IT IS WHAT IT IS - THIS IS THE PAUL GEORGE WE WANT TO SEE & WAIT WHAT DID JADEN IVEY SAY?!

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

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

Welcome back to It Is What It Is. I'm Treasier Wilson, aka Stat Baby, along with your host, Mace, and Cam. Killer, what's going on? How you doing, man? I'm good. Murder, what's good? How are you today, bro? Really, really good.

You stat, how you doing? I'm great. That's good. You got your leopard on. Yeah. Well, this is Cheetah, I think. Oh, a cheetah. I think so.

I think leopard's a little bit different. We like cheetah. I like animal prints. looks cool personally okay so Tracy McGrady spoke on why older players constantly criticize

modern NBA players he said it's the money did you realize in the 90s Reggie Miller and Michael they were only making two to three million and they were the top guys it's the money so Mace do you agree with Tracy McGrady do you think he's right and does it change how you view

players currently knowing how much money that they're actually getting Not really. When I first started, you know, everything I understood it, how I understood it at the time. Now that I look at it, I think we're just in a different day, like to hold somebody to older standards without them being in that time, let alone growing up in that time. I think it's going to be hard to hold somebody to something they don't know about, right? Many times we get on here and we ask you questions. You don't even know about these things. These things are paramount to us. They're consistent to us. They're in our DNA, but they're not in your DNA. And if something is not there, Paul's, it's just, it's just Asinon and I think they would even know where to start with it. Yeah, I think it's a little bit of both.

I agree with Mason and I agree with Tracy McGrady, actually. Mace made a great point right there, but I think to Tracy McGrady's point, older players are probably like, man, you know what I would have did for my fucking 111 million? a year. I think that's where he's coming from when he says that because he's correct. You think about that. Michael Jordan was talking about how he was getting $30 million only on his last few years when he's doing one-year contracts.

And they was playing all 82 games or at least playing 90% of the season. So they sit there and say, look at all this money these players are making. And then they say, man, we was doing this for a fraction of what they're making today. So maybe that's where the hate is coming from. But I think that Tracy McGrady is trying to explain because the way Tracy McGrady said it, it didn't look like he was one of the people hating. He looked like he was one of the people saying why they're hating.

And the reason that they're hating is because they're getting a fraction of the money that players are making the day. It wasn't any low management. It wasn't all the private jets and flying around and staying in luxurious hotels that players are getting the day and they're getting the money. And to Mesa's point, oh well that ain't our fault

and it's not our fault that our birth certificate is not the same time as your birth certificate you know what I'm saying like you gotta realize every it happens constantly

generation to generation we had to hear shit that our parents or grandparents did that we'd be like oh my God I'm tired of him I know sometime when we ask that

I just do it for our audience I know stat should know some of the shit that we asked But, you know, it's kind of ridiculous that soon we get mad at Statt for not knowing Webster. I find it crazy that Sing is mad that Statt doesn't know who Webster is

because Webster was 1984. Like, Webster was 18 years old before Statt. How would she know who Wester is? He got mad she didn't know Alf. How would she know Elf, my nigga? So, yo, you got a TV, right? Statt don't watch TV. Yeah.

I don't know where she would go to watch Alf. And when I'm thinking about this, honestly, you know, Will Chamberlain was making about $75,000 when he scored 100 points. He wasn't even making 100 bands when he scored 100 points. And he didn't even have the three-point line. So this is crazy. They bumped his salary up to $100,000 after he scored 100. So this is just paramount to think about, even thinking about what Tracy Grady is saying everything is relevant, right?

So just think about the money they was paying us, killer, to rap the way we were rapping. Now you see niggies doing a million dollars a night in concert. We're not hating on them. So I think the hate got to stop realistically. It's just everything is relevant. At that time, 100 bands was a lot of money. And 69, 100 bands was 2 million. It was 30.

You know what I'm saying? It was a lot of money at that time. Just like when people say, I used to work for a quarter. Well, back in that day, a quarter will take you far. Yeah. A quarter would take you far. It's all relevant. I've a guy who told me that, but whoever said that, thank you for sharing it.

I hate that I'm not able to quote you right now. But I remember one of the greater NBA players of the past said that. He said the money was relevant. And today, $30 million is what it is today. But back then, $30 million probably was about six or five. You know what I'm saying? It was stupid money. You know, like today you look at it as like crazy money to those people who think so.

So it's relevant to the times. Yeah. We'll go, oh, we'll go, you know, 10, 20 years from now. And they'll be like, oh, this guy's coming out of college, getting a billion dollars. And we'll say, man, that's, they'll be like, man, that's crazy money. And then they'll be the same people arguing about the money at that time. All it says, Tracy McGrady, is you should have done more while you was playing. This is all it says.

It says for all of us, right? Even when I'm rapping, think about the time you took off. You should have done more with your time. That's all it says. So I'm not just saying this to him. I'm saying it to me and everybody else that I make that remark. more when it's your time. So you don't have to be hating on somebody else when it's their time.

It's a general conversation, too. And I know that a lot of people have thoughts on this. But I want to ask y'all, if 90s players made today's modern player salaries, do you think that people would be acting differently? And then same for entertainment. Like, do you think that? Because I know you're saying it's reflective of the times, but relative of the times. But do you think, like, money is to the point where people act super differently,

especially seeing the salaries that we're seeing these modern players have. I think it's all relative. Now that I heard that word, I can't unhear it because my mother made $500 a week. My stepdad, we thought he was bawling and he made a rack a week, right? $50,000 in the 80s was like, you were really, you really had, they would say, oh, he has a great job. You know what I'm saying? This is a keeper. 50,000 a year, you better keep him and you better do well by him.

You know, today, if somebody said, hey, your boyfriend make 50,000, girl on Instagram is going to go, oh, 50,000. Who makes 50,000? You know, if you say that today to a young lady, 18 years old, she's like, oh, my part-time job, I make 50,000, you know. It's all relative to the time. So I think if they were getting that money back then to the greats, I don't think the money would have changed them. I think they were driven by something greater.

I put myself in that category. I put killer in that same category. I put Biggie. I put Hove. I put everybody, Nause, everybody I could think of, bust the rhyme. Anybody you could think of that somebody, you're not excluded, Red Man, all the people I looked up to. And I thought that whether the money was there or not. they would have been that same artist.

Yeah, it was the passion that they were driven by. And that doesn't make a whole not an excellent artist, but that wasn't the person I looked up to. So all the rest of them was people that I got stuff from Method Man. I think Method Man would have been the same artist, whether he made the money or not, because they were driven by what they were driven by. Good take.

Cam? And what's the score? question exactly. Yeah, basically if 90s players made today's salary, do you think that they would act different? And then Mace also went into kind of like entertainers and music and things now. You stated entertainment. Yeah, I did.

Okay. I asked you that. Like, you answered that perfectly. But I'm also clarifying. That's all we also got there too. But that was great. So, Cam, what's your opinion on that? When you say act different, what do you mean exactly? Like, do you think that they would act differently than modern players? Because I know we're going into the conversation of like,

I don't want to say they're being disrespected, but people feel as if because these players are making this certain money, I have this expectation, or they should be tougher, they should move different. They're very disgruntled with today's athletes because of the money they make. Do you think they will move different, perform different on the court? What's your take? Yes.

I don't think, no, I don't think that they would, I think Mesa's correct you. It was about winning. Not just sports wise and whatever you're trying to do. You want to be a winner. If you're talking about as far as the money they would make, I think everybody acts a little different when they make more money. I don't think nobody's the same person.

Not saying that morally you're not the same person, but you're going to go out and get a car. Not going to say, you know, John F. Kennedy may have still took the train and shit and the Kennedys and shit. But it depends on your environment, too. When you come from a poor environment and not having a lot and then you get a lot,

you're going to act different. If you're talking about it for a success and being motivated to win, that's really what it's about. Now, the money is always key, but you always, you want to win. That's what it's really about.

And I don't care what you're in. Mace just went to the awards the other day. I told them I'm not going. They're not going to put the camera on me if we do. You know what I'm saying? Because I want to win. And sometimes people bring you places to embarrass you to show that you're the most popular person there

and you didn't win. So I haven't, but congratulations. We didn't talk about it too, that we won the award next. That was dope. Yeah. Congratulations. But yeah, I'm motivated by winning and the money being, don't get me all motivated by money as well

because you want to make sure you live a comfortable life, but I think that you want to be the best that you could be in whatever you're doing. Second thought. Okay, so now let's go to some of these games. We're going to go to the Hawks. So the Hawks have actually won 15 of their last 17 games overall and their past 12 games at home.

They just beat the Celtics 112 to 102. Mace, do you think more people should be putting the Hawks on their radar? I love what the Hawks were able to do in the trade. It looks like they're a season away, right? I wouldn't say it's on my radar today, but in a close near future, the Hawks will be really special. They will be really special. I think they're on a brink of something good, but they have to keep working at it. I'm not ready to put them on my radar.

I'm done with the mediocrity, not that they're mediocre. Well, let's just stop apologizing. They're not ready to be on the radar, just straight up. You know, it's too much apologetics. I think that the Hawks are really good. Are they going to make noise in the playoffs? I don't think so. A team that I would pick more than the Hawks

to pay attention to is the Charlotte Hornets. I think what the Charlotte Hornets are really doing is incredible. You know, with Mello already being a crowd favorite, they can nipple. To me, that's my rookie of the year. And then they have 240-point wins this season. I would put the Charlotte Hornets. on the radar more than the hawks,

but I'm not going to sit there and ignore since Cominga got to Atlanta, that Atlanta's been bowling. They've been looking great since the All-Star break. You know, I don't know what happened between Cominga and Kerr to where their relationship was unpreparable, but I always looked at a person like Kamenga, super-duper-young, won a championship,

even though he wasn't part of the championship, as far as playing that much. But he knows what it's like to win a championship. and be around the championship. And I thought if he worked on his game in the all season, he could be one of them players. He's very athletic, tall, lengthy, et cetera. So I do like Jonathan Kaminga,

comminga, on the Hawks. But I am agreeing with Mace, not just yet. We have to see what happens next season. That's not a team that I'm going to put on the radar for this season moving forward with the playoffs probably two, three weeks away, less than two, three weeks away. Okay. And then I know we were having this long conversation about missing pieces.

So now I'm going to bring this back. But instead of the Knicks, we're going to talk about the Timberwolves. So Anthony Edwards made his return to the Timberwolves and a 124 to 94 blowout to the Mavs. Do you think the Timberwolves are missing a piece, Mace? Yes, of course. We know that the Timberwolves are missing pieces, right? Paul, they're not just missing a slasher. They're also missing a big man, right?

They need somebody that can interrupt everything that comes down in paint. There are so many bigger players in the West Coast. When you think of Chet, you think of Joker, you think of even LeBron for that case. You need somebody to guard all of these players that are going to be attacking the rim profusely. And they just need that as well as a slasher. So they need two pieces. I think sometimes we say they need one, but they really. need two. So you

make sure not respect to Rudy Gobert does what you say? I don't mind. I'm just asking. Yeah, but since the thing he pulled with the what was that with the COVID joke and he haven't been the same since. Yeah, I think that I think that they need

another player. This is probably the third time we talked about this in the last week. We don't know who's the second option on the Minnesota Timber Wall. So yes, they definitely need another piece. Okay. And that's why I think they need three pieces. Because if you're not sure who's the second piece is

and there's two other players, that should be the second piece that lets you know. That's what I'm thinking. I would need three pieces. So not one, not two, but I need three. Because sometimes people have been playing together so long and not winning that even if you add a third person,

it still won't be the right chemistry. You'll still have to trade that player. It's something about losing with people that ruins the morale of the people that are losing together that is not the same when you're winning. So I think because they've lost so much together, I don't think they'll win together with one piece. I rethought my thinkings.

Okay. And then another team that has a missing piece right now, we know Cade is out. So in overtime, the Pistons actually lost to the Thunder, 114 to 110. So, Mace, what's your opinion on the Pistons so far without Cade? All right. So let's think about it. The Cade Cunningham not really being there. I don't like this team without Cate. I don't think they're definitely to do anything but lose either in the first round or the second round. I don't want to go as far as the second round. I want to just stay right there in the first round. I think this team is not good without him. You know, he brings so much to the team. Not that the other players are not good in their own perspective positions, but it's something about, like I was talking about, people you win with. When you don't have those pieces of people you win with, it changes the morale of a team. That's why people, when they start winning or they go to different teams like LeBron used to do,

he said, let's see if we can get this person. Let's see if we can get that person. Because after you won so much, you know who you're going to win with. It's just, I won't say it's just a feeling, but it's definitely a feeling. about winning. It's like an album coming out. You know if that album's going to do well. It's a feeling. Anytime somebody's ever done well,

there was energy around it. And I think this team, with losing Kate Cunningham, it took a lot of energy out. So the quicker he gets back, the better this team is. But to think about a future without a person that your whole future has been built around, it's

kind of assing on. Yeah, I don't think, listen, if you want to take a silver lining out of the game last night that you win the overtime with the NBA champions and you only lost by five points, but I agree you're not going to go anywhere without Kay Cunningham. You're not just talking about a regular player. We're talking about an MVP finalist. Somebody who was taking this is so sad because I like the players who you can see their emotions on their sleeve and they're doing great. Like when we see Wembe and he talks about why I'm not the MVP.

I'm doing this. I'm doing that. I'm scoring. I'm playing defense. He's throwing shots, subliminals, and niggas. I like that. And Kaye cutting him to me,

it may not be vocal. But when you see him going to Madison Square Garden and looking at Spike Lee and looking at the crowd, like yeah, fuck y'all thought. It's my turn. It's heartbreaking to see this injury

happened to him with the Pistons, man, The Knicks are really good run for their money last year. They were young and inexperienced in the playoffs. And I thought this year that they may have had the Knicks number in the playoffs if they ran into the Knicks. So it's sad to see. But as far as the Pistons doing anything without Kate, that's just not going to happen. But if we're talking about the game from last night, I guess you could say we didn't have Cade and we only lost by five in overtime to the defending champions.

Okay. So out of some of the players that we've seen come back, back from injuries such as Jason Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and J-dub. Mace, whose return do you think made the most impact to their team? Say it again? So between Jason Tatum, J-dub, and Anthony Edwards, because we've seen them come back from injury, whose return do you think makes the most impact to their team or has made the most impact?

Actually, that's a really good question. Because I think all of them were necessary to come back. So it definitely wouldn't be j-dub. It would have to be between Anthony Edwards and I would say Anthony Edwards because with Tatum, you're saying who made the most impact? Whose return made the most impact? Then who do you think makes the most impact to their team?

So it's kind of two questions. I would say Tatum and Anthony Edwards. Okay. Because when it comes to the team, this team was competing Boston in winning, right? I never thought I would like a Boston team. Growing up as a Laker fan, right? You just hated Boston.

And no matter who was on the team. But it seems like with Tatum back, they have really championship aspirations with Tatum back. It's a foregone conclusion. They were already looking like they could win the East without them. So with them back, I think it takes them to a whole other level. But I think the excitement is definitely back. Minnesota when they get Anthony Edwards back. Because without him on the floor, it's like a real blue collar city without him on the floor.

He brings so much flair to the city. And when you got people walking over like Killa was talking about in that glass walkway and people are walking to games, I'm not walking to that game in the cold to see Rudy Gobert and Randall. But people will come out for Anthony Edwards. So I think it makes a lot of impact to that team. I wanted to answer both questions. Yeah, I think Mace is correct.

If you're talking about who's going to make the most impact, you know, not saying winning, the question's impact, right? Yes. There's no impact without Anthony Edwards. And I wouldn't say the biggest impact yet. You know what I'm saying? Like Boston was number two, without Jason Taylor,

majority of the season. Okay, C. has been number one without J. Dub majority this season. You got Anthony I was out. It's just no, it's no all bets are all for everything.

So if you're talking about, I'm not going to say it's impact because he only played one game coming back to where J. Dubbs on his second and the third game, Jason Taylor, I've been back for over a week, maybe closer to two weeks. But I'm not going going to go off the one game impact so far. There's a great game to

come back. You're playing against Dallas. They already eliminate out the playoffs. Nobody cares about Dallas. So if you want to test where you're at, that's a great team to test where you're at as far as your injury is concerned. But it's nothing going to happen in Minnesota without Anthony Edwards. So my answer would be Anthony Edwards. Okay. And then we got to get to Paul George. So we see that he's made his return. And last night versus the heat, he scored 19 points, but the Sixers actually lost to the heat 119. So talking about making waves seeing things happen I guess hypotheticals

but Mace if everyone on the Sixers was healthy I know you're laughing but like could they be a problem and how do you feel about it right now and even just Paul George making his return after that suspension that you said if everybody was healthy yes Joel and B played

that's what I'm saying but if everybody was healthy what do you mean was healthy if they're on the floor I'm kind of lost like because it's at towards the end of the season now but like from what we've seen throughout the season because we've had suspensions, we've had injuries. Everybody was healthy. How much a problem do you think that they would be?

Not much of a problem. I don't think that Philly would be much of a problem. It's just something like I said about the energy is something about the connection that just never connected in Philadelphia. Even when they've had great pieces, right? I'll go all the way back to Markell, with Simmons and Joelle and B.

It was trust the process. Then they switched that up, got another three. Then they got Doc Rivers. It's always been a good three people they had. They had James Harden with Joel and Bid and Tyrese Maxie. Then they switched that up. Now we got Paul George with Maxie and Joe L&B. Well, the common denominator that was there for all of the debacles were Joe L&B.

but nobody will put him in the equation. It's something about your leaders when they're mind of focus and when they're going in the right direction. You would need his mindset to change in order to change this franchise. No matter who you bring in there, they're always going to be playing second to Joe L&B.

So if everything is second to Joe L&B, he has to change. It doesn't matter if they were injured or not. To your question. Or would it be different? If he was injured. No, because Joel and B. would be the same.

And ask me the question to start one one time, please? Basically, if everyone was healthy, and I know we're seeing their return, like Maxie, Mb, Paul George, still lost to the heat. Do you think that they would have been a problem where you kind of just over the whole process thing as a whole for the Sixers?

The process has been over. Everybody's over the process. It's about do what you, just, whatever is going to happen I think Mace just had an absolutely phenomenal takeaway he just said you thought about this when Paul George got there

he said okay Paul George is there but Mace made a great point been a lot of niggins there and he still haven't got over the hump you know Ben Simmons was there and he made these a three-time all-star before whatever happened to him happened to him

but whatever But what I will say is this. He had 19 last night. In his return game, he had like 25, 10. He had some phenomenal numbers, Paul. George, I'm talking about. I don't know where he went to see for mental health, but whoever helped him out, he should tell people about it.

Came back, bust and ass. You don't get him. I don't know what he did, but he did. But, uh, share those tips. Look, it's two things, right? He even got some real help and got his game back on point that he tied the niggas playing with his name. I'm not saying that's going to equate the wins because you have to win. But then he came back looking like a little bit of like, well, George,

his last two games back. I'm like, okay, that's the nigger that niggins been like him. But is that going to equal lots of wins? Is it too late to get chemistry moving into the playoffs if they make them? the players. It's a lot of ifs. Because when you think about this, that's why the thing Mace's take was so great. It's because

when you hear the names, you think, okay, they should be dominant in the East. And none of these names ever worked out. We got to stop going off of what's the names on the roster and when they're going to produce. Because if you think about it, right, you got a healthy Pauls, George, you got

a healthy Joel NB, you've got a healthy Tyrese you've got a great rookie with Edgecom. They should be making some noise, but then you lose some of Miami Heat. I don't know if it's too late this season or have chemistry to make a run. But I'm not, you know,

I got more faith in the Knicks than the Sixers and that should tell you something. Yeah, it seemed like they just don't know how to win, right? You remember just different teams. They used to bring in Phil Jackson, or they say, oh, if this team get

this kind of coach, they need to learn how to win. I think Philadelphia doesn't know how to win. I'm going to go on a record. They don't because when you got talent on the floor, it's like an all-star game. When you got a superstar with a superstar, you know the role you need to play to win.

You know you start playing together, Paul's, and you start making passes. You know what it takes the win. The man that's open past the ball. But that's not how Philadelphia plays. They play like, oh, I'm supposed to get this many shots. Oh, I'm supposed to get this many looks. Instead of this guy is open, give him the ball.

This guy's under the basket. Go past the ball down low first and then let it come back out. They refuse to play that way. So until they learn that, Joel got to be inside the box. He got to be at the foul line and dump the ball inside, pause, and then play around that. That's why he's dominant. When you bring him out to the perimeter, it changes the whole dynamics. It's like if people love to see big men shoot threes, but if I'm 6'1 at the point and the big man is now at the top of the perimeter, where are you, PT? Where are you, killer? Where does that send us as a point guard? Are you now on the box? Are you required to do a fade away like Kobe from the box now? He got you looking crazy because he could do more now.

You said they don't know how to win. And then Cam says, I trust the Knicks more. So we're at. at the bottom of the barrel. He said he trusts the Nixmore. I missed that one. Killer, you trust the Nixmore? He's more than 60s. That's enough to say right there. That's crazy.

Bottom of the barrel. Yo, poor George. Y'all better turn this around. Killer is saying he trusts the Nixmore. I've never heard Nixon trust together ever in my whole life. And you know I'm not. Not a spring chicken. So listen, that's crazy.

Statt. Trust in the Knicks more than Philadelphia. It's just all there. I think, I don't know. They're going to have to figure it out. They got a lot going on. They've been trying. It's just, like you said, the process is done.

Paul George was the goat. Like, we just got a lot of things. A lot of things that just went. Wait, so Paul George is not the goat no more even to the young guys? I don't know. killer not even to the young boys you're gonna just snatch the title from the young boys too you have to ask the young boys he was never to go for me so you have to ask the niggins yeah we gotta we gotta put a call out put a call out the mellow

that's your guy and ask um kyan because kyan he was the one that said it so and that's just us who's saying like it's younger players to say a paul jose would go we had a bunch of people that play basketball, coach basketball, etc. Like even just off top of my head, thinking about Mark Jackson, shout to my man Mark Jackson, we miss you, bro. When he was on the show and we told him about this,

he said, news flash in, verbatim, he said, news flash in, Paul George was never to go. So don't get mad at me. Get mad at other niggas. Because people seem to tend to get mad at me when it's everybody knows this.

Maybe not the younger players, but when you have people who played coach agents, et cetera, saying this, why are y'all running down, not running down, literally, why are y'all mad at camp? What are you mad? Niggas be mad at me out of the 908, 99 people saying this fine camp. He said it. Leave me alone.

Everybody knows this. But you know why they're getting upset. They're getting upset because they value our opinion more. than just other analysts. And that's what it really boils down to. I remember when I got a text from one of the boxes and he said that, not a text, but like a DM, it's really just correlating that, you know what,

you guys, your opinion matters a little bit more than other guys that may be perceived bigger than us or more seasoned than us because they look at you and I, like we possess an ear of the culture and everything that goes into it. It's not just basketball. You're messing up my basketball and my hip hop look.

And that's how they look at it. And I didn't think about it like that, but that was a good point. Well, yeah, I agree with what you're saying, Mace's like when we had the thing we first started with Patrick Beverly. And he correlated. I said we talked about basketball,

he went straight to paid and full. Yeah. I thought the nigg was paid and fooling. The thing about that, Mason, I understand where you're coming from. where you say they think about it because I'm worried means more than a, I got a job to do.

You're not to go. I'm sorry that you don't like my albums no more, but you can't come to a show. I got a job to do. You're not to go. If we say you average a single, single, your average a single single. And for a nigga Tom, listen, man,

I may have an attuned to be like, your album is whack. That's the trash. What I'm a do? I can say the same thing they say. You know what I'm saying? may have and been like, yo, fuck niggas. They got the right to do that too.

But that don't mean that you didn't have three points and two rebounds last night. That's not debatable. When it's a numbers game, it's not debatable. So because you like my album or you like what I played in a movie, I'm supposed to not see you have three points and two years. Yeah. And as we make evolution

and we start to be different people, newsflash, people have to write. to say what they like. Somebody could say, I like murder mace. I don't like Pastor Mace. I don't like, they could say they don't like Dreadlock Hove or they don't like skinny Rick Ross. You know, as we change as people, people have the right to say what they like.

I don't listen to that. I listen to Mace when he was wilding. I don't like the conservative. You know, there's people have the right to say what they like, right? Yeah. And they have the right to say what they don't like. I don't get mad when people say that. That's what my son and different people have told me that.

Hey, these are the people I listen to. I said, why would you start with that, though? And they separate the artists from the times that they change. Like, I don't like this version of this person. I like this version of this person. Yeah. That's their choice. Yeah.

So I know y'all both basically say you'll have a job to do and people have the right to like it or not like it. But since entering this media space, do you ever feel like you have to be more cautious when you give takes on certain people and players? Or do you genuinely just don't care because you feel like you're doing your job? No. And that goes to the point of what I just said. When you think of a more healthy, Rick Rott. So you think of a more conscious, Jay-Z, or you think of a more spiritual maze.

No matter how different they are, people still have the right. to not like that. And as they grow, they're going to talk more in a different perspective than the perspective before. But should they say what's true to them every single time? I wouldn't change my take for somebody else. If that's what I believe, that's what I'm standing on. I'm saying exactly what I believe.

And people will be like, yo, Mace, how do you come up with that? Because that's what I came up with, bro. It's not for me to say what everybody else is saying. Then there's no use for me being here. I think it's only powerful when you're being yourself and you're saying what you truly believe. I think it's lame to just sound like a parrot and just say what everybody else is saying. Yeah. Good points.

And can you repeat the question, Stan? Yeah. Basically, since entering this media space, do you ever feel like you have to be cautious with your takes or are you genuinely at peace and you're just like, I don't really care? I have the job to do. And I have to say what I got to say. What you think is that? Do I be cautious with my takes? do I see

cautious is not really in your vocabulary but I like to hear it like a source do I ever seem cautious do I would be like maybe maybe maybe since we did this show

three times I said let's be cautious like no like me listen man like I said I'm my end of Frank Fras you know what's funny is that I watch ex-MBA players who do this

you know, analyze games, even football, right? I watched ex-football players or ex-N-N-Fel or ex-MBA players who now analysts and they're analyzing it. I've seen Kendrick Perkins. Shout to Kendrick Perkins. I seen Kendrick Perkins last year at the Cup, two years ago, not the Cup does this pass. And first thing he said to me, he was like, yo, what's up, big dog? Yo, fuck these niggas.

Keep saying what you got to say, because I'm going to keep doing it, I like what you be saying. First thing he said when we met each other, because he talks about how LeBron James doesn't speak to him anymore. And LeBron James came up in high school playing with each other because he gives her and takes. This is Kendrick Perkins saying this. He doesn't speak to him anymore or how he's lost friends that used to be teammates because he has a job to do and criticize or not just criticize. I'll say critique the games on how he sees it. He's talking about how he's lost a multitude of friends.

You know what I'm saying? I've seen Tony Romo say something as an analyst in the NFL, and he referenced something to Dionne Sanders. Shout to my guy, Dionne Sanders, without big homie. And then Dionne Sanders, I have to get on Twitter and Instagram, be like, yeah, Tony Romo never liked me because of X, Y, Z, Z, Z, Z, Z, this down the third. But when you get into that space, sometimes you have to say what you got to say.

And not just say what you got to say, you know, I've never been a professional. So sometimes people use that as get back. I'm not accusing Tony Romo or Kendra Perkins of that. But now you may say, you're in a snicket threes all that. Now I'm going to say what I really feel. I'm going to find all the shit that he be doing wrong that I used to see him do wrong in practice. And now I'm going to reference it to when I get on air.

So it's more worse to me for an ex professional athlete to critique the sport that they used to play. Because you lose friends. but now that isn't where your check is. Your check is not playing. Your check is to critique sports. So it is what it is. For me, I don't care. I told you, so I'm not really here to make friends.

If I become friends with people along the way, that's great. Absolutely. Think about the time when I see, when the NASS is, right? I remember I was at the Cup and we used to make fun at the Nassus. You know, we're talking about retreat, brother. all the time. So when I'm at the cup and I see him, I'm about to walk right past him. Like, I know this nigga don't like me because I don't, you know, we'd be saying what we say. And first thing, he said, Kim, what's up? I was like, oh, what's up, nigga? What's happening?

He's like, I love you. I love the show. What's good? You know, this is like, okay, nigga, what's happening. That's everything. He said, I don't take none of that shit personal, yo. I like, you don't talk about me. It ain't personal. I tell Ben, this is what he said. I tell Benson is all he thinks, oh man, that's what they do. It's not personal. And me and him became friends behind that. That's really dope. That's cool.

Personal to where he even came on the show. And we act like he was mad and all this other shit. But I was ready to just say, oh, well, you could not be cool. But now that's my nigger. You know what I'm saying? Because he understands this is what we see and this is what we take. And like I said before, the reason this show was created is to give an extension of what the niggas in the hood be saying.

If you can't take what me and her to be saying, don't go to no urban neighborhood in America. That's for real. Because we're actually dumb in the damn. I talked about it before, and, you know, I ended with this, but this was a real story. When I introduced one of my friends to Kevin Durant,

he gave my half-ass five. And I asked him what's up, and he said, they think of fucking Paula. Cause of Paul-A. Yeah. Yeah. But that's a real story. You know what I'm saying?

Nigg got him with the bottom of the palm. Yo, what's up, my nigga? Yeah. It walked in the road his eyes and walked off. So at the end of the day, if you're mad at this, listen, you would never be able to take what's going on in urban America where niggas, is getting fucked up, where niggas got favorite teams that's not winning for 50 years,

et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, man. Yeah, I think it's really good. crazy that people can't take the truth, right? I think that's what it really boils down to. Because if I'm in the gym and I got the ball and you walk in the gym killer and you just hear everybody like, yeah. And somebody's guard me that you know shouldn't be guarding me. And I try to dribble past him and he smacked the ball like he almost stole it two times in

a row. You're going to be like, yo, Mace, what's going on? Like, you're supposed to say that because he's. He's not supposed to be standing in front of me like that. He's not supposed to be playing defense like that. And that's the commentary that we're giving players, that we're giving you the commentary you should be getting from the people that love you. And if you hear it from them first, then it wouldn't be so harsh when you hear it from us.

It's really awakening that the people around you are not telling you the truth. I want people to tell me the truth, just like these things killer tell me that I Other people don't have the liberty to tell me, and it's good. Like, I'm not a person that's sitting somewhere like, yeah, I don't like this nigga. You know what I'm saying? Like, he's supposed to say it to me. And every now and then I tell him something that it's just what's supposed to be said. And I think this has a lot to do with being these guys being their mother's son.

If I could just sum it up. When you're raised by your mom, you're a different man. You're a different boy and you don't like hearing stuff from other men. Like that's really one of the biggest issues I see in hip hop and in sports. That you just have a bunch of guys that were raised by their mothers. So they never heard a man's take on what they're doing. So they can't hear it. And then we get upset, killer.

You'd be like, but he'll listen to his girl. He'll listen to his girl because he was raised listening to a woman. He don't listen to men at all. You would say he have a problem with authority. No, he just has a problem with men. But if a woman tell him something, she can get him to bring his whole check to her. And it's crazy. So for all of you listening.

That's a really good point, man. Yeah, niggas is just raised by their mothers. I had a stepfather. You had a grandfather. So you know when a guy say what he said, that's what it is. That's why we carry that. So all they know is tantrums. All they know is attitude and facial expressions.

People will walk by. You're like, why is he making his face like that? Because his mother used to do that. That's how his mother raised him. He's sassy. Great point. Okay, good combo, y'all. So speaking of being cautious, which, you know, it is what it is.

So we literally do say what we want. But Jaden Ivy was waived by the Bulls for some comments he made. We will discuss what he said after the break. kid you're paid. The earth this big, you worthless kid. You know the rest. That's life, nigger. That's life, nigg.

That's life, nigg. Life, nigger. for promoting Pride Month saying it celebrates unrighteousness. He also said, the Bulls said my conduct is detrimental to the team. Why didn't they just say, we don't agree with his stance on LGBTQ plus? Why didn't they just say that? How is it conduct detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team and what did I do to the players?

So there's been various rants. There's one of him calling out Steph Curry. There's one of him on a phone. A lot of them were just on IG live. But Mace, where do you think is the line between freedom of speech and consequences in professional sports. This is really powerful. But before we get into that, can you share with me what he said about Stefan Curry?

Yeah. Let me get that for you. Because this is an interesting point because I actually probably know some people that are related to him, not only from Detroit, but just, you know, just some other areas that paths have crossed. not that I've actually met him. I would love to speak with him. I probably could have some clarity and context to his life because sometimes you're just echoing the sentiments

of people that you've spoken with, people that you've been disciples by, right? So if he's a Christian, then he's probably speaking from a discipleship place. And this is why one of the three most important decisions you're going to make in life is going to be the person you marry it's going to be the faith that you choose and it's going to be the pastor that you choose to follow

or the synagogue or church or whatever it is or mosque or anything like that because this person is going to be speaking into your life every day and if he and if they're speaking hatred to him then he's going to speak hatred to the world if they're speaking balanced to him he's going to speak balance to the world. Just like, you know, for me, I got, you know, I got born again. I heard about Christ and I didn't want to be around nobody that was pretty much human. You know what I'm saying? I had to learn. I told killer this when a person first get born again, you really can't watch or or pay attention to much of anything they say for just a small period of time because it's so new to them and it's so fresh that they're trying to, they're trying to live it to.

the max, which they should, right? But they don't have the balance at that point. It would be the same as becoming a devout Muslim, right? This person now thinks everybody that is lighter skin is the devil. We know that's not true. We know there's some brown skin people that are the same way. So when he's going after, from what I'm hearing, if he's going after people that goes with the sponsoring of the lead that pays his check, that's what makes it a problem. It's not just the people he's talking about. The people that he's talking about actually are part of the people that's paying him the money he's getting. So that's why he doesn't understand why he's being fired. Because on this side, you may say, well, this is not righteous, but the same people you're saying is not righteous

are paying you the money that you're so righteously celebrating. Does that make sense? That makes total sense. You broke it down actually very well. That was good. Yeah. So if you want to be just righteous, then you would take the path that's least traveled, and you wouldn't even be a basketball player.

If righteousness is what's on your mind and that's all you want to do, then you would just be over here, take your money that you made from the NBA, start your foundation, start your church, and preach exactly what you want to do. to preach. But you're not going to preach Jesus on the LGBT clock while they're partially paying you. Yeah. That's the problem. You don't, you have a right to say whatever you want to say, but don't ask those that you're calling your enemies to pay for it. Breakdown. Okay. Cam, and then I have the stuff quote for if you want me to read it after. Yes.

I don't know what's the question? Yeah, what's the line between freedom of speech and consequences in professional sports? They said it done when it's brought the money. That's what it boils down to. Niggas is paying the check and you're dissing this, niggas that's paying the check. You're going to get fired. That's just the way it goes. If niggas, you can't, look, like, you can't, we know who you can talk about who you can't talk about.

You can't talk about certain shit. Like, look, like you used to. to be able to talk about shit. You just can, especially if they're sponsoring which you're a part of, then you can't do it. Some people don't realize that.

Talked about Kanye the other day. He just talked about this. With Kanye, all right, you're above the law, you're above the program. Guys, say what you want to say. You can say whatever you want to say.

It costs a nigga billion dollars. You can't just say what you want to say. with people that help you pay your check. So to me, it boils down to the money. That's what it's really about. Because if it wasn't about the money, you'll be able to say what you want to say. That's it.

If you're good. And if you're good, because at the, go ahead. No, go ahead, Kella. I'm waiting on you. No, I was saying, because it ain't even about if you're good. It's about if you fucking the money up, bro. You can't fuck the money up. That's just that.

When all that shit was going, on right with after George Floyd died and the COVID and it was just riots and all that shit. You see how many people was donating to the black community? I don't even know where the money was going in the black community. What do you talk about?

We got $10 million for the black community. Yeah, we want to give $15 million to the... Who is the black community that they give them to? They just like, we don't want beef with black community because they spent a lot of money with us. We want them to know that we don't have a problem with the black community.

We don't accept a cop stepping on the niggas neck. We're not supporting, and it's the black community. They don't want to lose a lot of their dollars, so they fixed it. That was just not fixed it. I don't even know what they said. They just said they're going to get money to the black community. I don't even know where they thought they was going to get the money to. As long as it's the black community, here take it.

Black people will keep eating bad. Keep coming to Wendy's, keep coming McDonald's. We feed your motherfuckers. We don't have a problem with it. It boils down to the money at the end of the day, but when you realize what you can and cannot say. Go ahead, Mason. I know you have something to say.

Oh, no, I was really enjoying this conversation because this is where I think we're having a conversation that's undertoned is Christianity, right? So in Christianity, Christianity is supposed to be about living devout towards Christ, right? but so many people are not living devout towards Christ, but they're trying to stand on devout principles. That's the real problem I see in Christianity as a whole, that if you're going to stand there,

then you really can't care about the money. In order to be really a devout Christian, you can't be capitalist and Christian at the same time because what capitalism pull you to do is opposite of what Christianity is. It's going to always fluctuate. This is why you'll see people that are trying, even me and my life when I was first, you know, learning about God. It's like I would do a lot of things that would be capitalistic and then say, wait, what am I doing?

And then quit in the middle of it because I understand that capitalism can't be as strong as Christianity. So there's sometimes I just have to say no to something, even though I know it to make me money for the stance. I want to hold to myself. Now, I can't go into someone else's thing and say, oh, you're paying me to do this. And now I want to talk about Jesus all day. If you want to talk about Jesus all day, save up your money and then go and do that because that's what I do, right? I want to be about that life.

So if I want to be about that life, I take the money I make here and I infuse it into the things that I really care about. I don't really care about that as much as I care about. that. So then I don't try, but I also don't try to come on here and make everybody Christian. That's not my, that's not my job. My job is to live the way I'm supposed to live, keep my integrity, the way I'm supposed to keep my integrity, and hope that one day my personal expression and my personal lifestyle that you get to see, that stat get to see, that everybody else get to see someday say, if you're going through some, hey, Mace, can you pray for me on this?

Mace. Can you talk to me about this? It's not for me to force you there through, through belittling you or saying you're stupid or saying you have not found the way, listen, if your life doesn't minister to me, your words can never minister to me. And I'll just leave it at that. That's what I think people should take from this, because getting fired just to show your faith, because I guarantee you, your pastor wants you to tithe. So now that you're not playing. You won't be able to tie. You won't be able to help that ministry. You won't be able to push that ministry forward unless you're really willing to stand on another side. And if you're ready to stand on the other side, don't keep trying to do both unless you're mature enough to do it.

I don't think everybody that has faith are meant to do both when they don't have the balance. You need the balance in order to do it. It took me years to get that balance. Good breakdown. Okay. I want to ask you all this one more question because Cam also brought up a point also talking about like how good you are. Do you guys feel like if he was a superstar,

do you think the outcome would have been different for the league? Do you feel like zero tolerance? Like it don't matter. I'm just curious on your thoughts on that. I don't think if he was a superstar, it would be different because of who he's speaking about. I think we've gotten to this place where we have a lot.

allowed certain communities to have so much power that it wouldn't matter if he was a superstar or not. It's just these are the people that's paying you. If you want to be able to say that, you do still have freedom of speech, but you don't have freedom of speech while money is still controlling you. To the people that money is controlling them, they don't have freedom of speech. But to the people that money does not control, they still have. have their freedom of speech. I still have my freedom of speech. Yeah. Hey, Cam. Nothing's bigger than the program. Nope. There'll be another superstar coming in five,

six, seven years. Yeah. I like that. Nothing is bigger than a program. Okay, y'all. In the comments down below, let us know what y'all think about what's going on with Jaden Ivy, his comments and how the league handled everything. But that is all the time that we have for today. Thank you all for and as always, it is what it is.