IT IS WHAT IT IS - IS LEBRON JAMES RIGHT FOR GETTING IN STEPHEN A SMITH'S FACE & BARKLEY VS. PERKINS?! | S6 EP37

Episode Date: March 10, 2025

Ma$e & Treasure "Stat Baby" Wilson are back with another one!! On this episode, Trysta Krick fills in for Killa and we discuss the SAS & LBJ Beef that went down over the weekend when Lebron stepped to Stephen A about talking on Bronny, Lebron and the Lakers just need to stay healthy for the playoffs, Jokic's WILD night doing something NOBODY has ever done going 30-20-30 in a NBA game and Charles Barkley vs. Kendrick Perkins! Please rate, review, and follow the podcast for more content.  Support the show and sign up for Underdog Fantasy HERE with promo code CAM and get a $1000 first deposit match, and a Special Pick'em pick. Follow the show and our hosts on social media: It Is What It Is, Cam'Ron, Ma$e, and Treasure "Stat Baby" Wilson , Producer Ayooo Nick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello y'all, uh I was selling crack on a private jet up in a hell and back But no confusion, this a reunion Hello y'all, welcome back Yeah, Murda here, he countin' money He said, can't man the hell we're at I'm only here to shit on niggas and piss on bitches Welcome ass, I bought jewelry and bikes, nigga

Black fences and white vigas Now I'm out here and I'm lookin' for more chandeliers and light pictures Nah, I don't like niggas, what's wrong with me? Welcome back to It Is What It Is, this episode is sponsored by Underdog. The app is an easy way to make some cash just by making picks on your favorite players. Underdog is available in more than 30 states including California, Texas, and New York, just to name a few. Make sure to support the show by hitting the link in the bio and downloading the Underdog is available in more than 30 states including California, Texas, and New York, just to name a few. Make sure to support the show by hitting the link in the bio and downloading the Underdog app. Use code MACE, CAM, or STAT to get up to $1,000 in bonus credits with your first deposit and

a free pick. I'm Treasurer Wilson, aka Stat Baby, along with your host Mace, Cam will be back, and today we are joined with our analyst Trista. Trista, how you doing? I'm good. It's a beautiful sunny Monday morning. I think I lost my voice yesterday. How? What'd you do? Can y'all hear me well?

You're definitely got a little rasp in your voice for sure. Yeah, I sound like Jada Kiss right now. Sound like Glorilla right now. It's still good though. You got a little burble in there. Yeah, that's for sure. Hey, yo, that was wild. It's too early for that.

How you guys doing? How was your weekend? You know, mine was good. Did a couple things. Like you said, Titletown's on the move, even though I'm not in Titletown yet, but. Oh! We on the move.

Yes, Dad was doing it big this weekend. I saw her maxing, relaxing, and she was doing stuff in Palm Desert, Palm Springs for Jumpman, not just for Jumpman as a whole, but was doing her tennis thing. I see what, the little bit thing. She was on the move, man. She was on the move.

Jumpman, Jumpman. Yeah. I like that, I like that. Them boys up to something. So hey, I was out there. I had some things to do We need some really big rings and do coming soon coming soon. I'm proud. I'm proud. She's always working always diversifying her portfolio. You know what I mean? Just making sure that she's out there building the brand.

My weekend was chill. Hung out with some friends, hung out with some family, super low key, just not outside really much at all. No, that's fair. And that's good. I mean, something good happened for all of us this weekend. Mine's is probably not as big as yours, Stapp, but you know, one of the championship college teams reached out to me to be the chaplain of their football team.

That's lit. Wow. That's super dope. Think that's who it is yet? Yeah, Title Town, we on the move. We on the move. I can't tell you which one because I got offers. I got two big universities that are asking me to be the chaplain for their football team. So that's a really good thing. And a basketball team too. That's the champs as well. It sounds like our championship pedigree of Title Town is making its way other places,

people like the insight they're getting in the background. And it's making me believe I need to start doing mentorships. You should. It seems like people that are listening to me are winning at sports and at life. So it's something I'm seriously considered. I did it one time in the summer for about the whole summer I did this thing where I

was mentoring people from all over the world. And that's what I was doing at five o'clock from like five to six. And it was going so well that people wanted to stay with it. So I'm really thinking about what else I could do to give back because that's a really good opportunity. What age group were you mentoring? Grown people. Grown people that...

People that... Some people that have lost their way. People that's trying to get back on their feet, single mothers, I think when things like that happen, when you get blessed to a certain level, you're responsible to reach back and help other people. Totally agree. Well, what's up, stat? We're here for it is what it is.

In the comments, y'all can comment down below if there's a particular group here you guys want Mace to talk to. I, bias, I'm gonna say the youth, younger people who are trying to get into their pay. Let's see what the comments got to say, so y'all make sure y'all let us know. But first, Mace and Trista, we're gonna talk about LeBron LeGaute James.

