Gil's Arena - Nikola Jokic Just PROVED He's The NBA's Real MVP

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

Nikola Jokic Just PROVED He's The NBA's Real MVP according to Gilbert Arenas as Gil & The Gil's Arena Crew react to the thrilling game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets where Nikol...a Jokic delivered a generational 60 point triple double and proved to everyone that he's the NBA's Best Player. They also react to Shaquille O'Neal saying on Inside The NBA that he would have barbecued Jokic during his prime which sparks a HOSTILE debate inside the arena over if Jokic deserves more love when it comes to his place amongst the NBA's GOATs. Next, they recap another generational performance from an NBA Legend as Steph Curry dropped 50 on the Memphis Grizzlies and showed that he can still carry the Golden State Warriors deep into the NBA Playoffs. They break down the latest comparisons for Cooper Flagg where the Duke Blue Devils' superstar was called the next version of Kevin Love and celebrate Carmelo Anthony for his first ballot selection into the NBA Hall of Fame. Please give us a like and subscribe!!! Gil's Arena Crew - Josiah Johnson, Kenyon Martin, & Rashad McCants Gil's Arena Merch is Available NOW at https://gilsarenamerch.com/ Sign up for Underdog Fantasy HERE with promo code GIL and get up to $1000 in Bonus Credits and A FREE Pick: https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-gil's-arena If you need to hire for your business and want an easier way to find qualified candidates, head to https://ZipRecruiter.com/GIL to try for FREE. USE Code GIL10 for 10% off tickets on SeatGeek https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/GIL10 Find signature comfort in everyday styles at https://MeUndies.com/gil Get 20% off your first order and free shipping with orders over $75+ with code GIL at checkout. Vote Here For The Webby Awards - https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/creators/individual-creator/sports Join the Playback chat to interact with Gil and Josiah https://www.playback.tv/gilbertarenas SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAvjYgmwadC682OoC4Cc6TQ Join the Underdog discord for access to exclusive giveaways and promos! https://discord.gg/underdog 0:00:00 2 Min Countdown 0:02:05 Show Start 0:05:50 Vote For The Webby Awards 0:06:31 Jokic Proves He's The Real MVP 0:29:51 Westbrook Smokes The Game Winning Layup 0:39:13 Are The Timberwolves A Sneaky Playoff Team? 0:50:50 Shaq Says He'd BBQ Jokic 1:05:13 Steph Curry Drops 50 On Memphis 1:13:20 The Grizzlies Blew Up Their Season 1:19:39 Ja's Finger Gun Gesture 1:28:11 Jim Hill Needs A Hair Cut 1:36:32 Cooper Flagg Is The Next Kevin Love 1:55:01 Vote For The Webby Awards 1:56:07 Jabari Parker's Perspective On Being An NBA Bust 2:11:22 Celtics Are Unstoppable on The Road 2:23:37 Vote For The Webby Awards 2:23:49 MostlyFans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi there, I'm Ryan Reynolds, and I have a list of things I like to have on set. It's just little things like two freshly cracked eggs, scrambled with crispy hash brown, sausage crumble, and creamy chipotle sauce from Tim Hortons. From my rider to Tim's menu, try my new scrambled eggs loaded breakfast box. At Starbucks, we serve cold coffee just the way you like it. That refreshing chill of ice. That rich, smooth taste you crave.
Starting point is 00:00:24 That handcrafted care every time. Your summer ritual is ready at Starbucks. Welcome back to Gil's Arena presented by Underdog. Whoa, whoa! As you can see, we're a little light today. Gil was out in Brooklyn, McDonald's All-American game, watching his son Elijah. I'm sure a lot of y'all watched the game,
Starting point is 00:00:43 saw him sitting courtside next to Carlos Boozer. Had a flight coming back this morning that was delayed. That's why we don't fuck with New York like that. No, I'm just kidding. We got a crew here today. We're going to keep the show rolling in guilt spirit. See if he gets here before the show is over.
Starting point is 00:01:00 On this side of the couch, we got the man known as Cemetery Larry Rashad McCants back of the couch. We got the man known as cemetery Larry Rashad McCance back in the arena And over here the distinguished gentleman from Oak Cliff former number one pick Kenya Martin is back with us Then you should feel empty that how y'all feeling we good like Good to go? For sure. Well, for all the fans out there, we still got two viewing options for you. Our traditional version, mobile vertical version.
Starting point is 00:01:29 Pick which one you want to watch. Just make sure you support the show. Here's what's cracking in the arena today. Jokic messed around and dropped a 60-point triple-double in the Nuggets' double overtime loss to the Wolves. What impact will this performance have on the MVP race? Right now, Shea has a 95% chance of winning the MVP, according to Polymarket. We'll see if Jokic can do anything in these final games to tighten up that race a little bit.
Starting point is 00:01:54 Steph gave the Grizzlies a 52-piece to move the Warriors into the fourth spot in the conference. Should the rest of the West be scared to see the Dubs in the playoffs? And Minnesota, 12-3 in their last 15 games. And moving up in the West, do we need to start putting some more respect on the Wolves' name? Before we get into all that, as always, this show is brought to you by Underdog. Go ahead, download the app. Use promo code GIL. Get up to $1,000 of bonus cash, plus a special pick-em.
Starting point is 00:02:17 As for tonight, Rashad has some picks up in his partner pack on the Underdog app. Let's take a look if we can, please. You got Mark Williams higher, 10.5 rebounds. Hornets taking on the Pacers gap let's take a look if we can please you got mark williams higher 10.5 rebounds hornets taking on the pacers it's a bonus higher 33.5 points rebounds taking on the wizards trey young higher 14.5 rebounds plus assist and a.d on the way anthony davis i think he's gonna drop a double double tonight against the Hawks. If you roll with this partner pack, get 18.5 times your bread. Mm-hmm.
Starting point is 00:02:50 Feeling good about it? Shit. Look at it. Look at it. Shit. Look at it. AD ain't going nowhere. He done getting a double-double tonight.
Starting point is 00:02:57 AD's been doing his thing. I think, Maz, we're 4-0 since you come back. Been balling. Trying to stay in the playoff hunt. Kane, how you feeling about these picks tonight? Rebounds. I would have threw some assists in there for some bonus. But, yeah, Trae Young go past.
Starting point is 00:03:19 Yeah, that's, yeah. Trae Young might have 15 assists. Yeah, he had that last night. You never know. Those are the type of pickups that I like rocking with. Yeah, I would have done assists in there too with Sabonis, but no, other than that, no, it's good shit. He's doing his thing.
Starting point is 00:03:34 So we asked to chat. They're playing Washington, so shit. But he can go either way there. No, they gave up 162 points about a week ago. No, no, no. They gave up 162 points in a 48-minute NBA game, man. So we asked the chat if they're riding or fading with your picks tonight, Rashad. 60% of the chat riding with these picks.
Starting point is 00:03:53 If you like these picks, go ahead and ride with them as well. Download the Underdog app. Use promo code KILL. Yeah, let's go. Get $1,000 in bonus cash plus a special pick-em. And if you can't watch this show live with us on YouTube, we have audio versions available on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:04:07 So got some exciting news to announce. Wish Gil was here to see it. But the namesake of our show, Gilbert Arenas, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Creator Sports category. You can go ahead and support Gil by voting for him in the link in the chat. Voting is opening until Thursday, April 17th.
Starting point is 00:04:26 Gil's Arena was also honored in the podcast sports category, meaning we made the top seven instead of the top five. Next year, they'll recognize us after this million subscriber milestone. But still, we appreciate you, Webby, for the acknowledgement. Good to be in the top seven. We ain't got nowhere to go but up. But go vote for Gil. The link be in the top seven. We ain't got nowhere to go but up. But go vote for Gil. The link is in the chat. Voting is open until April 17th. So we got a lot to get into today,
Starting point is 00:04:51 but we're just going to get right to it. I know y'all all saw the game of the night last night, but we had two phenomenal performances. But let's start with the biggest one. We just witnessed one of the wildest games and legendary performances in recent memory Tuesday night. Nuggets and Wolves have something like a rivalry brewing with two straight playoff meetings with Ant-Man and his crew getting their get-back last season in that seven-game series. So before their game Tuesday night, Michael Malone had this to say about the Wolves and their five-game winning streak over the Nuggets. It's easy to say, we've got to do something different.
Starting point is 00:05:23 Well, we also just have to play a hell of a lot harder. I think they've approached these games like it's a rivalry, and I think we've approached these games like it's another game sometimes. And one of my coaches, Andrew Munson, this is his scout, he says that after every time we play them, because I've watched their last five to seven games, and they never play as hard as they do against us. And you can sense that.
Starting point is 00:05:44 You can notice it. So you throw everything else out the window. This team's beaten us five games in a row, and hopefully that can resonate within our guys and we can come out with the proper mindset tomorrow. Does that mean it is? So that's what you call some damn good foreshadowing. Nuggets were missing two of their starters, Michael Porter Jr.
Starting point is 00:06:07 and Jamal Murray, both sidelined. And the Wolves were shorthanded with Nas Reed and Dante DiVincenzo serving their one-game suspensions for that not-a-fight against the Pistons. Something like a fight? No. Scuffle. A scuffle altercation. But that didn't stop Ant-Man and Joker from giving the basketball world a show. Let's take a look at the highlights.
Starting point is 00:06:27 So Jokic, generational performance, dropping a career-high 61 points along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his league-leading 32nd triple-double this season. He was 18 for 29 from the field, 6 for 11 from three, 19 to 24 from the line. Just a third 60-point triple-double in league history, joining Luka and Harden as the only other players to accomplish the line. Just the third 60-point triple-double in league history, joining Luka and Harden as the only other players to accomplish the feat. Jokic played 53 minutes in the game, including the entire second half in both overtimes.
Starting point is 00:06:52 Aaron Gordon added 30 points, 8 rebounds and 5 dimes, and Christian Brown had 18 and 12 boards and 3 steals. So Ant-Man only had 12 points after the first three quarters but exploded in the fourth with 13 points, including a stretch where he scored 8 straight to give the Wolves the lead and fourth with 13 points, including a stretch where he scored eight straight to give the Wolves the lead and finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
Starting point is 00:07:09 Julius Randle had 26-9-7, and Rudy Gobert added 19-12 before fouling out in the fourth quarter. So Jokic hit two free throws with 13.9 seconds remaining in the regulation. Julius Randle had a chance to win the game but missed his three, sending it to the first overtime. Wolves had several opportunities to put the game away but the Nuggets kept coming back. Jokic hit a floater over Anthony Edwards with 7.3 seconds left to tie it
Starting point is 00:07:31 up at 125 in the first overtime and in the second overtime things got wild. See right here Ant, the big bucket to give the Timberwolves a one-point lead. But Aaron Gordon came right back, and Jokic had a chance to put the Nuggets up by two, missed the front end of a pair of free throws. That's when this happened. Westbrook stole the inbound pass, proceeded to trick off the layup, but it only got worse for Westbrook. Nuggets came back down. Nikhil Alexander-Walker had a three-point attempt to try and win the
Starting point is 00:08:06 game. Missed the shot, but was fouled on the play. Alexander-Walker, the first cousin of Shea Gildas Alexander, was rocking SGA signature shoes, knocked down two of his three free throws to seal the win for the Wolves. It was just the third double overtime game this season. Wolves got their sixth straight win over the nuggets including the 2024 playoffs ah but oh wild game everybody thought it was wild let's take a look at what ant-man had to say after the game that might have been the best game of my life like that i've been a part of. Nicola Yogers, bro. Oh, my God. He might be the best basketball player I've ever seen, like, close up,
Starting point is 00:08:54 besides myself to myself. He's incredible, bro. The MVP race is tough. I don't know. He had 60. That was crazy. So we talked about the MVP race a few weeks ago before the Nuggets took on the Thunder back-to-back games, and Gil said Jokic was due for a MFU, this is my trophy type of game.
Starting point is 00:09:14 I think the numbers we threw out were 40, 20, 15. That were the numbers that were thrown out. A few days after we did that show, Jokic had 31, 21, and 22 against the Suns, and now he's the third player in league history with a 60-point triple-double. And honestly, who gives a fuck if the Nuggets lost? They lost, Joker won. But we also got to talk about SGA. SGA just named Player of the Month for March after averaging 35.7 assists, four rebounds, while leading the Thunder to a 15-1 record. Kane, you had some thoughts in the group chat while the game was going
Starting point is 00:09:44 on. How much does Jokic's 60-point triple-double move the needle for him in the MVP race? I don't know if it move it, but it definitely doesn't solidify for Shea like people have been thinking.
Starting point is 00:09:56 Like, play of the month is great, but historical performances, man, don't go unnoticed. This is the shit I was talking about with Stephen A, right? He already got shade
Starting point is 00:10:07 I'm voting for shade. Like how can you all how can you say that? When guys come out have performance like this in a meaningful game and they like they played the Wizards he went out and had 60 point triple-double no like They needed every bit of that in order to be competitive in that game So how can people that vote that vote for the MVP already have their mind made up, you know It's bias Because you cannot sit there and tell me man that this This man not the best player in the NBA man, right and it's proven it
Starting point is 00:10:43 Each game like shea do something I'm gonna do like and I don't think he's doing it consciously he's not going out there like I'm finna go score 60 tonight like no it's coming within the confines of what we do and yeah man I'm great damn performance, great game. Man, I'm the biggest Russ fan, dog. I've always took up for him, and no matter what nobody had to say. Talk about it, man. We got to talk about it. We're going to go in depth on Russ in a second. There ain't nothing bad about it, man. We gotta talk about it. We're gonna go in depth on wrestling in a
Starting point is 00:11:27 second. Ain't nothing bad about it. It happens. It happens, man, but you would come on, man. You can't compound it, dawg. Boom, boom. And only he can, because when it's bad for him, it's bad. Brain is poor, but God, damn. But Joker, Mr. Frito, that really started it. Mr. Fr, Mr. Free throw that really. Mr. Free, but still. Really started it. The Avalanche.
Starting point is 00:11:48 But, you know, you know Russ gonna get all the blame for everything that happened. No, it was multiple plays. Not any, but in that case, right, with the layup, I ain't saying you gotta dunk it. You gotta make sure that ball go through that basket, man.
Starting point is 00:12:04 You gotta fucking slow down. whatever you got to do, if you're going to take that layup, because it was still 11 seconds to go in the game, so you couldn't just dribble it all the way out. Because that's a lot of time left still. But the performance itself, man, for Nikola, I don't want to harp on what Wes... Yeah, we're going to talk about Wes in a second.
Starting point is 00:12:21 But we got on Anthony Edwards a few months, a couple months ago about the way he praised Shay, right? These words are different, right? These words are... Very animated in your... Yeah, these words are different than those words that you used when you was talking about Shay. So, yeah, we agree with you with this one, young fella. Like, yeah. So, over the side of the couch shot,
Starting point is 00:12:46 Joker, obviously I remember that episode, I believe it was March 5th, March 4th, we talked about it. You and Gil in agreement that it was coming. And we've seen a few of those games from Joker leading up to this. But now this 60-point triple-double, obviously only him, Harden, Luka able to have it in the history of the league. We can't count Wilt.
Starting point is 00:13:02 I'm sure Wilt has done it before, but some of those stats weren't official at that point when he was hooping. But to see Joker do this, national TV, inside the NBA, Shaq talking shit before the game, what does it mean for him in this MVP race? I don't think we should even be talking about the MVP race more than just the performance itself. I think we get away from the enthusiast side of the game
Starting point is 00:13:30 and we want to really enjoy someone's performance, right? We start padding the stats of the conversation around what he's going to accomplish statistically instead of just watching how skilled he is. Like he's saying, like we never, I ain't going to say we never, but is. Like he's saying, like we never, I ain't gonna say we never, but the way that he's doing it night in, night out, and this is what's impressive.
Starting point is 00:13:51 So you got two men down and you look around and you say, who's gonna be my next man up? Aaron Gore is gonna have to step up. Yeah. Brown, you're gonna, we don't know what you're gonna give us, but you're gonna give us something, okay? Was it Watson?
Starting point is 00:14:08 Yeah. But we know that Joker, he got to increase his production. And this is what I say about OKC. If Jalen Brown go down, Chet go down, is he going to give us 45 a game? Is it going to go up to 10 assists? It doesn't look that way right and I say that even for the promotion of the MVP race you still got to give onus to the
Starting point is 00:14:31 guys who are playing well just just playing well and that's what he said he said I'm playing the best basketball in my life and we're overlooking it because of a race or whoever we want to promote. And this guy's not getting enough promotion. He just has 60-10-10. It ain't all over the... Because you know what? We be promoting the Lake Show. We promote the step, all the stuff that's popular.
Starting point is 00:14:58 But Joker can be essential for the NBA if they do it the right way and they start showing these skillful performances to be more than just that stat padding and triple doubles It's this dude took his team and took him all the way to double overtime Do you think that's anything to do with Joker and just how he approaches the game? Right seems like a dude. Hey, it's just my day job. I'm not really tripping I'm trying to get back to these horses in Serbia If he was advertising himself here if he had a shoe company that was putting his fucking face
Starting point is 00:15:25 and images on billboards and shit that people don't like, things like that matter. But he's not into that. So I'm going to let my play, like you said, this is day job, I'm going to let my play
Starting point is 00:15:36 and my job speak for itself. Yeah. Right? Does your job very well. I do my job very well. And if he said something like Ant said something, it would be better for his advertising.
Starting point is 00:15:46 Because him saying shit, I ain't seen since me. We'd be like, hey. We want him to say that. We want him to have that confidence. You reflect that. Yeah, we want him to have that confidence. You reflect that. And I like the reflection of that for him.
Starting point is 00:16:01 Well, we're going to say it for you, big fella. Hey, motherfucker, he's really goddamn good, man. And we've had this SGA Joker conversation, even myself. Like, look, I'm an SGA fan. He was the Gils Arena MVP last year. I've seen that before. But you can't deny what Jokic is doing right now. I've seen that before.
Starting point is 00:16:18 I mean. I've seen what Shea did. I've seen that before. But Joker, top five points, rebounds, assists, steals. And steals, yes. And that's the most important. Top five. Top five. Bro, that's insane, bro. Top two or three of some of those guys. Seven foot. Well, Joker, top five points, rebounds, assists, steals. And steals, yes. And that's the most important. Top five. Top five.
Starting point is 00:16:26 Bro, that's insane, bro. Top two or three in some of those categories. Seven foot. Well, actually, top three, actually. Yeah. It is top three. If you want to get technical about it, fuck top five. He's top three in those five categories.
Starting point is 00:16:37 In those four categories. Four categories. I mean, those four categories. And then also three-point percentage you got to throw in there as well. Bro, dumb. Free throw percentage. We ain't saying field goal percentage. Free throw, three-point. Is it field goal? All of it. Come on, man. Throw it. All of it. Look at it. Rating, offensive rating. percentage you got to throw in there as well with oh dumb free throw we say a field three pro all
Starting point is 00:16:46 of it come on man throw it all of it look at the offensive rating look at it look at it bro the man is it's a big time man he not getting enough credit man yeah we heard i heard you before the game shack yeah you would score 40 but he would also have a triple double so we're gonna talk about that too you know you know know, we got a lot of things. But it is essential to understand that Joker needs pieces around him like Steph needs pieces around him. Like LeBron needs pieces around him.
Starting point is 00:17:14 The cog in the machine don't work if there's perfect pieces to it. Now you've got to understand he's been forging these pieces around him so that he can have this option. But elevating these pieces as well. Of course. Aaron Gordon, 30-piece.
Starting point is 00:17:27 But these guys fell into place. That boy was feeling himself. He shot that three. That's what I'm saying. Pull up on the break. Boy, that's better go in. It's better go in. I'll say, boy, you feeling yourself.
Starting point is 00:17:39 30-piece any other night, we'd be talking about that as well. But obviously, Joker doubled that up. He had made some big shots, up. They needed it, though. They needed it. He had made some big shots, man. He made some big plays. You got players like that, like Aaron Gordon, Brown, like guys that can actually want to move without the ball and score without the ball.
Starting point is 00:17:57 Like, Joker's going to thrive. They're going to thrive. But if you got a guy that's actually going to want the ball and play with Joker. And elevate. You elevate the time on your squad. I think SGA does that as well. But SGA obviously playing with the all-star in Jalen Williams this year.
Starting point is 00:18:10 Joker has never played with an all-star. We can say Jamal Murray has put up seasons. Jamal Murray is better than Jalen Williams. Jamal Murray is an all-star caliber player that ain't got the benefit of the coaches putting him in. Is Jalen Williams the same as MPJ? In terms of production? No, not production.
Starting point is 00:18:30 Just player. Player. Player to player. I wouldn't match Jalen with Jamal Murray. I would say Jamal's proven to be a better player, more clutch player. More clutch. And I say between MPJ getting the money he got and Jalen being an all-star, I think it's right there.
Starting point is 00:18:47 You know what I'm saying? I think that's the turnover right there. But if they meet in the playoffs, I'm going with Denver. Interesting. We talked about it, but 60-point triple-double, but it's in a loss. Does that do anything for you? No. No, it don't mean nothing.
Starting point is 00:19:04 Because if you didn't watch the game, most people would be like, they won the game. They won that game. They won that game for sure. We understand what we watched. Yes, we watched it. So we, as hoopers, put it in perspective, right? Yeah, they fucked it up.
Starting point is 00:19:19 So for me, I'm just shaking my head, man, as it's going on. I'm like, oh, come on. I'm on the phone with KJ. KJ's like, nah, don't do it. I'm like, yeah. We got to give credit to the Timberwolves for taking it. You know what I'm saying? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:35 You're going to give it to me. I'm going to take it. Absolutely. And Ed was in the fourth. That's huge. Hey, Ed was in the first overtime. Hey, Ed showed a lot of, like, takeover Kobe. It felt like he wanted to take the game over.
Starting point is 00:19:51 Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And the shots were clean. They were fluid. They were not bad shots. You know, he wasn't, like, searching for, like, by any means. He was like, get to my spot. And I seen that.
Starting point is 00:20:04 And that's when coaching kicked in. Michael Malone was like, you know. Yeah, double that man right away. We gonna run. See, that's why I love coaching. He messed that up. I'm gonna ask y'all about that.
Starting point is 00:20:12 I seen that. We were talking about that. Final player regulation. He get doubled. He get the Julius Randle. We were talking about that. I love coaching. You're not gonna beat us.
Starting point is 00:20:19 What would you have done? What would you have done? Well, then, I'm gonna run at him. For the Timberwolves. You're the Timberwolves. You're the Timberwolves. You got seven on the clock. Yeah, there's nothing you can do.
Starting point is 00:20:27 Seven on the clock. You don't run the play for Ant Edwards to catch the ball because they're going to double right away. Yes. You give it to the point. I agree. You let him come off for the last shot. Yeah. So now you don't give it to Julius Randle for him to throw it here for that shot.
Starting point is 00:20:45 So it's like Julius is supposed to make the play, but they wanted it for him. He shot the first one. The second one, he froze. Yes, he did. Fuck that. You shoot it. He didn't even look. He didn't even look.
Starting point is 00:20:58 I just missed. Fuck that. Here you go. Not again. I swear. Not again. He was like, yo, why didn't he drive it? Yeah, not again because he could have went left because he wasn't able to vote.
Starting point is 00:21:07 For sure. You can get to your money down here, you motherfucking here. You just did it two possessions before. Yes, thank you. Yes, you just laid it. I'm thinking like, go. He's like, uh-uh. Not again.
Starting point is 00:21:17 So you go miss it. You got it. Yo, you go miss it. That's how they do in the league. Uh-uh. Two seconds on the shot clock. Shoot it. That's how they do in the league. Two seconds on the shot clock. Shoot it. He got the ball with four and could have drove that bitch and threw it to him with two. Damn.
Starting point is 00:21:33 Does Wolf not having that other guy to be able to step up and do that concern y'all at all when you just look at that squad? I mean, you think about the Nuggets. You got Jamal Murray who can do it. Joker even. I want to say that first overtime two-point game, just backed Ant down. Easy bucket. I'm watching like that's the effort y'all giving right now?
Starting point is 00:21:50 The game, because Anthony, see, the thing is with it, Julius Reynolds had to play that way because they had five fouls. Yeah. Yeah. And you had no fouls. You finished the game with one foul. Yeah. So you got to give a little more effort in that case, right?
Starting point is 00:22:04 Joker, five fouls too. Five fouls. So I said it give a little more effort in that case, right? You're up to five fouls, too. Five fouls. He out there. So I said it the other day, right? And people thought I was crazy. When the game on the line, did you see Nicola out there moving them puppies?
Starting point is 00:22:13 Absolutely. I keep telling people, dog, when it's on the line, watch this man, dog. This man competitive. He out there up on the screen. He was definitely up there. Up, level of the screen.
Starting point is 00:22:26 Like, you got to pass this ball. Yes, get it out of hands hands out of you Just hold me up. Yep, and I School back to school shit. I know I'll be fucking with the Lakers about Nicola. What he be doing your business purpose. No, but no We're gonna go better wake up in his from goddamn Nightmares, bro saying this may dog. He should have nightmares about this man. Yeah Very telling no go bear first second overtime. We got a why why wasn't it shit fuck is the reason think about what he? He was doing last night Shaq used to do guys in the league with the deep position just throw her just throw it and I'm gonna catch it and I'm
Starting point is 00:23:09 Right up and I'm gonna lay position and he's hitting him with the guard So that's the hardest thing as a big the guard and Rudy been doing it for so long. So if you can do it on him Ain't nobody got a chance. Just do it. Like Shaxs said, he's just going, yeah, man, you use that against him, run, seal right in the middle of the paint, that's for the ball. As soon as I get it, I'm just going right up because you ain't expecting me to shoot it. And you got to foul me. That's what's going on. And he can shoot free throws if we can get him a little bit more consistent down the stretch
Starting point is 00:23:41 because he could have put the game away. So we asked the chat, who is your MVP? 58% of the chat say Jokic right now, but. Because that's coming off of last night.
Starting point is 00:23:51 Yeah, exactly. I mean, obviously, last night has a lot to do it. You talked about the Westbrook stuff, so let's get a little bit. Hold on, we got to give credit
Starting point is 00:23:56 to Walker for, you know, down the stretch. Corner three. To kill Alexander Walker. He actually came through for them more than anybody on the team,
Starting point is 00:24:04 so we got to give him credit, too. I want to say. Shea Cousin. Yeah, the corner three. Anthony Edwards made a random play. Got him off the ball. He was in the corner for the three. He played 45 minutes at 26 points.
Starting point is 00:24:13 Off the bench. He hit some big shots. He played 45 minutes off the bench. He played 45 minutes off the bench. He was great. Nobody else on the bench played more than 12 minutes. He came in and played. He was crazy.
Starting point is 00:24:20 He was really good. He was great. He played 45, 26, 7 rebounds, 8 assists. Big minutes. big time. Rocking the Shays. Rocking the Shays, Converse, and it's a little poetic just that he's the one. He had the crucial play when Bron stole it when he didn't come to the ball. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:24:36 It was a lot of plays, man, that was made by both teams and not made by both teams that definitely affected the outcome. Yeah. But a great basketball game for basketball enthusiasts and fans of it, man. We're talking about ratings decline and all that stuff. Like we have too amazing a game. But a lot of people on the East Coast
Starting point is 00:25:00 probably didn't get to see it. They're in a bed already, but. And the glaring thing was both teams played hard. Both teams played hard. Even though Rudy didn't play good, he was trying to play hard. And then you think about Nas and DiVincenzo being in that
Starting point is 00:25:16 game, and then you think about Murray and P.J. being there. Full goal, and they playing hard like that. No lethargic-ass bullshit. Think about that seven-game series. Right, that should be something they was looking at, both of those two guys. And they playing hard like that right no lethargic ass bullshit like that Game series right that's good. He said he was looking at both of those two guys MPJ and Murray should have been looking like yeah, we got to bring this when we come back. We can't drop from this Yeah, I was I was
Starting point is 00:25:40 Yeah Tuned in man, and I was I was I didn't watch most of the like first quarter It was but I watched the majority of the game, and I'm like, yo, this is that intensity that you need when it means something. And Michael Malone challenged his team through media. I'm pretty sure he challenged them
Starting point is 00:25:58 in the locker room. And they rose to the challenge. And that's what you expect from a team who you have three-time MVP, finals MVP, champion, this, that, and the third. That's what you expect from them. For them to rise to the occasion and for the team to follow his lead. And they did that. So I'm excited for the playoffs. Whoever's going to line up, whoever matching up, I'm excited for the playoffs. Whoever is going to line up, whoever matching up, I'm excited for the playoffs.
Starting point is 00:26:27 You talk about that Western Conference playoffs, obviously we know Thunder got the top spot locked up, but beyond that, Rockets pretty much got number two locked up. But every night now, it's flipping and flopping and jumping. Right now we got a Lakers-Warriors matchup at the 4-5. We'll see what ends up happening, but we talked a little bit about early this week. be a lot of ducking going on team trying to get that ideal matchup That's right for them
Starting point is 00:26:50 We go see better think things in these these last few weeks of the season What do teams want to do that cuz they don't what you're gonna face somebody Said you got but you got but you get a little more momentum on your team. I would not want to play Nicola Yogurt in the first round. I don't give a fuck what team I am. I don't want to play him, period. I don't want to play him, but I definitely don't want to. I want to get myself.
Starting point is 00:27:16 Let me get a little more out of this first round. We learned how to win four games in a series, right? It's going to hurt either way. Either way. It's going to hurt. Right. But I don't want... Take me out early.
Starting point is 00:27:27 Let me go home. Let me go home. I've got a couple rounds of playoff checks to get, man. Hey, I've got a couple rounds of playoff checks to get, man. Let me collect a little bit. I need these two rounds of playoff checks. You want the easiest matchup, or at least what you believe to be the easiest matchup possible
Starting point is 00:27:43 in that first round. None of that shit is going to be easy. Right. The most favorable matchup, or at least what you believe to be the easiest matchup possible in that first round. None of that shit going to be easy. Right. The most favorable matchup for your squad. Listen, one thing, I don't care who Oklahoma City play in the first round. It ain't going to be easy. You can't think that shit right now. I can tell you that shit right now.
Starting point is 00:27:54 We here. It's going to be a dogfight. We trying to take it. We don't care about that 15-game lead. It ain't going to be that last year Minnesota-Phoenix situation where they go in and bring the broom out. It ain't going to be none of that shit this year, I don't believe. Yeah, I don't think anybody care about that 15-game lead. Not at all.
Starting point is 00:28:10 Right now, and it's going to be a dogfight. So let's go. We talked about Westbrook a little bit. Let's go back to what became the two-game deciding plays. We got that clipped off. Like I said, Westbrook comes up with a huge steal past the Christian Brown. Brown gives it back to him. He smoked the layup.
Starting point is 00:28:27 And I love Russ, UCLA guy. He smoked it. He was going too fast when he caught it. And then comes back down. Just fly by him, Russ. Yeah, it was a foul, but, you know. Just fly by him, man. On this angle, I mean, he definitely gets him.
Starting point is 00:28:44 Yeah, that's what I mean. You don't need them coming at you. But he's selling. Nikhil Alexander-Walker already selling and falling over before contact's even made. We all know, man, you don't put yourself in that situation for a game. Yeah. And Russ been around too long.
Starting point is 00:28:57 Hey, man, he got to hit that. But that's also coming off of the foul on the jump ball where they called it on, I think, Daniels. It was, but that's what I'm saying. Both of those, like... No, but that was a foul. That was. I thought they called it on... Yeah. Randall.
Starting point is 00:29:14 Holden. Yeah, but... But Joker, like y'all pointed out, missed the free throw, so put the nuggets up one, could have put them up two. So that Russ layup, if it happened like it happened, would have put them up four, sealed the rust layup if it happened like it happened would have put him up for sealed the game But he makes that layup puts him up three obviously we'll still have a chance to come back
Starting point is 00:29:30 Tie the game but as Russ was leaving the court he got into what a fan and again Yeah, see this. Yeah, let's speak on it. Talk about that for you got it I mean, I was gonna say got into a fan system meeting a priest by the fact the fair play something We saw him turn around immediately No, you can't do that. Like I'm I'm immediately. No, you can't do that, Russ. I'm with you, but you can't do it, Russ. You know why he did it? They just watched you.
Starting point is 00:29:52 He was guilty. You guilty as hell, Russ. Whatever he said, you did it, bro. Hit dogs will holler. I say it all the time, dog. Hit dogs will holler. He immediately turns like what? But y'all been in that position that Hooper where something goes down it's like this is the time to say anything to me it is not
Starting point is 00:30:13 Absolutely, I said I get it. Yeah, but I get it. Let's go to the locker room. Yeah He never was not a he knew walking down that he knew he was gonna hear something I got a little spirit just full sprint straight to the leg Yeah, you gotta get you gotta eat that in that moment Yeah, you gotta take that whatever they said you gotta take that and keep it fucking pushing bro. Right you right, bro Hey, hey, my thing is like I said, you gotta make With the layup because it was still 10 11 seconds to go on the clock in the game, which is an eternity in this situation. You got to make sure you get that ball in that basket, man.
Starting point is 00:30:52 Like, it wasn't close. It wasn't close to making that motherfucker. That's the thing. Russ might have had a most smoked layup. Like, that wasn't close with the game. Like, you got to at least get that motherfucker up on the rim. Oh, he got to dunk. If you scared, I'm just saying, jump up that drop that in bruh you rushed they was already
Starting point is 00:31:09 thinking you was gonna smash that anyway dunk it yeah i mean two hand dunk that emphatic dunk at least get some momentum going back on the next wing off that if you're not feeling like you got it like that's what i mean keep it and you pass it to him and let him finish it you keep he keep he gave it away right away so he could get it back. Yes, and that's why. That's why I said he was going too fast when he got it back. I seen it right away. I was like, oh, shit, he going too fast.
Starting point is 00:31:33 Which he has a tendency to do. He can't compound it. He plays fast. And then he jumped too far out. He jumped way too far out. He was like, oh, no. When you got the ball that long in the air. Big steal.
Starting point is 00:31:43 Strong hand. He got the strong steal. He was playing on the other end. Huge steal. Sugar the shit. And then that long in the air. Big steal. Strong hand. He got the strong steal. Huge play on the other end. Huge steal. Sugar the shit. And then two bad ones in a row. Sugar the shit immediately. After the game, Coach Malone supported his former MVP guard with these comments.
Starting point is 00:31:57 I would think, generally speaking, that's the case. You know, a guy that's been through so much. More experiences to draw from. But I also know who Russell Westbrook is, and he's a guy that hates to lose. So he may not want to hear any of that stuff because he's a perfectionist and he's a competitor. And knowing the way I do,
Starting point is 00:32:22 he's probably going to put a lot of this on him, but we lost tonight. The Denver Nuggets, we as a collective group, lost the game tonight, not one player. Yeah. But if you're in a moment like that, and you guys have probably experienced it at some point in your careers, but do you take accountability in that moment?
Starting point is 00:32:38 Look, it was on me. Absolutely. As soon as you get in that bitch, absolutely. Is it obvious? Yeah. You know, you have to. It is fucking obvious. I'm not going to shout.
Starting point is 00:32:49 I was with them tonight. Junkie, you would have made that free, though. No, I'm just kidding. I was with them. Hey, fellas. For me, all night, man. That's me, man. We would have gotten him up before he got in all night, man.
Starting point is 00:33:01 I owe y'all the present or something, man. Yo, that's... Lucky that ain't a playoff game. Yeah, for sure. Can owe y'all the credit or something, man. Look at that in the playoffs, man. Yeah, for sure. Can everybody understand? He didn't build up enough equity the way he played the game. Yeah. He made a lot of game-winning plays. He did a lot during that game.
Starting point is 00:33:16 And it all gets wiped away. So we can't negate what he did up to that point, man. He's fucked up. Listen, man. I threw the fucking ball away in the playoffs. Out of bounds play. It fucking happens, bro. So you...
Starting point is 00:33:31 Yeah, you gotta... It is. You gotta own it. But you... How did you feel about that out of bounds play when you were running it? No. So the thing is,
Starting point is 00:33:40 I vouched for the... I went and told... Because we threw the ball the way the game before. Yeah. I can do it better. I got it. Right? I got it.
Starting point is 00:33:52 Let me do it. Let me do it. I'll show you. Hey, that's the worst one, too. In you, fucker. Hey, but guess what? The motherfucking coach called the same play. That's what I... Yeah, I know. We've talked about it up. Hey, but guess what? The motherfucking coach called the same play.
Starting point is 00:34:05 And that's why, yeah, I know we've talked about it on the show before. So you hear that same play being called in this life. It's like, ah, yes. And as soon as it's, I'm like, come on. Okay. You set me up. Youngin', get open. Hey, I'm looking at you like, get open.
Starting point is 00:34:20 Well, the thing about Russ is, though, like, we've seen him, you know, he's played, he had levels of play where he plays reckless. He did so many great things during the game. Man, he might smoke one. Smoke one. Like, ah, catch that bitch off his foot. Off his rebound. Some shit.
Starting point is 00:34:37 Ah, Russ! Yeah. How'd it hit the back of the backboard? Yeah. You shot from this side. So, I was watching inside the NBA post-game show, and they said Russ shouldn't have went and shot that layup. He should have pulled it out and tried to run some clock.
Starting point is 00:34:51 But I'm thinking, all right, when you do that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's part of it. Smart-wise, if you're thinking about it, he's at his bench too. They caught the ball by his bench. Yeah. So you pull it out. I mean,
Starting point is 00:35:05 that's the smart, savvy play to make. Six and one half does another, dog. It's six and one. He could have dribbled it out, absolutely. And he could have dribbled that bitch and then motherfucking kicked that bitch out of bounds right off his foot, right? Just trying to do that.
Starting point is 00:35:21 Because one thing we've seen, we've seen him do that before as well when the game on the line dribbling too fast and a bitch kick off his foot We've seen that so you could have He could have dunked the bitch. He could have did a lot of things he could but what what he did We just didn't go in you take the two right on my trip. Yes, you take the two points to go up three I'm so watching it, do you think that his reaction or
Starting point is 00:35:47 anybody's reaction in that moment should be upset at yourself? Should it be something that like I fucked up type shit? Yeah. Because the way he handled it is like the way anybody who makes mistakes handles it. Man, I ain't even thinking about
Starting point is 00:36:03 that shit. Next play. He's thinking ahead. Next play. I fucked up. Yeah, but then? Then it, that's what I'm saying. So then it carries over to the tunnel.
Starting point is 00:36:16 And now we know it bothers you. Now we know you are putting on a face right there. You got to let that shit out so we know it was okay. You didn't really want that to happen. But missed layup, if he comes back, doesn't foul, and they kill Alexander Walker, he just misses the shot, you win the game, everybody forgets about it. Yeah, absolutely. It's just ha ha ha.
Starting point is 00:36:33 Ha ha ha, you smoked the shit out there. Now smoke a layup and damn. That cost us the game. Three free throws. The smoke didn't cost us the game. The foul cost us the game. Right. Because if he missed the free throws, we still in good.
Starting point is 00:36:48 He made one. It's cool. You get another chance. Exactly. But the man is like, damn, Russ. He probably just said, damn, Russ. No. Damn, Russ.
Starting point is 00:36:57 What the fuck you mean? What the fuck you mean, damn, Russ? Damn, West Brick, you cost us the game or some shit. And they got his reaction. Unfortunate, man. Oh, man, I love. And they got his reaction. Unfortunate, man. Oh, man, I love Trigger. I get it. Motherfucker boy.
Starting point is 00:37:08 I understand it, man. We all done been there, bro. Some shit don't go our way, and the motherfucking fan just pushed that right button in that right moment. It's the best. It's the best. We asked the chat, is it obvious? 84% said yes. Woo! 84. I was expecting it obvious? 84% said yes. Woo!
Starting point is 00:37:25 84%. I was expecting it to be a little bit higher. But let's talk a little bit about this Timberwolves squad. They deserve a lot of love for being able to pull off this win. 12-3 in their last 15 games. Half game behind the Warriors for the fifth spot. Have the sixth best defensive rating in the league, ninth best offensive rating.
Starting point is 00:37:41 How much faith do you have in this Timberwolves squad to get out the first round? None. Absolutely none. They playing so good right now, though. Where they at right now? They are, I believe, sixth. Let me double check for you.
Starting point is 00:37:53 I mean, they going on the road. Or seventh, excuse me, but. I mean, they going on the road. They're tied with the Grizzlies right now. I think Grizzlies on the tiebreaker. So they're both 44 and 32. Warriors are 44 and 31. And the Lakers over there are 46-29.
Starting point is 00:38:05 So Lakers have a two and a half game lead over them for the fourth spot. But half game separating Warriors and Timberwolves. If you game plan and take the ball out and hands like they was doing, I don't know who else they're going to rely on. So I don't know.
Starting point is 00:38:22 Who they second best player? Is it supposed to be Julius Randle? Mm-hmm. I don't know who they, who's their second best player? Is it supposed to be Julius Randle? Mm-hmm. All NBA. Not right now. Have been, yes, but I'm not. No, I don't trust them, don't believe in them.
Starting point is 00:38:45 And the way it's panning out right now, like I think perfect world, you get the Lakers-Warriors first round. You get the Nuggets-Wolves first round. I mean, I'm looking at the Wolves and just by that game last night, let's just say that sums up their regular season, that game last night.
Starting point is 00:39:03 And you add Nas and you add DiVincenzo and they still don't have Cat. Cat was an essential part of that team because he did so many things beyond score. So you look at Juve and you say Juve sometimes is very inconsistent. Very inconsistent with his play and his rebounding. And that's a thing that they needed because they were at a dominant front court. So now, even Chinzo being inconsistent, you got Walker, you got McDaniels. You know, they haven't upped their offensive performance enough to solidify some type of dominance in the West. So they just kind of like the Knicks in the West. So they just kinda, they're kinda like the Knicks
Starting point is 00:39:47 of the West, they just kinda trying to figure out where they can get in and sustain something, but I don't think they got, getting out of the first round, depending on who they match up with, they could be out for sure. Yeah. I like Anthony Elfers. I like his competitive drive.
Starting point is 00:40:09 I like his confidence. I love his approach. He needs help. Yeah. He needs help. Yeah. And I'm a big Nas Reed guy, but it's still him, Jewel, like they're the same player to me.
Starting point is 00:40:27 Yeah. So if they're not bringing it combined with what you need, if they're not giving you 34, 35, 36 combined points between the two of them, you ain't got a chance. You got to move on from Conley. Because what is... He's not giving you nothing. you ain't got a chance. You got to move on from Conley. He's not giving you nothing. Walker is a good complimentary player, but you need
Starting point is 00:40:51 a dynamic point guard. The reason that he played Mike is Mike is solid defensively. He's not going to fuck up the game. Right. He knows where to be. He's going to help you defensively because he's been around the Memphis days. That's why Mike Conley still in the rotate still playing consistently right and gonna help you in the playoff series, but
Starting point is 00:41:10 That ain't that that The dead ain't enough. Yeah Dante's That's not enough. Not enough. Right go solid solid Peter. I'm the same guy and on that They're good basketball players they're really good basketball players but when it gets into a series and real coaching and game planning and taking things away and making you do something else is implemented and game in, game out. I don't know about them dudes, right? They collectively going to help us,
Starting point is 00:41:49 but if I need to rely on you for a minimum of four games, seven games, yeah. I don't know. He don't got the system to sustain any type of like, you didn't establish Dee Vincenzo when he got there as a guy coming off screens and coming off triples triple-double staggers And he's a threat when he's in the game y'all all play the same game Pick and roll on the side try to take advantage of the mismatch There's no actual actions going on for guys who need actions to be threats And that's the bad part about watching the game today, because you've got guys who are good enough to thrive in specific positions. If you put sets in,
Starting point is 00:42:31 he's going to run off this and come off this. He's going to get this shot or he's going to make a play. He's good enough to do that. But the coaches are so stubborn with the analytics of shooting more threes is going to get you more chances to win games if you hit threes but you ain't even running plays for threes you're not even running plays for guys who can actually be threats so we asked the chat will the t-wolves uh win a playoff series 55 of the chat thinks that they can they say yes they can but that ain't the question where they will yeah that ain't the question do anything, they will. Yeah, that ain't the fucking question. They can do anything. That wasn't the goddamn question. Like, yeah, we'll fucking, yeah. That's what the chat says.
Starting point is 00:43:10 You say, fuck no. So what's missing from that roster? Like, what's the compliment that Ant needs to get to that next level? He needs help. He needs another 20-some score, a night score, like point of night score. He needs that. Reliable. Reliable. Somebody who can go. Rudy Gobert, Julius night score, like point of night score. He needs that. Reliable. Reliable.
Starting point is 00:43:26 Somebody who goes... Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, none of those potential guys on that team. Perhaps like a 6'11", 6'11 power forward
Starting point is 00:43:35 that can stretch out. Has Julius Randle been able to do it? Absolutely, but I don't think that's the system in the program for it. If he can,
Starting point is 00:43:42 he can give you 20, but he's a ball stopper. Yeah, he had to change their whole offense. They got to change it because you got to ISO for it. If he can, he can give you 20. But he's a ball stopper. Yeah, he had to change their whole offense. They got to change it because you got to iso's. You got to let him do twos.
Starting point is 00:43:50 You got to put him in that 16, 17 foot area and let him work. And he has to hit. And the ball in today's, the way they play,
Starting point is 00:43:59 it ain't built for that. Right. Their style of play is built to have the ball in Anthony Edwards' hands. Yep. And when Anthony Edwards' hands. Yep. And when Anthony Edwards is not in the game, more than likely Julius Reynolds is not in the game because of the rotation.
Starting point is 00:44:12 So now the ball is a collective. It feels collective when Anthony. But then you can't have Nas Reed and Julius in the game together because they're the same people. So now when Nas Reed is in the game, he's the feature because he's the sixth man. Yep. So now when Nas Reid is in the game, he's the feature because he's the six man. Yeah. So now it gets it. So they're not made for the way Julius Randle needs to be in order for him to be 20 and 10 like we know he can be.
Starting point is 00:44:35 Their system's not made for that. It would stop the possessions that they have. They wouldn't get enough possessions for him and Ant both to have because it would slow the game down for the possessions and the isos. Ant's isos come off of picking rows. His isos are coming off drops and turns. You've got to be efficient. Julius Randle averaging 19-7 this year, but we talked about the
Starting point is 00:44:53 Julius Randle-Cat trade when it first went down. Kind of predict which team we feel like will win that trade, but at this point, do we feel like either team has won that trade? And it doesn't feel like he averages 19-9. Yeah. Just saying. No, I mean, he'll have, you know,
Starting point is 00:45:09 last three games, 26, 26, 25, then he had a nine-point game, then it's a 20-point game, it's a 17, 17, 11, you know, 14, 13, 16, six points, you know, it just... Yeah, so that's the thing, right? And in a playoff series, you can't afford that. So you can't come out game one and have nine.
Starting point is 00:45:32 Just can't. Yeah. You got to be relied on to elevate and up that score. Absolutely. And the way it looked, it's a copycat league. We all know that. So the way Michael Malone game plan, take the ball out of Anthony Elwood's hands late,
Starting point is 00:45:49 he saw our guys reacted to it. We always got that in our back pocket. We can always start the game that way. So it's a lot of things that came from watching them play last night. A lot of good, but then you could watch how they play in dire situations so you can take the ball out of Ant's hand and then who else is going to go out and make a play. But, yeah, I just don't.
Starting point is 00:46:17 We'll see. We will see. Drew this round of play 50 minutes last night. Took a season-high 22 shots, obviously. Double overtime will help that output, but we will see what this Wolves squad... Don't know how to feel about them. He didn't shoot the ball in the second overtime. If I'm not mistaken, he didn't shoot the ball in the second overtime.
Starting point is 00:46:39 No, they played well enough to win, man. It's just the outlook on everything doesn't look as sharp as it did a year ago. It was sharp a year ago. You were excited about that team going into the postseason. It was one little, I think, there was a point guard away. A young, dynamic point guard away. A Bones Highland type of
Starting point is 00:46:57 guy. How about the kid that they drafted? Rob Dillon. There you go. He's the same type of dude. Yeah, they got Bones over there. They do have Bones over there. Bones is over there. In Minnesota.
Starting point is 00:47:11 Oh, they got both of them? Yes. See, they fucking around. They do have busy Bones over there. They don't like that reckless basketball. Because them two, they trying to get buckets all the time. So they take away from Ant when he out there. They need somebody to get Ant the time. So that takes away from Ant when he out there. They need somebody
Starting point is 00:47:25 to get Ant the ball. We will see with this this Will squad and how they're moving. I don't know. I just don't know how to feel about them. But shout out to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's podcast.
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Starting point is 00:48:57 But let's head back to the whole Shaq discussion. So on the inside the NBA pregame show Adam Lefkoe asked Shaq how the 2001 version of the Big Diesel would fare going up against the 2025 version of Joker. And here's what Shaq had to say. Slavic chicken, wherever he's from.
Starting point is 00:49:16 Slovenian chicken? Slovenian chicken. Really? You tear him up? Yeah. What's your stat line? What's his stat line into the night? Serbia, by the way.
Starting point is 00:49:25 I'm getting 40, and they're going to have to double me. He's probably going to pick and pop and take me out of that, but he probably won't be in the game in a while because after he shoots a three, I'm running right to the middle lane and a hole in the ring. I'm going to get out three seconds, and we'll see. I'm going to hit way more twos than you hit threes. I guarantee you that.
Starting point is 00:49:43 I just don't think they would ever match. I want to see it. I wish I could see it. And. They're not putting Aaron Gordon on them. And I'm going to make his brothers want to fight me because I'm the first player in the game. Elbows. You don't want them apples.
Starting point is 00:49:56 You don't want his brothers coming at you. I got brothers. Come on, Twitter. I got brothers. You mad me with the brothers. No, have you seen his brothers? Have you seen my brothers? Watch this. See? See? The brothers? No, have you seen his brothers? Have you seen my brothers? Watch this.
Starting point is 00:50:07 See? See? My brothers. My cute dogs. So they said 2001 Shaq, but Shaq won his only MVP in 2000, averaged 38.17 rebounds, three blocks in the finals to win his first finals MVP. In 2001, Shaq averaged 29.13 rebounds, three blocks in the regular season, 33.16 rebounds, five assists, and 3.4 blocks in the finals while winning his second straight
Starting point is 00:50:31 finals MVP. But so far this season, Jokic averaging 30 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 1.8 steals per game on 58-42-80 shooting splits. So is the big diesel spitting or tripping, saying 2001 Shaq will barbecue 2025 Jokic? Yo. Did we watch basketball back then or not? How many drop step tomahawk
Starting point is 00:51:00 dunks have you seen Joker do? How many backboards have Joker broken? Rims had to be replaced. Time out. We got to take 45 minutes to replace this whole goal. Thanks, Shaquille. Shit. I'll never bet against Shaq Prime anything, bro.
Starting point is 00:51:24 We've never seen anything like that. Kenny, you had to guard Shaq. No. Never? No. Not one time during your time? Probably, yeah, during transition or something. It wasn't my matchup.
Starting point is 00:51:36 But I'm just saying. A matchup. What was I going to do? That's my point. Don't dunk me in the ball. A matchup you would try would you know try to avoid? No, I ain't try to vote now if I had to move in transition some angle looked under way Mother running down the middle of the floor you see this mother you look the other way
Starting point is 00:52:00 Twice they thought he dunking that bitch and you looking like... You got him. You got him. See it. I thought you had him. The biggest person out here. Nah, man. It's... It's... It's...
Starting point is 00:52:13 Yeah. Yes, Shaq. But you still got to go guard him on the other end too, big fella. But... Six fouls. But that's the... Six fouls. Because we say, all right, well, Joker...
Starting point is 00:52:23 Nobody have a chance to guard that dude. Joker got to guard Shaq, but Shaq got to guard Joker Joe nobody have a chance to go in there do Joker gotta guard Shag, but Shag gotta guard Joker, but his Joker gonna be in the game. No No, no, no, they're gonna double him like he said There's no even double them. No one play to see this. Here's the disclaimer y'all Nobody plays Shag straight up There was no five in the NBA that could guard Shaquille O'Neal 101 without. You're going to be in foul trouble immediately.
Starting point is 00:52:52 Either you're going to let him score or you're going to get a foul. It's one of the two. Ain't no digging. Ain't no – Double. You're a full out – Full out double. Double team.
Starting point is 00:53:02 Full rotate. Either you're coming on – So, there's two ways you can do this thing, and we're going to teach you. Go through it. Walk through the whole shit. Walk through it. Actually, this is important. But either you can go when the ball.
Starting point is 00:53:13 So you go on the pass is what they call it. On the time when the ball is the flight of the ball. By the time the ball gets to Shaquille O'Neal, you got two people on it. From wherever the fuck you throw it. Wherever you throw it. They throw that bitch, you double team him as soon as he catch it. You don't even give him opportunity to play.
Starting point is 00:53:30 That's one way. The other way, you go on the dribble. He's, he, good luck trying to get him off his spot. Get him off the spot. First, get him off the spot. First, try to get him off the block. That's the first thing is don't let his ass post low on the block. Because if he catch it on the block, you're done.
