legend, Gilbert Arenas with us. What up?

What's up, Gil? I ordered a smoke machine. You did that, the smoke comes and I get to feel like a... So look about that. They sent it DHL. You know, not FedEx, not UPS. It took a little bit longer than expected, but I got you. Hold on, hold on.

There we go. There we go. There we go. We got some smoke. There we go. We got all the smoke. There we go. Like I mentioned, this is Gil's Arena presented by Underdog Fantasy. So you see this lovely set.

Underdog's fair, no expense. We got the lovely jumbo tron with the, hold on, the beautiful logo behind us. This show is going to be the cure for the common sports show. We got nothing but legends on this show. We talking all things hoops and pop culture. And it's phenomenal, man. I'm happy to be here. How are you feeling, Gil? It It's amazing all last night I was playing

with the system okay no and I'm I see someone from UCLA then changed the color set you already know it we did that behind your back with that blue and gold that true blue and that gold stay cold you already know all right Gil so let's let's get right into it man it's our first show and before. And before we start, look, this is our very first one. So everybody on YouTube, we know you guys are haters by trade. Give us a break. It's like, look, you're going on a date with a girl for the first time. You're not going to take her to Mastro's.

You're not going to take her to the baller spot. We're going to start at Sizzler. So this is our Sizzler show. Our Sizzler. Great salad bars. Great soups. The garlic toast is delicious. The steak sauce, phenomenal.

It's still a great meal. It ain't Morton's yet. We're only getting, we ain't at Morton's yet. We only going up from here. But, we're going to start with our very first segment on our very first show. It's called Zero to 100. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to give me a number between zero and 100 of how confident you are of that.

So let's start first and foremost. We had an all-star weekend this past weekend. I was out there in Utah breathing that, ooh, it was terrible Caucasian air. Throat still hurts. They did not prepare me for that. I know you saw like many times my first time out there, the air was just, ooh. Yeah. It needed some seasoning.

It wasn't where it needed to be. All-star game, look, I think the highlight of the weekend was probably Mack McClung and the dunk contest. The game left much to be desired. Even people who played in the game, coaches who coached in the game, said it was mid. It was trash. So, 0-100, what are the chances the NBA makes changes to the All-Star game format?

Just changing period. I'm giving it 100. They're going to change something. It's not going to be for the good. It's not going to be for the good. It's just going to be a change that it's, it's, it's what they do. So they're going to change some things, but it's not going to be for the better. So never is. So my question for you is then, if you could make the All-Star game more enjoyable, what changes would you make to the All-Star game to make it more enjoyable? The only thing I'd change to the All-Star game itself is basically tell everyone around the All-Star game, the coaches, shut the fuck up. Just shut up. It's an All-Star game.

It's a festival. It is supposed to be fun. Like, why do I want my star players? You got to remember, this is not like USA Basketball where you get to just pick the players you want. They can be role players. These are the stars of each team. So if my player actually goes out there and gets hurt, he fucks up the rest of that season. So I do not want my guy going out there playing hard anyway.

So I don't give a shit how much money you throw him. No, just leave it how it is. They play. They enjoy. It's just festive. Hey, how y'all doing? Throw some popcorn. That's what it is.

It's a show. It's not something that goes out there and you're supposed to go 100 miles an hour. Three-time All-Star, right? Yes. It feels like to me, and I'm an old head, you're an old head too, but back in the day, it just used to mean more. Those games were more exciting. Yeah, the defense is not going to be what it is. Obviously, you played UCLA pickup games in the summertime. At least somewhat competitive. When I see guys just driving through the lane, wide open dunks,

dudes getting out the way, just making a point to not play any defense whatsoever, it's a little bothersome. So how would you compare the game when you were playing to what it looks like now? Listen, let's just be honest. When Michael Jordan played, you know, Michael Jordan was making $5 million, right? They was making pennies back then compared to, you know, what players are making now. So even when I jumped off that trampoline, you know, Eddie Jordan was the coach. He was having a heart attack about that. Like, what if you came down and twisted your ankle? These guys are the elite of their team, so you really

can't afford for them to get hurt. So them going out there, they're going to play 50% at best. 75% if you're trying to play 50% at best. 75% if you're trying to go for that MVP. But going 100 miles an hour, that's not going to happen. And how hard is it to win that MVP? Do you notice guys are gunning for it? Obviously, Tame dropped the 55 piece, won it. Is it just like a preordained thing before the game?

A guy just like, look, I'm shooting the rock every time I get it. No, listen, you have someone, I'm about to try to win it. You know, if you miss your first three, four shots, I can never buy. I let that go. You know what I mean? So it's just, you know, you're just trying to put yourself in, you know, the best situation. So when a game gets a little tough and the stars get a little harder by the fourth quarter, you're in a position to actually try to get that.

As a whole, if you just want to make the game more competitive just naturally, winner takes all. If you're paying them $100,000 each, you put that $2.4 million total,

put that $2.4 million in? Yeah. You know, everybody. Yeah, put that 2.4 million in the center of the stage. Put it on and say, all right, the winning team gets it. It won't be easy layups then. But you mentioned before, guys making $40, $50 million a year, and they're going to split 2.4 between 12 of them. Are they tripping on that 200 racks? Yeah, that's like, you know, that's, yeah.

I get $200,000 just to walk around with now, just free money. Yes. Okay, I'm going to go get it. Yes, but you got to remember, if everyone gets $100,000, you know, I don't give a shit if you put me in the game or not. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? Because at the end of the day, it's an award.

Yeah. So you don't have to give no one anything. You got rewarded by being here. This is actually part of your contract. You get to work, you know, you get to redo deals because of All-Star, All-NBA. You know, I don't get paid for All-NBA. That's better than All-Star. So at the end of the day, it's put the money in the middle.

Winning team takes all that shit. So I'm going to give two suggestions to make the All-Star game better. First one, let dudes play in do-rags. I just think something about a dude playing in the do-rag. For me, for me personally. They go harder. They go harder. If you're in the do-rag for some reason, you go harder.

And I think you got the Rising Stars game, do the old head game. Because you got, you know, we've talked about before, you got a bunch of old, bitter dudes, but you put that 2.4 out for them, let them play a game. We've talked about before, you've got a bunch of old, bitter dudes, but you put that 2.4 out for them, let them play a game. It could be condensed format, eight-minute quarters, whatever you want to do. Kind of like the big three, but let them come out there and not really play for that bag. Dudes who wasn't making the money that they're making nowadays.

You really want to see Rick Barry out there, motherfucking, trying to dribble right? You want to see that, man? I'm just trying to see who can play the best hungover. But the best is that you're just not going to get what you're expecting. I know what we're expecting. We're expecting the all-star game. You know what I mean?

I mean, not the all-star game, but the USA game times two because it's all the best players. You're not going to get that type of hard play from these guys in the middle of the season. And some of these guys are trying to make the playoffs. Some of these guys are trying to put themselves in a better position for that championship. So they're not. This is vacation.

This is technically a vacation for them. Like getting their body to rest before that second push. So no, you're not. There's nothing you can do with this part of the game, the all-star game itself. It's like I'm just out here to have fun. I'm not out here to really. I'm going to be real. You said vacation, but if you're making guys go to Salt Lake City for four days,

that sounds like a punishment. And that's just one thing, too. Like, come on, why do we keep going to these shitty-ass cities? Like, listen, like Salt Lake, the Salt Lake part of Utah, the Utah part of Utah, let it go. Right? Indiana next year, let it go. Like, come on. You got the, in the winter, the coldest cities we're going to.

Why? I'm going to be real. Indiana, century located. They got the Steak and Shake. They got the White Castle. Walking distance. Everything centralized. But what I'm saying is, go to cities that's built for partying.

That's what people are coming for. That's real. Vegas, L.A., New York, Atlanta, Miami. I wanted to say Chicago, but that's cold. Hey, Chicago was, 2020 was probably one of the coldest cities I've ever felt in my life. Yeah, that's cold. So, like, keep it in cities that's, like, neutral. Okay.

I can support that. Neutrally warm. It's hot. You can stay with the it in cities that's, like, neutral. Okay. I can support that. Neutrally warm. It's hot. You can stay with the Floridas, the Calis, the Vegas. You got to have a good strip club in your city. Facts. In order to be considered. Facts.

That's the number one criteria, I feel like. I'm pretty sure Utah closed at 7. Yeah, it was. It was people in Utah apologizing, like, yeah, sorry it's out here. Like, can't put this extra on your drink. Got to just, you know, we got laws or whatever. But let's talk about probably the highlight of All-Star Weekend, the dunk contest.

Mack McClung, and like I said, I think Adam Silver, great job with the script writing this year. You got Mack signing a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Dr. J, who the dunk contest championship trophy was named after. So you got a Sixers guy coming in. They just did it this year. It was a whole big ceremony and situation before the thing happened. Him?

