The Daily Zeitgeist - State of the Mavs with Josh Eberley

Episode Date: September 29, 2022

Miles and Jack were pleased to be joined by Spotify Live NBA Host Josh Eberley on the latest episode of Mad Boosties. After discussing whether his Mavs can improve upon last year's impressive playoff run, the trio discussed all the news and notes from a busy Media Day across the league.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm Keri Champion, and this is Season 4 of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry, Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's basketball. And on this new season,

we'll cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio apps, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke.

I'm Keri Champion and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese.

Every great player needs a foil. I know I'll go down in history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game.

Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Listen to the making of a rivalry, Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. What happens when a professional football player's career ends and the applause fades and the screaming fans move on? I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. For some former NFL players, a new faith provides answers.

You mix homesteading with guns and church. Voila! You got straightway. They try to save everybody. Listen to Spiraled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everybody, training camps have officially opened and we're only two weeks away from the start of the regular season. So we're going to be discussing State of the Mavs, Luka's MVP odds, as well as all the news and notes from around the league and some great, fantastic moments from media day. Just wonderful, wonderful stuff. With the Spotify Live NBA chat host, Josh Eberle, I'm Miles Gray.

And I'm Jack O'Brien. And this is Miles and Jack got mad boisties. Yeah, I did a little Australian thing at the end. Yeah. And I enjoyed it. Well, international flavor because our guest today, Josh Eberle from Calgary, who I guess once called it the Oklahoma of Canada, wrote for Hoop Mag, NBA Canada, and Sporting News.

He's in the building. Hello, Josh. You have heard of the Stampede. Good to confirm that. True son of Calgary. Yeah, I knew that story was not, that pre-show story was not true. I was like, no one from Calgary

would not know what the Stampede was. It was mistaken identity. Yes, absolutely. For sure. Yeah. I went to Calgary Comic-Con and had a wonderful time in your lovely town

and have not been back since. But it's a nice town. You got a little river there. It feels very... Got a little river there? What are you, some gambler? Definitely some cars. Some buildings, some grass, people. Yeah, I think I saw some buildings too.

Talking like John Rockefeller or something? It is a long-standing joke that people get off the plane in Calgary to go to Banff. So people are like, what do I do here? Uh, drive another hour and a half to the mountains in Banff. And then that's what you do. Why is it called the Oklahoma of Canada? Cause it's just the, cause I know, I know about the stampede because of marching band culture and brass culture. Like that's a big, that's a big draw, but I also get that there's rodeos and stuff going on. What is it about it? it about calgary you know what i don't know somewhere between oklahoma texas it's just it's one it's super conservative all this book we've had one non-conservative government like

the last 50 years uh it's uh it's you know a lot of small town rural communities i don't know how cowboy it really is when like the two urban cities aren't cowboy at all but we pretend we pretend we dress it up stampede for listeners who don't know is like a large cattle auction that is also like a burning man for like cowboy cosplay cowboy burning man it's like an inner city festival for 10 days straight and yeah there's a bunch of terrible stats that define it but we don't we don't need to get into those things mostly good time yeah yeah and true to the brand you're a mavs guy yeah sure it fits it fits i guess yeah what was the draw to like how do you go like what's your sort of fan journey as a kid in calgary

to the nba and then the mapsvs my origin as a mavs uh fan is not all that exciting but my mom was a flight attendant okay and she was i guess in the fort worth area brought me home with cowboys hoodie and a mavericks t-shirt when i was like six so that was just those were my teams that's amazing and then i was like a hipster for it which i also loved right because now everyone else is, there are teams other than the Lakers and the Raptors. And I was like, yeah, I'm a fan of those teams. So but also like y'all had the best jerseys when when the Raptors and the and the Grizz came out. I was like, these are the most fun.