Starting point is 00:53:46 You're dead. First thing is try to make him catch the ball off the block. Do your work early. Good luck. Who's doing that? Good luck. Everybody's trying. The refs allowed you to hold him up. Good luck. If he wasn't trying to really run to the spot,
Starting point is 00:54:02 you can kind of hold him until he gets there. My question is, who's doing that on this Nuggets squad? That's what I'm saying. Ain't nobody doing that. I'm speaking on then. I know, but. Right, damn now. I'm speaking on the bigs in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Starting point is 00:54:16 The bigs that was hired for this task. Each team had at least four or five dudes, man. Yeah. So, therefore, one guy, speaking on one guy trying to do this job. Yeah. NBA teams had five bigs, man, trying to guard this one in particular person that we're speaking of. Right?
Starting point is 00:54:39 Think about how he get his fouls. Dude, you're going to get a foul just trying to stop him from ducking in? Repost. And good luck. Oh, you're going to get a foul just trying to stop him from ducking in? Repost. Good luck. Oh, my Lord. He throw that bitch out. This is how he fucked up your game plan.
Starting point is 00:54:51 Yeah. All right. What they doing? We don't know what they doing, y'all. Just throw it into me. I'm going to read it and we're going to see where they coming from.
Starting point is 00:54:57 Yeah. All right, they coming from the top. All right, look, Derrick, stay there. Don't cut. Colb, you cut. Mm-hmm.
Starting point is 00:55:04 They going to double. We're going to throw it out. I'm a repose Cuz you got it on it. So Derek Fisher cutting through is like He might not lay it in my right Kobe cut through gotta stay you go motherfucker. He gonna catch that big everybody collapse You got here goddamn and you look good luck. Yeah, I heard I he banged that bitch on Todd McCullough on my team, right? Yeah. Todd McCullough, who had a job in the league. Yes. Merely to guard.
Starting point is 00:55:32 Yes, him. Listen up. That was the play he talking about. The play he talking about. Listen, I played on, this is from, I had Jim McElvain as a five on my team. How about Jim McElvain as a five on my team. How about Jim McElvain? Evan Eschmeyer. Todd McCullough.
Starting point is 00:55:52 Jason Collins. Dikembe. Zoe. Aaron Williams. Aaron big-ass Williams, boy. I just named seven bigs that I played with from my rookie year to my second year. Seven that was
Starting point is 00:56:10 tasked to try to guard this guy. In two years, seven bigs. So to say that this one in particular guy we were speaking of was going to try. No, it wasn't going to happen. David Robinson, one of the strongest individuals that could possibly be in the National
Starting point is 00:56:25 Basketball Association. This goddamn man fits. Man. When I say fits, fits. Like fashion fits, like a runway nigga, all them fits. The best ones, they didn't put them together. All of them.
Starting point is 00:56:40 This is a showcase here. He used to abuse David Robinson. Abuse him. Even in the All-Star They didn't put these motherfuckers together. This is a showcase here, dog. He used to abuse David Robinson. Man. Abuse him. Even in the All-Star game, nigga. So, dude, you think about it, dog. Some of the bigs that got jobs, man,
Starting point is 00:56:57 there's a lot of people. They should have... Listen, Shaq should have been fired. These motherfuckers on their taxes. Like, they, like... As dependents? As dependents, man. Y'all here just for me. They got...
Starting point is 00:57:09 In the NBA, specifically, because of Shaquille O'Neal, man. Just to seal, reseal alone, man. Dog. Joker ain't never seen nothing like this type of... Like, because he the one
Starting point is 00:57:20 banging against people. He's bigger than everybody, right? He ain't used to, like... The only dude that could probably bang him would be Embiid, right? He used to, like, the only dude that could probably bang him would be Embiid, right? And they match up never. We don't get to see
Starting point is 00:57:30 that matchup. So you look at Shaq, you say Shaq is... Two. Shaq is salivating. He's like, man, I wish I would... Because you say
Starting point is 00:57:38 send the double, but who are you sending on the double on this current Nuggets roster? That's what it is. So it has to be Embiid. So no, it's two. It's only... So you can't send a point guard for one. It's irrelevant.
Starting point is 00:57:49 That's my point. It's irrelevant. So it's going to be Michael Porter Jr. or you're going to be Bob Fulger and Eric Gordon. So it's going to be a big, right? Or you're going to have to play big and play DeAndre Jordan and Jokic together. So DeAndre's going to have to play the five. And that's the way I would do it.
Starting point is 00:58:04 If I'm coaching it, I'm putting DeAndre at the five. Jokic at the four. Now he ain't got to deal with it. Right? And I got three other. So the thing is, I got three other bigs over here with DeAndre Jordan. Right? He get his two.
Starting point is 00:58:20 Then in the next one. Yeah, he the last. Get his two. Joking the last option. Like, now I'm going to put Nicole on him. Yeah. Now the last get his to go to the last I said is like now I'm gonna put Nicole on him Yeah, now you tired night. I love it But then now but now now so but we need a cold on that in so now we're gonna double it Yeah, we're not gonna put Nicole in that situation. So now the double team should come and play now the bigs that's tasks
Starting point is 00:58:43 You just don't want Shaq dunking this bitch every play. That's the goal. You want this motherfucker to try to, you want to hold him up enough to try to get him to shoot a jump hook. That's it. Because he's big ass hands, he's going to go this way, shoot this bitch this way, he's going to go, that's your, that's the goal. You don't want him to hook dunk this motherfucker every play.
Starting point is 00:59:03 That shit demoralizing. We've had this conversation before, and it's always, well, Shaq got to guard Joker on the other end. But we might not get to that other end. I might be a Joker man chilling on the bench. This is a question. You're talking about 2001 Shaq. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:59:15 And you're talking about him having to guard Joker. What is he having to guard? The three? No, that motherfucker's footwork. That's what I'm saying, other than that. Shaq 2001 was bringing that bitch up too doing spin moves, crossovers and shit. Dunking that bitch in the middle of the lane. He wasn't big fat Shaq still.
Starting point is 00:59:34 He was 2000, 2001 Shaq. Pre-Snack Shaq. This is my... People don't... We think guys that play this game today is dominant. People have dominant performances this day and age. What Nicola did is a dominant performance. Shaq was a dominant basketball player, a dominant force that you had to game. You got a game plan for something, but this one guy,
Starting point is 01:00:10 he just threw your whole game plan out the window. But you're telling me Joker averaging 30, 13, 10 assists, dominant? It's a dominant performance, yes. But for a season. For a season, yes. I mean, you know. But is he a dominant player? This man, yes. I mean, you know. But is he a dominant player?
Starting point is 01:00:25 This man, it's a difference. Trust me. I'm just saying, if somebody's coming out and giving me 30-13. No, we had this conversation before. I'm just asking you guys. We're talking about Shaq's finals performance. Yeah. It isn't competitive.
Starting point is 01:00:36 And that's why I said 2000 Shaq. I've seen it. Bro. That's why I said 2000 Shaq. We talking about Shaq, though. I was out there. Yeah. Like, I was out there.
Starting point is 01:00:43 I shared the floor with that Shaq, though. I was out there. Yeah. Like, I was out there. I shared the floor with that. Listen, man. That's why I had to point out the 38-17. Free throws. Yes. If the ball was a little bit bigger, Shaq would have a better chance. He was shooting the ball like this. He was shooting like a proper shot.
Starting point is 01:00:58 It was like, what are we doing? You've got to foul him. Four games, man. I'm just. Then he wanted to punch you when you're fouling him because it was like, damn, Shaq, relax. You know we've got to foul you. Four games, man. No, that, I'm just. Then he wanted to punch you when you were fouling him because it was like, damn, Shaq, relax. You know we've got to foul you. Shut the fuck up, man.
Starting point is 01:01:09 Stop touching me. Yeah, the elbows. Shit, get over it. Go make your free throw. Fuck. Shit. So we asked to chat with 2001 Shaq, Barbica Jokic.
Starting point is 01:01:20 74% of the chat says yes, that would happen. Here you guys break it down. If he made, if Shaq was a 75% free throw shooter. Excuse me? If he was a 75%. 68. I'm guessing. Shit.
Starting point is 01:01:35 75 is too crazy. Let's give him 70. If he was a career 70% free throw shooter from the line, he's the all-time free throw shooter from the line. He's the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. 100,000%. He probably still be playing, too. Like, he's a, like, yo. He might still be playing right now.
Starting point is 01:01:52 He'd be the all-time leading scorer, though. You know what I mean? The free throws this man missed. Yeah. Which is wild. Yeah. Hack a shack. But then you see him try to hold a basketball.
Starting point is 01:02:03 And nobody ever told his... We covered this before. Nobody ever told his big ass to move off that line. Never. Nick Van Exenstra free throws motherfucking a foot off the line. That would have helped him? Absolutely. You've seen this man before. Too close.
Starting point is 01:02:21 That ball. What person in the history of our game too strong and too, hey. What are you playing, beer pong? Right? It's a ping pong ball. That's the way it got. He's playing beer pong. Right?
Starting point is 01:02:35 It's all good, Shaq. We understand that. It's a ping pong ball with water in it. Man. It's got a little weight to it to him. That's it. That's it, man. A motherfucker trying to throw that damn ball up there at all with touch.
Starting point is 01:02:45 Man, get mad at him. Consistently. He pissed. He know he can't make it. He know he can't make it. He know he can't make it. Fuck, man. Power me again.
Starting point is 01:02:53 Yeah. Let me try my own. Now you got to try to take him out the game. Now you got to play this game. Man, now he hate that. Now he's really mad. Now you done pissed him off. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:03:03 Right? Now don't foul him. He already a mean basketball player. Now you start this piss them off, right? Now don't foul him, baby. He already a mean basketball player. Now you start this hacker Shaq shit. Now you didn't piss him off. It's insulting him. Now he's saying, you can't be great because you can't shoot free throws, Shaq. And now when he get the ball.
Starting point is 01:03:19 I'm talking a little bit harder. I'm talking a little bit harder than last time. He's going to run somebody over. You try to step in the way. He's going to run. It's going'm taking it a little bit harder. He gonna run somebody over. You try to step in the way. He gonna run. It's gonna. Yeah. So yeah. Shaq was the original monster. Yeah. Absolutely, bro. All right. Well, let's keep this thing moving. We got to talk about another legendary performance. So last time Steph played against the Grizzlies in Memphis, he had two points in 24 minutes. Didn't make a field goal. Warriors got 50-piece. Tuesday night, Chef Curry got his revenge with a 50-piece of his own as the Grizzlies continued to slide after firing Taylor Jenkins. Let's take a look at the highlights. Steph got to work early, dropping 19 points in the first quarter, hitting five of his six three-point attempts, along with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals in his first 11 minutes of action. By halftime, Steph had 32 with eight threes. Steph finished the game
Starting point is 01:04:09 with 52 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals. It was Steph's NBA record 10th career 50-point game since turning 30, and he joins Kobe as the only player to drop 50-10 on the Grizzlies. So Draymond Green had his 33rd career triple-double in the game as well with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Dray is 31-2 when he drops a triple-double, which is the highest winning percentage in NBA history. Jimmy Butler, ball two, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists. He was 7-11 from the field, 12 for 12 from the line.
Starting point is 01:04:44 John was balling too, leading the Grizzlies with 36.6 assists. He was 14-22 from the field. Jaron Jackson Jr. had 22-7. Desmond Bain added 19-5 dimes. But Jaron Jackson Jr. and Bain were combined 13-for-35 from the field. Warriors got the win, or 19-5, in their last 24 games, 18-2 in games where Steph and Jimmy Butler have played together. This was also Steph's fourth career game with 12 made threes,
Starting point is 01:05:11 which is wild. He said he was trying to go after Klay's record of 14. I thought he was going to get it. That's why he had those heat check ones early in the fourth quarter, and I'm missing those. He said, let me just get back to business, try and get the dub. But got to ask both of y'all, did Curry's 50-piece change how you view the warriors as the playoffs approach no i don't i just don't think nobody want to play him but i don't we'll see i still haven't they've been yeah they don't change how i look at him, but he's still dangerous. We know that. I think it speaks to the system that's created for Steph. I think it speaks to his skill set, how good he is at shooting the three.
Starting point is 01:05:57 To be able to come off and have a good shooting night for Steph, that's what that looks like. I'm hot tonight. And if I'm hot, let's just say six out of ten nights, I'm hot like that, which he can get hot like that. I think that's the advantage for them. But it's the handicap too. It's their crutch.
Starting point is 01:06:18 Seven-game series, realistically, how many games? We shut that water off. How many games do you think Steph can be able to perform at that level? How many games do you think? He can perform every night like that. Every night he can be on if you're giving him clean looks. It's up to him to miss. But if you turn that water off, they're done.
Starting point is 01:06:34 Yeah. They're done. He's got average 28 in the series. Yeah, they're done. And we talked about not so much about Steph, but also about where Jimmy is going. If you get a Jimmy playing at that level. Jimmy's not there.
Starting point is 01:06:44 If they play like they played last night. No, he has to have a playing at that level. Jimmy's not there. If they play like they played last night. No, he has to have a middle name or something. That's not him. If they play like they played last night. That's not Jimmy Bucket? Hell no. I don't know who that is out there. If they play like they played last night.
Starting point is 01:06:57 Yeah, but it is. Yeah. And we don't expect Steph to have 52. Yeah. And we don't expect Steph to have 52. Yeah, in the playoff series, for them to beat somebody, I just think he's going to have to average 27, 28, 29 in a playoff series, maybe 30. He's got to be 30-plus. For them to get out the first round.
Starting point is 01:07:19 Which we know he can do easily. Absolutely. But he has to do it. What does that version of playoff Jimmy in the Warriors uniform need to do so no he had to have his 20 something So we you know, should we say him and J money to have a conversation on who who's who's replacement? He's need to start teaching Jimmy how to be Draymond That's where you feel like the trajectory is at it right now That's who Jimmy Butler is going to be the new Draymond.
Starting point is 01:07:47 That's what it is. Just take the reins and learn how to pass the stuff, how to learn to get in that backpack. You learn how to get in the backpack, you get your chip, ride off into the sunset, you might even become a Hall of Famer. So if Jimmy has to learn how to become the new backpack, what does Draymond have to do? He's going to become the chauffeur.
Starting point is 01:08:05 He's going to open the door. Remember life? Life, life. Where you going? Where you think you going? Yeah, I'm towing the bottle. Yeah, I'm going to drive Mr. Ramsey
Starting point is 01:08:16 to the airport. That's Draymond. Draymond is the chauffeur now. And I hope you piss on this show. Yeah, Steph. We all know what he capable of doing, man. It's going to be needed. And one of those, it's not going to be 50.
Starting point is 01:08:40 We just, but. So we talk about that Warriors big three. Steph, Jimmy, and Draymond combined for 92 of the Doves, 134 points. He be 50. We just... Yeah. But... So we talk about that Warriors big three. Steph, Jimmy, and Draymond combined for 92 of the Doves' 134 points. Well, he scored 50. Yeah, and I understand. I completely understand. It's a little lopsided.
Starting point is 01:08:56 But even Jimmy coming through with the 27, he's been wishy-washy during this stretch, 18-2 together on the court. It's dope. But we feel like anyone can stop the Warriors if they're playing at this peak for at least four out of seven games in the series. Yeah, now they got to play like that,
Starting point is 01:09:12 like they did in the playoffs. You think it's possible? I don't think it's a vague. He got to play like that. He is the engine. There's no doubt about it, bro. That's why he had to take that rest. He had to get to the... And Steve Kerr said he got some rounds of golfing,
Starting point is 01:09:29 got to hang out for a week, got to rejuvenate. He is getting up there in age, but... They still carry him up. Yeah, buddy. Still carrying him. And anything to speak of just with Draymond and Jimmy, defensively, obviously Draymond, current frontrunner, defensive player of the year.
Starting point is 01:09:49 As you know, playoffs come around, defense a lot more important than it is in the regular season. Individual defense, absolutely. I like their combination. It's very deadly. That's what gives them a chance is the other side of it because Jimmy can cover now for Steph as a guard situation and cover for Draymond.
Starting point is 01:10:07 I think they're both talkers. We call them mic backs or the middle guy. So you can be there hawking and talking and switching and trying to get a break. The thing they miss is a shot blocker that can start to break. I think that will give them advantage in the playoffs other than trying to get stops and depend on Steph to kind of save us with a bucket every time. The big boy they've been playing, though, was it Post? Quinton Post. Yeah, he a rookie.
Starting point is 01:10:35 He can shoot that thing. He can shoot that thing. We don't ever talk about him. 71, 72. Second round pick. Yeah, he throw him. He definitely is serviceable. In this new NBA, you need a body.
Starting point is 01:10:48 Yeah. Big, yeah, so. I think he averaged about nine in the game. Yeah, nine, four rebounds, two assists. He played 37. How many is he averaging? 17. 17.
Starting point is 01:10:57 In the playoff series. Nice. But production and workload have increased. Yeah. He can get 15 in game for you. You need that. You need that. He spread the floor, increased. Yeah. He can get 15 a game for you. You need that. You need that. He spread the floor, man.
Starting point is 01:11:08 That's why I say, you don't game plan. And you don't game plan. 41% from three. And you don't game plan for him. Right. He's that wild card. He's got some big shots, honestly.
