The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 2: Take It Or Leave It with Dan Duquette

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

Zaslow needs some parenting advice about his kid traveling to Chicago by himself, Papi has opinions about Norman Powell, and we wonder whether LeBron will finish his career with the Lakers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Proximo. Cuervo.com. Please drink responsibly. Cuervo. This episode is brought to you by Dzone. For the first time ever, the 32 best soccer clubs from across the world are coming together to decide who the undisputed champions of the world Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Sign up now at dazone.com slash FIFA. That's D-A-Z-N dot com slash FIFA. This is the Dan LeBattor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Ed Orgeron won a title. Les Miles won a title.

Usually when the last thing on your resume looks like what Urban Meyer's last thing looks like, it can be disqualifying when it's that kind of embarrassing? Winning titles in multiple places? I mean, everywhere he's gone. He's been a successory at Orgeron, has been filling in interim basis, got hot at the right time, but when he's had the opportunity to run his own program, yeah, he made it to the heights with one of the greatest football teams of all time when Joe Burrow was his quarterback, but failed in Ole Miss. Tail end of LSU wasn't so good. So I think what Urban Meyer has is the ability to replicate that success everywhere he's gone. And you guys believe that he can do it again in the modern game?

100%. Yeah, because he's a scoundrel. And you kind of need to be. Yep. In college, he can. Yeah, 100%. So you guys believe that he can, that at this point because the program that he built in Ohio State we can agree runs Itself right that doesn't need urban Meyer in order to win I and Dave openly laments being there and they just won so that that program like I'm not I don't mean to diminish the Accomplishment in Florida actually I don't mean to diminish the accomplishments at all I'm just saying what's disqualifying at the point that you get to an age in the entire ecosystem change. The guy himself is telling you, I

don't want to play that way and you guys are still arguing on behalf of, I bet you he can do it again. Well, it runs itself now. They got lucky with the title in the Fiesible with a crooked call. They have resources, but they didn't have the success. Urban Meyer goes there and they win a title with their third string quarterback. That's correct. That is one of the great achievements I've ever seen in a college football context of any kind,

winning the national championship with your third string quarterback. In December, Urban Meyer is being inducted into the college football hall of fame. I can't object to that. I can't see what's wrong with that. I think he's earned that. No, there is no way to object to that.

There's not. Well, some would say... Morally. Yeah, I mean there are moral objections. There's the idea that after college he did what he did in Jacksonville. No, but if you believe your Hall of Fame's are museums and not places for morality, there's not an argument to be made against Urban Meyer not being a college football Hall of Famer. He also won at Utah! I would have said the same thing about Howard Stellenberger who deserved to be in the Hall of Fame in his lifetime and it never has gotten him. I believe this is breaking news

that people will be interested in even though it has nothing to do with sports. Passengers will no longer have to take their shoes off at the airport. Yay, all right. I don't like that. I don't think that's safe. I don't like that.

Forget the safe thing. I pay premium. Yeah. TSA pre-check. What is this? Yeah. Do I get a kickback? Yeah.

I should get a kickback. That's why I did it. I have said for years, it's ridiculous. You can just pay your way to like have less security. So now they're just like, all right, now everyone can. What if I want to take my shoes off? I can't do it. Please don't do it.

I would like to. I don't want you to. Why? Why, Roy? No one wants to see your talons, your Nosferatu feet. Dale talons. I would keep my socks on. Don't get me wrong. We have found the context for David Sampson's sound. We finally have it. What was he reacting to that way? I think we should have it as sound to be played anytime someone is, I guess, incredulous, what created that kind of incredulity? So we were talking about Perry Hill, and apparently, Greg Cody said that Perry Hill

was friendly to the media, and that's what created that sound. Here's how it sounded. Get a mouse. Media, he was great with the media. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So that is, he's going to be quoted in Seattle. They're going to go ask questions of Perry Hill with the Mariners today because David Sampson,

this is gonna be a headline tomorrow in the newspapers in Seattle. Sampson colon of Perry Hill. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I challenge you newspaper writers. And I'll get it. I'll read it and I'll be like, whoa, spell that. How do you spell that? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

E-U. Please don't try to spell that. There's a Y in there somewhere. That was, that was a rhetorical question. Mike, you're just returning from Chicago and you were, do we have any official word on whether that will be indeed Chicago's final street race or what do we know?

So it felt like that. It felt like the vibes. This is, and we just got out of there in time before severe weather impacted the race, but it's kind of been marred this 4th of July weekend with bad races, random finishes because of the rain. But this was the first clean bell to bell race that we've had in the Chicago street race and vibes were pretty good afterwards. And now the rumors are that the city's mayor is talking to NASCAR about continuing the tradition but moving off of the July 4th weekend which is always impacted by weather off the lake. That being said we witnessed history in Chicago as SVG Shane Van Ginsbergen who is reputed to be the greatest Street course driver there is on the planet and guess what he lived up to it

He won not only the cup series race But also the Xfinity series race there have been five races in total on the street course in the loop in Chicago Shane Van Ginzbergen has won three of them. He is already the winningest driver From a foreign land in NASCAR history with three, two of which came this year, both at road courses. He is a specialist when it comes to road courses. When you mix in some right turns, the guy becomes Richard Petty all of a sudden. Greg, how do you feel about the hat

that Mike Ryan is wearing, and do you know what that is on the top of Mike Ryan's hat? Do you know the name of that actor? I believe it's a young Richard Gere. It is, I'm a gear head. Yes, you are. I do get it, Mike. I want to give a shout out to Cuervo because Street Course doesn't have your traditional infield and all the debauchery that goes with that in campers.

Cuervo had amazing installations there the entire weekend, took care of us, gave us great access. Hopefully we got some good content for them. But it was a really fun race. There are that the 4th of July may become a street race in San Diego You don't necessarily have to worry about weather over there Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace continue their weird Chicago rivalry They hate each other in that town and Zedaria Smith said please no pictures Can you guys get for me the rain information in San Diego when Mike says you don't have to worry about weather there because I Don't know when the last time they've had a rain delay at a Padres game. I don't know the last time they've had a rain out. I do remember being in San Diego one time

when they had to break out the tarps and skunks came running out because the tarps are never taken out in San Diego and a bunch of Marlins players ran away who had never seen a skunk before, didn't know what a skunk was. Chuck Carr did not know what a skunk was. Imagine The most recent San Diego Padres game, suspended due to rain according to artificial intelligence occurred July 21st 2021. Oh wait, that was a road game. Let me find out in San Diego. I just, when you say rain is not likely to affect an event in San Diego, I believe it's because it's uncommon for for rain of any kind to affect a baseball game. Zazzlow needs some parenting advice from the group though. We have everyone but me here is a parent, but only Greg Cody is a parent of a teenager. And so-

2011, to answer your question. Last time there was a rain out or a rain delay of any kind. It was suspended. Play had to be suspended. That's crazy. From the top of the ninth. I'm not a teenager anymore. No, no, you raised-

Oh, yeah, you were. You raised teenagers and Zaslow has a teenager. And by the way, all the Cody's forever more are teenagers. Like your father's a teenager. Uncle Dick's a teenager. I'm flattering all of you by upgrading you from toddlers to teenagers. This is crazy as someone that grew up with the Marlins at Pro Players Stadium, two rainouts have

occurred at Petco. Oh, ever. I mean according to AI so there's probably like six, but two, 06 2015 the suspended game got resumed in 2011. Do you guys trust any information you're now looking up or does the AI get out in front of it and make so many mistakes that you're now, I know that whenever I Google search anything, I gotta do it multiple times now because I don't totally trust the first thing that comes up. They're all bad.

It's more right than it's wrong. You can kinda catch when it's wrong and you try to help it improve, which is probably going against our best interest just as a society. It makes me feel better about myself when I'm like, oh, I can get it wrong. Did you see that it got caught trying to replicate itself

onto another server and they caught it in the act and it denied that it was trying to do that. Wow, hey, I lied. That's crazy. It's a good contribution. I'm gonna have to do this to you again here. I'm sorry. Hey, I lied.

Minor penalty, two minutes for adding nothing. So we lose our teenage raising experience here. I mean, you're the one who pressed that internal button. You just added nothing. Like, you, you. It was a play setter. I was, I was, you know, it was a second of dead air.

I wanted to fill it, you know, allow you, the host of the show, to come up with something better to say. You didn't do it. So I did your work for you And now I'm being penalized and you're losing all of my wisdom in terms of raising two teenage boys debatable You want to talk about hard luck with some of our bets and fading Chris Cody I put out an SGP before that NASCAR race It was three racers to finish inside the top five. Michael McDowell was winning that race the entire time. He's a great three-course driver. He was given

SVG everything that he could handle and his car just died on him. It's really unfortunate. After the race I walked up to Michael McDowell and I said hey man tough break you had a really good car. He ignored me entirely. The Dan LeBatault Show is still got to sponsor by Liquid IV Listen, I'm not built for the heat. I'm built for air conditioning. I'm built for the shade. I'm built for indoors. But even I get out there in the summer, especially with my daughter.

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get 20% off your first order with code Dan at check out That's 20% off your first order with code Dan at liquid IV comm Don LeBataard John can you rate my al Pacino from that billiards scene in Carlito's Way if I do it for you? I think it's pretty good. Yeah, okay, two gods. You think you're big time You're gonna die You think you're big time? When you're gonna die! Big time! That is

on my infamous scale of 1 to 10 That's a 7.6 Solid Good job, Dan That's a sui not many right there This is the Dan LeBattar Show with the Stugats.

Zazla what is the parenting conundrum that you have? Yeah. So my son, my older son is 16. He's a huge UFC fan, loves UFC. And he and two friends of his down here, they got tickets to UFC 3 million, whatever it is, which is next month in Chicago. Ball tickets, him and two of his friends, they made plans, they're going to Chicago. What about you?

They're six, well, do you say without me like that because they're going without a parent or because it's like they're not including me? Like it seems like they, yeah, it seems like they're not including you at all. Oh, but I don't wanna go. Like, so forget about- Does the plan include another parent going?

No, the plan includes no parents going. So it's three 16 year old boys who are going to UFC, flying to Chicago by themselves and getting a hotel by themselves. And my wife and I are kinda like, I don't know, this isn't in the handbook. Do we allow this? What's all the answers? No, I would lean no now

I'm guessing you think you have a responsible child who will not get in trouble as a 16 year old right at a UFC fight You think your child is you think that you're such a good parent that you can be a bad parent in this situation Because you've taught your boy so right that he would not do bad things as a 16 year old let loose and a summer in Chicago and I'm trying to like we're trying to think all right well okay what what what is the bad thing that's gonna happen all right like he's gonna fly to the airport there they're gonna get in an uber has anything bad happened yet that you know they're gonna go to the hotel and then they're gonna go to the show we're trying to figure out like where is the bad thing?

I don't, but it doesn't feel right. 16 years old, never been to Chicago by himself. You fly in, you get around 2 p.m., the concert's at eight. That's six hours of just like, let's go walk around Chicago. What are they doing in between the hotel and the show? That's what I'm saying, that's the worry zone right there. They made these plans without consulting you. Yeah, they got the tickets and everything. That's disrespectful. That's what I'm saying. That's the worry zone right there. They made these plans without consulting you. Yeah, I got the tickets and everything That's disrespectful. That's really bad. Got the tickets and everything and my son laid out. He's like what we're going

We're going to Chicago. What are you going? He goes yeah, we already got tickets. We're going. How do we fill out these other two kids? The hell you are. Yeah, the kids are fine. No, yeah, they're good kids. Nice Jewish boys. Good kids and Yeah, so I were confused my wife and I, we, we don't think it sounds right. Because it's not! And yeah, he, but he says he's going. Well yeah, that's because he doesn't think you're his dad, he thinks you're his buddy. Yeah.

Well, but wouldn't he invite his buddy if I was? I'm like, can he invite me? Well, you're not one of the close buddies that he would do the bad 16 year old things with. You're the, you're the bad buddy who would keep him from doing the 16 year old things. I said to my wife, I go, should I go too? You know? Yes! Just kind of tail. I don't want to go.

But just to kind of tail. You should go and not tell him. There is not a Hispanic parent in the universe who would allow their child to do that. Oh really? Not one. Not a single one. So that's the conundrum. You think Greg's going gonna help out there?

What does he know? 16 years old. Now this is a responsible child, but it's also a UFC event. There's so much testosterone in that city. It's gonna go until like 2 a.m. I did trips to like Orlando with like, but there were other parents there.

I drove up when I was like 16, 17 with friends to Orlando, but there were other parents around. Like the idea of not being around any parents for like two days. I'm speaking though with an absolutism here as someone who hasn't raised any kids, okay? So I shouldn't be raining down this particular parental know-it-all-ness,

but I don't believe a 16 year old can be trusted. It doesn't sound right. Can be trusted around the party of a UFC fight, a party with other 16-year-olds in a different city. All of that seems like a powder keg around lighter fluid. So let me ask this, UFC was here a couple months ago, and I actually took my son, we went, all right? But if he had tickets to go with these same two kids to UFC down here fine just the three of them

We would have said yes, of course no problem So then what's the issue the issue is flying by himself well leaping be after the concert getting back to the hotel at like? 11 p.m.. On it a concert my bad. It's another city as well You've got I don't know how comfortable you are in general, like. Not that comfortable. All right, so when you say here versus there, how many of you in our audience are trusting their 16 year old, leaving for the weekend with the home, to not do something bad in the home?

I know that Greg Cody did not trust his 16 year old boys to behave in the home, he had the neighbors watching, he caught the kids on a couple of at least one occasion chris cody was not to be trusted as a sixteen-year-old correct yeah i i i let christopher have a a high school age party at home without adult supervision once and i come home to find a fist in my wall leg hole in my wall found a physical one that was a there was a paintball attack by the like the junior class

We were the senior class and one of my friends got hit by a paintball walked inside and just in anger punched our wall Yeah, but I was listening to this conversation and if I may say be careful Zaslow because you will be Malfeasent as a parent if you allow a 15 or 16 year old son to travel alone That's dangerous that nothing but bad can happen. Okay when you say malfeasent that means like I can get in trouble if something happens? Well that means I think you would be subject to a charge of negligence as a parent. I don't like the sound of that. I don't either and I

wouldn't if I were you. Where'd he get all the money? Like how'd he pay this? He works he has a job. Is he paying rent? Is he paying rent sells drugs? Yeah the airport is now more dangerous now that everyone is allowed to take their shoes off and Or keep their shoes on I should say and would be more dangerous if Greg Cody Was walking through the airport saying shoes. I'm telling you like my wife, and I don't feel good about it Then why are you letting it happen? Well? I'm we're workshopping this right now. I don't know that we're letting it happen. Are you even allowed to check into a hotel as a 16-year-old?

Is a driver's license enough? Will he be able to get housing on his own as a 16-year-old, as long as you have identification and a credit card? I do believe, though, that there's a certain laxness in the house though, if he believes he can just come and inform you instead of asking for permission on this. Like this seems to be something that a 16 year old should be asking. So you are confused as parents that he is not treating you as parents? It sounds like you're saying that there might be

a lack of respect. Or just loose rules that you guys trust him in the house It doesn't have to be bad parenting you trust him so much We're pretty relaxed look there I would say there are any number of people listening to this whose parenting Principle would be some form of I raised my child correctly. I trust my child my child can be correctly. I trust my child. My child can be trusted to be a responsible adult on a 16 year old trip. I, in general, do not think of 16 year olds as a genre, as something that can be trusted. Just, in fact, I think that genre is less likely to be trustable than almost all the other ages. But once you've gotten to 18,

you have no jurisdiction, and I don't know how close he is to 17 and now I don't know how much fun we're just doing with numbers because if he can be trusted as an 18 year old to be responsible what's so hard about trusting a 17 year old to be about as responsible? AI says that you have to be 18 and some hotels are even higher 21 to 25. So this could be a good out for us then like Like, hey, you're not even gonna, what are you gonna sleep on the street? You know, this could be the way out. Well, I hope you got a refund on that

because you're gonna need that if you can't check into the hotel. I mean, I didn't pay for anything. This is on him. Like he's doing this. I don't think he's gotten the hotel yet though. Oh, look at what's in the eating area. I have seen in its natural environment,

there is Poppy making a live appearance with some of the grazing that he loves to do in the room over there the eating area he is for sure gonna get into the trail mix can't win them all with Mike Murat can't win them all with Mike Murat. Can't win them all with Mike Murat. There's no way that that's real. That can't be a real lose 21 games in an MLB season once can't win them all. That can't be, that can't be a podcast. That is fake.

Take it or leave it with Dan Duquette. Take it or leave it with Dan Duquette. Come on. Former Expo's Assistant General Manager and former Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette. I think my father just got cream cheese on his nose. Yeah, my father is just housing. He sure wasn't icing. We've all been there. No, that's not a podcast.

It's not. Let the chips fall. Phil Hellmuth. It's not a podcast. That is not. The Hell You Are, hosted by former New Jersey devil John Scott. The Hell You Are, hosted by former New Jersey devil John Scott. The Hell You Are.

You gotta say it like that? Former NHL All-Star. Feel Good Story, John Scott, hosts a podcast called The Hell You Are, yes or no. Can we get my father in here for some immediate heat takes with some cream cheese on his face? That is a fake podcast. I don't want to play your podcast. Pitchclock with Jeremy Tachet. Zazzle, I think you have your solution. Thank you for bringing us your parenting conundrum.

I don't feel good about it, to be honest. Well, I guess having it in front of the audience as your son thinks that he runs your household and your son thinks that he could take a trip while informing you that he's taking a trip as opposed to asking your permission on taking a trip. I don't know what age that becomes disrespectful. I'm going to say 13, 14, 15, and 16. I think that you have to be 18 years old is the age where you stop maybe asking permission, but I wouldn't have dared

not ask permission of my father when I was 18 years old on going on a trip somewhere. I would say if you are paying rent at your parents' house, even at 16, yes, you could do that. So money is, you're saying that money, it's not age, you're saying are you paying your own way? I'm not paying for anything. Like I'm not paying a dollar but he's saying well so but he's saying if your son is so self-sufficient that he can pay his

own way to Chicago has his own job he thinks he's an adult does it make it any worse when I remind you that this is the same son who ran around the Minecraft theater with the chicken jockey? Yes, I don't believe, again, a 16-year-old can't be trusted of any kind. Put it on the poll at LeBittard Show. Can you trust a 16-year-old of any kind through any time in history at LeBittard Show? Any 16-year-old. Just a general 16-year-old. A faceless, nameless, generic 16-year-old. Put it on the board. yes, La Menia Mall. Hey everybody, it's Mike. Down here in South Florida, as the audience well knows,

we've been celebrating a proper championship and we've been enjoying every minute of it. And by my side throughout that entire championship celebration has been Miller Lite. Yeah, I wanted to make my championship time a Miller time because much like most of the fun memories I've had as an adult, Miller Lite has been right there by my side supplementing every experience.

And now that I'm about to travel during the summer, you can rest assured I'm going to be having plenty of Miller Lite along the way because that's what summer is all about. And since 1975, Miller Lite has been right there in all those memories for you listening right now. It's the 50th anniversary of Miller Lite. That's 50 years of great taste, great friends, great moments. Miller Lite, great taste, 96 calories. Go to MillerLite.com slash Dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Cheers to 50 years of Miller time. Celebrate responsibly Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories at 3.2 carbs

per 12 ounces. Hey friends, it's Jerr Bear here, and I'm here to tell you all about Boost Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from the jokes here for a second and put on my serious voice. Because I would never ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across 99 percent of America

Seriously visit boost mobile comm or your nearest boost mobile store location to learn more The boost mobile network together with our roaming partners covers 99 percent of the u.s. Population 5g speeds not available in all areas Don Lebatard what do I got here I got a magnum condom um we won't get that out that's shocking Stu gots here's a picture of Christopher when he was like three years old right next to the condom yeah Here's a picture of Christopher when he was like three years old. Right next to the condom. Yeah. He's got a reminder.

Never forget. This is the Don LeBattar Show with the Stugarts. My father is ready. He is ready. We are going to get some live reaction from Poppy to the big heat trade. Poppy has put down, yes, let's hear Poppy. Put the microphone near your face like professional broadcaster Greg Cody. The microphone requires your help there. Tell me what your thoughts are on what the Godfather has done, Poppy. Oh, that's amazing, