Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Could LeBron James Make His Season Debut Tuesday? Who Leaves the Starting Lineup?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey everyone, welcome to Locked on Lakers for Tuesday. Brian Kemeniski, Andy Kemeniske, could LeBron make his debut Tuesday versus Utah? That's next. You are Locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Lockdown Lakers. You were first listening to Every Day. Andy, of course, part of the number one podcast network in this or any other

Starting point is 00:00:36 universe, the Locked On Network. We appreciate you guys tuning in on a daily basis, whether you're getting it through Apple iTunes, whether you're getting it through Spotify or other podcasting platforms. Perhaps you are a YouTube subscriber, like 37,000 other people who are checking out the show on YouTube, often when we go live. And so we appreciate everyone doing all that stuff, Andy. It's a big day. It is Tuesday.

Starting point is 00:01:08 It is the day that LeBron James might, might, make his season debut with the Lakers. He practiced, again, this time with the Lakers, in full on Monday. And it's just sort of waiting around to see how he feels on Tuesday. But either way, Andy, we are assuming no setbacks very close to having the Lakers as conceived to finally take the floor. Yeah, it's not even just LeBron, who it had been well reported, the Lakers had planned on him practicing in full on Monday. Gabe Vincent actually practiced with the team as well.

Starting point is 00:01:49 So Rui and Marcus Smart, who both missed Saturday's win in Milwaukee. They're not even on the injury report. JJ Reddick said he expected them both to play during Monday's practice, which I attended. We'll get in some details of what I saw, what was said, and all that. But JJ noted that this was the first time in, I mean, forget this season. Like the first time in a while that he's had just his full group together practicing. It's kind of crazy that it took until, you know, a little past mid-November for that to take place.

Starting point is 00:02:24 But this was all bodies present and accounted for. and you could tell that JJ, you could tell Austin Reeves who was put in front of us, and you could tell that LeBron, we're all very excited about this. Yeah, and the fact that the Lakers have gotten to this point, we'll talk about, you know, what LeBron had to say and how likely it is that he does play on Tuesday,

Starting point is 00:02:47 whether they should let him get one more game of rest, you know, given that Lakers have practical, they have no games between Tuesday and Sunday in Utah. a lot of practice and a lot of rest and, you know, time to get people right. The fact that the Lakers have reached this point at 10 and 4, I'm sorry, 10 and 4, 11 and 4 now, I think. And so 10 and 4, thank you. You know, don't want to presume a win. Well, it is Utah, but they're playing next.

Starting point is 00:03:22 But we'll talk about that because, but I just know LeBron for these 14 games. And you and I were pretty accurate in trying to sort of project as to when he might take the floor. And we thought, you know, if he was back by mid to late November, that would be a win. Well, that's what it was. And, you know, but it's not just that they played without LeBron. They played multiple games without Luca. They played multiple games without Austin Reeves. Rui's missed a little bit of time.

Starting point is 00:03:54 Like, guys have been in and out of the lineup. Mark is smart as missed games. Gabe Vincent. for all intents and purposes, has missed the whole season. Right. You know, and so they got to this point without a chance to play with their whole team. And now they get this, whether LeBron plays Tuesday or not, they get a little mini training camp almost here in the next two, three, four days

Starting point is 00:04:20 where they can get guys back into rhythm, back, you know, into playing each other. like there's a real opportunity here to kind of push forward in a very positive way at a time when, you know, and nobody wishes this, but, you know, a couple teams in the West struggling with injuries. You know, Victor Weniamas can be out for a few weeks with a calf strain for the spurs. Like this is a time. The Lakers can create a little separation between maybe the teams of the, you know, the bottom of the six that don't have to do the play in and themselves. Yeah, in the meantime, though, LeBron did practice in full. He was made available for us. It was interesting.

Starting point is 00:05:01 He talked about one of the things that he is still getting himself towards other than just pain-free. And he, you know, there was a question he was asked. I don't remember exactly how it was phrased, but it alluded to the idea of being pain-free or being close to it or something like that. And LeBron, in so many words, like, slow down. We're not there yet. And, you know, noted that every day with this, it's a use. wake up hoping not to feel it.

