The Daily Zeitgeist - MJGMB #135: NBA Action Remains Fantastic with Khristina Williams

Episode Date: October 16, 2024

Jack and Producer Jabari were pleased to be joined by WNBA reporter Khristina Williams for the first segment. The trio discussed some historic moments in  this year’s WNBA Finals before Jack and Jabari got into all the news and notes from around the league as teams prep for the regular season!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Thanksgiving Day 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Piece, the Elian Gonzalez story on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Julian Edelman. I'm Rob Gronkowski.

And we are super excited to tell you about our new show, Dudes on Dudes. We're spilling all the behind-the-scenes stories, crazy details, and honestly, just having a blast talking football. Every week we're discussing our favorite players of all times, from legends to our buddies to current stars. We're finally answering the age-old question, what kind of dudes are these dudes? We're gonna find out, Jules. New episodes drop every Thursday during the NFL season.

Listen to Dudes on Dudes on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get real and dive straight into todo lo actual y viral. We're talking music, los premios, el chisme, and all things trending in my cultura. I'm bringing you all the latest happening in our entertainment world and some fun and impactful interviews with your favorite Latin artists, comedians, actors, and influencers.

Each week we get deep and raw life stories, combos on the issues that matter to us. And it's all packed with gems, fun, straight up comedia. And that's a song that only nuestra gente can sprinkle. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Stick to sports. Shut up and dribble. Despite what some people believe, sports and politics have mixed from the beginning. Now you have a podcast that isn't afraid to explore the complicated relationship between sports and politics with

a new podcast called Spal politics with me Jamel Hill I'll be discussing political social and economic issues through the lens of sports with some of the biggest names and smartest people. So here's the assignment listen to Spal politics on the I heart radio app or wherever you get your podcast let's get spolitical. or wherever you get your podcast. Let's get spolitical. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974.

George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. Story behind the Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, BB King, Miriam Makeba. All the biggest black artists on the planet.

Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Miriam Makeba, all the biggest slack artists on the planet, together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, well, well, we are officially a week away from the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season. And we are in the thick of the WNBA finals. Some of us simply hoping our teams can stay healthy and available until opening day.

But we've got news and notes from around the league expectations to discuss. And also we have a very special guest up top for a brief segment on the WNBA because that's all we can think about and talk about right now. Christina Williams on today's episode. I'm Jack O'Brien. And I'm producer Jabari in for Miles. And this is Jack and sometimes Javari. Oh, night night. Yanis with the take. Look out. No showtime.

What you got, yes. Christina, thank you so much for taking time away from the finals. I know this is a probably a very hectic period for you, but you are an award winning WNBA reporter, host of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams for I Heart. Is that the name of a network? Yeah. Okay. I heart for them, but everybody should go check out her latest episode with the legend Sue Bird.

So yeah, that's amazing. Yeah. But first WNBA finals tied 1-1 absolute classic all time classic game one Courtney Williams four point play. We were racking our brain before just has there been a more dramatic four point play in the history of basketball? I can't really think of a more dramatic four point play in the history of basketball? I can't really think of a more dramatic play in that. I couldn't think of one. Yeah. Courtney Williams is a dog though. She's been playing super clutch for the Minnesota Lynx in the

playoffs so far. You mentioned that four point play in game one of the WNBA finals between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx. She's really that engine that's been keeping that team, you know, full steam and this series against the number one Liberty team. Yeah, just nonstop. Just it feels, yeah, the type of player you hate to go against because you love to have on your team, but you hate to go against because you're like, oh, she's she's sprinting again. She's fast. Fast.

Now I was going to say, she's one of the best mid range players of the WNBA right now, and she's added that outside three point shot. So Courtney Williams, she's she's a three level scorer. She's she's definitely definitely on the court for sure. I'm not mistaken. Wasn't that like a 15 point game at one point and like 18? It was an 18 point game. 18 point game.

Listen, I was at Barclays Center and I literally looked down. And I was almost trying to go like and then I look up and it's like a three point game. And then Courtney Williams hits the shot and it's like, oh, we're going to be here for a little bit longer. Like, let's get comfortable. And yeah, the game went into overtime and we know how the story went with Stewie missing that free throw and the layup to lose game one at home and link stole one.

But yeah, I was super surprised. Yeah, I think a lot of people were just putting it in its proper context of greatest four point play ever. The answer that you get for like greatest four point play in NBA history is the LJ, Larry Johnson, Nick's Eastern Conference finals. I just rewatched that play in the context of the Courtney Williams one, and I regret to inform Nick's fans that he like barely gets hit. Like it's, I mean, he sells it. He sold a mess out.

Pony Williams got mugged. Like it was like, how did she even get the ball to the rim? Like the way she got hit and also just, you know, it was the finals. It wasn't the Eastern conference finals. So. Yeah. And so that point like Sabrina UNESCO, I mean, yeah, you have to look at that and live with that in game one, but she came back. What a game to come back in game two for the New York Liberty offensively and defensively. She's definitely stepped it up. I think in game two, we saw a better New York Liberty team.

And then they found ways to climb out of that and extend the lead. They had a really good start at one point where you had a Stuart had a record setting seven steals in game two. And so the Liberty just really put all the jets. Benajelene Halton, a player that's been struggling with injuries all season, just had a surgery before the Olympic break. It was kind of getting back to her old self.

