Gil's Arena - Stephen A's SMOKE With Cemetery Larry BLOWS UP Gil's Arena

Episode Date: October 24, 2024

Gil's Arena Reacts To Stephen A Smith's SMOKE With Cemetery Larry and the rest of the Arena as Gilbert Arenas & The Gil's Arena Crew react to Stephen A's response to Rashad McCants calling out the media mogul's interview with Jaylen Brown and debate if Cemetery Larry should be afraid of the smoke coming from one of the sports world's most influential media members. They also discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo calling Jaylen Brown the best player in the NBA before breaking down the Bucks' undressing of the Philadelphia 76ers where the Greek Freak took a back seat to Damian Lillard which could be a positive sign for the Bucks' redemption season. Then, they react to the Phoenix Suns' win over the Los Angeles Clippers where the brand new intuit dome took center stage and James Harden shined in his role as the team's one and only option. Finally, Gil & the Crew kick off the NBA season with a special edition of Hibachi time, highlighting two superstars in Ja Morant & LaMelo Ball who excelled in their return to the court and are looking to bounce back this season. Please leave us a like and subscribe!!! Gil's Arena Crew - Gilbert Arenas, Josiah Johnson, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants & Brandon Jennings Gil's Arena Merch is Available NOW at http://gilsarenamerch.com/ Use code GIL10 for 10% off your SeatGeek order https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/GIL10 Sign up for Underdog Fantasy HERE with promo code GIL and get up to $1000 in Bonus Cash and A FREE Pick: https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-gil's-arena SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAvjYgmwadC682OoC4Cc6TQ Join the Underdog discord for access to exclusive giveaways and promos! https://discord.gg/underdog Intro 0:00:00 Show Start 0:02:03 Cemetery Larry Responds To Stephen A Smith 0:08:20 Quincy Olivari SMACKS BACK At Kenyon 0:28:26 Giannis & Damian Lillard TORCH The 76ers 0:31:59 Intuit Dome & "The Wall's" NBA Debut 1:03:37 James Harden Leading The Clippers 1:19:23 KD & The Suns Impressive Win 1:28:39 Stephen A Calls Kawhi The Worst Superstar Ever 1:35:35 Ja Morant's Return To Hoops 1:52:45 Risacher's Fit With The Atlanta Hawks 2:10:52 LaMelo Ball's Breakout Season 2:16:43 MostlyFans 2:32:33 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Whoa! Last show of the week, but I got a feeling this is going to be our best show. We on the couch already debating Madden, getting on the sticks. Yeah, they're scared of that college, though. They ducking you, Kendall? Oh, they're ducking that college, man. Is it that different? Like I just never, because I don't know none of the people. Yeah, they scared of that college, though. They ducking you, Kendall? Oh, they ducking that college, man. Is it that different? Like, I just never...

Because I don't know none of the people. Yeah, they idiots on that. Buttons the same. It's bad. It's good. I mean, if you know how to play. Who the best on the couch, though? In college?

In whatever. In Madden, I'm the best on the couch. That's easy. We're four and four. Brandon, how you used to do that? Brandon said he was up early. I just swept you. Brandon, just because you beat him don't mean you're the best.

You never beat me. Wait, wait, wait. I ain't played you yet. Exactly. Hold on. But this guy's last if we talking. Nah, he not last. Our record is 4-4.

So it's 50. In the last eight. I won the first four. I 4-0'd him. Then he 4-0'd me back. So he gave you an opportunity to win your games back. Yeah. If I'd have stopped that 4-0. So y'all played 21-0? Yeah, all that. Nah, he caned me back. So he gave you opportunity when your games back. Yeah father stop that for oh, so y'all play 21

Nothing, huh? Yeah You have to be 21 is just 20 21 That's what he does. 20-0. 20-0. And I lost. Sick. It wasn't nothing, baby. Got it. But this is Gills Arena presented by Underdog. As always, we got the legend Gilbert Reenus here with us. What's up, man? What's up? See you in the Gills Arena Season 3 merch.

Styling. We all got to coordinate and make sure we don't wear the same shirts on the same day. We've been successful so far. But we'll see how it goes. We got Mr. B. Brandon Jennings back in here. Brandon,'ll see how it goes. We got Mr. B. Brandon Janney's back in here. Brandon, you got the glasses today? What's up?

You got the dub last night. That's the perfect button. Born to lose. Man. Born to lose. That's perfect, man. Had it on today. We also have Kenya Martin in the house.

This boy is stupid. And Cemetery Larry, Rashad McCants, is back in the arena. What's cracking today? It's a lot of people looking for you. A lot of things we need to discuss or address. Hi. See your citizens all the need to discuss or dress. Hi. Senior citizens all the way to the young crowd. The young undrafted rookies.

I'm Larry. Hey, man, are you over? I'm Larry. It's going to be a good one today. I've seen that on somebody else's show. You're smart. Yeah, this is my tag. Okay.

When you see this in the streets, just know the vigilante is out. I did see it on Twitter last night over a gentleman's face. Everybody who got a problem with the kid, you're going to see the tag on the IG. I hear you talking. We see everything, ladies and gentlemen. I see you looking. We hope you do, too. Put your looking ass.

And for all the fans out there, we still got those two viewing options for you, our traditional version and a vertical mobile version. Pick whichever one you want to watch. Just make sure you support the show. But here's what's cracking in the arena today. After playing in only nine games last season, John Moran is looking to return to superstar status. What's the grizzly ceiling if 12 and the rest of his crew can stay healthy this season?

The Clippers unveiled the Intuit dome for their season opener and now have a home court advantage for the first time in franchise history. But with Kawhi sidelined indefinitely, which version of James Harden do they need to be a playoff contender in the West? The Bucs and Sixers met in their season debuts last night, but who will have a better season leaving if either mr. B or Kenyon with a hefty no-boo bill Bucks took round one knowing be no PG We all invited right we all we all like But we see KJ in the game that though. No, no, no, for sure.

That's a positive. Yeah. Before we get into all that, as always, the show is brought to you by Underdog. Download the app. Use promo code GIL. You get up to $1,000 in bonus cash plus a special pick-em. And you already know Underdog's got you covered

with a new special every day in October. To celebrate the start of the NBA season, apply a 20% profit boost token to every NBA-only entry you make from now until October 27th. Y'all got about three days. Get them in. Them 20% boosts is really, they boosted out here. They're doing their thing. So check your lobby for the unlimited

NBA profit boost tokens. Again, head over to the Underdog app. Use promo code GIL. Get $1,000 in bonus cash. Plus a new promo every day this month. Are you a ticket here yesterday? My ticket? That was a good one. No. Hollibur Hollyberg fucked me over. Mm.

Mm. That was a good ticket. I thought he was gonna play well, too. First game. That's a good ticket. It was a good ticket. I'm not, like, that's a win. It was a good one?

It was a good one. Yeah, it was a good one. I thought it was a good one. I ended up only hitting two of them, though. Yeah. You only hit two? Oh, wow. I only hit two. Get Dame hit and Paulo. Paulo hit.

You win some, you lose some, but you see another guy. I was talking about going to copy his joint. I was like, yeah. But that was the underdog zone. I was talking about copying. I'm like, man, there's some good numbers here. Like, this is very doable. Yeah.

I got 20 cents. I got 25. Real. I got 25 cents. Get the real, man. I got 20 cents. I got 25. Re-up. I got 25 cents. Get the re-up there. I got 38. I got 38.

I got 38. I got 38. They tax you. They tax you. There was one time I had like 12 grand in this. What? Oh yeah. 12 grand.

Yeah, I just started. Listen, you know when you're balling, you just start. You just start betting on anything. You just start, yeah. I got this. Ooh, 100. I got this. Ooh, 100. 300.

All right, no deal. All right, no deal. Dude, dude, but hey. $8. That's plenty. $8. You got eight games in you. Good eight games.

And now you're down significantly, Gilbert. We do Mostly Fast at the end of every show. You drop a good question, you chat with the Underdog Fantasy username we're using on this program. $50 bonus to your Underdog Fantasy account. If you send this video to mostyfansgitla at gmail.com, $100 bonus to your Underdog Fantasy account.

And if you can't watch the show live with us on YouTube, we got audio version available on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts. So, some things we need to discuss. They looking for y'all. Off top? Oh, yeah. Off top.

We go. Jump ball. It's time to get into it. The game is on. On Tuesday we discussed Stephen A Smith's sit-down interview with Jalen Brown and Smith catching heat from the reigning finals MVP for saying an unnamed source told him Brown wasn't marketable. We had some thoughts you know most people in the chat believe shot that obviously you cooked Stephen A. Gil, you were more Stephen A's defense. Took shots at other NBA insiders, some currently working, some since retired.

Ken, you weren't even here. I wasn't even here. You was minding your business, not doing it. I've been doing whatever you wanted to do. Mr. B, you weren't here as well. But you did show up after the show, come turn up with us. You right down the street. I don't think you said that man's name, though. He didn't say mine, either.

He didn't say my name. I'm merely a host. But on Wednesday, Stephen A responded to both Rashad and Gil with the following. Love you, Gil. Appreciate the text, bro. Appreciate the brilliance. Appreciate the success of your podcast. Keep doing what you're doing.

And I don't mind disagreeing at all. I took no offense whatsoever to what Gilbert Arenas has had to say. Zero. I get what his point is. He has his. I have mine. Rashad McCants,

yeah, we'll talk, bro. I can't wait. I can't wait talk, bro. I can't wait. I can't wait for that conversation. I can't wait. I got a busy schedule. But I swear, the second I get an invite, the second I have time,

are we going to have those conversations? You want real talk? Gil's Arena ain't the only place to get it. It's always been right here, too. Ain't going nowhere. I can't wait. I can't wait, but I got a busy schedule. Yeah, it's an open invitation.

Steven, you were always invited. We put your name on the security list. Yeah, you're on the all-time list at the gate. Told Medina, already let you know. Soon as he see you, wave you right through. No wait. You were always invited to pull up to Gil's Arena presented by underdog Wolf. Wolf.

It should be noted that while Shaq cooked Stephen A., like I mentioned, for dry-hating on Jalen Brown using an unnamed source, Gil, you were mostly supportive. You took issue with some of the other NBA insiders out there being chatty-patties, as Rashad said. With the now infamous bar, you're a preacher, not God.

We'll put it on a T-shirt soon. But, Rashad, I'm going to start with you first. What's your reaction to Stephen A. Smith wanting smoke over the Jalen Brown situation? Hi. I'm Larry. Since you want the invitation, I think we all accept it.

So? What I'm to ask you, I want to ask you to come and put your fucking legs in the fucking bath. Come put your fucking legs in here, Steven. Head first. Okay? I'm going to go head first.

Come put your fucking body in here, too. Not the body, Sean. Not the body. Put your fucking body in here, too, nigga. Yeah, I said it. Nigga. Invitation accepted. invitation accepted i'm larry i work at the cemetery so we are cutting promos here i'm rolling thank you yeah we're waiting for that one

we're waiting for that one before I could continue. You done? I'm done. You didn't like me, I saw something. Yeah. But, I showed us a clip, Kenyon, you were also mentioned, like I said, it was your day off. Yeah, I just want to know how I got in there. It was your day off. I called a straight one, I wouldn't even hear.

What are you saying, fuck me for? What are you talking about? What are you saying, fuck me for? Yeah, like, hey. What you talking about? What he say fuck me for? I've let it out. It's been... What he say fuck me for? Yeah. Like... What I do? What I do.

Right? So... But, like, it's been known, like, I've... Some of the things he's said in the past, I haven't agreed with. He makes some valid points sometimes. I agree with some of the things he say some of the things he don't but the whole source and unnamed and who you it's it's a cop-out in my opinion because you can easily make up something and just say that someone told you this.

Which, not saying he did that, but that's very capable in a lot of situations nowadays when all it takes is for one person to tweet it and it's true. And there's something else he mentioned about, he, towards the end, was like, so don't act like you guys have never said anything off the record to a reporter. And I can honestly sit here and say I've never said, oh, this is off the record. Because I don't gossip. I'm not a gossip dude.

I'm not going to talk behind nobody's back. I'm not a gossip dude. I'm not going to talk behind nobody's back. I'm not. Anything I've said to someone, I've talked to one reporter that I had a real good relationship with, and that was Mark Spears. Shout out Mark Spears. I played for the Denver Nuggets for seven years. Me and Mark, every other beat reporter in Denver

asked him what they got for me. My ass to kiss. Right? So me and Mark had conversations. Anything I ever said to Mark, he could use it. His integrity said, I'm not going to use whatever you tell me. I'm not, whatever it is. Maybe this bullshit that happened today, whatever it is. The shit when I got suspended. I gave him the whole story before anybody else knew it. So it's stuff like that. You can use it if you want to, but you're going to decipher what you...

And I'm pretty sure Stephen A. does that as well. But I'm not a... Hey, man, this is... Hey, Mello, don't come to me. Chuck, don't. Like, no, it's off the record. No, I don't give that, and I ain't never been that. Y'all know me on this couch.

I stay away from BS. I stay away from bullshit at all costs. And y'all know I'm going to speak my mind. So anything I say, I'm going to stand on. So if I had something to say to someone or about someone on my team, you don't think I said it? Management, you don't think that I said it to them? Head coach, you don't.

It's documented. So, yeah, brother, I have not, off the record, no one. Do your homework. And another thing about me, Kenyon Lee Martin Sr., the way I am, just we have rookies on the team. I've been around Rashad as a new on the team rookie, right? I see the beat reporter corner him and talking to him offline. I've done it. Ask the guys that I play with.

I come over there and ask you, what did he just ask you? Know he up to something. Know he up to something. Because you got the rookie over there talking to the rookie by himself. Don't know no better. And he going to tell me. Because I didn't build the rapport with this rookie already before this So hey, what did you say to you? And if it's any bullshit, I'm cussing you out in front of everybody. Absolutely

That's a real vet. Yeah, right The other guy that you might speak up Stephen a Cool that don't fit me. I don't I don't I don't walk that beat You can go do your home, do your research about me. And this is what I'm telling you. Off the record, nothing. I don't gossip about, no. If I talk to anybody about anything, I lay with her at night.

She don't talk to nobody. Pillow talk is essential. If you have a dedicated devoted woman by the way, sure. You don't think she knows the way I feel about certain things and people and situations? Yeah, I vent to her. But me going to a reporter when I played and this, that, like, nah, man, I'm not, I don't, I don't get down like that. Like, anything I say, I'm, y'all know me, I'm loud, I'm boisterous, and I'm very opinionated. I don't shy away from it.

Never have. But I'm not talking behind nobody's backs about my teammates, telling you it's off the record. 15 years of it, and I stand on it 10 toes. Let that be the conversation. What will we talk? Rookie transition program, media training. Nothing's off record. Ever. Ever. Ever. So for him to say that in the context of trying to defend himself on some, have you never ever said off the

record or had a conversation? No, nigga. That's two for me. Technically three, but we might wave one for the passion. We're gonna wait one up Yeah, but I'm just like, you know, we were taught better So you're cornering yourself for the things that we know as players when we talk to the media So you covering the source don't even make sense to us because we know not to do the off-the-record thing Well some of us most of me knows. I mean, no, we're taught, like I was taught in Arizona, you know, there's no such thing

as off-the-record, right? Because they still have the information that you're giving. Absolutely, yeah. They can give it to someone else so it's never off-the-record. So whatever you're going to say to a reporter...

And that's what they do in politics. Whatever you're going to say to a reporter, just remember it's there. Yeah. But that's what they do in politics. Whatever you're going to say to a reporter, just remember it's there. Yeah. But that's not always the case because there's always someone

that's talking off the record that want to talk about you. So to play devil's advocate in my own statement and what Stephen A said, right? If someone worked for the Boston Celtics, called him and told him this,

I don't agree with him saying anything. Keep it to yourself. Keep it to yourself. Keep it to yourself, right? And you damn sure can't say who it is if they work for the Boston Celtics. Yes. But if it's someone who has no relationship with Jalen Brown whatsoever, and the Boston Celtics, and if it's another GM president from another team that has this opinion, I think you should fucking say something. Yes.

It's a rumor. He's spreading the rumor. Right? I think you should, because like Jalen said, now you're attacking this man's character and who he is. It's not about his game. If you're talking about his game, that's one thing. But you're talking about him as a person. And that's what Jalen had a problem with.

Facts. So if it's no one that's directly involved with this man, that sees every day, deal with every day, cuts his checks, certain, yeah, good. Because it get messy, right? You all shit. Hey, man, Jason Taylor, hey, man, JT told me, bruh. You know what I'm saying? You can't get on TV and say that. Porzingis said, like, hey, man, Crystal and KP told me.

What if it was Porzingis? You know what I'm saying? Ooh. You know what I'm saying? What if KP hit him up? What if he hit him up? My thing is, anyone that's been around Jalen Brown, that's spent significant time with him,

that's had conversations with him, and had conversations with other people, they could have formulated this opinion about him. I could have called Steve and A and be like, hey man, Jalen Brown ain't marketable dog. You see the way he talk to people? See the way he dress?

