PTI - Does the NBA Have a Tanking Problem AGAIN?

Episode Date: February 11, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss Wemby, Lebron, and NBA tanking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's National Inventors Day, Don't. You ever invent anything?

I'm Tony Kornheiser. Just a couple little things, my resume, my college board scores, my family. Be careful. You don't want to have to sell. You don't want to admit everything. I haven't. I've admitted some of the bigger ones, but I haven't admitted everything. Don't worry about it.

Welcome to PTI, boys, and girls. In today's episode, Lousy teams meet in the NBA. Rory has ideas for the PGA tour. and Steve Young joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with Victor Wembeyanama scoring 40 points in only 26 minutes last night in a 136-108 romp over a depleted Lakers team. Wembe Njama had 25 points in the first eight minutes of the game. The Lakers sat Luca, LeBron, DeAndre Aitin, and Austin Reeves,

four starters, and Marcus Smart, who has started 36 times for the Lakers this year. By not playing at all, LeBron is now ineligible for any or all NBA team. Wilbon, which is the bigger deal, Wemba Nama's performance, or LeBron's ineligibility? LeBron's numbers that are all attached to longevity, they don't even matter anymore, because he already has all of them. Okay, so that's over here. I watched this last night, not the clips. I watched it in live time. When Wimba Namba went wilt, that's what he did. Somebody made the joke out, oh my goodness, I'm forgetting who's doing the play-by-play, who said,

if we keep going like this, somebody's going to have to hand Wimbanyama a card that says 100. It was unbelievable what he did. And I'm glad he did it. You know what? Okay, so LeBron wasn't there and Luca wasn't there.

And neither was Wilton. Neither was Jerry West. And neither was Shack. Fine. He went into the place where you put on a show, one of the two places, Madison Square Garden, L.A. He went in there and said,

have some of this over and over and over again. I don't care if you hear. And then he said, I wanted to be greedy, greedy. That's a word I associate with three people in the history of the NBA. Michael Jordan and no special order, Wilton, Kobe. That's Byrd. So four.

They were so ruthless, and Wimbabonga seems to have that. And I don't care who was, I don't care if it's you and me. In an empty gym, most dudes will get paid 50 mil, can't put up 25 points in eight minutes that he did. So we're going to disagree a little bit here.

First of all, you had the game right. yesterday on the show you said the Lakers can't win the game and you listed all the people that weren't going to play. So you had that right. The reason I'm not particularly impressed with what Wembe Nyama did last night, not any other night, last night is because he wasn't playing against anybody.

Who was guarding him? The ghost of George Miken? Who was guarding him? Nobody was guarding him. Mike, this was not a game. It was a scrimmage. 25 points in a name in this. This was a scrimmage. But it was a scrimmage. Now, in terms of LeBron, the fact that LeBron can't be eligible for an all NBA team.

team, that's the rule. He's missed too many games. And by the way, there are three all-NBA teams. There should be one. The five best players, regardless of position, it shouldn't be so bloated, and it only exists for contractual purposes anyway. Now, in terms of not being on, so what? He is one of the greatest basketball players who has ever lived.

Somebody saying, oh, wait, he didn't make all NBA third team in 2020. So I don't want to hear that. Wim von Yamma. Yeah, he's great. But last night does improve it or establish it. Not last night. It reminds you. Go ahead.

You love them. I do. I know. Yes. I understand. He's it. I understand. I understand.

But we'll move to a game on tonight's schedule that stands out for all the wrong reasons. The Sacramento Kings take their 13-game losing streak to Utah to face the woeful jazz, who have been sitting starters in recent fourth quarters. In the past, the NBA has tried to get teams to compete by all. altering the draft lottery or creating a play-in. Butone is playing not to win a problem the league needs to address again. I live in Washington, D.C., a city where the NBA team is trying to lose. The executives of the Wizards are trying to lose.