Starting point is 00:05:27 You go to bed, hoping not to feel it. And it's a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute process trying to get himself back. He said in describing sciatica, you know, that he would not wish this on anyone, quote, if you ain't never had it. People are making jokes about it. I pray you never get it. It's not fun. Out of respect to LeBron, by the way, I have made the old man sciatica jokes.

Starting point is 00:05:54 I am officially done doing that hearing LeBron talk about this unless, of course, just the scenario sets it up up really well. And the joke writes itself because that is our job. You know, we're supposed to be entertaining. But other than that, not making those jokes anymore because you could see, this really was a bleep for LeBron to get through. But other than his body feeling pain free, hopefully, sometime soon, he did note that he is still just getting like his win back and getting, as he put it, his lungs back. His lungs feel like baby lungs. He said he got a little baby lungs, Andy. Right now, and he's looking to get his grown man lungs.

Starting point is 00:06:32 And this is something I've talked about before. When you are getting yourself into conditioning, talking on the court is hard. And LeBron said that part of it today barking out coverages, talking with his teammates, was difficult for him from a win perspective. It was difficult from a voice perspective. His voice sounded hoarse talking with us. He noted that tea and rest are on the slate for Monday night. But he looked good and he looked excited.

Starting point is 00:07:03 I mean, look, there is some, I don't really think this is like widespread chatter. I think by now we know. There are people who populate Lakers spaces who just don't like LeBron. And they don't want him to be a Laker. What? I know. I have not heard of any of these people. It's the breaking news button.

Starting point is 00:07:27 This just in. This just handed to me. They're just people who don't like it. They don't want to be a Laker anymore. They don't want them around, Andy, and all of these things. That's fine. I don't have to agree with you about that. But that said, the notion, there is some effort in some circles to

Starting point is 00:07:53 make the idea that the LeBron coming back is a bad thing for the team, that he's somehow going to make them worse. He's going to disrupt what they've built here. They're 10 and 4, Andy, because LeBron's gone, not, you know, in spite of that. That's stupid. No, they lost a couple of games on the road trip because they were preoccupied with the horror of him coming back. Right.

Starting point is 00:08:19 They kept hearing he's getting closer. He's working with the G league. It's like, oh, bleep, man, we're, we're about to fall out of the playoff race. This sucks. The end is nigh. Yeah. You're taking a guy. Luca's going to demand a trade.

Starting point is 00:08:33 This whole thing is going to go sideways. You're taking a guy who is second team all NBA last year, who is sixth an MVP voting, who is the original of Luke, you know, I guess if Oscar Robertson is the original Swiss Army knife and Luca is the current Swiss Army knife. LeBron is the one in the middle. And he can literally do and play any role that you need him to play on the floor. And by the way, Andy, at practice on Monday, said that he was perfectly willing to do those things. And we touched on.

Starting point is 00:09:09 We can get into this a little bit in the next segment. We touched on it some last year. I do think, you know, LeBron is very sensitive to the idea that he's going to come back and, you know, make demands. It's, I have to the ball, this and that. And it's, you know, like kind of bigfoot everything that they're doing here. But I also think people are forgetting a little bit of last year. LeBron at 20-something years into the NBA, I think likes the opportunity to be given a different challenge, be given a different role and all that kind of stuff.

Starting point is 00:09:43 He's still going to do LeBron stuff. But I do think, like when he had that thing, like, I got to go play defense. after that Miami thing and I've changed my role a little bit on offense. Luke is going to handle something. Like I got the impression at least he kind of enjoyed that challenge. I mean, I don't know. To be perfectly honest, I don't know. Sure.

Starting point is 00:10:06 And I'm reading he leaves too. I don't, well, I want to say I don't want to project LeBron's once that could be just interpreted as stuff you and I found interesting and cool to watch. for an all-time greats player arc. You know what I mean? Like the idea that we found this interesting to watch doesn't necessarily mean LeBron found it just as interesting to do. But what really matters is he did it willingly and effectively. Like, you know, how much he was enjoying it.

Starting point is 00:10:39 I hope the answer is a lot because I would prefer LeBron enjoy what he's doing than not enjoy it. But the reality is whether he's, he loved it on a scale of, you know, one to 10 at a 1 or a 10, he did it really well. So in that sense, I don't know if it matters. Well, that either way, I guess.