Like shit, they think he's too smart for people. He be talking to people. I don't know if anybody understand that MIT shit, man. Could have easily been Who am I? I don't know that man. I ain't never been around him. So he could have easily went on and said,

Kenya Martin told me. Yes. Who am I? But that's what I'm saying. So the fact that they don't say names, meaning it's higher up, right? It could be. When Mello, right?

When, you know, when they said, oh, Mello's a bad locker room guy. Yeah. Right? They don't come from the players. They don't come from the players. We know it's coming from only a few people that has enough power to make that reporter write it and not say the name. Yes, but I was in the locker room, and I don't want to say who it is. Go ahead, Snitch.

Go ahead. If it did come within our locker room, I know who it is. Okay. Right. We all know this. We all know who the guy is. Who could have said it? Who possibly?

Because of behaviors that you witness all the time. You know, like, if it comes out because because something happened during when we was there, right? And we wasn't really close. We were, but we weren't. So I came up with the Secret Santa idea, right? And people did this, and somebody went to report, like, we'll make you a good teammate. Buy somebody. So I'm like, and it was specifically what I bought.

Oh, they're trying to say you're trying to be a good teammate by doing this. Oh, that's later, shit. And specifically said what I bought. Wow.

So I did a process and I already knew the relationships and who could possibly be set. So I didn't say nothing. But I... You're looking at the... I started treating the person different, could possibly be sent. So I didn't say nothing. But I started treating the person different. Yeah, for sure. So that's a question I have for all y'all, though,

because you see all these articles, you see stuff coming, and Gil, like you mentioned when we talked about this, it can only come from a couple of places. Only a few people have that information or knowledge. But how easy is it for you guys to decipher and figure out where exactly the source is coming from? You remember I always used to say, man, is the owners don't know how to sell the product

when they don't want it anymore. They're stuck in this idea of bashing the product, right? I don't want it anymore, so I'm going to, let's say Ben Simmons, right? I'm gonna tell you everything that's wrong with the car but still want the max money on it. Why do you do that? Why do you tell, oh, he don't want to do this.

He had a phone. You're telling the reporters for them to leak it because you need to get rid of him. You need the idea to get rid of him. But then you don't, nobody wants to buy it for the cost you're asking for You supposed to upsell the shit right is used car salesman yellow bar ball it yes sell a year. Whoa, this is whoa Hot sale look at look at five years quite a shoot boy. Oh, yeah, look at him. He's good

Oh Dance for yeah That's how you supposed to sell the product you don't want. You got to trick me into believing that it's moving the way it's supposed to move. But they don't do that. I don't understand why. It's a lemon. I'm selling a lemon.

I'm not going to tell you it's a lemon. Jesus Christ. It's backwards. Yeah, it's backwards. I was thinking and wondering why they never get anything good. Back in return, you got to upsell this product. But it's just a bad habit that they have. And if you upsell, then you don't have to worry about these type of narratives being pushed

because you wouldn't be entitled to do it. You wouldn't need to. But if they're pushing good stuff on him, then they're going to look stupid. They're going to be like, well, why would you trade him if he was doing all this good stuff? You know, I'm looking at moving in different directions, our budget.

It's easy. It's easy. It's easy. We don't want to give him away. You know what I mean? My thing is... They do it to the tickets. The fans...

It costs us too much in a couple years. Yeah, they do it to the fans every year. They trick the fans every year. Ah, yeah, you know, we're in a rebuilding year. You know, we got some excitement in this guy's school. Look at him. He's new. And you know who's good at that? Jerry Jones.

But look, this is my thing about it. Master. My thing about it is that he, Stephen A. basically pointed out why Jalen Brown wasn't getting deals that everyone else is getting, right? Without understanding why Jalen Brown wasn't getting deals that everyone else is getting, right? Without understanding,

Jalen Brown has discretion to pick whatever deal he wants. How many of us watch Pootie Tang? Classic American cinema. Sa-da-tay. Classic American cinema,

Rashad. So the whole premise behind Pootie Tang was this superhero in the hood that represents the people. Then he crossed over and sold out and was selling poison back to the people. Jalen Brown, not one of them dudes.

So the endorsements and things that y'all think is enticing to him ain't enticing to him. It's poison. He don't like it. He want to create his own. Yeah, like a show. So somebody like Stephen A don't like that. Well, he can say, I respect it. But it didn't sound like you was understanding that a path he chose So when I'm looking at I look at it like alright if I'm a homie and Gil is in a relationship with his girl

And he ain't a month he ain't a faithful guy See him doing some big I'm gonna hit kill girl and be like yeah, I seen him out But don. You think I'm going to hit Gil, girl, and be like, yeah, I seen him out. But don't tell him I told you. But do you know that's been, that they do that. And that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. They do that up in the locker room. This is what we just seen.

We just seen. I seen you out with your girl, with another girl that's not your girl. And I can't, hey, don't tell him I told you. But he's caught red-handed. So to me, it's like, bro, you know the code. You say you know. You say you know what we all talking about.

And everybody heard the rumblings of Jalen Brown being too smart for the NBA. So what are you saying? Everybody else is too dumb? We not dumb enough? We can't be smart enough he's trying to be an example like just think about that just think about that which what interview did he do what which team he went to first that they sat down and asked him a bunch of questions

and he was like you're too quality he's got too many questions, bro. He's exceptional. He's just smart for us. Get him out of here. Like, you're too qualified for this job. Overqualified. Like, you overqualified.

Like, you got all these degrees and you go to work at Kiko's. And the manager's looking like, why you? Like you got all these degrees and you go to work at The managers looking like why you take my That's all over qualified means is the person who's interviewing interviewing you You're in the direct line to remove the absolutely. Yeah So you're never going to get hired. I'm not hiring my replacement. Not at all. Sean, I never expected you to make a Poodie Tang analogy on this show.

Poodie Tang is my favorite movie. I am Poodie Tang. But comb me down on the panty style. I'm Larry, though. I'm Larry, though. But go ahead and comb me down on the panty style. Maybe get that belt. But let's keep this thing moving. So, Kenyon, on Monday,

we talked about Lakers' undrafted rookie, Quincy Oliveri, getting emotional after meeting Steph Curry and Steph showing him some love for his performance in Lakers' final preseason game. You had some thoughts about him tearing up, and when you found out that he went to Xavier, which is your college rival,

you said, quote, that's why he's soft as shit. He went to Xavier, okay? Well, Quincy saw this clip and offered this response. Uh-oh. He's nice. He said, I never lost to UC.

Hashtag, Quincy Natty. One game. Give you that. It was one game. I appreciate you. But can we end this Ohio beef that we had? Xavier is Xavier. But he wasn't even there six months. Yeah, but he's still here.

You know what I mean? He played in the cross. Like I said, he played in the cross town shootout. Oh, that's the only one that matters? That's the only one that, hey, they won it. Never lost in my six months on campus. That's what's up, though. To Xavier.

Hey. You better be quiet, boy. Because I'm more than all of this Carolina, so you better stop it. You better be quiet. You better be quiet, boy. Because I'm more than all of this Carolina, so. We got a lot of people looking for us on this couch, Brandon. Yeah, no, but that was fun.

We got some guys looking for you, but other than that, you pretty good. Yeah, no, you respond to any questions. What kind of beef you got? I got a lot of people looking for us on this couch brand. Yeah, no, but I was looking for you But other than that, you know, you respond that he was kind of beefy guy Looking for him again He go he's gone That beef now is in Minnesota, but let's get it to some bad Talk I don't count that he should know that. The Vincenzo's will know that. You was a Knick when the beef, it don't translate. It's free and clear now.

It's free and clear. He still got T-Mac. He still got Donovan Mitchell. He still got Chris Paul. It was a Knicks theme, right? So once you leave it. All L.A. Hoopers. All the L.A. Hoopers.

All the point guard Hoopers. If you at UCLA and then you see who you Who Did we went to Get your beef game Dwight yesterday we need a mediation show down the road Somebody We need a mediation show down the road. No one's mad at me. Somebody mad at you. Somebody mad.

No one's mad at me. Give me about 15 games. They're not good enough to defend themselves. I said, Nick, I didn't finish it. You called it. That's not capable. You called it. No, there's someone that's mad.

He's just not capable. I'm being mad. No, he's just not capable. We watched the live. We watched all the live. We were all here yesterday. Give me about 15 games. He's just not capable. We watched the live back. We watched all the live We were all here yesterday about 15 games Her guilt screaming and you know the USA team is off-limits. Oh all them boys good with me. We got gold, okay So we're gonna bring everybody we got beef with do a mediation show I'll handle it and we go home. We don't we don't calm down we go up and see

We will be pulling up to your city at some point and we're going to hopefully resolve. We don't calm down when we go up in seats. We get worse in seats. We will be pulling up to your city at some point. I am not Rashad McCann no more. Do not think that this new guy is not going to attack you 100%. I'm going at your head. Cemetery Larry. So let's keep this thing moving. He's like, wait till I get my money.

That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. Give him his money. That is the energy. What? Because Kanye did get crazier. Yeah, he got closer to the crib. We got his money back.

He wore it. Wait till I get my money. So the Bucks' free time duo of Giannis and Dame kicked off their second season with a road win in Philly, albeit without Joel Embiid and Paul George playing for the Sixers. So Dame torched the depleted Sixers squad. Dropping a 30-piece with nine boards and six dimes. He went 9 for 19 from the field, 6 for 12 from deep.

Lillard played a team-high 38 minutes and was plus 19 in his time on the court. Giannis also put in work, finishing with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists, going 8 for 11 from the field in his 31 minutes of action. Kane, I know you were watching the game. Hey. And we had Dwight here yesterday. He said he don't understand it. Do the Sixers want to win?

They did not want to win in game one to open this season. Dame looked good out there, man. You can't really front. He looked like back to the most. They got their year under their belt. Yeah, he looked good. Looked good against the Sixers. Minus, they're two stars.

So, question about the Bucs. Brandon, we'll start with you. Would the game become easier for free time ifane becomes the leading scorer on the squad? I think them having a year under their belt last year, going through everything they had to go through, they got all that out. Hopefully we stay healthy this year. We still don't have Chris Middleton.

But if those two can just gel and get it going, I think we'll be all right. I think we're going to be under the radar, though, this year. Just cruising. Cruising? Sean, I see your face. Yeah. Yeah. radar, though, this year. Just cruising. Cruising? Sean, I see your face. Yeah. Do you agree with what Mr. B said?

I didn't hear him say cooked in there. He didn't say we cooked. I'm just waiting. We cooked. Who cooked? We are cooked. No, them Knicks is cooked. We are cooked.

Them Knicks is cooked. You're having a cook-off? Just bear with me. Can you imagine? Both of y'all teams cooked over there. Can you imagine the a cook-off just bear with me can you imagine both of y'all teams cooked over there can you imagine the Sixers last night

with Paul George and Embiid well I mean well imagine I mean we could imagine that right it ain't gonna happen it's only an imaginary world where the next time

they face each other they might have those other two guys on the floor right hopefully it's not a back to back now we put those other two guys

on the floor he'll pick that game I'm sure they won't we put those other two guys on the floor... He'll pick that game. I'm sure they won't. If we put those other two guys on the floor, that game is way different. If you take both... If you take Dame and... Giannis.

And Giannis off the court and let those two teams play without the... Still, he kills them. Kills them. They still need Middleton or somebody, right? They got Tyrese Maxey. They still need... I'm saying the Bucs.

I mean, but let's just talk about the facts. The Bucs got nothing outside of them two. Even you look at Portis and Lopez, they're not contributors to the maximum capacity where they can be starters and give them 20 shots a game. I mean, we don't need that much to get through the East.

If you don't have them two, you do. We don't need that much to get through the East. Trust me. You just worry about your team. Worry about them Knicks. You know, every year you got somebody new. You should have somebody new. No. You should.

Stay with your Knicks. You should. Cat. Feeling a mid-off coming? I'm watching it. It don't look good. And to be honest, Dame is hitting the shots.

They're easy shots for him. But I didn't see anything that has to do with the two of them. Right? You know, Dame's pick and rolls and his pick and roll three shot is coming from Steele Lopez. Right? That's Steele, who he's doing the pick and roll three shot is coming from still Lopez, right? That's still who he's doing the pick and roll with. And then you got Giannis by himself doing what he do, right? They really came together where they did a pick and roll with them two. Now, what happens in the last five minutes is going to be the same thing.

It's going to be Giannis somewhere. Dame's trying to do the pin roll with him and Lopez, and then if they don't have anything, then they gotta go find Giannis, Giannis gotta do his thing, right? You gotta go back, you two gotta go back old school. You gotta go Utah, right? You gotta go Steve Nash and Amari, right?

You gotta, you know, if it wasn't in Magic Hand, it was in Karim, you got to play together. Like, y'all got to figure out how to do pick and roll together because in the last five minutes, you're going to need each other so you're unstoppable.

You know, like, there's a reason for 20 years Utah did the same pick and roll. They didn't change the pick and roll because with the two of them doing same pick and roll. They didn't change the pick and roll because with the two of them doing the pick and roll, it becomes an unstoppable pick and roll. You can't hard show it. You can't go

under. You can't down it. You can't trap it. You can't switch it because the two of them are in it. If they switch the pick and roll with Dame, now you want to go ISO and do all this. If they trap it, throw it to Lopez. It's not if they switch the pick and roll with dame now you want to go iso and do all this if they trap it throw throw the lope there's it's not yannis that pick and roll with yannis how they're gonna sag they're gonna trap it with yannis now bounce pass with nobody on them now like you got to figure out that that is the most important thing this year trying to figure out the pick and roll between you two.

Dame and Lopez, we get it. He's done had that his whole career. Yeah, he know how to play with that type of guy. Yes, absolutely. Let me ask y'all this. Have they went away from the strong side pick and roll with the corner field? Remember how the corner field pick and roll used to always work with the big lifted? Swing, swing, you got the pass from the big to the big.

That's always good in the pick and roll. But also, if you got a good point guard turning the corner on the side pick and roll with the corner field, he's rolling up, that low guy got to take the roll, contact, all that. It's gone. But that wasn't an unstoppable play. Yeah, because back then, those guys rolled. Rolled every time. Those guys rolled.

So, you know, the fact that everyone pops back, everyone pops back, it's kind of pointless now. And everyone switches, right? So they would switch that. Yeah, so they're switching now. So instead of me doing the pick and roll, then the bottom guy tried to catch Amari. Oh, you caught him? Yeah, and then he's open on the side.

Hit the guy that's filling up. So they're switching everything. They're just switching everything. And you can't down it. You can't down it. Because he pop in as a shooter, and that's just going to put a shooter in the position. Just call that the entire shooting, and you down it.

You could play two to one. Yeah, it's just, it get tricky, but. Yeah, so switching it just cuts out all the motion. Like, when you playing certain bigs, you can still play it that way. You can still play it, right, because it's going to be a switch. If they switch it. Minnesota.

Yeah, because of Rudy. Damn right. But it depends on what he's never in a big game. Anytime he in that drumming. Philly can too. Yeah, Philly can too. I'm saying anytime, if I'm in any, if I'm putting together a game plan against with Rudy Gobert, if he's in the game setting any pick and roll, like, anytime, I don't care who it is, I'm trapping him. Trapping him.

But when you got to throw to Rudy. You throw him the ball. I'm down in the side, pick and roll, steal. I'm going back to old school principles. You're going to have to throw the ball to him. Make him be the new point he gonna have to be the playmaker out here so that would mean that the wings would deny right yeah you just make rudy become the point guard let him dribble and just try to start making decisions yeah he ain't yokich not at all so with the bucks right so we say with the bucks with the way dame just played right i like the way he played he was aggressive. Yeah him

I'm fine very aggressive, right? So you say Dame in the pick and roll side corner field coming off that they have to make a decision Like you said they trap it. What did it do? You can advance the ball if they trap it swing it ahead to Lopez now Y'all in trouble because it's four on five on the backside But let's just say they hard show which they don't do in the league at all. So to take that out, they drop it. Drop show on the backside, right? So that means that when he does roll, roll, if he does roll hard, that guy has to make a decision on the drop. If the screen is really set, y'all dead. Because Dame is coming off shooting

this thing just like he was, right? You can run that with Chris Middleton, too. And you can run it with Chris. But Chris is in the corner. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. He's going to curl up. That's the only way I would run that, though. That's the only reason.

If he's not there, we can't run it. I wouldn't run it with the Bucs at all unless that scenario, those three, Chris, Dame, Giannis, Giannis roll hard to the basket. They can't stop it. It's on there. Yeah, then it's on.

It's on. Doc, what are we doing? They can't stop that. And who's the other shooter in the weak side Bobby? Connaughton mm-hmm You can dip like but that's either you do want to pick a roll over here with a pin down a double pin down for Middleton coming off. Yep, right and you know that that's automatically come come come curl at the end With Lopez pop in for the three. You can't stop that.

These are all actions. If you're doing three-man game, then it's you pick and roll with Middleton floating up with Lopez right there. You can switch all three of them. All three. I put them in all different. Bro, you can do pick and roll with Middleton. The only team that still runs. Put Dame in the corner.

