Nightcap - Nightcap - Hour 2: Mavs riddle with injuries + Dallas owner talks Luka Doncic trade

Episode Date: March 23, 2025

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recap the top NBA stories of the week including the Dallas Mavericks at risk of forfeiting games due to injuries and owner Patrick Dumont's comments on trading Luka Doncic, and more!04:20 - Mavericks at risk of forfeiting games06:13 - Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont speaks on Luka trade26:10 - Bucks vs. Lakers Recap(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company. The podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. There are so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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my lawyer hat. Requires upfront payment, tax and fees extra, terms and exclusion apply. Visit BoostMobile.com for full offer terms and sweet details. And now I get back to my boring old day job. Head over to your nearest Boost Mobile store and make the most out of your tax refund. The Mavs are at risk of forfeiting games if they fall below the minimum eight players active required for teams to

play. ESPN Bobby Marks Dallas provided an update on Anthony Davis' left abductor strain. if they fall below the minimum eight players active required for teams to play esp and bobby marks dallas provided an update on anthony davis left abductor strain derrick loveless the second right ankle stress fracture daniel gaffer right knee sprain stating all three are improving however there's no timetable on any of their returns jayden Hardy, right ankle sprain. Kai Jones, quad, haven't played since March 3rd. P.J. Washington, right ankle sprain, has been out since March 1st. But now it leaves Brandon Williams, Dwight Powell, Clay Thompson, Najee Marshall, Caleb Martin, Max Christie, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kessler Edwards as the lone healthy players, eight total.

Nobody else can get injured, Ocho. Nah, they can't. They can't. Listen, hey, why would they penalize the team because people are hurt? I don't understand. Do they think they're faking or something? Just to make sure you don't. The same way you're talking about why a team don't want to win games

to try to tank and try to get the number one pick to get more ping pong balls. I thought you played the game to win. Well, listen, we know they're not doing that. The same way teams used to put players on IR to hide them because the guys, because if you released them, somebody might get them. So we put them on IR. Right. Okay. if you released them, somebody might get them. So we put them on our arm. Right.

Okay. Anytime there's, anytime, look, people are going to find a way to skirt the system. No matter what system is in place, you know what? I got bad credit. I'm going to put the phone in my kid name. You see? I remember

them days because I sure had a washing and drying my name and I was only two. Classic. Ocho Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont defended the lucre trade. Take a listen, Ocho, to what he had to say. So tough decisions are never easy. And part of leadership is looking at risk and looking at all the factors of a decision and being willing to act at that time and look to the long term and not only think about the short term or how it may be may be received immediately. But to think about the long term benefits and what it may allow you to achieve if given all the right considerations. And what what do you talk about, what are you talking about?

What are you talking about? No disrespect, Pat. No disrespect. But the long-term move was having Luka there. Now, if you're having issues with what he does off the court, there's a simple conversation that needs to be had. That's all you have to do. Listen, we view you as our long-term plan, a long-term asset, the long-term nucleus for our team going into the future.

We want to build around you because we understand how special you are and what you can do for us. You just got us to the NBA finals last year. The previous year, based on what you can do on the court. Now you let that go. But great understanding, Lucas ain't just falling from the tree every season. It's just not happening.

There's really no way you can defend that trade. Now, I understand the issues that were happening off the court, some of the things that they didn't see fit that would probably harm him, you know, year down the line. That's a simple conversation, Unc, especially when you want to invest that kind of money that he was going to make

and he probably still doesn't make. It's just going to happen to be somewhere else now. You don't let a player of that magnitude go with that hat that gives you that type of production. You don't. Because like you said as well, when is the last time something like this

has ever happened before? There's a reason why there are certain players you don't let go of. You think every super, super superstar is perfect behind the scenes? You think Kobe didn't have issues despite his dedication and discipline and structure when it came to playing? You think Michael Jordan didn't have issues that we don't know about outside of playing the game of basketball? Come on, man. Ain't nobody perfect or 10 to 10 when it comes to wanting to invest in it,

but understanding what they give you from a business perspective and what they can do on the court long term. Come on, man. Stop playing. That answer was a whole bunch of nothing the problem is that he called it a long-term move and nico harrison said it was a trade to win now move i'm looking at it you just went to the nba finals like you said ocho that's winning now i'm just i'm I'm confused when you, I can see, okay, we got some ass,

but you said you're trying to win now. Bro, you just went to the NBA finals. You just did that. It's not like you hadn't made the playoff in a couple years, Ocho. It's not like you got knocked out in the first round, Ocho. It was a situation, you went to the NBA finals. So that is winning.