And by the way, succeeding to lose. They are right now because they want to hire a draft pick. It's all about the draft pick. It's all about the draft pick, yeah. They are 14 and 38 this year. In the last three years, they are 47 and 169. Everybody should be fired. Nobody has been fired because this is obviously the plan.

They just traded healthy players for Tray Young and Anthony Davis. Big names who are hurt haven't played a minute. I'm not sure they will ever play a minute for the Wizards. I'm just not sure about that. And I think fans of this team, if there are any fans left, should bring a class action suit for fraud on the part of the Wizards, for selling season tickets and not ever attempted. to win. The Utah Jazz

are not attempting to win. They're sitting their starters in the fourth quarter. You cannot close out a game when your starters are not playing. You don't want to close out a game. Look, players want to win. Players don't tank. That's right. Coaches, general managers tank, and owners

allow it to happen. It's a plague. A hundred percent and now we will disagree. The league shouldn't touch this. You know why I can't? Because billionaire owners are going to say, we want to go to court, really? You want to prove that I'm doing this, I don't mean in the case of Utah because it's easy. By the way, Danny Aange,

I know how much you respect Danny A's brilliant. He's brilliant. Okay. So let me just mention that Utah, by tanking, you tank to win. So ultimately you're trying, you are trying to win. A. High lottery thing. See, I know Danny A.J. DeBanza scored 36. Yeah, I'd take the pick away.

So if you put, and that too, I'd take the pick away. If you put DeBanza with Marketing, Kessler, Jaron Jackson, Jr., A. A. Bailey and Keantee George next year. Okay. They make the playoffs. That's winning. What about this year?

What about the fans of these games? If I'm a fan, I want to know my team can win next year. I'm going to quote somebody. You know what the sin of the Wizards is? They don't get it right. I'm going to quote someone. That's the sin. About a month ago, when the Steelers were looking for a new coach, they put Art Rudy

the second out there. And they said, what about the inevitable big rebuild? And he looked at everybody in that room and he said, we don't do that. We try to win every single game. Good for him. him and that's why he doesn't own an NBA. That's right. Because they don't... You know what? Good for him. And I want DeBanza.

Or I want that kid, Caleb Wilson. And so do you in Washington, because then you can stop losing intentionally. 47 and 169 and nobody's fired. Don't get it right. Well, somebody got fired in the previous regime. It's my turn. Let's make the golf. Rory McElroy is out in California getting ready for the

Pebble Beach Pro Am that starts tomorrow. At a press conference yesterday, Rory said, quote, I think the players is one of the best golf tournaments in the world. But we have four major championships. It's the players. There's need to be anything else, unquote. Rory also called the PGA, which is a major glory's last shot,

referring back to where it used to be on the major schedule last. In 2019, golf moved it up to second. Now it's in May. Rory wants it back to 4th in August. Will Bonn is Rory right? Both cases, yes. The players, it's exciting. It's huge. But you can

be huge and not be called a major. It's huge. It's the best field. It's the deepest field. It's not a major. He's speaking. factually. And Tony, I hate that the professional golf is so afraid of the NFL. Totally. That it won't even put some... First of all, yes, there is some overlap in terms of viewership and eyeballs, but there's a lot of it that's exclusive to your endeavor. And the season is scrunched. They should put this back in August. It feels unnatural to have

it where it is with the stupid FedEx thing just rushed in there and slapped together. I'm with Rory on both counts. Okay. Golf has four majors. They have had four majors, the same four majors, what, 60, 80 years, maybe more than that. They got the Masters, they got the U.S. Open, they got the U.S. Open, they got the British Open and the PGA. They got four. That's what they have. They have four. You remember the Beatles? Beatles had four members.

They had John, Paul, George, and Ringo. There was a disc jockey in New York when the Beatles came along named Murray the Kay who said, I'm the fifth beetle. But you're not, because they only have four Beatles. The players has the best field, you're right. but it's not a major. There are four heads, right? On Mount Rushman, there are four heads. Anybody clambering for a fifth head?

Probably. Well, you don't need to do that. Somebody clamoring for a fifth. Now, you're right. They moved it for two reasons. One, they moved it because it was two-month gap between the masters and the next major. Which is okay.