Who, Dr. J or Matt? Dr. J? Yeah. Does he hold the record for the most dunk contests? I think he's, when you go back and look back in the day, like. Yeah, he owns the most? No, but like the free throw, he kind of really helped launch this whole dunk contest era.

I think him and David Thompson. That was the ABA, if I'm not mistaken. But nonetheless, they all merged together and the game is the game. But what are the chances that Mack McClung is on an NBA roster during 2024 All-Star weekend? After what we've just seen? Yeah. 100% guaranteed. Okay.

Guaranteed he will be on a roster next year just so he can enter the dunk contest again so he can defend his title. And what did you think about his dunks out there? I thought, you know what, despite him being white, you know, let's just throw it out the window. He's got Negro tennis, though. In high school, if you actually watch him in high school, he was considered the best in-game dunker probably ever. Yeah.

Right? So if you actually let the fans vote, I'm pretty sure anyone who ever watched him was voting that he was going to win it. But this opened up a door for my theory. You know, I said a few years ago, I know Stephen A is trying to take credit for it, but I said it a few years ago I know uh Stephen A's trying to take credit for it but I said it a few years ago that once the internet opened up the NBA should have changed this format anyway you have outside dunkers that we get to watch every single day professional dunkers right

that when you watch them and then you watch the dunk contest, you're like, oh, this is shitty. So what happens is you should try to have a format because McCullough is basically that Trojan horse that you did it for. He wasn't really an NBA player. So allow them to have some dunk contest before the dunk contest. Whoever wins, he gets to enter the dunk contest. Now NBA players are threatened by an outside entity, which makes them take dunking serious. Do you think that'll make them take it more serious or less serious? To be like, look, I'm going to run for this fade. I don't dunk like this.

No, no. What happened is there's two things that's going on. First of all, the NBA dunk contest, it's always been shitty. Like it's never actually been good. Never? What? The Zach Levine years, Ed Robinson back in the, like, Spud Webb in 86,

or what was it, 84, whenever that was? 84, 88, 87, 80, whenever dunking Dr. J, I mean, not Dr. J, but Chicago and Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins. Those were shitty dunk contests. Let's just be honest, which I'm sorry. They were shitty. They were shitty then.

You watch it now, it's shitty. It was so much collusion on who's voting and when. In three years, two people did the same fucking dunks Every dunk content like Dominique Wilkins. We already know up the middle Windmill on the side Two-hand Wilma on the other side one-hand women bounce it windmill like I was fucking he getting a 50 for the same Fucking dunk every single year and that's what the dunk contest was all about

even Vince the great Vince Carter three out of the five dunks was windmills I don't give a shit how you get the windmill it's still a windmill windmill between the legs windmill come off the baseline windmill spin windmill it's windmills okay we get it

you can fucking windmill not Vince Carter's dunk slander on the first episode. Yeah, but I'm just saying like it's never actually been Good, I think Spud Webb just cuz he was He's five one. Let me throw it and do a little dunk good. Okay, congratulations I will take your dunk your dad's dunk at 67 years old. Okay, that's impressive 67 Duncan is impressive than having this seasoned 40-centage vertical do a windmill. That's real. I did a windmill, right, in the NBA.

That's real. No one cheered for that shit, so why should I cheer? Just because you could jump a little higher doing it. No, so those, like Zach Levine and Gordon, those should go down as the best dunk contest ever. Period. Creativity, the style, the flair, perfect. Versus you guys highlighting, you know, Dominique do full windmill, Jordan do a little air windmill. Like, behind a double pump.

Like, ah, come on. It was weak then. It's weak now. Ever since I saw James White take off from free throw and give you that one, for me, it's all just been downhill. Like, it's not under flight white. Like, I think that was in college when he was coming out of Cincinnati. He went between the legs from the free throw line. But once I saw that, it was just like, all right, this is, I don't need to see dunk contests anymore.

This man has reached the pinnacle of dunking. And choose, like if you're going to keep doing the dunk contest, choose dunk contest dunkers. There's a difference between dunk contest dunkers and just game dunkers, right? Like Zion, iffy. I'm iffy with him. Like, I know I'm going to get a windmill, I'm going to get 360, I'm going to get the long arm. Do I really want to see that in a dunk contest?

He's going to lose. John Morant, what's, like, does he have flair? Oh, there's some guys that just can jump high as hell in power dunk. That is not dunk contest dunking. You got to have a certain type of flair. Like, what's so funny is with Vince Carter's dunking, some of his in-game dunks look better than his dunk contest dunks. For sure, for sure.

