The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: So Long, Tua (feat. Undisputed Champion Alycia Baumgardner)

Episode Date: December 17, 2025

"Boxing has never smelled this good." Alycia Baumgardner is down here in Miami to defend her super featherweight title and stops by the studio to share her story and answer Dan's most classic boxing questions. Also, the NBA Cup had a huge night, and TUA TAGOVAILOA HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN BENCHED BY THE MIAMI DOLPHINS. THE CREW REACTS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stucats podcast. Welcome to another episode of Insights to Mediocrity. I'm Jeremy Tashay here with our expert, our superstar, Tony Kalatea. Good to be here, Jeremy. How does 10-day Tony know when he's in the zone? It's something that I can't explain. It's something that I can't teach. It's something that I like to test when I'm in the zone by taking further and further shots.

So like if I hit a corner three, okay, I'm supposed to do that. But if I'm on a transition on a three, three on two, and I've got two guys jetting in from the sides and I'm running point up top, I may pull up from maybe a little close to half court just to see where we're at. If I hit that, the next step, I shoot lefty. I guarantee people that watch this, that will watch this at some point that have played basketball with me in these leagues know that I can pull up lefty from anywhere and still stroke. It's crazy.

I'm not joking. This is not a lie. Like, I know I'm in the zone. Either we're down by a lot and I can shoot lefty or we're up by a lot and I can shoot lefty, but I shoot lefty and I make a good percentage of my shots. I've made three in a row from three lefty. I mean, if you can make three in a row from three lefty, it might as well find your way to the league 10-day-tone.

Again, that's what I think we're here for, right? What are your views on today's defensive schemes in the NBA? You know what the best defense is? What's that? A great offense. I score. You try to stop me. You can't.

I win. That's my defensive situation. That's pretty simple math. Have I been criticized for maybe not going after a loose person? ball or two? Sure. That's fair. Have I been criticized for maybe not stepping in and help defense when there's a guy that could possibly dunk? Yeah. I would agree. I would make you any different than James Harden. All I'm saying is, yeah, he's going to get the dunk, okay? I'm not going to be there when he does it, but when he does get it, I'm going to get that ball out of the hoop. We're pushing.

We're playing fast pace. I'm going to get out to the shooters. I'm going to be a shooter. We're going to get three to your two. So defense, yeah, is it a part of the game? Sure. Okay. You got me. It is. But my defense is a great offense. I said shorter. These need to be shorter. The two of them, you put them in a room, they think everything longer is better.

Yeah, it's not a situation in which they didn't get the note. I know they received the note. They just looked at the note and decided, well, go to hell. How is insights of mediocrity longer than insights to excellence? That's right. Like Michael Jordan was faster. You've got the funny device. Have him say something stupid.

Go to N credits. Just one joke. 30 seconds. One joke, get out. And just one, two sentences. Don't, Tony believes his own bullshit. Yes. Don't actually make it mediocre.

You guys were yelling at each other. Dan, we have breaking news from the NFL. Courtesy of Adam Schaefter, a major move in Miami. The dolphins are benching quarterback to a tongue of Bailoa. And turning to Quinn Ewers. as their new starting quarterback, Prue Shoresh. Nice. So what does that mean?

Is that the end? Yeah. Is that the official announcement of the end before it's the end? Because they've still got him under contract next year and they're not playing for anything. You don't have to see anything from him. You don't want him to get hurt. You sure shit don't need him concuss.

This doesn't mean he's not playing next year for them, correct? I think it leans in that direction. There's no coming back from this. No, you can start him next year. you're done for the playoffs. You see what you have with Quinn yours. I'm not saying, I think it could go either way, but he could start next season for that.

If Quinn yours shows any competence, it's over. It's over. Any competence. You can't come back from this. You benched Tua. It's been the league six years. It's the number five overall pick. He's making $55 million a year. You bet it's over.