Starting point is 00:11:01 But, you know, so it does raise a lot of questions. So whether LeBron comes back, Tuesday, whether he comes back on Sunday, it certainly seems barring a setback. It's going to be one of those too. What do the Lakers do, both with the starting lineup?

Starting point is 00:11:15 And then the rotation, especially of Gabe Vincent, is ready to come back as well. Well, we'll discuss those things next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Rippling. If you are a business owner, here's the truth. SAS promised to make work easier. But now the average company is buried by hundreds, hundreds of apps that slow down your teams and simply don't work together.

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Starting point is 00:13:53 back, what are they going to do, Andy, with the starting lineup? Does Ruy go to the bench? Does he start Reeves with Smart and Luca and Aiton? What do you think happens, I guess, both in the short and the long run here, because the Lakers really do have a choice to make here first and foremost with the starting lineup, and we'll get to the rest of the rotation in a minute. We'll get to all that in a second. I wanted to make sure, though, to point this out just because with LeBron's health, just because I thought it was interesting, when LeBron was talking about sciatica and how much it sucks and how uncomfortable it is, he also noted that he had had sciatica in 2023, that it's actually a second time dealing with it. And I asked him, just to clarify, I'm like, did you play

Starting point is 00:14:45 with sciatica in 2023? And he said, no, this was after the season end in the off season. And I preface this by saying, this is speculative on my part. I'm obviously not an expert on sciatica, doctor, all that stuff. Do you think it's obvious? Yes.

Starting point is 00:15:06 I don't. I don't. Well, for anyone who's not an idiot, I think it is obvious. But now that you know as well, I, with sciatica, that LeBron happened to get sciatica in the 2023 off season, which was the longest playoff run that the Lakers have had that

Starting point is 00:15:30 didn't involve a three to four month break preceding it, referencing obviously the bubble. And the season stopped in March began again, I don't know, August or September or something like that. But they had that long layoff. That playoff run ended up longer, but with more of a rest. I found it interesting that the time LeBron dealt with sciatica in the offseason may, and I can't say for sure, but I don't think it's outlandish to at least wonder if it was connected to what was a pretty tough Western Conference playoff run and wondering if nothing else, if that's something for them to keep an eye on in terms of his overall workload and the things that they ask of him, things they don't ask. him of maintenance stuff like that. I'd be honest, at this point, I don't think why he had it before is, I mean, they're already going to be, and this gets to my question about, you know, we'll get to the rotation here in a second, I guess, but it gets to my question of like whether or not you'd give him

Starting point is 00:16:33 one more day. Like, you know, he practiced and, you know, again, he's been practicing with South Bay. So like, but, you know, to your point, they're going to be incredibly careful with LeBron for the rest of the season. Like it's, I don't think it has, you know, and you know, I don't, whether you can make connections to the previous time he had sciatica to now, I don't know, maybe he's just covering for the whole golf thing. I'm not sure.

Starting point is 00:17:02 But like, I don't think any of that really matters because he's dealing with it now. And as LeBron said, it's not a, you know, you're cured kind of thing. You go to bed, you wake up, it can flare up, it can flare down. And they just, they're going to be. incredibly mindful, I think, for the rest of the season, regardless of what caused it the first time. To answer that question of whether, I mean, I don't know what they should do in the sense of

Starting point is 00:17:29 they know what's going on better. But in terms of whether I would have him play tomorrow, Tuesday, I should say, play Tuesday or wait until Sunday, I would say if he feels fine, let him play. Because the truth is this could end up flaring up at any point anyway. So if that's the case,

Starting point is 00:17:49 you could be cautious enough that you wait till December, then January, and you could wait all this time. It could end up flaring up again and it could end up sidelined. Oh, yeah, I just mean between here and Sunday.

Starting point is 00:18:00 It tells me if he does decide to play tomorrow, it actually gives me, or Tuesday, it gives me a reasonable sense of confidence just because I do think the Lakers are going to be, because they're going to be very careful. And I think quite frankly listening to LeBron, Like LeBron, I think, he wants to play.