All right, so let's talk about, we're going to look ahead. This Tuesday, the season starts back up again on Thursday. Let's talk about these Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron hurt his hand in the All-Star game, set out the second half. Seems like, you know, during the weekend he talked about these next 23 games coming up and how they're some of the most important regular season games of his career. He doesn't want to miss the playoffs for two straight seasons.

So Lakers currently as we stand, 27-32, 13th in the West. They are 3.5 games out of the sixth seed currently. What are the chances from 0-100? 0-100, what are the chances the Lakers earn a top six seed in the Western Conference? Top six? No playing games. Wait, wait, hold on.

Wait, wait, that means eight through six, not that 10 through six shit, right? I'm saying top six so they don't have to do a playing game. Seven through 10 are in the playing. Zero. Zero percent chance the Lakers finish top six in the West with this new revamped squad. AD looking good again.

For a game, got it. It is the NBA, so anything can happen but zero Zero that means 80 has to pay all 23 games at least a good like he has to play 23 games Please great 19 19. Don't get you there if they could go like 17 and 6 ha They go 17 and 6 I Ha! Ha! If they go 17 and 6, I'll buy tickets. 15 and 8? Yeah, that looks about right.

That's still a 10 seed. Still playing. Damn. Alright. Even the play-in. I hate the play-in. Why are you rewarding a sorry-ass effort all year long and then give them a chance to say, oh, we can make good these last two weeks and get the temp spot and make a plan and then beat them.

Like, no, like stop rewarding failing. That's the problem with sports. You're rewarding failure. You're trying to tell losing teams that, hey, we're going to give you a better chance at being. But what if those losing teams are impacted by injuries, things like that that happen? Tough shit? Whose fault is that? Get a better medical staff. Stop rewarding

losers. If I was running the NBA, you're not going to tank and be able to get a chance to get the top 10 picks. Yeah, for sure. Fuck that. You're losers. You're losers. You're not going to get a chance to get like the top 10 picks. Yeah, for sure. Fuck that. Like you're losers. You're losers. Like you're not going to get a chance to get fucking lottery picks. You can't

like your top five losing team after lottery. After lottery. Fuck out of here. Yeah, I've never or do it like the NFL does. Look, you're the worst team in the league. You get the one pick. No. But the whole lottery concept is janky. You're the number one. You're the worst team in the league.

You start off at 14. 14. You 14th pick. Right? It stops you from 14th pick. It stops you from trying to tank and be like, why am I going to reward? What other thing? Let me go to my job.

Let me go to a job. And then I'm the worst worker. And then they give me a fucking raise bonus the next year. Never! Get the fuck out of here. You're not getting shit. Yeah, the whole concept. Sorry ass.

Come on. Houston, you going to be sorry this year? You going to be sorry next year because you ain't getting shit. Hey, you the best lawyer. Go work at the fucking worst firm. Make them hot. Like, no, dog. I'm not doing that.

I'm not trying to make it even. All right, last question I got for you. Make them hot. Like, no, dog, I'm not doing that. They're trying to make it even. Nah. Alright, last question I got for you. Zero to 100. Chance of someone other than Jokic wins the MVP. Jokic, Joker, Yoker. I mean, you know, you got Tatum. He's still in position to pull it out. You got Embiid, you know,

who still has a shot for it. So, you know, you got two players that's, you know, they're still in, you know, striking distance of it. So, you know, it's going players that's, you know, they're still in, you know, they're still in, you know, striking distance of it. So, you know, it's going to go down to the bottom. What about Giannis? I mean, you know, another name. He's going to miss a little time with the wrist injury.

Giannis reminds me of like a Rick Ross CD, right? It's good. It's always good. Like, it's always good. And it's like, like, like, like, do something. Like, like, be shitty one year. He got a lower expectation to bring him back. To bring him back. Yeah, you know, it's like, you know, he's too consistent. And I think that's the problem with how we think. Someone who's too consistent always get penalized. And, you know, he's one of those guys.

He's been consistent being dominant for so long. We're, we're like, we just want to see someone else. I think, but you look at Joker, he's consistent, he gets rewarded with MVPs. But he was a second round pick, so different. I respect it. You know what I mean? We watched the All-Star Draft, he wasn't the first option. Him and Laurie Markkinen are literally battling it out to the point where Joker got to get up and pick himself and put him on LeBron's team. So what is it that the guys in the league aren't seeing that everybody else is?