Yeah. Viral for confronting Stephen A Smith. That's what it seemed like he was. Yo, I thought it was an AI moment. Go ahead finish that. But I'm so ready to talk about this. Yeah, no, ready to hear what you gotta say. So he went viral for confronting Stephen A. Smith, courtside, Stephen A. Smith then confirmed, he said, he approached me during the game,

and he said, stop fucking with my son, that's my fucking son, so stop fucking with him. So as LeBron continued, he said, straight up, man to man, real talk, stop fucking with my son. So LeBron continued, he said straight up man to man real talk, stop fucking with my son. So LeBron made it very clear to Stephen A. And Stephen A clarified being via Twitter because everybody was asking him, okay, what happened? What was the confrontation? What are you going to say? He said, I didn't want to have to address this. I wouldn't have either had it not gone viral. And now I have no choice. So then he further clarified what

the conversation was. There's a lot of back and forth on should he have said something, should he have not, but I want to ask you first, Trista, what's your opinion on the confrontation to begin with? Just seeing LeBron go and approach Stephen A. Oh man, I think Mace is right. It just caught me by surprise. And I wondered what it was because I didn't know what the comments were at first. I just saw that it was viral and sometimes they leak out what they think the lip readers are saying. And I had a feeling that it was in regards to Bronnie because I remember that like a couple of

days earlier Stephen A was like, he was like, as a man, as a father, I plea with you LeBron, stop bringing Brawny into this mess. And I was like, oh man, what is this dude doing? And so it didn't surprise me that LeBron checked him, but I don't think Stephen A really needed to say, oh well it went viral, that's why I'm responding. Stephen A was gonna respond no matter what. Like, Stephen A wants to continue the ratings.

He's the EP of First Take, he just got a huge bag to stay with ESPN, I think he's like top three broadcaster now in all of sports, so he wants to continue to build that momentum, but I thought it really also showed, yo LeBron is not tripping off of how good the Lakers are gonna be. He has Luca now. He does, he can just leave. It was in the middle of the game y'all. It wasn't like pregame. It was, he left the bench and came over to him in the fourth quarter I think if I'm not uh... mistaken and check them right there in live action i don't buy any of it

i don't i really don't i'm thinking about it it is the prime walks up to steven a any checks and right where could it possibly go is no way to possibly go if you think about it, if LeBron hits him, whether he gets sued for about 50 million, what is it, Stephen A. versus the Lakers, Stephen A. versus LeBron, Stephen A. versus Ronnie, all of that is in Stephen A.'s benefit.

All of it goes to his benefit. The ratings go to his benefit. The conversation goes in his benefit. All of it goes to his benefit. The ratings go to his benefit. The conversation goes in his benefit. Only thing LeBron could do is lose, lose, lose in that situation. It's nothing he could really do. So when people say he checks Stephen A, it really just showed that is getting to him actually, because as your son get to a certain age and he's playing a sport, if you don't get him in this league, we're really not having this conversation. So you're you put him in a position to get that scrutiny. If you didn't think he was ready, it would have been better to not

bring him to the league. And I say that with all due respect, but it is really just all bad on the bronze part is, is everything about it points to higher ratings for Stephen A, more money for Stephen A, more looks. And you got to watch out when people start talking about you in any capacity, because when they do it consistently and you respond, it forever links your names together, right? So there's people that latch their names on the stat baby. Let's say stat baby get going and you get bigger and bigger and bigger, or Trisha get bigger and bigger and bigger.

And some little girl somewhere just says, you know what? I don't have that celebrity. But if I say something about Stat and she's unwise enough to comment back to me, then that links us together. Cause now everywhere Stephen A goes, people ask him about who? LeBron.

And when you're the face of a league, when you're considered a goat to some people, he put his name with the goat without ever playing any basketball, without ever running any laps, without scoring 50,000 points. His name will eventually become synonymous if you keep arguing with them because every time they'll bring this up, you'll have to tell people don't ask me about that individual as LeBron because people don't want to know it because it's something interesting. And not only do you now link it with LeBron, but now it'll be linked with

Bronnie and who knows if Savannah goes somewhere, somebody might ask her the same thing. Well, we asked LeBron this, but how do you feel about it? And you just never want to put somebody in your story if you don't have to. So I know a lot of times I'm saying stuff, but I'm just saying it to give the objective view. I have nothing against LeBron. I don't I don't get anything by trying to diminish his greatness or anything like that.

And I wouldn't want my name synonymous with his. I wouldn't want my name attached to his because of hating on him or seeing something that was in opposition of him. But as celebrities, we must watch out about that. That's why when some people say something about me, I just, I don't have nothing to say. Do you think because the thing that I thought was interesting about this in like the consequence

for Stephen A because you mentioned like all the pros for Stephen A. The one thing that he mentioned Stephen A did is that NBA players now will not pick up his calls. That was like a an inflection point for some players that he had relationships with. Do you think that's meaningful at all? But why wouldn't they pick up his call? Because he gave his honest take. See, the thing about this generation

and not just this generation of basketball players in general, people deem anybody that have opposite view as Hating out but I'll tell you when it becomes hating for me when it becomes hating for me is when a person Consistently talk about you when somebody's consistently saying something then that is hate and that's why After this I don't really want to talk about LeBron, because then a person could try to put me in that category. And I don't want to be in that category.

But when you're consistently talking about somebody, constantly bringing their name up negative, no matter how you try to slice it, that is hate. You know, because I remember there was a radio station in New York, right? Every time they will bring up my name, it would be like, you're saying something negative. And I'm like, where's this coming from? But it comes from people, connections with other people. And because they like these people

and these people are saying something negative about you, they begin to be the voice for those people. So when you're looking at old media, old media is just the voice of some man who's sitting in the back That's telling them no stay on this topic stay on this person Stay on this child and and we can't do that. That is what it is We got to call it fair and we got a pause call it straight down the middle. Whatever it is. That's what it is It is what it is. It is what it is

So I want to ask both of you guys this because when Stephen A was talking about the situation, he said LeBron came up to him basically as a father that that was a father that wasn't a player. But obviously we know now that Bronnie is an NBA player. Do you feel like people cross the line specifically when discussing Bronnie James Trista? I mean, I think he's playing in the league and at a certain point criticizing his game is fair play.