You're winning. Now, you didn't win the ultimate prize, but damn, normally we don't see a team. Break a team up, and that's what they did because you took the key piece out. After going to an NBA finals, unless said individual is unhappy. But because Luka never voiced that I wanted to be traded, that's what's so surprising. That's why the greatest trade. Kareem wanted to leave. Orlando allowed Shaq to become a free agent.

And they had a poll, and they said, who should they pay, Penny or Shaq? And the poll said they should pay Penny. Shaq took that as an insult, as disrespectful, a slap in the face. He said, okay, that's what y'all want to do? Boom. Yeah.

They also said it was too much money because I forget who it was that had just become the highest paid. And they, and it's something to the fact that I don't think, they didn't think the fans didn't think Shaq deserved that kind of money.

So guys like Shaq, you don't let them become free agents. You try to extend them as soon as you possibly can. As soon as the window open and you could offer them a max contract, you give it to him. A 24 yearold Shaq. And, well, we see what happened when he went to the Lakers. But normally, guys like Luka don't get traded unless they ask to get traded.

Kareem asked to get traded. Kareem was a three-time league MVP. He was a finals MVP. He had gone to the finals. He had won the scoring title. He wanted to get out of Milwaukee. They obliged him. Guys this age, this skill, this talented, this dominant,

you're not just moving them on your own volition. Doesn't happen. Not at this age. Now, come a time, we saw AI get traded. But AI wasn't 25. And AI didn't have to get traded. But the organization thought

it was in the best interest, thought some of the things that were going on off the court, and they moved on from AI. But 25-year-old AI, they ain't moving it. Absolutely not. And so I'm... But I...

No, I was just saying, you understand the product. You understand the product that you're getting on the field. I also... I used this scenario last night. American Gangster. Denzel Washington, Cuban Junior.

There's nothing wrong with blue magic. You got blue magic. Why are you touching it? Why are you touching it? There's nothing wrong with it. It's perfectly fine just how it is. The product sells itself. Luca is the product. It sells itself.

Why are you touching it? What are we doing? A player of his magnitude. You know what? Oh, the hookah. Oh, the beer. God damn it. You've been part of the NBA.

GMs, presidents, managers. You understand everybody drink. Everybody smoke. Everybody does some things, some extracurricular things outside of that as well. But we ain't trading them. Especially talking about

this is for long-term. Long-term what? Lucas ain't walking through that door? If they were, if Lucas would walk through that door, I mean, a lot of other teams would have success a lot more frequently.

Come on, man. Luka is not a generational talent. Luka is a transcendent talent. Because a generation is 20 years. Guys don't come along. This is transcendent. He's, he's, he's. And for me, Ocho, if I'm Patrick Dumont, if I'm anybody,

Nico Harrison, if I'm anybody in the Mavericks organization, I am not going to talk about this because all you do stirring old poop, it still stinks. All you do is peel the scab off a wound that's, that's still very fresh, but it's starting to scab over. You just ripped the scab off and got to start this thing all over again because all the fans heard is like, man, this man, I can't believe this man. And did you hear what he said? That's what the fans are thinking.

Did you hear what he said? He's talking about long-term goals. Stop lying. We just went to the NBA finals last year. You're lying to yourself. You're lying to yourself. Yeah. But if I'm them, I'm done talking about this. This subject, Ocho, I'm not bringing it up

no more, Ocho. Because I can't... There's no win. At some point in time, you've got to come to the conclusion, Ocho. There is nothing you can say. Even if you were to win a title, people are like,

you know what people are going to say? We could have won a title with Luka. Who's to say we wouldn't have won that title with Luka, Ocho? Yeah. But you know, he won't have to worry about that because they're not going to be able to win a title. Ocho, the pain did not stop there for Dallas. Southwest

Airline, after 54 years, decided to up their check bag policy and now they're charging customers by throwing shade at the labs. It's not like we traded Luca. That's a good one. That's a good one. Great business is all about

advertising. How do we grasp the viewing eye and make them say, oh, that was good. You know what? I want to fly with them. Despite them changing the policy and finally having to pay for bags. That was so clever. I'm going to fly with Southwest just because.

