The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: Smoke in the Garage

Episode Date: May 2, 2024

Does anybody smell smoke? Why are there firefighters in the garage? Is The Elser burning down? Why is the fire alarm not going off this time? In the meantime, we discuss Tyrese Maxey and Anthony Edwards announcing themselves in the playoffs and revisit our embarrassing Parade of Gasbags from after the Heat won Game 2. Plus, who on our crew is actually likable? Charlotte tried but failed to call into a Miami radio station after the Celtics knocked out the Heat. Then, Matt Barnes joins the show to talk about some of the biggest headlines in the NBA Playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. This is the Don LeBattor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Are we live because I'm getting a report here from Cynthia that there's smoke in the garage, that there are firefighters here and there's smoke in the garage. Stu's back. Is it because of my hot takes? I love that you waited

till we were back on air to say that. Like this is something that should have been brought up off air. I know, but no, it was just happening as we were coming back. You were counting me in and I was coming back and I'm seeing a note from Cynthia and it may just be that all the smoke guys have gotten here because

steven jackson and matt barnes are around here somewhere at some point they're going to be here over the next couple of days uh... but i'd we are getting messages i'm not making that up uh... it's not the heat season up in flames like that i'm i'm just pay attention to what's going on here we're sending Tony to poke his head out the door great that's that's great that's that's how everyone should handle a fire the show must go on that's right we've got we're undermanned here today again where's Mike Ryan he's he's actually in Cancun taking victory laps on Twitter because he thinks this is all some sort

of referendum that proves him right about everything because of course alright uh... juju gaudi is uh... are social media voice voice of the fan and before we go any further i'm going to allow him to chime in here over the next couple of segments whenever he wants to get into a segment to tell us what it is that people out there are saying because he's the bridge to uh... our community but before we go any further ju JuJu, Charlotte had something she wanted to say about the last segment and basketball, and I wanted to get some of your basketball thoughts too.

Hey, JuJu. Yes. You're going to like this one, I think. I think I'm going to love it every single time. You can just tell him what it is. No smoke, by the way. Thank you, Tony. Is there fire?

TBD. OK. So we were talking about Maxie, Tyrese Maxie, and Anthony Edwards having this moment of like, they have arrived. This is a huge deal. And I think something that they both have that I love, that they're having this moment, they both play with so much joy. And they both communicate with their teams. They are leaders in, I mean Anthony Edwards I think had a press conference where he talked

a lot about what he and Kat have going on but also like when they play there's so much joy there. They are having a good time. They are playing in a way that that is the locker room guy. And they're also like, but usually that locker room guy isn't amazing at basketball and these guys are all of it. And it is so much fun to see. There are different-

Precisely. My sister couldn't have said it better. I'm sorry, Dan, I keep cutting you off. That's on me. As Chris Cody says, back to you. Okay, well, what were your thoughts other than Charlotte had all the correct thoughts? Nah, that's what it takes, bruh.

That's what it, people don't realize. When you love what you do, it's contagious. When you have fun being a great teammate, it's contagious. That's the stuff that we need around here at Metal Art. When we come to work and we love being at work and not be trying to beat traffic by two o'clock or something like that, bruh, it's contagious. We're going to make great content. We're going to have a wonderful day. So of course Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey spreading that around the locker

room is bro. They getting results on top of the spread of the joy. Come on, man. Salute to my sister. That was a great point. Basketball is supposed to be fun, right? We all see it as a business. We all see it as, Oh, what happens? This guy guys is like these guys are going out there and having fun cuz they're the peak Of their powers they can do whatever they want on the court Anthony I was can shoot from three can dunk on you can can hit a fadeaway layup He could do anything so it's like I'm gonna just go have fun and he does it you guys are Articulating something that customers and fans love that their athletes care as much as they do, that their athletes love it as much as they do.

I just find funny that all of that passion and joy that you have all over the league, because that's not exactly how Durant is doing it, even though we know he loves basketball. But when what's rolling through the paint to win the championship is the joyless cement mixer who looks like he wants to get back to his horses, and that's what's beating everybody, and that's what's holding up the trophy,

and he gives you the joy at the end, but while you're watching, you have no connection to, can I understand this man's humanity? Oh, I can't, he's just a cement mixer. He's gonna destroy everybody, and he might have a sense of humor, but joy, you're not getting off of him. I mean.