Okay, but golf wanted to fill the gap. But the more important reason was they wanted to get out of the way of the train that is the NFL. Yes. And so the FedEx Cup wants to be finished by Labor Day so there is not a conflict. If you can put it, in August and still accomplish that.

I'm okay with that. But Mike, I don't mind it the way it is because now we have majors in April, May, June, and July. I don't think it is. I don't think it's too much. It felt natural the way it was. It felt great having the PGA in August. Of course they could put it in August.

Pro football doesn't actually start until the Sunday after Labor Day. Well, Thursday. So there's Thursday. So they got time to do this. Can I tell you something? I met Rory's father. Oh, great.

When I was in Florida. He's a member at Seminole. him. He was a lovely guy. Roy's father's a member of his family. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was completely loved. He watches this show. Good for him. And he watches TGL as well. Let's take a break. Now you're going to bridge too far. Coming up.

Steve Young about Drake May's Super Bowl struggles. We'll also ask him whether Mike McDonald's success could spur or run on defensive head coaches. He asked me if you really like Wembe Nyama. No, I'm kidding. He didn't really. He didn't. Tony? But a nice guy. You know what? It's more than like him.

We're not done with the NFL season just yet. We have some questions for our great friend, the man who seemed like the homecoming king of this year's Super Bowl festivities, Mr. Steve Young. We're going to start with Drake May. How does a painkiller shot in your throwing shoulder help and hurt you as a quarterback? And what sort of empathy? And that's the right word, empathy, because you played this position. What sort of empathy do you have after his struggles?

Well, first of all, the shot, I mean, the shoulder's the most complex joints. the body and especially a throw, you know you're throwing shoulder doesn't anything else, like intricacy of it. And if it's numb in a certain spot, it can really affect you. And I think in the first quarter, it's like, he doesn't look 100%, so you could tell that something wasn't right. So that's, I feel bad that that had to happen at that time. But taking shots in the shoulder, yeah, I mean, sometimes it doesn't matter.

And sometimes it really does matter. It's hard to know with the context. As far as the empathy, man, you know, it got to a point where I always used to something. to say in high in college, all the receivers are open and the pros, nobody's open. That was a difference. And that was like for Jake all year, everybody's pretty much open. And then all of a sudden he goes in the Super Bowl and nobody's open. And he's getting small. And you could see him getting overwhelmed. Like it just gets, it gets into your head. It gets in everybody's head where the Super Bowl, it's going the wrong way.

You can't get a first down. And then things start to go haywire. And they never could get right. And that's why championship football is so compelling because it happens that fast. It's not seven games. Now you don't get. to go back tomorrow and try to try it again. It's like it all happens right there, and then you just devolve, and bam, you're out. And he's going to learn a lot from it. That's a huge scar that he's going to have from it.

But he can turn it to the positive over time. But, man, talk about empathy. That was a tough spot. We'll switch quarterbacks and get to a totally different sort of story arc. Steve, you told our friend Rich Eisen earlier this week that Sam Darnold's career arc feels similar to yours. I must have missed the extra three or 14. that you got dumped to, but please tell us what is it about Darnal's, you know,

career, Arcteth feels similar. Yeah. I would say this. He started in a place where it was cloudy and rainy and how it felt, right? It was oppressive and how it felt to try to be good. And then you get to a place where the clouds part and the sun comes out in the West Coast Office and now the fruits of it now we talk about every week. And that's similar to me.

It's like I started a place that was just brutal and then got to a place that's just you can now go find out how good you can get. And that's the best thing you can ever ask in the team sport is be in a spot where you have the right kind of people to allow you to show if you're good or great or whatever it is. Let's go show it. And I think that arc is really, but that's true for anyone, Michael, whether you go team to team or not. Are you in a place that has a platform to allow you to iterate and find out how good you are? And they're just not 32 of them. We talk about that a lot. And when you find one, it's like a gift from heaven.