You have to keep in mind, Mike McDaniel's coaching for his job. He just not, he's not talking to a GM in-house. who's forcing him to evaluate Quinn Ewers. Part of this decision is Mike McDaniel wants to save his job and he's looking at that locker room. Maybe he's had some big macro conversation with Stephen Ross saying we're bringing you back

and let's see what we have in the kid. But on the surface, it feels like Mike McDaniel just made the choice that Quinn Ewers gives his team a better chance to win. I think this is Mike McDaniel saying I have job security. That's what looks like to me. I think Mike McDaniels knows whether he's coming back or not.

Now that can change. that somebody can become available, but I think he knows whether, I think once they made the decision over Greer, they're like, okay, are you going to be the quarterback whisper? Can you do that with anybody? You did it with Tua, and everyone, you got Tua paid. Can you do it with anybody? Because I don't believe what we saw from Ewers in the preseason would tell us anything. I don't, I don't think, I mean, he was good enough to stave off Archmanning at Texas, and then he played in the preseason and didn't show you much of anything. But if, if you believe, you guys were arguing that Kevin O'Connell was a quarterback whisper. We know that Kyle Shanahan is the one guy in the league. I mean, I guess maybe McVeigh, I don't know, but in terms of this person can make a quarterback out of somebody, Kyle Shanahan has proven that. Mike McDaniel has three games. Mike's got this right. Mike McDaniel, I don't think he's got right about the job security stuff, but I think Mike McDaniel absolutely wants to show the fan base and everybody something these last three games, so next season doesn't feel as hopeless as it did a game ago. It could be both.

I've heard that Mike McDaniel, because of that run, did kind of solidify that he's coming back next year. Now, maybe things fall off the rails, and that is all subject to change. But I also think he saw the film of Tua, and every time that guy drops back, he's not giving me a shot. I think Mike McDaniel comes out a winner either way in this situation, because he's telling you, I can't coach a winning team with this guy as my quarterback anymore. and also if Quinn Ewers comes out and shows any type of competence, he's also telling you, yeah, the thing I did with Tua, I can coach quarterbacks. It would be a greater value that you would have from, if you give me one thing that a coach can do, I want that, okay?

And so I thought he could do that when they had the number one passing offense in the league. They've been able to run the football with whoever it is has been playing quarterback, mostly, mostly, I'll say. Because they were better with Tua than they were with anyone else. I just don't know if this is over. I don't, if you had to bet right now, Zaz has been reactionary with this team all year. He spits poison. He's emotional about all of these things. Hasn't been wrong necessarily either.

If you had to bet money, is Tua their starting quarterback yes or no next year? Yes. If you're Mike McDaniel, the quintessential players coach, and you have that much money committed to Tua, and you know that he is one concussion away from being done and the season is done for sure, Why would you have him out there and risk somebody that now you have all this dead money and at least now there's a hope that Tua can figure things out in the off season? This feels like news, but it's just a team has been eliminated from the playoffs and has to play the other guys.

The games don't mean anything. I'm sure you can find a recent example, but whether it be a vet like Kirk Cousins or a younger guy like Daniel Jones, when a team makes this decision, unless there's an injury, they don't go back. Yeah, that's why I think it's news. I think this is the end. I don't think there's turning. I don't think you can go back to two and out. This is the end.

You don't think that they would explain in the locker room. We're going to give a bunch of other people chances the next three games because we can't get him concussed again? What's the example of the quarterback coming back from that? But what's the example that's a quarterback that's a concussion away publicly to everyone from retirement? Like there's only one quarterback in the history of the league where you're afraid if you play him the last three games. Now the money's dead, dead.

I think you and I are speaking the same language. I don't. I think it's done here in Miami. But you're saying, though, because the concussion, like, you're saving him from these final three games and possibly getting Gus again because you want to make sure he's healthy and ready to go for next year? No, he's just got maybe protecting value. There's no value there.

Wait a minute. There's no value. It's a black hole of a contract. They don't, they're not going to have a quarterback next year that makes them compete with Josh Allen and the Patriots. That quarterback does not exist as available to them. It, too, is the best of what they'll do. A quarterback, if they're keeping the coach stable,

the best quarterback they're going to do is two of them. whether you like it or not. Yeah, it's not a great quarterback draft class, but I'm sure you can talk yourself into somebody. The World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time since 1994. 48 teams! These giant stadiums!

