IT IS WHAT IT IS - DONOVAN MITCHELL GOES CRAZY IN GAME 4, JA MORANT'S FUTURE & A CONVERSATION ABOUT DAME DASH & THE DIPLOMATS

Episode Date: May 12, 2026

Ma$e, Cam’ron & Treasure "Stat Baby" Wilson are back with another one!! Please rate, review, and follow the podcast for more content.  Listen to the show on Spotify!  https://open.spotify.com/show/4Brb7BgCw4f4jwgS5v3sXQ?si=811988ecff7b416a Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it-is-what-it-is/id1719695401 Keep up with us on social media! https://www.instagram.com/itiswhatitis_talk/ Snap:  https://www.snapchat.com/add/iiwii_talk2023  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ItIsWhatItIsTalk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maseandcam Twitter:  https://www.x.com/iiwiitalk Follow Our Hosts! https://www.instagram.com/masonbetha/ https://www.instagram.com/mr_camron/ https://www.instagram.com/treasurewilsxn/ Follow the show and our hosts on social media: ⁠⁠⁠It Is What It Is⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Cam'Ron⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Ma$e⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Treasure "Stat Baby" Wilson⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠Producer Ayooo Nick⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Who is What It Is. I'm Treasure Wilson, aka Stat Baby, along with your host, Mace, and Cam. Killer, what's good, man? Yeah, bro. How you doing, man? Chilling, man. I'm loving the playoffs, man. Yeah, they're really good this year, man.

It's been a long time since it's been good playoffs. Yeah, we're outside. It seems like the teams are even again. Some of the series, not all of them. Some of the series. Some of the series looking good. So which series is your favorite? it.

Oh, man. I think all of them are good. I think some are definitely better than others. I really like the San Antonio series in New York. Rocking with the Spurs and rocking with New York. Okay. Well, let's get into the Pistons series, the Pistons. I actually lost to the Cavs.

112 to one-O-3 to tie the series. Donovan Mitchell had a historic night by tying the all-time record for most points in a half for a Pistons. playoff game. So Mace, do you trust the calves to continuously play like this and how are we feel about it? First, let's give him his props. He's, he's doing the move. It's really obvious move, but they're making it out to be his move where he bounced the ball and just go over their heads and shoot, pause, shoot that floater. They got to stop that move, man. That's such an old move, and he's getting away with it every time. It's crazy. But I still don't

know if I trust them yet, but if they catch a wave, this could be a dynamic duel that that would be very hard to stop. Pauls. I'm excited about them even working together and finding that chemistry because this is the only thing I was concerned about. The talent is there, but them really jelling together and understanding though you're good, this is still my team is a great eye-opener for Donovan Mitchell. With Donovan Mitchell scoring 39 points from one-half was amazing to watch. It was really good.

But you ought to realize, Donovan Mitchell had 70 before. He could score the ball. And not just 70, I remember the year he was going back and forth with Jamal Murray. They're scoring 40, 50, back to back, to back, but we have to see if he gets it done with the Cavaliers.

To me, this is probably my favorite series to watch because the series hasn't started. They say a series doesn't start until the team actually wins on the road. So everybody in this series done what they were supposed to do. Pistons won two games at home. Cavaliers won two games at home. Who's going to win on the road? And if nobody wins on the road, then it's looking like Detroit's going to end up winning the series because they have home court advantage if it ends up going to seven.

So we'll see what the cavaliers could do when they get to. to Detroit because they haven't been able to do anything when they're in Detroit. Last night, it looks sensational. It looked really good. They went on like a 16-0-1, if I can remember correctly, maybe more than that. But they look really good. James Harden ended up finishing what it was. He finished with, I was looking at the stats. He finished with

24, but he still shot poorly. Five for 14 from the field, but he still was five from nine for three. Everybody looks good at home. That's what I can say about this series. What I would say is this. If I'm the Cleveland Cavaliers, that is, I would put more focus on Mowgli.

I don't think that Detroit has a real center. You know, they have Duren, they consider a forward center, Isaiah Stewart and Paul Rhee. I don't think any of them are as good as Eric Mowgli, and I know that this is a guard-oriented team. But we've seen Mowbly with success when he gets the ball in the paint on several occasions that I watch,

but they just don't go to him. that often. But if I'm Cleveland, I would start putting a lot more touches on Mobley. Now, we know J.B. Bickerstaff, this is really frustrating for him, right? Because who else would, other team, not saying you don't want to win a championship, of course you want to win the championship, of course you want to win the championship, of course you want to go to Eastern Conference finals, of course you want to go to championship. But if there was a team that he would want to beat, it would be the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is the team to fire him. This is the team. him. This the team that Donovan Mitchell said, I don't like the way our offense is being stagnated with this coach. And as soon as he got fired, Donovan Mitchell ended up signing an extension with the cavaliers showing that he didn't want J.B. Bickerstaff. And you can see the frustration on his face. What I will say was some bright spots that J.B. did plan. What's my nigger name? I'm LaVirte. And now.

they need to get him some more minutes. Because Laver has a decent career. I'm not saying he's an all-star, superstar, anything close to it, but he's a decent NBA player. And coming off the bench, he looked really good. Reed looked really good. Everybody in the starting five was in a minus. Reed and Lavert was the only two on the plus for Detroit.

So, J.B. needs to get them more in the rotation and see what he can figure out with them, even though they lost by, you know, 10 points or so, but they was there really 20. They came back at the end and made a little bit of, of a run, but I know if it is a team that J.B. wants to beat, it has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell specifically. Yeah. I know you were talking about how people typically play better at home. So the Cavs, their record on the road for the playoffs has actually been 0 and 5.

So this game 5 is definitely going to be a must win for them. And then even just overall, on the piston side, it's funny because we were giving a lot of credit to Duncan Robinson. He only made one three-pointer in this game. So it just kind of seemed like they, their energy just went down, even though it's like, you know, they're trying. I'm not going to say that they're not trying, but compared to the way that Donovan Mitchell was playing, compared to the way that James Hardin was playing, it just wasn't going to be enough, especially since, I mean, even Donovan Mitchell, like I said, he broke a record. He had 39 of his 43 points in the second half, which is literally insane.

So if the calves can keep of that momentum, which Mace was kind of saying, he's not really sure if he's fully ready to trust them yet, it'll be a change. No, I'm not going to trust him. I'm not going to trust him. I'm just going to go on a record. I'm not going to trust them. I do want to ask scamma question, though. When you say, because I've heard that saying too, that the series doesn't start until a team went on the road.

So what if they go to game seven and nobody went on the road? Did the series ever start? Well, I guess what happens is that what was supposed to happen, that's why they call it home court advantage. They call it home court advantage so you could get the most games at home because you're supposed to win at home, supposedly, in the playoffs. So I know what you're saying, like, it was facetious questioning your accent, but I'm just telling you with the same.

People always say that, right? Yeah, yeah. I just never understood it. Yeah, basically, it's a slogan. It's saying one of them who let the cat out the bag. I never understood that. Like we said, who put the cat in the bag. Cat's got your tongue.

Whose tongue does the cat have? There's a bunch of sayings. that are just, that it's sayings just to be saying, like, I didn't make them up, they just sayings. Somebody asks me that. They says game seven,

and they said the series didn't start. Yeah, I totally get it. I didn't make it up. Yeah. So. I feel like you would be the one to judge for that because you're the one who's particular on these certain, like,

game didn't start, bubble don't count. Like, you're the one who would, give us the answer for that really i was asking the question so when they asked me the question i could be correct i didn't make it up i'm just going off what they said all these years okay y'all now let's get into this next game the lakers got swept after losing okayc one 15 to 110 so the thunder actually became just the 11th team ever to start a playoff's 8 and oh

mace the sweep what's your initial reaction to that i'm thinking with p t thinking second our second team got the broom second team you got gold on your broom yeah I got gold on my broom man Killer I figured it out man okay C I figured it out shout to shangham boys

shout to shame boys Pete is your second team yeah I figured it out okay C baby okay C that's crazy I'm in the portal Everybody getting a second team.

Stad, what's the matter? I don't like that for them. You did it? I don't like that for them. You don't like L.A. getting swept? No. I actually hate that for them. We knew it was, I didn't think it was going to be a sweet, but.

I didn't think it was going to be a sweet. Neither did it. Especially if you've seen Dylan Brooks was sitting right there under the basket during the game. Swear. Oh, my goodness. So, you know, you saw a Byron Scott. He said, right? He said no matter what happened, they got it.

They got it, they got, um, change this team. But we'll talk about that another day. We'll get to it next episode. Yeah. Cam, initial reaction to this sweep, because the brooms are out. There's going to be a lot of Michael Jordan fans out here saying Michael Jordan never got swept, saying, you know, this is, this is going to be a big debate for, you know, Michael Jordan. my goat. But I'm just saying for the LeBron, for the people who think LeBron's their goat,

and they argue with the people who think Michael Jones did go, this is 100 up for the Michael Jordan fans because they're going to use this as leverage. Yeah, this is good. This is all we needed to see. Yeah, this is, they're going to use this as leverage. And they're going to sit there and say, Joy never, I swept, Joy, never went to seven. This is a lot of levels. for the Michael Jordan fans. I've seen D'Andre, I don't know if there's new Nick, I don't know if Nick was sending that shit to troll me.

D'Andre Aiton got a new chain. She's showing this fucking chain today. How old are you, bro? It said dominating. Yeah, and the chain actually said Dama Aiton. Like he's dominating by Aiton. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, he's showing off a new chain.

for new chain. He should not be doing that. 03 down in the players on the verge of getting swept and he's showing the new chain smiling like he killed him. I don't, listen, man. Yeah, it's going to be some changes around that motherfucker. The question is this, where does LeBron James do? What does he go or what does he do next year?

You know, he can opt out. And LeBron James, he's going to be coming into his 24th season in the NBA part of me in the NBA. And you know he wants to play. for a championship. He's not going to waste the last few years of his career trying to build and think that you're going to be a championship team. You got to think about this, right?

He probably wants to stay in LA, but getting swept by OKC. Now, don't get me wrong, Luca wasn't there, but do Luca get you the victory? Luca might have got you two games. He might have got you two games, but this looks bad.

This looks like... You cannot be getting swept on that. LA floor. I know that. But yeah, I'm just talking about LeBron's future right now. I don't know if he goes back to the Lakers. You know, it's a lot of things involved. Do they keep brawny if LeBron leaves the Lakers? It's a lot of questions, but I know one thing.

If I'm in my 24th year and I'm one ring behind Kobe, I'm tied up with stuff carry. I'm two rings behind Michael Joy. I'm trying to figure out where I could go to help me win the champion. championship in the near future. It's going to be 42 years old in the middle of the next season. A lot of unanswered questions. So I don't know if this is necessarily about the Lakers getting swept, which it is, obviously.

But I think the bigger question is what's the Lakers future looking like? And more importantly, where LeBron going? Because I can't see him staying with the Lakers tomorrow. We're going to work it out. Niggins going to work it. Nah, man. San Antonio ain't going nowhere. And OKC not going nowhere.

San Antonio is young and so is O'KC. They look like they got this thing locked for the next few years. Also, Anthony E. was in Minnesota as well. It doesn't look good for the Lakers on the West Coast. So I think that's the question in the next few weeks and months to come. What is LeBron James going to do and where is he going to go? And if he stays with the Lakers, unless they make some real, real big moves, I'll be very shocked. Yeah.

That move that Shee put on them for the game three was crazy. It just, it just lets you know we're in a new time, man. I'm glad we can retire the goat conversation. I'm so glad we can retire the goat conversation. In the spirit of the great camera, I'm out of here, man. I don't know if we can retire the whole goal. Like, I know this is going to be used against him as part of his legacy, and that's why I said I hate this for him because like we still can't just bypass all the great

things LeBron has done. I'm not going to do all that. But it is a bad, it's a bad loss. And we can we can recognize that in the moment, but I don't think we can just just do all that. I worked on a whole thesis for this. Oh, Lord, case study. Here we go. My case study will be ready tomorrow.

Yeah, we need that. We need to go through it because I, look, I don't even say LeBron's my goal, but I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to be ready to get it. I'm going to be ready to get my case study tomorrow. We will be waiting so we can definitely go over that. So there is a whole lot of what ifs in the league and we'll discuss more of them a little bit later. But first, we're going to go on to this anonymous players poll.

So the athletic did their anonymous players poll. And Sangoon was voted the most overrated player, followed by Rudy Gobert, then Trey Young, then to Kat. So Mace, in your opinion, who do you think is the most overrated player? Them last two, they got to chill out. I don't even know why Rudy Gaubert is even on the list because I don't think anybody said that Rudy Gaubert was out of this world, right? So them throwing my boy Rudy on their pause, that was uncalled for.

And when they say Trey Young, Trey Young always gets busy. I don't care how much people try to downplay that he's a short guard. I think he gets the most out of his talent. I think when it comes to being six feet, 5-11, I can't remember a guard that was better than him at 5-11. I got to keep it real. I can't think of one guard that got more out of their talent than him.

I mean, other than Chris Paul, right? But I don't know if they list Chris Paul at 5-11. So for anybody that's saying, what is Mace talking about? Chris Paul, no, they didn't have Chris Paul ranked at 5-11. And I don't think they got trade. rank that that short, but I stood next to Trey. Trey is not tall at me, so I know that he's 5-11.

But, you know, I think Trey gets busy. I saw Trey shooting from the logo. He always gets his 20s, always getting 10 assists. He plays the game the way he's supposed to play it, man. I can't put Trey on that list. And he's not in Atlanta no more, so it's not an Atlanta thing. It's just Ice Trey the gang. We know that.

Yeah. So I know you said who wouldn't be, but who, then who would be? Who would be overrated? Man, this, I need some time to think because I want to be accurate on that. Who do you think, killer? Who, who's, who the first player come to your mind when you think overrated? I'm not mad at the list. I was giving Sagoon a lot of props.

Actually, I had him over Denny when me and Trista was going. back and forth. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, because when Jalen Green was there, before KD got there, he was like one of them niggas. And I don't know if, with KD being there, if it dumped his game down, but KD didn't play the whole series against the Lakers

and you had an opportunity to show that, look, I'm an all-star for a reason. I'm one of them niggas, and you didn't do that. So I'm not mad, Sago. Rudy O'Bere, look, the reason why people may feel Field Gobert is overrated and they actually put him on the list. I have this argument with people sometimes because I say, well, he's a three-time defensive player of the year.

They said, well, he's seven feet. He should be. And what does he do offensively? Well, he's not really there for offense, but I kind of understand it. I'm not putting them out. I'm not saying booey in the nigger. I don't know shit like that. You know, I ain't going to D'Andre 8 in the nigger and nothing like that.

But at the end of the day, he is a defensive present. But I think people put him on the list more because he just seems annoying. He just looked like one of them annoying ass niggas. Remember, he was the same nigga when COVID first started. He started touching microphones and everything, making it a joke about COVID. And then the shit became a worldwide epidemic during the pandemic and caused the pandemic. And they're like, yo, this nigger's annoying. So should he be on the list?

You know, the reason I'm thinking about this list, let me finish go down the line. After Rudy, who was this? Who's the next person? Trey Young. Trey Young, the reason why people say Trey Young possibly, because I think Trey Young is really good. I think he's dope.

But, you know, even with him being small, he was one of them guards that people thought would change or organization. And people thought he would win more than he was winning. And especially, it seems like, as far as career-wise, it's going backwards. It was just that we was calling them dice tray when they beat the Knicks a couple years ago

to go to the Cup or whatever to eliminate the Knicks from the Cup and he was at half-court rolling dice in the middle of Massa Square Guard and taking boughs, so on and so forth. My, how times have changed. Jalen Brunson is in that role currently right now and I get reminded about that because we were on this show calling him Dice Tree.

And now he's with the Washington Wizard. Not saying that the Washington Wizards can't have a good draft pick this year, pick a few pieces up. You hopefully get a healthy Antonio, I'm putting out of Antonio, Anthony Davis, and we'll see what the Wizards could do in the East. But it's almost like sending a nigga to Alcatraz when you hear you send a nigga to the Wizards. You know, send a nigga to the Wizards since he think he liked that. Fuck it. Send him over there. So the reason I don't think that they don't think that Tray Young is good.

I did think that they expected more out of Tray Young. So that's that. Who was last stat? Cat. Cat. That's a close. I'm not going to do that to Cat. I think the cat actually picked it up after.

I'm not going to say the trade deadline. Actually, these playoffs. You know, Katz really picked it up a lot during the playoffs. And it may be in a situation where Mike Brown hasn't been playing them correctly. Mike Brown and may have said, Kat, we're going to run the offense through you, which has been suggested for months now. And it's looking like they're doing that. We've seen Kat have two triple doubles in this playoffs, a multitude of double doubles during this playoffs. So I think that I wouldn't put them on this list.

I wouldn't put Kat on this list because outside of a healthy Joe L&B, I don't know of center on the East. coast better than Kat. I'm not listing Janice as a center. I think he's a power for it. So outside of a healthy, healthy Joel McEden, I don't think it's nobody better than Kat as far as centers are concerned on the East Coast. Now, the reason I think that everybody's on this list, possibly because they all have some title. You know, Rudy Deerbe is a defensive player of the year. Trey Young is considered an all-star. Singood is considered an all-star. Kat is going to second Eastern Conference Finals. The reason people, they make this list

is because you're quote unquote supposed to be somebody. They're not sitting there saying, Mark, as smart as overrated. You know, to me it's almost a little compliment to be on the list because you don't even have to be on this list. In other words, you're saying,

people think I'm somebody, you just don't. So do you think Kaminga is overrated? I don't think that he's an all-star. I don't think that he's considered anything. I think that Kamenga is good, but I've been on the show, I think he's a great asset, but I've been on this show saying that he needs to work in his game in the offseason. He's one of them players that can be actually really, really good if he worked on his handle, worked on the stop and pull up, worked on his three-point. He's already have all the athletic attributes

to make him one of them guys, but he needs to work on his game when he's young enough to work on his game. Imagine Kamenga come back next thing. Don't reach, nigger. And they get to the basket, finish with his left hair, up and under reverse, dunk on the nigger. He has all the physical attributes

to be somebody, but are you going to be somebody, nigger? Work on your game in the offseason. So when you say is he overrated, you gotta think about this. He's on the Golden State Warriors who have all Hall of Fame players on the Golden State Warriors.

He gets to Atlanta, he makes the immediate impact, but it's not enough to even do anything with the Knicks. So this is, he's a young fellow. I think he's only 23, 24 years old. He has plenty of time to get it together. So, nah, I wouldn't put him on the list.

And then I just want to read the rest of the list real quick, just some of the other players that they had. So then they had Paulo, John Morant, Denny, which is interesting because, you know, he's made a lot of buzz when you and Trista were going over him. Scotty Barnes, Luca, Seaccom, Dylan Brooks, Halliburton, and then Tyler Hero. So that's the rest of that list.

And, yeah, I know it's anonymous. An overrated list. Who made this list? That's crazy. Who made that list? Well, which player do you feel like is the craziest when you hear that? You can't put no Luke on an overrated list

or no John Morant. Like, who made that list? Then who else you had on there? Scotty Barnes, Seacom, Dylan Brooks, Halliburton, Tyler Hero. Paulo is also on there. Nah. It's anonymous, so we'll never know, but...

No. Anonymous is bugging. I would... I would... The only person I agree with the list is kind of wild. Luca can't be on the list. But when we're talking about, like I said, for you to even make this list, people think you're somebody.

They're not caring about people who are on the list. It's like, you have to think about this list, right? If I made this list and I'm in high school and it's anonymous, I'm putting Felipe on the list. I'm putting stuff on Marbury on the list. I'm putting Rachel Austin on the list. I'm putting this on the list. Because that's how I feel like. Yeah, you like that niggins like that.

Yeah, y'all niggas be bugging. So you got to think this is from players who's anonymous. You actually play against them. Secret hater list. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, you know what I'm saying. Yeah. So he ain't like that.

Yeah, so that's exactly where you got to think about this. This list, you're not sitting there. to yourself saying, yo, Tobias Harris is over it. You know what I'm saying? Because he's not even eligible to make the list. You know what I mean?

Just the 15th nigga on the bench making this list. Yeah. Makes sense. So could somebody like Michael Porter, Jr. be on the list or no? I haven't heard from Michael Porter Jr. For two years since he left Denver.

I don't know where the hell he's. I think he's with the Nets. Yeah, he with the Nets. Nets. Yeah, the Nets is fucking the worst. We don't, I haven't watched one net game this season. I haven't watched one. I'm not even going to say and act like I did.

Yeah, whoever made this list was Hayton Statt and they slipped it to you. You're a part of the anonymous haters list. No, I just want to get you guys his reaction to it. That's crazy. Jai, do you see this, John? They're playing with your name, Jai. You got to go crazy when you get back, bro. Well, think about this, right?

Niggas can be playing with Jod named. Let me ask you this. I'm naming players that Jai was ahead of before Jod went through his injuries and him being hurt and the off-the-court activity. I'm going to ask you this. Would you take Jail over Jalen Brunson right now?

Would you take him over K. Cunningham? Absolutely. Would you take him over Anthony Edwards? No. These are all players that were underneath Jock. when Jai was that nigger. You have players that's ascending like... And SGA.

Yeah, SGA as well. So you have all... Just a great name to add. You have all these players that are underneath Jai and now they're sending. They're like, this thing you, y'all was going crazy about it. So when you say overrated,

it's like he could come back but it ain't going to be what y'all think it is. Yeah, it'd be good for now. Yeah, because it's one of them things. You know how hard Jai is going to have to work to prove. himself with all the, just the names, it's mobly names we're not even thinking about, but just the names that we named to prove itself with them.

Because they're not going backwards, SGA ain't going backwards, Kay Cudderham ain't going backwards, Jaylen Brunson ain't going backwards. And who else did I just say? It was four people we just said. And none of them going backwards. Yeah. And it's like he was right there, like playing against Steph, ready to, ready to dethrone Golden State.

You remember that famously. He famously did the Gritty when he was there with Dillon Books during the Gritty. That's what he said Anthony Edwards home in the playoffs that year. Them players is not with it. You know what I'm saying? So not saying, Jocken. And man, and went back to the nappy fro. It's over for niggins.

Yeah, so you got to realize. He's back in the ATL with it. Right. So you got to realize these players ain't with it. And now they are more motivated to play against them. Like, yeah, remember you? was doing a gritty on me, niggins, it's my world now. It's my world.

So at the end of the day, Jad Morant to me, not saying he can't do it, he has a big hill to climb up to get back to prove that he's one of them niggas that players that have ascended these d'ay under, you know what niggas tell me, niggas be like, man, John Moran ain't got nothing but a bunch of misdunks. He's doing all this y'all think is going in. It's almost just about to go in. He throwing it through his legs doing all this and it's still missing. Y'all niggas fall for anything.

Y'all are you, I'm gonna'am up. Yeah. You know that nigga missed, they're like, ooh-hoo, woo, who, who, who, I swear it was about to be crazy. Like, he knew he wasn't going to make it. Yeah, that's what they're trying to say. They're trying to say, I knew, they're trying to say he knew he wasn't going. Oh. Oh.

Oh. One of them joined. You know, like, when you, like, you about, like, if I'm about to, like, if I'm about to fight, so let's say me and you're about to fight from this angle, put on the three screen, so you see all three of us. And we're about to fight, nigger, try to reach over. And don't, you know we're a little closer,

but they try to throw to reach over. Like, now I was gonna pop on the nigger. You know it could happen. You're not even in pop off range. You just want a nigger to say, our nigger did try swing, stat was in the way and all that. Right. Like, that's what they say, be telling me when we were,

used to be big up, Jabbering Ray. He's like, killing the shit. He knew the shit wasn't going to him before he took off. That's crazy. He got some good dumps. He's playing with Jai name, man. You got to come back with a vengeance. You got to.

But how long do you wait for him to come back? With a vengeance. He only got one more season to me. It's because the last two seasons has been a question mark. And you don't realize it, but it's been two seasons. We're at the point. where I don't even know me personally,

and I have no info on there's just speculation, if Memphis keeps John. I don't even know if he'll be in Memphis the whole year next year. Seems like he wasn't happy there towards the end of the end getting a lot of playing time, even though he ended up getting hurt and sitting out. Having a coach didn't seem to be on the same page

as Minutes wasn't there. They end up getting rid of the big nigger. Jackson, Paws. They sent Baines to Orlando. They might be breaking his join up. Then they got like the number eight or nine in the lottery, they may just say, let's start fresh again, because this isn't working. I think right now...

They have the top three pick. They have top three? Okay, cool. And that's even worse. Now, if you get A-Cuff, Jocker and about your business. Yeah. That's probably exactly what they're going to do. You know what I'm saying?

That's a great replacement. Yeah, so you get A-Cuff if it's top three and you'd be like, give us son, we're sending you Jop. Yeah, that's like when John Wall went to the Wizards. Yeah. with John? Yeah, exactly. But I'm just saying, I don't know if he's going to be there.

But I lost my train and thought. I just thought it back. You got to think about that year, that draft, it was amazing. And the person that's excelling the most in that draft is actually R.J. Barrett. Zion, a disappointment. Zion, we don't know.

Yeah. Why Zion wasn't on the list? That's a good question. even count him in. Yeah, like, you might need a certain amount of games to be in the fucking list. He didn't even make the list. Right. He's not even part of the conversation, unfortunately, and that's what happens.

Those are the top three pictures of Zion, John Moran, and RJ Barrett. And to me, R.J. Barrett, even though they didn't advance, he played decent in the playoffs this year. Yeah, that's a lot to think about. But hopefully he comes back, like you said, with the vengeance. But if not, like, as you see, and to Cam's point, like, the way, his peers are viewing it, they're not even worried about him right now

because at this point, other people are excelling and going in front. Listen, man, I'm going to be honest with you. Jai can't put the gun down, man. And I ain't even talking about the real gun. I don't know if you've seen Jha at the Orlando game when Desmond Bain was in threes. He's like,

yeah. I said he's on this. He's like, pow, paw, bah, bah. I said, yeah, like, get out of his stuff. He really can't. The nigga was spectating shooting their niggas on his life.

John need therapy, man. If he was at the gig or anything, whenever Doug McAfee scored, he was shooting their niggas, man. Jaya got to chill out. You got to think about this. It became more about what Jai celebration was than the actual game. Remember he had a grenade, took the pen out of the twos.

It took out of Wats. He had a oozy one game. He said, blah, blah, he started getting crazy. The nigger threw the grenade and held his ears like this one game.

Jock needs non-valent celebrations, John. That's what he is. Pee. That's a good idea, though. The piece is a good idea. Because if he did something that was more, quote-unquote,

family-friendly, like the organization would pick it up and make it a whole thing. And then the whole crowd would do it with him. Yeah, why don't you just score the ball and go back on defense? Yeah, let's start there. Yeah, let's start. You feel, imagine?

Yeah, let's start and just score the ball and get back on defense. That's true. We're getting ahead of ourselves. We get into the celebrations. We can't celebrate nothing if we don't got him playing. So good point there. Okay, so another player, we've had a lot of discussions about him throughout the year, but now it's looking like the discussions are realer than ever.

So the bucks are open for business on trade calls and offers for two-time MVP Yannis entering the NBA draft combine and over six weeks away from the draft. So co-owner Jimmy Haslam said sometime over the next six or seven weeks, we'll decide whether Yonis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us or he's going to play somewhere else. Mace, what do you think is going to happen? Are we really answering this? They should have been, they should have been did this. You know, you got to definitely get a contract for him because you got to sign and trade them.

You can't just trade them in and really get a one-year player. You got to put the money out there so you can get the player back, get the players back, or the picks back that is necessary for somebody like Janus. But right now, I think the places that he can go and really win, I think the team that can really give the picks and the players that's necessary, the move of guy like Janice is only a few. Like you got Boston. That will be a great trade, him, swap him for Paul's, for Jalen Brown or somebody, or maybe Tatum.

Who knows? Who knows what Boston is thinking right now? Because they did get, you know, put out of the playoffs. So that would be a great one. But I think you definitely got to give them a max contract or the best contract you could possibly give them so you can get attributes back that's necessary for him. Yeah, I think that's the thing, is John is going to sign it. See, that's the thing. It's about the money and where you want to be.

If you stay and sign a max contract, you can't complain about getting trade. You're not going to, it's not like a sign and trade. You stay so they can give you the max. That's what you get for being loyal to your team. That's why they say in the next six, seven weeks, because he's going to be eligible to sign the max. And if he doesn't sign and say, I'm playing my final year, then Milwaukee is, you know, understands, oh, you don't really want the money.

You really want to get the fuck out of here, huh? So now they say, okay, cool, we'll know in six, seven weeks. If he don't sign this max contract, he don't want to be here. And so we'll know that answer closer to the six, seven weeks. If motherfucking July, August, come around and he still ain't signed, then I think they'll be on the market. But I do think Mason's correct that they already was talking about possibly somebody from Boston. going being traded for that. And like you just said, it's either or

it's not going to be Pritchett. Yeah. They don't want Pritchett. It's going to be either Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. I think it would be Jalen Brown before Jason Tatum, because the comments Jaylen Brown just made. Why would you sit here and say this is your best year ever? Nigger said, I want to give a big shout out to me.

You know? And I like to thank nobody. I know. You know, this is what I do. You know, I know we got set home in the first round and we won a championship a year or two ago and I got final's MVP. But shout out to me, nigger, and I like to thank nobody because I did it my way this year. And the light skin, nigger, that y'all was showing mad love to, you see what I did.

I should have been league MVP if you asked me because y'all was talking on, we already know SGA was going to do. We already knew what Cunningham could do. We already knew what Luca could do. Shout out to me. That's the attitude. And do we know if the organization wants to put up with this attitude? You know, him and the GM had to, they both made

statements where they like, we have a great relationship. There's nothing wrong with that. We're really looking forward to working with Jalen Brown. He's one of our favorite players. They told that to Isaiah Thomas when his sister died and he had a broken hip. And then Kari

Irvin became available and they didn't care about none of that shit they said that's why I'll be knocking these players when they bust these moves and do what's best for them because your family member could die your head could be broke and Isaiah Thomas played with a broke hip or for the team for the love to try to get them to advance to the playoffs now look at first of all our P shout to Isaiah that's my god much love not like I'd be our relationship like that but I just got a lot of respect for him But outside the death, and I want to belittle that.

I want to make sure I say that. Broke hip or not, Kyrie was available. When Kyri's available. Their hands were tied. Yeah. What about if my hip was broke? I feel you. Kyri's available.

I don't know a lot of teams that wouldn't take Kyri if he's available, you know, unless they're a championship team. You know, you got teams like the Knicks, they point guard and OKC who got their point guard. I know one thing as much as shit, they just played together. You got a point guard with Luca, Correggis moved to the two when they was in Dallas. Yeah.

He's available for the Lakers. The Lakers taking the night. I thought you would like that comment, though, Killa, being somebody from Harlem, he said, shout out to me. I did it my way. I didn't say I was mad, is it? But at the end of the day, what I'm saying,

is this. See, I'm old enough to know I fuck mash it up with that attitude. I ruined a lot of things I can do with that attitude. I like this camera. Because there's a lot of shit on the table right now. You got to realize this. When I realize it's this, right? I'm always going to be me. But you don't get, when you always feel.

and you're always beefing and you always argue, whether it's in person or law and everything, you don't seem safe and people don't want to invite you places. You're not going to get invited to Kevin Hart Roast. They said, nah, I might be gang ganging. You're not getting invited to Mark Walburn's picnic, whatever he has. You know, these are things that are

invited to. You know, so I understand that. You know why? Druski, Kassanai, A-Shoste, you know why they get mad money? They're safe. They're safe. They're safe.

You don't got to worry about nothing else. You got to walk, you got a thing that's like, while Laita trying to run down Kassanai because he just didn't know who he was. Yo, my man, you made me look crazy. Where did I? I didn't know. I was just trying to get in the car.

Yeah. Let's take a picture. Yeah, let's take a picture and get this shit up. They're safe. When you're online constantly arguing, not only constantly arguing, you look mad. Even when you try not to act like you're not mad, I don't get fuck about niggas. I'm doing what I do. This face tells you, man, I wore these colors.

These colors are safe. These colors are safe. This color is safe and screws spring in happiness. It is a barber. It's Easter right here. Yeah, South of P.D. made me real. I'm just Easter right here, man. Listen, I am safe, everybody.

If you want to throw money my way, see. I don't see. The only person that I would say right now, now see, I don't want you to think I'm gonna get money in a while I'll get. Only person that really gets a big bag that's not safe and don't give a fuck is Fifth, because Fifth is always

already proven that he could be successful with music, then with television, then with movies, where the people who fund him be like, fucking take the chance. He was never safe. Yeah, yeah, no. Fifth was never safe from day one.

And he still don't play safe to this day. But I'm talking about people he do business with, they're willing to take the chance because he brings the money. Yo, fuck it, just high extra security. Fuck it. We can make the $100 million with the nigga. Just higher extra.

So you got niggas like Fifth, who's probably the only nigga who's still wilding out here. Shout to Fifth, too. To where you be like, man, listen, shit working for me. But if you talk to Fifth, he's one of the smartest people that you'll sit down and have a conversation with. He's not dumb. by any means, everything is very calculated.

But the rest of you, niggas, keep frowning, keep being bad, keep having attitudes. It's not going to work out, especially when you have it on your jacket. When it's on your resume, like, damn, nigga been mad for 22 years. Yes. God damn, the niggins. Like, you ever see Goodfellas? You ever see, you know, it's Sam Rothstein and it's Nicky, Joe Pesci. Yeah.

It's a scene in Goodfellas where they have. They like dinner in San Roastien sitting there with like, what? Eight, nine, him and his home for three of them and like eight nine chicks. And Nikki, who's Joe Pesci is sitting over there looking to our, yeah, we're having fun too. It's just three of them, niggas, and they look miserable. That's what matter, these niggas, man. So, you know, yeah, Mesa, I'll be safe to forever notice. Don't think I'm a wow-wob.

No, bag, man. No, this is good to hear. This is good to here, Cam. Now, don't get it fucked up. I ain't going to let nigger talk about y'all running up in your show, boy. Y'all going to answer. I'm not having nothing. Oh, yeah, that's self-defense.

Yeah, yeah. I'm not with all that now. That's just not going to happen. Call it what you want. You're not talking about y'all. I'm coming in there and y'all going to interview me when I say so. That's just not going to happen, brother. So, or sister.

or anybody else to man. That's what I'm definitely not having. But? That's good. I don't know. Kim, Kim, so you and Dame are not going to argue no more. To me, it's all fun.

Oh, okay. To me, I'm snapping. It's like online snapping. Oh, yeah. But you see that, see that's the point, right? When you see him, he's not snapping fun. He's mad. Yeah, motherfucker.

I don't give a fuck because and then he'd be like, I'm going to make a song. I'm gonna call it the dusky. And it's, shout out to my nigger, Will Traxson, and it's inspired by a voice of Harlem and Tessmov. And niggas rock with it. It's fun to me, but when you see him snapping, he doesn't look like he's having fun, he's mad.

And when you ask him questions about me, when you ask me, when you ask me that you guys, whoever got questions about me, you could tell about their tone and they start moving around, they chin, they face scrunch up. You say, Yuckold Day, I don't know, no problem with Dan. They were mad at me for what? I don't know. the movie was whacked and he's been on the tangent ever since. And now, you know, he's sitting there and he's making teeth jokes about my new teeth. And I'm like, this is when you don't know you have anybody real around you murder,

is that nobody told him this magic neither like, you're not allowed to have teeth snaps about anything. Your teeth fell out on TV. You can't talk about anything. And teeth related. So nobody going to tell him that he's not allowed to make... Dog, when you can turn on your TV and put it on the big screen and the nigger teeth fell out, you can't snap about teeth.

And then I guess what he's snapping about now, he's like, oh, Kim, your teeth is cheap. I said, my teeth was 52,000. He said his first teeth was 200,000. What happened to him? What did you mean your first teeth was 200? I was asking you this To close that door I wasn't asking you to go further down the road

I was just bringing up down to I didn't know I was up the speed she was Dame is like he's like I don't know how to say it I wouldn't say a godfather to me but I would say like that's just the one person I just wish y'all would stop arguing

you and him Yeah, but, Mace, you tried to fight them. I never tried to fight them. You tried to have a physical fight with it. Have me in the middle of it. You're talking about, listen, man, listen, man, all right, let's do it, let's do it. May I'm talking about you, we should stop.

They come, and see, you know what's going on? And then they, see, we're just too old or four, for diverse psychology. What he's trying to do is now, he's saying, Yeah, Mace doing the show. He wouldn't even be doing that show if it wasn't for Mace to die. I said, Mace is not for him for that. It's just a year and a half ago.

He came next to us. He was in the financial bond. Mace came to me and said, we can't have Dame out here looking like that. I'm like, yeah, man, that's the spirit. I know you don't really mess with Dane like that. So I'm like, yeah, and he's like, call Dame now and tell him we gonna give him a million dollars. I'm like, we? I'm like, you go five, I go five.

I'm like, in my brain. I'm like, I don't know, we don't even know we're getting this million back. I'm like, all right, man, it's just, fuck it. You know what I'm saying? That's what we're doing, do it. Fuck it. Yeah, I'm like, it's dang, we gotta do it. We try to give him a million dollars.

Tell us to wait, tell us to wait, he owe $800,000. Soon as, so you wait three weeks, I asked Mesa if he still wants to do it, but he still wants to do it. He said, nah, it's three weeks. If you want to give it to me for the culture, you just want to keep it going. No, but it's business, though. It was business. That's correct.

The offer was off the table. No, bro, if we offer you a million dollars, the exact word say, you got million dollars in your account this afternoon. Now, young, NBA, young boy and Drake and somebody. And then you call back three weeks later. and say what's something. Then he tried to hit me. I said, you told me what you told me.

I'm like, I ain't gonna tell him that. I said, Mace ain't picking up. He said, yeah, he ain't Mussolini no more. That ain't, that ain't Mousalini. I know you don't know Mussolini. I know Mousalini. Yeah, he's not Mussolini. Then he tried to hit me with the,

so you gotta wait for Mace to do your business? I'm like, yeah, he's like, what kind of niggis is you to be? to wait. Now you gotta wait. I said, I'm that kind of niggia. I got to wait. Oh, man. So listen, man, honestly, I really don't want to have a problem with him. But to me, it's just snapping. But it went to the point where for me just saying that I don't like a movie to disrespecting my family, saying I got beat up, saying that my TV's fake, like he's just, he has the same three snaps. He doesn't have anything else past that.

And I know a lot that I won't say. I'm gonna be the bigger person. You know, I'm not gonna get into his family business because I'm just not doing it. Because to me, it's fun. It's online snapping. And we know Dame Walker's snapping and he's not winning. He's losing.

So when he tries to snap back, it looks angry. But dame, since nobody will tell you, you can't talk about anything teeth related. I don't know if they told you that your teeth fell out on TV. And that if your first teeth goes 200,000, what kind of teeth with 200,000? And then you don't got on no more.

What's your first teeth? Come on, kill up. This is not what you mean. This is not what you mean signed up for. You know, I'm at a such a TV goddamn thing. I'm trying to alley you. Back to the pastel. Back to the pastel.

He went Camel again. No, listen. Advertisers, sponsors, still see y'all smiling? We still are, but, nah, seriously, I'm cool. I don't have no problem with Dave, but he's not going to stop. You got to realize this dude been talking about Jay-Z for 17 years without a response. So it won't start. It's never going to stop.

It won't stop. You'll bring him on talk with Lee? I would, but. not really see look let me tell you this right so when this thing first started um I don't know if you

watch that part because I know you watch what you want to watch when I got a deal with revolt he tried to force a deal with revolt yeah I saw the and he was like yo I'm the chairman of revolt and revolt is like what are you talking about you're not the chairman

he's showing emails and everything else so revolt called me and just was telling me what's going on to catch me up. I was like, whatever. So Dane was trying to put one of his shows or two of his shows on Revolt, right? And Revolt didn't have any slots until next year, which is this year. I had a slot in my deal for another television show.

I had a middleman call Dame and say, yo, look, this is when the shit first started or back and forth, I said, look, I don't even want to do this. Tell Dane, the show he's trying to put on a revolt, he can have my slot. Just let me executive produce it the same way he did for me. When I was in the jam, Sony, he bought me to Rockefeller's executive to my album. I said, I'll put your show on the slot

that I was gonna put in another show. I just wanna be executive producer. He said, yeah, then he called the nigger back. 30 minutes later, he said, no, no, fuck that, watch this. Then two days later, he says he's the chairman of Revolt. he's my boss. And I'm like, bro, first of all, I'm not signed a revolt. I licensed my show to revolt.

So therefore, when my deal is I get my show back. But he took that opportunity when I just was trying to give him a slot and what he did for me to do the same for him. Now fuck that, watch this. And then two days later, I'm the chairman and I'm your boss. It's because I'm, you know, he's older than us. He couldn't see, you know. So there's no white flag for him.

Never, they're not waving a white flag. I don't wave a white flag or the smile, but I don't know. See, the thing about it is this, too, Mace, is that with me, I didn't just randomly do this. It was months of him. That's why I said I felt like it was a setup. It's months of him throwing shots to me, months and months and months. When the first start, I'm like, I'm just ignoring that. And then he said something about Cam don't support my movies and none.

He didn't support honor up. So I said the movie was whack. And then it went straight left from that. It was like personal. So I'll take a jab every. So like if he throws 10 shots and then I throw a jab in my jab powerful, then I'm whack it. Come on, Cam, you gotta chill. Why would you do this?

Yo, it don't, what happens is a lot of people don't see it because it doesn't get attention until I say something back. And that's where I gotta learn to take a page out of your book and other people's book. We like, it doesn't make sense to respond. But sometimes I got to respond. That's the real topic on the internet. Can you be, this is a real, real, like, real mindset that we're starting to evolve in is that can you be a street, can you keep the street code and still be a journalist?

That's what people are starting to ask. Right. And it's because of something, I guess it was 6'9 or something, talking to Big Bank or something, and that question was asked. And I thought that was real powerful. I was like, man, I'm an ex-killer that one day. Can you keep the street code and still be a great journalist? Yeah, absolutely.

Think about it is this right. Even if I'm writing music or writing a movie or anything, I'm living off memory. I'm not in the streets. Yeah. Like, I haven't been in the streets in years. You know what I'm saying? So when you're sitting there saying a street code,

it's certain things that I still live by that I wouldn't do. But I think the best question you asked, a better question was a month or two ago with, how much money you got to make the court police? Yo, if niggas is knocking, if there's 20 niggas knocking at your door, talk about, yo, what's up? I'm a suck in by court police in mind.

house is surrounded? That was a great question. So as far as see, the reason like you said, 6,9 or whoever is because I think also, right, what happens is this and I'm not speaking about anybody specifically. You got podcasters

who's gang members. And that shit never goes away. So when you're a podcast and you're a gang member, it's like, yo, you tripping fool. Get your door. Yeah, exactly. Yo, Crotie.

You know what I'm saying? When you're in a, when you're gang related, it never goes away. So people will look for certain shit to be like, yo, that n'a-gain keeping it real. Like, what's, I forget the dude name, he had the challenge to put the flag down challenge. Yeah, Hocus is for a fifth. Hocus, right? Yeah. And you had some people saying it's dope and you had some people saying that I feel them, but I do, yeah, I never dropped my flag.

Niggas 52 years old was saying that. You know what I'm saying? So at the end of the day, I get where that question's coming from, but I'm not a gang member, so I don't have to, I don't have to oblige by that. Yeah. You know, at the end of the day, call me what you want to call me. You grow up in urban America or you grow up in these ghettos to get out and not to prove yourself to anybody else and to pull out who you could pull out and the younger kids who understand

the vision to get out, cool. If you don't get that cool, I didn't do what I did and have the career that I had to be the most popular nigger still living there. I did what I did to help pull niggas out, so they don't have to go through what Mason myself went through growing up. Well, I want to add on to that, and it's really a question for both of you all

because even though I don't know about a code, but just in general, even like, how you were even speaking about with, like certain boundaries you don't cross even regardless of knowing like whatever it might be your relationships like do you guys also feel like you have a duty to kind of like maintain that and like shy away just from certain things just across of like knowing that person or maybe like not want or knowing they might have like like a family issue or something that you just wouldn't touch on topics wise because you know that person yeah I think I think um I just think like right now where we are

just as like as a fellow Harlem rapper, I just, I just think so much legacy is lost, right? Just, just do, do different things, through different conversations. Like, at, because it's one thing, it's one thing when we're,

when we're doing music and all of those things, but it's another thing. It's like, it's like a constant stripping when we're, when we're ready, when we're really better than a, lot of other people, but it's like a constant stripping of our, whatever you would call it. I don't have the right words because it's very, it's very, um, dear to me is one of the things

I think about a lot behind the scenes, just about, because I, like, I got DJ Magic with me, but he'll never put me in, like, he'll never put me in Brooklyn business, right? So a lot of the people I'm around, like, people in Cali, they don't put, they'll never put me in their Cali business. And that's, that's just something I wish we had. It's too late for it now, but that's something I wish we had. Like, you know, he's not going to, he's not going to join me or he's not going to let me join him to do anything to somebody in Brooklyn.

Cali people is not going to do it. And that's just one thing I wish Harlem had. Yeah, see, and I totally agree. You see, like, the internet just made a lot of niggas disappointing. Yeah, and I want to say this, too, because PT is one. I got to get PT a lot of credit, like, even publicly. Because with me and you as is speaking, I see this nigga PT. I'd be like, yo, PT.

So with that nigga, kill up, man. And then PT, I see PT, he'll be over there in the truck with you. I'll be walking in the venue. You, when I was speaking that you'll be walking out, then I see PT again, and it was just, he was just always even, you know what I'm saying? Like, and when you have people like that, some people like PT.

Some people like PT, and to his credit, shout to PT. You know what smart niggas like PT do? And not saying that whatever would happen, because who knows where our relationship be, they were like, when them niggas start speaking together, speak it again. I'm going to be out of it. I'm in my office.

Exactly. Unless it goes too far. Like I said, it'd be certain shit, not me and you, but it'd be certain shit. Like, you ought to realize this, right? It's like, and I'm bringing this up, and I won't get too forced into it. It's like with dipset, right?

And then we'll be like, Kim, you should get dipset back together. And I'm like, I said, I have no problem with anybody in this set. But if the first dip set where you, was in 2010 and it's 2026. The reunion has been going longer than the run. The run was from 2001 to 2007. We've been trying to get it right from 2010 to 2026 and it still isn't right.

And I don't mean I don't wish everybody well and doing what they're doing, but I just think that it's just hard to get everybody on the same page, especially at 50 years old, like, look, But my priorities are 50 years old is come fuck with my nigger, makes it work, go home strategize on how to get more money, make sure my son is good, and be peaceful. If it's not peaceful, and I'm not, you know,

earlier we told my son now, so I'm talking about a peace of mind. If it's gonna sit here and mess with my peace of mind, I don't wanna be involved with it. That don't mean I don't fuck with things. I don't mean I don't love the niggas. I don't fuck. I don't want niggas to be great. But how long you're gonna try something

that doesn't work. And I think that just growing up at Harlem, you'll figure it out. You know, not talking about this, I'm talking about anybody. Same thing like with Mason myself. We're great together,

magical together, but he figured it out and so did I by myself. Like, we're gonna feel Figure something out. So like I said, but peace is the best thing for me and a piece of mind is even better. And if it's not a part of that, then I can't be a part of it. And I'm not talking about dips, I'm just talking about anything in general, just like even like you said with Dame, like one thing about Dame is that Dame's consistent.

This is the person that Dave been since we know them. You know what I'm saying? It isn't like this isn't been, it's just that we're not on the same page right now. So it isn't like he isn't consistent. But shout out the name, man. Shout to Dipset. And I wish all y'all niggas luck. Good overall discussion.

And then, Mace, I'm going to ask you before we wrap, what's the biggest priority shift you've seen from back then versus now for you? That's a deep question. When I think about, you know, what you're asking me, I would have to say number one. The number one thing for me at this point is, is definitely my children, my family got to come first. And then right after that, you know, is the church that's something that's really dear to me.

I feel like I was put on this earth to do something so different than what people know me for and what people have seen me do. And that's the biggest priority change. Like every morning, sometimes when I, when I'm just tired, is because I'm on Zoom calls, mentoring people, helping people that can't help us. And I got this vision of just helping people that can't help me. And that's the real purpose that I was put here. I think everything we do here is phenomenal.

But that's the real thing in my heart. So if you ever get a chance, Y'all might want to check it out. Sane.church. Super, super dope. I guess in the comments down below, let us know y'all's priorities. I think this is a good uplifting discussion and conversation that we went from family, peace, from talking about being safe, like a whole range of things,

but it all came around full circle. So I think that's pretty, pretty dope. But y'all, that is all the time that we have for today. Thank you all for watching. And as always, it is what it is. Please.