It's, listen, it's just like when it comes to all-star, it's like you're picking someone who can really just, this is not, you know what I mean? You got like, like hoopers and you got basketball players, right? The all-star game is hoopers, right? You can just go out there. There's no, it's just freedom to do whatever. Yoke is just a basketball player, right? You know, so it's kind of like, I know what he can do, but this is not, you know, it's not formatted for you.

So I'm going to pass. But I understand passing once, twice, two times, three times. Him and Lori Markin are literally the last two dudes on the playground getting picked. You told me this guy's going to be. I don't even know who the other guy was. He was on a guy. You don't know Markkinen? I'm just saying for an all-star.

The finisher. For all-star. And Trey Young is where? Yeah. Trey Young is where? He was at the crib. You know what I mean? So I'm just trying to figure out how we putting in these players. Like, take the hands.

Take the fucking strings off the puppets and let it all be natural. Like, let something be natural. Stop trying to just have control of these entities. And I think that's the problem with it. We're trying to put too much control. Like even a dunk contest referees, right? Put a shield, like a fucking cardboard. I don't give a shit if it's cardboard.

Put a cardboard between each referee so they can't sit here and say, what you gonna do, 10, 10. Like no, stop, that's collusion. That's collusion, That's collusion. No. Wall up and let them look at the dunk and then vote themselves. Versus we're just sitting there, you know.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's unfair. Like, yeah, no. Put it. Let them think by yourselves, goddammit. Well, that was our very first segment on Gil's Arena. And now we got our very first guest. Gil!

Yo, he is LA Hoops royalty, Gatorade player of the year, McDonald's All-American. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. What's up, brother? Listen, we ain't got no smoke, brother. Listen, we ain't got no smoke. What's up, fellas?

Man said, fuck college, I'm going to get my bag overseas. Yes, sir. Definitely get the bag. They weren't rolling. You know, I think it was because the color of his skin, not the content of his character. I'll be real. If you were Caucasian and did that, I'd be like, Yes, sir. They weren't rolling. You know, I think it was because of the color of his skin, not the content of his character. I'll be real. If you're Caucasian and did that,

they'd be like, oh, this is a really good move. Like, maybe they should go toughen up in your thing. I'm like, yeah. But none other. Tenth overall pick, 0-9 draft. I'm going to keep giving you all your flowers. Nine seasons in the league. We got Brandon Jennings in the building with us.

The dogs, the dogs is here. Mr. Early 55. Speed limit, Mr. Speed limit. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So you've had some very interesting opinions on the league. You're very outspoken, not afraid to speak your mind. So I'm going to read you an Anthony Edwards quote from All-Star Weekend.

Somebody asked him, you know, what's something he didn't like about the league. His response, all the guys sitting, resting. That's the only thing I probably don't like. Just play, man. If you're 80%, you got to play. I don't like all the sitting, missing game stuff. These people might have enough money to come see one game, and that might be the game to come and you sitting out. So when you hear Anthony Edwards say that, should players rest or should they play if they're 80% or better? Well, I mean, I think first, as a young guy saying that, that's big.

Because obviously he loves to hoop. And I do feel like if you are 80%, you should play. You should at least play maybe 10 to 20 minutes at least. I mean, I'm a father, so if I'm bringing my son to the game and he hears that his favorite player isn't playing, it's kind of like, why isn't I playing? Because of, I mean, where can he of, it's like, you know, why he's not playing because of what, I mean, where can he go? Is he like, is he at least over 80%? Like if he's at least 80%,

like he, he at least should be able to play. When you guys were playing, how was that different? Were you playing hurt? Yeah. I mean, I was, if I can play, I'm going to play. You got to remember when you're talking about the elite, like the elite, their 70 percent is still better than look at remember all nba player his his 80 is better than all-stars right it's still better than an actual all-star player so when you're saying that he's sitting out because of just rest and you're sitting here like yeah like what is like okay he might not have 50 tonight, but he's still going to get 30. He's going to get 30, 15, and whatever. You know what I mean? So it's like,

it's hurting the game because what they're not realizing, and this is why outside entities trying to improve the game are actually hurting the game, right? You're saying that there's too much wear and tear if these guys are resting and doing all this.

If you want to load management, don't fucking practice them. Don't practice. If you need rest, don't practice. Don't practice. We just play games. I'd rather do that than say we're going to miss games and practice. Then you go out here, your body's not in condition to do the things that you're trying to do.