Starting point is 01:11:17 He'll score in a motherfucking playoff series. He'll average 15 on your ass, and you'll wonder how y'all lost. Man, don't know what to do with him because you don't know how he doing. Tony Cuoco shit. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I like that. So Grizzlies lost their third straight game since firing Taylor
Starting point is 01:11:32 Jenkins, all of which have been on their home floor. Lost seven of their last eight games. Did the Grizzlies trick off their season firing Taylor Jenkins? Can this squad still be a threat in the West? First answer, yes, they tricked it off,
Starting point is 01:11:50 and no. So, yes and no. So, season is tricked off. Cook, they've got... They just fucked up your morale, man. Absolutely. I don't care what they had going on, man. Like, as a... He's been here, we've been... This has been the voice and we've been playing under this voice, and it ain't just about Jai and Jaren. It's a collective group, man, that there's a lot
Starting point is 01:12:10 of fragile souls still around here. A lot of young guys, a lot of guys, like, so, yeah, I think it was a, yeah, I think it was a mistake. You don't do, like, you literally two weeks to two and a half weeks before the playoffs start? Like, how you think guys, I honestly want to know. Like, how you think these guys going to react to that? It wasn't like they was losing and you got rid of it. Then guys like, oh, shit, it's my turn now. Like, no, we winning and you do it.
Starting point is 01:12:40 You know what it is, though, K? Fuck. They saying that he was having riffs with the coaching staff, too. Okay, they work for him. So the serviceable move was to bring in the guy who was... They made him fire some of his coaches last season, made him install some... So they was already moving him out.
Starting point is 01:12:59 It's the ultimate Doc Rivers move. You know, bring in the guy that was watching from behind the bench and then clean out your spots, get all your dirt out the way, and bring in the new guys. So you couldn't wait? You can do the same thing, right? We was talking about it. It's going to be the first round, and heaven forbid you go out
Starting point is 01:13:20 and you get out the first round and you get to the Western Conference Finals. Now it's like, well, maybe we should. So is that why you make this move now? Yeah, that's what they were saying. They didn't want to keep you beyond this year. But you're still firing me the way it go. Right. It's still your decision.
Starting point is 01:13:34 If it ain't working, it ain't working whether you win or not. Right? If it ain't working, it ain't working. But the optics, I know a lot of Grizzlies fans knew that this was coming. Optics are a little bit different now. Like you say, if they can make a playoff run, fuck around, get to the Western Conference Finals, and you still make that move.
Starting point is 01:13:49 But I don't think you come to the conclusion. But you in fifth when you do it. So it's still the same thing. But we're still going to the playoffs. At this moment, right now, even though we lost three in a row, we still in playoff contention. So we're going to have to see what this guy can do with us going here, because we're not going to fall out of
Starting point is 01:14:07 contention at this moment. So we're going to see what he can do. The lowest they can fall, I believe, is eighth. Lose these next six and be in the play-in. If my math is correct. Oh yeah, my math is math. And lose these next six and you'll be motherfucking seventh
Starting point is 01:14:23 or eighth and have a fucking play-in game. Next six games are at the Heat, Pistons, Hornets. They've got the Wolves at home, then they're at the Nuggets, then they've got the Mavs at home to end the season. Teams playing spoiler. You got young guys out here playing for contracts. The dudes ain't playing for shit. Certain teams, hey, I'm telling you.
Starting point is 01:14:43 That game last night was theirs. Steph don't playing for shit. Certain teams, hey, I'm telling you. That game last night was theirs. Steph don't play like Steph. Right? This is a rare Steph night. So you think about Steph having to do this just to beat them and them getting that first win, that momentum win. What was the other two losses? Celtics and Lakers. Ooh.
Starting point is 01:15:00 Ooh. Now we talking about good teams. Yeah. We talking about three good teams, and then they'll come and try to, you know, get this next one. I think the Grizzlies can turn it around. I think they can. I think they made a decision based on the players. I think they had a meeting with the players and was like,
Starting point is 01:15:16 how do y'all feel? And they was like, man, if we can do it, let's do it. Fuck it. Fuck it. Fuck it. We ain't tripping on this. Some players didn't agree. I think Banepping on this. Some players didn't agree. I think Bane was one of them players that didn't agree.
Starting point is 01:15:27 But he's one of those professional dudes that's like, I don't like the way this. There's only one guy that mad around there. Yeah. And if he voted for it, if he voted for it. They ain't rocking, they ain't rocking. They talk about Ja being unhappy with the offense. You know, I think career low touches, if I'm not mistaken. Mm.
Starting point is 01:15:44 Mm. There it go. But it's about, so career-low touches, but you got, so he's put the offense in to benefit the group. The team. And we're winning, but you've been out for most, how many games y'all missed this year? Let me pull it up for you. And last year. No, just right now miss this year? Let me pull it up for you. And last year.
Starting point is 01:16:06 Just right now, this year alone. So Josh played in 46 games. Of a possible. They have played 76. So he's missed 30 games. So he's missed 30 games, right? Ooh. So, but we are playing well as a group.
Starting point is 01:16:24 Without you. Without you. So this offense is predicated on a group. Without you. Without you. So this offense is predicated on the group and not you. Because I had to adjust in real time based on your injury. Right. There were some reports that they might have been trying to move him by the trade deadline. It makes me a good coach. Because I look at... It makes me a good coach.
Starting point is 01:16:41 I have really good players in Scottie Pippen Jr. And what's the GG? And the younger guards. Jalen Wells. They do exactly what I ask them to do. They implement. They defend. They do all these things well, and we're winning.
Starting point is 01:16:57 We're winning. Everybody feeling good. Everybody feeling good. We are in a great place, and I'm not catering to that ego because you've missed significant times, but I've had to adjust and coach without you. So now I'm used to coaching this way, and we're winning this way. Now I've got to still try to cater to this ego. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:17:15 But I'm excited. Because you're coming back, and we get to say, I can't wait to put you in. We're with this. Ooh. But you over here like. I need more touches. I need to shoot that bitch 18 times a night, dog. Oh, man. I ain't getting to put you in with this. Ooh. But you over here like. I need more touches. Shit, I need to shoot that bitch 18 times a night, dog. Oh, man, I ain't getting enough.
Starting point is 01:17:29 Right? Why ain't eating? That's the problem. That's the problem, man. He say he ain't eating, man. He say he ain't eating. And you got motherfuckers in your ear like, shit, why you ain't getting no more touches? Shit, why you ain't?
Starting point is 01:17:39 Shit, why you ain't this? Shit, Bane out here doing shit. Jaron Jackson all NBA shit. Shit, what you going to wear? Shit, yours got this. And now you have, yeah. So as we talked about, Ja missed 73 games last year with the suspension and the torn labrum.
Starting point is 01:17:54 So you missed 73. Most games he's ever played in his career, 67. He missed 30. 30 games this year. And let's talk about another situation. So Ja had a questionable moment late in the game. Let's take a look. So late in the fourth quarter, Ja did the finger guns gesture to the Warriors bench.
Starting point is 01:18:13 I think specifically Buddy Hill, who was doing the finger guns gesture. Back to Ja, both players were given technical fouls for the incident. As a reminder, back in the summer of 2023, Ja was suspended for 25 games, conduct detrimental to the league, which included repeatedly brandishing a firearm on social media, which had also got him in suspension in March of that year.
Starting point is 01:18:33 But to be fair, common celebration seen on basketball courts at all levels. If you watch Mark Madness, you saw your boy from St. John's doing the snipering on the bench. But how big of a deal
Starting point is 01:18:44 is the finger guns gesture coming from Ja based on his past history? I'm going to have to ask you, Kenny, okay? It was a moment. I know we don't care. But still, dude, we... There's no lessons being learned over here. He's learning.
Starting point is 01:19:02 The fuck it is, man. I don't get it. I don't get it. There's no lessons being learned. I don man. I don't get it. I don't get it. There's no lessons being learned. I don't even want to talk about it because I don't know
Starting point is 01:19:09 the dude, so I'm not going to get it. I don't fucking know him either. You can do anything. I don't know him either, but... You can't question why motherfuckers
Starting point is 01:19:16 keep talking like they talking when you're doing what you're doing. So my thing is he's proving there ain't no lessons being learned.
Starting point is 01:19:24 That's like the whole Gil shit. Like, you go fuck with the people. It's the same shit, man. Gil reformed now. Yeah, but you in real time. There ain't no lessons being learned. It was funny, though. Until they hit you across your ass for real, man.
Starting point is 01:19:37 Like, that one suspension wasn't enough. Then you go over there and you ask and you say, why you do that, man? Yeah. Why you do that? Swag yeah. Why can't you do it? I was just, man? Yeah. Why you do that? Swaggy. Why can't you do it? I was just... Why being me?
Starting point is 01:19:48 Yeah. See, now it's... And if I'm the coach, I ask you that. Like, hey, man, what you do that for? Yeah. It's a problem between me and you because you ain't got the answer I need. Yeah, so Taylor Jenkins asked him that,
Starting point is 01:19:59 and it's an issue. Taylor Jenkins' question is an issue. But he ain't done no more, so now this shit is acceptable. Hey, there you go. All right, now, man, this... Tormas Isela. And why Buddy Hill get attacked?
Starting point is 01:20:13 I think they was promoting that shit the whole time, and that's why Ja did it. It was kind of like I was responding to y'all niggas, and I went back like, yeah, yeah. No, he did it first. But before the timeout happened I'm thinking they down there and they was talking on the side talking to Jah and then the timeout happens and Jah's like yeah Y'all keep talking
Starting point is 01:20:33 You maybe go back to my old way somebody made it three. I think somebody made it three I wouldn't believe Jimmy Bosa get ready to free throws or just They were down like 67 at that point in the game. Whatever it happened, yeah. Unnecessary. They was provoking him and then trying to gaslight him. Look, look, look. Draymond snitching. Look, look.
Starting point is 01:20:54 He's got the guns out. He said he was going to shoot us. Draymond snitching and shit. So it's the same shit when you were talking about the nigga going to the review, right, Draymond? So now you're out here snitching. Come on, man. That shit was weird. I seen that shit. When you were talking about the going to call it a four? Yeah, go over there. Walk it over there.
Starting point is 01:21:27 Walk it over there. Go to the scoreless thing. Go and tell them. Tech on 12. Go and tell them. No, no, let me do it. Let me do it. Let me see.
Starting point is 01:21:34 I got it. I got it. Like you're going in line to shoot the tech, right? I got it. No, I got it. I got it. No, no, no. It's my turn.
Starting point is 01:21:41 It's my turn. Then again, love job, but given prior history, do you think the league will have to review this or talk to them about it or just keep it? I think so. Nah, nah, nah. It's my turn. Then again, love job, but given prior history, you think the league will have to review this or talk to him about it or just keep it? I think so. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:21:50 I mean, it's a take, but it's not a conversation like, nigga, you wilding again, dog. What we doing? Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right? You need to, yeah.
Starting point is 01:21:58 See, the thing is... But you got to penalize anybody else who's doing something. It just can't be him. See, look at... Hey, it at Adam Silver's NBA, not mine. Yeah, I would have just sent him that old one-gamer. The one-game little, ah, that little.
Starting point is 01:22:13 Don't let him sit you down for the next one. And every time you do it, just a reminder. Hey, just a reminder, like, hey, I'm still watching. Hey, I'm still watching. Did David Stern have your cell phone number? How were those calls? I'm very curious to know. How were those calls made? Oh, you know, the lead call, please hold. Okay, is that what
Starting point is 01:22:33 goes down? Like the president. Okay. The president called to speak to you. Please hold. Please hold. Elevator music. And you're answering that call? Because I'm straight to voicemail on that one. I'm not even going to front. They're going to call back. I played in Jersey voicemail on that one. I'm not even going to front. What, no. They're going to call back or they're going to...
Starting point is 01:22:47 I played in Jersey when this shit was going on. They was going to summon. Down the street. Right. Hey, they're going to send a car service. Hey, can't... They're right here. They outside.
Starting point is 01:22:56 The commissioner sent a car for you. Coming to the crib. Now you can't duck me. No, man. No. You're going... Yeah, you just need a reminder. See, the thing is, you get too lax and you think this shit is all sweet again and you need a reminder. See the thing is you get too lax and you think this shit is all sweet again
Starting point is 01:23:05 And you need a reminder. Okay Look, it's out himself No way. Yeah, we teach you a lesson today I mean we play enough Call of Duty and shit where it can be cool to do something like that as a celebration But it's different not from him. Yeah, not even even for him like not for him, but to the extent that we know, like it's not over exaggerated that we should be doing it just to him.
Starting point is 01:23:30 Like if anybody else is doing anything like that, we got to treat it equally. But then again, it's like, well, in what sequence are you doing it? Are you celebrating and you saying, ah? We saw him on the bench too around the time. Point of shot, point of guns. But he didn't score nothing. There wasn't no celebration.
Starting point is 01:23:47 So that's the difference. The fact that you felt comfortable enough to. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. So it ain't no celebration and you just doing the random shit. Omar brother was on standoff. I teach you a lesson. I teach you a lesson, yeah.
Starting point is 01:23:58 I got to give you this one. Yeah, man. Right? You get after the game, we're just going to form the team. You're going to be with our services number 12 for your next one. Yeah. It look different. It just look different.
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Starting point is 01:25:03 Oh. Not for you, no. For beverage. For beverage. I got two kids in Little League right now. They also have a contour pouch. Sheesh, man. It is a good fabric, though. It's very good material.
Starting point is 01:25:18 Good fabric. And also, me undies came through, I think about 20 pair of underwear. Oh, yeah. Really full supply for at least about three to five months. MeUndies, we're going to need you guys to come back through, bring us some more in the near future with the contour powder. I got a request for some lingerie shit.
Starting point is 01:25:35 They got some lingerie over there at MeUndies. They have a little bit of everything. They got a little bit of everything. They brought the models through. Oh, yeah, I remember. Yeah. I remember. I got some requests.
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Starting point is 01:26:14 Code Gil for 20% off MeUndies. Comfort from the outside in. Shout out MeUndies. With the contour pouch and ball caddy. Very stylish. It's in my contract. You got to read it. I didn't even have a good transition for that one. But last week, Dan Patrick made a Cooper flag comparison that caught some attention. Let's take a listen. If you said his career was going to be like be like Kevin loves would that be a disappointment and It probably would be because this is somebody who scrimmaged against the Olympic team held his own. He's 18 years of age and
Starting point is 01:26:56 He's gonna make a billion dollars if he stays healthy. He'll probably get a couple of max deals in there So probably get a couple of max deals in there. So, heard what he said. After that comparison, a lot of people took that as Dan Patrick dissing Kevin Love. However, Caleb didn't feel that way. Here's what he tweeted. For those who will take this as a shot at me, I don't take it as such. I was pure skill and will. Cooper is far more talented than I ever was, and if he stays healthy, will have a far better career. He can very well have a statue by the time he's finished. I'm a huge fan. So how do y'all feel about Dan Patrick comparing Cooper Flagg Shot. Shot, you've been CBS Sports LA covering March Madness. Seeing you out there, Jim Hill. Played for Minnesota.
Starting point is 01:27:55 My favorite sportscaster in LA history. Yeah, man. Former Minnesota Timberwolf, Kevin Love. Jim Hill, 146 years old. Yo. Still on TV. It's a backup. Hold on.
Starting point is 01:28:04 Fuck. Since we're talking about it, y'all brought, you brought him up. I did. Yo, they gotta, they gotta stop that shit, dog. Why?
Starting point is 01:28:11 With Jim, man. KK, think very wisely before you speak about Jim Hill on this couch. Fuck, I'm being serious. One of my heroes. Shit, what,
Starting point is 01:28:19 you should tell your fucking hero he should go visit the new bar, we need to send JC down, that bitch. No, Jim Hill Notorious, his barber only. We need to send J.C. down that bitch. Jim Hill Notorious? His Barbara only. That shit bad, bro.
Starting point is 01:28:29 Black Rob Bergen. That shit is terrible. I don't know where he from. That's fine. San Antonio. He can be whatever part of Texas he's want to be from. He could be from Oak Cliff himself. I don't give a fuck.
Starting point is 01:28:44 Hey, man. Played in the NFL. Legend. Great. All of that shit can... Mo' Power to him. Honorary Crip. Great.
Starting point is 01:28:52 He could be the originator of it. He might be your uncle. That could be all that could exist in itself. Right? He could definitely be Paul's brother. He could be Paul. Definitely could be Paul Robles' brother. All that shit in itself, yes.
Starting point is 01:29:08 But Dawg. Has hands too, Kane. I just want you to know. He's about 6'5". He's a 50-pound one. I'm about to say he can come from the shoulders with it. Listen. But Jim.
Starting point is 01:29:17 Jim is a real one, man. Jim, Jim, Jim. I'm going to be the one to tell Jim. Shout out to Jim. Y'all look good. I like it, Jim. I'm going to give you a crown. Don't lie to Jim. I'm going to give you a crown, too. Don't lie to him.
Starting point is 01:29:26 I'm going to give you a crown. Don't lie to him. I know you probably got to see Jim again, but hey. That's my man. That ain't no legend. 100 crown. Teach me a lot. He is definitely a legend for consistently going on television with his hair looking that way.
Starting point is 01:29:39 You are absolutely right. He's definitely a legend. They say the same thing about my crown. So me and him, we fit. No, you can take that. He's in the pie. They say the same thing about my crown. So me and him, we fit. No, you can take that. He's in the pie, man. We're not embarrassed. Jim Hill's a staple of the Los Angeles sports scene. Yes, he is.
Starting point is 01:29:51 And he still get work. Oh, yes. Okay, cool. No, I don't know if he's married or not. I ain't going to say that. I ain't going to say that. But I'm just saying, they still love him. The word still love him. He was at the Mongrel, and he had the, he had... I love you, Jim. Like, I have this thought every time I love him. Like, he was at the Mongrel, and he had the, he had. I love you, Jim.
Starting point is 01:30:06 Like, I have this thought every time I see him. Like, God damn, Jim. Come on, man. Like, every time. Like, every single time I see, like, y'all. He say, leave me alone, Kenyon. Leave me alone. Every time.
Starting point is 01:30:18 Leave me alone, Kenyon. Yeah, he probably does every day. Dude. I would expect that, like, if I am married, right? He gonna roll up on him. He gonna roll up on him with the clippers. He like, nah, you gonna take these clippers. Like, no.
