IT IS WHAT IT IS - KAWHI & CLIPPERS DRAMA, MVP VS. RING DEBATE, THE KING TO THE 76ERS & WESTBROOK'S RETIREMENT

Episode Date: September 16, 2026

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

Welcome back to It Is What It is. I'm Treasure Wilson, aka Stat Baby, along with your host, Mace, and Cam. Killer, what's good, man? Murder, what's good, man? Yo, do you see that Scarface G-Rap and Ghostface freestyle? Yeah, that was crazy. Yeah, that sure was hot.

That sure was hot. That should be crazy. Shout out to some niggas, because you know why? Those are all people I grew up listening to. Yeah. Yeah, like they was out way before we was out. So, you know, just this. to see them spit that good at that age.

And I'm not putting the age on it. It ain't basketball. You ain't got to jump out the gym. You know what I'm saying? You actually should get better as you go along. You get a better vocabulary. You know, you know more about the world. You should rap, you should get better as you go along.

But, you know, I was very, very impressed with watching three people that I really grew up watching. It inspired me to want to want to rap. You know what I'm saying? You know, it was a long time before niggas got out of line when niggas was like, you know, Scarface is the king. And Scarface held that. To me, still for a long time. Very, very long time.

The king of the South was Scarface for a very, very long time. And then I remember, I remember actually being in school. You switch your king? Pardon me? You switch your king of the South? I don't have a king nowhere. I'm just, okay. Yeah, part of it.

I'm just telling me. Inside, I heard me switching my kid. It's just, you know, a lot of people started saying, you know, they started saying they was the king. Well, when your king is, I'm not knocking it. I don't have a king. McCafface definitely held that title for a long time as king of the south. And then I remember actually being in school and Wu-Tang Clan came out.

I'm like, who is these niggas? I remember being in front of what's the Fortunato, was that nigger name? In front of his store, niggas, playing it when you care, how the fuck is that? They're like the Wu-Tang Clan. And, you know, Metham Man ended up being like one of the biggest stars. But I'm like, I like that ghost-facing Rayquan, niggas. I like that, they popped off and then Bougy rap.

I was just telling church that I remember a lot of people don't notice because I had to go to speech therapy when I was young out of really bad lists. So, you know, I grew out of it as I was. I grew older, but when I first started rapping, I had a Lisp and Kooji Rap inspired me because he raps with a list. It was dope to see those guys get off, man. Pause. That's cool.

Love these background stories. Okay, so. You don't know nobody we're talking about that. Wu-Tang Clan? You know Ghost-Sage? No, I don't. No, I don't. You know Ghostface Killer?

I've heard the name. Because you know when you like know a name, but you don't know exactly where you're not. you seen it or heard it. Like, I feel like I would know something. That's when you really did something when people know your names and they don't know your face. Yeah, you know, I feel like there's a lot of scenarios like that. So, yes, I'll get back to you. But you really did something when they know both.

You got to. Our generation knows them too. But it's fair because it's, like I said, I love this because it's a lot of people that, you know, that's popular that I wouldn't know who they are. But then you've probably heard their songs or something before. but if you seen them, you would walk right past them and not even know. Yeah, absolutely, 100%. Yeah. You know, Scarface?

Of him, yes. But if I see him, he's laughing at you. If I see him, I don't know. I don't know. That's literally how to me. I won't even say names and they're going to get on me bad. There are people I met. I'm like, I literally know.

They're like, you don't know. Scarface. I do. The face. Yeah. Listen, my two. And I listen to the only just in case. My two, like they're not necessarily new,

but my two up-and-coming artists for 2026 and 27 that I think will take off nationally. Because, you know, they're already popping with that. That's one thing. You know, I was talking to my man Wallow, right? Shout to Walo. He said, y'all New York, niggas, it's crazy, man. I say what?

He said, not you, Kim. You know, you got it, you know. It's like, y'all niggas pop off in New York and just think, that's the world. Niggas don't hit 95 no more. don't go up to Maine, Boston, come down through Connecticut, in Virginia, Delaware, Philly. Y'all think it's a little thing because y'all in New York.

I said, yeah, you're right. But when you know that you're good when you're outside of New York, you know what I'm saying? Because a lot of people are, not just New York, a lot of people are good regionally or where they're from. But I think the two people, my opinion, is going to pop off nationally in the next year or so, if they're not already national.

So no disrespect if I'm a little late to the party. is stove god i like stove god cooks a lot and the other one is belly king cushionton i don't do yeah he's a fished fire yeah he's a black yeah he's not more than them niggins man he was black but again if you see him it would take me a now i know but yeah yeah yeah yeah bellie gang cushionton and stodgall those are my too that i like a lot i really want to know the backstory of how people. I asked you about you guys' names, but like how people think of their names because Belly Gang Cushington, like I just got so many questions, but that's a great point there. Okay, so of course we've been talking about football all week because we're right in the thick of

things and don't pause me because I realize as I said it, it don't matter. Yeah, you and Cam went crazy earlier, but I, you know, I've grown up. Oh, okay, this is, all right, new thing, he's grown up. Yeah, yeah, Cam said something crazy. I didn't want to repeat it. I didn't want to repeat it. I got a question. I got a question. Yeah, because you said, you ain't know you was on him.

I didn't know. This isn't from me. This is actually, this is actually from a friend of the show, Rich Paul. What up, Rich? I'm going to ask Mace this right now. This is from the front of the show, Rich Paul. I know Rich is not like, Rich Paul. I know.

Okay, okay. Remember that. This is from a good friend of this show, Rich Paul. I'll let that read it. Do you don't have to be one supposed to bottle one on the left? You can read. The bar? You can read the comment.

Okay. The whole text. Yeah. Do you think Mace wrote the bar first I hit, then you hit it? We get it back and split it? What could he possibly split it? Questions? No questions.

Oh, man. What are you splitting? Get it back and split it. Rich, Rich, Rich. That was a good one, Rich. You've grown up. For now. Situationalally.

Okay. Get it back and split it. Yeah, I don't know. Who wrote that? I just said yesterday. I'm going to say. Keep a track. Keep a track.

Oh, man. No commercial breaks, but I got you. We'll go to the next. I got you, base. Okay, we're going to get into some basketball. There was some breaking news, and then just a couple things that we haven't got to cover yet, that we definitely need to.

So the Clippers and the Raptors finally complete the trade, sending Kauai back to Toronto. So the trade was on hold due to ongoing investigations of the Clippers, allegedly evading the league salary cap while signing Quai to a three-year, $103 million free agent contract back in July 2019. So as a result of that investigation, the team forfeits five first-round picks. Owner Steve Balmer was fined $30 million and was suspended from all league and team activities for one year. President of Basketball Operations, Lawrence Frank, received a six-month suspension without pay.

Kauai was fined $700,000 by the league, and his uncle and business advisor was also banned. from engaging in any future business dealings with the NBA. A lot to read, a lot to unpack, Mace. What's your biggest takeaways from this and thoughts on the investigation as a whole? This investigation is really warranted. But I like the innovation. And before it became criminal, I like the idea of people thinking out of the box to actually find ways to pay players,

but not go illegal, right? So if this was legal, this was, this was, you know, innovative, an innovative way to pay people. But when it becomes illegal, then that's a problem. I think when you're thinking about somebody like Kauai, I think they were trying to do anything they can to get them back to the Raptors. When you look at, you know, the players that they trade it, it's so many storylines right here. And when it comes to this basketball trade, because he gets to go back home, which is, Toronto where he won the magical championship, hit the shot that bounced all the way in the sky and dropped.

No non-line stuff, I'm asking the question about what you said. Ain't home, LA, ain't the nigger from LA? Yeah, yeah. But you never forget where you won at, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's why you say Ohio. You know? 100%. You won in Ohio.

No, I agree. Wherever you turned up and a lot of things, you're going to, you're going to, you're things changed. That's the place that most people will see as a special place. I think Toronto to bring a championship to a country was phenomenal. And then when you think about, you know, what's the guy named Brandon, Ingram gets to go to L.A., back to L.A. where he started, it's a lot of storylines there. Glorilla in L.A. is going to be better for her. I know she's ecstatic about this. So it's so much going on here. And I think every, this is one of those trades. where everybody won.

But I'm not sure if it's just some bad usual when it comes to the Clippers because it looked like he's following the same path as the last former owner of this team. I wish him the best. I wish this team the best because I want to see the Clippers win before I lead the surf. The Clippers got a win. And who else? Who else got to win? Houston got a win.

The Rockets? The Texas. Okay. They're fairly new franchise. Texans. Yeah, I agree with what you said as far as, because it isn't just a city like in America. You want a title for a country.

So I could probably just go anywhere in Canada and be that nigger. I like the way the NBA handles things. Adam Silver is a little more lenient than David Stern. God bless to that. A little more lenient. But you got to mind your business,

you know. This had nothing to do with y'all, niggas, bro. How are you in my other business? Steve Bama, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, as the richest owner in the NBA. You can check it out, Stad, let me know. He worked for like $128 million. You know, the nigs

like Jerry Jones, this nigga Steve Bama. You think about this, how long the clip has been a franchise, right? Niggas say, yo, You're gonna be up in here with the Lakers and shit. Build me, you fix the form up. Make that shit crazy. I ain't got time to be in here with all this team champions.

Let's build our own shit. If I got, if, okay. $155 billion. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. He's the richest owner, right? Yeah, like way above. No, that's what I'm saying. Yeah.

Exactly. I know that. So first of all, that's two things, right? That $30 million for a whoop-de-do. It's not gonna really matter to him. You know what I'm saying? that's not a big deal. Yeah, they kick me out of the projects.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Next is, so to me, financially, none of this really matters to none. Why I got off with 700,000, bomber, 30 million. I didn't know, whoever, who's other person? His uncle. Yeah, his, basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, six months suspension without pay. Yeah, now you know what's going to happen? You know what's going to happen?

Because you know, you know, that may, I don't know how much he makes. But that may affect him if six months of pay. Now, I'm going to bring cash. Niggas is no paper trip. He's going to bring cash. That's what I'm saying. Yo, I'm playing minimal games with maximum niggins, pause. So I think they need to mind their business.

Look, let's say, for instance, right, we all employee right here. Let's just call us all employees. We work for somebody else. We work for Dave Kenner or whatever. I don't fucking. just making a name up. If a nigger asks us, and we can't do nothing in the studio, as far as sports is concerned.

But if Nick hit me and be like, yo, I know y'all should be getting paid more. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to hire you as a janitor this week and sweep the floors and I'm going to give you $30 million. That's what happened. That is. We're not interfering with.

what the is what it is. We not interfere with David, whatever name I say. All I'm doing is sweeping the floors for 30 million this week. This is none of this is what it is business. I can't speak. I can't sweep. That's what essentially happened. They paid him to do a job that was outside of basketball.

Steve Barma has mad companies. So one of his companies funded Kaua take a job. What happened is the employees that the company was hating, talking about I've been here for years. This nigga work two days and get $30 million. Now, you know what they, you know what they caught that shit? They don't like to use the word snitching. Whistleblowers.

Niggas try to use that word. Yo, it's a whistleblower. The niggas trying to go that route so it don't sound like telling. A whistleblower force. That's the word they choose to use. It's saying when this happens so it don't use the word telling or snitching. He's a whistleblower. I think the NBA going too far.

Don't be mad because my owner of my team got extra businesses, and he paid me to do janitorial work. Or whatever job they paid Kauai to do. I think this is none of NBA business personally. You got a salary cap, cool. I like Kauai. Pause, if I'm Cibaba. I want to give him some more money on the side with one of my other businesses.

I didn't break the rules. Yeah. You know, morally, you can sit there and say he broke the rules, whatever you want to say. So that's my opinion. I really think this is, how often are you going to, Let's think about this, right? We talk about the Cowboys, right? Year after year of people fighting Jerry Jones for their money.

Jerry don't want to pay this nigga. Jerry don't want to pay that nigga. Da-da-da-da-da-da. You got an owner willing to find a way to pay you. I think it's a miscarriage of justice all around the board. That's my personal opinion. I don't like it. And the last thing I say is this.

I don't like what Kawhi said neither. Kauai basically, if you could pull up his quote about this if you got a chance. I would love, I hope we could find it before I do my say. I want to actually read his quote on this situation if we could find it. Kauai released a statement like Kim said, I'm just going to read

it in full. So he said, integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am. I accept full responsibility for lapses and judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction. The situation has caused the fans and my family. I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question

in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone's part to circumvent the salary cap. For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter and moving forward with the clean slate. How you accept for? Yeah, I ain't like that.

How are you except for responsibility and them throw it on the nugga? That's not exactly. The people on my team. Yeah, so you threw your uncle under the bus. That's what I'm about to get to you. You said, you know, fam. How you respect responsibility and throw your uncle under the bus at the same time? I don't like it.

I don't like it, champ. Yeah. I ain't feeling that man. Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. Yeah, that's why I was like, I got to find a statement because when they first put the statement out, I'm like, how you accept the responsibility and then throw your uncle under the bus? And I didn't know the things that the people on my team did.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. And I'm going to go back on your team, but your uncle. I know that. Exactly. And I think it was crazy how, how your boy Adam Silver just, he wanted to make sure that the uncle can't work no more. I think that's crazy. If he can't work no more, then everybody should not be able to work no more.

Don't just single him out because he's the uncle. Right. That's another way to say because he's a nigger. Black. We honor you. We're on you, Adam, so you got a wide shot. All that niggins did was bust a deal. If that's the case, Steve Barmer shouldn't be an owner.

And I'm not, like I said, I think this is all bullshit, this whole case of suspension and all. I think it's all whack, but Mace is 100% correct. How he's supposed to get a lifetime suspension? Yeah, like he was caught with dope or something. Yeah. Crazy. So he was just moving around money. So just according to you guys' points and just hearing this whole thing, who do you guys

feel like just lost the most. Like you guys feel like it's the uncle or you feel like it's the uncle lost the most. The uncle lost the most. 700 from the uncle. I don't know his situation. I ain't counting his pockets. But if he's his uncle,

he comes. Well, 700 was fine by Kauai. So the uncle just banned from all future activities. Yeah. Yeah. He can't come back around. And that was his agent. And that was his agent.

You know? So if he can't make no more money, you're just going to take, why is he so comparable? for everything that's going on and not anybody else. I don't get that. I don't get that because he was the agent.

So he was the agent he went and got the money, but the guy gave him the money didn't know as well. This is not right. At all. At all. Okay, moving forward, let's just get to LeBron. Let's just get right to it because we didn't get to talk about it,

and I've been waiting to hear what y'all's thoughts are about it. So LeBron now with the Sixers, two years, $8 million deal, and we know Jalen Brown is now part of the Sixers' spam, too. They won't it all. How are we feeling, Ace? Is LeBron getting money off the court? No, let me stop.

See Rich fall, watch out. I ain't going to do it. See how things work around here. When the rabbit got the cut. Let me stop. Let me stop. I think this is a great move for LeBron to continue his legacy, the way he's continued his legacy.

I think this gives him his best chance to win his fifth and stellar championship ring. I mean, it won't count for guys like me. Let's just go ahead and tell you right now. It won't count for guys like me. It just won't. Title Town won't accept it. We won't accept it. it. It's like writing a paper

in AI. We won't accept it. You know that's right. Statt, they don't accept papers in AI in college, no one. So this would be like getting a paper and you wrote a but AI is all in it. We just can't accept it. It counts for me.

I'm going to count it. Yeah. That's if you could get away with it. I don't know. I don't understand what the problem is. Nobody on the Knicks is from the Knicks originally. That's true.

Not one person. It happens. Offseason people make moves, man. So are they going to win at all? To me, the Knicks are still a favorite. It's like this. What are you getting? The key factor to me is this.

Is what are you getting out of Joe L&B? That's what matters. So is LeBron going to put that battery in the back? Like, we're going to devil, nigger. You ain't been the devil in twill. 12 years, we go into Denver, nigga. You got to get them to go to Denver. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

But what I will say is this, the healthiest that we ever seen, that we ever seen Anthony Davis was the year they won the championship. And to me, that was LeBron. Not saying he wasn't hurt after the championship with LeBron, but LeBron motivated him, you know what I'm saying? To me, I can't say and talk about people's health. I'm just talking about from the outside looking at. That's what it looked like.

You got the best out of Anthony Davis ever where he was with LeBron James. Is LeBron going to be able to get that from Joel and B. Joel and B has free injuries. Appendicitis and wild shit didn't even have to do with basketball last year right before the playoffs. So my opinion is this. I'm going with the Knicks is the favorite. I'm putting Philly paws right behind the Knicks. But the Knicks, you know, Knicks are half.

You know, when you look at a team, you got the players don't like this player. This player don't like the play. You don't like the play. You don't like management. You don't like the owner. It's just always a problem, right? It's just nothing goes smooth. I was sitting there thinking, right?

I'm talking about music, probably for shifting in a minute. Yeah. I think the only group in history, and they, I'm pretty sure that had a problem behind the scenes, but I'm talking about publicly, is the locks that never had a problem. Like, in the history of history. of rap music, even on B, it's always hard to manage personalities. It's not easy managing personalities. Sometimes you gotta dumb your shit down.

Sometimes you gotta bring your shit. It's hard to manage a lot of personalities. I always said that about Rockefeller, reason Rockefeller, I said, you got Brooklyn niggas, you got Harlem niggas, you got Philly. There's a lot of personalities under one umbrella. You know what I'm saying? That's not easy.

So I think that, you know, looking at practice, Watching Philadelphia practice, I think everybody understands the assignment. The assignment is to win a championship. Do you all think about this? You got an all-star with Jalen Brown. You got an all-star with Tyrese Maxie. You got an all-star with Joe L-N-B. You got an all-star with LeBron James.

You have a finals MVP four times with LeBron James. You have a finals MVP with Jalen Brown. You have a league MVP with LeBron James and Joe L-L-M-B. It is a lot of accolades over there. Tyrese Maxie as well, All-Star. Just a lot of accolades over there. How's it going to measure? How's it going to fit in?

I know LeBron is able to fit in wherever pause because, like he would say, at the end of the last season, he said, I never played in my life. It was a third option. But I had to do it, and I did it. And it was time for him to step up, he stepped up. But to me, the Knicks looked like they're enjoying life. It looked like they understand that Jalen Brunson is the man. It looks like they understand that.

this is what we're going to get out of our other players from night in and night out. The one key component that I will say is that they're missing Mitchell Robertson, which I thought was really, really helpful, winning that championship. But picking up Andre Drummond isn't bad at all either. Nix is still my favorite in the East. Philly, their success to me depends on Joe Lombie. Yeah, I think this team, I wanted to see this team without, no, this has nothing. to do it, man, you, Rich Paul.

I just didn't want to see LeBron with this team because I wanted to see what Jalen Brown would have done as the leader of this team. But this is going to be really interesting because I don't think Jalen Brown wants to play second to LeBron. I don't think LeBron minds being second or third. Or for my opinion.

I think he's been trying to hand the keys over for a minute to Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. was never healthy enough to drive the car. I think that he let Luca, when he got there last year, basically take over, but I don't think that chemistry is right for what's going on in the Western Conference. You know, when you talk about the West, right? Yeah.

OKC's probably coming back with Avengers. They probably coming back with... OKC going to be on one. Yeah, they got an attitude. Especially, they probably feel like they should have beat the Spurs, but Jay Doug was healthy. Mitchell got hurt, wasn't healthy, pardon me,

Mitchell got hurt during the playoffs. And then they probably feel like we would have beat the next. That's the OKC's probably feeling. You know, you had Wimby summons them niggas to come to Paris this summer for three, four weeks for a month. Yeah, he ain't like how they made him look. Yeah, so he said, yo, yo, you, if niggas is, niggas, niggas serious, come here.

If you're not serious, we're going to see. how this plays out in the season because I'm not, I'm put a bad name in for y'all, niggas. So some of the spurs went out to Paris. People talk about LeBron possibly being on Golda State. I don't see anything, you know, maybe we could talk about what Minnesota has going on. You know, they have some key pieces over there as well. You got Mello. You got Mellow going to be must-see TV. Yeah, you got Mello, you got Kaminga, you got Ant Man, and you got a formidable Senator.

Rudy Goldberg, you got a decent front line. Right. Outside of that, what do you see Mace in the West besides the Spurs, OKC and right behind those, them poises, Minnesota? Do you see anything else in the West? Hmm. What we say? I actually think Golden State because when Porzengis is healthy, you put a healthy

porosengis with stuff that might be. When is he healthy? I mean, if he's healthy this season, you said it could be, you know. What you want me to say? Is it Sacramento? No, I was going to, no, no, I'm saying. I agree with you with.

He's healthy. We haven't seen a thing healthy in a long time. I was going to say Fred Van Fleet is back in Houston. They didn't have a point guard all last year. So maybe Houston, I would put in them top four with them, with them other three teams and make that the fourth team. but they didn't look, they looked so bad in the playoffs that people kind of forgot about them. But they didn't have a point guard all season.

Yeah, there's a lot of people coming back this year. You got Halliburton coming back. You got, you got, Kariq coming back. You got a lot of people coming back that got to make a point. Kariq got to make a point. Halliburton got to make a point. So this season is going to be really interesting. Also, real quick, to add on back to the east.

I got to see their bench, but Miami's looking decent as well, statins. I would have put Miami over the Sixers. You put Miami over Sixers? I don't know about that. I think that they're really good. I think that they need a shooter

so they went and got Clay Thompson. We'll see what Clayton. Yeah, I think that Clay Thompson will see how he does Megan Free. You know what I'm saying? Megan Free is, wow. I'm just saying. He didn't play good.

with these with him just being honest. It'd be like that. You know what I'm saying? He didn't play well. I'm not dissing him with nothing. She already got a new nigger. So it ain't like she's out here depressed or nothing. I'm just saying it didn't work out and he didn't play good.

So I was saying maybe he concentrated. Dallas wasn't the place for him. You might have a good new scenery. Maybe we'll see glimpses of Golden State Clay Thompson. I think they got Tim Hardaway over there. If I'm not, yeah, Tim Hardaway. at some Hardaway. You know, to me, they may have the best front court in basketball.

Yeah. When you talk about Bam, when you talk about the Greek freak and Bobby Portis. That's why I said I put them over the Sixers because, God forbid, but if Joel Embed is not there, then this Miami team may be a problem for the Sixers. Just match up wise, because when you, you think about Janus, they don't got nobody that could guard Janus. Not with Bam. If Bam is playing good, they don't have nobody that could guard Janus.

I think LeBron gets in foul trouble. Even Jalen Brown, I love Jalen Brown Paws, but he'll be too small for Janus. But you said this after I said it, makes sense. What? I said Miami, and then you're like, oh, yeah, Miami. I said I got Miami over the Sixers. But you didn't even bring him up. Yeah, because I was waiting.

Duh. I can't buy you all my shot. Yeah, you know, Atlanta is a carry state. You got to count your shot. All right. Yeah, we'll see. I don't know that they bench look like neither, but yeah, Miami, Miami, Philly and the Knicks,

but I really got Knicks because of chemistry and everybody knowing their role at the top and to go back to the champion. Japanese. But we'll see. It's going to be a very exciting season. Also, that's the first game of the season, I think. Who you got in that game? Sixers, yeah. Sixth, Knicks or Sixers? Yeah. Ring ceremony.

LeBron got to, when they're doing it, LeBron and Jalen Brown got to be in the other niggas here, like, see what things. Just what it's about. This is what it's about next year. That's what you want. Yeah, that's what you want. You know what I'm saying? You got to instill that in them. they're mad. But to me, the way LeBron is the X-Factor.

He has to motivate them niggas. The way Jalen Brunson paused ran through everybody in the playoffs, you know, they didn't get the chance to play Boston, but Boston Lawson

didn't make it there. Disrespectful of Tyrese Max. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I don't want to hear that Tyree. Listen, we was on this show and we forced to apologize, or at least I was.

Forced to apologize. We talked about y'all. He's too small. I watched when they played Cleveland. It's going to be a different story. James Hardin, it's that third, Donovan Mitchell. Everybody, and it wasn't even close. He violated.

He violated. Yeah, he violated. He violated everybody. And I have nothing I can say, but I was a thousand percent wrong. Nothing I could say. And not just me. There's a lot of people. But like May said, them niggas violated me.

They lost them two games to Atlanta and only lost one game to the Spurs. And he was just disrespectful. to everybody. So to me, Tyrese Maxie, because when we're talking about who's going on that first game, somebody bad to do something. And it looked like nobody could do nothing last year.

Nobody, including Wembe and whoever else you want to talk about. Yeah, this season's definitely going to be a must-see TV. I'm super excited for Miami. I don't know how the Clay Thompson dynamic was going to be with all of them just because, like, how we saw him play previously. And I know you said the Megan problem, but just in general,

I'm not sure, but they've been doing a lot of team bonding and I think it will translate hopefully well on the court. But as far as the Sixers, I don't even think the issue is even just with injuries with specifically M.B. Like I'm a little bit nervous. Like obviously LeBron stays healthy most of the time, but I know he's probably not going to be playing nearly as many minutes. And then Maxi had some injuries a little bit here and there as well.

So I don't know. I still have the Knicks at the top, obviously, regarding that they just won. But I know they've got to be irritated. I'm like, how come we win? And then now you're going to bring LeBron over here. And you got all these things. moving on on the East. I'm being honest with you.

I've never seen so many, you know, because you know everybody hate me about the name. I've never seen so many champions worried. Oh, now niggas want to build super teams. But exactly. No, it's what happens. That's what happens. I know edgecombe is not filling this.

That's the only one I think is like this is a bad scenario for him. You know, he was already. you know, beginning to step up as a rookie. Yeah. Having a look like he was going to have a breakout career. Yeah. Now LeBron coming here is like, they're probably trying to get rid of him, though. I really don't believe LeBron is a problem, bro.

That man fits in-paws. He passes the ball. If anybody is Jalen Brown, if born in LeBron. Stad. It's the truth. It's the truth. I can't let you all do that. He's super good.

But it's the truth. It's the truth. Like, LeBron is not a selfish nigger. LeBron is, like, about to be the assist leader. If he's not the assist leader, right? We already know he's the scoring leader. The niggins top three and six. He thinks pass first before score.

That's why people be like, he ain't no joy. And he ain't know Kobe. Them niggas is killers. But LeBron is one of them, I'm going to make the right basketball play-ass niggas. Where, as opposed to Kobe and Michael Jordan is like, the right player is always me shooting. No matter what, that's the right basketball play.

So I think LeBron is going to make the same. But Jalen Brown, I think he wants to be the man, which I think that LeBron will let him be the man. I think it's more about Joel M.B. and Jalen Brown than LeBron stepping on anybody told. Joel and B might be like, you missed the whole process, nigga. Oh, yeah, I don't mean like LeBron is a problem in that way. I mean, like, you know how.

If you're a smaller guard and somebody, and let's say Ben Simmons when he was super hot, he now wants to play the point. Where does that put you at 5, 10? Where does that put you at 6'1? You're off the court. That's what I meant. Okay. I get what you saying, but I just think that's a great start.

So if you think about this starting five, Tyrese Maxie, Edgecom, LeBron, Jalen Brown, and Jarlene B. That's perfect. It's a solid five. I really, and then like Stats said, if you look at their practices, they niggins, they really in tune. They really, they look like, that's what I'm saying, that's why you can't try it.

We just talking about that other day. You can't always trust the highlights because the highlights for practice. There's no mess up. You don't miss it in the highlight. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I never, you know, I play, like I said, I play back, I've never seen this workout before.

This workout was really dope. It's like three or four of them on the court and they run in four nigs playing defense and they get into the basket and soon as they score, another four niggas come on to guard them. Then the other four niggas get off and back to back for like eight minutes

and you got to shoot in 24 seconds every time as high speed, it's really dope. But what do you think about this, right? LeBron's power amongst the league still to this day. When I say that, right, they can even do the NBA schedule until he picked the team. You know how much power that is?

You know, my nigga, I don't run the NBA. Y'all gonna cut me in on this? Stop rushing me to make a decision. Niggas did not even start to pick through the schedule until you picked the team. Because now they think about everything they did. LeBron first night against the Knicks. Not only that, they had to get the Christmas schedule

because what's been going on is this. And this, you know, me and Simmon argue about this because I don't know why he thinks this, but basketball was my first sport before anything. I love football as well, love it. I'm just a basketball player when I used to play sports. So Roger Goodell is like some greedy nigger. I never seen nothing like it.

I love my, yo, bro. This man comes in and says, yo, we got Sundays, we got Mondays and Thursdays. As a matter of fact, this year, we're going to start on a Wednesday, then do a Thursday game, and then do Sunday and Monday on top of that. For years, the NFL had Thanksgiving. That was their day. So two years ago, they were like, NBA don't really own Christmas.

They don't own it, on it. You know what I'm saying? And then when you go to the ratings and look at the ratings for NBA versus NFL, the NFL kick. The NBA ass and ratings, bad. And last year, I don't forget, I think Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson was supposed to play.

I think they was hurt. Whatever it was, niggas was hurt, and the games wasn't even that good. And they still won by a lot in the ratings. So this year, you can pull up the Christmas games. So now, Sen is telling me, and I'm asking you, your opinion, or both of you guys, these games, they, Adam Silver set up on Christmas, is crazy. It's crazy, man. Do you think the NFL will still win, which I do?

Because it's just America's sport. But these games are crazy, and if they do win, do you still think it's going to be a large margin? So who's the Christmas game stack? Real quick. Because it's crazy. First of all, it's a rematch of the championship. You got LeBron versus Bronie. You know, the storylines is crazy.

The Davis, the – Yeah. So, yeah, the Christmas game is Spurs, Knicks, Sixers, Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Heat Celtics, Thunder, Timberwolves. Hmm. Yeah. Must be. Thunder, Timberwolves? Yeah.

So you start a slow-win-gimmer, quick? Yeah. Spurs, Knicks, Sixers, Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Heat, Celtics, and Thunder Timberwolves. Yeah, it's late. Smooth. Yeah, they won't win that again. Yeah, you think that. So you're thinking the NBA will win?

Yeah, the NBA will win. You want back? I can read the NFL ones, too. Yeah, read the NFL. Yeah. NFL's, Packers, Bears, Bears, Bills, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks. Oh, yeah. Who do you think are going to win?

NBA ain't going to win that. I can't hear him. He said NFL is going to quadruple the NBA. Yo, it's like that, bro. Yeah, they might need to swap out this Denver game. The Denver and Golden State, I don't know nobody wants to see that. The only way that can work murder, Mason. Yeah.

Is if Michael Joyne come back playing like 91. You know, pull up the ratings from the first year. And put this 2025, pull up 2023 NBA versus... Lakers versus Philly. Yeah, they go on Braun against Brian. That's what I'm telling you. That's a good game. Yeah, then you got the rematch of the chip.

Because you get to have Braun have the ball. They got to let Bronte play that game. Just the guard is that. Yeah, the God of them. The one-on-one is going to be crazy. Then you got the rematch of the championship. Then you got the Joker against, Who is that stuff carrying them?

It's a really, you know, that lineup is dope, but the point being is you had to wait for LeBron to make the decision on where he want to go. Yeah, it makes sense, though. And Nick, I'll read, well, I'll say what Nick's point was.

I'll put Golden State versus Detroit. Versus the Pistons? Basically, I kind of... More than the nuggets? Nah, no, bro. Yo, we talked about Star Power, You got to go star power. It ain't the joker's star.

Bigger than them cake out of hair. Basically, and I'm going to just read this. So the highest or most watched NBA Christmas game ever was 2004, which was Heat versus Lakers, which averaged 13.1 million. Yeah, I remember that game. Ever. Ever, 13, ever. That was Wade versus Kobe.

Yeah. Yeah, I remember that game. Shack, like everybody. It was lit. So I see why too, especially Nick made a point he was saying those NFL games are mattering a lot more as we're getting down to the weeks as opposed to the NBA Christmas game. So there's kind of like the difference there. But it still doesn't mean people aren't going to watch. So, okay, that's the most watch ever.

What was 2023? Yeah, 2020. Oh, pardon me, 2020. It's 2024. Okay. Christmas game. Yeah, yeah. 24.

Okay. Um, 2024 Christmas. It was Chief Steelers, Ravens, Texans. It was about 24.3 million, around 65 million total. NBA, 2024, Lakers, Warriors, 7.7 million, Spurs, Thunder, Cavs, Nicks, Mazz Warriors, Rockets, Lakers, Timberwolves, Nuggets. What's the totals, man? Oh, okay. Average 5.25 million for NBA, 65 million for NFL.

This is what I'm saying. It's not even like, it's not even like it's not even like it's. It's some close shit, you know what I'm saying? That's crazy. Yeah, it's not close. So this year, this is a great lineup. I can't wait to see the ratings.

I can't. Yeah, it ain't going to be that much. Same thing I'm against basketball because he mad at me because I want to get the math. Now I'm against basketball on whatever. But don't get mad me. Get mad at the nigger Roger Goodell. The niggas say, yo, that nigga Pat McAfee,

shout to my nigga, Pat McAfee. Pat McAfee say, yo, NBA. He said, he's on this show, he said, yo, look, I'm gonna be honest with y'all. It's clear Christmas Eve, the whole Christmas Eve is yours. You got to talk. He said you might start needing to look into that. Because the last two years been crazy. You have to a whole Christmas Eve, nobody doing nothing.

Switch it over. Because Roger Goodell talking about, yo, y'all ain't the only nigga who can sell crack out here? This ain't sure to say, really even y'all block like that. Who made it, a chunk? Man, matter of fact, we out here. And on Christmas, everybody. home so they want that they want that celebration but christmas eve ain't bad yeah that's what night's say yeah yeah yeah new years is college chip yeah yeah yeah christmas eve is wild open so so like football

like and this is like i don't even think it's available football is just the biggest sport in the u.s regardless and i think it always will be no matter how many viewers no matter what you're trying to switch up like i feel like everybody's watching football and that's also due to there's not as many games that you have to keep up with and watch. Like, NBA has the bigger superstars, but football, everybody's watching it. And not only that, football is like, I'm not going to say drama, but it gives you, it gives you a week to be mad or happy. Yes.

Like, you know how we be up here with each other team, like, you know, Raby you're talking about she ain't mad at week one. Yes, she was. Yes, she was. You're mad, and you're still mad on a Wednesday. You're mad. Until the next game, you're going to be. in a field whatever way you felt about last game.

I know niggas, you'd be like, I ain't even watch motherfucking y'all today. I ain't got time for y'all to be dissing my motherfucking cowboy, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. You know what I mean? So some people don't even watch any sports when their team loses in football, man.

Yeah, that's fair. Okay, great discussion there. We're going to go to break. When we return, we will discuss, is MVP more important than a championship? That's my question. She called his thing about. Welcome

Got you feeling like an option Maybe I'm my own problem big She's tired of hearing I don't know What's stubborn in me won't fall Oh trust But she really thinking about

She won't walk away I wish somebody told me the rules Disagreements let her win And it's cool Even when I'm race Welcome back There's a big debate going on right now, and I'm going to read both sides. So when asked what carries more weight, Tracy McGrady says the MVP of the regular season has more weight than a championship.

He basically said, name the 10th or 11 player on the Bulls or Lakers or Pistons former championship teams. The argument was that nobody really knows who they are and their legacy would be better with an MVP title. So Imman Chal, he came back. He didn't like that. He said, this is why he didn't get out the first round. And he said, you can't say stuff like that. We got kids and you don't get to teach my kids that winning doesn't matter. And he emphasized that winning should be the only reason you're supposed to touch the hardwood.

Mace, what's your opinion? That was crazy. Touch the hardwood? Yeah, the hard, yeah. I'm like, I don't get it. But on another note, check this out. I kind of agree with Shumper, right? I mean, but most people would say you're going to say,

say that because you couldn't win an MVP. And then the opposite argument is you're saying that because you didn't win a championship. In a perfect world, you want to win the championship and get MVP. You know, I mean, the guys that are really, really like that, they get the MVP and the championship. So, you know, let that just sink in a little bit, you know, the guys who are really, really like that. the D. Wade's, the Kobe Bryant's, the Michael Jones, right, the LeBron James, the Stephen Curry's, the Kevin Durantz.

I mean, did Stephen Curry get MVP one year? Twice. Yeah. So the guys that are like that, they get the MVP in the championship. Kauai, you know, come on, man. It's like, it's guys that are really, really like that. And I think, you know, I get what Tracy McGrady was saying, but I, I agree. read more with what Shumper was saying.

I mean, and when you think about it, this guy, he played his heart out on that Cleveland team. So he got some stake invested in that. But when it all comes down to it, winning his first. Yeah. Winning his first? If you ain't got no chip, you're going to say. T-Mack's my dudes, so I'm trying to pick my words by that's my knicker.

But we got to win. Lamar Shepard. It's right. Ramon Shep is my nigga, too. Both of these niggas is my niggas. But you play the win. You play the win. And it almost sounds selfish on T-Mex part

when the way he says it, it comes across selfish. Nigger, they remember me. They don't remember Purdue on the Bulls. You know what I'm saying? I can't even remember Purdue first name, but I'm just saying. Will Purdue? Will Purdue, you know what I'm saying?

You just remember Will. Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. Will went in the White House. Yeah, exactly. Champs going to White House. Right. So the way T-Mack says it, it comes across, seeming selfish.

And I know he didn't mean it that way. I'm just telling you how it comes across, but you get on the floor to win. You know, T-Mack had done some amazing things individually. Yeah. But you got to think about this, too. Team Mac is somebody, let me see you real quick, because I had it. up earlier. But let's just think about this.

Team Mac was a great player. A lot of injuries, I think he would have been really, really, really good without the injuries, man. He barely, really good anyway. But you got bounced around too a little bit for his TMAC. You know what I'm saying? It wasn't like, we're going to stick with you

throughout your career. You know, some players no matter what, they'd be like, nah, we're going to figure it out with them. You know, Team Mac, some people may not even notice. CMA, of course, we He played for Toronto and Orlando Magic in Houston. We know that. That's the T-Mack that we know.

I don't even remember really the T-Mack with the Knicks or the Detroit Pistons or the Atlanta Hawks. Team-Mack play with the Hawks? That's what I'm saying. He played. Yeah. I only remember the glory years. Right, exactly. Then and then...

And T-Mack was special, though. Paul's real. He liked that, bro. Yeah, T-Mack was definitely. especially, so I'm definitely not taking anything away from T-Mack. I mean, definitely. The Quondio Eagles, I don't know where the Quondio Eagles is at. I'm going to look, now I've got to see where they're at.

He went to China, so that's in China. Pardon me if I pronounced that wrong. And then he played with the Spurs. So T-Mack had three, you know, with the 97 to probably 2010, which is a long, long time to play at a high level. But you played the Spurs last year. That's what I'm saying. So you wanted to play.

You wanted to win too, T-Mack. It just didn't happen. You know. He's saying when he went to the Spurs, he's thinking he was going. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You wanted to win too. But it just didn't happen.

And like I said, T-Mack, my brother, I don't mean no disrespect whatsoever. I'm just giving my opinion on the side. but I'm gonna go with him on, Shepherd. You play the game, you get on the court to win. I remember when we used to, when we played in high school and shit, and we, you know, if you're up 20, 30 points, whatever it was, we would be up, and it's two minutes left, three minutes left.

You know how excited them players used to be. That run on the court? They run into the joint taking these four more, because they're happy to be in for them two, three minutes, you know what I'm saying? So it matters, man. And I love, that's why I love the dynamic of, sorry, and I wrap it up on this. I love the dynamic of inside the NBA. Because you got Charles Barkley, you got Shaquille O'Neal, and you have Kenny Smith, right?

Dynamic is so fly because you can tell their friends, you know, they talk shit about each other, tell them they can shut the fuck up, all types of shit. Dude, that's their friendship. But when it comes down to Acculades, right? Look at the accolades. They'll talk about, yo, Charles Barker, like, you know, to win the championship. You got to do this at third.

And Shack would be like, you don't know nothing about that. Me and Kenny won back-to-back championship. Please stay out. You know, on the championship talk, let us do that. But it's time to be championship talk. And then Kenny Smith would be like, you know, when you got to win a league MVP, and they be like, Kenny, you don't know about winning MVP.

We won't league MVP. So let us talk about League MVP. That's why the dynamic of that show is so dope. Now, outside of them being friends and they don't get offended by what the other people say. The accolades and they, you know, they have resumes to talk about certain shit. I wish that all athletes would like that. Yeah, man. Yeah, if he would take stuff too personal, you can't even have fun.

Yeah. And I want to just like circle back because I know he said the wording. He basically said holds more weight. Do you think maybe one is more memorable or you just think across the board? award like the ring is always just going to be more important. The ring, the ring is always going to be more important. I mean, but it's not bad to win an MVP. I mean, that's second.

To me, that's second. It's not first, but it's definitely the best second you can get. If you think about, if you think about if you was the league MVP, that mean, you feel like you, I mean, you were better than everybody in the league. That's how you, that's how you carry that, right? So when you're walking in that kind of aura, you're walking in that kind of respect, that does go a long way. But when it's all said and done, you want to pop champagne at the championship, right? You want to add a goggles on.

You want them spraying the room with the champagne, you know, with the confetti falling on your hat. You want to know what that feels like. Pause. If you've never seen that, if you never won on the highest level. I think you want that in anything you're doing life. Okay. And then actually we didn't get to talk about this player either. Let's discuss another league MVP who I wish was able to get a ring.

Russell Westbrook. So he announced his retirement over this summer. Mace, what did you think of his decision? Do you think it was time? You think he had more in him. What do we think? Think you have more in them that's crazy. Yeah, all day.

I just, you know. You and Cam been bugging the day for it. I got more text. I'm trying to bash it out over this season. I'm sorry. I have more of sight for people. I'm trying to, I'm trying to ration it out over the season.

If you want, we can start right now. More stuff in my phone. I'm trying to, I'm telling you that now, this is what I'm talking about. One more time, I'm telling you.

I'm going to let stat read them so you know this is any from me. I got them all lined up. I'm telling you this now is not for me. I'm trying to be, you just started this week. You got Marlon Wayne. I got all type of people who want to know. I'm telling you.

I'm telling you. Marlon Wayne is wild. I'll see, I'll see what you're doing. I'll make some calls. I'm trying to be easy for it, man. Yeah, oh, Molly Wayne. Marlon, come on. What is going on?

This is crazy. Yeah, man. You didn't want to answer the question more. Yeah, when it comes to Westbrook, I just really think Westbrook can at least, he could at least went back to OKC and played his last year to the OKC. I know they're probably thinking about giving Russ

a 10-day contract or a one-day contract just so he could retire as an OKC, you know, done the player, but I think Russ could have definitely joined that team. And that would have been so beautiful to see him win this year with O KC. I thought that would be a better way to go out. First of all, congratulations to Russell Westbrook on a sensational career. He never cheated niggas. Yeah.

He never cheated niggas, man, ever, man. And this is a nigger that was playing. I remember him and Patrick Beverly got to, like, like Patrick Beverly Fowdom, he played a game with two with a broke ankle or a wrist. He didn't even know his shit was broke, Paul. So somebody we seen when Nipsey Hustledad actually go out there and had the physicality to say, I'm going to get 20 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists, like, and said this is what I'm going to do tonight.

For the 60s, you know what I'm saying? Like, who said that? You know what I'm saying? And it's sad because he never. cheated. Every team he went to after OKC, even with OKC, he gave 120% and it just never worked out where he went.

But you can't say this man cheated game. He came with 120% every night. I wish he could have got it done somewhere. I really was rooting for him. But it got to the point where he made a lot of money. And I think he was like, when niggas is not going to do is keep playing my name. I leave before niggas start playing my name. I think a nigga might have offered.

them a bummack. I don't know the bond of the season. I'm speculating. They might have offered them a bone-mast contract. You got to think about when he went to the Lakers, niggins hitting them in the crowd. They called him Russell Westbrook to where he had to go run down on him to get in the crowd. Like, yeah, what'd you say and then they stopped and please? So it just got to a point where they're like, yo, you know, I tried to make it happen with Denver, even took less money, went to Sacramento. Didn't happen when I tried to reunite with Houston. Um, and it's just sad because that man, Never.

It's a lot of niggas who cheat. Cheated. It's a lot of niggas who sit there and be like low men and be poised. Oh, I'm hurt. I don't feel like playing. That man gave his effort every night he got on that floor. So I just want to say congratulations to him. Salute on the career and just let you know your work wasn't unrecognized.

Pause, man. Congratulations on the spectacular career. Yeah. Russell Westbrook, I mean, in many years, he led the league in triple doubles. So that was crazy. I think watching him dominate the game from that perspective, right? Like, it seemed like he was going out there, just getting a triple double whenever he wanted to for a whole season. I think he passed even, what was that, Oscar Robinson.

And then when I remember when Katie went to Golden State, that's when I really started really liking Russell Westbrook when he started going against Katie. because he would always remind KD that you traded on us and all of that. So it was even interesting to watch online how KD was talking about Russell and his retirement. So that lets you know that he meant a lot even to a lot of great players. Yeah, for sure. Super, super dope player. I know Kams said he doesn't have a king, but literally to me, he was a triple double king, 18 year career.

He had an MVP. So shout out to Russ for real. And at least he's like chilling. I saw him and Chris Paul on a boat. massive yacht just having a time like talking about i guess the old days which is crazy to think because it's not the old days but i guess technically now it is but shout out to him and he over and he was and he represent the overachievers like when he came out of high school he wasn't you know promoted on the highest level went to UCLA turned that program up you know even though it is UCLA but he did

this thing and then you know nobody expected russell westbrook to be this great but he did a remarkable job. The odds do numbers, then remain humble. That's a quote. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, y'all, that is all the time that we have for today. Thank y'all for watching.

And as always, it is what it is.