And you wonder why you're pulling hamstrings and thigh injuries. It's like you're not conditioned like we used to be. Yeah. And I feel like nobody's really 100%. Nobody's ever 100% through a whole season. So it's like, I mean, even if you're feeling good, you're healthy, you just feel good. You're not like, it's not like, oh, I'm just 100. It's like, okay, after 10 games,

it's back to the, here we go, or whatever. So it's like, yeah. Get out there and play. Yeah. All right, so let's move on. Next topic, obviously biggest news of the trade deadline, KD coming over to the Suns. Here, we've talked a little bit about, you know, they didn't make that trade

because they wanted to get smacked by Luka again in Game 7. They're trying to have championship aspirations. CP3 still doesn't have a ring. So, Brandon, I'm going to ask you first. How much pressure is on CP3 to win with KD? I don't think the pressure is on CP3. I think the pressure is on Devin Booker. I think the fact that they drafted Devin Booker and, okay, so we got CP3 in the trade.

He came over. That's another big brother. Now we bring the trade he came over that's another big brother now we're bringing on on KD which is another big brother so I think the more pressure is on on Devin Booker because it's like all right now like now we know what KD's gonna bring he's gonna do his thing CP's gonna set the table we know that but now it's like all right Devin like it's your time now I think it's gonna be his. I think the pressure's on him. When I look at it from, like, listening to what you said, it's a scapegoat.

Everyone gets to be a scapegoat. Yeah. Because Devin Booker, he's young, so he has time, right? You look at it. He has time. He's only, like, 24, 25, right? So you're talking about CP. He's on his last legs So I don't think the pressures on him from the outside

I think the pressures if it's coming is gonna be on himself Cuz he's like, you know, I only have this year next year to try to really get this You know me if he if he's gonna get one KD. He's already has two So he's just like I'm going out there to hoop. I don't really care He'll be like that's that's his personality. He just wants to hoop. So I's just like, I'm going out there to hoop. I don't really care. You know what I mean? That's his personality. He just wants to hoop. So I think that you know, because they are

technically in a space where they really don't have the pressure of really winning it, that they're gonna win it because they don't have to worry about losing. And I think when you're in that type of position that we just go out there and just see where we go.

Like Golden State last year, no one said they were going to win a championship when we hit the playoffs. Yeah. And that free spirit, without no pressure on them, gave them the best chance. So, yeah. It's just another big brother role. I think everybody goes through it.

I think that's what happens with Bron in Miami, going to play with Dwayne Wade, Kobe and Shaq. Everybody has those big brother moments, and you've got to take advantage of them while they're around. So if the Suns are healthy, and let's say hypothetically they win the championship, book balls out, say he gets a finals MVP, where does that put, debunk this NBA debate and landscape

of current guys in the league? Well, if he gets finals MVP. Yeah, if he, yeah, well. We over here like, yeah, yeah, probably won't happen, but. Yeah, I mean. Probably won't happen, but. But, I mean, if he gets that,

then yeah, that's another tier. Okay. I mean, that's a big tier. He jump a tier? Or do they say, oh, yeah, KD? No, no, no, no, no. I'm just going to be honest. There's a couple people that got finals MVP that ain't worth finals MVP. So

I don't really consider that to be anything because you give it to the winning guy and, I mean, the winning team and the best player or whoever you're going to give it to. He's always been good. And that's why I don't like like using winning to just level people up.

They're leveled up because of what they do, period. You know what I mean? So when you're talking about top three to top five shooting guards, that's who he is. You're not going to say, oh, you won a championship this year. You're the number one shooting guard now. No, that's not how it works. You give people their credit for what the shit they do, they're doing. You can't start knocking them because, oh, you're playing over here.

Oh, you got Chris Paul. Can anyone stop his ass? That's how you do it. So is that why he can't be number one because he has KD and CP3? So if he did win it this year and got finals MVP. They're going to say, oh, you had help. But then when I didn't have help, you said, oh, you have empty stats. They're going to find a way to knock what you're doing, period.

This is a question I got for both of y'all. What are empty stats? I hear this term thrown around all the time. Those stats are empty. I don't know what the fuck. I don't know. I never heard that. I don't put some empty stats on a stat sheet, and that's all zero.

That's empty. Empty stats? You can't tell me a Westbrook triple-double. You know, like, people throw these times around. When you hit 55, right? Yeah. How were they guarding you? They were just going under the pick and roll.