Put Dame in the corner. Giannis on the ball. That's great. Now, that's a hard one. That's nasty. Now, there you help. Hey, just take turns. Right? Wow. Put Dame in the corner. Put Dame in the corner. Giannis on the ball. That's great. Now that's a hard one. That's nasty. Now there you help. Hey, just take turns. Right?

Wow. Put Dame over there. Yep. Middleton with the pick and roll. Put the ball. Have Giannis set it. Oh, that's nasty. You got to make a decision.

The only team that still does it, Denver. Denver. Yeah, for sure. Denver's the only team that still plays the old style. Because now when you're switching on, you're switching on to Jokic. Right? Wherever it is. Yeah, you're switching on to Jokic.

So now that's why someone like Murray always has these open shots. Yeah. Because the two best players is always in it. Always in action. Your two best offensive players doesn't mean it's the two defensive players guarding it. Facts. That's what you stuck. You know what I mean?

And that's where it's messed up at. They also got Gary Trent Jr. Obviously, Kenyon, we talked about earlier this week, but started in place of Milden, played 34 minutes, had 11 points, two for five from three, but just another shoot option. Let's go back to Dame. 38 minutes last season. Doc has some interesting comments about him

and his conditioning after the trade coming into the Bucs. Obviously, Dame was trying to force his way out of Portland. Probably didn't work out as much as he needed to, just trying to stay healthy to get that trade executed. But do we expect a new look, different Dame now? He's got a year in his belt, Milwaukee. Not dealing with a lot of off-the-court stuff

that he was dealing with last season that he obviously shed light on. Just to come out here, hoop, play ball, and try and get these bucks back into title contention. Yeah, I mean, I don't think Dame is the issue. I think it's just more our health. Towards the end of the year, we always get hurt or somebody's going down. So I think the main thing is just trying to get healthy, and we need to figure out what we're going to do with Chris Middleton.

In terms of? In terms of? What are you going to do with him? Is he going to be on your team, what we're going to do with Chris Middleton. In terms of? In terms of? What are you going to do with him? Is he going to be on your team, what you're going to do with him? Yeah. Okay. Make it sure. He's going to be healthy enough because we've got to figure this out with Dame and Giannis

because they're on the clock. Did you hear Giannis' comments earlier this season about if they didn't win the chip, he could possibly get traded. Like we mentioned, he might have been joking, might not. We'll see. But, Brandon, you and Kenya made a gentleman's wager between the Bucs and Sixers and who would have a better season with the loser having to buy the winner dinner at Nobu. So, Brandon, I'm going to ask you first. Who will be paying for that dinner at Nobu at the end of the season, you or Kenya?

Brother Love. Brother Knowledge. Brother Knowledge. Brother Knowledge. Brother Knowledge. Brother Knowledge, for sure. For sure. Mr. B. Can you agree or disagree? Obviously, Sixers going through situations.

No PG, no Embiid. It's just the first game of the season, man. 81 more to go. They still struggling. Yeah, man. Y'all still... That Philly going to be... As they get going, they going to be down here.

They actually... I like the Philly look last night, despite the way the game looked. Because that's technically all the role players just trying to figure out. Like, that's the only thing that's going to help Philly, that it's like all the players that will just sit and watch. They're figuring out their game. They're getting their confidence up. They definitely have role players. And they're two best players.

Philly's two best players. They know how to do the pick and roll together. Absolutely right now They just added a whole another person that just plays one-on-one He can do whatever he wants hit shots and your two best players don't know how to play with each other yet or so far It's not like they don't know how they're not playing with each other in a sense Like I you know, if I'm them if if I'm doc Right. I have my regular office then I'm Doc, right, I have my regular offense, then I have you two, right? And every day in practice, we're just gonna

run a whole bunch of sets. That's you two pick and roll. We just gotta figure it out. We're gonna figure out how it's guarded. Like, all in picking, all through preseason. I would've said, hey, man, I'm not gonna play you right now. You, you, you, y'all just relax. You two and a whole bunch of role players that's trying to make this team.

Yeah, let's work on it. We're just going to do pick and roll the whole for just you two. We're going to mix it. You dribble. You corner. It's all angles. Angles. Roll.

Five out. Roll. Roll. Five out. Roll. Well, let's talk a little bit about the Sixers, can you? Oh, the O's, man. I just want to...

Never mind. What happened? I just think of the way, man, Giannis is... I get it. He's athletic as shit. And he's also taller, stronger than a lot of people that he's playing against. And I just still see, like,

you can still run actions to get him the ball on the block. Because who's stopping it? He don't need a... Who's stopping a jump hook from him? Nobody. But do you even need the jump hook? Like, think about it. You post him up down there, he turns and face.

You can't touch him now. Right, you have to. Once he turns and face, you can't legally put your hands on him. How do you? And jump. One dribble, man. Every time.

Just one dribble. Do that Greek freak shit. One dribble. One dribble right. Is he uncomfortable because he's too close? He don't get to take it. Every time this one do that Greek shit Close he don't get it When you that close you you want to do more but you got to do less and it's uncomfortable Yeah, I just look at like all that place yesterday. We're in the same set I said I'm gonna free throw right to the thing and then I'll free throw a lot Oh, he was at the elbow. Yeah, that's the elbow. But he had enough space to get there.

He was at the elbow. He's closer. He ain't got that space. And if somebody guarded him with the foot speed to stay in front of him, that's a difference.

At the free throw line. That's what I said. You put him at the same thing, I mean, same concept. Put you at the block, turn and face. Because you run

the action, man, where it's like you run the same pick and rolls we speak of to a cross screen. You get him on the block, run the double away as soon as you throw it to him. You screen away. Yo, that's it. That's the screen for the guard, screen away for the big on the block. It got a switch where I come America's plate. Oh, that's the easy one.

I'm saying you run the side pick and roll, whatever it is, to a cross screen, and it's, dude. For the big to come off, as he rolls, he rolls to the other side of the block because he's getting the screen. Man, them plays used to be so hard to guard, man. You get stuck on Kenyon or Nene or, man, stop it. Because it's the guard now, because if you don't bump him, then you got to bump my guy. He coming in with the elbows.

Him catching the ball on the move, being able to boom, boom. Dude, you can't. Wait until my shoulder sits out here. One bump, you're done. He don't even need the second bump. He come and bump you to a spin on the move, good luck. And he got the growl. He growling too.

He want to get there. Shoulder growl. He growl. You can't stop no monster like that. But we know the difference between working out and skill enhancement and I don't think everyone understand that's a difference right whatever your flaw is right if you can't post up or you can't do something you go into the summer that summer is not a two-hour workout doing a whole bunch of other shit. I'm just working out.

Trainer's coming in. He's working me out for two hours a day. That doesn't translate to a new skill. That new skill you're working on posted up, the first four months

of your what's-his-name, that's all you're doing. There's no other. You're not doing nothing else. You're running every option of that post-up. Against defense, double team. That's all you're doing. Four or 500 shots of that and that only.

Working your footwork on that only. That's it. There's no, I need to do my float And we don't come off the pick and roll and do a whole bunch of shit. You're not gonna do in the game Right people can call me limited when my game, but I guarantee you let me get you on that left block Know every way to get to it. I know if I'm going left you don't come out. I'm a dunk on your head You cut me off on the spin back, right? I got a nice jump hook. And I know every way to get to it. I know if I'm going left, you don't cut me off. I'm going to dunk on your head. You cut me off, I'm going to spin back right.

I got, hey, all kind of, I'm here. All my footwork that I worked on was from that left block and elbows. So anything that I know from that, I didn't post up on the right block. That's my thing. Elbows, left block. Elbows, left block. I perfect left block. Elbows left block. I perfected those, like to your point, what you were saying. Until I decided that I need to work on threes and all that, I did that later on.

But no, I'm not, I'm 17 and in, dog. And I've mastered that. Like my footwork, I know how to get to anything I can get to from here. I can shoot it from here. I can shoot it from here. I can bank this bitch. I can go anywhere I want to from 17 feet. To your point, I've mastered that. You got to master it.

I'm going to get to it. Stop me from getting to this. Yes. Good luck. I think they just think they're going to lose whatever it is. Like, you're in the NBA, so that means whatever your talent, whatever your skill is, you done already, you done already technically perfected that.

Yeah. Right? So all you're doing is just, yeah, it's muscle memory and you're training it all. But when you're trying to add a skill, you really have to focus on it. And then during the season, you still have to keep going. And then the following, you might then need to add a counter. Absolutely

Yes, you definitely know a counter to what you met So now you got now you're working the whole summer on that counter You don't really work on your full game into what September right the people who are trying to master something new You don't work into your whole bag Until September so if Kobe was working or like let's say Dwyane Wade was working on his bank shot, when the season was over, he was working on just bank shots. Everything he did, bank shots from that day until September 1st. After September 1st and getting ready for training camp,

then he'll start working on his little dribbling moves. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he already has that. He already got that. He just retuned it up. I already know how to get to has that. He already got that. He already got that. He just retuned it up. So I already know how to get to my shot, right? Listen, he already know how to get to his shot, so now he's getting to my shot.

Still, now I got this other element in my game where I can bank this. Yeah. Like the shit he did against, they ran the old pistol plate, he threw it up, we switched it, I jumped out there, cut him off, He spun back. I'm on top of about the block He shot that bitch off the glass. Yeah left-handed. Mmm. I was like, hey man, don't do that Don't do that no more But it's that's really good like that's it Well, you know a guy been working on this shit. Yeah, that's like you. And then you be like, that's some bullshit. He be like, I work on this.

Remember, that's what he said. I work on this. He be like, oh, shit, he been working on it. You can tell when someone, like, we study each other through film. We can tell when someone added something new to their game. He be like, oh, now I got to guard this. And I got to guard that now. Now I got to guard this now.

I'm like, you was working on that guy. I've been working on this. It was Dirk for me. Like, Dirk used to bring the best out of me. What did he add? Just add, just, yeah. Just little shit. Just little thing.

I'm adding one leg. I'd be like, wait, hold on. In that pump thing. Like, when he started putting the ball on the floor, it's fast. When he started catching the ball and going right away. Like, nah, this is, hold on now. Because he used to knock it to me. I'd try to get into him, be physical.

Now he started catching that motherfucking going on, quick on me. Now he got all this into his repertoire. Now I got- He get down there and has to. Yeah, now he got- He doing all that. When you get that?

When you get that. All summer. All summer, I put something new in here. So it's that now, but it's like for Giannis, like he made the move. Drummond was guarding him on the right elbow. He boom boom. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I've seen that. Yeah, I was like, yeah The time this you know, he gonna go he can go So for him to and you to and him to shoot that motherfucker on the air,

I was like, alright. Remember what you said about it? I think it was in the Olympics. He was loading up and he was going so slow. And I was like, you gotta make it look like you. That's what he did. He's like, ah. Okay, Giannis, okay. You in the lab, okay.

Yes, but this is so, just keep adding to it. But we all know though, when, it's just, we are creatures of habit, especially when things get tough for us. We need a bucket, or we need to, we going back to what we know. To the go-to, yes. We gonna get that bucket. Listen, they could have been, listen, they could have been killing him with the pick and roll all game running this and let him miss like four in a row or something.

Give me that. He going to get the rebound and I'm coming, damn it. You're rolling, you're rolling. Charge. That's your fifth five. Oh, man, what are we doing out here? It's your fifth five to start the fourth. Right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's that, right? And he would pick that time to show, right? And he'd be like, come on, man. But how do you get better at that? That's film, though. No, that's smart. That's IQ.

Understanding. Not getting frustrated. And time and score. How many fouls you got. You got four fouls going into the fourth, and you get a foul. It's like, come on, man. You're being too aggressive. You just relax. Yeah, like I had to tell Speaking of letting things come into Justin KJ last night early. Mm-hmm first file I'm trying to stop you honest and posting up where you want to get to he beat you to the spot. Mm-hmm

You did already play ball play ball can't let him catch you where you gonna catch contest. Mm-hmm get a file second file Play ball. Play ball. Let him catch it where he's going to catch it. Test it. Get a foul. Second foul. Same thing. You're trying to beat him. First quarter? First quarter. Two right away. Right away.

Dude, what I tell you, you got to do your work early. You're playing defense with your hands too much. Yep. You got to meet people with your body, get into them, do your work early. Because him, he's never dead in the play. At any given moment, he's going to cut. He's going to go. Where you're bound, you can never relax. I told you before the play. At any given moment, he's going to cut. He's going to go, where are you at? You can never relax.

I told KB, before the game, two right away. So are you watching those by yourself? I'm curious to know what's your viewing experience like when you're watching KB. Are you solo, just locked in? You got family around? I'm probably trying to watch it by myself. Yeah, that's what I figured. I got a six-year-old in the house, and it was a situation.

So my partner, MG, shout out to Mark. He lived in D.C. He know me all too well, right? So me and him have conversations. So it was a situation. Drummond swung it, and KJ was supposed to shoot the three, and he passed it. And I'm like, shoot the fucking ball. And as I'm saying it, my phone is going off, and MG like, that's the shot you're talking about right there?

You're supposed to shoot? I'm like, my phone is going off at MG like that's the shot you talking about right? I'm like, yeah Absolutely, I cussed him out right then. So yeah, no, I'm into it and and When I'm saying it and I'm thinking like that we've talked about this And it's at times I'm like do you got it? Like I told him before the game I do you shoot, if you don't shoot five threes, man, you owe me $1,000. But you know what's the funny thing is, like, you have to send him back those clips so he can see what you see.

Because to him, he got to swung it and then boom, and didn't even realize he was wide open. He think he doing what he posted. He think, yeah, yeah, I got to look for the back door. And then he be like, yo, shoot it. Then he be like, I'm wide open. I don't he was wide open. He think he doing what he posted. He think, yeah, yeah, I got to look for the back door. And then he be like, yo, shoot it. Then he be like, I'm wide open. I was going to say I'm wide open. So I was supposed to be at the game.

I was supposed to go to Philly to go to the game. And I had a good season. It was supposed to be. But I had some other obligations I had to cancel. If I would have been at the game, I would have been cussing him out from the sideline. Hey, man. Yeah, come on. Shoot that, dog.

But we've had these. So it's that, right? Like, dude, you got to adjust in real time. Just mentality. Mentality. Is it comfort for him? Is it fear of missing? No. No, it's to play the right way. To think about it, if you don't shoot it, it's like a turnover.

And I told him sometimes, you're a bad teammate if you don't shoot it. You know I told him this all the time. You put your teammates in the zone. It was during one of the preseason games. I said, dude, you pump fake. Dude, close out on you in the corner. You pump fake one dribble. I said, you should have shot it.

You pump fake one dribble and swung it to your teammates. Now you throw it to him like it was two seconds on the shot clock. I said, that's a bad play kj right you got to shoot that he's not looking he's not looking to shoot after this he's looking like this yeah even even if someone thought you was gonna shoot yeah they turned their head or they went to go rebound you pat that's a turnover so you gotta always count it as if you're if you're if you're not taking the shot that was meant for you yeah I mean it's that person got double yes right swinging you swung to

you and you're the corner guy and you pump fake or hold it and do you fuck the playoff play I will I tell my kids this you play the game the right way the ball gonna go in mm-hmm even if you can't shoot swing swing swing you wide open. You gotta shoot it You just don't go in like why God's itself promise you be in 24-hour la fitness and be the dude It can't ever make no shot. It is we swing we play the right way. Look it ain't even about We know we swung it in your shooting at the office of rebounders know yeah We're gonna offer the rebounder. We office of rebounders. No. Yeah, I Was crashing for you Oh

Dennis Robbins will be there a lot so Andre drum was in the corner shot that mother fucking from the corner And I'm like go to the glass. Yeah, it's coming off If he would have made it great, but we know historically Andre Drummond is not a three-point shooter. So therefore he I pretty she's working on the free throw line But it's it so He's worked on it. But it's that. So it's just learning who you are, how you can be effective, growing, and going out and applying.

Man, it's just film. Yes. When I say film, it's film just you. Like if you're trying to get him to be aggressive, it's just film on all of his touches. Just his touches. So he can see exactly what he's doing. Number one thing, every time you touch the ball, look at the rim.

Every time. Every time. I got to show him. Then look somewhere else. Like when a quarterback, he's looking downfield already. Yep. He's looking. All right. Now he's checking off his options. Same thing. As soon as you get it, look at the rim because you're the first.

You're the first option. You're the first option. I know he said, oh, turn five and I pass it to you. Now you got to wait. The first option is turn five. If they messed up, you take off. I'm ripping in that. Rip in.

I'm like, you better respect me. I'm curling in that bitch, looking for the ball. Hey. Yes. And when we're turning it, that's it. Hey. Got you, got you, got you. We might throw it.

We might throw it late. Don't even be open. Now somebody react to it. That's the hardest person to guard. The hardest person to guard is the person that's making himself seem like he's always involved in it. He's the hardest person the hardest person to guard is the person that's making himself seem like he's always always open Do it every single time. Every single time. Every single time. I got you. I got you. I got you.

I heard someone say this. It was Coutinho Mobley. And he said, in his mind, when it came to the game itself, Boris Diaw was a better player than Amari. Yeah. Right? And I'm sitting here and, like, I'm, like. Not a better player than Amari. Yeah. Right? And I'm sitting here and, like, I'm, like. Not a hot take.

You got to think about it. When you're talking about putting pressure on the full game, and it was because he did everything. Handled the ball. Brought it up. Right? Like, no matter. Like, he's setting screens when there's no screen to be set.

Like, watch out, bro. Running around in the dunker, getting the dunker, passing it, moving here. Like, he's making all five defenders react to him, and he's not in half these plays. Yep. You know, with Amari, you got to worry about the dunk end and the pick and roll. You know, what's the name? So, I'm sitting here like, I can't be mad at that tape. That was a good one.

You know who that is now? Wait, Boris Deowd? Do you know who Boris Deowd is now? It was a one, two, three, four, five. Yeah, he came in as a point man. He came in as a point man. You know who that is now? Derek White.

Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. He just don't play the four. He just, I'm saying. Derek White, yeah. So we talked about.

Yeah, you're right, you're right. Yeah. But boy, but that, damn. And that's Drew on defense. But that's a Hooper conversation for us to analyze. Like, all right, let's look at Boers. Yeah. He's like, look at Boers.

Yeah. Especially for Coutinho to say it. Because, you know, Coutinho is... Because, you know, Coutinho is... Mari, though, he's like... Mari, yeah, he was, yeah. Better, yeah. Bad, bad.

Overall player? Overall? Yeah. But just more... Played a one-in. More effective? A better basketball player? Yeah. Because, you know, better than that. Bad, bad. Overall player? Overall, yeah. But just more. Played a one-in-one. More effective? A better basketball player. Yeah.

Because, you know, when our scouting report, you know, think about when you're doing a scouting report. When you had to, when Boris Deow was in it, you're sitting there like, it was like. You put a small one. The man averaged, what, 10, 8 points? Maybe. But the Boris Deow checklist was.

You thought he was a superstar. Put a smile on him, he gonna post him up. Post him up, you gotta worry about the post, you gotta worry about the handoff, you gotta worry about the fake handoff, you gotta worry about the late handoff. Page the post. Right, like it was like when I was guarding like somebody. Like it was like, yeah, even though you fight on the screen, you gotta still wait for

the late pass. So just because you beat the screen and he didn't pass it, still worry about the pass because he gonna make the late pass. Absolutely just because you beat the screen and he didn't pass it, still worry about the pass because he's going to make the late pass. Absolutely. That was a good one. So we talked about the Bucks and the Sixers earlier. We asked a chat, who is paying at Nobu?

And this has come from the producers. They said, brother knowledge or Mr. B? 51% said brother knowledge. But now let's... 51-49. 51-49, yeah. Yeah, because we missed it.

They're going off the last night. We missed it two people. So let's go. Ooh, you need to be worried. Ooh. I'm like, damn, 51. 51? We in trouble.

Let's shift it over. Let's shift it over to our side of town. So when the Clippers broke ground on the Intuit Dome back in 2021, there was hope that Kawhi and PG would usher in the new $2 billion arena, but with PG and Philly and Kawhi out indefinitely while rehabbing his knee, James Harden is now running the show for the time being. But even before

the game tipped off, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer celebrated the opening of his new arena by getting turnt up with The Wall. We got some video. This is him with the wall. He's on one and three. They're on two and four. But the wall is 13 rows. The board made a shot.

God damn it. What, it turned up? What, you missed out? We weren't there? I know. I know, Jeff. No, man. That makes you want to be a fan.

That's what I'm trying. Oh, my God. That makes you want to be a fucking fan. Have y'all been to the soccer game? The college? Yeah. No, no. The FC. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

They got something similar in the end zone. LAFC, yeah. LAFC, they got something similar to that. They don't sit down the whole game. In the section, it's sold out for years to come. It's a waiting list to get in this section. So that's what that's going to become. Damn, man.

That's the owner. That's the billionaire. Richest owner in the league. He got $100 billion. You know what I mean? He? That's the billionaire. Rich is owner in the league. He got $100 billion. You know what I mean? He ain't wearing a suit. Billion. He ain't wearing a suit in the meeting.

He's wearing jeans, T-shirt, whatever. Like, that's that energy. In a do-rag. He come in there like you. In a do-rag. Yeah. Holes out, slacks. Yacht boat slippers.

That's the, like, yo, I can't do it, but I'm going to tell you. Here we go. I can't say F Clippers, no. Like, that right there, just, I'm going to. We're going to talk about it, but watching that game last night was definitely the feeling. It was hype. It was hype. I got to give him.

I can't, I can't disrespect him. His end, dog. That is crazy. For an owner. His energy. That is crazy. For an owner, who's doing the nobody, man? So the wall is 13 rows of diehard fans behind the hoop that the visiting team will see in the second half. I got money on the line. He's like a real bettor. He's a bettor. Into a dome, they've got the wall.

So the wall is 13 rows of diehard fans behind the hoop that the visiting team will see in the second half. All the fans are vetted Before being able to sit in that section got a question though, so Roll team picks What bet right? Yeah, so that was my statement So, you know what just so you know, so for people that don't know this the road team picks what basket they shoot on in the second Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So we could not face that. Okay.

Teams cannot face that. They can choose not. You choose not. You don't have to do that. For some reason, the Suns decided that they were going to take the challenge head on. But like I said, wall 13 rows diehard Clipper fans. They're vetted before being allowed to sit in the section, meant to replicate the atmosphere of a college student section. In game one, the wall proved its value.

Kevin Durant, a career 88% shooter from the line, missed consecutive free throws early in the fourth quarter. Watch how turned they get. It's a wild experience. I've never seen that. Obviously, coming up to Staples Center, Sports Arena back in the day, Sports Arena was never like that.

You remember when I said if I was a WNBA owner, what my arena would look like? Like, you know what I mean? I remember. Hacklers, like you're, I don't care about, you could be sitting here talking about, get them out. Yeah. This my gym, man.

They staying. Why you do that? This my gym, sit down. What was you do that you know what i mean um if i'm him if i'm him moving forward he has to think about what we just said that i get to choose not to face that in the playoffs. Right? I'm putting it on both ends. And and this it's a middle row but it's behind the first row.

This is gonna be part of it too now. Right? Like I know this is money but fuck them. Right? Like unless they like a Spike Lee type. Right? This whole row from the floor money, but fuck them. Unless they like a Spike Lee type, this whole row from the floor to the

13th row. Because this is still luxury that's in my eyesight and then it goes. I'm going to make it all the same thing. These are going to be just the people right here in your site is going to be just as rowdy. You got Billy Crystal, Lamar Morris.

They improved a little bit. that improve a little bit. But still, Lamar Morris. They improve a little bit. But like old Darryl Clipper. I mean, Clipper Darryl. That's where, like, it'll be those type of people right on the floor all the way up. I'm going to give him. He will have a seat.

I might not give him two floor seats. He will have one seat. This motherfucker will be red and blue. Red and blue. Dead ass. Dead ass. After the game, KD was asked about the wall and said, yeah, it was crazy.

I was just staring at it the whole time. You're not used to that. So Ty Lue also spoke about the impact of the wall in his post-game remarks. The wall is crazy. That's our sixth man. Those guys are loud. You know, they're into the game. They even made KD miss two free throws, you know, in a row,

you know, just being loud. And so we need that every single night. And it was good to see. So, all good and dandy. Wall into a dome, $2 billion. Wasn't enough to propel the Clippers to victory though They blew a fourth quarter lead eventually lost in overtime Clips gonna clip as we all know but after playing in the shadow of the Lakers at the arena formerly known as Staples Center

It's obvious. There will be a tough team to beat at home even without Kawhi. So I'm asking y'all Seeing seeing into a dome seeing that crowd last night How important is home court advantage in the league and how much will the Clippers benefit from actually having it now? So we talk about KD missing the free throws. We're going to talk about James missing the free throws? We're going to chat. Yeah. Because I feel like that was supposed to be a win.

We're just talking about Intuit Dome and we're setting the table. The energy was good. The energy was good. It's important because when've... When they've... Granted, they have been, but they've always been treated like a second-class citizen at the Staples Center. Yeah.

Right? At Staples, now Crypto, it's always by staff. Club. It ain't just... By staff. By the staff. Like, everything...

Y'all here today? So, I don't know if people know, so... Y'all here today? So, don't know if people know. Y'all here today? So they schedule the Clippers and Lakers game on the same day sometimes. And the Clippers always got the first game. You should see the way these people behave to get the Clippers fans, the parents of the people out of there. I lost my shit last year on them people.

Like, they trying to rush. I'm trying to see my son. I'm just trying. He coming down the hall, and you trying to rush us out because this motherfucker's about to play. Varsity coming. Get out of here.

Hurry. Varsity. Hurry. Come on. Hurry. Hurry. So I'm like, I'm like, nah.

So for them not to have that treatment anymore for organization, like, if you will see the way the Lakers home locker room is compared to the Clippers home locker room It's embarrassing It hasn't been

I played there and going into the Lakers locker room you like mmm This some bullshit Right So for them not to have that and have the way their home locker room looked from when they was in there showing before the game, you need that. You, like, as a feeling, walking, so you don't have to walk past that no more. You ain't got to look up there to see them fucking banners no more in your home. Like, so, yeah, it's time, right?

It's been time. I'm happy for them. Their fan base gets to have something that they can, we're going to see our team in our arena. So I was right when I said Clippers was some hoes. I think about when your wife coming home, girl, get on up out of here. Take the back door.

Hurry up. Yo, I do to know that experience. We just had one team. We just had one team at the house. Go, go, go, go. Get out of the window. Get this. Take this shit.

Hurry. You left it. But in all sincerity, my pops played for the Clippers. Used to play in the sports arena back in the day. That shit was miserable. Like, I mean, you go to the games, and really it was who was in town. Because if the Bulls, whoever was in town, you get any fans. You never had an experience like that.

So as I'm watching that game last night, I'm just thinking in my head, if I'm a free agent down the road, this is the spot I actually want to play at and come to. I'm in L.A. I got a new arena. Hell, yeah. And compared to State Boy. And the surrounding area now. You go down to all that. Oh, yeah. And compared to Staples. And the surrounding area now.

You go down to all that. It's Huntington Beach. Is this the first time we ever get to hear people say, I don't have to be a Laker to be cool in LA? We're not there yet. You're not there yet. But if you're coming in, if you're coming in. James, Westbrook, nah, but PG, the. We got four L.A. guys with Norman Powell.

Nah. That was in the state percent. We're talking about now. That's what I'm saying. Like, that was last year. They got to win one. They got to win one. Even if you don't got to win one.

It's the look. They got to win a championship. It's like, you remember, like, Dallas. They were so advanced than everybody else. When you went in there, you're like. It felt good. And then they win it. Yeah. And then they win it. Yeah.

And then they win it. And made it. But once they win, like, you know, Jason Terry's like, shit, here y'all come. Because where he's at, this is a whole different place. Yeah. When you're coming in this arena, you're sitting there looking, and you're like...

The technology. As a Hooper, like... We like bells and whistles. I want to feel like I'm important to the city. We like bells and whistles, man want to feel like I'm important to the city. We like bells and whistles, man. And having your fans acknowledge you and what you're doing and they coming to see you there, it matters. We spoil.

Yeah, absolutely. That was my whole thing. But a lot of the organizations don't spoil the players for us to play the way we play. But it wasn't allowed down at another team's arena. Hey, Carolina, the reason why we did charter, we did all the memories. Varied fans, varied best. And the reason why, I remember Coach Williams said this, and he's like, the reason why we treat y'all first class

is because we want you to play first class. If you don't play first class, we will stop giving you first class treatment. We was at the most expensive restaurants for a pregame meal and all of that. We flew trucks. Like, this is Carolina, and he wanted to make that an emphasis. Like, we are Carolina. Meanwhile, other schools flying southwest. I just hope the rest of the league looks at it

and understands what a home arena is supposed to be like. Yep. Right? Like, the Knicks, the most powerful fan base, is not so powerful when they're not happy with the team. And I'm like, y'all don't know the power. Y'all have the power to build them up. They can be down 20. You start seeing stuff like that.

Let's go. Like, no matter what the score, no matter what my day is, you make me feel like I need to fight for y'all. But when you get the booing, I don't want to be here. I'm glad you said that. And it made me think about, like, when have, the Clippers ain't never won a day. They have had very, very bad years and bad stretches of not being successful. Understandable.

Right? And never. The fans have never wavered. Nope, they haven't. And that's impressive. That says a lot. And to the Knicks fans, ain't worn nothing in forever neither.

Not in the recent, not since a lot of us have been on this earth. 73, I believe. Right, it's the 1973. Sorry, Steve. Oh, he's gone. But, and y'all waver.

Yeah. It's that love. So the thing is, it's expectation for the Knicks, right? It's every year, it's delusional Knicks fans that this is the, just like Cowboys fans.

Yeah, like, yeah, yeah. It's the same delusion every year. And it ain't never came about. You make a decent run, you're good in the regular season, get to the first round, maybe second round, and it's wheels fall off.

Right? And you waver. And you have no right to waver. Yeah. Because y'all ain't won nothing. Y'all ain't been successful to have something to gauge it on. Mm-hmm.

Just like the... Yeah, you're right. There's nothing to gauge it for you to go against Clippers. There's nothing to gauge it for you to go against. Yeah, to go against. If the Lakers have bad years or the Celtics have bad years, you're like,

hey, goddammit, we got 18 of them. What y'all doing to get another one? It's like, hey, man, it's been three years now. Hey, we starting to get that championship bitch again.

Okay, we gave y'all a little leeway. But these other Knicks, Clippers, hasn't had that. So if you dating a girl and all you do is take her to Subway, when you take her to Sizzler, she gonna think it's no boo. I think that's what the Clippers got going on right now.

For sure. I remember when I was in Golden State. True story. Been there. It's been there. It's who? Been there. Reality. Lobster. This is not Nobu, baby.

This is Sizzler. You see the title outside? Like, I remember when I was in Golden State, we didn't win nothing. Sizzler. Yeah, but fans were still. But the fans were still crazy every day. Right? Sacramento.

Sacramento. There was no booing the team out of the building no matter what our score was. Warriors, too. Right? Let's say when the bench came in, right? Like, you know, we're down 20, and then the new five come in. They're cheering the new five like the game just started. Yes, absolutely.

Right? Like, they erased the score. New five. Let's go. Sick man. We done cut the lead from 20 to 16, right we still down 16. We got a set of ovation at the end y'all boys did good And I remember when the we believe team was going to playoff, and I told Calvin Booth, I said,

watch the Golden State fans. They made it to the playoffs. Watch how crazy them... There's some lunatics over there. Watch how crazy the fans will be for an actual winning team. We believe. Then we believe, and then you've seen what it looked like on TV. It was unbelievable in there.

That was the Oakland Coliseum. But I'm just saying. That was Oakland fans. Just like Oakland Raiders fans. Yeah. Right? There's power in the fandom. You step off that bar, though, at the Coliseum.

That bar station at the Coliseum. You get your ass whooped. You get your ass whooped. You get a beard. You get a gold chain. But it's turnt up. Fontego Cummings down there got his ass whooped. Going, you know,

because he's the Eagles. He's from Philly. He had his Eagles jersey on. No, no, no. You can't know. We don't give a fuck if you play for the

Georgia State. No, that's straight days. Get the fuck out of here. In the wrong section, buddy. Like, damn.

So we asked the chat, does the into a dome give the Clippers a legit home court advantage? 70% said yes. But now let's get

into the actual game. But like we pointed out, Clippers probably should have got smacked that game. That crowd had them into it. They had a lead in the fourth quarter. You know, could have won the game. James Harden had 29 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, but also had 8 turnovers and 40 minutes in the overtime loss.

And shot 28 times. 10 for 28 from the field, 2 for 9 from 3. The 28 shot attempts, most for Harden since he was on the Nets in 2021. Harden had a chance to seal the win in regulation. Missed a floater at the buzzer. Had a chance to send the game to double OT. Fumbled the inbounds pass prior to that. He missed a free throw, which could have tied the game as well.

But just looking at this Clippers squad now with Kawhi sideline, is James Harden being asked to do too much right now? Or do you think he's embracing going back to... Nope, I like it. Do too much. I? Or do you think he's embracing going back to... Nope, I like it. Do too much. I like the 10 for 28, honestly. Do too much.

10 to 28 today. 14 for 28 tomorrow. 20 for 28 the next day. 2 for 28 another. Hey, as long as he's taking 28 shots. Give him 28. Hey, boy, how dare. Yeah, that double-double's for sure.

He's going to average this year. 20 and 10, easy. Y'all don't think he... I mean, he's been doing that. Y'all don't think he look nasty? I think, you know... He didn't look forced? You remember, he's been...