She's known as a good defensive player, but then she had 20 points in that game too for Liberty. So I think that this is the team that's turning the page and it could get scary for Minnesota. Yeah. Um, so one thing, let's just go big picture here for a second about like where we're at with the WNBA. Um, something we talk about, you know, on, on our NBA show is like the, the idea that the league is progressive where like the players are building their games on top of other like past players games.

And so you can actually see the difference. Like if you look 10, 15 years ago, you can actually see a difference between the level of play, even, you know, as much as I love Jordan or, you know, young LeBron. Even looking at like young LeBron Heedle's era, like the level of play back then just feels it feels different. Like the players just seem more uniformly skilled. The shot making is better.

The defense is like more comprehensively like better. The offense is like more complex and beautiful. I'm just curious to hear your thoughts on that as it relates to the WNBA. Do you see that like progressiveness as compared to like 10, 15 years ago or because you know, there are definitely sports where that isn't the case. Like I feel like baseball, you look 20 years ago and people kind of look about the same football. It's like a little different, but the NBA, I've always felt like it's very clear that like people are just adding new flourishes. Like they're building art on top of other

people's art, you know? Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, obviously the WNBA is only 28 years old. And so when we talk about looking back and just seeing how far the game has come, I think that, yeah, I think that the talent has always been there. When you look 10, 15 years ago, you had players like Diana Taurasi, who's still an active WNBA player who hasn't officially retired yet. The Super, it's the Candace Parkers, who was MVP and rookie of the year, her rookie year. Candace Parkers, who was MVP and rookie of the year, her rookie year. Maya Moore, who recently retired as well. So you see that the talent level and skill level has always been there.

I think that the difference that we see now is this is a big woman's league. I want to say Asia Wilson, a piece of Collier, Brianna Stewart, the top three players in the WNBA right now. So you see a lot of the bigs get love. But then credits to players like Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Inescu, who's representing for the guard play in the W NBA right now. I think that what we see is a faster pace game. We see, um, more versatile pigs in the W kind of mirroring what you see in the NBA,

like that position was basketball, so to speak, um, starting to happening. The pace, the pace is more fast. Um, uh, but I think the athleticism and skill is, is kind of neck and neck. The pace, the pace is more fast. But I think the athleticism and skills is kind of neck and neck. I mean, we love Caitlin Clark for her logo threes. You love Sabrina or how she can facilitate an offense. I think that when you look at legends like Courtney Vandesue, who's still active on the New York Liberty, one of the best passes in the game, Chelsea gray, who's on the ACEes, they call her the point god.

So we see those flashes of, of style and, and the play and the skills of the players of the W. So yeah, I think that, you know, we're seeing the game progress and transform right before, before us. Yeah. It's a, it's kind of a beautiful thing to watch across both leagues. Is there anyone coming up in, uh, either out of college or, you know, young players? Obviously, you mentioned Kaitlyn, but any players that you're excited about? Maybe any that are like flying under the radar right now?

I wouldn't say any plays flying under the radar. I mean, the college basketball, you can look at last season with the ratings from South Carolina and Iowa when and Caitlin Clark went up against them or the LSU team, the Yukon team with Paige Becker's. I would say the exciting players are Paige Becker's out of Yukon. She for went another season to go play at Yukon for one more season to try to win a national championship on the Gina RMO. She's projected to be the number one pick next year the WBH wrath

Juju Watkins out of USC everyone's calling her the Michael Jordan of the WNBA So I think she's gonna be super exciting to watch I mean just as a freshman just seeing how she was able to get USC to that final four I think that you know, they're gonna just continue to build on that momentum next season So those are some players you can keep an eye out for women's college basketball that, you know, they're going to just continue to build on that momentum next season. So those are some players you can keep an eye out for women's college basketball and going into the W. Yeah. Juju Watkins. I'm pretty excited about her season here in Southern California. People, people are pretty psyched. Admittedly, Christina, this is, you know,

this season I watched the most WNBA basketball that I've ever watched, you know, and as a casual, I will call myself as a casual, but someone that is, you know, very much interested in the league and very much appreciative of the game that it is. I'm wondering how you feel, you know, about it, about the future, about the present looking so bright and about them, you know, more of the mainstream audience jumping into the mix. Yeah. I mean, obviously as someone who's been covering the league for over seven years, we welcome new fans, new, new eyes, um, to the game. I think that I love where the game is growing in terms of just the conversations that we see. Um, I think that the more visibility,

the more that these athletes are more normalized in regular day to day sports conversations, we see, um, women's basketball being featured on the eight blocks of shows like first take and things like that. I think good or bad. I think that, you know, you have to welcome in different types of coverage, but also when it comes to the league and the progress of the league, there's lots to look forward to. Next year, we're going to have the Golden State Valkyries expansion team happening. Then you have expanded in Canada and Portland and a few more teams coming by 2028. And so this season there'll be an expansion draft in December. Uh, we're teams now can retain up to six players and then everyone else kind of

fear game. So the league is going to look different in 2025, 2026. The league is, we know it may maybe some super teams form. We welcome in rivalries when it comes to storytelling. I think that is just a fun and exciting time. So in November, the players union have an option to opt out of their current collective bargaining agreement. So how does that fall in the mix when it when we talk about the new media rights deal here to me and players getting paid more money. And so I think that the priority

for also a lot of teams has switched over. So when it comes to free agency, next February, a lot of players are going to prioritize the teams that spending money on facilities, simple things like locker rooms that men's basketball players and athletes have and other sports. And so now you see, uh, owners really stepping it up when it comes to investment to make these teams a landing destination for free agents so that their teams can compete. Uh, we have the chart of lights right now, so that's no longer something that you that will entice the playing field is leveled when it comes to that.