Breaking news, Dan-o. breaking news, Dan-O, what have you done for me lately? I believe that the Minnesota Timberwolves will give the Denver Nuggets all that they are asking for. What can you do? Show me what you can do without Bruce Brown this year. What have you done for me lately? I do not believe the hype.

Everything that they come out of the media, ESPN, all the Nuggets, it's so, bruh, they look trash against the Lakers. That was the L everything that they come out of the media ESPN all the nuggas and so, bro They look trash against the Lakers That was the Lakers that they got pushed to all them games to even though they won all of them and said one That's not to here nor there. You feel me? I think the Minnesota Timber was gonna get these boys trouble. This is not breaking news That's not breaking. It's breaking news in mental-life media Y'all don't even want to talk about the Pacers and the Magic. So it's breaking news here, god damn it.

Juju, I have the Wolves in seven. Oh, I got the Wolves in five. Oh! Look, I'm gonna respect the Denver Nuggets, the champions, but they just gotta show me, dog. I'm watching the games. I see the heroics required. So please show me some, some ball movements, show me some skills. And I might believe they can get up two games.

Maybe that's not breaking news. Well, it's okay. You're doing a harp on it. You know, what's breaking news then? Oh, Mike Ryan on Twitter. He says you either die a hero or you wait a week until everyone just starts saying the same shit you said a week ago. What do you think about that?

So he's taking a victory lap on Twitter. Mike Ryan gets to be right while going to Cancun. He's left here. He's doing something with Cuervo. I don't know, he's not in the country anymore. But he's left and now he's taking the victory lap of, there, the heat loss, the way I thought all of this was gonna end and so I'm gonna hold my own championship

banner of the greatest of the championship banners, which is I was right. He was courageous in that, Dan. He said they should trade BAM a week ago. That's what he's doing though, that's what he's doing. It takes courage to go out and do that and wave the flag of I'm right. And he had it last week where, you know what what kind of some of the things that we're saying this is the first time

though that what is going to happen is the lunatic fringe extremes of the Mike Ryans of trade BAM they are now gonna gather strength they are going to be louder BAM has been great for agreed don't ask Mike agreed this is not but he was he was the reason they won that one game. He's the person that's it. He is the thing that they have that is the thing of most value. He's all they have. That's what they have to trade. That's what everybody wants. That's the thing people want. Like the reason they didn't make any trades last off season is because they were not willing to part with that. That's what the team was

built around and they couldn't get anything better than that. You guys, this happens all the time, this time of year. I know we love the offense, okay, I do, and I know it's hard for us all to measure the defense. I know Boston's great at defense. I can't exactly tell you why, but I know they're great at defense and the reason the Miami Heat are great at defense is no other reason than that pterodactyl in the middle everything they do is built around him. Eric Spoelstra is always top 10 in defense and that is the perfect player for this system for this time in basketball and it will be defense constructed first

team but what happens you score 80 there when you lose a couple of your scorers because your team is limited, because his twos aren't gonna keep you in the modern game against a Celtics team raining threes from all over the place. Which game was it that Bam hit his first three ever in the playoffs? It might have been like literally last night.

I was like. In Miami. I was like. It was in Miami. Yeah, I was like, excuse me, come again? The whole run last year, no threes. Do you know how weird? Time to check my social media, yeah. As I was saying. Chris Cody, you beautiful man.

That was a lob to you. As I was about to say, do you know how weird it is for me to watch a game and get so crazy athletic from the perimeter that Bam has to get out there faster to shoot threes or get left behind? I don't understand how Go Bear gets run off the court when that's always been the standard for basketball

and now Bam's not athletic enough. It doesn't have enough range to get out there. Bam's like doing Kevin Garnett things and we're like, ah, no, no, no. I'm sorry. All right. Speaking of the social media. Social media. Chris Cody, you beautiful bastard. OK, the Kentucky fraud chicken at Kate underscore fraud underscore chicken on Twitter says the Miami Heat won one game

and the Leviton show did a parade of gas bags for not getting swept. I love this show but that's pathetic work. Back to you Dan. Agreed. You guys did that? Play it again. Let's play again for the people,

that parade of gas bags of how heroically we all ran in here to mock ourselves because we got all of the analysis wrong before game two the Heat won a single game and all of a sudden everything that we said had been refuted and made to look foolish. Kendrick Perkins I don't remember whether he was in the parade of gas bags or not, but Kendrick Perkins among the gas bags because he was saying that the heat would get swept even if they shot 100% from the field

and 100% from three. It's one of the great analysis I've ever heard. Don't go. One of my favorites. And he's still mad at them for not sweeping the heat. Kendrick Perkins still finds it unacceptable that they lost a single game. So do I, by the way.