He's been... He's been tamed. Yeah, he's been compartmentalized. Yeah, for a while now, and he's realized, though. Yeah, it looked kind of weird. You know how you used to pack? It looked weird. I mean, it's his first game, but I'm telling you, that 10 for 28,

if he keep doing it, watch, it's going to look like. It looked uncomfortable. Like, he's uncomfortable taking the 28 now. He used to be so comfortable doing his thing, and now, like, when he do his thing, I'm like, it's kind of like. Did you stretch before? Yeah, he ain't done it in a while. Did you stretch?

I can guarantee you, he probably feels sweet. Wait, wait, wait. It looks slow? Yeah. It didn't look the same. Like I said before, right? It didn't look sharp. Gil said he could average 30, and I was like,

it's going to be tough. 30. So my exact words were, this league has gotten younger, more athletic, and fast at that position, right? The position that he's playing at is the point. He's the point guard. I don't see that get by you anymore, right? Is he a hell of a shooter?

Yeah. He's going to have to rely on that more than the get-by people. So to that, I'm thinking, do you play him off the ball more because you need him to score? Yeah. And him exerting that much energy on the ball, trying to do his thing and get other people involved while Kawhi is out, I think it's a big ask right now.

I know. I was thinking the same thing. Like, why do you need to have eight assists? Yeah. You know, maybe three. Yeah. I don't think he needs – Two assists?

Yeah, he shouldn't have – But he likes to ask. So if that's what it's going to be, yeah. Because it might help some, though. But then you, so you, who else besides Kevin Porter can go get their own shot? Even Kevin's force. Norman Powell can get his bucket. Yes, but it's not.

Yes. That's it. Terrence Mann, maybe. But you know Terrence Mann. Yeah, but you know what it's going to be, though. I'm talking about when you really need one, you're like. Yo, go get us a bucket. Norman can get one.

Okay. Kevin can go get you one. Like, I was trying to figure out who. Kevin Porter Jr. Who needs him to create for them, right? Zubat. Zubat. He can go, but he just ain't.

I like Amir Coffey, too. I like Amir Coffey. Porter Jr. Porter Jr. got the engine, but he just ain't got the finish. Like, if he could finish that midi. It's there, bro. If he could finish that thing. He ain't been out there.

Kevin Porter Jr. Oh, no, no, no. He's trying to get his cobwebs out, but I see that in him. I see he's trying to be assertive. He's trying to make things happen. But James just don't look. Yeah, like I said, I think he's going to more rely on his shot. Oh, they got Kai Jones. Man, they got a young Kai Jones.

They were really defending last night. That's what I was about to say. That's what Terrence Smith said. Yeah, guys were guarding. Defensively, he's one of the best squads he's seen. We had talked previously about them potentially being in the lottery, not being a playoff team, but just watching that game last night with that young crew,

even without Kawhi, obviously it's going to be a struggle, but you get your second-team All-NBA player back. They got Van Gundy over there. Without what he was just saying, though. You know what's so funny? I'm pretty sure he wished he could rewind everything back. What, two years? Bomber.

Obama. Oh, they asked him. Yeah, they asked him yesterday. Oh, he's going to say political stuff. Yeah, he's going to say political stuff. No, what I'm saying is when you look at the group, right, and let's say you remove, if you remove Harden and you remove Kawhi right now,

you have a young solid team. It's like the old Clippers, right? Very exciting. Going to get up and down. Going to play hard. You got a team that can damn near pick up full court and, you know, and pull out some wins right it can be

houston like at the end of the season not quite okc yet where they're dialed in like that you got a really young team orlando huh like orlando kinda yeah like if they make the playoffs you're gonna be like okay this is this is a big watch they can take it a game. They might win every home game Maybe lose every road game. This is the squad right now that you can kind of Play with for a while You ain't gotta spend no big money on them But that was my point earlier like if I'm afraid and down the road next couple of years You give him the Clippers a legitimate look

It's not that state percent or feel anymore where you got to play second fiddle you come into a spot new arena newest arena in the league yeah just i'm not mad i'm turned up proud i'm excited i'm excited you know i'm you know i'm excited for him i want to you know the thing is they got a lot of like-sized guys they were switching a lot they was making it tough like in the first quarter i think four or or five different guards guarded KD in the first quarter. Yeah, no, they got some pieces, but I just look at, I just, like I said, it's either going to be James going to

become that scorer and not that facilitator or he's going to have to be, I think it's going to have to be one or the other. He's going to have to average the 19 to 20 and 10-11 assists or he's going to have to average the 19 to 20 in 10, 11 assists, or he's gonna have to average 26 in five assists. Yeah. I think we're in... It ain't gonna be... I don't think it's...

I don't think it's right now. I think he's gonna... But if you look at this team, like, he can walk... He's gonna walk into it. He has more talent than he had on some of those Houston Rocket teams. Okay. Yeah. Like, you know, when he do a pick and roll with Kai Jones, it's live.

It's like Capella. Yeah, but a lot of that was Capella at the rim. A lot of him getting by somebody. That's Kai for sure. Yeah. That's Kai.

It just all depends on how he uses it. Even Zubac looks nice now, 21 feet. He likes Zubac because it's a bigger body. And he catches the ball. Yeah.

He catches the bounce passes. He catches all the little things. Now you got Kai Jones as a lob threat. It's only a matter of time. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets in sync. Well, I'm looking at the game. They're going to be looking at Kawhi like,

you know what, just stay the whole year. There ain't no point. I'm looking at the game from an analytical perspective, though. Like, all right, we watched Phoenix play yesterday, right? And it looked like to me Booker and KD were having trouble getting by those guys. Like they really, they really rocked the defense. And like you were saying, I'm coming back to what you were saying about the point guards in this league now.

James doesn't have an advantage anymore. Remember how an advantage set you apart as an elite player? KD had an advantage. I could shoot. I'm seven foot. James Harden, I got the step back. I got a flame. And I can get by you and dunk on you. And I draw fouls. And I draw fouls.

Everybody had an advantage. Now that we're getting older, the advantages disappear. And it's like, all right, how are you going to affect the game? My brain just. So it's like, at this point, I'm watching a game from looking at, all right, they're depending on Grayson Allen to shoot a lot of threes this year. Devin Booker had a hard time getting off. Bradley Beal played well,

made good shots when he needed to, but overall, I looked at the Clippers and was like, man, if they did have their other superstar, it would have been a game. But in this league, you can't win with just two superstars no more. You've got to have a three-headed monster. A three-headed monster.

Even if you do play well with the one guy or the two guys, you're still going to come up short because it's going to be that X factor on the other team

that brought them three different categories of scoring and defense or whatever it is. Even with that three-headed monster, though, it's still going to be tough

to get wins in this league this year like the Sun saw last night. So with Devin Booker on the bench after fouling out a little over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter y'all over here you're right though with Devin Booker fouled out a little bit over a minute remaining the fourth quarter Kevin Durant forced overtime with this clutch bucket with 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter I think we got the bucket for y'all to check out.

Once Gil get out his text book. Like you said, Shaq, Katie just being able, over two defenders, still get a bucket. Tied the game. Watch one more time. That's what you got to go to when you get older. You got to get older. Yeah, because that young kid don't know how to guard that.

And the thing is, Buno is going to put him in the positions that he ain't going to have to do too much, I think. So Suns trailed by as much as 10 points in the fourth quarter for finally locking in and getting the win. How impressed were you by the Suns winning game one on the road in a hostile environment like the Intuit Dome? Never thought we would say that, but here we are.

I mean, they should, though. The Clippers are, they ain't got nobody right now. So they should have won that game. Oh, definitely should, though. The Clippers are, they ain't got nobody right now. So they should have won that game. Oh, definitely should have won it. But for me, it was, like I said, watching that game, just the energy, especially that second half, it was like, all right, man, this, this. I mean, coming back, I mean, coming back in the fourth,

like, you know, that damn thing was a playoff. That was a real good game. And that's what it felt like watching it. So coming back, you know, it was more of, you know, what you say, what advantage that, you know, James have is the same thing KD has right now. Wisdom. Yeah. Right?

You know, knowing that he can get to his spot. You know, they ain't played the game long enough to know where he really wants to get to. You know, so, you know, at this point, these guys have just got to use, you know, up here more than the legs itself. And that's where KD, I'm just going to get to my spot. I'm not going to play with you. You know, up here more than the legs itself. And that's where, KD, I'm just going to get to my spot. I'm not going to play with you, you know. We'll talk a little bit about just Tyus Jones. 11 points, 8 assists, 0 turnovers in the game.

Most assists for some player in their debut without a turnover since the merger. We had talked about the Suns earlier this week. You said your assist numbers would probably go down. Like, he's six consecutive seasons with your best assist to turnover ratio. Yeah. Go ahead. They wouldn't give Frank a point guard. Dirty Frank, is you.

Bud? Coach Bud. Coach Bud comes in and they give Coach Bud a point guard. Because Coach Bud knows we can't get these guys the ball without a point guard. True. We cannot get these guys the ball without a point guard true we cannot get these guys the ball with one of them having the ball as a point guard they all want to score they all want to move we need a point guard that can get them the ball that knows how to play point

guard and ain't gonna get no turnovers wait were it was the team was frank team bigger like Katie was the actual three right so did they have a real four and a five no they had they didn't get rid of no for like his NERC is was still there so it was the five NERC is was playing the five as I'm saying so I think O'Neal was O'Neal in it in that line up Royce they started because that's what said like this one they have the pure point, so that means KD has to be the 4. Yeah, KD was the 4 because Grayson started. Grayson Allen. Grayson started.

Grayson Allen, Booker, KD. Bill. Grayson. So Bill was the. Bill, Nurk, but obviously they were. So Grayson Allen was the 3. 2. 2, Bill.

3. 3. KD, 4. KD, 4. Nurk at the 5. Okay. Bill at the 1. So they basically. Grayson Allen, Bill, Booker, KD, Nur Nurk at the 5. Okay. Bill at the 1. So they basically switched Grayson Allen for...

Let Grayson come off the bench. Which is better. Way better. Most definitely. I like the way Phoenix looked. I like the way the Clippers looked. The fact that, like Rashad said, they got a real point guard now. Yeah, I was questioning his involvement with the ball in his hand.

But after seeing one game, and it's only going to get better, they will, the Suns, that is, will benefit from his decision-making. And like Rashad said again, he's not turning the ball over. So you're going to get a quality shot every time the ball is in his hand. So, yeah, no, shout out to the front office, man, James Jones and them for, yeah. How much of a threat are they? No.

I don't know yet. I think they're a bigger threat. Because they still got gotta stop the ball still gotta i think it's a bigger threat than what i've seen it was before like yeah they got still play some defense but i think now when you talk about the maximum maximizing the roster and the the skill sets on the roster a point guard that passes the ball does it top four in the west this year they're moving to top five. I just felt like they didn't do enough to move.

It's the opportunity. I mean, it's just how we see it. I mean, you know, you can really tell everybody's potential 10 games in. You see, like, okay, I can see glimpses, and I can see faults, and I can see what's potentially coming. Yeah, and after one game, I see the Clippers going to rely on defense. The Clippers going to get out. They going to get after your defensive. They going to climb in your jersey.

Three-quarter court, four-quarter court, run, trap. Yeah, they going to cause some havoc. And the fact that they got Van Gundy over there on that sideline is... So we will see how both teams fare for the... That warmed my soul to see him on that staff, right? Yeah.

Because that basketball mind, man, I enjoyed. I don't like listening to a lot of people do basketball games. I enjoy listening to Van Gundy do basketball games. Both of them, actually. Both of them. I like Stan. I like Stan. When you listen to Stan, like... I like saying like really listen to me and like this

I'm a big I'm a star waste a big Jeff Van Gundy fan while he's doing games like cuz he he is As honest as you're gonna get and Stan is as well. They're honest You just don't want it as the coach part with you to play If you the sister coach you love you watch it as a family he's honest you just don't want you be like, okay, okay. You watch it as a fan, like, he's honest. You just don't want to be on the other side of that. You're playing like shit, son. Sit down. Sit down.

Man, it's buffa. You. We went over the. Talking to you like that, man. I know I'm 0 and 7, but god damn. You tell me have a seat. Usually they say, hey, keep shooting. Get in here.

Sit your ass down. What's going on? Hell yeah, we'll be back. We went over the play. I don't worry about the next one going in. We went over the play. It's on the board. Yeah, hey, keep shooting. Get in here. Sit your ass down. What's going on? We'll be back. We went over the play. I don't worry about the next one going in. We went over the play. It's on the board. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You're still fucked up. Sit your ass down. Why you didn't get that block? I was giving it. You the Superman. You supposed to get it off. Well, you're right. Me Superman do.

Get it off. You know what I'm saying, sir? He's right. He's like, how'd that happen? Well, I've been there. Let's keep this thing moving. You already know. Underdog got you covered with a new special every

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to get $1,000 in bonus cash and a new promo every day this month. So we talked about Stephen A. Smith earlier in the show. He said some things today that we need to address as well. So Kawhi Leonard's status for the season is still uncertain as he's out indefinitely while rehabbing his knee.

On first take today, Stephen A. offered these thoughts on Kawhi and where he stands amongst superstars in the history of sports. He is a superstar when he is healthy. On the basketball court, easily as far as I'm concerned, top five player on the planet. That's why a superstar is

appropriate when it comes to talking about his skill set. I can make a legitimate argument that Kawhi Leonard is the worst superstar in the history of any sport. You can't have somebody like that, and it's beneficial. Who's going to miss work half the time and does absolutely nothing to promote your product or your brand.

He is a poster child for what not to be as a star in any sport. Period. And I mean it. And I seen him in the arena last night, him and his uncle and everybody else in between. I'd have told him to their face. The worst. The worst. So, Kawhi second team All-NBA last season.

Won two chips two finals MVPs in his career six time all NBA selection two time defensive player of the year seven time

all defensive team selection so you can read all that what do you think about Stephen X saying he can make an argument that Kawhi is the worst superstar

in any sport ever I think no that's Cap I call Cap I don't know. Yeah, you can call him. I might have some room in the bag for Kawhi.

Damn, I might have some room, because that's nasty work right there. The chat pointed out you weren't able to get the skeleton fully into the body, but the angle and the shape, might have to let him out of the body a little bit. Yeah, I don't want to zip it up. We ain't done yet.

All right. We ain't done yet. We ain't done yet. Kawhi might be able to fit him out and breathe a little bit. Yeah, don't want to zip it up. We ain't done yet. We ain't done yet. We ain't done yet. So why I might be able to fit in there and all that, that was, woof. So there are... Russell Wilson? So there are two type of bad superstars, right? There's the ones who we consider fuck-ups.

As a superstar, you're like, damn. And then you have what he is speaking of in regards to... No one knows you. No one knows what you like, what you do, where you go, who you... Like, you don't speak on things, you don't promote things, you don't advertise your own brand that you, like, you do nothing but work on your game, but there's nothing wrong with that.

You don't smile. He's a fun guy, though. But yes, that is, but. He inherited the superstar status when he just wanted to be a basketball player. That's it. Spurs, right? He just wanted to be a basketball player.

Yeah, that's when he did it. Finals MVP. When they named him a finals MVP twice. But it's the first one. You know what I'm saying? They gave him the finals MVP, right? And then gave it again, and then you put this superstar tag on it.

And that is not his personality, right? He's just a quiet dude that comes to work that goes home. He don't want to mingle with you. He don't want to sign no autograph. He don't want to take the picture. He don't want to kiss the baby, right? So now he has this tag.'t want to take the picture. He don't want to kiss the baby. Right? So now he has this tag. You got to pay the tag.

You're like, hey, Kawhi, we got an event for the sponsors, and we got to do this. You're like, hold on, I'm going to be in the gym. And you're like, oh, okay, okay, okay. We ain't got our best player. Our best player don't want to do it. I got a question. He's not the dude that's going to be at the.

What you just said. So I think I know the answer to this because of the organization. Tim Duncan, right? Mm-hmm. Was pretty much that. Saint, yeah. But the kissing the babies and those things, he did in San Antonio. Yes.

So not as bad as Kawhi in that regard. But he came in as a star. Yeah. Number one. Yeah. But have y'all heard that about Kawhi?

I think he'll engage with fans and do all that stuff, but I mean, I smile in the picture. But it's still dry. At the parade, that was funny. It is,

but it's still like, if you know him, he has a personality, right? If he's intimate, if you know Kawhi on an intimate basis where you're outside of the game and in a private setting, he's a different person. He's not going around just handing out smiles and how you doings and thank yous for no reason. Like, which, there's nothing wrong with that. But in the world that we live in today, it doesn't allow him to be himself. Meaning social media and people having access to you and your life and the things that you do. He doesn't allow that. He doesn't have that.

He doesn't. So now it's like, well, shit, who is he? What does he do? Now he's not marketable. Now he's not the thing. Now he's considered, in Stephen A's mind, a horrible superstar. So...