But I think all the extras is now going to make the league better. Yeah. Yeah. Makes sense. All right. We know you've got to get back to it. We really appreciate you coming on and taking a bit of time out of your schedule to talk

to us about the WNBA. Where can people find you, hear you, all that good stuff? Yeah. Every week, new episodes of In Case You missed it with Christina Williams drops on I hearts, women's sports audio network. Uh, you can follow those across socials at I C Y M I with KW. But also follow me at Christina on Twitter. That's with a K H not a C H. Um, but yeah, thank you so much for having me. Yeah, thanks for doing it. Enjoy the finals.

Thank you. All right, we're going to take a quick break. We're going to come back. We're going to talk NBA basketball and we'll be right back. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, a five-year-old boy floated alone in the ocean. He had lost his mother trying to reach Florida from Cuba. He looked like a little angel. I mean, he looked so fresh. And his name, Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere.

Elian Gonzalez. Elian, Elian. Elian, Elian. Elian Gonzalez. At the heart of the story is a young boy and the question of who he belongs with. His father in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him.

Or his relatives in Miami. Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. At the heart of it all is still this painful family separation. Something that as a Cuban, I know all too well. Listen to Chess Piece, the Elian Gonzalez story as part of the MyCultura podcast network available on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Julian Edelman. I'm Rob Gronkowski. Guess what, folks? We're teammates again. And we're gonna welcome you guys all to Dudes on Dudes. I'm a dude, you're a dude, and Dudes on Dudes is our brand new show. We're gonna highlight players, peers,

guys that we played against, legends from the past, and we're just gonna sit here and talk about them. And we'll get into the types of dudes. What kind of types of dudes are there, Gronk? We got studs, wizards. We got freaks. Or of dudes. What kind of types of dudes are there, girls? We got studs, wizards. We got freaks. Or dudes dude. We got dogs.

Dog. We'll break down their games. We'll share some insider stories and determine what kind of dude each of these dudes are. Is Randy Moss a stud or a freak? Is Tom Brady a dog or a dudes dude? We're gonna find out, Jules. New episodes drop every Thursday during the NFL season.

Listen to dudes on dudes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hola mi gente, it's HoneyGerman and I'm bringing you Gracias Come Again, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of Latin culture, música, películas, and entertainment with some of the biggest names in the game. If you love hearing real conversations with your favorite Latin celebrities, artists and culture shifters, this is the podcast for you. We're talking real conversations with our Latin stars, from actors and artists to musicians

and creators sharing their stories, struggles and successes. You know it's going to be filled with cheese man laughs and all the vibes that you love. Each week we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community, and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries. Don't miss out on the fun, el te caliente and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Immigration, reproductive rights, why former first lady Michelle Obama will never run for president, affordable housing, exactly the type of discussions you'd expect on a sports podcast. Am I right? Only if you listen to Spolitx, a new sports and political podcast hosted by me, Jemele Hill, a sports journalist who has spent years writing about and discussing the intersection between sports, politics,

race, gender, and culture. Join me every Thursday as I discuss, debate, and dissect the hottest and sometimes most controversial political and social issues with some of the biggest names and smartest people all through the lens of sports. So here's the assignment. Listen to Spolitics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts because on Spolitics no one is told to just shut up and dribble. All right, here we go. no one is told to just shut up and dribble.

All right, here we go. It's Cam Jordan from New Orleans Saints. Here to tell you it's going down. On season two of my podcast, Off the Edge with me, Cam Jordan. Can't stop it, you know what's gonna happen. Can't stop it. That's right. Catch new episodes every Wednesday, all season long.

That's what you look for in year 14, to do more. And I'll have my friends who happen to be some of the NFL's biggest stars join me on the pod. We'll give you a player's perspective of the biggest storylines, trends, and did that really just happen moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it. Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than...

Sike! You have to tune in to find out. So tap in to Off the Edge with Cam Jordan's podcast, your ultimate playbook for all things football and not football. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. WNBA was what we talked about before, and now we're talking about the NBA, which is what we normally talk about on this podcast frequently. So I have this team that I follow called the Philadelphia 70s Hikers. And I got a text from Super Producer Jabari last night that let me just read it. Directly. I don't know if you correctly.

I don't know if you can read that. Expletive, man. Jack, I am sorry. Yeah. So, I thought that somebody had died, but it was just, it's a thing that I expect at this time of year, an injury to one of the better players on the 76ers. Paul George hyper extended his left knee while defending on the perimeter Monday night. But he said he wasn't too concerned about it.

So I'm not too concerned about it. And I appreciate your sympathies Jabari. You did scare me to death. Admittedly, I have to be better. I have to be a better friend. I thought Andy's leg fell off. I have to be a better friend. I have to be a better producer.

I recognize that just sending like, Oh my goodness, Neil type reactions probably aren't the healthiest. No Jack, probably not the healthiest, but you know what happens Jack in the moment. I'm like, no, yeah, it's just that it's just that, but yes, no. Like, like you say, he says he's not too concerned about it. Uh, there was an MRI, you know, it showed, it showed that there was a bone bruise and there's no structural damage and he's set to be reevaluated. And this is the interesting part in approximately one week. So maybe he won't be there for the beginning of the season, but at least it sounds like

it's not going to be a catastrophic injury. We're good. We're good. You just get healthy, Paul George. And speaking of we're good, you just get healthy. Joel Embiid has gone on the record and said, if I had to guess, I would probably never play back to backs again in my career. So that's fine with me. I mean, I remember when his first year playing after he was coming off the foot injuries, that was one of the rules that was in place. I think it was like a 20 minute pitch

count and no back to backs and he did some damage. They were pretty good that year. President of Basketball Operations, Darrell Morey softened it a bit when asked about it by describing it as probably not playing many, if any, back to backs. But I'm sure there's like something. Yeah, you can't say no. I'm not going to rule all back to backs, but I'm sure there's like something. Yeah. You can't, you can't say no, I'm not going to rule all back to backs out, but, uh, I don't know what, what are our expectations for Philly in the event that

they're able to somehow maintain their health over the course of the year and can be relatively healthy come playoff time Jabari as you are someone who's opinion on basketball, I respect. Oh, do you think? Yeah, I'm a fool. I'm a foolish, foolish man. I have bad taste in basketball minds. No, that's not true.

You know a lot of basketball. You watch a lot of basketball. Is there something inherent to Joel Embiid's game that is limiting his playoff effectiveness because he's had great games in the playoffs. He's had some good round one games, hit that one game winning three, falling out of bounds. That was amazing. That capped off a really great game for him. And then promptly got a concussion or broke his face. And then there are the more like lower body injuries. Do you think there's something inherent to his game? Do you think it's just been a string of bad luck? What

are your thoughts? I mean, several things can be true. Yes, there's been some bad luck. And to quote the great 21st century philosopher, Jack O'Brien, usually we get to the end of the season and he's got like a broken face or something of that nature. Look, he's a big guy, You know, he plays inside and out while he's not necessarily a high flyer. You know, he puts his body on folks and folks will in turn do the same. So there's going to be that you'll wear and tear over the course of the season. I think ultimately this is just a matter of this is finally them saying, Hey, look, I don't care what it takes.

We need to get this guy healthy or have him at least relatively healthy at the end of the year, one of these years. And if this is what it takes, we need to get this guy healthy or have him at least relatively healthy at the end of the year, one of these years. And if this is what it takes, quite frankly, I've come full circle on this. I used to be, you know, like against it as it, as even a concept. But the reality is I love seeing the best players play in the biggest moments. And if we, if we can finally get a playoff run with a healthy Joel and being a relatively or healthy Paul George, I think Philly still has a fantastic chance.

Yeah. I mean, you asked the question in the doc, is this the most talented roster Embiid has played with? And it would be good podcasting if I said yes, but I am a bad podcaster. So I'm going to say it's not as good as the Jimmy Butler team. That segment of a season I think was a little bit scarier just because the Jimmy Butler team. That segment of a season, I think, was a little bit scarier, just because peak Jimmy Butler, I think, was underrated at that point. And yeah, I mean, I don't know. They had shooting, they had kind of a more complete team. We'll see. This could be,

this could be the most talented roster. It's up there, but they got to show me something. They can't just come in thinking like they're super team because. Oh yeah. I mean, I don't think that works there. I mean, look like it, this isn't like a no brainer where you see it and go like, Oh, okay. Yeah. They're, you know, mark them into the finals. Like we did with Golden state for what? 2015, 16, 17, and you know, and so forth and beyond. But I think it is at least, it's at least the reason why I pose the question because I think it's at least in the conversation least the reason why I pose the question, because I think it's at least in the conversation. Yes. You know, prime. I would take prime Jimmy over current PG.

I absolutely would. But I also think time actually is better than anybody else that was on that team. So and yes, that is including the being of it all. Wait, Ben Simo. Yeah, you think he's better than Simo? I do. And, you know, we're going to talk about Ben later. So, you know, so this is not just going to be a rain on his parade deal. But if I'm being honest, I, I would also take, you know, the six foot two, six foot three time actually over that six foot eight

basketball whiz that, you know, impressed so many folks for a few years. He did. It was, it was before he became afraid of shooting free throws and it affected how, like how aggressive he was being. All right, big Twitter news. I don't know if it's a big real news, but there was a showdown between the Knicks and the Timberwolves post trade. Dante DiVincenzo said to Tibbs during the game, we don't quite know, right?

No, no, we do now. Initially, we were so thirsty for it when that first outlet said that it was thanks for the trade tips, thanks for the trade. We were all just like, oh, absolutely. Oh, yeah. Like pigs and slop. But no, that's not that's not what he said. It was a little bit more like

straightforward confrontational, though, right? He said, I can't finish. Right, Tibbs? I can't finish. Right. Thisbs. I can't finish, right? This is what happens when they leave you in charge. The main, the main thrust of the negativity is still intact with the, this is what happens when they leave you in charge. Yeah. Um, you Dodo I think is what he said after that, if I'm not mistaken.