The whole continent turning into one massive party, I cannot wait. But actually getting tickets to any of this? Yeah, that part, brutal. That's why the game time map has been a total lifesaver. It gives the advantage back to us, the fans. You can track price drops in real time. Get alerts when steeds opened up,

Grab tickets the second they hit the app all back by the game time guarantee. I'm on the app looking at World Cup matches in Miami because you know I am not missing that. I'm scrolling through every section in the building, behind the goal, midfield, lower bowl, upper bowl, and the deals are good. I had great seats locked in within minutes. The experience is so simple and intuitive. Two taps and I'm done. And the price, no surprises, fees are included.

The seat views are my favorite feature and you'll get a full panoramic look before you buy. Take the guest's work out of buying soccer tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime map, create an account, and use code Dan for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code D-A-N for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download the Game Time app today. Folks, listen up.

You know my holiday pattern by now. Every single year I tell myself, listen, Chris, you're going to be thoughtful this year. You're going to get good gifts. You're not going to be lazy. You're not just going to get gift cards. and this year, guys, I have news. I pulled it off. No panic, no sad little card.

You know what I gave? I gave an aura frame. Like, why is it so hard to find a personal gift these days? It's for the people I'm closest to. My parents, my wife, my in-laws, my kid. The most important people in my world, I have no idea what I'm supposed to get them as a gift. But one thing I know, people light up when they get photos.

People love photos. So I loaded up my aura frame with all the moments I know they'll love, my daughter being adorable, random selfies, group pictures where none of us are looking in the same direction. kept adding them because ORA lets you send unlimited photos and videos right from your phone anytime. And the best part, you can preload the thing before it even ships. So when it's open on Christmas morning, all the memories are already there. I'm telling you guys, this is a great gift. And folks, for a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visitingoraframes.com

to get $35 off ORA's best-selling Carver Matt Frames, name number one by wirecutter, by using promo code DLB. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frame sell out fast to order yours now and get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mention. us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Thursday night football is on and it's only on Prime Video this week. The NFC West grabs the spotlight as the Los Angeles Rams visit the Seattle. Seahawks, what a game! Coverage begins at 7 p.m. Eastern with football's best party TNF tonight.

It's the Rams and Seahawks Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern. And don't miss the Broncos and Chiefs on Christmas night only on Prime Video. Another massive game. Not a prime member, not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30-day free trial. restrictions apply. See amazon.com slash Amazon Prime for details. Don Lebertard.

Our Panther group chat, we're confident against the lighting. This is a different team. You're a Panther group chat, though. No, I think, no, but dude, you're so wrong on that. We've been terrified at this team forever. And I think there's a different energy where the Panthers, they want the lightning. Stugats. I want T-shirts made for this Panther run.

What could be this Panther run? Our Panther group chat, we're not afraid of the lightning. That's a tagline. World RAR 3. This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugats. We have to wrap. Okay, you mentioned that because we've got the bomb in the other room and we've made her wait way too long. She has won all of the super featherweight titles. She's the co-headliner on this Anthony Joshua Jake Paul fight.

That's a co-headliner situation. Last time she fought, she fought against, she fought in front of six million people on Netflix. Netflix is doing a monster thing. Jake Paul is doing a monster thing across the street. And we have been disrespectful by making this woman wait and endure our Tua talk. I'm very sorry about that, Alicia, the bomb. I really got Mike excited when I told them her nickname. They did not know that she was the bomb.

Was it a tough nickname to come up with? Not really. I think it actually fit since Bum Gardner is just so bold within itself. The bomb just made sense. But to have a name like The Bottle, you have to punch really hard, right? You do. You have to punch hard and make a statement. I wouldn't be able to be called the bomb.

How do nicknames work? Does someone give it to you in boxing, or can you, like, throw up some nominees of your own? You know, it's really up to you. You know, some people may give you some ideas, but I think ultimately when you're the one stepping into the ring, you want to come up with your own ring name, and the bomb just fit. I got to be honest here. I'm distracted. Boxing has never smelled this good.

What? No, I mean, no, I've been around boxers. I've been around boxing. I love covering boxing. Look, boxing is my favorite sport to write about because people who do this as a way of earning money, I admire them, and I wonder what. happened to them that made them choose this as a life path you come from a family of fighters right everybody in the family is a fighter that's right yes family are all fighters and the hometown that

i grew up in in ohio fremont we had a small boxing gym and my dad's like hey do you want to box and i had wrestled first before i started boxing and you have to be eight years old to start and i'm like yeah i'll box not even knowing what i'm getting myself into but i did have the mentality the work ethic to say yes let's do it you have to be a little crazy though to choose it as a living right i'm going to earn money this way as a career you do got to be a little crazy yes and so what like what was happening in that household that made everybody a fighter you know i come from a big family you know i was once in a household of 15 people so you know we're all trying to scram and you know get into the bathroom things like that but as a unit we were we're just go geters we had that hustle mentality just

to go get it because it wasn't going to be given to us. Were there a lot of fights in the house? You know, I was always fighting with my brother. You know, I have four sisters, but it was always me and my brother, always fighting. You haven't had any remorse about your career choice, right? Because I would imagine it's been

a grind. No boxer has an easy story. No, I have no second chances on what I chose to do. And I love it. I love the grit. I love the challenge, the competitiveness that I have, and I love to showcase that.

The fight is the fun part. Canello smells very good. Yeah? Confod! No, I'll agree with you. I sat next to him and he doesn't... Baccarat. Not this good. Not this good. This is mine games.

Not this. This is not what boxing has ever smelled like in my life. He smelled amazing in Tahoe. You're obviously very confident. You have to be. I'd imagine every fighter is very confident. But right before the fight, like, what do you think in yourself? You're walking down to it. Because you know, it's like, okay, I think I'm going to win. I've trained really hard, but you can't.

it hurts. Yeah. You know, it goes through my mind, but ultimately, I take my time. I envision everything, the walk out when I'm stepping into the ring, once the bell rings, and it's go time, you know. And you have to, you have to have that confidence. And I'm talking, it's overfilling at this point. I can even feel my adrenaline pumping out right now, just talking about it because I've waited so long. And again, the fight is where the fun happens. Because you're ready, right? Because you feel, Because can you take us through how it is that you arrive at Ready? Because this was postponed for a month. I don't know how that changes your training regimens.

Yeah, you know, I was in camp already for eight weeks, you know. And then the fight got canceled and it got moved. I did a total of camp for like almost 11 weeks. So the mentality is, hey, you know, this gets repetitive. And you understand what's ahead of you. So stay consistent. Still show up to the gym. Still put in the work.

Because, again, these are the times that's going to really showcase who you are as a fighter, as an athlete, as a woman. When things come at you, how are you going to pivot? Everything is about pivoting and boxing, and it's about having balance and making sure that when the time has come, you are ready, you are prepared. Six million people, though, you're walking to the ring and it's the same mindset. You don't even have to still your mind. It's, no, I'm ready for this. I've been working for this my entire life. I'm ready.

At that moment, I'm taking in all the energy and what is given at that given moment because once it's gone, it's gone. So I live in the moment. I take a hold and I thrive through it. A lot of people talk about standing on business, but you vacated your WBC belt in order for this fight to be fought under men's championship rules. Why was that so important for you? You know, it was important because it was offered as a challenge. And one thing about me, I love to take a challenge. And when we think about equality, women and men are greatness.

that's a standard, right? And so when given the same pathway for a woman to be on the same runway as a Jake Paul, you're able to see it as a whole. And we always take advantage of it. And that's why I am fighting on the combing to show the world why boxing is what it is. You're very proudly carrying the banner for women's boxing, but you have a wrestling base. Have you had to turn away overtures from mixed martial arts companies to see if you want to try your hand at that? You know, they have asked. I never turned down an offer. Like I said, I love to fight. I love to be a competitor. And it's, I just love it, y'all. I'm a born athlete. So it's just one of those things that's in me, not on me. Yes, this world has got crazy. It's a bunch of stuff going on everywhere.