If you take it into a personal box, in a personal category, then yeah, like you can't really do that as a sports commentator. That's hate. But I think what some people's point is is that Ronnie James doesn't look good in an NBA arena. He's not ready for those moments. He's not ready for purple and gold, specifically the number two team in the West. He's a G League player, but got an opportunity to play NBA minutes simply because his dad said, one of the best players in our generation, said, I'm going wherever Bronnie goes.

So if he goes to the Orlando Magic, I'm going to the Orlando Magic for a year. And so that pressure and that level of the squeeze that he kind of put on all the NBA teams allowed the Lakers to take Bronwny when maybe they wouldn't have otherwise and so I Guess people think that that exposes Brawny to more criticism Considering he shouldn't be there in the first place. That's what they their opinion is but I think people like Brawny I think fans like Brawny. He's one of the top Jersey selling athletes in the NBA NBA which is crazy considering that he has barely played many minutes in an NBA setting but I think arenas and and fans they kind of like

that that story yeah I think I think with the money that they've given brawny I wouldn't have even put them in the g-league I would have actually just kept him on the Lakers and figured out how we could build his confidence on that team because I think is is more leverage with him on The arm the actual Lakers than a G League if you're gonna give the guy a couple million dollars you might as well play him in the pros and play him on that level because Right now he can't hurt the Lakers Him being on that team will not hurt it There's no way it could hurt it if you put Bronnie in let's say Bronnie catch fire on

One team I meant on one team. He has a good day It's only gonna grow his confidence and if you let him play in Realistically all you have to do with Luca out there and LeBron is be a spot up shooter and guard his man. That's all he have to do. And I think I think he can flourish on that team. And early in the season, I was giving him things that he could do. And it may seem like it's cosmetic, but, you know, basketball is all mental.

If you could figure out the mental, you could play well, especially if you got the skillset he's the boy been playing since he was five years old. So can he make a three by himself? Absolutely. Can he guard somebody? Can he get a breakaway and catch a dunk in the whole arena? Go crazy. Yes.

That's, I think that's where you're playing, Matt. I don't think it benefits him if he's getting 40 in the G League. To me, it doesn't. Trista, do you agree or disagree? Do you think it benefits Brawny to be playing more in the G League or on the Lakers? I guess it depends on the rotations. I think the one thing to have a two-way player, right? He's getting G League minutes. He's getting regular NBA minutes.

Is he's getting that developmental time where he's getting more in-game action, even though it's at a lower level. I don't think I have enough information in terms of a real opinion on whether he should be playing specifically only on the Lakers But I think Mace is right in terms of like building Brawny's confidence certainly if he plays well at that setting

Even doing little things and JJ Reddick is is amazing at finding ways to maximize his players talents And how to use them together like I think that would Cool off a lot of the hate on Bronnie if he had even small little moments where he did something that was highlight worthy. I'm just going to say real quick before we move on to the next topic, I don't think the hate is ever going to stop. He's LeBron James' son. He's going to be criticized for the rest of his life.

And we know that and that is okay as long as he keeps his head up and continues to try to be better every day I think having him play more like minutes on the Lakers. It's just gonna be difficult It's the big dogs. I think he's still in a little bit of more developmental stage so I think it doesn't hurt him to play more on the G League and You know, even though we want to see him I mean imagine him in LeBron going back and forth throwing lob dunks like in the middle of the game. That would be dope Okay, I want to say we're just not there yet. I think it's okay

Wasn't that the purpose of him going to the NBA so he could play with his son, right? Yes, but we ain't seeing that Yeah, we see the douche douche do like I want to see all that. I want to see all the theatrics Like, I want to see all that. I want to see all the theatrics. Yeah, I'm here for it. As a basketball fan, we do. Like I said, if he wins a championship with his son, that is the biggest accomplishment any man could have made. You can start all the conversation after that.

You get what I'm saying? But that's where it has to go. And I think with him being on a G-League, you can only learn bad behavior. You're not going to learn the lifestyle of an NBA player in a G-League. That's what I'm more concerned about. And now, so I'm going to take the approach of him as a father. I would have him on the NBA team. We pull all these strings to get them here. We might as well ride, ride the train. Pause. We put them in pause. We might as well, we might as well ride pause to the wheels fall off. Right? So we got them here. We, we got rich Paul involved.

Everybody made sure he didn't go to Boston. He ended up going to the Lakers. Let's, let's follow through now. You know what they say? Trust the process, right? We gotta trust the process. Put that boy in purple and gold, not purple, gold and green, not purple, gold and red, just purple and gold, man. And put him on the Lakers. That's what the fans want to do. This little Brownie James jersey is the first jersey I bought of the Lakers since Magic Johnson. Since Magic Johnson. So that, yeah. So I'm expecting them to do well, actually. I said what I said earlier, but I think when it's all said and done, pause, the cream rises to the top and all the pedigree that's in him,

somewhere he figures it out. And all of these things that went bad are going to be great, learning curves and tools for him that he'll be able to take that and be better because of it. I don't think he breaks under this pressure. He's grew up in a household of champions. Like he's seen too much. So we got more Lakers talk here. So during the Lakers versus Celtics game in which the Celtics won 111-101, LeBron James unfortunately faced an injury in which he had to leave the game early. He is expected to miss up to two weeks with a groin strain.

Trista, what are your expectations for the Lakers while he's out? How are we feeling about him being hurt for a little bit of games? Yeah, I mean, first and foremost, like if I'm a Laker fan, I just want everybody healthy for the playoffs. Like, whatever it's gonna take, put Braun on ice for as long as that lasts.