I mean, I'm not changing my you know, my love for Spirit Airlines, but that was a good one. That was great advertising. I don't know who came up with that. It was short, quick, and to the point. Perfect scenario. Because the thing is, Ocho, is that, you know, there are certain things that are catchy, like the State Farm,

like Flow with Progressive, like Allstate with Mayhem, like Budweiser. Yeah, yeah. Bud, why? You know what I'm saying? The Clydesdale. Remember the Clydesdale commercial with the horses and the dogs and so forth and so on?

That's what he wanted to be. Hey, I don't know who that Allstate, that Mayhem commercials, but he's classic. I don't know who's behind the creative directing on but he is that's classic right Jake from State Farm Mayhem from Allstate Flo from Progressive

they're synonymous I mean I don't know what what Flo is going to do you remember when this commercial with Grandma where's the beef yeah I remember that yeah Hey, you remember the Wendy's commercial with Grandma? Where's the beef? Yeah, I remember that. Yeah.

So in this situation right here, I mean, look, this is maybe over time because eventually, you know, 20, 30 years from now, people will remember Milwaukee traded Kareem. You don't remember that. People think Kareem played his whole career in la he didn't he didn't that happens it it it definitely it it happens and uh you know it's like and he was homegrown we took a we took a young kid out of slovenia um not extremely terribly athletic he doesn't jump very high he extremely, terribly athletic. He doesn't jump very high. He doesn't run very fast.

He doesn't run very fast. All I know, he puts the ball in the basket and in an elite level. He has the third highest scoring average in NBA history. Only behind Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and his Luka Dunn. History.

History. He has the second highest scoring average in playoff history behind one Michael Jordan. They're not going to forget that soon. Over time, you know, we forget a lot of stuff over time. That's just the way the human mind is after a while. But it ain't happening anytime soon. And because anything that he does, you know, people are going to go back. And plus, we got internet.

Maybe it would have been different if Kareem came up in an era where you had internet and you had 24-hour news cycles and people would talk sports all the time, 24 hours a day, 365. Maybe it would be different. But sports is different now than what it was back there in ocho is vastly different because the way we cover it the way we talk about it the way we consume it and with all that being said people gonna be mad in mad at Dallas at the Mavericks for a long-ass time. He's not going to make it no easier on his end playing the way he's playing. When LeBron comes back and they continue to have success together

on the court, it's going to always be brought up over and over and over and over. This is who they traded. Hey, but don't lose sight of that. I understand y'all didn't trade Luka, but y'all charging for check bags now.

Let's keep the focus on the focus. I get it. It's very catchy. It's not like we traded Luka, but y'all charging money for those bags. And I remember when they first instituted charging for check bags, Ocho. I was like, man, everybody like, that ain't gonna last long.

That ain't gonna last long. People gonna stop flying. Okay. Well, how you gonna get from California to Florida? You gonna fly. How you gonna get from New York to South Carolina? Exactly. You only gonna drive. I know that. You gonna fly. Hell nah. So, guess what? What normally happens is that when one

airline does something, what does everybody else do? Follow right behind. Follow right behind. Follow right behind. You got to make it up for a reason. They charge you for checked bags for a reason. You got to make money. This is a business no matter how you see it. Think about the money. Think about it, Ocho.

They give you one and then they charge you if the bag is of a certain weight. They charge you what? How much is it? A dollar a pound? For real? Yeah. Hell yeah.