How is important is it for a woman of faith like yourself and myself, you feel me, to keep the Lord God first in all of those situations. Like you say, vacating the belt. How important is keeping him you know what I mean involved in those decisions yeah it's important to be faith driven you know maybe sometimes we don't have nothing but you have faith as a mustard seed i will plant that and i will water that and i will believe in it because i believe in myself i believe in what the the lord has already told me and you have to understand that life is hard but life is also what you give it and there is no give up in me maybe i may fall 10 times but i'm get up 12 there's so much bravado in this sport, you have to, I suppose, have it. But how do you do with fear? Because it doesn't

sound like you're articulating any of that. And courage isn't the absence of fear. It's just the ability to overcome it. So I've heard one of the reasons I love covering boxing is because oftentimes boxers will just talk about their vulnerabilities because once you're in the ring and it's just you and your talents, you either believe in yourself or you don't. Yeah, it's either you believe in yourself or you don't. And to be honest, you know, I'm faced with doubt every day. You know, there's doubt their success right next to each other. What are we going to choose today? How are we going to show up today? Are we going to give 50%? We're going to give 100. We're going to give 100 because anybody would want the platform that you have. Take advantage of the moment. Take advantage of the

opportunities. And I just know when I look back, I can't say I could have did that. I should have did that. I did it. And I loved it. Your dreams didn't look like this, though, right? Like whatever the top of the mountain was, it wasn't fighting on a co-headline Netflix event where they're going to be, I mean, if you did six million last time, I can't even imagine what the projections are for this one. Right. You know, I always dream high, and I know that there's no ceiling for me. There's no box that I could be put in.

So it's just, it's surreal when you think about it. But you can dream high and not have the, what did the dream look like? Whenever it is, not at four or at six or at eight, but as you got closer to building something, you're still struggling, you're still doubting, you know, there's not any money in this at the beginning. Right. And so your wildest dreams looked like what? It looked like I'm going to co-headline a main event on Netflix. Listen, and yes, that's true, but that's just the stepping point of what's more to come. There's so much more to come, but you have to take the steps through it. And so even though I may not have seen this, I knew that it was coming. But as long as I'm putting in the

work to be ready for the opportunity, it's going to show up. And here we are. What do you do when you're not boxing. What do I do when I'm not boxing? I'm hanging out. I'm an outside girlie, so I love to fish. I love to be outside. Oh, my dog. See, when you said outside, I thought I was thinking something else. Outside. You're talking about outdoors. Outdoors. Oh, wow. Yeah, the nature is where I get my Zen space at, you know. So I love the, I love the beach. I love that I'm even in Miami just to get that, that, um, that time with me and the Lord and just, you know, speaking things into existence. You know, 26 is around the corner. You know, how are we pivot? This year has been a very trying year, but I always persevered through, so 26 is becoming,

and that's what I'm looking forward to. I like watching TV. Watching TV, yeah. I like a little documentaries here and there, but, you know, when I think about the substance that I need in order for my mind to be in a good place, I want to fill it with substance, something that's going to keep me going. I imagine also to be as excellent as you are, though, that you have to be sort of consumed, obsessive with, or wouldn't be much other than by.

boxing in faith. There's not a lot of room for anything else because you've got everyone else wanting what you now have. That's true. And I also find my balance though within it, you know, just to be a woman and sit in my femininity and to be with my girls and to go shopping. Like, it's also important to know that my identity isn't just boxing, that Alicia goes to bed at night and A.B., the fighter comes to war. Do you ever feel bad? Like, you look at the screen right here. You're putting out. Why would she feel bad? That's what she's chosen. listen to do. She's got to be proud of that. Yeah, but look at that girl's face. You ever say sorry after?

No. Yeah, you ever feel bad? Really? Really? Listen, it's actually funny because there's a slight because I'm a loving, caring person at heart. And sometimes I do slightly feel a little bad. See? At the same time, I know what I was called to do and what I'm doing. So, you know, it

comes with the game. I don't believe you. I think you're happy. You're like, hell yeah. I mean, in the fight, like, yeah. Come on. Yeah. Eat that. eat that to the fake. There you go. That renders insincere

everything you said before that. Eat that is not the same as I'm sorry. It's only after the fight. You know, thanks, girl. But no, in the fight, eat that. Yeah, I'm trying to demolish it. Do you have time to think in the middle of the fight?