And it could go in different ways to how you treat the fans, how you... Prince, he's not an asshole to the fans. I've been around superstars who are assholes to the fans. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Been around them. Throwing them through windows, you know. All kind of shit. Treat fans horrible, and I tell you, damn, you know you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right? Been around. Throwing them through windows. All kind of shit. Like, treat fans horrible,

and I'll tell you them, you know you're a horrible fucking superstar. You know that, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell you to your face. You're a horrible fucking superstar. I don't know why people

like your ass. Mm-hmm. Right? Well, I don't know why nobody, yeah, yeah. I don't know why nobody like your ass. They knew what I knew about you.

You're a good dude, but you're a horrible, you're a fucking, listen, but, yeah, it's... I got to piggyback on the inherit. He inherited something. your whore, you fucking, but yeah, it's... I gotta piggyback on the inherit. He inherited something that he didn't ask for. Yeah.

Right? You think about Kawhi Leonard in college. Kawhi Leonard was the dude at the front of the press. He the dude you put in the front of the full court press. Go get him. Let's go. Let's go. I'm the defensive guy. I'm in the front. Trap, trap. Ah. He wasn't the leading leader, scorer in the nation or none of that. He was the energy guy. He got to San Antonio. He's a great asset, great size, great big hands and solid guys, great defender.

You inherited something that you had never thought that you could get. So imagine your preparation in college to inherit something that you become an MVP. And it's like, yeah, I'm here. You didn't ask for that. You didn't ask for the injuries. You didn't ask for the expectation. But now it's all here in front of your face. and now you got Stephen A. Smith at your front door. Like, you're the worst. Now, remember,

we just got off of me putting him in the bag for some shit he just did. So now he back at it, doing some shit like, let us do this. Let us do this. You saying this to him as not a player, it's tough. Not because all players don't understand.

I'm going to let you keep going. I'm going to let let you finish this thing but all he worried in that statement is what people is like you said the joke Nicola is the worst three time it MVP right you have to but he he's a Superstar right by the word in that't get his... So he's not saying just regular-ass player. No, superstar is what... So it's only a select few guys that fit into this box that Stephen is speaking of.

So when you look at the guys that's in this box with him... Mm-hmm. He's right. Yeah, signature shoe, two-time NIRS, two league championships. His personality. So his personality is a second option type of guy. Yeah.

Right? It's, you know, let's say Clay. I mean, third option. You know what I'm saying? He's Clay personality, right? Now imagine if Clay had to be the forefront of selling your product. Yeah. Awkward. Right? It's going to be awkward. It's had to be the forefront of selling your product. Yeah. Awkward.

Right? It's going to be awkward. It's going to be hard. Those guys just go to work, go home, right? People see Clay on his book. He has the president. They answer like Michael Jackson. Yeah.

It's funny, though. What I'm saying is he has to have, like he has to be the, he got the president name. Yeah. But he's a vice president. Vice president personality Yeah, like he's like they when you're the superstar is Trump. Yeah, right Who was the vice president when Trump first ran? Mike Pence Mike that's how quiet we don't even know

We don't I need we don't, but because the superstar is the one who sells you on tickies. He sells you on the game. He's the one fought like Shaquille O'Neal. Right? You have that type of superstar where you're loving and you have that personality, Ant-Man. Right? Or you can be the Kobe.

Right? The serious guy. He still knows how to interact with the game inside. There's a game inside the game. And then there's some guys who don't want to play it, but they never usually get the responsibility of having to play the game within the game. And then that's Kawhi. He got the end game inside the game.

And he's like, what time is the game, though? Yeah. Like, I know we got to understand what you're saying, but what time is the game and what time do you need me to be at practice and do what I do? So do you guys agree with what he said? Yes. For a superstar, because you got to look at superstars, right?

It's the personality. It's the selling the game. for a superstar? Because you got to look at superstars, right? It's the personality. It's the selling the game. It's not the numbers. This has nothing to do with basketball. It's the Steph shimmy. It's the Steph this. And we compare. Right?

Think about when Steph started becoming a star. Compare him to Steph. And he's quiet. Steph is quiet. And they're not with Nike. Steph with Under Arm. He with New Balance. They they're not with Nike. Steph would underarm. He wouldn't do balance. They would have not so big of a brand, so to speak, as Nike and Adidas.

But when Steph can make a game winner, you know he made a game winner. Kawhi can make a game winner. Kawhi made a game winner. Kawhi made a game winner. Kawhi made a game winner. After when that bounced Kawhi made it. Kawhi made it. After when that bounce did, he was. I mean, that's the only time. That was the only emotion.

Other than that, Steph is going to. The championship, the ha, ha, ha. That's two. That's two. The key is like. The bounce. Like we watched. We watched Kaitlyn Clark, right?

Yeah. What did she do? What did she do at the end of the game is what a superstar is supposed to do. What did she do? What did she do at the end of the game is what a superstar is supposed to do. What did she do? We're on the road. She's on the road. What did she do in that arena? She left

her locker room, right? Went all the way to the opposing fans. Waved to the Sparks fans. They clapped in there. I like it. Yeah, gave her signing autographs, taking pictures.

She embraced the superstar. That's what the superstar did. And the other person that fits what Stephen A is saying is Nikola. Yeah. He's trying so bad. He's trying.

He's trying. He's trying. He is trying. Kawhi ain't even trying. Kawhi ain't even trying. He's trying. He is trying. But Kawhi ain't even trying. Kawhi ain't even trying. He ain't even tried up to get people a glimpse of who he might be as a person. Right? Any personality.

Nicole is showing some personality in the commercials. Your commercials, like, yeah, you be like, oh, shit. The whole minions and group thing, like, that shit is hilarious. Yeah, for sure. He's trying. Because somebody said that he looked like him. He's like, oh, shit. Now let's start dressing like him.

So it's that, right? You can say whatever you want. Kawhi, you ain't seen with the laugh. He could have capitalized on that. It could have been multiple things off of it. But that's true company, too, because back in the day, the superstar who didn't have the superstar personality,

Penny Hardaway, but Nike was smart enough to understand we can create his personality and we created alter ego, which was Spike Lee in a sense. Yeah. Right? So that became the superstar outside of the game. Right? the superstar outside of the game. You still need to have you still have to be liked

outside of the game for you to be a whole global like with John Morant, right? John Morant dancing with the kids. You can see him like he that's what it is. That resonates. That's what I got to say

about the Stephen A. Smith thing though. You see how he just said it? He didn't say someone text me and said this. This is how I feel. This is how I feel. That's how he should have did it before. This is how I feel. I feel like Jalen Brown.

At that time, he said, I don't feel like this, but this is what someone said. Yes, unless someone said to me, this man feel like this, but I don't. Because he didn't want to subject himself to that type of scrutiny for Jalen Brown personally. But now he want to do it for Kawhi. This is direct. No, but what I'm saying, then you got to, then this is devil's advocate.

Then you got to now take that that text could be somebody for real. If he's willing to sit on... Did he say that... Yeah, he said, this person, I don't feel this way. Okay, I'm just... He did say that. He said, I don't agree or I don't feel it.

So this... He said... I don't agree, I don't feel it. He didn't agree. He just put it out there. But then he said three other people had called him after that. I know he said something of the sort.

I'm just making sure that I heard it correctly. But that's what I said. This one, he is through support. Yeah, this one, he feels... I heard it correctly. But that's what I said. This one, he is. Yeah, this one, he feels. I like Jalen. He's got a good relationship. Okay, cool. So he thinks Jalen is marketable.

Jalen should be this. So I get it. And you're saying basically that's Kawhi's responsibility once you get elevated. But or can I just. That's his team. I want to win a lot. I want to win chips. I want to.

You can have the team around you. But if you're not willing to, you know, I'm talking about his marketing. That's what I'm saying. But if you're not 100 percent his team is on his team. Oh, no. I still got it. You still got it. I mean, there's a way his marketing team should fire him then.

No, no, no, no. Because we're not. We know what I'm saying. We can't do nothing with it. I'm just saying whoever his agency, whatever. Does he have a marketing team? We can't do nothing with it. He has to.

But at this point. No, you don't. What? know what the funny part is does he have a marketing letter? if we was if we was this marketing group because we're we're so creative and outside the box to know how to Make him pop right Any agency he hires they're not gonna they're gonna be sold by the book that they're not gonna know for him you gotta go the opposite this is gonna come off crazy but blaming them the fact not shit on the fact that he has a signature

shoe we don't even know but the signature shoe the company it fits yeah bland I hate to but it fits it's a walking shoe it's a comfortable walking shoe it's bland as hell it's a comfortable walking shoe

so therefore it fits the person and the personality and it's always been bland it ain't like it's something new New Balance has been New Balance the whole time. I wouldn't have dropped the basketball shoe. But if somebody wears some popping New Balance, you're going to be like, oh, damn.

They did for Rich Paul. He got a lifestyle shoe, too. But think about the superstars that we grew up on, right? Magic. That's my first time hearing that. And I'm in the shoes. What? That he has the lifestyle shoe. He did a collab. I've never heard it. Was Bird considered a first time hearing that. And I'm in the shoes. What? That he has the lifestyle shoes. A lifestyle shoe.

Yeah. He did a collab. I've never heard it. Was Bird considered a bland? Yes. Yes. Yeah. But they were able to cover that.

See, that thing about doing it up. They paired it with the guy that smiled. Yeah, that smile. So he didn't have to smile. The guy that had that glaring smile, it brought his personality out. It brought Larry Bird's personality out because they put somebody who he was comfortable being around who he had an intimate relationship with. And that's why when you think about one, you think about the other because you put them together.

Put them together. But that was an NBA thing. The yin and yang, though. And it was a converse. It was a converse. And it both converged. Going with the NBA combined, how can we market Larry Bird as well? Because we need—

Because Larry Bird just want to be in a drink. Larry Bird just want to shoot jump shots. Magic smile too much. Larry don't smile at all. Put them together. It's a perfect match. You got it. Ebony and ivory.

Go together, perfect harmony. But we asked the chat, is Kawhi the worst superstar in sports? 57% said no. So let's keep it moving. There were 10 games around the league last night. But we got to show some love to a few guys that balled out with Hibachi time.

There it is. Let it sizzle. We're going to start this Hibachi time with another superstar. After serving a 25-game suspension, then only playing in nine games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, John Moran is looking to return to the superstar level on the court.

And in the Grizzlies' season opener on the road against the Jazz, he gave a preview of what's to come this season. So, John did his thing. Dropping 22 points, 10 assists, five rebounds. A slew of highlights. You said 22, 10, and 5? 22, 10, and 5. That was good, D. And one.

All of them. Gave you some vintage jaw. Game over line, Grizzlies up three. Jelly. Come here. Come here. Uh-uh. Come here. What you doing?

Still in the win with this clutch bucket. So 7 for 12 from the field. That's tough. 8 for 9 from the line. We got to give Santi Aldama some love, too. He started in place of Jaron Jackson Jr., who injured his hamstring first day of training camp. Expected to make his debut as early as this Saturday for the Grizz home opener.

But Aldama led the Grizz with 27 points in the game. Desmond Bain added 24 points. After all the struggles they had last season, different lineups, guys on two-way contracts getting major minutes, what's the Grizzlies' ceiling if Ja can stay healthy this season? I know how I feel. 12 back. I'll say this.

Aldama came on strong last year at the end of the season. He showed he can be very effective as a big, stretch big. Edie only playing 15 minutes, 5 and 5. I think he fouled out of the game. Solid. I think they'll learn to use him more effectively once Jaron Jackson comes back. But overall, I think the three-head Munster plus the two ED and Jaron Jackson,

they got a good chance of making at least 8-7. I think they can push to make the playoffs for sure. So, play-in game? Yeah. They can get to the play-in game. The 7 play-in game or the 10? I'm sure. So playing game? Yeah, they can get to the playing game. Playing game, the seven playing game or the ten?

I'm going seven. I'm going seven. I think they're good enough to compete. And then if Ja catches stride... Which he will. And then Bane had 24, right? That motherfucker, man. You know, you be looking at him like... Ain't no way.

Ain't no way. When you look at him like, you ain't really. In no way. In no way. When you're looking at him like, yeah, man. But he got it. It's hard for you to convince somebody you're an NBA player. I can tell you that for damn sure. But he's solid, solid. Solid, solid, bro. He got game.

I like him. He's just small. That's what I'm saying. He's compact. He's small. Right? And you just be like. But when you just. Ja, when Ja was playing. didn't Ja give him his trophy?

Yeah. Right? Most improved. Most improved, right? He was killing. Ja was gone. He held the team up as much as possible. Yeah.

Right? And then whenever Ja's there, it's not like his production just drops. He still does what he do. Like, he needs more love, man. He's one of those dudes that's going to make a lot of money, but his name has never been ringing. Right. Because he's just consistently there.

He like McCullough. CJ. Solid, too. Very fundamentally sound. Hit shots. Consistently there and like McCullough CJ Solid to Very fundamentally sound hit shots be where you need them to be And I think he can take over a game in the crew in the clutch like last three months three minutes Mm-hmm job there. He needed There you go Bane again Bane again. I like I like I like the Grizz man. Like I said, yeah I'm a fan jaw is gonna be my new, you know, I'm choosing a new three.

Ja is one of them. Cam Whitmore, Ja. Do you think Ja can make the All-Star game? Yeah. All-Star game is his. Do you think he's taking off kind of that negative cloud that was over from last season? He's got a clean slate. So if he's healthy and they like, what, six?

Yeah. Seven, six. I mean, close eight. It's a lot of guard. I mean, they can. It's guard heavy, but it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be positionless. Yeah.

So when they say positionless, at some point, at some point, it should be a lot of guards at some point then, right? I mean, if we see a center in there and he is... He's not Nicola. Yeah, if he's not Nicola and you sit here like, wait, hold on, I know three dudes averaging 30 right now that's not called positionless. Positionless means I could have possibly five- or six point guards out there. Yeah, right

It's only a few bigs that there's only a few there's only a few bigs that are all-star good. Yeah Yeah, right when we look at your all NBA and if three of them are in the East Coast That means there shouldn't be not one guard that don't make the all-star game So you I hear you in the West you some all you got Anthony Davis Sabonis Joker. Oh, yeah, that's it So bonus is a question mark. Yeah, he's a definite question a big question But if he haven't a most trouble don't know he is was statistically is. But I'm talking about just as far as you talk talent, you say AD's supposed to be there, Joker's supposed to be there. Yeah.

You throw Sabonis in, ah. The Kings are good this year. We're talking about his position list, though. He's saying, like, if you're going to give Sabonis an all-star nod over Steph Curry. Mm. But see, he ain't doing that. Even if his numbers are great. He's going to always be there because he's going to lead the league, damn near probably,

and triple doubles made, right? So he's going to have. If? Even if. But the Kings are going to be, in theory, a much better team this season compared to last year. So they may be in the running for the top three, top five in the West. So do you give Sabonis the nod because he had the most triple doubles?

Let's say those triple doubles are 10, 10s, and 10s, right? But then you got De'Aaron Fox averaging 28 and 7. Who gets the all-star nod? 28 and 7. And we're talking positionless. 28, 7, 10, 10, 10. And we're talking about positionless, right? 20, 10, 10.

Leading the league in triple doubles, though. Oh, 20, 10, and 10? No, no, no. I'm just saying like 13, 13, 13, and 11. Or like 10. 13, 13, 11? Yes. And he's supposed to be the all-star.

He's getting the all-star now over De'Aaron Fox. 28-7. 28-7. He's got to, right? So that's positional. If he had to put a center in, you would throw Sabonis in. But if not, you've got to throw De'Aaron Fox.

I think there needs to be a time where the all-star game has to reflect the 24 best players in the NBA. At that time. At that time. That means the record does not matter. It's the best. Yeah.

Right? So, there's a guy sitting on the last team, but he's averaging 32 and 5 and 5. That'll be. Like, he didn't get voted in. He is one of the best players in the NBA. I agree with that. All NBA is where your team record counts. You can't use the all NBA metrics on the Western Ames.

So the best team gets three players. And the third option is averaging 18 and 10 or 18 and 4. And there's a guy that got snubbed with 32. But shouldn't all NBA reflect that too, though? I'm just saying, if you got a guy say he's on the worst team in the league, even take somebody like Wimby, like what he's doing. If the Spurs are still nasty, but he's killing, and it's literally not because of me.

Like, we might only have 30 wins. I'm not playing. We have five wins. But that's the thing. The thing is, it's supposed to be the best players. There should never be a moment where we question, like, wait, wait, hold on. That should never happen. If you stick by the principles of the best players,

you would never have somebody look at him and say, who is this? How did he make the All-Star game? Oh, his team's number one. Great. He's a second option. So it's easy to do it this way, right? You start off the list with 30 teams, right? And then you take the best player on all 30 teams, right?