This is on to the next round, but I think we should have took out these boys way easier fashion. We shouldn't even have to go back to Boston. You never know how ankle injuries work. You might catch a cold. You might sleep on a mattress. I don't know what's going on, man. But look, we need to tighten it up. Sorry for that, Dan. It's hard to see how the Miami Heat are going to win a game in that series.

They're a joke right now. Everyone's laughing at them. This team is not going to, more likely than not, even pull off one game against the Boston Celtics this year. Tyler Hero, not good, not a fan, bye! Just bye! It's not a code red, because if you take out Jason Tatum, the Celtics are still sweeping the heat. So slow down, Scalabrini. Yeah, give my f***ing Ruiz up out of here.

They down 0-1, they about to go down 0-2 tonight, and your season gonna be over in the next four days. They need to dynamite the heat. Please, just the core. Toss it out. Wow. Don, Don. He's been doing that for two years. Don talking about his bam, gonna find the guts.

I'm done talking about it. I mean, the Miami Heat could go 100% from the field, 100% from the three, and they're still gonna get swept in this series. They just don't have the personnel to match up with the Boston Celtics. That's it. I talked to a person that's high ranking in the NBA, who knows stuff about player evaluation, who said he would take 13 centers over Bam. Wake the hell up Heath Bans! You're so far gone from being a contender right now. You are an afterthought. They do not want to face Boston in the first round and be their first victim. They will probably get swept. I'm gonna say that right now if they face them in the first round. There was a Gulf that was established early on

with Boston winning their off season and Miami very clearly losing theirs. And that golf as the season progressed got wider in my opinion. Yes. Most people do not believe the Heat will win a single game. Cause this roster is simply not good enough and it's not good enough by a mile.

That's kind of amazing that three games later, all of the analysis and that is dead on. Dead first. Right. The Dan LeBattard Show with Sougats is sponsored by BetterHelp. We all carry around different stressors, big and small. When we keep them bottled up,

it can start to affect us negatively. Keeping things bottled up can feel like carrying a weight that gets heavier with time. Whether it's talking to a trusted friend, journaling, or seeking professional help, finding ways to let out your thoughts and feelings can bring relief and help you navigate challenges more effectively. Remember, it's okay to reach out for help when you need it. It's helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. It empowers you to be the best version of yourself.

If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Get it off your chest with BetterHelp. Switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Get it off your chest with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash DLB today

to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash D-L-B. That's the sound of fried chicken with a spicy history. Thornton Prince was a ladies ladies man. To get revenge, his girlfriend hid spices in his fried chicken. He loved it so much, he opened Prince's Hot Chicken. This is one of many sounds in Tennessee with a story to tell. To hear them in person, plan your trip at TNVacation.com. Tennessee sounds perfect. Don Lebertard! Do you realize that for 30 minutes, now we might not have been doing

good show, but we were doing show for about 30 minutes and then you just decided to tell the story as if we were in the eating area. Stugats! Many refer to it as a kitchen. Right. Eating area. Commissary. Who calls it an eating area? Nobody. Nobody! Right.

An eating area. What's the bedroom? The sleeping area? Hang on, I gotta go to the urinating area. I'll be right back. Eating area. This is the Don LeVatar Show with the Stugats! Guides. Chris Cody, there are a number of things, okay, as this pirate ship springs leaks all

over the place, is desperately undermanned today and you are in a position that requires you to spin a whole lot of plates. A whole lot of things are going gonna spill overboard and be problematic. For future reference, okay, it is not good that Charlotte Wilder is sitting next to me and just said before the microphones went on, oh, we've been on live? Hmm.

That, as the executive producer of this show, the person who is here, what do you mean no? I wouldn't necessarily put this on Chris. This could very well be a me mistake. I could have been told this, this could have been common knowledge. I'm just saying that can't be the information you're relaying to me when we have an executive producer

in charge of handling all the things because we need to know when we're live. Time to check my social media, y'all. Oh man, Chris Cody, you lobbed it right up and I'm catching the alley-oop. Look, which you can catch, by the way, every weeknight whenever we feel like doing it, no schedule involved at all.