Starting point is 01:30:32 No, you gonna get a haircut today. Today is the day. Like you said, you don't know if he's married or not. If he is married, right? I would hope my wife would love me enough, dog. Yeah, yo ain't fucking, man, this is the truth. I'm a truth teller in this bitch, man. But this is Jim Hill, can you? That's great, Jim Hill, dog. Yeah, yo ain't fucking, man, this is truth. I'm a truth teller in this bitch, man. But this is Jim Hill, can't you? That's great, Jim Hill. Yes. James Hill?
Starting point is 01:30:50 All of the James, Jim. No, this is Kenyon Lee Martin. My hands is tied behind my back. These are my words. No, I'm going to be the one to tell you. If I had a fucked up haircut, I would expect one of y'all to tell me. No, you like it. If I would tell my wife, I would expect my wife to tell me, like, no, we can't do this. Continue to do this.
Starting point is 01:31:05 But he likes it. He likes it. But Kenyon likes it. Kenyon likes his hair half and half. He don't like it. So what? He likes it. Yeah, but still, man.
Starting point is 01:31:15 Still, dog. We see it. We talk about other people. We don't give other people passes. But other people are not Jim Hill, okay? Well, his name Jim Hill, and Jim Hill don't get no pass from me. He has a Jim Hill. If I saw a haircut, it looks like a dude named Jim Hill.
Starting point is 01:31:31 Yeah. We used to talk about Steve Harvey, man unit. Like, everybody so know. Steve Harvey? Everybody that had fucked up hair. We talked about the dude, Patrick, the soccer dude on here. Donovan. Donovan, when he had the hair transplant shit, we showed on it. We told y'all to act like, no, he soccer dude on here, Donovan, Donovan, when he had the hair transplant shit, we showed on it. We told y'all,
Starting point is 01:31:47 go act like, no, he ain't fucking exempt because he from L.A. and y'all watch him daily. Y'all grew up on him. We did grow up watching Jimmy Dillard. Exactly, so no. I've seen it in real life. Yeah. Shaw, you saw it. Leave me out of it. For the last eight years. Don't put the camera on me. I'm more offended.
Starting point is 01:32:03 I'm still under contract. Y'all know how to fuck that shit up. No, I wasn't saying... Jim, I ain't got nothing to do with this. I have nothing to do with this. So we even fried everybody else about this shit. We did talk about the... We talked about everybody else.
Starting point is 01:32:16 The Liberty Head Coach as well. But all of a sudden, I'm wrong because I'm bringing it up. We talked about the Liberty Head Coach. Dead wrong. Dead wrong. He was filling in the blanks. Dead wrong. He had a March Madness line. Shit. He got more the Liberty Hector. He was filling in the blanks. He had a
Starting point is 01:32:25 March Madness line. He got more hair than I do. Just go ahead and go home, man. Ain't nothing wrong with it. Just even it up, dog. He gets under me. So you contributed yesterday talking about the Andrew Bynum throw and you're going to act like you didn't.
Starting point is 01:32:41 I like the Andrew Bynum throw. But you contributed talking about it yesterday. Yes. You said, oh, to act like you didn't. I like the Andrew Bynum. But you contributed to talking about it yesterday. You said, oh, it definitely looked like James Brown, Froh. It looked like James Brown. So we're not going to exempt Jim Hill from this conversation. Please exempt Jim Hill
Starting point is 01:32:58 from this conversation. I've been till next week. No. No. But nonetheless, let's talk about Cooper have more time left on this country. But nonetheless, let's talk about Cooper Flagg. So y'all go, come on, man. Oh, so now you got a filter.
Starting point is 01:33:13 Talking to you, motherfucker. Huh? Yeah, now you, huh? Oh, now you don't want to bury it. It would. Huh? Yes, I have a filter now. Cemetery Larry don't want to bury his hand down. No, no, no.
Starting point is 01:33:23 We are Rashad McCann's now. Oh, now you Rashad McCann's. They do not put Cemetery Larry up there. to bury his hands down. No, no, no, no. We are Rashad McCann's now. Oh, now you're Rashad McCann's on TV. They do not put Cemetery Larry up there. Yes, they do, motherfucker. I saw it. They put Rashad McCann. We were watching. We had you on Cemetery Larry's, buried in North Carolina,
Starting point is 01:33:35 Cemetery Larry. I saw the shit. We just hit the ground. And Jim got on that motherfucker and said, hey, you're going to cut that shit out now. What are you doing that shit? I'm going to boot him again. You're going to get this fro like I got.
Starting point is 01:33:44 You're going to take that shit off. And make me't doing that shit. Food him again. You gonna get this fro like I got. You gonna take that shit off. And make me the kid of longevity in this game. You gonna say, hey, go buy a suit, motherfucker, and go take that shit off. Shit.
Starting point is 01:33:52 Come on, man. But shout out Jim Hill. Shout out Jim Hill, but still. I can't believe you just spent 10 minutes talking about Jim Hill. I did.
Starting point is 01:34:00 That fucked up. We were talking Cooper Black, Kevin Love. That's fucking crazy, man. He gonna, ah. Hey, you can, hey. That's fucked up. We were talking Cooper flag cameras. I can't do that. That's fucking crazy, man. He going to... Hey, you can... Hey. He might pull up to the spot with the thing on him.
Starting point is 01:34:10 You don't have to, because he can't beat me. Anyway. I know you're a USC guy. I heard what you said. I heard what you said. I said, you're a steward ass. None of that got you here. I said, Stuart ass. None of that got you here. Don't come up outside.
Starting point is 01:34:28 I would like to see Jim Hill walk up on you just for the comedic. Oh, that would be hilarious. Hey, man, watch your mouth, bro. Jim Hill, okay? Jim a real one, man. I'm Jim Hill, homie. Hey, man, watch your mouth. Like I mentioned, honorary crib.
Starting point is 01:34:44 Got that in 1993. After the truce of nine dudes. But how do y'all feel? Stupid as shit. Y'all, you've been watching March Madness. Obviously, UNC guy. We see what Cooper Flagg's been doing, bouncing back, I think, from the ankle injury, right?
Starting point is 01:34:58 But do you like the Cooper Flagg-Kevin Love comparisons? Nah. But also, I think we starting to overhype guys that have talent but hasn't proven that they can actually play basketball yet. I think a lot of the talent we see are guys who have abilities to do things, jump high and all that kind of stuff, but I compare him more to Christian Laettner right now than anything because Kevin Love did a lot of shit in the NBA. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:35:33 Not to take anything away from what Cooper's doing, but K-Love was a rebounder machine. He had specific attributes that you used him for that he was excellent at, especially passing. In college, K-Love, first couple years in the league, K-Love a lot different than the K-Love we saw later on in his career. Slimmed down, trimmed down a little bit,
Starting point is 01:35:53 but college K-Love was- Yeah, he was bigger, center block, yeah, he was center block. He wasn't as athletic as Cooper is. Yeah, but he was a beast. But yeah, I think that comparison is way off and in the realm of Cooper being a lot more agile he'll be more off the ball more like a to me like a white little Alden he played more like that than anything you
Starting point is 01:36:18 make plays you can pass can defend and block shots but he ain't know he ain't getting it after he ain't doing none of that shit, so he's a system player. You put him in a good rotation, he'll be good. How do you feel like Cooper Flagg's game will translate to the league? We'll never know. I'll never know until it happens, but right now I can't say nothing as far as that he plays for Duke and that, you know, and it's like, who gives a fuck what he does?
Starting point is 01:36:47 I don't care. That's an accurate assessment. Right situation. I don't see the Kevin Love comparison. Yeah, I'm hearing it. I'm like, that's not what I see watching this, especially college right now versus the college Caleb in the league, Caleb. Franz, Franz, Wagner.
Starting point is 01:37:04 Yeah. Waggy, waggy. versus a college Caleb in the league Caleb? Franz Wagner. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Waggy, waggy. The situation, right situation like that, Paulo, like they wanted the same, I think. So you put him in a situation like that, I think that's a good comparison. But I don't see the Kevin Love thing. Kevin Love was a four man.
Starting point is 01:37:28 I think Cooper Flagg more of a three. Put him big, big two, three. He's a wing player. I think Kevin Love was more of a true power forward. So I don't look at Cooper Flagg. And I feel like we've seen so many versions of Kevin Love, too. Cooper Flagg is lower in marketing, Franz Wagner, that kind of a... Yeah, he definitely more lower in marketing. He's that athletic, tall, can get his own shot off on anybody.
Starting point is 01:37:59 I see more of those guys than I do Kevin Love. So we talk about Cooper Flagg. If he decides to come out will likely be the number one overall pick. We have a distinguished gentleman here from Oak Cliff who was also a number one pick in the National Basketball Association. So for you, what was it like having to deal with the expectations of being a number one pick? The expectations?
Starting point is 01:38:32 I don't, I didn't really listen to, like, what I should be doing, to be honest. It was, you know the, as being the number one pick, you know that, right? So you know what's going to come with. You know the expectation for you to play well. And me being in Jersey, having New York right there, the media and all that, so it was, even though it was Jersey, it was still a lot of media coverage for me being the number one pick.
Starting point is 01:39:01 So coming to a situation where the team hasn't been successful Lessens the expectations mm-hmm as long as you showing That trajectory of getting better throughout the season Understanding NBA game and growth from year one to year... Then, yeah, but if you're not doing that, then you start to feel the pressures and expectations of what people are saying around you. Having the right teammates is crucial.
Starting point is 01:39:39 The right coaching staff is crucial for those pressures and expectations. I was fortunate and blessed my rookie year to play with Steph and he got a lot of attention, him being from New York and there's a lot going on in that regard so I was able to average 12, whatever it was and still be cool, you know what I'm saying? And second year, get J. K. So it made my job easier to where this NBA,
Starting point is 01:40:11 he's going to maybe come into a situation where he's going to take 17 shots tonight, 18 shots tonight as a rookie. And it depends on what you're doing with that. It's how people are going to look at you. So it's a different NBA than the one I came up in being the number one pick and there was no social media. There was media, but there was no social media.
Starting point is 01:40:36 So the reach and the attention to every single thing you do night in and night out will be magnified. So I can't speak to that. But all you got to do is if you are, it's from a small place in Maine, man. Yeah, exactly. So hopefully that helps, right, with the noise. Because you're not used to it. And you're so able to block it out a little bit.
Starting point is 01:41:03 So you're going from Dallas to Cincinnati to now Jersey, New York, obviously major market. Yeah. What was that transition like for you, not being in the major market? Like you said, media, not necessarily on the level of the Knicks per se, but you still in that area. Just media, period. The coverage of the people wanting to get to know you, right?
Starting point is 01:41:25 And me being the person that's coming from Dallas was a shy kid because I stuttered and all these things. It was shelter. I wouldn't let nobody in. You'd have to have a microphone in your face right away and things like that. And as the years went on in Cincinnati, by the time my senior year came around,
Starting point is 01:41:43 I had to start to shed that a little bit. So it kind of grew me a little bit for it, being National Player of the Year. So it kind of grew me for the attention a little bit, which he's going through right now, that process, being on the World Award list, being a finalist. So it starts to gain momentum as the summer goes on. So you start to get, and like I said, today there's more media coverage than anything. So there's more requests for your time and interviews
Starting point is 01:42:14 than it was for me. I could pick and choose, right? Now it's everybody wants your 15 minutes. Everybody has a podcast, everybody has a show, everybody has this, everybody has that. So everybody wants your attention and time and everybody want a 15 minutes. Everybody has a podcast. Everybody has a show. Everybody has this. Everybody has that. So everybody wants your attention and time, and everybody wants a sound bite. And if you don't give it to them,
Starting point is 01:42:30 then they're going to try to bring you down. So he has that to deal with. So, Sean, we look at lottery odds right now. I think Jazz, Wizards, Hornets all have the highest odds of landing the number one overall pick, followed by the Pelicans and then the Sixers. Not looking good for not rolling with any of those destinations Well, it's not you say you turn. That's why I don't fit
Starting point is 01:42:54 It's not even about the destination more so than you banking on this young guy with no experience to come in and change something You know I'm saying. I think that's the whole Trajectory now with me. It always an issue is, are you experienced enough? Have you learned enough to translate your game? And why is the importance of learning while you're there at such a fast pace is the decision maker for everybody? Oh, you'll just learn as you go, as you get there.
Starting point is 01:43:23 But then do you want to make an impact? Do you want to be the guy you always got to teach? Right? You always got to go teach them that. You got to teach them this. You don't got to teach competitiveness. You ain't got to teach the mentality to dominate your peers and everybody in your position. I want them all to be scared of me when I step on the court. So even if I plan against people who don't know me, I know the people who do know me, I'm going to tell to tell them. You can't guard him like that. You got to guard him like this because we played against him. He did this against us. But a lot of these guys come in fresh.
Starting point is 01:43:53 They have a big learning curve. They hit that fucking rookie wall, and every rookie has to turn it around at some point. But you look at Saar, you look at Wiseman, you look at all these number one picks that came in with the pressure that they have. Reese Lachey with the Hawks now. And you're like, damn, man, like,
Starting point is 01:44:12 how are they going to turn this around? You look at a guy like Scoot, he didn't go number one, but the pressure of being to this position with no real experience. So we're looking at Cooper and we're saying, like, okay, is he going to come in here and make a, is he going to be LeBron or
Starting point is 01:44:28 Zion and all that? I don't see it. I see Gordon Haywood. No, no, I ain't going to judge him. I've seen him play in person. He's competitive. He's athletic. So yeah, so you said Washington. Washington, Charlotte. So, you said Washington.
Starting point is 01:44:46 Washington, Charlotte. Charlotte, to me, is the better. Utah, and then the Pelicans and Sixers right after that. To me, Charlotte is a better fit. Miles Bridges. Still, he's a – Miles is a slasher still. You still – he fits better with – because LaMelo is still a pass-first guy. Seems like you have a lot of love out there just from –
Starting point is 01:45:04 Brandon Miller's the two. Miles can play the four. You can put him three, four. You can play with the lineup with them two, right? I think you're still trying. The Utah situation, you got Mark and you got Kessler. You still got... Collins.
Starting point is 01:45:21 Yeah, Collins there. You still got Phil Akowski who you're trying to groom, and he's coming to his own. He's a rookie this year. So then you got a lot of people that it's a log jam for him there. But that talent, you'll find space for him. New Orleans is a graveyard. Yeah, I don't.
Starting point is 01:45:40 I do not want to go there. Not right now. Of the places, I'm thinking Charlotte, but Philly, fuck around, get the number one pick. Some shit like that. Right? That's the way that shit go. Yeah. Right?
Starting point is 01:45:58 Somebody, yeah. That's the way that shit going to go this year. Somebody who we're not expecting to get the number one pick. If we go to Charlotte, that'll make sense. Yeah. But, like I said, I see them playing personally. I think they're competitive. But it's a different game when you get up there with the big boys.
Starting point is 01:46:19 Coaching, teammates, management, all that shit plays a factor in your success. Hopefully they put them in the right right team get the right pick and they do right by him, if he is to be the number one pick. Philly gets to keep their pick if it's one through six, I believe. And then, yeah, if not, it goes to OKC. I'd say better shit about him if he went to a different school. If he went to North Carolina, potentially nice? I'd say just any different.
Starting point is 01:46:47 UCLA? Any school. My mother could have went to Radford. And just quick, Sean, you talk about that Ricky Wall, but I want to ask both of you guys, obviously your experience playing in the league a long time ago, kids nowadays, flag at Mount Verde, not too long, but just the game has changed.
Starting point is 01:47:05 Like, they're playing a national schedule. There's a lot more travel. They're playing a lot more games at AAU Circuit, doing a lot more travel than I think we used to do when we were coming up. Does that equip them and prepare them more to avoid a rookie wall in the league? No. You talking about as far as college is concerned, how they ramped up on everything? High school, but they're just playing so much more basketball than I think we played when we were growing up.
Starting point is 01:47:30 Well, there's levels to the basketball and the competitive levels when you say go from AAU to high school and from high school to college. There was supposed to be three different jumps because you got traveling teams in AAU, which is all-star teams. If you assemble the right teams and you go around trying to beat other Avenger teams, then you get to college and you have the regional Avengers that you have are going.
Starting point is 01:47:57 Now everyone's going picking a college now. Yeah. Right? And we've all met in nationals. We've seen these. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, we've seen them. But now you've got seen that's that's something. Yeah, we've seen them But now you've got with the transfer port and all that you've got all these things reload and recalibrate in every single year
Starting point is 01:48:10 So it's not you know, I'm just saying the teams. I feel like a more stacked in the power comp Well, you can stack now now it's easier to stack teams It's like free agency so you can pay for a guy to come to your team You like them if they don't like it you can actually say it in the game that you're playing against Hey, listen, I know you're not getting no shots. We got at least $400,000 for you. Come over here. Post-game handshake's a little bit different now.
Starting point is 01:48:29 Man, it can be just like that, that easy. And then you go to Morehead State, get a guy like Boomer, Broom from Auburn. He was at Morehead State. Transfer a portal. Now they about to have a chance to win the whole shit just based on money. So, I mean, it's different.
Starting point is 01:48:46 So I guess for me too, for you guys, when you talk about the Ricky Wall, what was the hardest part? What does that Ricky Wall really mean? I think it depends, man, if you're getting consistent minutes or not. Yeah, yeah. Like, if you're playing every night and you're playing 34, 35 minutes a night as a rookie, then there's a good chance because you haven't done that for 82 games yet.
Starting point is 01:49:09 Right? You've been playing, the most you've played in college is 35, 36 games, 37 games, right? And we're doing that shit in the first two months. Yeah, and it's weekly, so we got every Friday or, you know, we got enough time. You're playing 17 games in a month in the NBA. So if you're doing that early on, then yeah, there's a great chance
Starting point is 01:49:31 that you're going to hit some fatigue. Yeah. But, It's a mental part. You're not playing back-to-backs in college. We're not playing
Starting point is 01:49:37 the game in 151 and hopping on a plane the next night. So it's all of that, right? That plays a factor. And not playing. If you're not, if you, like you said, it depends on your that plays a factor. And not playing.