You put them first, right? And then you take some of the second options, you put them second, and then you go with that All right, there should be enough never a third option unless he's just that dude. Yes where they do There should never be a third option thinking about making an all-star game. We're overseas What they pick the best players throughout the league? Oh, yeah, I'm mad about the record don't matter about none of that

Like I don't want everybody that you played in the league, you know who the best player on their team is. Oh, that's that guy. He killing. He in the All-Star game, for sure. There's... I don't mean to throw him under the bus, but fuck it. Cal Corver. There's no way...

ever... in no basketball league... that he would have ever been top 24. in no basketball league, that he would have ever been top 24. Ever. I don't care how many people was injured that season. He would have never been top 24. Right? If they say all number one options

You don't play the first half of the season He would never be top 24 He was never a number two three option on his team for him for him to even be in the position to make it doubt those are the mistakes you make in In the NBA where you got somebody who's he he's on the bad team and he's out here working 110%, 120% just to keep up with the rest of the field. They be thinking that who was in last place? Detroit. Y'all acting like Cade Cunningham was out here going 20%.

He has to go 150 to lose games. You can't penalize him because the fucking team sucks and they're too young. He's doing his part. You know what I mean? He's going 120. He's taking double teams. He got, this nigga can't catch a guy.

It's not like he can say, all right, I'm going to take the ball out, pass it to myself. I'm going to set my own screen. He can't do that. He's still got to rely on the other four players. Put myself in this hoop. So you're penalizing a guy who's going 150% to keep up with the rest of the field, and you're putting a guy who's being carried by two other players

and you're giving him someone else's badge. I don't like that. I just don't like that concept. You played good last night, too. Yeah, of course. You did good. You're nice. Detroit's going to be all right.

Just in a situation where, you know what I mean? They're going to be better. They're going to be better. They're going to be better. They're going to be better. But I'm just saying, against Indiana, I was like, okay. They lost? Yeah, I mean.

Yeah, yeah. But, hey. They're better. The game, though, the way they was playing. I like Biggerstaff over there. I mean, I'm just saying, like. It's going to take some time for them to instruct. The league is exciting now.

You know, I wasn't as high on it before it started, but just watching all these games, kind of backing that move, backing that feeling. But let's get back to the Grizzlies for a second. Obviously, they were terrible last year, dealt with injury, but gave a lot of young guys the opportunity to get some reps, to flourish.

You talk about a guy like Scottie Pippen Jr., I know you're a fan of him, ended up getting his contract converted to a deal once Derrick Rose retired. But Grizz right now don't have Jerry Jackson Jr., don't have G.G. Jackson. Luke Kinnar is still out. This, to me, feels like a squad that if Ja's playing at the level

that we know Ja can play at, they're only a couple years removed from being second, third, Western Conference, all his I'm fine in the West comments and all that stuff. Do you feel like the Grizz can be a top five team in this Western Conference when they're at full strength? Full strength for sure. Oh, yeah.

With Ja playing the way he's going to be playing? Yeah. And I think the crazy part about the West is we say that, but I ask you if they could be a top five team. There's about nine teams. Yeah. They could be top five. You wouldn't be surprised if they were in that mix.

Absolutely. Wouldn't be surprised. I think they better than Phoenix. Because he brings a certain element of excitement. Mr. B is here. I think they'll finish higher than Phoenix. He raises everybody else's play. Mr. B, the Memphis Grizzlies will finish higher than the Phoenix Suns this year,

in your opinion. Yeah, if Ja's healthy and they're healthy, yeah. It's revenge here for Ja. I know, but you know it was Utah who they played, right? And they still barely won. Yeah, they barely beat Utah. What's that? Utah.

And the Suns barely beat the Clippers. The Clippers are like Utah. And the Clippers worse than them. Yeah. If the Clippers play Utah right now, how much do you think the Clippers are going to win by? They're not going to win. I don't think the Clippers are going to win at all. I don't think they're going to win.

I don't think they're going to win. I don't think they're going to win that game, bro. Marketing. What is his name? Kessler? The Clippers ain't beating the Jazz in Utah. I don't think so.

Why got to be in Utah? Whatever. Why got to be in Utah? You don't give the Grizzlies any credit for going to Salt Lake City, that dry-ass Salt Lake City air? No, for sure.

They started all the way in the West Coast. That's the hardest game, that altitude, the first game in Utah. They got two games on the road. No, for sure. They started all the way on the west coast. That's the hardest game, the altitude. The first game in Utah. They got two games on the road. Yeah, and then they go back to Memphis for their home opener on Saturday. It's one of those teams.

They're going to be one of those teams where they have a lot of really good, solid pieces, and then there's going to be guys who's playing now. When Gigi and them get back. They're gonna have to sit There's gonna be some pissed off people. I got good coaching over there, too Yeah, like they have a they basically have a what a 10 11 man rotation Right That's not a real thing because usually no one has that they have that and that's gonna be the last year Yeah, because the last year so you think it'll be lead the guys being salty as

A potent. Yeah, it's kind of like the Knicks. No, it's kind of like the Knicks But everybody healthy and then you put all those guys back on the bench now you got this This good-ass squad is someone's feelings is gonna be hurt. I don't think so young things up. I don't think so Yeah, you think they should have kept O-Boy, Memphis, the, uh, what's his name, the defender? Steven Adler? No, um, what's his name

that was doing the... Brooks. Dylan Brooks. You think they should have kept Dylan Brooks? He felt like the scapegoat for that squad. I do.

Because it's tough and... Because he was Tony Allen for them. Yeah, he was the X Factor for sure. That was a big loss to me, I feel like, for them. He was like Lance Stevenson. Yeah, the reason X Factor for sure. That was a big loss to me. I feel like for them. He was like Lance Stevenson

Yeah, the reason I agree because Smart is where he would be right? So you got the same guy but smaller. Yeah, yeah smaller, right? Are you some you kept a smaller version of it? Right? So the only problem with you know, Memphis is they still start smart And smart just more small as they more Bane and John you need it You need it Brooks. I need a book to be a guard LeBron, you know, you're gonna guard big guys I think but he gonna do that dirty work, but I'm saying it's too small like you're you're and then you got you know Pippen jr. He's all too. You got us you got your your line up the small to circumvent that you gonna have to start Zack Edie and Jackson like I mean if he's like if G like

Bane Ja Gigi Jaron and Eden that's a hell of a squad and then who's the that was a sati? Yeah, Santia Dama Dama with 27 piece in this market. I went off the bench. Yeah, Santi Aldama. Aldama. 27-piece in this season. Mark coming off the bench. No, that's the center. He's forward. Seven foot.

Yeah. So him coming off the bench? He might be all right. He could start. Over Edie, right? He can start. I'll bring Edie off the bench if I need to. Depending on the matchups.

I can go both. Good. You can go play him at the foot you can I Would play around with it when everybody said that I'm gonna I will play with lineups. There will be games where GG Jackson at three GG Jackson at the damn near GG Jackson at the two Oh, da GG cuz he can he's damn near guard like Jared at the three and then the two big fellas at the All y'all just said picks. Let's do it And Bane over there just

Yeah, that's three but him and Dylan they would have been There's a lot of squad in the West that I'm rocking with right now I've seen injuries and all that stuff will come into play but they first like top seven. I like Houston now I like Houston. I like San Antonio. I like all the teams that was struggling with the youth and all that. I think they starting to turn the corner with understanding how to compete in the NBA.

And that's the first step. Just compete. Go out there, play hard. You're going to learn the game as you go. But as long as y'all start playing hard, the teams that were like, ah, we didn't know they were going to be 10, 12, they creeping up like, yo, we're trying to fight for this.

Even a team like Atlanta. You look at Atlanta and be like, man, they're rebuilding. Hey, Trey Young ain't out there trying to rebuild nothing. Hey, man, listen, no. He out there hooping. I know they, man, I know that number one pick mad as hell. Reese O'Shea.

The number two pick mad as hell. Reese O'Shea. The number two pick started. Like, I'm sitting here like, wait a bit. Like, he's coming off the bench because how you lost, you got this pick thinking this is about to be some trades going on. And then the spot opens up and you realize oh no we're still a playoff team yeah my bad psych you're the future and then you bring you're bringing them off the bench like tough yeah it was so like what was the point of drafting him Available I thought I thought I thought it'd be why they didn't trade I thought it would be like a trade that pick for who who wanted to pick you think he would have went number two I'm just shah. Shea. No, I'm just saying like mm-hmm. I mean I would have gave up

Yeah, that's good. I think if he missed the number one pick, if Atlanta thinking, oh, he's going to be the future, right? We're picking him at number one. If Atlanta don't pick him, I don't think anybody else is picking him at number one. Nah, he would have went two. Instead of Saris. Saris would have just went three. Them two fridge was going one, two.

I don't know, man. Because they would have just picked Saris and he would have went two. I just think that they both got picked based on everybody saying that you should pick him. You should have picked him one, two, and then Reed Shepard went three. This is a dude came off the bench in college. He went number three. What's his name? As a rookie.

What is it, a freshman? He was a freshman. But that's what I'm saying. Those guys. Right? Yeah. But those guys. It didn't pan out good for them Atlanta down the stretch he well he didn't come out to be the number one to pick an all-star all this is Marvin Williams

He's now player. Here we go. Now if you're Atlanta, right and you know your team is veterans Why would you waste the number one pick on that? You might as well have just went after Edie or Connect at that point. Yeah. Right? Because them as rookies coming in having to be good right now matches your team.

Yep. Right? They're old enough. Right? Because you put him in a dark hole. He could technically be a bust because when are you supposed to play him? Exactly.

What year? Right? Just ride on the bench, play him? Exactly. What year? Right? Just ride on the bench, play 15, 15. He's never going to get the confidence to become that. He's never going to turn over to be the starter. So the fact where you could have just went and got a 22-year-old, 23 veteran, right, like with San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan wasn't a young kid coming in.

He was an older guy. Develop. You can play right now. I think everybody's so worried about passing up on something that could potentially down the line be something good. They wasn't in a position. They was in a position to pick whoever they wanted. That's what I'm saying.

So the fear. Like, we can sit here like, all right. We don't need youth. But if you pass up those two freshmen and they end up being something like Wimby, you're like, dang, look what we had. And think about Vlade Divac. Man, we could have got Luka. Man, I messed it up.

Man, I messed it up. So everybody's fear of what could potentially happen down the line is what they all drafting on. Otherwise, you would have picked Edie number one or Konek number two or whatever. These are the best available players, the best. No, but, like, let's say Houston. Houston got the number one pick, and you don't pick either.

If they got the number one pick? Mm-hmm. Because you don't need either. Yeah, yeah. You get connect. You can keep. You get connect. He's a three.

You're still picking young, though. You're still trying to develop your core. They're old. Like, Atlanta's an older team, right? So you want to get somebody like your young guy is 23? Cool. Yeah. You know, some of them somebody like your young guy is 23? Cool. Yeah. You know,

some of them teams, the oldest guy is 23. That's crazy. Like, so like, let's say Darko went to Detroit. To be honest,

whoever they picked was fucked. Right? Whoever they picked. We talked about that. Melo, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Chris Kamen, Kirk Heinrich. There was really nobody that was going to escape this guillotine. Well, that's why they picked the right person. The only person that could have played right away for Detroit Pistons is LeBron.

But the difference is... Because he would have beat out Tayshaun Prince for that spot. 100% they'd have moved it. You think Larry Brown would have allowed that to happen? Yeah, for sure. No, he would have because, one, he's a passer. He knows how to play the right way, and he's going to play deep. And he can play with the team

mellow was a offensive juggernaut at the at that time coming in young boy give me the ball they would have bumped heads but that's why you don't pick you don't pick a talent at that position when you already have enough talent you pick up potential. That's why they picked Darko. Think about it, you got Melo, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James on the board, and I got Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, we a championship contending team. Why would I go and mess up our chemistry, getting a superstar who's gonna complain on the bench,

and all the media's gonna be, get the kid from overseas nobody know. Man, we sit him for the next three years, see what this feel like, and we can win some, sit over here. Cool. It was perfect. But that's what I'm saying.

It was perfect for them. The fact that you don't need them and you're not going to use them would have been smarter to trade them. Absolutely. On draft. Those are the moves that makes your team. You're winning the championship

without the number two pick in the draft. You could have traded him for something that you need. Absolutely. Atlanta should have traded that trade if they're not going to use it in the next two years. I agree. Or he becomes a bus. Not because of him.

Yep. Because then he goes down the trajectory of trying to figure out how to play, where to play, find his game. That wasn't my stop. And you're looking like Wiseman. You're looking at Bagley. You're looking at all those guys. That was the first thing I looked at. When I looked at it, I was like, Atlanta.

Ah. Yeah. Ah, that sucks. Let's keep this thing moving. We will stay on the path of guys coming back from injuries. After missing most of the last two seasons while battling ankle injuries, former Rookie of the Year and All-Star LaMelo Ball gave Hornets fans a glimpse of what's to come if he can stay healthy in his first on-court action since this past January.

So we got some Melo highlights to show. Melo helped the Hornets overcome an 18-point deficit against the Rockets in Houston, finishing the game with 34 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. We're going to reference him as the name that's on his birth certificate. LaMelo only? On this show. Okay. Okay. Okay, I'm going to tuck my chain in in the meantime. We're going to reference him as what his mama named him on his birth certificate on this show. On this show? On this show.

He's LaMelo Ball. LaMelo, the France Ball. At this point, we can just call him Ball. We'll know who everybody is. There's two of them. Yeah, no, no, but we'll know which one we're talking about. Yeah, I'm going to say, yeah, we do. Yeah, no, no.

The one, the one. But he played great. So, LaMelo. Had 30 points. Helped the Hornets overcome an 18-point deficit to get the Rock of the Houston. Finished the game 34 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 10 for 20 from the field, 10 for 10 from the line. LaMelo is the third youngest player in league history

with a 30-point 10-assist game in a season opener behind only Isaiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson. We also got to show some love to backup point guard Trey Mann who came off the bench, dropped 24 points in 29 minutes of action. Shout out to Trey Mann. So after the win, the youngest Ball brother had a special message for the architect of Big Baller brand and showed some love to former Ford Tire All-Star

and current Hornets assistant, Kemba Walker. Lamello Ball played like a superstar here in game number one, getting his poppers from Kemba Walker. Let's send it over to Ashley. Lamello, the Hornets came back from an 18-point deficit. What inspired that performance? Before we start, shout out to my dad, Birthday. Pop's birthday got the dub for him.

You can start it off now. Happy birthday to Pop. Sorry, got that in. We saw the handshake with Kimba. How much has he helped you prepare for this season? Yeah, that's my brother right there. That's my. Like I said, he's gang. I'm gang. He's chillin all the time I f*** on his family Alright LaMelo, congrats on the win. Appreciate the time. For sure, appreciate you guys

He is definitely the youngest one. Oh yeah, he's definitely the youngest one. He's definitely the youngest one. Don't give two fucks For everybody who remembers when Lonzo used to do the Facebook lives back in the day, that was like 13, 14, how wild he was acting over there. I knew he was going to be the biggest one. LaVar used to have to whoop his ass. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was the one that used to get his ass whooped. Nah, that's Jello.

I think LaMelo was just, he was so little, and he just under the radar. He showed it on the Facebook. You could see LaVar, he's like, I got to whoop your ass again. I got to take you in that back room again, boy. What's wrong with you? He's just funny, man. I'm gang.

I'm gang. We gang. I fuck with everybody. Everybody gang. I fuck with everybody. That's my man. He family. Where my grill at? Pull the car around. That's my man. He fed me. Where my grill at?

Where my grill at, man? Pull the car around. Come on, man. Pull the car. In the arena. Bring it in here. For sure. So like we mentioned, Melo missed most of the past two seasons dealing with ankle injuries.

Before that was an all-star former rookie of the year. It's the Eastern Conference. Anybody can get to that 10th spot. What's LaMelo Ball's ceiling in the league when healthy? All-star for sure. Do you think he's an all-NBA level player? Absolutely. If you include him in that list, you know how many players we have now?

We have a lot. Yeah, absolutely. You put him in there, it's like who you move out. Yeah, you got. Yeah, absolutely. You put him in there, it's like, who you move out? Yeah, you got to bump somebody out. You got to bump somebody. It's funny, he can turn into, he has the game to turn into superstardom.

Right? He has the flashiness, he has the style, he has the personality. Like, it's just, he's in that. Yeah, he scored that thing. Yeah, he can score it, he can pass it,

he can throw the line. He has the. It's fun to watch. Yeah, he can score it. He can pass it. He has the... It's fun to watch. Yeah. He's entertainment. Yep. When healthy, he's must-see TV. There's going to be a 20-and-20 game from him. He's going to have those type of games.

But he's always been must-see. Always been, yeah. Since he was little. So the fact that that's a question, he has to show it now. I think that's... He's just got to be healthy. I mean that's just gotta be no injury I mean just healthy just don't think about the family though why is it that these two guys can't stay healthy genetics my speech genetics Lovar not rolling with that he don't like that injury shit I don't think he liked the frailness and y'all boys ain't lifting like I lifted. Y'all ain't strong like I was strong. See if y'all

come train with me, you ain't never gonna be injured. Ever. That's how he feel. So I believe that. Like having LaMelo be a question mark whether he's the top player in the league only has to do with him being available. Mm-hmm. He's available. Does the small market, But the thing about Charlotte is, obviously, dedicated fan base, but does the small market... Not him. He's bigger than his market. Yeah, he's bigger than his market.