Going under, right? Mm-hmm. Did they ever double? No, just going under the pick and roll. Going under, right? Mm-hmm. Did they ever double? No, they just kept switching or... Right? So this is why listening to outside entities about basketball, right? It's harder when your team sucks to be dominant because they're you different they're going to go under they're going to swish you're going to hard show they're going to right so they're going to they get to

throw different defenses at you when you have nobody else to pass the ball to so technically for me to actually perform 50 55 you have to go 100 you have to go 100% you have to go every possession actually means something while they're trying to stop you if your team is good, this guy can't help you can't go under that screen you can't change up the defense so when you're talking about a guy

his team was bad that means he's good because they only got to stop him you only got to stop him. You only got to stop him You don't have to stop three other players. You just we're gonna scheme for him. We're gonna scheme for you. That's it We're gonna double them. We're gonna switch it. We're gonna we're gonna try everything every quarter We don't have the scheme for nobody else and people don't realize it's harder. There's no such thing as empty stats Okay, that's what I was hoping you would say. Yeah, you must feel the same way. Yes

I mean, I just feel people throw these terms out. And, like, I never played in the league, so I can't sit here and be like, that's empty or full, whatever it is. Shit's hard to get. Yeah. I watched that 55-point game. That shit is hard to do. At no point were you bullshitting whatever.

Every possession, you had to go get a play. And I didn't score in the first quarter. Yeah. I started off 0-7. So, think about my mental early as a young'un. I'm like, man, I'm off tonight. Yeah. I was on me. Like, I might not get back in. And then just start start hitting but y'all won that game, right? Yes, if you would have lost that game though, there were people out there. Oh, yeah 55, but they were empty. That was an empty

Maybe I mean I was a rookie though and nobody was doing that Yeah, so it probably would have just got looked at like you know every key at 55 But I just feel like today that's what I did. Yeah. So it probably still would have just got looked at like, yo, a rookie at 55, but. I just feel like today. Because that's what I did. Yeah. Who the fuck had 55? Because first of all, you know, we all look at stats, right? We all look.

So you're trying to like, I had 42 tonight. Yeah. 55. Who the fuck is Brendan Chimney? Is that the rookie? Fucking rookie. Oh, man. They got rookies going 55.

You start doing shit like that. All right. So let's talk about you've had some some some interesting takes on this just to play No, no, no, hold on cuz I remember when we had to play them when we had like two weeks after that We had to play him like two weeks after that. I'm not guarding that motherfucking man. God damn. I'm not guarding him, man. Yeah, I'm not guarding him. I just had 55. I'm not guarding him. And that's when Nick was making fun of me. He about to twist your ankle.

Your whole knee about to be swollen. Like, dude, I'm not guarding you, man. All right. I respect it. When we talk about player empowerment, Kyrie and KD were both asked about it during All-Star Week, and I'll just read you their quotes real quick. Kyrie on Trace, why doesn't anyone have the ability to ask for trades? That's my question. When did it become terrible to make great business decisions for yourself and

your happiness and peace of mind? And Katie said, I don't think it's bad for the league is bringing more eyes to the league. More people are more excited. So do you agree with Kyrie saying trade requests aren't bad for the league? I agree that it was, that situation was great for Kyrie and certain players. I don't think every player should have the ability to ask for a trade request. I mean, and, you know, we've seen it, you know, bring up a situation like Thomas Bryant, you know, demanding a trade

from the Lakers when AD was out and then he's now he's coming back. Now you want to ask for a trade and it's like, well, you're not that caliber player yet to like i feel like certain players should not be able to ask for certain things until you're proven and that's just what it is i don't care how many times you've been to the playoffs or you know um you know all-stars anything like that but like you gotta be you know you gotta win i think you gotta win be more of a winner to ask for like a trade or do something like i don't give a fuck what you ask for I don't gotta give you shit I ain't gotta give you no

I ain't gotta give you no trade just cause you asked for it sit your ass down there and play these games cause you know at the end of the day what are you gonna do right if they didn't trade KD what was he gonna do sit out sit his ass out there for 24 years I don't care if I trade you what am I getting back anyway?

So, you know, so at the end of the day, you do not have to, you know, grant their trade request. That's one thing. Two, it's if you're allowed to secretly try to trade me, I should be able to try to put myself in a better situation. I'll show like at this point in time, we're considered both both businessmen. Right. I'm in the player business where I need to put myself in better situations, winning situations, because at the end of the day, you put so many things on winning in rings. If my legacy wants to be with the greats, forget the road because the road has been changed, right? Sitting in the same city for all these years. These guys are businessmen now, and they're going to keep trying to adjust their roster.

Same should be with the player. You know what I mean? You guys are going in a different direction. Okay, I'm going to go try to win somewhere, too. And you can see how petty owners are, right? The owner from the Nets. Well, I'm not going to trade him to the Lakers because that's where he wants to go. So you trade him somewhere else so you can see that there's still.