Starting point is 01:49:47 Like you said, it depends on your playing time. If I'm not playing, I'm mentally trying to figure out how to get more playing time while traveling and doing workouts behind the scenes with the assistant coaches and trying to impress them. That is tiring, too, because people don't know. You work harder trying to get in the lineup than the guys all are working that are in the lineup. They know the standard things they need to do to stay in the lineup.
Starting point is 01:50:11 But the other guys that are like, I got to do two, three times more to get noticed by the coach, they tired as fuck. And they got to show up like it's the... No excuse, too. No excuse. No, you in whatever point you better go produce. So if you're a rookie trying to do that.
Starting point is 01:50:25 Like he said, you ain't never had that type of energy lapse where halfway through, you like, yo, fuck, man, my shit is beaming right now. Yeah, so there's a clip out there of B. Scott talking about like, I was hard to coach, just staying the third early on.
Starting point is 01:50:42 Like, no, I was just honest with you. That's all. If I ain't happy that day, I told you. You want me to come in and bullshit you? Like, he said, no, Kenny used to tell me I'm T.I. Red. Like, what does that spell? Tired. Yes.
Starting point is 01:50:55 Did you say I'm T.I. Red? T.I. Red, brother. I ain't got it today. Want to make sure I keep it to me? Yeah, you want it now or you want it later? Because then you go out there playing tired. You look tired. Yeah. You look a certain way. So I later? Because then you go out there playing tired. You look tired. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:51:05 You look a certain way. So I'm going to tell you. Yeah. You can either give me a shoot around and practice today or I can give it to you later on at 7, tomorrow at 7.30. Let's figure it out. I learned that early. I had a bunch of vets all my rookie year.
Starting point is 01:51:19 I didn't do anything. I came in to the NBA with. Had a lot of vets my rookie year. Like a lot of dudes that had been around. So I'm listening to them and listening, hey, hey, hey, okay, hey. Right? I'm young, but I'm learning.
Starting point is 01:51:34 So watch how they moving and things that they doing and how they communicating and they sitting out of certain things and all right, cool, we gonna, we gonna implement some of this shit. I know I'm young, I'm a rookie, but still, still number one pick. That's what I'm saying. You're not a regular rookie.
Starting point is 01:51:52 Yeah, still number one pick. God damn it. A little bit different. Yeah, let's not forget that, right? Yeah, I knew I was going to play and I played a certain way. So, yeah, it was like Rash Sean said, it's all learning. It's all learning the game, why you're on the floor, why you're not on the floor.
Starting point is 01:52:10 It's all a learning curve. So, you can get mentally exhausted with it, which is a thing, because you go from being a man and playing and all that to... That fucker's really overlooking you and treating you like shit because you're the new guy in the building. In the corner.
Starting point is 01:52:31 Yeah. When you just came from a situation where you was the new guy in college and everybody kissed your ass and praised you, now you're the new guy and you ain't heard your name in a month and a half. Because everybody called you Rook. Everybody called you Rook for the last two months. And you forgot your damn name, right?
Starting point is 01:52:53 So it's all of that, man, and dudes doing shit to you, making you get donuts and pay for meals, and doing shit to you. So, no, it's a lot. You just come with being a rookie.
Starting point is 01:53:06 That I, I had experienced. I didn't experience it either, Kenya. Unfortunately, I had to. We in the same boat, Joe. Get to the working world. Yeah, I did too.
Starting point is 01:53:16 I did too. Check was a little bit different. Yeah, I was just hooping. But let's keep this moving. The namesake of our show, Gilbert Arenas, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the creator
Starting point is 01:53:27 sports category Gil's Arena honored in the podcast sports category that means we made the top 7 did not make the top 5 to be nominated apparently they didn't look at our numbers but nonetheless
Starting point is 01:53:43 support Gil by voting for him in the link in the chat. Voting is open until Thursday, April 17th. Show Gil your love. Help us get some more bread here in Gil's Arena, presented by Underdog Woo Woo. So we talked about the perspective of being a lottery pick, number one pick, high draft pick.
Starting point is 01:54:00 2014 second overall pick, Jabari Parker, played parts of eight seasons in the NBA, but his career was marred by injuries. He's played the last two seasons with FC Barcelona, recently opened up in an interview with Alex Molina of Eurohoops on his perspective, saying, quote, people say I'm a tragic story. What's tragic about me? I made millions of dollars. I fed my family. I brought my family out of the ghetto. Went on to say, my success is that I get up and I can be with my loved ones. I haven't even given any importance to my draft position.
Starting point is 01:54:30 I fulfilled my dream. That's all that matters to me. So when you hear this, do you like Jabari Parker's perspective on his life and his career? Yeah, that's all that fucking matters at the end of the day. People's opinions and shit don't matter.
Starting point is 01:54:47 He didn't set a goal to play in the NBA. His goal, he didn't go out and try to get hurt while being in the NBA. So he could accomplish his goal, right? That was his goal as a child to make it to the NBA. And tragic story, no, injuries are a part of sports unfortunately man it went like he got hurt and didn't play again no he injured himself he fought out he bounced back and he's fucking hooping again and people think because he's not in the NBA that he's sad no he's he want to hoop you want to play somebody's playing him best Paying him good money right now to still play basketball
Starting point is 01:55:27 so now this That's his perspective right like that's his life. That's his real. That's his truth So yeah, people say the same. Okay. Can you number one pick worse number one pick up cool? Still the number one pick still Still bought my mom a house. Still bought my mom a car. Still did, like, cool. So, yes, I'm with him.
Starting point is 01:55:53 I'm mad it's not other number one picks saying that. It's usually people who were not picked. Number one. For anything in their life. And ain't been picked for shit, right? That have those types of opinions. Well, when he ain't picked the motherfucker for the teacher to wipe the chalkboard at the end of the day, nigga.
Starting point is 01:56:09 Which is... Yeah, that's a big deal when you're in elementary school. Big deal when you're in elementary school. I love talking about this type of shit because even though he's not an underdog, he's a prodigy, he's a favorite. Yeah. And it didn't pan out. And you got to think about the other 5,000 guys that's ever played in this league that didn't turn out to be Hall of Famers and played the game and left the game, right?
Starting point is 01:56:34 I think the biggest problem in our sport now is this becomes a tragic story only because we're not expected to have anything outside of this life of sports. So when sports is our world and everything we depend on is sports related, if you do anything outside of the sport, you're either looked at as, you know, you expanding or you just couldn't cut it. You got blackballed. You're a bust. You're this.
Starting point is 01:57:00 You're that. And I think with him, seeing the rest of the world outside of the NBA, seeing how the world operates, he's doing a lot of things I did you're being more cultural culturally sound understanding that the world has more to offer to you beyond the actual sport so I think a lot of guys get hung up on what you did in playing basketball and not looking at what's left out there to actually do you may not love anything else like you love the sport, but you've never tried anything else either like you tried the sport. So you put a lot of energy into
Starting point is 01:57:32 other things and you'll find out that there's things you like that's just like the sport. It's just as good, just as fulfilling and you can make a lot of money doing it and all these things and I think that's the big part about former players that didn't pan out to be whatever. We sit and we wallow in that grief of expectation and shame and what people want from us. And we just, like he said, and I fucking had a blast. I played four years in the league. I would never change that. You know how much work I got?
Starting point is 01:58:03 But this is all I'm going to say about you in general. You would never change that. You know how much work I got to But this is all I'm going to say about you in general. It never changed. How much work I got to see just being in the league for four years? Because if you wouldn't have been there, you would have never. Never. And if I would have took it more serious in the standpoint of setting my goals and saying I'm going to engulf my life around this, I would have went
Starting point is 01:58:19 way further. It wouldn't have been about the work. It would have been about all these other things. But for me, it was put that hat on. It was, man, I told my mom I'm going to make it. I didn't say anything beyond this. So now I'm living beyond this, and I love what I can see. I'm just looking at the drive picture of you and your sister. And then, yeah, so his point, right, that I like to set that goal.
Starting point is 01:58:38 Like once I got in, my goal, I told myself, if I need to play this long. Yeah, yep. Right? And if I do, I had a great fucking career. I didn't win in Luke. Whatever came within this time frame, I accomplished, let's see, the thing, I accomplished my individual goal
Starting point is 01:58:59 as a professional athlete. What everybody else may think, it's what they think right, but we all Get something from this absolutely and to show a point Can be great at something else we don't know because we never tried we never we never put the time and energy and effort in anything else This is what I know. This is what I'm striving for. This is what I've been told.
Starting point is 01:59:27 This is what I've been drilled to be and drilled to do. And once we figure that out, the other part, life is a lot less complicated for you. It's unlocking our genius too because we're not competitive anymore. We're creative. And when you switch that dynamic as an athlete,
Starting point is 01:59:52 we're not fighting against each other as much. We're not saying, I need to beat Kenyon because he had a career like this and I need to show people that I can talk. Instead of just creatively, let me piggyback off Kenyon
Starting point is 02:00:04 because he know more than I do and I'm going to allow his conversation to be part of mine, so I can learn from him. Yep. Right? But we as, we so competitive, we want to beat each other. And that's why we all have separate podcasts, because we right now are back into our competitive spirits and trying to beat each other. And once we start to join this one network called Move Around TV, y'all are learning. Y'all are learning.
Starting point is 02:00:29 We don't need to compete. We can creatively come onto the platform and just get money. So when you talk about yourself, and it's something that bothers me a lot too, and, Kent, you talk about yourself as well, national champion, McDonald's All-American. I told you before,
Starting point is 02:00:43 still remember watching that McDonald's game, believe it was in New York, dunk contest, all that stuff going on. You got everybody throwing up the X. You know what I'm saying? But four years in the league, and a lot of people will look at that and try to be like, oh, he was this, he was that, he was whatever. I never played in the league. I knew going into my freshman year at UCLA, I probably had a couple more years left with college basketball. Then I was going to have to join the working world. So to be able to even practice a game or whatever it may be in the league, for me, I just never have that attitude or tone,
Starting point is 02:01:09 and it really frustrates me when I see people say that, who never did shit, right? And it's like, yeah, you can have your opinions. That's awesome. But you didn't never do shit. You think I would have loved to win a national championship? You think I would have loved to hear my name called at the draft by the commissioner?
Starting point is 02:01:22 Obviously, both of you being number one. Number one. With the number one pick, you have. That was the dream for all of us. Your name said it the draft by the commissioner. Obviously, both of you being number one. Number one. With the number one pick, you have. That was the dream for all of us. Your name was said. I've never heard. I've watched it. I've watched it in drafts.
Starting point is 02:01:31 So I never had those feelings or emotions. I was looking at the pick of you and your sister when you were drafted by the Timberwolves. You're all together holding the ball. But those feelings and all that stuff. But like you pointed out, Shad, being able to now take that. And it's tough because the further your NBA career goes, that's all you know, right? That's how you look at it. I'm just a basketball player.
Starting point is 02:01:47 Your career ends. Well, shit, all you can do is play basketball. You don't know what else you can do. Exactly. And then to your point, here we are on the couch. Yeah. To me, 15 years of it, right? From 22 to 37.
Starting point is 02:02:02 Hoop. Hoop dreams. I had to, I played basketball and i had to deal with injuries right i had to rehab to get ready to play basketball basketball then rehab and something like and then try to be a father and all this right right so all at once all at once so All at once. So then at 30, listen, at 37, it's like, no more basketball? Guess I can just chill. Just chill. Find something to do. Something.
Starting point is 02:02:41 Yeah. Right? This is the progression of it, man. And if you don't, you ain't got nobody over here, like, hey, but you probably want to start to, hey, you don't like nothing else? That's the part. Hey, you don't want to do nothing else?
Starting point is 02:02:57 Nothing. Nothing. You just like watching movies. I want to act, you know. It's just kind of how Dame Dash acts. You don't want to be in no movie, you just want to watch it. You want to write the movie, what you want to do? Yeah, so instead, if you ain't got nobody doing that, then it's, now we get lost, man, we get jaded.
Starting point is 02:03:13 And we get caught up in this world of that. And it's great why you're in it. But for some, it's a detriment After the fact yeah, because it takes you longer to figure yourself out and we end up Putting money into this blowing money on this trying to figure ourselves out in this regard where Them checks not coming in like they were So those experiences and chances that you taking now could be crucial than when they were playing and you're trying to figure a different way out.
Starting point is 02:03:55 So it's a lot that come with it, man. But ultimately, it's a, we all, a friend of mine here told me like, in each one of our hometowns, no matter where we're from, we're all Michael Jordan. Thanks. And it took, once you, like, huh? Like, oh shit, I get it, right?
Starting point is 02:04:21 So we walk around, no matter where we're from, people, we're here, man. Hometown heroes. We all have a certain level that we play where we can feel like, we're from people we hear man. Hometown hero. We all have a certain level that we play where we can feel like Yeah, yeah we are there.
Starting point is 02:04:28 With other people who yeah we're in that level that you surpass like alright I can go back I can go back over here and still feel like Yeah, yeah
Starting point is 02:04:35 I can go in this circle and still put my chest out right? So it's that feeling of it man but no we it's Well I appreciate you, Jim. I appreciate your perspective.
Starting point is 02:04:47 I know a lot of people in the chat have comments about this particular segment, but let's just check the balloons here. A million subscribers on the Gills Arena YouTube channel. Thank you guys for watching and supporting. So now, and when you respond to people, like you stated, people always got to comment like, oh, you did this with Joker, you didn't do nothing,
Starting point is 02:05:07 you only averaged this, you only... If I look up the 5,000 guys that played in the league, am I going to see your fucking name? But look, I mean, I let people have their feelings, right? Because the four years in the league is the four years. There's no denying that. My production behind that stands for what it was. The experience speaks for itself.
Starting point is 02:05:31 But what I've done after that, right? I say I started a second career. The resurgence was the big three. We played on the team. First year, number one pick. Boom, boom, boom. Try to reestablish it. Hey, I'm back.
Starting point is 02:05:45 That didn't really work. So here we go again. We're in media now where I have to be able to show who I really am. They don't know me. They know me for who. People call me by my last name. So when you call me by my last name, that means you only seen that on my jersey. You calling me by what you see on TV.
Starting point is 02:06:06 You don't know me. So now I'm showing people a little bit of my personality, a little bit that I'm funny and cool. It's been real shit. This is a second career now. And I've just gotten a contract that exemplifies that I can make more doing this than I did doing that. And imagine that.
Starting point is 02:06:30 So if I'm good at this and they can pay me for doing this, I'm not going to allow nobody to shit on the fact that my last career didn't pan out to be better than my next career. And guess what? I'm going to do another career after this one. You remind me, it's April 2nd, 9 p.m. The director probably will be hitting. God is gracious. But without the career
Starting point is 02:06:49 that people say was irrelevant or don't matter, without that career, then this career won't exist. You gotta appreciate the journey. So no matter whatever path it is, it's your path, right?
Starting point is 02:07:06 Whatever path I took to be here to be sitting on this couch with y'all is my path. There's no failure behind it. There's none, right? Would I have loved to win a championship? Absolutely. Would I have loved to be able to... All the points, triple doubles. All of it, right?
Starting point is 02:07:20 Yeah, we all want that shit. But, no, for sure. See, everybody can't do it. I was at fucking Disney World the other day, and the dude just heard my voice and looked up and was like, damn, I thought that was you. Yep. Now I was at Target, motherfucker,
Starting point is 02:07:33 and asked me why I was in Target. Damn, I thought that was you, right? I was talking to my wife. He asked me why I was in Target. He said, why you in here? I said, it's a store, nigga. Y'all got good deals. What the fuck you mean? What kind of question is that? I knew that was you. why are you in here? I said, it's a store, nigga. Y'all got good deals. What the fuck you mean?
Starting point is 02:07:46 What kind of question is that? I knew that was you. What you doing in here? What you doing in here? Toiletries? So I was like, damn, it ain't my, now it's no longer my basketball career that people, when they see me,
Starting point is 02:07:56 oh, damn, that's King, but they tell me, now it's this. Yes. Right? So for him to be looking away and say, damn, I thought that was you, it was my voice. I heard you. That's crazy. Right? So for him to be looking away and say, damn, I thought that was you. It was my voice. I heard you.
Starting point is 02:08:06 That's crazy. Right? So, yeah. The voice of the people. Before we move on, I'll tell you all the story. I'm coming back from the airport. It's like 10 o'clock at night. I'm rolling through.
Starting point is 02:08:15 It's a police officer. Me mugging, just looking straight ahead. Got a little earpiece in. Me mug. I'm like, oh, shit. He going to want some stat. He look over at me. He's like, yo, I'm listening to the show right now.
Starting point is 02:08:23 I'm like, all right. I had a little weed on me. I'm like, all right. Okay, no, it's a lot. Had a little weed on me. I'm sorry, sir. It's a lot of that. It's a whole lot of love I hear from this. And we have, like I said, everybody that sit on this couch, man,
Starting point is 02:08:37 that we have, it's a journey that put us all here. And some people appreciate it. Some people gonna hate on it. But you can't take it away. Right? One thing for sure, two things for certain. I got a Wikipedia.
Starting point is 02:08:56 And it got some accolades on that motherfucking information. Right? That's facts. So, Chai got one. Brandon, Gil, Nick. I'm in the process of getting it. So, Chad got one. Brandon, Gil,
Starting point is 02:09:06 Nick. I'm in the process of getting it. Yeah, but you built, but it's in a different way. It's merely a host period. You have an IMDB. You better stop it.
Starting point is 02:09:15 You have a nice IMDB. For anybody who thinks, oh, Nepo, baby, whatever, there's IMDB. IMDB.
Starting point is 02:09:19 There's Google. There's also LinkedIn. You can read all of those. And IMD Pro, if you don't even want to dig into the pro. Yeah. It's that part, man. But we are you, where you start and where you finish.