Warriors! Come out and play! Steffan! Steffan for LaMelo. Make it happen! You have mentioned that previously Him and miles out there finish. Yeah, he Brandon Miller's well, they got a great in Miller But I like him and miles bridges together. He could be a Clipper in a new regime. I'm on the mellow Yeah, for sure. Remember we talked about that. Hell, you know, the him hell. Yeah, I'm trading him for what all doors

You know what? I'm saying him for one of the family. When they botched the team. Yeah. Oh, damn. Them two. Yo, you put them two together. Would you like to share with the audience? Yo, that'd be, the city would be on fire.

No, I would not like to share with the show. Okay. No, I would not. to share with the show. Okay. No, I would not. Them two together, that'll be must-see TV. And what's so funny is, you can raise the, not even winning, you can raise the price on the tickets, how they play the game, you're paying. Listen, Jack. I mean, LaMelo has a superstar level following,

which he had before he even stepped foot in the league. So you can put them two up north. In the Bay Area, yeah. In that one. Or into it. But this one is crazy. Yeah, it is the way it is because it's college style. Absolutely. Woo!

Yeah, man. Woo! I would love to know. I'm not sure you would. We're not going to tell y'all. I'm sure you would. Okay. Nose it, bastard. Woo. I would love to know. I'm not sure you would. And we're not going to tell y'all. I'm sure you would. Nose it bastard. Nah, it's a secret.

A name source? Nah. Oh, it is? Yes. So you talking about some, oh. Yo. Get him, Joe. Get him, Joe.

Get him, Joe. Get him, Joe. You just going to let him hit me like that? Orange. One of y'all got it. Y'all in it. Y'all right there. Yeah, you already gave the chat too much. Nah, they ain't listening. One of them wrote it.

Ah, ah, ah. You smart. You smart. Hey, if two got this. We gotta go in the goddamn chat. No, let me tell you, Sean. Sean, I think if you really think deep down If you think deep down. Hey, if two- We gotta go in the goddamn chat to find out where it is. No, I'm telling you, Sean. I think if you really think deep down about who you compare with Lamello to take this city over. Just excitement.

Just straight, like, yo, I'm going to the game. Because you about to just see a bunch of wild stuff. I don't know what kind of pairing. Are y'all talking big pair? We will be there. Just guard pair? Guard. Okay.

I was thinking big. We will be there. Tired to. What? But you think Lamello- Guard? There's guard pants guard guard. Okay. I was thinking we will be there turnt up What but you think the mellow card could have said shooting guard? Let's say top five guard in the league regardless. Yeah shooting guard point guard You think the mellow could be in that space if he can stay healthy running the show with this one? It's so easy. Absolutely. Absolutely Because there's a few guys that's transitioning out. Yeah.

Exactly. Yeah. He could bump one of them out of the paint. Here's the question. Can LaMelo do what he's doing on a good team? Yes. Yes. He'll be better.

Yeah, because he's like. Yeah, he's proven. He wants to pass the ball. He's a passer. He's a passer. Right? Absolutely. Yeah. He's literally just.

I'm a. Like he's. Like he can turn into magic. And, like, you put better players around him, them assists fly. Absolutely. So you put him on Phoenix. Put him on Phoenix. Ooh. Is he mellow? It's a different style than that. He needs young people.

He needs showtime. But he's gonna be sitting there like this. He needs to get out and use that, right? They're going to keep up. But a really good team that runs first, but also has a solid half-court situation. Or circumstantial. Right, no, not really.

But if you put him on that first quarter, it sounds circumstantial to me. Is y'all giving me limited? No, it's not limited. It's Jason Kidd. Yeah. Can run on the break, yes. Pass first, right?

Put him in the half court. No order on the play, no order on the system. I ain't saying he's Jason Kidd, but he is. I see that what he needs, he can do both. I don't see him being limited in only being a fast break player and or just a half court player I think he got both Covered now what I'm asking is if he's gonna consider himself to be a player that leads a team to the playoffs

Yes, and you have a good team. He'd be seven. He'd be like Which Phoenix? 15 and 12 15 and 12. Yeah, is that acceptable? With three with all star with those guys on your team? No, what I'm saying is with those guys on your team as a fourth option type? But do you become a superstar on a good team if you're LaMelo Ball? A superstar. But think about who's there.

That's what I'm saying. But those guys. So what comes with being a superstar? You have to win, yes or no? And you have to sacrifice. They will win. They will win. He will sacrifice. But he's sacrificing. you have to win, yes or no? Yeah. And you have to sacrifice. They will win. They will win. He will sacrifice. But he's sacrificing.

And they will win. So put them in that category. Think about it. Your fourth option is averaging double-double. Yeah. That's crazy. It is, but it doesn't make him a superstar. Yeah.

That's what I'm saying about LaMelo Ball as a player that we talk about as a superstar talent. Is he coming in as a rookie or are you right now? Right now. If he goes to a good team right now. He has enough. Switching with Dame. He has enough. The city be on fire.

On fire. How good would he be, though? He would be good. With Giannis? Yes. He would be great, right? The city be on fire like what? His personality. You'd be getting a no-boo city would be on fire like what? His personality.

You'd be getting a no-boo dinner. All right, now switching with Maxie. Same. Would he be a superstar? Yes. It's his personality. It's how he plays. It's his style of play.

It's the style of play. It's the superstar style of play. It's like the under-controlled Jason Williams. Was not effective. No, I said under-controlled. Did you hear what you said? Under-controlled. It's not effective.

No, no. I said, you know, like, Jason Williams, like, he's under-controlled. Jason Williams is under-controlled. He's in control, so it's more effective. So he ain't going to try all the crazy stuff. You're saying LaMelo is an in-control. Yeah, in-control. Oh, I thought you just mentioned no

He's a young J like he said he has that that game where you're coming to see him But you he ain't gonna just just throw any anything You know that 10% that if it it was supposed to get there, but if it get it like oh He ain't trying those. There's still like 50 and above passes. Yeah. I get it. Yeah.

I get it. Because he shoots the ball well from three. Yeah. He knows how to run plays because he has, yeah. It's more the attitude here, understanding that he knows he's a superstar. Would he be able to sacrifice being on a good team with other players to win it all?

Even though he's a passer. But there's an attention thing with being the superstar of the team and getting the credit of it and all that. But, no, no. His high school team, right? He was, what, the fifth option? Third. No. What? No. When he came in Lonzo Lonzo and Jello was on his team Lonzo Jello

Oka Now though now you're the guy though now you're the guy number what I said no, but when he was on that freshman team Everybody knew him he shot half court number, but I'm saying the style made us like, oh, shit, who's the young fella? Yeah, they were putting up numbers. His style itself. Like, he was the flashiest person out there, even though he didn't, you know, everybody was looking at him. As a 14-year-old. Yeah, he's a 14-year-old flash.

He's like, oh, he's going to be nice. Undefeated that year, right, Chino Hill squad? Yeah. And then he grew. And then that made sense. That was my whole thing the whole time. Boy, if this boy grew a little bit. He was small.

I'm like, if he grew. And then he grew to that size. Six, seven. I was like, oh, yeah, he's an issue. Issue. Shout out Lonzo and LaMelo back on the court. We hope to see y'all there all season long. Yeah, yeah.

It's nice. LeVar making a comeback. I've been waiting patiently. y'all there all season long. Yeah, yeah. It's nice. LeVar's making a comeback. I've been waiting patiently. Y'all don't like the criticism. I'm not criticizing y'all, but I'm criticizing y'all. Let's hoop this year. Yeah. You ball boys need to hoop this year.

And leave Jello alone, man. Y'all leave Jello alone. Jello got some issues going on. Jello is just out here trying to live his life. He is doing his push-ups. Doing his push-ups. Going to the gym. I need Lonzo

or LaMelo to be good enough that we can get jelloed at the Nassus spot. Yeah, man. He about to get jumped by Cam and Mace. We need to protect that, man. Didn't he go to one of them training camps, though? Didn't he go to Charlotte before? Yeah, he did. I need roster spots. I mean, he went, so there's something.

Yeah, I need roster spots, K. He was a product. It was an opportunity. But I need him to prove that he could beat the Nassus. In that team. He was a product of bad AAU timing. That second team. Right? You were the guard that was buffered in everybody,

stronger than everybody, taller than everybody. Right? And he put you at the power force center spot. Yeah. Right? And, you know, because you was the biggest kid the whole time, you had to play that role the whole time, and you didn't become the seventh-in-a-row.

While your brothers out there motherfuckers chucking it. And you got everybody little. Everybody little. And they learned the guard skill. They learned the point guard skill to use the power forward, and y'all all was technically point guard shooting guards. He was more just a catch and shoot. Yeah, but he was just pulling.

Yeah, it was catch and shoot and power forward, but he probably learned to catch and shoot later on, and it was kind of too late a little bit, right? So for him to really try to get to the NBA and be there, he's just going to have to spend the next two, three years learning how to be a real shooting guard, real point guard. And then hopefully he gets another shot later on. It ain't never too late.

I think that's what ends up happening. People, you know, the first couple of years you think it's too late, like, nah, dawg. You can come in at 25, 26 and still become someone good. So, you know, Stack 5 got cut, what, 11 times?

Right? He got cut 11 times like Went overseas and then came back stuck with the scent on to your Spurs again Boom his NBA career started is my dream of Lonzo Lamello and jello all on the same NBA roster together Ain't gonna happen. It's low. It's low. It's low, but it could Add opportunity was opportunities because I'll pay money to see that but let's move on to mostly fans Ain't gonna happen. It's low. It's low. It's low, but it ain't. It could. I mean, it's low. It had opportunities. It was opportunities. I'll pay money to see that. But let's move on to Mostly Fans.

Presented by Underdog. Download the app. Use promo code GIL. You get up to $1,000 in bonus cash. They got pick-ems every day through the month of October and for the rest of this season. So we're gonna start with our first question. It's an email question from Underdog user Ish24.

If you didn't know anyone's age and only saw their last season of college, would Dalton Connect have gone top five? Yeah, he was supposed to be in top five, right? 23, I think, coming in. Yeah, he was supposed to be a top five player. So, yeah. Put it like this. I'm pretty sure Lakers is the happiest people on earth to get a top five player at 17.

17. You know, so, yeah. Yes. Agreed. Well, Steph, all right, let's move on to our second question. Another email question from Kurtbo3030. Do y'all think Jimmy Butler finishes the season in Miami? Oh hell no Did y'all see dude?

You see it no, whoa Real real Gil is real in the field weapon breaking news. No, no, not that No, I know I Definitely did a pickle you remember this Remember, this is contract gear. Higher because I rocked with Jimmy. I mean, if Jimmy getting traded, where he going? Because he can, that's a piece. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

You didn't see yesterday? Unfortunate. What was that stat line? I will read it. One for eight. He took eight shots. How many minutes? That's Jimmy. 26. He's been shots. I mean that's Jimmy in the best Three years in three points four no no no no no this is

Contract year he posted go crazy. No what I'm saying is your contract year and he said yo you don't have to show me Mm-hmm. Yeah No, they no game, okay, okay. Set the tone. He said set the tone. Man, game one, man. Listen, I don't care about the.8 shot. It's contract. You're not trying.

This is contract. You're not trying. How many shots do you usually take a game? 20. More than eight. 18. That's when you looking at a guy, you're like, why he not shooting the ball? He a star player.

Not right now. Why is a star player not shooting? Not right now. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. I need to get a shot. That's when you're looking at a guy, you're like, why he not shooting the ball? He a star player. Not right now.

Why is a star player not shooting? Not right now. I need, not right now. If you got to put the wig back on and do it, I want that one. Jimmy, Jimmy, if you got to put the wig. Whatever, like, you know, the braids, Jimmy, that's three points. Nah, I'm good. 13 shots per game last season.

13 again? Yeah, so yeah, he's five off. Oh, no, 13 shots? Yep. And even 13 again? Yeah, so yeah, he's five off. Oh, no. 13 shots? Yep. And even less. And listen, why you think I traded? Why you think I changed teams, bro?

But eight free throws. I was watching. Man, I'm cool. Obviously deceptive in terms of field goal. He was getting to the line. I'm not. Yeah. He used to get to a line.

He used to be aggressive, try to get to the line. The problem is 13 shots, and if he plays the same way and averaging 13 shots. 21 last year. Is he restricted? I think he can opt out, player option, if I'm not mistaken. He ain't opting out then. He got one year left on his deal. Yeah, there's no opting out.

Why would he? Do you think it's substantial? Yeah, $52 million player option. Eight shots. Do you think it's a substantial? Yeah, $52 million player option. Eight shots? Do you think it's, oh, I'm just playing basketball? Remember, Jimmy is the I play basketball the right way. So he's not going to hunt for his shots. He's not going to hunt his shots.

But the problem is the right way ain't the right way with who you are. That's who you're playing with. You know what I mean? You're not an eight shots or 13 shots type of talent. What if he wants to be? You done proved who you really are. He wants to be that though. What? He don't want

to be the alpha guy, the main guy. That's what I'm saying. You done proved you are stone cold balls when we need it. You are the guy that's supposed to be averaging 25 to 27. That's who you are. I'm sorry. The rest of these dudes is not on your level.

I don't know why you keep turning off your engine pretending. It's like you go back, right? You just, you go, it's like you go back at night and take your Bugatti and say, all right, I'm going to hide this. And I'm going to pull out the Honda just to hang with the fellas. You're not leveling them up by pretending to be that let them step up to your level your level is all nba damn near first team every year they supposed to be stepping up trying to be you you can't go down to their level 18 we having fun no you gotta see who he really want to be though you remember the dude on the coffee commercial that used to pull up on the horse on the train?

You remember that? It wasn't Folgers Crystals. It was, it was, I can't remember what it was. Jimmy wanted to sell coffee. You don't want to hoop like that. Nah. You want to sell coffee, bro. Juan Valdez?

Juan Valdez. Don't stop going to Starbucks. Juan Valdez. Man, you're going to be Juan on the horse. Man, he don't want to, man, it ain't there. He already said, like, man, if I wasn't playing, I'd be doing some other. This is cool. This is just a game to me.

I'm cool with everybody on the team. Like, they cool. But they're not you. Right? This is when that Kobe personality step in. Facts. Facts. Where y'all, listen, y'all come, I'm coming to take over.

You know what I mean? They're going to follow you. Does it mean something for it to be on your name? You would know out of everybody. When it's on your name, and the success of the team is on your name, on your back, doesn't it matter? Yeah. So wouldn't he feel some type of pressure

knowing that this is my team, and I got to be responsible for taking us over the hump? Eight shots is not going to get it. You know what is hard? It's a double, it's a, like like if I'm him and he's listening to this He's gonna His argument is me doing it this way. We got to the finals with this group Yeah, the first time this will paint the same it ain't the same but it's it's still

Like the method has worked and it's like I can't knock it. You're right, right? Feeding these guys, getting them all good and fatted at the beginning of the season for them to have the confidence because I can always turn it on and they can't. I can't argue with that, right? I can't argue with the method, right? It's just, it's contract. You're trying to get an extension. You might have to just say, all right, let me turn it on, y'all got to follow, too. It's more of a selfish play.

The difference for me with that is, is when you did turn it on, you got him there, but when it was for you to turn it on and take it over the top... You gassed out. You gassed out. So is the method successful? Right? Getting there? It is. Getting there. No, no, no.

Getting there. No, it is, because there was no way he was going to win that fight. At all? No. And he's not going to win this fight now? No, but what I'm saying is them playing in the championship, the fact that they got there is no different than Dallas. Like Dallas, they had a shot to possibly try to win. There's nobody outside of Miami that really believed that

Miami was going to win the championship. Right? And if you was in Miami and you was going around talking about we're about to win, right, you should have been drug tested. You've been just drinking a bunch of that cocaine water out there. Stay out there. I don't know how it got to the falses,

but God damn it, stay off of it. Right? That's the type of talent they had, and he got them there. So, you know what I mean? Like, I got to respect the method. You know what I mean? I can't knock it. All right, well, that concludes our show for the day. Another spirited conversation here in the arena.

We will see who else ends up getting put in the body bag. Yeah, man, I mean, look, all y'all have been asked to go on other podcasts and collaborate, except for... So, I'm hoping he invites me to be the first guy. We might be able to be friends at some point. I think we have a lot in common. Okay. I know, y'all definitely going to be friends.

I think when he really gets to know me. That's city body. We're going to be good friends. That's city body. You really get to know me. You don't get to know me. We'll be good friends. If you get to know him,

he don't attack you no more. That's very serious. Yeah, that's it. Right? And you walk by the gate. Rrr, rrr, rrr. Rrr, rrr, rrr. I know you.

Was that a snake? Was that a snake? I like you. Come on in. Come on in. Come on in. You walk by the gate. season is here. We're going to be with y'all all the way through July because we don't take designated off days or breaks. But Mr. B, appreciate you. Shaw, appreciate you. Canyon, Gil, as always. Another episode of Gil's Arena presented by Underdog. Woo! Woo! We will see y'all next week.