Oh, that was awesome. Oh, yeah, you're thinking, you're planning. It's chest and it's moving fast. But yes, I do. Where does this rank in terms of challenges? I don't know what the trash talking is. in your sport. Do you sell your fights by doing any trash talk? I'm selling my fight, yes. You know, we're giving hooks and we given looks and we're given, you know, a lot of talking, but one thing

about it, you got to back it up. And a lot of people, when they see women fighters, you know, they only look at them one way. But baby, I am the rainbow, so I'm covering a lot of things. When you say your servant hooks and looks and you're staring down your opponent, what are you channeling? You know, honestly, I'm just looking in their soul. I'm not even kidding. I'm literally staring in your eyes, and I'm envisioning me punching you when it comes to fight night. And I want them to feel the energy.

Energy is felt when you walk into a room. And so when I'm looking at you, Oh, don't do that to me? I'm coming for you. He's soft. What documentaries are we watching? Do you catch age of disclosure? They're aliens.

I have not. But I did just watch, what was it, House of David on Amazon Prime. the story of David and Goliath. Wow. Great, great series. What's the worst part of the life? Worst part of the life? What do you mean? He's doing an inside joke at my expense.

I ended an interview with somebody by asking the question of the grind and the life you've chosen. What's the worst part of it? But when he offers no context there, he's just amusing himself in segments of the audience. Ryan Blaine, he had no idea what hit him. At my expense. But he's asking you what? Now I'm going to translate your shit question. Excuse me.

What is the worst part of the life? What is the worst part of the life? And why is it this interview? I'm crying, not the interview. Thank you for being on with us. We're going to watch this. We didn't even ask about Jake Paul. Yeah.

Is Jake got a chance? Jake got a chance here? No, he doesn't have a chance. He doesn't have any kind of chance. Jake does have a chance. When we think about boxing, listen, y'all, when we think about boxing, it could be Amy Fighters Night. We've seen many upsets in boxing.

I'm not saying it's this one. I'm just saying Jake has a punching chance, and so does AJ. How much have you gotten to know him? What do you make of all the discourse around him? Yeah, you know, listen, Jake is, he believes in himself. He believes in the brand that he's been able to build for himself from the beginning of his YouTube days and to who he is today as a fighter.

You have to be serious about what you do, especially when it comes of boxing. So I've seen him in the gym. I've seen the trainers that he's trained with. He is very serious about it because you have to be. This is a combat sport. It could be your night and you can get very hurt. So, yeah, I think he takes it very serious, and I think he's ready.

Your sign to Jake Paul's most valuable promotions, you had to say that. You have to say that. Dan, be careful. She looks into your soul. Yeah, I was scared. But first, I do want to mention it was Dan's birthday yesterday, so happy birthday. Thank you. Wow.

Thank you. Birthdays are important. Celebrate those wins in life. How old do you think he is? You know, I'll give him a good 40. Hey, you are nice. That's how you play the game right there. Listen, it's not about how you feel inside, you know?

I'm 174. That's how I feel inside. Seriously, though, there are aliens out there. Marco Rubio talks on it. It's wild. You should check it out. Age of Disclosure. She's the bomb, and she is fighting on Friday night on Netflix.

Co-headlining. The co-headlining. Good luck. Thank you. She is a better fighter than James. Big Paul. That's tea. It's a holiday season and the 50th anniversary of Miller Light. The holiday is all about spending time with friends and family, want you to sit back and

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What is the worst part of the life? Stugats. The worst part of the life of what? This is the Dan Lebatar show with the Stoogads. I feel Amin's enthusiasm sort of rooting for the NBA, rooting for the enthusiasms of what was a cup that a lot of people who aren't watching are making fun of, but if you are watching and you're like,

oh, Dwayne Wade and Stan are great framing all of what that was, and yeah, probably would have been different if Wembe Gama played. He didn't. he doesn't look like the minutes restriction combined with how he looked in that first quarter he doesn't quite look like what he's looked like before so Saturday's game it was the first time I've in three years I said oh shit he could be the best player who's ever played because it was it was so undeniable when he stepped on the court the impact was immediate last night not as much but he still had a decent game was the end he didn't have a good ending to the game and I think that's part of his growth learning how look look how to, you know, find his spots, especially when things are slipping away the way they were. But, Dan, when we talk about the enthusiasm about the NBA Cup, it's one of those things.

I've made this analogy the other day. So, defensive player of the year, we would consider that to be an important prestigious award, yes? Yeah. Every player, or most players, like, they won Deepwater. That'd be a big deal for them, right? Deepoy's like 42 years old, right? Like, it's not something that's existed since Bill Russell.

It happened in the 80s. And so I tell people, imagine if Deepoy was an award we created now. What would we say? Oh, that's just the shit they get to the guys who got no bag. That's what they would say. It would be such a dismissal. That's dumb. Oh, because guys can't score now we have to make them feel good.

We would have all these ridiculous counter arguments. The reality is if you institute something and just have some amount of consistency, this is something we do every year and we care about it, people will eventually care. When Ju-Ju said 20 years from now there's going to be a kid, man, I think it's 10 years. It's a 10-year-old now who's watching and saw the Knicks celebrate and Carl Anthony Towns go crazy and Jalen Brunson won an MVP. It's like, I want to do that when I get to the league. They're going to have to sort it out, though. I mean, all of the condensed scheduling in the beginning of the season, you've got John Hollinger getting called out individually by the NBA because he's saying, yo, there's a lot of injuries happening.

and I think it has to do with the Cup. So that's something that I think a lot of Big J journalists are feeling is a threat to the Cup's longevity. So the commissioner addressed this again last night. And it's one of those things actually in the break I was talking with Jeremy. Did he say there's nothing he could do about it? Jeremy is out of my hands. You guys were yelling at each other.

Jeremy was off today and I saw him pop up out of nowhere. I don't even know where he was. He came in. And you Zaz and Amin were yelling at each other for five minutes here before the bomb came in here. So at the risk of really ruining the flow of the show to something I know is catnip for Dan. This is a great journalism conversation about press conference, logistics and politics and whatsoever, right? So, Trista, to your question, the problem with that is they like to seize on the thing that they can attack and not necessarily the overall point.

Overall point, John Hodges is saying it's like, hey, injuries are up, soft tissue injuries are up. But the problem is he opens the door by saying this condensed schedule. The league is like, oh, we got it. Here's 10 years of data that shows that our schedule is not more condensed than it has been over the last 10 years. It's basically within the same range, which I believe is accurate. The games aren't

more condensed. Except for they're more impactful because players are trying harder, trying harder, etc. But again, that's, when you use the terminology condensed, it means too many within a small amount of time, and they're like, oh, we have a counter for that. It avoids,

the soft tissue injury conversation, it avoids maybe the games are more impactful, more meaningful. The thing we're talking about was Zaz and Jeremy was the Tim Reynolds question to the commissioner about this Miami Heat thing. And I said the problem is, what the question should have been is, why can't they trade Terry Rozier's contract? That was my problem. I didn't care about the draft pick. I mean, I understand not establishing that precedent. Some dude tears his ACL. You'd be like, we want the pickback. It's the same thing. It's not the same. It's not the same. I didn't even think about the pick. The pick is stupid.

Whatever. To me, it's moving the contract. Being able to trade the contract because that has value. I'd argue it has more value than the first round pick because it's an expiring deal and you need contracts to match up. That's the big one. But Adam Silver is like, oh, I don't know. That's a spot on impression on Adam Silver.

I feel like he's right here with us. But to the point that Mike is making, if Tim Reynolds makes his question about that, Now we boxed the commissioner in, but he gives the commissioner an out because he, Adam Silver is really smart. How should it have been framed? He's, don't talk about the pig. Talk about their ability to move the contract. Because the moment he starts saying, pick, maybe it's 27, maybe it's 28, what kind of relief can you offer the heat? Adam Silver's like, boom, he asked me the thing that's, oh, this one's easy.