But a lot of these don't be good businesses. No, they're just doing it for purpose. Thomas, like, he's asking for demanding a trade and then you go play for Denver. You're really not playing now. So it's like, if you had a better chance of staying with the Lakers, like, you know, knowing with AD's history, you could have just stayed here. But now you demand a trade to Denver. You're really not playing the play.

No, no, no. He didn't make – no, no, no, no. He didn't demand a trade to Denver. That becomes the dickhead move. Well, but that's what happens. You demanding a trade. Okay, well. All right, hold on.

I got something for you. Hold on. Let me – What's like trade. Okay, well. All right, hold on. I got something for you. Hold on. Let me. What position you play? If you Thomas Bryant, it's almost like, yeah, like you said, I know AD's injury history. I already done dropped 30 pieces with AD out. Been playing well.

I'm going to raise my value. I'm on a one-year deal. Yeah. And it's like, all right, I want the trade. Okay. Yeah. Go play behind Jokers. And that's exactly what they did.

Now you're getting two 12 minutes. You're really not playing. Yeah. Which is, thatokers if you want to. And that's exactly what they did. Now you're getting two 12 minutes when you couldn't. Yeah, you're really not playing. Yeah, which is, that's the other side of it. So, yeah, they can honor your request, but I'm going to send your ass somewhere where, yeah. That's why I say you got to be a type of caliber player. Like for Kyrie, yeah. For these guys, certain guys, yeah, you can do that. So you cool with KD, too?

I think three years left in this deal saying, get me the fuck out of here. Yeah, I'm proving. Okay. KD's KD too? I think three years left in his deal saying give me the fuck out of here. Yeah, I'm proving. KD's KD though. Anywhere KD goes though, I become the man anyway. As a business owner, do you want a disgruntled employee? When people talk about it, think about it, put it in your world, in a restaurant. You got a disgruntled cook. Do you really want him making food for the public? No. No, I don't

want that guy out there serving the public and he don't want to be here anymore. Like, no, I'm going to accept that request. Go on about your way. You know what I mean? I'm not going to have a player who don't want to be here deciding games for me and this is my business.

Like, all right, I'll go ahead and trade you. See what I can get back. All right, let's keep this thing moving and shaking. Got to talk about another LA Hoops legend. Hold on. I see you fit, bro. You all fitted up. Adidas came through with the plug.

And the gills. I know. That's what I'm saying. With the dollar sign on them. You got you a little care package. That's the last. Appreciate you, my crew over at Adidas. You ain't the only one with an Adidas plug.

All right, but I did use your name to get it, so God bless you. Appreciate you. Let's talk about another L.A. Hoops legend, though. Russell Westbrook. Got traded from the Lakers. Got the buyout from the Jazz. Coming to the Clippers. Gil, we talked previously.

You said that Russ had the ability to make a team a championship caliber team. No, but I named the teams. So don't try to hold me. I did name the teams. You didn't throw Clippers in there? No one throws Clippers in there. No one throws Clippers into nothing. No one throws Clippers into nothing.

But what's your expectations for Russ on the Clippers? The Clippers. I'm going to just say good luck. And the resume speaks for itself. That's what I'm saying. You look at it and you're like, why the Clippers, bro? It's the Clippers. It's like going to New York.

Why? They have no. Yeah, so it's just like good luck. You feel bad because it's like, why would you put yourself in that situation? But if you rush and get to stay in L.A., you don't got to uproot the family again. Yeah. They don't have to go nowhere. They got to come with us.

They don't have to go anywhere. Yeah. But listen, like, let's just really, like, sit back and think about Russell himself, right? His resume, when you say his resume speaks for itself, this is his resume. KD won an MVP with Russell. Russell has his own MVP, right? James Harden, MVP was with Russell. Beal's best year, Russell.

Paul George, after he averaged two triple-doubles in a row, he took off eight to nine points off his point average for Paul George to take the lead. Paul George's best year, right? So all these number one options actually thrived with Russell. Right. So we're trying to look at the situation that we're in last year and put the blame on him when he went into the situation as a third option. Right. We we all third option. Yeah. OK, cool. Right. Your first two options are not actually playing 50 games, 42 games. 50 games, 42. How the fuck are they supposed to win?

Your best two options are done. They're not playing. And you're wondering why he can't win because he doesn't have the horses. Then we're like, well, when they play together, they don't look together. Because they're not here.