Um, and then what, what happened with coach Brunson? I, it, it looked like they then what happened with coach Brunson? It looked like they, it actually looked like Brunson was kind of like just going over to feel it out after the game. And you know, they must've exchanged some words because it, it appeared as though others had to step in between the two. Look, quite frankly, nothing was going to take place. And, and, and it's funny enough, you know, uh, you know, uh, Jaylen Brunson was the one

that was between his dad and Dante at the end. But I'm here for it. If there's any way that we can develop more rivalries and more actual teams disliking or having a distaste for one another. So while I don't necessarily anticipate a finals matchup, I don't say it's impossible. Yeah, that can be. It's not impossible. That could be a lot of fun. I don't know of too many players who have taken a trade.

I guess, I guess Jimmy Butler, like, you know, some people just need to get themselves there and so they're going to be like, and this one's obviously fresh. But yeah, Jimmy Butler was like, you, you took Tobias Harris over me and then somebody says, like, no, I don't think that's how it happened. Okay. But sure. Ultimately that's how it shook out.

You said you didn't want to play on our team. I think is how it shook out. Yeah. But anyways, uh, yeah, he seems big mad. Um, it'll be, it'll be interesting to see. Maybe, maybe he's, he's maybe he plays a little bit better when he's angry. White man can't jump style. And you go. What's going on with the Kings? You're sensing something. You gave me the

wind horse kind of big speech that like says something but doesn't say something where you're like now think about this 100% so give me your give me your pitch what's your conspiracy theory here so a couple things you'll stood out to me for one dear and Fox bypassing is what would be a three-year upwards of 165 million dollar extension by betting on himself that's that's neither here nor there even though that is significant that is. I would take that much money, I think personally. But what if it could be a four year, $229 million contract or even a super max five year,

345, would you then take that risk? No, I would not. I'm a coward. So you'd say three, I would take the three and sit out most of the season. Hey, fair enough. Well, no, but the things that really stood out is, you know, we all, we know Sacramento, they won the demar war or wars or whatever. They were able to bring him in over the off season, but they made a move on Monday, essentially

just clearing out a roster space. You know, they sent Jaylin McDaniels in a second round pick as well as cast considerations to San Antonio for what is going to come out as a 2025 second round pick via Chicago. In that deal, it opens up flexibility and it makes me wonder is this is this a signal for another move down the line? Yeah, so what do they need to address?

Do you think? Because they got point guard. Do they need more shooting? Where are we at? So I mean you go everything. There's not a team out there that couldn't use more shooting if we're being honest. And, you know, you look at a guy like whether it's, you know, whether it's an interchangeable guy, like, you know, forward, like who's or like a cam Johnson

or a Dorian, Phinney Smith. And while all of those guys bring different things to the table, I think them, you get the most bang for your buck out of a guy like cam Johnson. Admittedly, I want my Lakers to go ahead and be and be in pursuit of him. But ultimately, I do not think that's going to take place. If I'm the Kings, I probably am looking to bring a guy like that in. Mm hmm. Yeah.

And if I'm the Sixers, I would also be looking to bring a guy like that in. I love Cam Johnson. You wouldn't be upset about it, right? I wouldn't be angry. I'd say, OK, we'll take you, Kim Johnson. Why don't you come over here? Yes. Yeah. Come join the mix. And then Lonzo Ball said to return to action tomorrow versus the Timberwolves.

After there were questions about whether he would ever make it back. Hasn't played a game since 21, 22, but still just 26 years old. So will be good to see him back out there for sure. Cause he's, he's a lot of fun to watch and everybody plays better when he's out there. So it's, it's going to be interesting. He's a glue guy. Like this is the thing, you know, when, when the Lakers picked him and they picked them specifically over guys like the Aaron Fox and several other players that have obviously had, you know, better careers or, you know, the, you know,

had more success in their careers to this stage. You know, a lot was made, but I think we all, I think as the basketball loving audience, we kind of overcorrected because like it went from, okay, it might not have been the best pick to, Oh God, it's the worst pick. And then suddenly over the next couple of years, Lonzo showed like, no, he actually has a very unique, but a very effective, you know, NBA skill set for a guy that has been injured, you know, as many times as he's been, you know, you alluded to it.

I honestly, I didn't say it out loud. I didn't think we would see him again. I thought once they said he had like that third surgery and still was not comfortable on that leg. I figured, okay, well that sucks. Like, you know, it's just going to be one of those cautionary tales. But I'm very hopeful for him. And as everything is centered around the Lakers, I'm hopeful that the Lakers could find a way to bring him in.

You're going to notice a trend here. So you took him second. We took Markel Foltz first in Philly, and I still stand by that call. Did we trade a way to avoid picking Jason Tatum? We did. And again, I stand by that decision. I think history will say that that was the right move. Jason Tatum, number three, Dierrem Fox, number five, Lord Mark and number seven, Donovan

Mitchell, number 13, Bam, out of bio, number 14, every single, out of bio, everyone, 14, every single one. Garrett Allen, 22. Come on, man. I don't I don't love it. Anyways, you, Lonzo. Welcome back. Yeah. But Lonzo, at least could have been a like real difference maker if he had been able to stay healthy. Yeah.

All right. Let's let's take a quick break to weep quietly. And then we'll come back and we'll play a little game called better than 50 percent chance or worse than 50 percent chance. I'm Julian Edelman. I'm Rob Gronkowski. Guess what, folks, we're teammates again. And we're going to welcome you guys all to Dudes on Dudes. I'm a dude, you're a dude,

and Dudes on Dudes is our brand new show. We're gonna highlight players, peers, guys that we played against, legends from the past, and we're just gonna sit here and talk about them. And we'll get into the types of dudes. What kind of types of dudes are there, guys? We got studs, wizards, we got freaks. Or dudes dudes.

We got dogs. Dogs! We'll break down freaks, or dudes dude. We got dogs. Dogs! We'll break down their games, we'll share some insider stories, and determine what kind of dude each of these dudes are. Is Randy Moss a stud or a freak? Is Tom Brady a dog or a dudes dude? We're gonna find out Jules! New episodes drop every Thursday during the NFL season Listen to dudes on dudes on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts on Thanksgiving Day 1999 a five-year-old boy floated alone in the ocean

He had lost his mother trying to reach Florida from Cuba look like a little angel I mean, he looked so fresh. And his name, Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere. Elian Gonzalez. Elian, Elian. Elian Gonzalez. Elian. Elian. Elian Gonzalez. At the heart of the story is a young boy

and the question of who he belongs with. His father in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home, and he wanted to take his son with him. Or his relatives in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or his relatives in Miami. Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. At the heart of it all is still this painful family separation. Something that as a Cuban, I know all too well.

Listen to Chess Piece, the Elian Gonzalez story, as part of the MyCultura podcast network available on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hola mi gente, it's Honey German and I'm bringing you Gracias Come Again, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of Latin culture, musica, peliculas, and entertainment with some of the biggest names in the game. If you love hearing real conversations with your favorite Latin celebrities, artists and culture shifters, this is the podcast for you.

We're talking real conversations with our Latin stars, from actors and artists to musicians and creators sharing their stories, struggles and successes. You know it's going to be filled with cheese may labs and all the vibes that you love. Each week we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community, and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries. Don't miss out on the fun, el te caliente and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Immigration, reproductive rights, why former first lady Michelle Obama will never run for president, affordable housing, exactly the type of discussions you'd expect on a sports podcast. Am I right? Only if you listen to Spolitx, a new sports and political podcast hosted by me, Jemele Hill, a sports journalist who has spent years writing about and discussing the intersection between sports, politics,

race, gender, and culture. Join me every Thursday as I discuss, debate, and dissect the hottest and sometimes most controversial political and social issues with some of the biggest names and smartest people all through the lens of sports. So here's the assignment. Listen to Spolitics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts because on Spolitics no one is told to just shut up and dribble. All right, here we go. No one is told to just shut up and dribble.

All right, here we go. It's Cam Jordan from New Orleans Saints. Here to tell you it's going down. On season two of my podcast, Off the Edge with me, Cam Jordan. Can't stop it, you know what's gonna happen. Can't stop it. That's right. Catching new episodes every Wednesday all season long.

That's what you look for in year 14, to do more. No, that is wrong. And I'll have my friends who happen to be some of the NFL's biggest stars join me on the pod. We'll give you a player's perspective of the biggest storylines, trends, and did that really just happen? Moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it.

Ha, yeah! Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month. Join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than site, you have to tune in to find out. So tap in to off the edge with Cam Jordan's podcast, your ultimate playbook for all things football and not football. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. And Zach, three, huh? We got to get to the rapid fire round of questioning

for each other. Just a shootout. You want to go back and forth? All right, then 50% chance less than 50% chance More likely than not or not likely then more now, whatever just is it? Yeah, you you named it correctly Good job, Jabari. Wemby is a first-time all-star just to reiterate He went for 21.4 points 10.6 boards 3.9 assists 3.6 blocks on 46.5% shooting from the floor, 32.5 from three, 80% from the free throw line. Like that's, he should have been an all star. That's already incredible.

Yeah, that's already an all star. A rookie. That was a rookie. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going over 50 on this one. You can book this one. This is, this will take place.

Check also makes all star league chat, put up 15, seven, 2.3 blocks on much better shooting percentages for 53% from the floor. 37 from three 79 from the Stripe definitely had to take fewer shots. Could be a little bit more selective than Wemby. But I don't know that he gets there this time. I'd put this like in the forties. I put it like at a good three point shooters percentage. I hear you on that. But the only reason why I would say there's a possibility is because oftentimes if you have the best team in the league or the best record in the league,'re gonna make sure you get at least two all-stars. Yeah, so shea is a given

I mean who knows if a J-dub takes another leap and he steps into that secondary role But if I'm having to bet I think I still I'm taking it I think I'm still taking over 50% because I think they are going to be good I think they are gonna have a great record and I think he's going to you know Even if it's a slight improvement, I think it's going to continue to improve on the numbers that he put up. All right. Better than 50% chance worse than 50% chance. This is the year where Markel Foltz makes people recognize the 76ers were right to take him over Jason Tatum. I'm going to check something in real time because I'm pretty even in the league.

I don't think he's on a roster right now. Well, exactly. Marco Fultz, it says who last played in Orlando is not currently on a roster. So I'm going to say, I'll take the under on that one, even though I would like to. Like in the 40s, right? Like I'd like to be 30s. All right. Cade Cunningham plays himself into an all star spot with new leadership

supporting cast around him. He's played in just 74 games over the last two seasons. But and this is important. He has looked really good in three of his four preseason games, three of his four preseason games. Jabari, what are you doing? When I put that note in there, I have 100% was smiling as I typed it. Look, I, so here's the quiet part.

I haven't been able to discuss it over these last two years. I am a Cade Cunningham fan. I'm a Cade Cunningham fan. I think he is the goods. I think he has that type of game, but the trouble is I don't know if I believe in Detroit enough, even though I recognize new coaches staff, you know, like altogether, you know, shout out to Jamie Baker, staff, you know, new roster surrounding him altogether. So do I think he's going to play well enough to be in the conversation? Sure. He's going to absolutely get there. You know, possibly not because it's a, it's a, a season

flux. Yeah. So I mean, we said he played 74 games in the last two seasons. He played 62 last year. Yeah. So he got his games in. Granted, it was a historically bad team, but he put up 22 points, shot 45, 35 from three, you know, he's 7.5 assists. I don't know, man. That doesn't seem wildly unlikely. I can see him doing it.

What do we think? We think the new look, new culture. I don't know, man. That doesn't seem wildly unlikely. I can see him doing it. What do we think? We think the new look, new culture, we think Detroit culture, Pistons culture is real. I think you at least have to try. You know, it was reported at JB Biggest Staff, he plans to create a new culture. You know, he's like kind of wanting the more professional approach, it seems. Yeah. Who knows how those athletes will respond to it, but I think if you're him, you at least have to make the effort because the way

things have been going there the last few years, and this is, you know, not necessarily just on the field, the previous coach, uh, you know, shout out to, you know, shout out to money. I, you know, I hope he is enjoying his riches in fullness, but the reality is this, you know, this, this, uh, organization has been spiraling. Maybe this is a, you know, step in the right direction. It would be awesome if they could turn it around and win 30 plus games and kind of reestablish things there. You would love to see it. I would.

We've got a couple of people that were saying this is their prove it year. Okay. Ben Simmons, 50% chance, greater than 50% chance that he is on a roster next year. I think is a greater than 50% chance he's on a roster. I don't know how many games he's going to be playing. And this is, I swear to you, I mentioned it earlier. I'm not trying to pile on him.

I want Ben Simmons to be, you know, to play well and to at least just be in the mix. But I can't trust that, you know, given what we've seen over the last few years, I can't take that bit. It's like the old school survivor commercials. I can't take that right, Jack. Yeah. And then Ja, which we are intentionally putting him in the same category as Ben Simmons to give him a bulletin board material. Ja Morant, is he going to do it?

So this is the thing. I don't know if you saw this. Like I don't remember. I don't even remember the outlet, but shout out to them. They put a recent conversation was centered around breakout. Like you know, like you like you guys that are going to break out and they had jaw on the graphic and jaw actually responded to it and said like, Hey, you know, respectfully, I shouldn't be on this while he should not have been on that.

I do think this is a proven year for him. We can be honest. He's been hurt. He's also had other reasons why he's been in and out of the lineup. This is year six for him. I honestly think this Grizzlies team is probably the best that he's been on once everybody falls into their role. So I would like to see them. I would like to see what they look like this year. I want to see him dunking all over everybody again. And I want to see that, you know, I want to see what they do, you know, as a unit. Yeah. If he stays healthy, I think there's a really good chance that we have some amazing job moments and that the Grizzlies are making noise.

It's just, you know, he's a small body who is jumping, uh, at heights that we've never seen an empty player jump. So it'll be interesting. Edie has looked good in the preseason. Oh, yeah. So I'm excited. I'm excited for this team. I'm going to I'm going to be watching some league pass Grizzlies games for sure.

You know what? Let me ask you that. Who are some of your league passing? Because they're one of mine as well. So you got your Memphis. You got your Wemby. Oh, yeah. I'm trying to think. I want to see Orlando this year. I want to see how, how that all looks.

The Knicks are going to be on all the time, so I don't have to put them in there. Yeah. It seems like, okay, so you would be on all the time as well. You know, so will Denver. Yeah. So I don't know. Those, those would probably be my, my teams. Who else, who am I missing?

Houston is going to be interesting. There you go. Houston's the one for me because again, I like their top line talent. I like the guys they have, you know, like in support. I'm still questioning, okay, so they got a bunch of young guys and then they got, you know, some actual vets that have had, you know, deep runs and I have a ton of experience while yes, it's good to have a mix, which what's going to be the direction of the team.

So like, that's kind of what I'm looking at. Who's taking over, you know, for the bulk of it? Is it going to be the direction of the team? So like that's kind of what I'm looking at. Who's taking over for the bulk of it? Is it going to be a shame? Goon led offense? Is it going to be a Jaylen Green led offense? Are we going to see more for it? You know what I mean? Like there's all types of questions there.

So I'm intrigued. I'm also going to be checking for the box because that's just could go either direction. But I want to see it succeed. I love Dame. I love you on us. That was really fun when they won the title and also Phoenix. I'm curious to see how that looks. I don't feel like they changed enough pieces for it to like suddenly be night and day from

where they were last year, but we'll see. Let me throw, let me throw this out there about Phoenix. That's an excellent point. People you'll said I was going overboard a couple of years back when I said Clay needed to come off the bench when he came back healthy for Golden State. If Phoenix is going to be serious, I think they need to balance things out by having Brad Bill come off the bench and man that second unit. For one, it would immediately put him in six man of the year conversations.

It would kind of balance things a little bit more for them. I say all of that to say this is what they should do, but I highly doubt they do. Yeah. I don't, I don't think he like just, it doesn't feel like it, it would make sense like given who he is, right? Like I feel like, you know, like he doesn't feel like the guy who's like going to lead that team and just be like, yeah, now I'm, I'm a role player. He's not going to do it.

Devin Booker did for the Olympics team, you know, or you know what,, say what Lamar Odom did when Phil Jackson decided like, hey, yeah, like I can actually utilize to be a weapon. Yes, could be a weapon. But yeah, yeah. I mean, that would be cool. I would like to see it. Let's let's try it out. Speaking of clay, there was a great little graphic where somebody did a split screen of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Clay and said you killed the man on the Tim Hardaway Jr. side but not the idea on the Clay side and that was messed up. Disrespectful and you know what respect and I'm sure Tim Hardaway

Jr. fans would be like or you know his family would be like what do you mean disrespectful but y'all know exactly what I mean. You know, no, this is not. That's not what Dallas fans are looking for. No. I also may, man, I might be having to watch some of these golden state warriors. Family, have you seen this guy, Steph Curry? That guy can shoot the rock. Pretty good.

Shoot the dang rock. I think he's got a future. All right. We're going to do one rapid fire because it's just the two of the two of us. We're playing pick up hoops. We did presidents a couple of up hoops. We did presidents a couple of times. Last week we did actors. This year it's musicians. We just got the first pick and took my favorite rapper, Allen Iverson in his prime. Unfortunately, we immediately

instituted a rule that says nobody else is allowed to draft anybody who has ever played professional basketball and you are on the clock. Who are you taking next? It can be any musician. That is a very convenient rule. It works out well for me. I'm going to steal the pre-show answer because Brian, I think it was Brian that brought it up. You are absolutely right.

Yeah, this would have worked for actor too. Give me the late, great Prince Prince. Shoot it. Yeah. Charlie Murphy era. And we got your Prince is going to cross a eye up like a cross Jordan. Yeah. At the free throw. Now I just changed the rules back and I got Shaq. My second favorite rapper.

All right. All right. Prime Kareem Abdul Jabbar. All right. Prime Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. All right. I like Shaq and Iverson together. I feel like they would have been pretty good, but yeah, no, Prince was supposed to be pretty good too. So I think I won that one. That is going to do it for us this week.

It's almost time. What's got you most excited? If you had to name one player, what's the player that's got you most excited right now? It's Wimby and I know that's cliche and that was the answer going on last season cliche is the correct answer That's the answer and believe me I'm excited for a lot of things but second year Wimby and seeing if the trajectory Continues along the line that I think it's going to by the way remember you asked me this last year How long it would take for him to be the best player in the league and I said 2026 and then I came back and I amended that and said 2025. Well, yeah here we are

2025 you think it's gonna be the second half of the season second half of this season if he if he continues I think he's not going to be universally called the best player in the league But we're we're gonna look back and say like man. He was he. He was already there. He was there. Yeah, he was already there Alright, that's gonna do it Jabari. Where can people find you at Jabari a Davis on Twitter? What about you? Well, you can find me on Twitter at Jack underscore O'Brien and you can follow us By searching the hashtag mad boosties. That's B double OST IES for show links and updates and be sure to join the conversation on our discord which you can also find the link for

when you search mad B double O S T I E S that's gonna do it again another one in the books swish way downtown nothing but net. On Thanksgiving Day 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Jess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story on the iHeartRadio

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Julian Edelman. I'm Rob Gronkowski. And we are super excited to tell you about our new show, Dudes on Dudes. We're spilling all the behind-the-scenes stories, crazy details, and honestly, just having a blast talking football. Every week, we're discussing our favorite players of all times, from legends to our buddies to current stars. We're finally answering the age-old question. What kind of dudes are these dudes? We're gonna find out Jules. New episodes drop every Thursday during the NFL season. Listen to dudes on dudes on the iHeart radio app,

Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Gracias Come Again, a podcast by HoneyGerman, where we get real and dive straight into todo lo actual y viral. We're talking música, los premios, el chisme, and all things trending in my cultura. I'm bringing you all the latest happening in our entertainment world and some fun and impactful interviews with your favorite Latin artists, comedians, actors, and influencers. Each week we get deep and raw life stories, combos on the issues that matter to us, and it's all packed with gems, fun, straight up comedia, and that's a song that only nuestra gente can sprinkle. Listen to Gracias

Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Stick to sports, shut up and dribble. Despite what some people believe, sports and politics have mixed from the beginning. Now you have a podcast that isn't afraid to explore the complicated relationship between sports and politics with a new podcast called Spolitics with me, Jamel Hill. I'll be discussing political, social and economic issues through the lens of sports with some of the biggest names and smartest people. So here's the assignment. Listen to Spolitics on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Let's get Spolitical.

Muhammad Ali. George Foreman. 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. Story behind the Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Makiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, BB King, Miriam Makeba, all the biggest slack artists on the planet, together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.