Starting point is 02:09:33 Facts. And if you do finish where you start, nigga, you're in the wrong way. That's another conversation. But let's get back to a little bit of basketball. The defending champion, Boston Celtics, beat the Grizzlies Monday to go 6-0 on their road trip. That's the most wins without a loss on a road
Starting point is 02:09:51 trip in franchise history. They've now won eight straight road games overall. Boston looking to tie the 2015-16 Warriors with a 34-7 road record, which is the best all-time. Scary. So, Celtics are 32-7 right now two road games left to play
Starting point is 02:10:14 April 8th at the Knicks in April 9th at the Magic obviously a back-to-back flights in between those Do you believe the Boston Celtics will tie the single-season road wins record? I don't think it's important to him If they then they gonna finish to whatever it is. I I don't think it's important to them. But if they do it, great. I look at this as you... This is winning on the road, man. Yeah. Playoffs. So that's what I look at.
Starting point is 02:10:41 When I hear the road record during the regular season, you know how to win on the road, and you're dominant on the road. They ain't like you motherfuckers 15 and 16, that 17 and 16 road record. Yeah, you're above 500, but it ain't that. So this tells me that they are still that dominant team, and good luck come, I don't know if they're going to play on the 17th or not, but if they do, good luck to the team that they face. Because they're going to come on your home floor and display it. everything that they've turned this team into, which is a very powerful bench,
Starting point is 02:11:33 a very powerful backcourt, midcourt, and frontcourt. You look at the philosophy that the coach has installed on the team, which is hard-nosed hit first, right? And they always come out first, and they come out swinging. I think if Jalen and Jason can turn on this notch that they've never reached before, they've never tried to turn on before, I think the team will turn into a dynasty. They can win three straight.
Starting point is 02:11:59 I think so. They haven't shown that notch yet, but I think that what we're seeing with the on-the-road schedule and you're seeing how they're just dominating teams with the shooting, even though we complain about the threes, like I said, the whole point is if we make them, we're going to kill you. And we're banking on making them more than we're banking on missing them. So that's what they've been doing out there, and it's working. And they're very dangerous.
Starting point is 02:12:23 It's very dangerous for Cleveland right now, even though they feel good about it and they're very dangerous it's very dangerous for Cleveland right now even though they feel good about it and they like we've been playing good all year but you haven't beat them so Celtics were 37 to 4 at home last season 24 and 12 at home this season we talked about that as a potential issue but you go on the flip side 32 and 7 on the road this season they were from mistake there were 27 and 14 on the road last you tend to relax at home more. Yeah, right That's when you're good when you're good Yeah, you tend to relax a little more cuz you relying on that and you turn it on when you turn on whatever
Starting point is 02:12:58 But that road shit, that's what good team like that's when you know a, really good team by that road record during the regular season. Sustaining that effort on the road and against the adversity. I wouldn't be surprised if they swept whoever they played in the first round. Oh, yeah, they fought for it. I would not be surprised if they 4-0 whoever it is. That's my whole point. I don't even feel like they won a chip last year, so they know how to do it.
Starting point is 02:13:25 To your point, Tatum and Brown, I don't want to say they're chilling this year, still playing at a high level, but just like, we already know we can do this. And now it's about a postseason. Now it's about all the shit they talked last summer, everything they had to say about us, who's the number one option, all that stuff.
Starting point is 02:13:38 But now, we're trying to go back to back. They got a chip on their shoulder. We're trying to go back to back. Both of them got a chip on their shoulder. Fuck with that Olympic shit. Brazingas is considered a defensive player, no? Shot blocker. Shot blocker, right.
Starting point is 02:13:50 And then you got Tatum, Brown, White, and Drew Holiday. If we can get Jason Tatum to say, I'm going to be an all-defensive, all-NBA, that, and you got all five of those guys at that level, now it's different. And that's to say that Jason don't have it. He hasn't turned it on. That's, yeah.
Starting point is 02:14:14 Right? It's not never to say, Jason has everything you need to be one of the greatest players of all time. He just hasn't tapped into believing it. You believe it, he's going to go out there and show Jalen, I'm guarding this guy now. Yeah, take an individual challenge.
Starting point is 02:14:29 Yes, I'm guarding him. I'm the best player on the team. Move. I got him. I'm going to show you I can guard him. I'm going to shut him down. Or you can continue to let Jalen Brown do it, and we can go out there motherfucking.
Starting point is 02:14:40 And just keep winning. And just keep winning. You're right. You're right. You're right. You're right, because nothing's broken. Nothing's broken. Like, I can, at times,
Starting point is 02:14:47 okay, cool, but this is what, who you are, this is what you want to do. This is how we have been successful. A hundred percent. I got,
Starting point is 02:14:56 it's scary. Jalen Brown is a hell of a defender. Derek White and the motherfuckers drew out of there. You got you in front of all that shit to poor Zingers like he was saying. And Pritchard can play D2.
Starting point is 02:15:06 Yeah, he's going to compete. Al Horford ain't no star. Al Horford can play. What's the big kid they bring off the bench? Big, um, number 40. He shoot that bitch. Cornette shoot it. Cornette play defense.
Starting point is 02:15:19 And he shoot that bitch. The other, uh... You talking about Hauser. No, he's a shooter. It's a black kid African kid I think it is the African number 88
Starting point is 02:15:27 him yeah there's no space for him and you know in the playoff series as a momentum change or something like that you need
Starting point is 02:15:35 I'm going to throw him energy six minute spurt five six minutes go out there motherfucking change the momentum so it's things like that
Starting point is 02:15:43 that they have at their disposal to your point about the bench they've built enough and put together out there motherfucking changing the momentum. So it's things like that that they have at their disposal. Your point about the bench. They've built enough and put together a roster that if one guy not making shots, then they have another guy to go at. If Pritchard not making shots, they got Howes. If Howes not making shots, they got Cornelius. If he's not making shots, then we just throw the ball on the block. We got White out there. White is out there with them. We got White and Pritchard dropping the block. We got white out there
Starting point is 02:16:10 Drew Holliday still capes going third and Any time drew can still go self-aid from the three or sure I get hot proceedings to steal so is Our horse was still out there bitch being productive. So it is five from three of five from three. They have a complete team that's built for playoff winning basketball. Thanks. The criticism that Drew got with the Bucs, right? Quote, unquote,
Starting point is 02:16:31 disappearing in the playoffs and all that type of stuff. He don't got to worry about that. No, he didn't disappear. But my point is, he don't even have to worry about he even have to deal with that. See, people so big on making...
Starting point is 02:16:39 Whether the ball went through the basket or not, dog. I'm going to show you what the value is to you. I'm going to show you what my value is right here. Right here. Yep. There's a difference. The mother got the ball going through the basket or not, dog. I'm going to show you what the value is. I'm going to show you what my value is right here. Right here. Yep.
Starting point is 02:16:46 There's a difference. The mother got the ball, go through the basket. Y'all can say what you want to. I bought the same overall game that I always do. It don't show up on the stat sheet. So, y'all caught up in whether he made shots or not. All right. And we've had a lot of attention given to the Cavs, rightfully so.
Starting point is 02:17:08 15-0 streak to start the season out. Franchise record 16-0 streak during the body of the season. Shown that they deserve to be number one in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, right? Which is completely different than when you get to the playoffs. Do you feel like this Cav squad can actually give the Celtics a run for their money? Absolutely.
Starting point is 02:17:24 And that's? Absolutely. So it's going to be a little bit tougher road for Boston this year than it was last year? They're a matchup nightmare. They're a matchup because I like Jared Allen and Mobley playing together against what will presumably be Al Horford and Przingis having to play together. And then you're looking at Jalen and Jason having to adjust their lineup. Would they?
Starting point is 02:17:45 No, they wouldn't because they've been beating them, right? So the adjustment has to come from Cleveland. Cleveland has to make adjustments on what was the matchup that was going wrong. I think it's the three spot, whoever they had at the three, which is D-Wade or Coro or one of those guys that's just not matching. They're not matching the fever. But now you've got DeAndre Hunter. Yeah, that's who it is. They're not matching the fever. But now you got DeAndre Hunter. You've got...
Starting point is 02:18:06 Yeah, that's who it is. DeAndre's at the three now. They've made some changes to that roster, strengthened the four to five, the bench. Nothing matches Jason Taylor and Jalen Brown's production. That's offsetting Garland and Mitchell. So they don't match up for that firepower. But they have winning power.
Starting point is 02:18:22 The winning power is the team power. So I think both sides they got solid weapons But it's about where you shooting from What's your strategy your sneak attack all of that got to be implemented because you can't beat them head up We already seen that you can't beat a man up It's April. Yeah, I'm excited play basketball See what Cleveland and how Cleveland look in the first round. Whoever it is that they're going to play,
Starting point is 02:18:49 I'm excited to see how they... As it stands right now... If it's a performance, then I'm... But... I'm thinking about the matchup, the lineups, the... The stands right now could be anyone from the Magic, Hawks, Heat, or Bulls. If I'm the Cleveland Cavaliers, I do not want to play the Orlando Magic. I do not want to play the Orlando Magic.
Starting point is 02:19:12 Magic currently in the seventh spot, but now you talk about not wanting to play the Magic, not for the Celtics playing the Magic. I think they can beat the Magic. I don't think the Magic can beat the Celtics in a playoff series, but I think the Magic can give the Celtics some competition. Yeah, they can give anybody some competition, but I think they feel they can beat Cleveland.
Starting point is 02:19:28 And I know, based on last season, that they definitely feel they can beat the Cavs, but... Huh? I don't see nobody on the East that's just good enough to beat the Celtics right now. No. Seeing that the fucking Bucs and the Sixers have completely collapsed out of contention.
Starting point is 02:19:45 It's weird that now we're left with, I picked the Knicks, so the Knicks are left, and then you got to go Orlando, Cleveland, and it just looks, it doesn't look like it used to look because Cleveland was never 1-2-3 consistently. So now that they're starting to be that, you got to consider them as a frontrunner of the second tier. But after that, it's like, shit, the Bucs need to make decisions. I mean, the Sixers need to make decisions.
Starting point is 02:20:12 Atlanta, you know, they've got one player playing consistently. We don't even talk about Trey Young's brilliant performances because he's playing with the Hawks. So Orlando's next up. And we talk about all the threes at the Celtics shoot in the regular season posting, but I think that they can shift and adjust that and move away from that three ball and still be. Yeah, they can.
Starting point is 02:20:31 Nah. Yeah, they can put. They won't, though. They can put zero on that block. It works. It wouldn't. You wouldn't. I think Missoula is one of those military guys.
Starting point is 02:20:41 He's like, nah, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And I understand, but I just feel like if it ever becomes something where they're starting to look for... They won't miss 27 straight like the Rockets did. No. They don't know.
Starting point is 02:20:51 He'll go, hey, throw that bitch zero, get your ass on, we're going to run a turn, whatever you... Oh, Jalen going to drive that motherfucker. He going to drive
Starting point is 02:20:58 that motherfucker for sure. He ain't going to keep shooting. He ain't going to keep shooting. We don't got to live and die by the three. Now, we may die on that hill, but we don't have to. We can adjust if needed. People got to understand why people shooting threes now
Starting point is 02:21:09 because the comfort of shooting a three and being able to have the confidence that your coach is not going to tell you no gives the coach confidence that, hey, I know if I let this guy shoot three of them, he's going to make one. I know that. So if all of your players are one out of them, he going to make one. I know that. So if all of your players are one out of three,
Starting point is 02:21:28 I'm going to want my players to shoot more threes because three is more than two. And then if it's harder to get our twos in because these guys don't practice mid ranges and their layup package ain't like that, what are we forced with? Everyone loves to
Starting point is 02:21:44 shoot threes anyway. Also conserving a lot of energy. Yeah, come down and shoot. No defense needs to be played when you're just chucking up threes. But we will see. As a reminder, the namesake of our show, Gilbert Arenas, has been nominated for a Webby Award in the Creator Sports category. Support Gil by voting for him in the link in the chat. Voting is open until Thursday, April 17th. Gil said he's going to give us all a raise if he wins this Webby, so please help us out. Give him your vote. Now let's move on to Mostly Fans.
Starting point is 02:22:15 Presented by the good folks at Underdog. Download the app, use promo code Gil, get $1,000 in bonus cash plus a special pick-em. So we got a question today from Underdog user Macho961. He said, will any of you ever become a coach? If so, who, why, and what offense would you run? If you became a coach, if so, who would the team? And what offense would you coach? What offense would you run? What, the team? And what offense would you coach? What offense would you run?
Starting point is 02:22:48 What, NBA team? I believe I think that's what he was referring. Hmm. Hmm. That's interesting. But we're also a college team, too, just depending on whatever. I would run the ver- Listen, ain't nobody implemented.
Starting point is 02:23:09 I would run the version of it when we ran in Jersey. That Princeton shit, a version of that with some tweaks. It's a lot of movement, cutting. Back doors. I would take... ...Houston. Mm. And...
Starting point is 02:23:35 I would run a lot of... flex cut, pin down, horns, double drags with the double pin down coming in on the drag. I do a lot of like, dribble handoff stuff with them. Throw it in the sangoon, pinch post Vladdy D, like Sacramento back in the sand goon, pinch post Vlade Divac him like Sacramento back in the day. Old school Utah jazz. Yeah. Cross on the baseline. Absolutely.
Starting point is 02:24:12 Run through. Run them through. Shit. And duck in. Wow. Carlos ducked the fucking booze all night long. Shit. Yeah, I've learned that. Yeah, Houston, I think they got a good team.
Starting point is 02:24:26 That shit's so frustrating to guard. Ain't going to even hold you, bro. That shit's frustrating the shit to guard. Flex cut. They just running through everything. Like, the way Jerry Sloan used to coach at Utah Jazz for years, the wings. Like, nowadays, they'll just run to the corner. Yep.
Starting point is 02:24:42 He used to teach you on the wing. Y'all got to cross on the baseline. All. He was teaching you on the wing. Y'all gotta cross on the baseline. All the way under. All the way under. You could stop if you was a three. You could, Karolinko. Stop and dunk her. And dunk her.
Starting point is 02:24:54 And you could stop and post up. Yeah. If you had the best match. Whoever the big, he run and they, and them dudes, while them dudes crossing on the baseline, then it was Karl Malone, then it went to Boozer, then Okor. Okor, yeah.
Starting point is 02:25:04 Okor, them dudes just ducking in right behind it. That's why Carl Malone. Then it went to Boozer. Then Okor. Okor, them dudes just ducking in right behind it. That's why Carl Malone was good. Just go watch the old school. That's why John Stockton got so many assists. Cross underneath. They cross underneath. He duck in and Carl just catching that bitch and laying it up. Darren Williams with Boozer.
Starting point is 02:25:19 Catching that bitch. Laying it up. Easy. We got one more question from Underdog User GetMoney21. Shad's question is for you. A-Rod and Mark Lord take over officially with ownership of the Timberwolves. Will ownership change make a big difference on the Wolves? Glenn Taylor had owned the team since 1994. Will the new A-Rod-Mark-Lord ownership group make a difference on the Timberwolves?
Starting point is 02:25:45 Alex Rodriguez? Yep. Well, he didn't deliver for the Yankees. So I'm still mad at him for taking all our money, not giving a shit for it. So I'm going lower. A going lower they write a fan of the work though no he's not well ducking always not it's one of them simper pimpers did win a title in 2009 did not have his best playoff performance but was a part of a championship team yeah it's unfortunate we don't give him no
Starting point is 02:26:23 credit for that Derek Jeter shit there do also a part of a championship team. Yeah, that's unfortunate. We don't give him no credit for that. That's Derek Jeter shit. Derek Jeter, also a fan of the work. He's a biracial angel. Gift baskets. Gift baskets. That's a great way to end the show today. Kanye, appreciate you. Sean, appreciate you as well.
Starting point is 02:26:44 Gil, flight delayed, but just quickly, obviously getting able to see him sitting courtside next to Carlos Boozer watching his son Elijah playing the McDonald's All-American game. Elijah was cooking in the second half. He didn't get 22 points. Slow first half, started cooking. It's all good.
Starting point is 02:27:01 I just wanted to get up there. So you can say you have more than me One thing I will say I'm gonna talk to you about this tomorrow after the game you took Elijah's game-use Jersey sweaty Jersey put it on and we're rolling around the New York area I Like it doesn't that one sweating too much out there they weren't't playing that hard. They wasn't playing that hard? It was nasty? No, it wasn't that nasty. I mean, all-star game. All-star game.
Starting point is 02:27:29 It was an all-star game. The Rock is not getting... I was trying to watch it and flip back and watch Steph, and it was like, yeah, it is... Too much Steph. I was watching the girls' game was on first, and I'm like... But the women's game was on first, and I'm like...
Starting point is 02:27:39 He'll hit me during the game, but I was watching the game. Elijah was on the bench. He's like... I'm like, I'm watching Steph right now. Yeah, I was trying to go back... Sorry, I'm going to turn it back. Don't game, but I was watching the game. Elijah was on the bench. He's like, I'm like, I'm watching Steph right now. Yeah, I was trying to go back. Sorry, I'm going to turn it back. Don't worry, but.
Starting point is 02:27:48 Yeah. Steph cookie. Shout out to Elijah, though. Yeah, for sure. But shout out to Elijah. That's what's up, man. A special moment. Gil will be back here in the arena tomorrow.
Starting point is 02:27:56 But we appreciate everybody in the chat for all the support. Appreciate all y'all for helping us get to one million subscribers on our Gil's Arena YouTube channel. Still got to tell them what work to do. Shai, what you got? We in the trenches. Y'all know we in the trenches. On Twitch and YouTube, moving around TV. Y'all holler at us.
Starting point is 02:28:13 Come on, man, fuck with us. Show some love and support. This has been another episode of Gills Arena presented by Underdog. Whoa, whoa! We will see y'all tomorrow.

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