And Damon Stoudemire was like my my one of my favorite players. There you go. OK, so purely just off the gift, you're like, does it? And this is it. Old me was in. It worked because Nash was Canadian and then Dirk became my favorite player of all time so things like moved in the right direction if I had what was that first team like you remember really rooting for like what's what's what squad was it man oh two I would think like okay yeah probably oh two the first playoff series i remember really watching was sixers lakers in

oh one okay my first two basketball coaches jabari has heard this story before but my first two basketball coaches were arguing during you know they're supposed to be set up a drill or something and they were arguing about who was better kobe or ai and that was like okay i kind of want to i want to partake my coaches are cool i want to partake in this conversation and i've been arguing useless basketball comparisons for the last 20 something years that was that was the moment of that yeah yeah it's always that that elder influence that draws us in right so how are you feeling about the maps this season it's a it's kind of an exciting year a tumultuous offseason lost brunson to the knicks acquired christian wood via trade are you are you confident is it like i i again i think maybe i'm more cynical because i'm not

part of the market like if you live in the market you're privy to all these like hype videos and like local pr pushes and you rub arms with cuban at coffee shops and think you're included in things. I don't know, but. Right. It's like, I saw Nico at Subway and he told me some things. He told me everyone that's great. Everyone was in the best shape of their life. Everyone had lost X amount of weight.

But you know what? The Mavs have this very storied history of like having an almost off season. Like they really positioned themselves to do some amazing things in the off season. And then they usually don't do them. And then this year they kind of took that a step further and they're like hey we've had a guy completely outperform his draft value completely yeah surpass everything we hope from him and we lost him to the knicks who haven't been able to sign anyone else for the last

20 years like they really went above and beyond and right it's matching expectations and i got i can't lie man i i don't feel super optimistic i felt like things broke incredibly right for the mavs last year incredibly right not unlike portland a few years ago where they get kevin durant uh out in the conference finals and they can't even take a game that's sort of what this year felt like for the mavs like the Suns imploded. They were playing good basketball. The Jazz imploded. It was nice.

There's a feather in your cap, but I don't know if they're really in a position to build on what they did last year. And even with them probably being a playoff team and Luka maybe winning MVP, which I know you want to get to, but it doesn't feel like this team's ceiling is higher than it was last year,

which is tough because you want to see growth. This is how I feel about the Sixers entering every preseason. Don't tell me the odds are good. There's different types of fandom. And some people, you know, fall springs eternal. You know, it's the preseason. Media Day was a couple days ago. Everybody is, you know, everyone's in the best shape of their life.

Of course. James Harden lost 100 pounds. 100 pounds pounds jokingly but um you know jimmy butler's hair is glorious as we're going to talk about but i'm also yeah for whatever reason the way basketball fandom hit me is like i'm like don't hurt me don't i don't don't do this to me don't get my hopes up. I have a reason for that, though. My reason is the 06 finals, which I still feel very sick about. And I won't go down the rabbit hole with you, but I feel very sick about the 2006 finals still.

So that was my, I don't trust anymore. I've been hurt too deep. One weighed free throw at a time into the soul. And then you won a title after that, man. But now it's 1-1. Now it's 1-1. You know what I mean?

This is why I don't have nice things. Yeah. I just want to interview you and find out what it feels like to get out of the second round. That's where I'm coming from. I saw the quote this morning. Doc Rivers says the most talented team he's ever had for the ninth year in a row,

which is a fantastic quote from Doc. It won Google. It was like every team he's ever had, most talented team he's ever had. I don't want to take this away from you, but it does feel like the Sixers are becoming the fun pick because they it's like they have a lot of toys that are fun to talk about. Yeah. You know, I mean, Embiid obviously is like a generational basketball genius and physical, you know, just incredible. But then, like, I think there's the underrated.

He's been runner up MVP last couple of years. So everybody's like you know slept on a little bit like by one and a half percent as mb'd and then the james harden being in shape and it's just like people's minds are like i could see this you know it like fires the imagination i just i don't i don't know man it doesn't make me yeah like it's like a couple things like yeah man it beats back hard and lost 100 pounds. And you're like, yeah, we're back in. It feels like the momentum of a montage sequence.

And then you go into the season hot. They are the most polarizing team. They are so polarizing. It's funny. It's like you're in my head because I tweeted something yesterday where I was like, if you could just promise me James Harden would be healthy and committed in the playoffs, like if you could just make me that promise and then that I would only have

to see like Embiid is hampered with a hip knee shoulder one time in the playoffs, I'd pick you to win the title. I think the talent's there, but how, how the heck do you account for Harden and Embiid and the constant like banged up? And are they all,

I mean, I shouldn't throw, I shouldn't lump Embiid and the constant like banged up and are they all I mean I shouldn't throw I shouldn't lump Embiid in here but Harden last year in the playoffs looked like he was so uninterested but that one game though but that one game though but I truly think that is the thing is that people still have that one game in their mind and it's

like you know that that's still confirmation rises to the top and everyone's like oh but remember they looked really good in that one game in their mind and it's like you know that that's still confirmation rises to the top and everyone's like oh but remember they looked really good in that one miami game they looked like they could have like gotten out of that series and gotten swept by the celdics in that game there's just something fun about them i'm also sky high on maxi like i'm sky sky sky sky high on maxi i think max oh yeah oh i i'm obsessed my my whole fat my four-year-old is obsessed with maxi um so he he asked me in the off season like what's maxi up to like why don't we watch maxi anymore he doesn't even recognize like when i'm watching like football he's asking what he's

where's maxi up to where's maxi like what's what's he doing how's he looking this off season yeah that's when i thought basketball was called magic johnson i'm like what is magic johnson on you're like no this is baseball i'm like so no yeah so he's not coming that's the new that's my new definition for the it factor like if a four-year-old is clamoring in the background four-year-olds can look at the game and be like that man is just faster than everyone and knifing through uh incredible athletes and getting to the cup every time speaking of your sixers you know your optimism i know we were talking about chris middleton and him missing you know the start of the season through injury and you know jabari before was like jack can this help you get some distance create some distance between y'all and

the bucks and you're like distance between philly and the Bucs. I was like, maybe close the distance a small amount because they're better than us. They've made the finals. They've won the championship within the last two years. I think we should be talking about closing the distance. Because, yeah, and Middleton will be back. He's not. What's the Vegas difference in wins for those two teams right now?

You know? I don't know. They've got to be close at this point. Like, you'd think with the Bucs kind of aging and all the talent Philly has, you would think it would be pretty neck and neck. Yeah. And I fully believe that they can do some real damage in the regular season and the playoffs know the playoffs are

the playoffs okay so i see i see why we're similar just like you won't even hope allowed you won't even like oh no ponder about the no no yeah you guys are definitely fell off the same tree of like who hurt i have a sixer that i don't i don't wear because they've lost too many games the days that I wore it. So that's the level of just stupidity, I guess you would call it. No, that's fandom because you're such a big fan that even your hat affects what happens thousands of miles away, no matter what. That's powerful, Jack. Acknowledge your power. Yeah.

I just wish Doc would acknowledge it. I've been writing him letters being like look man i got i got it figured out but he did acknowledge it you got that cease and desist from his lawyers right but i just want him to acknowledge oh oh got you got you got you for sure for sure uh josh but question for you i know you said you were a little bit feeling less optimistic well with the offseason what would you have liked to have seen for you to maybe move yourself into the slightly hopeful column yeah i mean i would have liked to have seen them make up especially if they were going to lose brunson i would like to have seen them find that secondary playmaker scorer on the perimeter that's name

wasn't spencer dinwiddie like an eye for whatever reason like mark cuban very clearly loves spencer dinwiddie there's a relationship there i'm not saying he's a bad player. I think as your third guard, he's a real nice rotation player to have. But I mean, if you watch that jazz series, every time he was leaned on, just missing terrible shots, couldn't get things going off a lot of pressure for him to step up. And we've been talking about, you know, three straight years, we were talking about Luca really is incredible, but there's somewhat of a ceiling to him running every possession for your team.

And even if he's super efficient, like there needs to be possessions and times when he's off the floor where you can lean on somebody else to create that offense. They sort of found it with Brunson. They immediately lost it. So in my mind, it was either keep Brunson or find someone you were comfortable taking that role.

And I don't know if we have it. I don't know if the team has found that. I love Tim Hardaway Jr. I really do. But again, I think we've kind of seen that play out as well and the combo of him and Dinwiddie is somewhat underwhelming. Yeah. I would say the Luka thing is like getting to view the Mavs from an outsider.

It gets a lot of attention, his usage rate. But there was a time when Ben Simmons had things really going for the Sixers, and he just always put the ball where it needed to go. And like peak LeBron, where it's like he's a basketball computer where the ball always goes exactly where it needs to go. And having that plus one of the best shot makers that i've ever seen like an uncanny shot maker who like can sometimes just flip it up while running in the opposite direction and it just goes in and you know what's going in like there's something about the mavs this year

that is exciting to me because every team you put around luca because he's such a singular talent feels like there's an opportunity for something that you've never really seen before. You just have to get the pieces right. I mean, even like Christian Wood. I don't normally pay attention to acquisitions such as Christian Wood being

someone who comes on and now there's controversy as to whether he's starting or not, but everybody you put around Luca is... I don't know. It's exciting to me. I'm interested to see what they look like. Christian Wood's a nice player. He does some nice things.

But then we see this every year where basketball in the playoffs devolves into a two-man game. And are him and Luka outperforming Steph Dre? Are they outperforming Jamal Jokic? Are they outperforming like steph dray are they outperforming jamal yokich are they outperforming kawaii paul george and i just i don't i don't know about that and like and it's exciting and maybe it's one of those things where i think as a fan if you've been in the lottery for a long time like the playoffs is so exciting and then you get that one year where you make the playoffs and you're like a darling like the grizzlies last year everyone was like so excited everyone loves what

you're doing and then there are expectations like the maps have had this conference finals run and it's like now what and i think that's only amplified by the fact that you see player movement being what it is and like some of the whispers a year ago about like luca wasn't totally happy on all the movement in the front office and some of the things behind the scenes and you you kind of feel like there's always this timer ticking behind your head of like if the Mavs don't progress like are they are going to lose that chance to build around Luca the next five years because things have to essentially be seamless it would seem to keep a lot of guys these days. Right. Hmm. All right.

Well, should we take a break and come back and talk media media? The media, the media, the media. We'll be right back. I'm Carrie champion. And this is season four of naked sports,

where we live at the intersection of sports and culture. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. I know I'll go down in history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Every great player needs a foil. I ain't really near them boys. I just come here to play basketball every single day, and that's what I focus on.

From college to the pros, Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Angel Reese is a joy to watch. She is unapologetically Black. I love her. What exactly ignited this fire? Why has it been so good for the game? And can the fanfare surrounding these two supernovas be sustained?

This game is only going to get better because the talent is getting better. This new season will cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network

is sponsored by Diet Coke. Alright, here we go. It's Cam Jordan from the New Orleans Saints here to tell you it's going down on season two of my podcast, Off the Edge. 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 going to happen. Can't stop it.

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Listen to MTV's official challenge podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. And yeah, CJ McCollum signed a two-year extension with the Pelicans. Now New Orleans has CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram. Bingy. Through 2025. Yeah, at a minimum.

Yeah. And when they had Zion with a high usage rate two seasons ago, on with a high usage rate two seasons ago. They were one of the more unstoppable offenses. He was just playing out of his mind. The West is

just stacked up. There are so many teams that are going to be interesting to see if they make the playoffs at this point. You got Warriors, Suns, Nuggets, Mavs, Grizzlies, Clippers, Wolves, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings,

Blazers. That was nice of you to mention the Lakers for Jabari. Those 11 teams right there with, you know, I wouldn't be surprised to see the first nine, I'd with a like making a legitimate playoff run and i am including the lakers in there because they do have lebron james and anthony

davis uh which i i think that's still correct yeah they still have lebron james and anthony davis will they be able to walk and move how many nights a year do they have those two? As a Laker fan, every day, I'm like, what offering must I bring, lay at the altar, for them to stay healthy for, I don't know, 50 games? That's true. They're an interesting team, too. I mean, the Lakers are always polarizing as well,

but this year, you can see things just going a couple oh i think yeah we thought last year was a weird one boy right i mean if you get ad russ and braun out there for 15 games in a row and it's still not a good product that defense that has been well mounted several times by all of them that we weren't on the floor together just it gets soggy when wet you know what i mean yeah well i don't think yeah i think just even considering russ as part of that i'm not fully uh invested as that being a reality aren't the lakers still considering i'm part of the yeah that's that's the freaky thing that we watch you're like are do you mean those words you're saying right now um but that's a whole other question let's focus on the real news which is zion because because of the pelicans media day this man came out and said something

that was the most horrifying thing I've ever heard from Zion Williamson I'm just gonna play this he says he's feeling good and and the best he's ever felt uh I feel like I'm in my best right now uh I feel like I'm moving faster jumping out higher. Huh? I just feel great. Oh, boy. Faster and jumping higher. He looks a different quality, for sure. Shredsville. Shredsville.

Because somebody was doing a side-by-side, like, what did he look like at Media Day last year versus this year? And, like, last year, he looked like Zion Williamson to me. And this year, he looks like he's cut from marble and like just every he also got a different haircut but um he got a little bit lower yeah yeah it's it'll be i mean the difference is the the first one he looked like he looked country strong the first picture he looked country strong and then the next one is like, I got a trainer. I found out about what high performance athletics is because he looks just somehow stronger than country strong.

And I'm like, where are his overalls? Like that first one, I could just see him wearing like a train conductor striped overalls underneath. Like that was his outfit. And now it's like, he looks like, like, I don't know. It truly, there's a shift there. It just excites me.

And to hear him say with such confidence and such a big smile on his face, like, I'm running faster. I feel like I'm jumping higher. That's, I'd love to see it. I'd love to see it. Yeah, I mean, I was already excited. There are already top five League Pass teams for me,

but this is getting me even more excited. It does, I mean, I was already excited. There are already top five League Pass teams for me, but this is getting me even more excited. It does. I mean, we keep coming back to one point. The NBA made a mistake. They gave us a show that they have to listen to, and we've decided to take advantage of that by pitching them ideas that they probably aren't hearing anywhere else

because they're so dumb yes and we keep coming back to this idea that zion would look great in overalls has looked great in overalls like they need to make it so that zion is like a fully formed wrestling character yes like he comes to the gym he checks in or you know during the announcement of starting lineups he has tearaway overalls yes instead of a regular warm-up and just like everything like he needs to be the first player with a carhartt deal instead of a nike deal or in addition to a nike deal and like makita power tools yeah like everything you know what i mean they're like this guy's an entire lifestyle yeah yeah and like out of the tunnel on a fan boat yes yes and i think this is the thing i'm i i would

love and i know the nba is listening or at least three people are uh that here's some ideas right because i would love that everybody can have their own costume based on their vibe like your tarot your warm-up should be whatever you want it to be like right you know based like hitters in that in the major league baseball they have a they have like music they can walk out to before they go to take their at-bat and that gives them a moment to sort of let people know their personality i feel like you can tear away a fi any outfit you want as part of your like sub in sort of celebration you're opening this up to like kyle kuzma and russell westbrook as well, though.

Yeah. We're going to, we're going to live through those choices. Yeah. And you know what? The memes would be, the memes would make themselves. Okay.

I'm making the argument that they leave this decision to us. We, based on players having a strong enough vibe, we are allowed to pick like one player per team that has a strong enough vibe that like they are the player that when they're about to check in instead of just like going to the scorers table maybe there's like a little bit of a smoke bomb effect yeah and then you hear like their warm-up music before that well you never show this you never show the subs bench. Right. It's always a mystery because they got to walk out like the WWE. Right.

When you sub in. So it's always a mystery up until that point. It's like, oh, my God. Schroeder has come out. And I feel like Schroeder, he could wear an outfit where he wears prosthetic shoulders on his shoulders. Just to accentuate that. And so when he comes, I was like. Yeah.

Just like a transformer or like, just like, like a, like a, like a transformer, like a Power Ranger machine getting ready. I don't know. See, these are ideas.

Yeah. These are ideas. Not all of them are going to be winners, but I mean, Schroeder with big shoulders, shoulders, shoulders. Yeah.

Shoulders upon shoulders. Who would get the custom outfit on the map? Josh. Yeah. I mean, it's got the personality that could kind of like give us a little performance but also like i feel like again this would be dinwiddie and i feel like his outfit every night would be like an nft opportunity like at some at some point like it's a qr code

outfit the qr code will flash but like every night you gotta be on it to hit that. Yeah. I love that. So Zion, I think we were saying before we started recording, we were kind of debating what do we think the best Zion like the, you hear the first, the opening, you know, strings of this song. Yeah. And suddenly the announcer's like, oh

my, he's coming back. They said he wasn't back. What do we think in Zion's warm? It's got to be country, right? It's got to be swampy, a little swampy. Or he leans into Zion being like Zod from Superman. And like, kneel before

Zion! And people are like, ah! I don't know. That could work. Yeah, Credence. Credence, Born on the Bayou, I think. Yeah, Born on the Bayou will work. I like that. Listeners, write in. Let us know what you think. Yeah, and give us any other players who you feel like have a specific

enough vibe to hold aloft a wrestling... Oh, LeBron should wear a wig. LeBron wears a wig and you're like, what's he got under the wig today? Yeah. And then the day he comes out with the full big Ted LeBron, that would be a, that would be a moment for sure.

Yeah. One player, each team has to, has to like have a whole wrestling persona. Yeah. But yeah, actually speaking of fun NBA hair, uh,

one thing we do, we do need to point out was Jimmy Butler, who I think he's winning my heart as potentially maybe one of my favorite comedians in the league right now. Yes. With his hair extensions that he has been showing us over the course of the summer. If you remember in the beginning, they were like tie dollar sign length, sort of like braids that he had. sort of like braids that he had. Then on media day, he shows up and insists to everybody he doesn't have extensions in with a straight face,

but also having a good sort of, a good sense of humor about it. I just want to play this clip where he's talking to Taylor Rooks about his hair and kind of the motivation behind rocking these very long extensions that he has. They are not extensions. So y'all leave me alone.

So take me into the moment you decided that this was going to be your style. What vibe were you going for with the locks? Honestly, I just wanted to see how many people on the internet would love my hair.

And it did great. And it did great. I had to switch it up, shave off my facial hair, make sure i still got it um i don't know i'm not gonna keep it though not gonna lie to you it'll be gone sooner rather than later it's his hair is amazing he's like i don't know he it changes his energy completely especially like with the shaved face too like he just he looks completely different a phenomenal bit that i'm surprised nobody has done to this point just wear extensions and insist they're not extensions and somebody

wore like a fun wig like once i feel like shack would put a wig on every now and then but it was it was him being like Shaq with it. I feel like Carlos Buzer took a Sharpie to his head several seasons, and I don't think anybody loved it at that time. I don't know if he got much props for the creativity there. Because he tried to push the technological boundaries of what we considered hair.

Yes, true. he went he tried to push the technological boundaries of what we considered hair yeah right you know we're like ink I don't know if we're considering ink hair quite yet which is why I think his like these dreads really make it look like if Ty Dolla $ign was in Migos or like he didn't make it he got kicked out of Migos he's working

with a strong hair like a strong hairline to begin with you know it's just all so it's there's no question of like oh man what isirline to begin with you know it's just all so it's there's no question of like oh man what is he trying to pull off you know like if if alex caruso came with the same like look or like a long flowing hair it probably wouldn't work quite as a balding man no disrespect to bald mom but if he came out with a full lace front i'd be like you know what live yours live yours live yours alex we miss you but'd be like, you know what? Live yours. Live yours. Live yours, Alex. We miss you.

But it is, like, this is bordering on character work. He was doing it all summer, came back. I mean, with hair length that, like, we all saw him three months ago, four months ago. Like, to claim that it physically, he just, like, focused real hard and, like, grew his hair out in the last couple months.

I love it. Phenomenal bit. Shout out to Jimmy Butler. Long may it last. And then lastly, should we talk about that Giannis clip? Yeah. Which one? About Curry or about the Euros? I mean, he had two good media day moments.

One was pretty straightforward. He said Steph Curry is the best player in the world um after leading the warriors to the title which feels like the right thing to say right it's not like a hot take like i can follow the logic of saying like well he took his team to the end and that's a that's my easiest sort of not like i don't know not as confrontational or a controversial thing it's one of those things though where like if he says like i don't know i wouldn't blame him if he's like i think i'm the best player in the world but it's one of those things where it doesn't like roll off the tongue unless you're one of those guys who's like truly just loves to remind people it's just gonna be perceived as as something you know be it will be written in headlines so i

think it was like the politically correct move. Giannis could be mayor of Milwaukee after this. I get it. And then also said that Euro basketball is harder for him than the NBA, which I think a lot of people were like, oh, shots fired at like his competitors in the NBA. But when you hear the whole clip,

it sounds more similar to like him just saying that the the lanes are a little bit more clogged up and it's and they're more physical because they're not as talented as nba players it was interesting though i mean it does sound a little more similar to playoff basketball the talent obviously in the nba it's uh way higher but the space is just like you have a lot of lanes to drive the ball a lot of lanes to create the ball, a lot of lanes to create. It's just, I think over there it's more intense. Like people pick you up full court, double team you, full court zone, two man-to-man,

to the last five-second double teams. They start from zone and then they go man-to-man the last 10 seconds. And then the double team you in the post, there's no lanes to drive like it's just the more physical yeah and this is why i've been saying that people needed to give me a shot in the nba before they fully decided no just you didn't play college basketball you weren't even that good in high school like why you like the lanes were going to open up i i definitely my my game lent itself more to just that wide open wide open spaces um wind blowing through my hair because i do have long hair and my vision of myself playing in the nba um so you got like long hockey hair or something

trevor lawrence hair right right right yeah i mean it's interesting to hear him sort of be so like unequivocal though too you know where he's like nah i like i'm playing better because i go when i'm playing in europe it's such a harder it's just a harder proposition for me like it opens up for me in the nba i have to think differently in europe and so it's a great it's a great way for me to get prepared and i just i'm again, I'm always thinking about like other European sports and like, it is so tactical, like everything is so tactical where it's never just like, Hey man,

get out there, let's do our thing. And, you know, just put some points on the board. We'll be all right. Where it's like, okay,

how can we efficiently identify the weak points in our opponent's game and figure out how to exploit those while just playing, eking out the margins. And it's interesting to see him sort of describe that game like that. All right. Should we take a break and then come back and put our guests, Josh, under, on the hot seat? What do we call it?

Under the rapid fire hot seat. All right. We'll be right back. I'm Kerry Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports where we live at the intersection of sports and culture up first I explore the making of a rivalry Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese I know I'll go down in history people are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game every great player needs a foil I ain't really near them boys I just come here to play basketball every single day and that's what I focus on.

From college to the pros, Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Angel Reese is a joy to watch. She is unapologetically black. I love her. What exactly ignited this fire? Why has it been so good for the game? And can the fanfare surrounding these two supernovas be sustained? This game is only going

to get better because the talent is getting better. This new season will cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke.

Alright, 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 going to 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. No days off! 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... Psyche! You'll have to tune in

to find out. Ha ha! Hoo hoo! Hee hee hee! 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 iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. MTV's official Challenge podcast is back for another season.

That's right. The Challenge is about to embark on its monumental 40th season, y'all, and we are coming along for the ride. Woo-hoo! That would be me, Devin Simone. And then there's me, Davon Rogers. And we're here to take you behind the scenes of, drumroll please. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

The Challenge 40 Battle of the Eras. Yes. Each week, cast members will be joining us to spill all of the tea on the relentless challenges, heartbreaking eliminations, and of course, all the juicy drama. And let's not forget about the hookups. Anyway, regardless of what era you're rooting for at home, everyone is welcome here on MTV's Official Challenge Podcast. So join us every week as we break down episodes of the Challenge 40 Battle of the Eras.

Listen to MTV's Official Challenge Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back and it's time for mr josh everly from calgary stretch out josh yeah get ready yeah open up those knuckles because it's time for the rapid fire round of questioning now josh we are just gonna chest pass you some questions. Don't even think. Just send the ball right back with your answer. Okay? And we don't have time to make this like a slow-paced thing with like well-thought-out answers. Just scream them out. Yeah.

Dumb answers preferred. Here we go. Start the clock. Jack, you going to go first or I'm going to? Yeah, I'll go first because we got to get down to it. Let's do it. No. No, you don to go first? Yeah, I'll go first because I know we got to get down to it unless you want to go first. No, you can't. Josh, you watched and appreciated the ascension of Jalen Brunson with the Mavs

for several years. So tell us, what does this upcoming year look like for Brunson in a lead role for the New York Knickerbockers? Lots of family time at home come the playoffs with dad. They'll be in the same stadium. Oh, no. Hey, hey hey hey all right that okay okay how about this can the celtics weather their early season storm as they adjust to life without robert williams because about what eight to

twelve weeks out with the knee surgery or might there be a period of adjustment to start the season as they also work malcolm brogdon into the mix yeah there's gonna be a period of adjustment to start the season as they also work Malcolm Brogdon into the mix? Yeah, there's going to be a period of adjustment with the things that you mentioned and also the things that you didn't mention that are happening behind closed doors at this time. I think absolutely. Got it. Under on their wins total. Under on their wins total. Okay.