And you just, now let's go, you might not be as good as you think you are. It might be the truth that you can't do it. But at least we're going to find out how good or great you can be. And I think Sam in that spot, it feels familiar. All right. Extending on that, we're going to ask you to be judging jury when you mentioned those platforms and who has them. Of the young quarterbacks besides May and Darnold.

So let's say people in there, I don't know, fifth year or less. Who impresses you? Who do you like? Who do you look at and say, yeah, I'll take some of that for a while? Well, like we just said with Sean Payton, you got Bo Nix. He's in one of those places where you're going to be able to iterate and find out video on. It seems like he's going to be pretty good. Then you get to a spotlight in New Orleans with Tyler.

Is he somebody that could do a Brock Purdy? I mean, could he be somebody that just could explode on the scene. It does feel like everyone around him that plays with him. It's like, this kid is real. This kid is for sure. So I think there's, those are two that stick out for me, that are younger. And then you've got a kid come from Indiana for the, can one man save a whole organization? We've talked about for years.

Can he come save the Raiders? You know, we'll see. But there's some young players I like. But this is the year that all the greats missed the Super Bowl, especially on the EFC side. That's true. That's true. Yeah, I mean the Holmes and Lamar Jackson and. you know, and Joe Burrow and

Josh Allen, yeah. It was the year off. It was the year for somebody to do something unique. All right, we will get you out of here on this. You've talked a lot about why so many teams have hired coaches out of the McVeigh, Shanahan, and Reed offensive coaching trees. Do you think Mike McDonald's success, and that defense was overwhelming,

Mike McDonald's success could spur a similar pattern of hiring defensive head coaches? I mean, it would definitely give people's interest because I think he's done all of that. I just, the game, the rule changes are all against the defense every year. And it makes it harder and harder to play great defense. And to me, the game is dominated by the kings. And what took the year off this year, we just talked about the guys that didn't make it in the Super Bowl.

But in the Super Bowl, you know, kind of competition, it's the quarterback that's going to do it. So those offenses and those organizations that are built around the kings of the game, they're going to ones that are going to show up in the Super Bowl of the year. I understand this is the year off. But defense will always be important. because it's neglected more and more because of the safety rules and everything else, it's just harder to be great. And the Seahawks, look, they were great.

They smothered the Patriots. But look what a really sophisticated Hall of Fame kind of quarterback did the week before with, you know, 500 yards, 4 and 50 yards and 27 out of 30 points with the Rams. Like, like, you can play great defense, but if you have one of those guys, that's what you have to have. And so I'm fine with the defensive coordinator being the head coach, but as long as long as, as long as Clint Kubiak show, you know, now that he's gone, as long as somebody shows up that has the sun out in the clouds

part and innovation, innovative minds, and then we got a shot. Before we let Steve go, he's being modest here. Wasn't it Bill Walsh and that and your organization to change? Because before he was buddy Ryan, it was Bill Parcells, it was all these defensive coaches

ruling the universe, and you guys fought that off. Well, and I think that's the beginning of it. There's no question. the innovation that changed the game what's happened with the West Coast offense. And now again, because of the rule changes that don't allow defenders to launch head first,

they're slower to the ball. They can't patrol. We talk about it all the time. It's just the game changed that would allow it even more for the West Coast type of philosophy to get the ball in different spaces with more room to roam.

It's just the games changed dramatically. And offense is the king. And it started no question. It started there. But now it's, really throughout the league. And that's why it's unusual for the Seahawks to dominate like the Broncos did 10 years ago and then like the Ravens did a few years before that. There's been groups of people in the last 25 years defenses that have dominated, but I think it's a rarity.

It is not the constant. The constant is the quarterback's going to rule. Total pleasure to have you on all year. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. It's been so much fun. You guys the best. That's good. I'll miss you. Let's take one last break still to come. Bad news for two similar baseball stars. and he learns the punishment for flipping the bird to the rim after missing a free throw. What the rim do? Bill Walsh is a giant. Bill Walsh.

It's Bill Walsh. Bill Walsh is a giant. Do you want to know an interesting small fact about Bill Walsh? Yes. He was colorblind. Happy time, people. Happy 32nd birthday, Danesby Swanson. The two-time All-Star shortstop came over to the Cubs from the Braves as a free agent before the 2223 season after signing a seven-year, $177 million contract.

While in Atlanta, Swanson was part of the Braves World Series champions in 2021. This past season, Swanson hit 244, 24 homers, 77 RBI, 84 run scored, and 20 stolen bases on a playoff team. For his career, Swanson averages 251 with 16 homers and 63 RBI. Swanson has two gold gloves, one in Atlanta, one in Chicago, and he's married to the former Mallory Pugh, who won Olympic Gold and the World Cup with the United States Women's National Soccer Team. Swanson is part of an infield that may be the best in the majors. Third to first, Bregman, Swanson, Nico Horner, who we better not trade, and Michael Bush.

And people are on Swanson all the time, including one of my dear friends. You like Swanson. I like Swanson, but he gets him. Too much criticism, it seems to me in Chicago. Happy anniversary, Moses Malone. This is posthumous, but on this day, 44 years ago. Malone collected 21 offensive rebounds in the Houston Rockets win over Seattle, a record for offensive rebounds that still stands.

Malone had 32 total rebounds in that game, three more than the entire Seattle team. Now, to be fair, the NBA only started tracking offensive rebounds in the 1773-74 season. So that rules out Wilton Russell, who might have gone for 25 when nobody was counted. Malone also owns the second most offensive rebounds in one game, 19 and a 1979 game for Houston. Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Zaza, Pichulia, and Tim Basseter next with 18. I'm old enough to remember when you were about Moses like I. I am Wimby. You were a Moses fanatic.

First guy to ever go from high school to the pros when he went to the ABA. Great player. He was amazing. And he was a great player. Happy trails to Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll. The Met shortstop and Diamondbacks outfielder will both miss significant time with Hammett injuries. The Hammett is a small bone in your hand for those of you who are not doctors like

I am. Lindor will have surgery and miss six weeks. Carol will reportedly miss significant time, but both are hoping to return by opening day. Hand injuries aren't the only things Lindoran and Carol have in common. Both were 30-30 players last season. Both were All-Stars, and both finished in the top 10 in MVP voting. I just don't want this to become Hamatine. See what I did.

Oh, I like what you do with that? Hemetown. We don't want that. No. How do you get this same injury comes out of nowhere and affect several star players as spring training begins? It's bizarre. It's crazy. But it does feel like they'll be back in time.

I hope so. Let's go to the big finish if we do. NBA fight suspensions. Isaiah Stewart gets seven games. Miles Bridges and Musa Diabate get four and Jayland Duran, who I thought started the fight, gets two, okay by you? Yeah, but I see to you, you got it right,

and it could have been heavier. It could have been heavier than it was. I mean, should have been heavier than it was. I've revisited. Good. Blue Jays outfielder, Anthony Santander, I love that name, needs shoulder surgery, out five to six months.

That's a big deal. It is. He only had six home runs in 54 games last year. But when he was on the O's, He had 44 ones. He's a big time home run. Yeah. Scotty Pippin is auctioning off 50 items of memorabilia worth an estimated $6 million.

Your thoughts? These stories always make me sad. No matter which great player in which sport, they always make me sad. Charlie Woods is committed to play golf for Florida State. Does that make sense? Well, he's born and raised in Florida. It saves his dad on in-state tuition, though. Oh, sure.

Yeah. He's that. Last one, the NBA fine Bulls Guard, Colin Sexton, 35K for flipping off the rim after a miss free throw is that justified? Colin Sexton's not on the Bulls. I thought he was. Oh. I think he is.

He's one of those nine people we got in addition to second round draft picks last week. We're out of time. We're trying to do better than next time. I'm Tony Cornynheim. Nothing wrong with Colin Sexton. Fine player, but stop. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.