Starting point is 00:18:20 But he also understands, like, I don't want to be dealing with this any more than like you sort of have to for the rest. I do not want this to become back to square one. And so that tells me if he's on the floor Tuesday that they are pretty confident that this is as good as it's going to be. And like we could wait five days, like you say, it's not going to be any different five days, 10 days, two weeks, we can go now. And that makes me feel a little better about it. Well, I mean, I'll take it a step further. I don't think that they would have put LeBron in front of us anyway that made such a big deal

Starting point is 00:19:02 out of him returning to practice had they not felt reasonably confident that at minimum, we may be reaching this is as good as it gets. I got the sense being there that unless LeBron wakes up Tuesday morning feeling like crap, he's going to play. It felt to me like they were obviously promising nothing. JJ said that he and Gabe were TBD. They're both officially listed as questionable. I got a sense like they were preparing for him to play. LeBron was preparing himself to play unless there really is a setback.

Starting point is 00:19:42 I could picture him playing versus the jazz and only playing, say, 25 minutes. Oh, I think I don't think he's minutes. Yeah, more than that. But short of a setback, I would be more surprised if he didn't play than if he did, simply because, again, they've kind of made a thing of this. And I realize there's no way to have LeBron do his first practice without it being a thing with him for the first time in his entire career, which is in and of itself. crazy. This is the first time in his entire career that he's missed an opening game.

Starting point is 00:20:17 Like entering season 23, that in and of itself is kind of mind-blowing. But I just feel like they're setting the stage for this. And both the Lakers and LeBron are entities very conscious of stage setting. So I would be surprised if he doesn't play, again, short of a setback, which at that point just becomes concerning. Right. And, you know, it's one of these things. Like, I don't think you can, you know, it is the jazz.

Starting point is 00:20:46 Like the jazz, are the jazz good? They are not. Are the jazz the Brooklyn Nets? They're not that either. I mean, you know, they're not that far off from the Brooklyn Nets. They're a lot better than the Nets. I mean, they're three and seven in their last 10 games. They're not very good.

Starting point is 00:21:02 They've won five games, which makes them a lot better than the Nets are catastrophic. I know that. My point, but you got to, they have a. They have enough good players on that team that you have to show up and play a game. And the Lakers learned in Atlanta, they've, you know, and they've had other moments like over the course of the season, certainly going back to last year, that you don't, you know, you can let teams that aren't as good as you stick around. Sure. And, you know, they didn't play a good first half against Charlotte.

Starting point is 00:21:36 And that, you know, could have turned into something worse. You got to play. I mean more just if they take. take this seriously Utah. If they come up and show up and play, they should beat Utah. And but like, you know, I don't, I don't think it's as much of a layup as maybe some other teams on, you know, other games might be. You certainly need to take the game seriously is when I'm getting.

Starting point is 00:21:57 Sure. So the idea that, you know, you would sit LeBron because it's Utah. I, that I don't buy. I think you've got to go play the games and put your best team on the floor if your best team can play. Who would be in the starting lineup, though, assuming LeBron reenters it and a couple people have asked. Like, LeBron wouldn't come off the bench, Woody for that first game. I don't think so, but you're making a face that says maybe he would.

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Starting point is 00:24:41 I don't think it's likely. here's why I wouldn't rule it out altogether. LeBron has only come off the bench twice in his entire career. Once was in Cleveland as a way of essentially being a great teammate and a meat shield for Anderson, Verrajao. Verrajao had been some type of long protracted contract or contract dispute with the Cavaliers, re-upping, whatever it was. But when he finally was going to make his debut, there was concerns. that the cavalier fans were going to boo him at home.

Starting point is 00:25:15 So LeBron actually came off the bench with the idea of they're not going to boo me when I get introduced. So I will essentially offer some protection to Andy Verrajao, which again, being an awesome teammate. The only other time was in 2003 with the Lakers. LeBron was coming back from a month out with that Wright's foot soreness. Remember when he was having foot issues and went and saw the LeBron James of feet? all of that stuff. So there is a precedent of LeBron having been out for a while at this stage of his career coming off the bench specifically as a ramp up from being injured for a while.