It doesn't matter the time. On you time. Wait, Juju, we need to promote whatever you just said involved at all. It doesn't matter the time. On you time. Juju, we need to promote whatever you just said slightly better than that. Pull up. Pull up on us. Alleyoop tonight after Nick's Sixers. We're gonna go live tonight. We got me, Zach Harper, and insert more guests probably. We got so many guests that's trying to get on right now. It's just about turning down the right people.

So neither here nor there. Tone Montana, or is it Tony Montana, on YouTube says, how you guys got a skeleton crew and still managed to talk all at once, damn. Oh, you don't know how much that one hurts me, Juju. Yeah, Juju. Juju, I don't know if I have a greater frustration with this show over the last three years than that right there.

Salute to Tony. Now none of us are talking because we don't want to talk over each other. All right, also to show my brother Jeremy Tashay some grace in the chat. I know y'all love Jeremy Tashay and I love my brother. So show my brother some more grace What do y'all expect? He works for this organization that of course, he's gonna be defending his friends show my brother some more grace This all right. Let's discuss this this this. Okay. Let me I'm gonna let people look behind the curtain No, Jeremy's taking a battering here in general because it's really hard to be more heat obnoxious

than this show was with Parakeet Cortez, Mike Ryan and everyone else, but Jeremy has found a way. It's hard to believe, but Jeremy has found a way. And I was just having a conversation with Charlotte off air about how it is that one arrives at likability. We were just talking, because Charlotte's just very likable. It's a hard thing. I'm not good at it.

It's not something, it's not a skill that I've developed over the years. But Charlotte has. No, you're good at it, brother. I love you, brother. You changed my entire life. I love you, bro. That's very nice of you, Juju.

And you see me a little more clearly than most, but we've had some interactions that don't have that the audience doesn't get and i'm a strident obnoxious tv personality who has strong opinions and thinks he's right it's annoying like i'd i know i'm annoying likable is not my thing but our crews likable for different reasons and reaches likable in a lot of different ways and Charlotte has the Holy Trinity of smart... Now no one's gonna like me. Because she does stuff like that. She's she is someone who has some gifts that Jeremy does not have. No.

Aww, don't do that. Jeremy is a... He went out of the way around the world to dunk on Jeremy. Jeremy's young. Wait a minute. I'm not saying that Jeremy's not lik wait a minute, wait a minute. I'm not saying that Jeremy's not likable, I'm saying that this kind of heat talk is something that everyone who's listening to this show despises about our show. Like if she was draped in that, she'd have a similar problem.

This is the first time in the history of the world someone has been like the Celtics fan. She's really not obnoxious. I don't know. I think in general, Dan, your narrative is correct. But I think this year, this show has annoyed the audience with Mike just ripping and trying. I think there has been part of the audience that is like,

they want Jeremy to give the other side of this. OK, this is OK. I'm going to tell you where it is. The unpleasant place that I have lived with Heat fans for a very long time, because the last 15 years of Heat basketball, I don't wanna actually separate ourselves and just do prisoner of the moment.

What are you laughing about, Juju? Emo Jeremy, I was on the screen right now with Emo Jimmy, you feel me? AKA the uncount. I have been in the middle of watching the Miami fan base that loves our show so much, get mad that we platform Scalabrini and that we bring on Nick's correspondence

and it's a reflection of our show changing or being something different that people do not like. And the Miami of this show, I want people to appreciate what the last 15 years of this franchise have been through changes, like I don't want to sit here and come in, oh, there it is, it all fell apart, the wheels came off the whole thing at the end. They went from Hassan Whiteside and Dion Waiters

and Impossible to Move Contracts, they got Jimmy Butler somehow, somehow and while that was a magical ride where we all got to learn a bunch of things at the top of the conference and that was pretty cool at the end boston takes it away and they're younger and now there's going to have to be a change and it feels like in fifteen years it feels about as far from the throne as you can feel and isn't that amazing that they would change over fifteen years like that

and this is the time that you're looking at like that now i don't have to fear the heat anymore all that stuff they built look it got hurt at the end and everything came apart and it didn't feel as good as gave in sent and uh... and max truce i appreciate what the last fifteen years have been because i've just seen steven ross get an offer of ten billion dollars for a franchise that he is not run very well on the field he's made a lot of money off it he's done made all the right