So I'm going to focus my answer around the pick rather than around the part that really has some wiggle room to it. I understand why it is that you guys would get. caught up in gambling investigation, draft pick, transaction, commissioner handling it wrong. But there was basketball last night, and around that enthusiasm of the basketball, I really do believe Knicks fans, given what they've made of that tournament, will remember the OG Ananobe game. They're going to remember that even though Wembeyanama didn't play, Ananobe went for 20 in the first half and was somebody who helped them win that game. I'm not joking when I say Knicks fans don't have a lot of moments like that.

A whole generation of Knicks fans don't have a lot like that. Dan, you're seeing the Ogen-Anobie game. I'm telling you, these are the people whose praises were being sung after the game. Number one, Tyler Colick. That guy became someone now in New York. When he goes back, he's not paying for drinks anymore. He's Tyler Colic, right? Number two, Jordan Clarkson.

Jordan Clarkson was really big coming off the bench. Offensive spark. He had some big threes. he flexed, he roared, all those things. Number three, Ariel Huckporti. He only played like a couple of minutes or whatever, but Mike Brown shouted him out on the press conference. Do you guys not think it's weird, though?

Honestly, do you not think it's weird that someone like Greg Cody, who says, stop talking to me about this made-up cup, how it is that with very little information and not feeling the enthusiasm around it, he would say, really, I have to pay him $500,000 to care, to create the enthusiasm around, a game. I've got to incentivize in the middle of the season. I'm going to give each player $500,000 and watch how he cares if he wins this game.

Isn't that also because they're playing an 83rd game? The players do need to be paid for an 83rd game, right? Yeah. I mean, so last night's game does not count towards statistics or records or anything like that. It was just the championship. So yeah, there is a compensation element. But again, no one's lying about themselves. Like, oh, it's because we make them play more. It's like, no, this was an incentive to make them treat this as something special and different from a regular season game. It does feel in year three, it's finding its footing a little bit more. Players are grasping the concept and trying more.

A mean's point was interesting in that anytime you trot out something new, cynicism and social media just makes everything so lame at the start. I really can't remember so many things. I think the Four Nations was refreshing in that it was like they just invented this thing. The players were bought in and the viewers and media alike. like, this thing is awesome. Buy-in is hugely important. I also don't want to move too far away from

Dwayne Wade and Stan. We're great together. Are we being homers there? No. No, no, no, no. I'm not a huge fan of Dwayne's broadcasting. I like him, but I don't think he's a great broadcaster. Just he's learning, and I don't mean this is any kind of insult.

But with Stan, I saw more of him. Bam. So, exactly, I should say. I should say, bam, because that means something different around here. So when I saw Dwayne doing the Olympics with Noah Eagle, I thought he was awful because everything just became a story about him and instead of like talking about the action. But with all of these guys, and I know this because I've been in this position in the studio show,

with all these guys, if you have the right facilitator, someone who knows how to bring that stuff out, then they turn into a different person. And I'm like you, Dan, I went back and I watched himself and I'm like, whoa, hold on, he's really good when he's got someone to kind of give him be a little bit more of a governor as opposed to kind of just letting him,

hey, is Dwayne Wade who's one of the greatest players? Let him say whatever he wants. It's always interesting to me, right? Because so many of these guys have gone from championships to trying to develop a career, a second career where they were as competitive as they were at the first. I imagine Dwayne has been very frustrated by not being able to find the right partner

without even understanding that he needs one. Like without, how would you explain the content game in a way that fast forwards, Dwayne, it's got to be someone you like and respect, someone who knows some of the structure, someone who will give you the room, you don't have to do it all yourself with producers who are afraid to tell you anything in the way of critique. When you actually want coaching and they don't understand that you want critique, they're afraid because you're Dwayne Wade. Yeah, as a woman of faith, it jumped off to me on the screen last night.

And that's what I feel like me and Trista have discovered over at the alley-Upe. Like, I thought I was awesome. I thought I could do anything. But you bring in Trista, someone who knows what she's talking about and has been doing Amen. That's a good plug. That's a good plug. Hakeem Jeffreys next.