Starting point is 00:25:58 Again, it's not what I'm betting on, but that is the reason why I wouldn't rule it out altogether. Fair enough. So but assuming at least by Sunday, he'll be back in the starting lineup, what changes? because obviously somebody's got to come out. Marcus Smart has been in the starting lineup with Rui Hachemur. There's no longer space for both of those guys because DeAndre Aten is going to start. LeBrona's going to start. And folks, Austin Reeves is going to start.

Starting point is 00:26:26 And there's also Luca. So who do you, I think both of us have said it makes more sense to us to have Marcus smart in the starting lineup. Who do you think will start? I think it's going to be Marcus Smart. I could be wrong, and maybe this is me wish casting what I want. But as much as I think JJ really values and appreciates what Ruy has done this season, and he has talked up Ruy a lot in terms of the scoring efficiency,

Starting point is 00:27:04 see his ability to shoot at this efficient of a level, despite sometimes going long periods of time without the ball. And JJ values shooting. And Rui is the only guy in, he's the only guy among the rotation players shooting above 33% from behind the arc right now. Do you happen to know who the next in line behind Rui is up top of your head? Of guys shooting, what was the percentage? It's Rui is shooting something like 50-ish percent from behind the arc. the next guy in terms of rotation players is shooting 33%. I believe it's 33 last time. I would say Luca or AR?

Starting point is 00:27:45 Jake Laravia. No, good for him. Luca is shooting a little under 33%. Austin is around 32%, I believe. I was pretty close. Maybe it's changed. Markis far it's shooting lower than that. Right, right.

Starting point is 00:27:57 And that my point being, if you remove Rui, you are hurting the spacing. Although LeBron's return kind of under. rated part of it, they need, at least of his three-point shooting of the last couple seasons, they actually really need it. Austin's at 33 now, so I guess he's tied with Jake. But LeBron's return will help some of that spacing, but the truth is, if you take Rui out, you are losing a pretty fundamental element of the offense. But I just keep coming back to the idea that if you have a starting lineup of Luca, Austin, LeBron, Rui, DeAndre Aiton, there is so much defensive imbalance. And you have four guys who are best equipped to guard anywhere from big threes to

Starting point is 00:28:47 centers. And Austin as the only guy who at least on paper projects to guard two's one's smaller wings, which often leads to, particularly with the Lakers' propensity for, I think, too much switching, guys like Rui ending up guarding the twos and ones, you know, the steffs and jaws and stuff like that of the world where even if they're not switching, you end up with situations like that. Right. Even if they're not switching, somebody's got to do it. And I just, I don't think it's, I don't think it's in the best interest of them defensively. I think they need Rui's punch off the bench. The Lakers are currently. dead last in bench points, bench field goal attempts, and also bench minutes, because they're

Starting point is 00:29:31 trying to play other than La Ravia, all of them as little as possible. And I think there's just more scoring options spread throughout 48 minutes and the combinations if you play Rui off the bench. This is not a demotion of Rui. Rui has done nothing wrong. He's been really good. His minutes need to stay high. Everybody's are going to go down a little bit. because LeBron's returning and that's a good thing. But it's not about anything Rui is doing wrong. It's about, I think, what's more needed in the first unit. And frankly, what's needed more in the second unit?

Starting point is 00:30:05 Yeah, I mean, I don't disagree. And like, the good thing, the good thing about Rui, you know, in terms of the offense is, you know, one of the, he doesn't get to do as much if LeBron is there. I mean, I think that's pretty obvious. But he is very, he's not a guy who needs a hundred shots. You can go a long time. JJ's made a point out of this all season long. Like, Rue is really good at going long stretches without touching the ball,

Starting point is 00:30:32 certainly without shooting the ball, and still taking the shot when it's there and performing in that way. So, you know, that part of it is okay. And you just, it's early season. The numbers that can be misleading and there's a lot of noise in early season stats. But you can just sort of see some of the issues that are there, at least early on. with some of the data on Aiton and Rui as a pairing.

Starting point is 00:30:59 And it's not, and when you add LeBron to that, it doesn't get better. Like, you know, the things that you would go like, hmm, I wonder if that combination works is going to, like you wouldn't think it would work better when you add another player that pushes Rui even further into a place of discomfort defensively. That said, you said, like, you know,

Starting point is 00:31:23 It's not a demotion. It's not that. Tell that to Rui. And so I do think there is a reasonable chance. And if I were a betting man, which I am not. But if I was, I actually would say, I just got a feeling he'll keep Rui in the starting line. He might. He certainly might.

Starting point is 00:31:47 But like the optics work two ways on this. Like if you just make the switch, you could argue that it's optically better because you're just doing it. And you know, you're not giving it something a chance to fail. And then theoretically it makes it look like you're blaming Rui by moving him out of the starting lineup. That would be the argument for doing it quickly. The flip side is, is you're taking a guy who's played very well, you know, doing exactly what it is that you know, are asking him to do. And say what you know, we can say it all day long. Guys in the league when they're in the starting lineup and then they leave the starting

Starting point is 00:32:30 lineup see that as a demotion and a punishment. I mean, I don't know if Ruey would see it as a punishment, but I do think he would see it as at the very least a demotion of status. Right. You're being, you know, punishment is too punitive because he truly has done nothing wrong. Right. But like that's sort of, like, all I'm doing is exactly what you tell me I'm supposed to do. And, you know, it's a contract year and all that kind of stuff. All of these things, we live in the real world.

Starting point is 00:33:02 Yeah. So I do think this discussion directly to JJ, to JJ's face about DeAngelo Russell when he was insisting to me that DeLo and all other players don't care about this stuff. I'm like, no, they do. They don't. And you know, because you played in the league and I guarantee you care. Right. And he cared as a guy who was, you know, often not a starter. Like, most of more of his career, he didn't start than did.

Starting point is 00:33:28 If I think, I'll take a look right now. But I just, so there is that element of sort of a fair amount. He did. No, he played a lot of years as a starter. That sort of designated shooter spot as a starting two. That's what I'm saying. I don't really know. He had a lot of times a six-man, seventh band,

Starting point is 00:33:47 but then a lot of times in his prime. is a starting. 940 games started 488 of them. So, I mean, it's half the time. It's a fair marks, man. It's a lot of stars. Yeah, he knows. I don't know what they're going to do.

Starting point is 00:34:04 I think he would love to figure, like, to just give it a try. Like, I think he would love to keep Rui in the starting lineup, kind of reward him for what he, you know, the way he's been playing, which is imperfect. but very, very much be the star in your role and try to be better at some other things. And I think he's been a pretty good player in that regard. The only other thing, too, is I do think they are conscious of Marcus Smart's minutes. So if there was a sense that his minutes might have to go up to keep continuity in a starting lineup,

Starting point is 00:34:47 maybe that could impact it, you know, how they do those things. I think they are going to try to be very protective of smart. It's just a consideration. I don't necessarily think that would be a deciding factor. I just feel like, you know, sort of the politics of sports are such that at the very least, JJ wishes there was a way to do it where Rui would start, even if he ends up starting smart and stat. I don't disagree with you.

Starting point is 00:35:17 that they're likely going to be conscious of Marcus Smart's minutes. I just think you can do that while still starting him. I think he probably can't. Particularly if you're looking to keep Ruy's minutes up, there's your automatic way of finding opportunities to take smart off the floor. I mean, brawny just started a game where he played like nine minutes. So these things are lost. And a lot of it depends too on like, okay, not only obviously how much do we want to play LeBron on Tuesday,

Starting point is 00:35:45 How much do we want to play LeBron night to night? Like I think they would love, like this really could be the year that they keep LeBron's minutes much closer to 30 than 35, you know, 28, 29, 30, like with an idea of like this needs to be. Straitica can be a pretty good possible. Seatica can be a pretty good come-to-Jesus catalyst. Right. And, you know, you can start to crank that up in April.

Starting point is 00:36:15 March, April, and stuff like that. But for the time being, you know, try to steal six minutes a night, those can go back towards Rui and some other players. We'll see. But either way, things looking up for the Lakers. We'll get more into what the rest of the rotation looks like over the course of the week because there are going to be some folks who get squeezed

Starting point is 00:36:37 and how JJ Redick handles this going forward is certainly going to be an interesting challenge. So Lockdown-Lakers on YouTube is we can go hang out with over 37,000 subscribers to the number one podcast network's YouTube feed for this show, Locked on Lakers, hosted by us Kamenetsky Brothers. See everyone after the game.

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