business decisions but his franchise hasn't gotten any results and in this town the only town i've ever cared about this is the only sports team is matter for twenty years dolphins got here last year's third you know two years ago and starts going around and none of the playoff success against hard to win at these things and so today will be about yelling and screaming at the miami need to get better

and telling boston go bleep itself i'm not watching any more of the games but but i appreciate what this franchise is and i also appreciate the history of the sport enough to say what a great thing that now boston takes them out that boston finishes uh... the the remains of miami as they fought for the conference the last five years what are you laughing about now do you do something else on television

uh... i mean we started was just having a great time communicating via non communication But anyway back to social media Steven wait a minute you weren't summoned in with the music Her plan to this This segment is flawless This segment is flawless. Stephen Colbert says, y'all stole Jimmy and got nothing out of it. Great day to be a Sixers fan.

Back to you, Dan-O. Stephen Colbert or Stephen Colbert? Colbert. Yeah. It's not, it's no Colbert. It's Colbert, I checked. Okay, thank you, Juju. Colbert.

I didn't hear any of what you said because I was distracted by your basketball phone. I didn't hear anything of what you said because I was distracted by your basketball phone I didn't hear anything after Stephen Colbert Colbert. That's how Juju and I communicate Yeah, I was in her little smoke messages by the way also DJ V7 893 says this Why also? Why also? I'm still asking you what you asked me the first time. Why also?

I need to know what the f- I didn't hear what you said the first time. Look, fit in, Dan. The world heard. Watch the LeBatard Show at LeBatard Show on YouTube if you want to catch today's show. He says, this is my WEEI moment. Ha ha ha. I love this show.

Back to you, Charlotte. That makes me think of something. Guys, I tried to call into a Miami radio station last night. How'd that go? I couldn't figure out. So I was like, how do you listen to the radio these days? So I had it on my computer and I was Googling and I was trying to figure it out

and then I found some numbers and then I got like the Odyssey headquarters and then I was trying to record it and I was likeling and I was trying to figure it out and then I found some numbers and then I got like the Odyssey headquarters and then I was trying to record it and I was like, but if I record this, then I'm not gonna be able to hear myself. I mean, you'll hear me. So I gave up. I wish we had video of you trying

to execute that unsuccessfully. You were trying to just get on a Miami radio station. Did you have a, did you have what you were gonna do, rehearsed or planned, what you were gonna say when you got on there? I was gonna say it's Charlotte from South Beach and then become Charlotte from Southie and say, Mack, I told you don't let him get one,

but I couldn't figure out how to call. Well, I don't feel like everything that you're doing right now has a lot of confidence in it. No I was very confident in how I was trying. You were going to do an accent and make a call and that you were going to morph into the accent? Well because you got to get on the show you have to say Charlotte from South Beach without the accent. And then you're like, oh, they heat blew it, blow up the core, but, psych, Charlotte from South, the emaci-smite told you don't let them get one.

And that is why we love you. Were they even talking heat on the radio last night? Yes, they were. I have a screenshot of it. I have a screen, I took a, well, it's not a screenshot, it's a picture it took of my computer with my phone Would you believe juju that I didn't hear your w-e-e-i question either

Because Jeremy was whispering in my ear. Why did you tell them? I'm not likable And what did all that have to do with me being unlikable? I? Try really hard is that why you guys don't like me? Social media yeah, I Didn't say that you're unlikeable. I'm pretty sure you did no no the heat fandom thing Jeremy Jerry Jeremy you I was brought in here to be a heat expert. I did it for six months But it sounded like I heard the sound there You feel me I tweeted early how y'all don't know about the vintage key I'll be wearing so much shit around

I don't think y'all be knowing what's around y'all look. These is Gary Payton's Seattle Super Sonics pants, his warm up pants. Dan, guys, wake up, like the vintage game has been here to stay. I got a bunch of these phones, come on man, show respect to the vintage and the culture of the world. We out here doing our thing, salute to everybody involved. Back to you Stu.

Thank you. I was trying to shout out my friend Ernest Wilkins, Game Day Grails, he is the best at finding vintage stuff. What do you want Dan? What kind of vintage stuff do you want? What would you like? You want a heat hat from...? What did you just do? She shouted out her boy. You turned into an auctioneer for a second. What do you need Dan? Get a Nike! Take a whole Nike! No, but it's not even...

Take my boy Alonzo Mornin' Jersey. It's not even an auctioneer. It's all of a sudden Charlotte said, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna just start sending out shout outs. Well, cause I tried earlier and I hit a wall when trying to say the name. But now I'm peddling weird. What would you like? Don LeBretard. Again, started on the breakfast lawn. Oh man, I've been singing a song to myself all morning long. Breakfast... Breakfast Flaunt... Stugats! Have you never heard the Breakfast Flaunt song?

No, hit me with it. Okay. I wish I had some Breakfast Flaunt... Da da da da da da da da da da... Breakfast Flaunt... Da da da da da da da da da da... Where can I find a breakfast like that? Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da... This is the Don LeVar Show with the Stugats.

Here comes a late arriving Charlotte Wilder. She's on her own time. We don't have a seat for her here, so she's just going to walk right across the shot here and get herself organized as we bring Matt Barnes in To talk about some playoff basketball oddball every day except Monday. Where is Amin? Incidentally Amin's flying in in a big hurry from Boston. Is he caught in traffic? His flight was delayed He I got a text like an hour ago that he'd be here in 40. I haven't seen him yet Matt Barnes is here all the smoke productions. I've told you on, DraftKings Network, they're doing great stuff. All new episodes every Thursday.

You guys seem to really be enjoying yourself. Matt, you've been doing this for a while, so I'm just curious when you follow your curiosities, how is it that you're picking your guests? Storytelling. I think early on, obviously, you know, our strategy to this was I felt like the audience had to fall in love with Stack and I. And, you know, that was my original thinking. We started off with guests, but I think once we got our chemistry, it was more about the chemistry between us and then the guests would be the icing on the cake. So, you know, Dan, we've been blessed

to have a ton of people. There's maybe five to 10 people big that we haven't got yet. But for me, mostly I'm looking for story. You know, how can I uncover a story I think is interesting or who is gonna be a good conversation? So that's kind of how I focus on getting guests. If I may here, I'm gonna tell the audience,

I will talk basketball with him in a second, but I've been fascinated sort of by where it is that Matt Barnes insists on being creative. You do realize right how unusual the chemistry you and Steven Jackson have because when when brotherhood or chemistry is real and you know each other in a way that you can have fun with each other without anybody getting hurt because you know where all the stuff is it's super rare in television for partnerships like that to exist on television.

Yeah, no, I mean, I tell literally when, and I get asked all the time, you know, what's the best way to start? What's this, what's that? And I was like, well, if you're gonna go solo, this is how I feel you do, but if you're gonna have a partner, the most important thing to have as a partner

is someone that you just explained and someone you can have the wildest conversations with. Somewhere you can have, you know, conversations that toe the line. Someone you can talk shit to. Excuse my language, I'm not allowed to say shit this early in the morning. But someone that you could just really vibe with. And Jack is definitely that for me and I'm that for him. So that's why I think, you know, that's been the key to, I feel like, our show's success. Well, I'd say something else here, too, and I don't think you'll be uncomfortable talking about this stuff. Like, wherever it is that you've needed help in times of need, what becomes clear in watching

you two interact with each other and with others is how overt it is that you love each other. That you love each other. That it's not two guys just sitting there enjoying each other's company because they're friends, but no, you love each other. Yeah, I mean, absolutely. I mean, that's my brother. We've been through so much. I mean, Jack was there. My mom died at the beginning of the 2008 season

within 26 days from cancer. When I was with the, right off that, we believe season in 07, she died the very next November beginning of the season. And Jack was there for me from the day, from checking on me, calling me, bringing me food, coming and just watching TV with me, coming to smoke with me,

just being there more than a teammate. And I think that's where we developed, our team mates to real life brothers and then all the ups and downs and adversity he's been through and I've been through since. We've always been there. So it's a real brotherhood, it's a real love, but at the same time, we don't always have to agree.

You know what I mean? We can disagree without disrespecting each other. And I think that's what media overall is missing these days. If I feel like if media doesn't like something or someone or a play, it went from kind of critiquing, which was the art of it to being disrespectful and loud and doing it for clicks so I say all that to say I think you know Jack and I have a good

thing going. You also realize and I've talked to you about this some before but maybe the audience doesn't know it can you articulate for us how it is and why it is that you think that you two occupy a space that nobody else can occupy? Dan, I look at it. It was funny. I was on Paul Drew's podcast a couple of weeks ago and I saw this out loud for the first time. I think I don't see anyone in our space as competition. I love it. To me, the more the merrier. If you've got something to say and you can really say it and have a way of articulating it, obviously it's watered down with former players, but I love when current players get in there

and have something to say. But at the same time, I don't look at any of these guys' competition. I look at this as all former athletes, current athletes that have our own unique journey perspectives and outlooks on how the game is played, how it's covered and how it's officiated at times. So I look particularly podcasts that way, but Dan, I feel like we're on to bigger and

better things. And, you know, obviously thanks to you and MetalArk and obviously DraftKings, like I'm not only worried about making a great All the Smoke show or Unplugged show, I'm also worried about five other shows and creating more shows and creating more talent and building out in different verticals in this company. So I love what I do. You know, I don't know how long I'm gonna do it. I'm sure I still got a handful of years of being in front of the camera, but my goal is to transition, you know,

more behind and pop my head out when needed in front. I will tell the folks again, all the Smoke Productions, DraftKings Network, YouTube, you should watch what it is and listen to what it is that they're doing because what they're doing is interesting. I wanna talk to you about some of the things happening in basketball, what's fair and what's unfair on Joel Embiid? Man, I don't know.

It's, you know, he looks like he's out there on a leg and a half or even one leg and he's out there on a leg and a half or even one leg. And he's playing great basketball on the flip side. He's doing some questionable, questionable borderline dirty. Or if you want to call it competitive, I don't know what you want to call it, because I've been on both sides of that law. I'll let you decide it. Things on the other end.

But, you know, I love the fact that he's out there. I mean, this guy is so talented and just has had really had an injury-riddled career and I love that, you know, he's out here fighting with his team and we can tell he's not fully healthy and with the leg And then you know, I think he said some Bell's palsy as well. So I love the fact that he's just out here fighting with his guys And they're in a hell of a battle with the Knicks, man I really don't understand some Bell's palsy as well And they're in a hell of a battle with the Knicks, man. I really don't understand some Bells Palsy as well, like just throwing that out there

because these people are playing under enormous duress. Executive producer Chris Cody did an excellent job during this segment by whispering to me just moments ago, the only helpful bit of advice he's helped me with, which is to say Matt Barnes just burped. Like, no, I didn't. During that sentence, it looked like you had a burp come up and you're a pro throw, you like fought through it.

Oh, no, no, no. My chair was moving so I was hopping over a cord so I was kind of... Alright. I'm gonna have to check if you replayed. Juju, put it on the poll at Levitard Show. Did Matt Barnes obviously burp? You said you can't curse at this hour in the morning.

Are the kids behind you? Are you at home? Are you in a home studio? No, man, Dan, I've been up. Man, Dan, I got up at 5. hour in the morning. Are the kids behind you? Are you at home? Are you in a home studio? No, man, Dan, I've been up. Man, Dan, I got up at 5.30 in the morning, hit the gym, got back home by 7.30, took three of our sons to do two different schools and just called an Uber for my twins. And now I'm down here with you for 10, 15 minutes.

And then I'm hopping right on calls to do some golf stuff, hopefully, for all the smoke production. So I'm grinding, man. I've been out for a while. Wow, that is more than I've done in weeks, Matt. That is really impressive. You're impressed by the 5 a.m. workout?

Oh yeah, big time. 6 a.m., no, no, no, no, no. I don't wanna stay on that crap. I'm 6 a.m., but yeah, I'm up and at him and I gotta get home back, cause like I got, so I have six kids that go to four different schools and we range from age five to 15. So my fiance and I are on the move every morning.

So this was a particularly early morning for work. Normally I'd drop the kids, then go train, and then come home and do this. So I had to flip the script. So I had to get up pretty early these last two days and knock out my part of daddy duty and then come to work, if you can call this work. Well, right.

We were talking about Iron Man's earlier and this seems more impressive to me than a triathlon. Just being a dad and an obstacle, like the obstacle course of it. And working out. And finding a way to smoke a joint before I came too because that's always my breakfast. That's my breakfast of champions. I don't eat until noon, so I gotta have my a joint before I came too, because that's always my breakfast. That's my breakfast of champions.