They say it's one to two weeks, but like, groin injuries are, Paul's tough, right? Like that explosiveness that you need, especially with the type of game that LeBron plays with, like he's got such a ferocity, like this explosiveness in terms of how he plays, lot of quick stops and starts. Like you can re-injure a groin really easily if you're not careful.

And they have to really make sure that if this is a team that they think can have a deep run into the playoffs, then they need to make sure that they take every precaution to make sure he's back completely healthy. I think on top of that, it's not just Braun that's injured, right, it's Dory and Finney Smith is injured. Jackson Hayes, they had to play without a center altogether the other day.

Rui Hachimura is injured. Maxi Kleba is injured. Luca still is banged up a little bit. So you have multiple guys that play significant minutes on this team that are banged up either out or questionable. You've got, you play the Bucks twice, you play the Nuggets twice in the next two weeks, that's tough. They're going to need heavy minutes from Austin Reeves, he's going to need the ball out, Luca's going to need to thug it out

and make sure he's playing when Braun is out. So, I think the Lakers are fine, but I mean, if I had one question mark for them, it's really just how many guys have been injured. When them losing to the Celtics is of no surprise, you know, I think when it's all said and done, that's the team if they was in the championship that they will lose to. They will lose to the the the world champion Celtics because because that is the best team in basketball to me at this point.

I know people like to go out there and talk about the Cavaliers and different people, but when it's all said and done, I think the roster shows. This team is a formidable opponent and can be dominant at any time, and the Lakers didn't surprise me by falling to them. And I think with this team, with every, like she said, with everybody being hurt, he go another reason to bring Ronnie out of the G league and let him ball out. I mean, if you, if, if everybody's hurt, what would it look like? A three game road trip and the team is Bronnie's. Yeah.

Shoot how much you want. Do whatever you need to do for these three games. Let's see what you got. If I think if he catches fire, like Jeremy Lin or somebody like that, the NBA will be on fire. The NBA will be better to look at. It's a story and the NBA needs a story. This is, this is the story of the year.

And I think the CM do well just becomes more product for the NBA. See, I got to use one of your quotes this time. I just real quick interest. I'll let you go. I respect your take, but you know how you'd be saying, now is not the time. Now is not the time. He can go do that on the jazz. He can go do it on somewhere else. Get somebody else to do it on another team. I don't feel like we ready for all that. And I'm not even, this is your team. This is your life.

That was the good one. That was the good one. That's how I'm feeling. I was looking at stat dead in the eyes bro and I was like I think we're having the same exact moment. I mean, you got five games. Wait, wait, wait, Trish, tread lightly cause you don't need Savannah James to come at you and tell you stop talking about my son. Five games separate smooth sailing in the two spot and a playing spot. So you really can't fuck around you

have to play your best players you have to have certain guys you know play through injuries you can't bring Brawny James out and just let him rock when it's a very tight playoff race if this was a different team in a different time and this is just a no for me that That's just, you can't, the risk is too great to bring Brawny out and try to let him put the team on his back with all of these expectations. It's just, like Stats said, it's just not the time. Not the time for that.

Oh, y'all are really hate. Respect me, yo. Yo, yo, now you, now you, listen, if I didn't know any better, I. Respect you, yo! Respect me! Yo, now, now, listen. If I didn't know any better, I'll tell you, I didn't like the way that sounded, but I'm, I'm, you know, let's move forward. I wanna see the young man do well. No, for sure. As do I, as do we.

For sure. And that is not the best spot to put him in for that. What you're saying, man, was not the time to let him do well? What are you saying? No, now is not the time to put him in a very high risk spot when we're not sure if he is up for that moment. We're not sure if he is ready to take the manhole in like a very tight playoff race. That's it.

That's all. Respect though. Bronnie, we rooting for you? Like we're rooting for Bronnie. We're rooting for Bronnie. Top boat. What a time. Okay, so Mace, obviously without LeBron,

the Lakers will play the next. So we looking at Luca. Underdog has Luca at 30 and a half points. Do you have him higher or lower, Mace? Luca gotta go crazy. LeBron is not there. It's like you got the house to yourself. This is a glimpse of the future

of what LA could look forward to. I got Luca going crazy. I got him getting more. I'm going higher. I'm going higher. I'm definitely going higher. I think this is one of those games he could have about 40.

He could have 50. Who knows? It depends on how he's feeling and what he what you know, how is this trip back to New York? Right. And D'Angelo Russell's at 25 and a half points, rebounds and assists combined. Do you have him higher or lower? This is a revenge game.

This is a revenge game. I think he gets his leg back. Pause. This is definitely got to get his leg back. And if LeBron is not out there, you know, LeBron might chase him down and try to block his dung. But with LeBron not out there, you know, bumping him, pause and trying to keep him in place, I think he goes absolutely crazy. him in place, I think he goes absolutely crazy. Luca is gonna go crazy on offense, but we know Luca is not gonna play no defense. Luca is not gonna smack the floor and be with his hands out defensive sliding.

So I'm going higher. I think he goes crazy tonight. I think he go absolutely crazy. And you know, hitting his chest and all that, you know how people do. In his veins, ice cold and the Avril, everything you can think about, just everything. Excellent. Okay. We'll see what happens. We're going to go to break when we return. Got to talk about Yoke-Itch. He made history again. So, I'll just stop when we return. Got to talk about your kids. He made history again. So I'll just stop when we return. Welcome back.