All right. Okay. Okay. So you heard our dumb pitch for the NBA that like players get entrances one player each team left up to our podcast which player gets it

give us a dumb pitch to the NBA what's something you'd like to see that you think would be entertaining rule change added entertainment rapid fire find a way to reward players for playing in the all-star game and i don't care how ridiculous it is you get to take the salaries of the players across from you like you're playing for keeps for their salary for the rest of the season like racing for pink

slips find a way to make people play defense in the all-star game occasionally just do it whatever it takes whatever it takes right it's like a huge money game yeah like actually man players can wager whatever they would like right each other and then the bets are coming yeah and then can you do like could you do like bigger bets too that might like give you an advantage in the postseason or something too like if you're trying to like is there even i'm double or nothing like if you want yeah if you want to mix in a parlay like cards on the way home on on the flight home, on top of the results of the game, I'm into it. I'm into it. Just keep those public.

And Josh, yeah, you've got to keep your answers a little bit shorter, my man. Just wanted to remind you about this is a rapid fire segment. What are we underrating about the upcoming season? We talked about the Pelicans for five minutes and we didn't talk at all about their play and we talked about like Zion's outfits. I think the Pelicans are five minutes and we didn't talk at all about their play. We talked about Zion's outfits. I think the Pelicans are going to be insane this year.

I think they're going to be just so, so, so good in regular season basketball. How deep are they going? I think they're only winning... I think they're getting into the playoffs and probably not even winning a round. But I think that team is winning 55, 56 games. I think they're going nuts.

Wow. Okay. And you're saying that how think they're going nuts. Wow. Okay. And you're saying that how insane they're going to be is going to be completely unrelated from Zion's fits? Yeah. Okay. Interesting take. We'll see how

everyone feels about that come the middle of the season. Remind me in nine months. Put it on the board. Producer Jabari. Which new faces and new places are you most looking forward to this year and do you think are going to make a difference?

Most looking forward to John Wall. I just want to know, man. Does John Wall have something left in the tank? Is he going to actually be an X-Factor for the Clippers? I have no take either way. I'm just curious. Just want to see it. And biggest X-Factor in a new place? Oh, man. I don't know. Just want to see it. Biggest X Factor in a new place?

Oh, man. I don't know. Malcolm Brogdon, I guess, in Boston in the playoffs would be huge. Next up, who's going to be a first-time All-Star this season? Tyrese Maxey. Yes! Hey! Okay.

Tell your son. And finally, Jack or Miles boys I don't know I'm trying to think I'm trying to base you off of your Zion suggestions I don't know man I don't think I've got I don't think I have enough information yet like I need to hear a few more of these NBA ideas

like we got to run we got to run them, get you a little bit apart on these, and then see. You want to separate us. Interrogation tactic. I want to make an informed decision. I'm not going to hit you with, do you make your bed draft day question. Right, right. I have some questions.

Okay, okay. By the way, when separated, I will completely roll over on Miles and tell you anything you want to hear. Just completely throw this man under the bus. All right, Josh, truly a pleasure. Thank you for coming on.

Yeah. Appreciate it. Thanks boys. Yeah. Where can people find you? Follow you all that good stuff. Yeah. I'm on Twitter at Josh Everly.

Do a little bit of everything everywhere on Spotify live folks post and chats there and uh yeah thanks for having me on nice all right and that's gonna do it for this week's edition of miles and jack got mad boosties make sure to follow us on twitter at mad boosties b-o-o-s-t-i-e-s that is the official spelling and we will accept nothing else. So find us there and also find us in your ears next week when we return with a brand new episode. All right, later. I'm Carrie Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry,

Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's basketball. And on this new season, we'll cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network,

iHeartRadio apps, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke. I'm Keri Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry, Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. Every great player needs a foil. I know I'll go down in history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Listen to the making of a rivalry Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast

or wherever you get your podcast. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. What happens when a professional football player's career ends and the applause fades and the screaming fans move on? I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. For some former NFL players, a new faith provides answers.

You mix homesteading with guns and church. Voila! You got straightway. They try to save everybody. Listen to Spiraled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.