I don't eat until noon, so I gotta have my little joint before I get going and I'm ready to go, baby. Shout out to God. Put it on the poll, please, Juju, at Levitard Show. Is the joint the breakfast of champions? Yes. The Boston Celtics, I was saying earlier in the show,

I don't know if you'd be willing to buy on this, because I know how much you respect champions but i was saying that this boston team accounting for how the game is played today to me feels like a more overwhelming champion than even the one that won the championship and i don't mean it is any disrespect the regular season they just had and the way that they trounced everyone's and it's not the playoffs but suggests to me that this is the best statistical offense I've ever seen the Celtics have and their defense is very good too. I'm buying half of that and I think a lot hinges first of all on Port Zingas' health. I think he is having a really good season but we know he's you know

he's been hit and miss with injuries but I think he's instrumental. I'm a huge fan of Jason Tatum and how he's taking the criticism from day one and applied it to the game. And you know, this guy's had a lot of success early in his career and now he's, you know, mid twenties and I feel like there's a lot of pressure on him to get over that top. I think he gets over the top and you know, he's he's in that conversation of, you know, top five current young players in this game. If he's not already there, I kind of already have him there. Some people don't, some people feel

a championship will validate him. But on the flip side, Dan Denver looks tough and they're poised in the way that Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. playing, on top of the way Jamal Murray is playing. You know what you're getting with Jokic. They have their role players. I think these are the two best teams in basketball, but I really also like Minnesota.

I think this is going to be a great test, win or lose for them. You know, you're going against the best in the game or the current champions. So I kind of jumped around a little bit. I really do like Boston, really do. Roevey's been a big fan, but I can't buy all the way from a standpoint of, I think Denver's playing really good basketball as well. Denver's playing really good basketball,

but Minnesota has the particular ingredients, I feel like, especially with Ant, to stop and neutralize Jokic a little bit, right? Because of Rudy, because of Kat. No such thing. I mean, just maybe slow him down a little bit. I agree. I agree with you.

Real hoop or something. I agree with you. Real hoopers now. I agree with you. So I feel like Minnesota could be that team to not only stop Denver in this run, but supplant them as kind of the new team of the future in the West. Well, you know, this is the copycat league and everyone copied Golden State when Golden State was making their runs and their ability to shoot and stretch the floor and play small ball.

Denver's brought it back to not necessarily traditionally, but kind of an old school with the new school flair where you're still playing through the post, which is kind of unheard of, but this post can start at the three point line and generate offense. So I would agree from a standpoint of the last team to slow him down was the Lakers in the bubble.

And because they were able to throw big bodies at him from Javel McGee to Dwight Howard to Anthony Davis, obviously Minnesota doesn't have all those bodies, but they have Rudy Gobert, who is one of the, you know, were able to throw big bodies at him from Javel McGee to Dwight Howard to Anthony Davis. Obviously Minnesota doesn't have all those bodies, but they have Rudy Gobert who is one of the, you know, the, the, the best, you know, defenders in the game. They got cat. They got, um, Nazreed Nazreed six man of the year. Um, so they can throw different looks at them and run different things. But again, those other guys, uh, Jamal Murray and the rest of the squad, KCPs and Peyton Watson

and those kids off the bench, they're playing really good right now. But I agree. I think this Minnesota matchup, the winner of this second round matchup will represent the Western Conference. I don't mean to cut anybody short in the other games, but I feel like the winner of Denver, Minnesota

is gonna win. You're cutting the thunder short. You have cut the thunder short. Aggregate it right now. Send it to TMZ. Matt Barnes has clearly cut. It's the weed talking. No.

He has cut. You just cut OKC short. You did. You can't say you didn't cut him short when you're cutting him short. No, I definitely did. And like I said, whether it's Denver or the Clippers, excuse me, whether it's Dallas or the Clippers excuse me whether it's Dallas or the Clippers come out again I think OKC is going to have a great this is a great learning experience I would love for them to prove me wrong like I said I had questions I could not questions on

their talent or how good they've been on the regular season but Oklahoma and Minnesota I just have to see it in the playoffs Dan because you know regular seasons can be amazing for a young team and you get in the playoffs and the lights are a little brighter, the conversation is a little heavier and there's just a lot going on. But so far both these teams have played really well in the first round and I think this second round test for both teams is going to be a growing experience, win or loss, and it's going to be good because those are the teams of the future in the West. Matt, that was a tough sweep, Pelicans and OKC.

Come on, get out of here. Stop, There's no such thing as a tough sweep. Knock it off. No such thing as a tough sweep. Matt, good seeing you. Thank you, sir. Good talking to you. Have a good one, guys.