So it's time to talk about Jokic. He made history after recording the first ever 30-20-20 game. He finished with 31-21-22 in their 149-141 overtime win versus the Suns. My question to you Trista, out of everyone who has played the game of basketball, are you shocked that Jokic is the one to make this stack. Ooh, I don't think so. I mean, just what Jokic has had to do consistently on this team is everything, right? And he's been averaging a triple double this season, right? It's his 29th triple double of the year,

149th triple double of his career. You look at what he's been doing just for the year, 149th triple double of his career. You look at what he's been doing just for the year, right? He's averaging I think 13 rebounds per game, 11 assists and 29 points per game, something like that. My stats are just a little bit lower in my notes. His court vision's incredible. His ability to get rebounds for his team, he has to do a little bit of everything

in order for them to continue to stay like in the top three, top four of the West. Out of everyone, I mean, he's a seven footer who's the focal point of the offense, right? And so no, I'm not surprised, but that's a disgusting stat line that's just a disgusting stat line that I don't know when we're going to see that again.

The surprise actually I thought Russell Westbrook when he was balling going crazy and close if I'm not mistaken I remember Russell Westbrook going absolutely crazy and going on that triple double tear so he would be the person that I thought would have gotten it back in that time but I'm not surprised with Lukai. He's been very dominant. I don't know if this makes him supremely dominant now. Are we ready to just say he's suprem very dominant. I don't know if this makes him supremely dominant now. Are we ready to just say he's supremely dominant, like on Will Chamberlain level, on Bill Russell

level on a little bit, and this is going to sound crazy, but a little bit higher than Shaq. To say 30, 20 and 20, that's a little bit more dominant than Shaq. I know that sounds crazy because I have Shaq as the big man of all bigness, pause, but when I'm thinking about it, when it's all said and done, we might be having a conversation that Yocash is more dominant than Shaq. That's a good point.

And it sounded crazy with me saying it, but every time I say it, it sounds more truthful than the first time because Shaq was getting 30 and 20, but he wasn't getting 30, 20 and 20. Right? He'll have 20 rebounds, 40 points. But that other 20 means I'm just controlling everything on the court. All the rebounds are mine. I'm controlling who score, who doesn't. I'm controlling when I score and when I don't.

It's like his fingerprint is all over the game, all over the game. So I'm ready to say that when it's all said and done, he's going to be better than Shaq. He's going to be more dominant than Shaquille O'Neal. And that's very high praise. And I have to say that because sometimes we have these conversations, people think I'm stuck in the past or something like I'm just going with everybody from before. No, if you do something that's worthy and he didn't jump from team to team, I can go with this.

He didn't join a team so he could be good. This is, this is the team that he came in with, the players he struggled with, the players that they were both new players and not doing well. And now we see him dominating with his day one niggas. That's great. Yeah. So I want to ask both of y'all, do you, I just feel like Yoks is always breaking some crazy stat and it's just like, when we say and do you, I just feel like Yoksha is always breaking some crazy stat

and it's just like, when we say he can do something, we're like, yeah, he does that. Like, do you guys feel like he's even close to like reaching his ceiling? Like, I just feel like we always see him kind of one up himself. No, I think you're right. I think you're right, Stat,

because if you look at his MVP seasons, he continues in some category to get better. His first MVP season, I believe his assist number was much lower and his rebound number was somewhere in this neighborhood. But then you look at what he's been doing in terms of shooting the three ball, he's shooting over 40% from three right now. 43% from three, which he's never been known as like a particularly good high volume shooter. We know of him in playoff settings being able to knock down it from deep. But like to get better in different categories and on top of that, defensively, he's gotten better.

Jokic is top five in steals right now. He's impacting the game in so many different ways, and he's been known as a negative defender. And Tyrese Halliburton talked about this earlier on in the season, and he said, the way that Jokic defends, it changes the way that Tyrese looks and mixes up his reads in the pick and roll setting just because of how Jokic sees the game and it spooks guards So I I don't think that we've seen the best from Jokic and it's it's tough because there's voter fatigue

Because you could say that this is What's voter fatigue basically we don't want to give you the you the MVP because we want somebody else to get it, right? And we're tired of giving Jokic MVP after MVP. And that doesn't diminish what Shea Gilder's Alexander is doing. He's been incredible this year. They're the number one in the West again. He's leading the league or at least one of the top

in deflections per game and steals per game. He's a walking bucket. He had 40 points last night. But if you gave Jokic these three MVPs and he's better than those years, it's really hard not to say that it's very close between him and Shea. And now I know that people are going to say, okay, but Shea put up 40 on the Nuggets and Jokic didn't have a great game. But if you look into it, the Thunder sat Chet, they sat Shay and they sat one other player, oh, Isaiah Hartenstein, since Wednesday. They played Memphis on Wednesday

and they sat everybody out on Friday so that they could be ready for these games. And Jokic and all the other Nuggets players played on Friday. So they were tired, which is why OKC had such a great fourth quarter. Christian, I'm working on your application for title town. I like the way you're looking at it. You're calling it even with not for that on. It

is what it is. You cannot take the cheap route, the Barry Barnes route, and get there. Can I say Barry Barnes? Can I say Barry Barnes? Yeah, you can say Barry Barnes. You can't take the Barry Barnes route. Did they, was Barry Barnes accused of anything? I think just PDs, right?

Well, was it proven? It was never proven, right? No, then we can't say Barry Barnes, because it wasn't proven. It wasn't proven. So forget Barry Barnes. Forget Barry Barnes. But I'm saying moving forward, we got to call it like it is.

If you rest eight days so you could be good against me and I've been playing every game every minute, of course you're going to be fresher. You've been rested. You hear my voice? I've been working. There's things you're doing. So somebody come in,

this is the only game they got to be good at. It doesn't mean the same as a person that's doing it day after day without rest. You get what I'm saying? Your one good day is not equivalent to my all year work. You know, and I know Stad is going to jump in. Stad wants to jump in with Gen Z. Go ahead, Stad. Gen Z us the Gen Z. Go ahead and set Gen Z. Yes, I just Gen Z.

Here's funny. I just want to clarify. Voters fatigue, right? So do you feel like? Yoke, it's like and it's okay. If you're like still trying to figure out what you're thinking, but do you feel like you'll get should win MVP, but they would give it to somebody else because they feel like Yoko should win MVP, but they would give it to somebody else

because they feel like he's won it too much like because I want to clarify that. Yeah. So yeah, that's crazy. That's crazy. I heard it in your voice that will they give it to him because he wins too much. That's hate. And that is definitely hate. And I don't care how much lipstick she put on it. That's super hate. Nick, did you hear that? Give it to him because he wins too much. That was a super pause too, but I'm glad Trisha. So that's definitely in my opinion why Joel Embiid won the MVP, right? Because Joel Embiid had a campaign, he was crying, he was complaining, there was a media push.

The media absolutely impacts the MVP vote, what gets written about players, what coverage happens on ESPN, Fox Sports, whatever, right? And the reason they didn't wanna give to Jokic is because they didn't wanna give him three in a row. And they hadn't won anything yet. And then it just so happens that he won the title that very year. So it ended up kinda backfiring in the voters against them.

So then they give it to Jokic again the next year, and here we are again now. And I don't, I'm gonna say this, Shea absolutely is doing everything that qualifies as an MVP. year and here we are again now and I don't I'm gonna say this Shay absolutely is doing everything that qualifies as an MVP the team is top two in the West they're number one in the West you need to be top in the in the conference right or number one period so it has to be those things outside of Russell Westbrook who won it when he was averaging a triple double so that's the

case he's awesome offensively and defensively. And he's doing all the little things and he's having a lot of highlight worthy moments. He's had a bunch of 50 point games, he's had 40 point games, and he's the next man up. He's the guy that last year we kind of thought maybe he was gonna win it this year.

So it was kind of already written. We wanna give it to Luca and he had all these injuries. So yeah, I think voter fatigue is a real thing. Do I think if Shea had won it two years ago that he would win it this year instead of Jokic? I do not. I think if Shea has already won MVP, if he would have won it last year,

Jokic would have won it this year. And even with the way that these two men are playing this very year. So yeah, I think that plays into it, but I don't want that to take away at all from how I feel about Shea, because I think he's absolutely deserving. But I think they're way closer neck and neck,

paws, than people want to give it to them for, because of, especially this last game that they played, a lot of people are saying, well, Shea has locked up the mvp. Yeah that's crazy. Yo Nick I wanted to ask you something you could just put thumbs up or down. Do you do you do you um use washcloths? I'm doing a study. You do? Okay. I just wanted to know. There's something people are asking

online. I just wanted to know. It's a white, non-white thing. Oh, it is. They say it's like the white folks don't use washcloths, right? So that's a myth then. It's's a myth Nick said he used wash clothes Trisha do you use I use a loofah which is like the it's like a sponge the sponge yeah the netted sponge I think I think washcloths are a great use for the loofah but the thing about the washcloth is,

is that you have to like hang it up to dry it out, or you gotta, it can get kind of funky if you're not. Yeah, I asked this question because I knew you would go viral, but I didn't ask you, so I asked Nick so you could chime in. Because people wanted me to axe you, but I didn't have the courage. So I axe Nick, and then an axe to Nick,

I knew it would come to you. So for everybody out there, it is what it is. It's broke the secret. It's not true. We got Caucasian friends that have washcloths. But I also did use Murray's hair grease, so I don't know Yeah, yeah, you might not be you might not be Caucasian you might not be You got a lot of baby So I had the Murray's for the baby hair when I would get twisted up. She said she was Murray's.

You know what Murray's is, stat? Edge booster? Edge booster. That's the Gen Z thing. We didn't have edge booster. Yeah, Murray's. Murray's is a little OG, but I used a lot for nine. Yeah, your hair stays slick for nine days. Yeah, not even that bad because with third texture, like kinky curly, it's not latent. I got to use a whole bunch of different stuff.

Okay, but the lies are out. White people do use washcloths. It's not a real thing. Um washcloth is not it's not a real thing People needed to hear that Nick uses a washcloth She uses a loop Yeah Rumor or the or the adage is that it's just hands, you know, it's just soap and hands yeah that's nasty friends growing up who you I who use their hands because I was like what do you mean I use a lot dirty booties

Don't go over to everybody's house. You gotta bring your own stuff. Shut the door. Don't eat in everybody's kitchen. So yeah. A loofah is crazy. That's the journey. Yeah, this is a little loofah. And then you swap them out and get a new loofah.

Yeah. Take us away stat like cow gone Okay, here we go. So speaking of coverage talking about the media and then just things about voters it's kind of funny cuz Charles Barkley had some words which mace this is very interesting because I'm just gonna tell you said this first in a certain way. So basically he's supposed to be later starting at ESPN in about a year or so. And he specifically had some words for his future coworker, Kendrick Perkins. So he went on a rant about ESPN coverage toward the Lakers and the Warriors. Sounds real familiar, right?

He was saying teams like the Caz and OKC are having better overall seasons but don't receive the same amount of coverage. He said specifically and I quote, I saw a fool on an idiot on TV talking about the Lakers saving the NBA. He's an idiot and a fool, but he knows who he is. What's his name Shaq? Kendrick Perkins. He said, then fools at the other network, which we're going to be working at next year. That's all they talk about. Mace, you've got to go first. What's your opinion on his take about media outlets always talking about the Lakers and the Warriors, even though you said it first? Yeah. I mean, let's start with this. Like Stats said, I must say it again, I said it first. They talk about what they have to talk about.

Now, let me tell you this. If you take LeBron off of the Lakers, they're not talking about the Lakers. They're not gonna consistently talk about the Lakers other than they're told to talk about the Lakers. There's better stories other places. I know Cleveland doesn't seem like a good story, but what if it was the Lakers versus the Cavs

in the championship? You know how much Dan Gilbert would love to cut the net down on LeBron James and his son? Cut the nets down on him and his baby in Cleveland. You talk about a story, let's put some respect like Birdman on the Cavs name, on Dan Gilbert's name. He figured it out. He bounced back.

Yeah, they ran off with the plug. But he bounced back, pause. He's back in the contention, you know? Him in his day ones, his back rolling with his walls. Dan Gilbert might be able to say, come on my nigga, you thought y'all was gonna get one over on me, you know I was gonna be back. I'm like that, I'm like that.

So when you got Kendrick Perkins, you know, shout out to Perk, you know, Perk tries, he tries his best to keep it 100, I think, for the most part. He, he questioned things. He talks on things that he should, but you know, he worked where he worked. He gotta say what he gotta say. He got, you know, the baby need a pair of shoes he got to do what he got to do. I like I like Perk but I do like Barclay too they both are some of my favorite commentators so I don't really have a horse in the race. I think they both do their thing but I definitely understand. That would be a good fight. It would be a good fight. Not that I support violence, but that will be a good fight. No punching, they probably wrestle and get this, Perkins could probably, you know, put

them to sleep. If they're not punching, because you know, Barclay Hands is good, they work, you know? Yeah. I don't think ESPN is ready for those TNT guys. I really don't think they're ready for it. They don't pull any punches, and that's without Shaq getting into the mix, because Shaq says some wild things, too,

and he's not afraid to come direct. I did a video one time saying I didn't like the way that he did the interview with Angel Reese and he he got into my DMs and like came at me direct and then blocked me immediately. Oh shit blocked you? Shit! You blocked Trisha?

Come on Superman! Come on Superman can't block Lois Lane I couldn't I couldn't text him DM him back cuz he blocked me and I didn't have the heart to make a video about it But I think that when you better not make a video about Shaq You said you know you the washcloth you definitely can't be making a video About Shaq and and you know everybody up up there at TNT, that's our family. I love Shaq. I love Kenny.

Love Ernie. Those are my dogs, dogs, you know, in Shaq. Everybody up there. But Perk is my guy, too. You know, I like Perk. I know all the people up there at ESPN. Because he tries to stay straight. You know what I like I like purgato all the people up there at ESPN because he tried to stay He tried to stay straight, you know saying tried to say it like it is. You don't have a pony in a race, you know

And he doesn't be doing too much out. He doesn't troll Yeah, and ESPN does tell them, you know what to cover, right? And I think that is something that the TNT guys, when they come in, they're gonna do whatever they wanna do. I don't think they're gonna listen to the producers, but Stephen A and Perk and all those guys, they don't wanna talk about Cleveland. Cleveland's not a sexy story.

They don't wanna talk about Detroit. Detroit's one of the best stories in the NBA right now. They don't wanna talk about OKC. They don't wanna talk about small markets, right? They don't think that that drives ratings. But in the long term, there's a real argument to be made that that's not good for the growth of the NBA either, to just focus on these big market teams. So it's going to be fascinating to see when those two groups come together, Pauls.

I like Detroit and teams like that because the city alone has a lot of new things that are happening there. You got football going well for Detroit, you got basketball, you got hip hop. It's a lot of things that is brewing in the city of Detroit. So shout out to Detroit. Shout out to my boy Kennedy. That's from there as well. Shout out to Bobby Brown. There's a lot of good people out there. So I do just want to say real quick, so when discussing topics and media and stuff like that, in journalism, obviously it's always going to come down to the storyline. And even though it supports media and we're talking candidly about different things going on, you still want a storyline that people can follow, which is why I think talking about

the Warriors and Lakers is so popular amongst all the networks, shows and things like that. But that doesn't mean that we have to just talk about them. Everybody still has favorites. So in you guys' opinion, what teams, and I'll say besides the Lakers and the Warriors, do you think have the best storylines, fun stories that's kind of made you tune in more because of what they've got going on in their team? Trista I'm gonna let you go first. Yeah I'll touch on it more. I think for me like we were gonna talk about this

last week which is a Coach of the Year race and you know Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland right now is sort of sealed up the Coach of the year race, and Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland right now is sort of sealed up the coach of the year race. But if you look at what Detroit was last year, the year before that, pretty much like, I don't know, for a long time, they've been cheeks. They had 14 wins last year, 17 wins the year before that. Last year they broke a record

for consecutive losses in a row. I mean, they're consistently the top lottery team in terms of odds to win number one. So they fire their GM, they fire their head coach. They've got the same young core, right? And then they add in Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris, and J.B. Bickerstaff gets fire from the Cavs

and comes onto the Detroit Pistons, and they are one game out of the four seat. So I think, and then the way they play is like bruising, like back alley, tough guy, basketball, like the old era that we like to see with guys like Isaiah alley, tough guy, basketball, like the old era that we like to see with guys like Isaiah Stewart, who got into it with LeBron James a couple of years ago. He's tough, like Jaylen Duran,

like and Cade Cunningham as a result has flourished. So I think they're just a fun watch. They can beat anybody on any given night. I can see them maybe upsetting somebody depending on the seed in the first round. They're a super fun story. I think they don't get nearly as much credit or coverage as they should get. I like that choice.

I like that choice of Detroit, especially like I said, everything I previously stated. Detroit is a fun city in itself. So when you got a team that's on a resurgent that have that kind of legacy of being a championship team and having some prominent years, it is excited to see a team get back that was away from that glory for so long. So I'm 100% in agreement with you on that. Detroit. Detroit and now Cleveland, definitely.

And now another team I think will be is an exciting story that we need to focus on more is the Houston Rockets, you know, the Houston Rockets being a team that looks like they're trying to do some things. And I and I like what you say his name again you doka. Yep. Yeah, I got it right. You don't see see what happened. You start winning more people know your name, they got it right. You don't see see what happened. You start winning more people know your name they get it, right

We didn't know Yannis name when he first started we just say who? Genesis whatever his name is, you know, he stopped balling out. We start knowing exactly That's on your cupo. Is that how you say it? No No, no. Oh yeah, Aunt Tecumpo, yeah. Aunt Tecumpo, yeah. I think Cam was calling Caleb Williams collab for the longest. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, collab, yeah. Super disrespectful. You know, that boy the Heisman,

he gonna kill it to my collab. What's his name? He's collab, collab. Cam, the man's name is Caleb. But he, you know, he didn't, you know, he didn't hit that radar yet. That was like the, the Key and Peele skit where they were like, where's D Nice in this bitch? Is D Nice here? She's like, my name's Denise.

Like, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They liked that, but hey, we know their names. I mean, I already knew their names, but now everybody knows their names. So it's good. Okay.

Last thing before we wrap. Y'all, we got to race. We don't have a specific date, but we have a timeframe. Tyreek Hill and Noah Lyles officially agreed to race. It will take place sometimes in the spring or the summer. This is after Tyreek Hill and Noah Lyles were going back and forth talking about that they would be able to race each other.

Noah Lyles said it would be a blowout, but Trista, in your opinion, who do you got winning? What do you think is gonna happen with this? Yo, I love Tyreek. I love him. I'm just gonna say this off rip. Tyreek, you're one of the Fastest like quick wide receivers we've ever seen in the game, but he's about to get smoked

He is going to get smoked like when you look at what Noah Lyles does I've I pull up some some times here Noah allow any good pro in the 60 meters runs under 660. Last year Ty Reek's time that he ran was 6-7. That's a smoke. Pause. If you look at what Noah Lyle did in the 40 time, his best time in the 40 is 3-3-4. That's insane. The best 40 in the NFL is 422, John Ross. I think, I don't know what this is about. I mean, they've had a lot of squabbling online and Tyreek thinks he's, I like the bravado. I like the ego. I like the confidence that Tyreek has,

but he's getting a little long in the tooth. He's not a young man now, Tyreek Hill. So I don't think- Long in the tooth? What is that? That's a Southern term, long in the tooth. He's not a young man now Tyreek Hill. So I don't think. Long in the tooth? What is that? That's a southern term. Long in the tooth. What is that? That's peach tea. It's sweet tea. I don't know. I think he's gonna get crushed. I think he's gonna get crushed. I don't know. He's getting a little older. That's what he's getting old. He's getting old.

He's got his ear hair coming out. Yeah, I think he's trying. I think he's just keeping his name in the fast family. You know, you know how people start to do what we're talking about this early. Attach your name to something hot by putting yourself in the conversation with them. You get what I'm saying? It's like a guy's saying right now, who's the best rapper, me, Kendrick, or Drake. He would, a young guy could say that right now. And people like, I didn't have you with Kendrick and Drake, but if he keeps saying it,

then people put them in that group. And ultimately he can get some juice from it, pause. But that's how people do it. They just link their name with what side. Honestly, couldn't have been better said, cause yes, at the end of the day, Noah Lyles is an Olympic champion y'all. Olympian, Olympian, you can't be better than that.

World champion. You're not touching that. But does that mean he's going to win? But does that mean he's going to win? Yes. So you're going against Lada. A little higher or lower, higher. Yes.

Shout out to Lada. You're going against Lada. I'm with the world. Like, oh my goodness. That you guys stop that you're going to get in Florida for an Olympic. That's that I'm sorry. It's how he goes. He's from Georgia.

So like yes, he's in Florida, but, oh, my goodness. He ain't from Pembroke Pines, he ain't from Tampa, he ain't from Jacksonville, he ain't from Orlando, he ain't from Weston Chapel, he ain't from what? Tallahassee. So you go against me, Stan. I'm from Jacksonville. No, no, no, no, no the that part. We know that. But yeah, Olympic champion. I'm over it. And then Noah Lyles, he's from Gainesville. So he's actually the real first. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. He on the line. He on the line, but we'll,

we'll let him be with us. Yeah. He said, I guess. Nah, he deserves it. He's definitely gonna win versus Tyree Kill. It'll be fun to see. I think when people argue, they should just do more competitive things either because honestly- Underdog, they need to make that. That part.

Tyree Kill versus, what's his name again? No Allows. No Allows, yeah. Go ahead and do LeBron versus Stephen A. They can do something. Go ahead and do Charles Barkley versus Kendrick Perkins. At this point, everybody want a verse? Yeah, yeah.

What took it? What would LeBron do versus Stephen A? I don't know. Give me dodgeball. I don't know. You're finishing bad like this. Give me everything. Give me dodgeball.

Give me, I don't know. Stephen A said he's been in the gym. He's been shooting. So he got some. Horse. Let them play horse against each other. That would be funny though. I would watch it. But anyways y'all, that's all the time that we have for today. Trista, pleasure to have you on the show. We appreciate you appreciate you the family thank y'all for watching!