I do my best. I do my best regardless of how long I'm going somewhere. They'll always take a carry-on. I take a carry-on and a duffel. I try not to take suitcases. I try to do the same thing. But sometimes when you're traveling, when you travel in eight cities in 10 days, sometimes you got to do what you got to do. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait,

wait, wait, wait one minute. Now, listen, you can always use my method, a method I've been using for a very long time. It's very, it's cost efficient and it works going from city to city. Now, if you got what, how many days you say eight cities in 10 days? Now, if you got eight cities in 10 days, what you have to understand is all you have to do is take three pair of shoes, use the same outfit, have a bunch of underwear, tank tops and t-shirts,

always change, but use the same outfit, but change your shoes after each city because the outfit resets itself. So if you're in Chicago on Monday and you got to go to, you got to go to say, let's say LA on Tuesday, all you do is wear the same outfit,

but change your shoes and outfit resets itself based on a different location. So that, that's multiple outfits. Now they're just something I do. And, and, and still do to this day,

especially when you have to do things back to back to back and you having to do signings and appearances for LePortier. Okay, well, let me understand. You think I could wear shorts and tank top in Connecticut and Chicago right now? All you need is a little jacket. You could put a little

jacket in your duffel real quick. Boom. You good. Old hoodie. You don't need much. You're used to the cold. You played in Denver. You played in Baltimore. Boy, that was 20 years ago. I'm just trying to save you on your traveling expenses. Not only expenses, but being able to travel efficient and light. Two pair of shoes.

Yeah. Same sweatsuit. Matter of fact, you have a black sweatsuit and a gray one. And those are interchangeable, and you just change the shoes. A pair of white Air Force 1s and a black a black sweatsuit and a great one and you get those are interchangeable and you just change the shoes a pair of white air force ones and a pair of black ones i got white air force ones and that's it it go with everything see that's why the outfits probably the outfits i don't know they probably stand up in the corner by themselves when i take them off it works though it works yeah

I hate going to I just want to come out of the airport and hop right into the car and I'm off I don't want to stand around baggage claim I mean fan I want to say this

if you see a person standing around baggage claim, don't ask them what they're doing. If I see you standing around baggage claim, what do you think I think you're doing, Hosea? Waiting on my bag. What are you doing here? Yeah, I came to get some crab cakes.

He's just trying to start a little conversation, really not knowing. Bro, bro, hey, how you doing? Hey, hey, Ocho, how you doing, man? I be watching Nightcap, man. Y'all be going crazy, man. Y'all be going ham on that thing. I love that show.

You know, I love it. Bro, don't come on now. People be nervous, huh? You got to understand that. People be nervous. Oh, I love it. Bro, don't. Come on now. People be nervous, huh? You got to understand that. People be nervous. Oh, Lord have mercy. I told you the dude asked me out with the strip job. Man, what you doing here?

Same thing you doing here. Look at that hoo-ha. That's what I'm doing here. That's what you doing here. What the hell? What you think I'm doing? Ain't no basket. Ain't no sporting event going on.

Right, right, right, right, right. So you were there for the hoo-ha and the wings, huh? Yeah. Come on,, right, right. So you were there for the hoo-ha and the wings, huh? Yeah. Come on, bro. Yeah, man. Hey, yeah, man. Hey, man. Y'all, man, I've been watching you with TD, bro, not the time.

Not right now. You try to distract me. Hey. Hey. Read the room. Yeah, man. Honey on the stage, bro. I ain't got enough by no time.

I'm looking at honey right now. That's what I'm looking at. Ooh, Amber. Amber up next. I'm coming to the stage one. Stage three, Devastation. Yeah. Honey, love. You never seen Devastation, huh? Stage three, Devastation. Yeah. Honey, love.

You never seen Devastation, huh? You never seen Devastation? Yeah. It's one named Devastation, boy. She known worldwide. They call it. Chocolate. Caramel.

Yeah. Lexus. Yeah. Mercedes. That's throwback. That's throwback. That's throwback. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world

of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there are so many stories out there, and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide. And hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency.

Did you make a mistake in sending arms to Tehran, sir? No. It became known as the Iran-Contra affair. And I'm not taking any more questions in just a second. I'm going to ask Attorney General. I'm Leon Nafok, co-creator of Slow Burn. In my podcast, Fiasco, Iran Contra, you'll hear all the unbelievable details of a scandal that captivated the nation nearly 40 years ago,

but which few of us still remember today. The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you. Please do. To hear the whole story, listen to Fiasco, Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see. Muhammad Ali was never afraid to express himself loudly and boldly and stays true to form in Ali and Me, an eight-part Audible original. Guided by his own words, this series explores Ali's life and legacy through never-before-heard audio recordings and discussions with those who knew him best. Muhammad had this real sense of his own personal values and principles, things he believed

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As a child, as a young person, he gave credence to my audacity. There's no debate that this is the greatest global sports figure of our lifetime. Listen to Ali and Me, now on Audible. The Bucs beat the Lakers by 20, 126-106. That's three straight losses. The three teams behind them in the standings are all riding winning streets. Houston, four games.

Golden State, five games. Minnesota, six games. Big trip tomorrow to end the road trip. End Denver back-to-back. The Lakers wasted an outstanding performance by Luka Doncic. Luka is the youngest Laker to play, the youngest Lakers player to have 45 points, 10 rebounds in a game since 1962.

Oh, 45. Magic had, what did Magic have in that playoff game, Ash? Was it 42? He might have had 42. But anyway, he's the youngest Laker to have 45 points, 10 rebounds in the game since 1962. The problem tonight, Joe, was

the guys that can score, they don't really defend very well. Luka and AR. Guys that can defend can't score the ball. Fannie Smith, Vanderbilt, that's the issue that you had. Luka

and AR played extremely well. Nobody else did much. That's the problem that you're going to have. They got crushed on the Magic half 42-15. The Lakers shot 44% from the floor. They allowed Milwaukee to shoot 48. They shot 38% from the three.

They allowed the Bucs to shoot 43. Turnovers wasn't that vast. 14 for the Lakers, 12 for the Bucs. They did get out-rebounded by 10 on the offensive glass. But look, and that's the problem that you're going to have right now. They're scrambling. They're undersized. Like I said again, and I don't like to beat a dead horse, but I don't know why they signed Alex Lynn.

He's big for no reason. I mean, probably God thinking like, man, if I didn't know you were going to be like this, I wouldn't have gave you all this. Pretty soon, he's about to be the tallest coach ever. That's where he's headed. That's his next occupation, Ocho.

I don't want to talk bad about him. Maybe he just hasn't come into his own yet. Maybe he's lacking a little bit of confidence, having that type of size, that type of length. And to be playing in the NBA, you have to be of some type of use. I haven't seen it yet. He's simple. use. I haven't seen it yet. He said, but don't. Listen, I know.

I saw it for myself. No Jackson Hayes tonight, no LeBron, no Rui. I think the game would have been a little bit more competitive, obviously, if the Lakers was healthy. Obviously, Luka did all he could do. But as you said, those that score can't play defense. Those who play defense, they can't goddamn score. So not having LeBron,

his hurt, I think he's going to be like this for the next week or two until he can get himself back in health. Luke's going to have to do his best. Luke's going to have to do his best and carry the load as much as he can, and hopefully

the supporting cast can have nights. Those that can score can have nights when they're on and be a little bit more efficient and pick up the slack, being that LeBron is not there. You look at Luka. They scored 106 points, Ocho. Luka gave you 45. Austin Reed gave you 28.

That's 73. That's crazy. They got 33. Everybody. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. gave you 28 that's seven that's crazy they got 30 they got 33 everybody one two three four five six seven eight nine the nine other players scored 33 points one guy scored 10 so that means they got 23 from the other eight and now you look at you look at uh the bucks yannis was a assist away from a triple double 24 12 and 9 bro12-9. Brooke Lopez, 23.

Dame, 22. Kevin Porter Jr., 22. Gary Trent Jr., 16. When you get that kind of production, when you get that kind of balance scoring, and the scoring is so lopsided on the other side, well, that's kind of what you're going to get. You're going to get a situation where you get blown out. And like we said, we were talking about it at the top, Ocho.

Those that can score don't know what you're going to get. You're going to get a situation where you get blown out. And like we said, we were talking about it at the top, Ocho. Those that can score don't defend. Those that can't, those that can defend can't score. So what do you do? I mean, they would have literally had to play a perfect game. Oh, yeah. Luka and AR give you what they gave you, but other guys are going to have to knock down shots. I mean, Luka can't play any better.

I mean, some of the shots that he was hitting, you're like, damn. Damn. And they got the game within, what, 2-3? And next thing you know, the Bucs go on a 10-0 run or a 12-0 run and push it back to 14. The Lakers claw it back. They go on a 15-15 2-15-3 run

and push it back out. And then the Lakers could get no closer than that. It's just LeBron could not have... and it's not his fault, so I don't want people to say, oh, he shared it like he could help. But LeBron's injury could not have come at a worse time, Mojo. I mean, they were playing extremely well, and then he gets hurt. Now what do you do?

And I said this at the time. I do not believe they're going to be in second place. They're not going to be in second place. They got to hope they can hold this thing off and not get into playing, which is seven through 10, because they got an uphill climb. They got the Nuggets tomorrow. They got the Nuggets tomorrow. Now, Brooke Lopez had 23.

What the hell you think Yoke going to do? Well, listen, it don't matter who Yoke playing. He going to get 29 listen it don't matter who yoke playing he gonna get 29 30 each night regardless he listen yoke could be playing the goddamn five disciples on the court he gonna score he gonna get his points no matter what for some reason i wouldn't be surprised i wouldn't be surprised as great as good as denver's been playing all year long and despite the lakers not having lebrron, watch they shock you tomorrow. For some reason, watch the Lakers shock you tomorrow and just so happen to stumble up on a win despite LeBron not playing.

Luka's probably going to have another good game. AR probably going to throw up. Luka need to go for 70. Luka would need to go for 70. AR need to go for 35. And then the other guys need to go for 30. And, you know, don't be surprised it happened. I'm not saying it because I'm saying it. I'm just saying the way sports goes in general

for some reason it always happens like that. They've lost three and all of a sudden they play Denver. You expect them to lose, especially those that like to gamble. They mess around and win tomorrow night. Watch. Now watch what I tell you. I would have looked. Had they not gotten blown out last night by Minnesota, I might have agreed with you, Ocho. I might have agreed with you. But because they got blown out at home by Minnesota,

I don't see that happening. Mike Malone will have them very focused. That left a nasty taste in their mouth. They know. I mean, they let Ant-Man go off, Junior Randall went off, and they got beat by almost 20 on their home court. They'll be fired up.

That crowd will be rocking, and if you watch this team over the last four to five years, they get up like no other to play the Lakers. Okay. They get up to play the Lakers. The Lakers are everybody's championship, I mean, especially the Nuggets. Some teams, you get up like no other. They get up to play the Lakers. The Lakers are everybody's championship. I mean, especially the Nuggets. Some teams you get up to

play for, like now it's Kansas City. It used to be the Patriots. Everybody played their best when they played the Cowboys. That's what the Lakers are up against now. And I expect the Nuggets to put their best foot forward. I expect them to play some of their best ball because they are ticked off

that they let Minnesota come in there and do what they did to them last night. Oh, man. But, yeah, it's tough. I mean, and they were playing so well, Ocho. The Lakers had been playing extremely well. Luka and LeBron had started to figure it out. Luka was going to have the ball in his hand. LeBron was going to dive and slash to the basket.

Going to get to the post up. He post up at the top of the key. He post up on the side. Now he can see over. The assist totals were really high because you got two of the best passers in NBA history with the ball in their hands, a large part. AR taking a little pressure off AR because now your two best defenders got to guard LeBron and Luka. So now AR is getting a third or fourth best defender.

He's going to do what he does. So everything had really, really started to go well. And then just like that. You know, it's funny. Honestly, it's pretty much the same thing that happened to Dallas. You know, everybody requested the trade. They look good. They look decent for a little bit.

AD goes down. Okay, we still got Kyrie. They look decent for a little bit. AD goes down. Okay, we still got Kyrie. We got something to live off of. We got some hope. We still got a superstar that can put butts in the sea so at least get the viewers' attention. He goes down. Damn.

So the Lakers looked like the trade that they had, it was winning. LeBron playing well. Luka playing well. They going on a winning streak. Luka showing flashes of what he used to be. Then he's scoring 30. He cutting the fool. LeBron cutting the fool.

Some of the pressure's off of him. He don't have to bring the ball up the court. He can play freely. Take over a game when he want to. Now he go down. Hey, it's sports, baby. That's what makes the game so beautiful. Yeah.

Sometimes, Ocho, you got to laugh to keep from crying. Man, that's a good one right there, boy. That's a good one. You got to laugh to keep from crying. You know who the Lakers use right now? Whoever the triple-double in high school? Nobody. Ain't nobody out there can help the Lakers right now.

Boy, you ain't never seen me put the ball on the floor now. Boy, you ain't never seen my mid-range game, huh? You ain't never seen me come off the pick and roll and pull up. Hmm. Man, don't play. Oh, so you can pick and pop? Yeah, I can pick and pop, boy. I can pick and pop I could pick and pop better than the stripper

I tell you no lie that's like I said you look at Houston's playing well you look at Minnesota's playing well Golden State's playing well since the addition of Jimmy Butler and as good as those teams were. The Lakers, and as

good as those teams were playing, the Lakers were playing better. But it just so happens, sometimes injuries happen at the most inopportune times, and hopefully you have a team that's good enough to overcome, that can keep the ship steady until said player comes back or said players come back, but in this

case, it's really one. Yeah, we'd love to get Rui back. We'd love to get Jackson Hayes back, but in this case, it's really one. Yeah, we'd love to get Rui back. We'd love to get Jackson Hayes back. But the one guy that you could ill afford to lose is LeBron James because he's a guy that does a lot of what kind of like when you got here, you know they're going to give you 50 to 60 points between the two of them. They're going to give you somewhere between 18 and 20 rebounds between the two of them,

and they're going to probably give you 20 assists between the two of them. So you count, you can count on that. Now, Austin Reeves gives you what he gives you, which is somewhere between 18 and 20 points on given on a nightly basis. Rui chips in and give you his 14. Now,

whatever we get from, uh, um, Fannie Smith, whatever we get from Gabe Benson, we take it. We know, uh, uh,

Jackson, Hey, he's going to roll, go get some, go get some, uh, give us some second chance opportunities. We know Jackson Hayes is going to roll, going to give us some second-chance opportunities. We know he's going to roll to the basket, dive to the basket, catch a couple of lobs, get a couple of putbacks. Right now, we don't really have that. We don't have that.

We don't have a big. We're playing undersized. Giannis is just getting whatever he wants, getting to the basket. Brooke Lopez getting offensive rebounds, getting whatever he wants. So it was really a tough night. The effort, I don't think J.J. is going to be really pleased with the effort. There's a lot of times Kevin Porter Jr. hit three, I think, three straight threes in the third quarter.

I mean, wide open, shoot around threes. Can't have that. They've got to be better. They've got to be locked in. And guys got to know their responsibility and close out without filing. And they got to get the ball once the ball goes. Your job is not done once the guy misses the shot. Your job is done once you grab the rebound.

Because if he misses the shot and you don't grab the rebound, what have you actually done? It's kind of like what you and I talk about on third down. You get a team to third down. If you can't get them off the field, what good does it get them to third down? Listen, if they get a third down and they keep doing it, they're going to get them all

in the end zone. That's demoralizing. Yes. It's extremely demoralizing. That's demoralizing. Yes. It's extremely demoralizing. But the Lakers got to find a way to do something. And I don't know if, like I said, LeBron is probably going to be out for at least another week. Probably the earliest you can expect to see LeBron James is probably next weekend. And there's a good chance, Ocho, they could be in the seventh or the eighth spot by then. Unless something drastically happened, like I said,

especially starting tomorrow night, they just happened to win. Even though you say how teams get up to play the Lakers, I just have a feeling just with understanding of how sports work, regardless of what the sport is, whether it be soccer, whether it be football, whether it be basketball, tennis, just for some reason where things are, when you think about a team that's playing, they're not playing well. They have a star that's gone.

For some reason, the team always plays well against a team that you just know they're going to lose to, and they just surprise you. I really have a feeling. I don't know why. So people out there, if you're a gambler, I really would pick the Lakers to win tomorrow, despite it being Denver despite what Joker and Murray are doing I just think so

yeah I might pick the Lakers with somebody else's money but if it's my money I'm not picking the Lakers because I value my money a little bit more than that with that being said we'll see what happens I mean hey Milwaukee you know you're going to get in late tonight to Denver.

And you got to, you know, you got to shoot around tomorrow. And then, you know, you go back, get your nap. And then hopefully, you know, you put your best foot forward and see what happens. But I'm not overly confident that they're going to be able to pull this out. I'm Michael Kasson, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company. The podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next.

In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. There are so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.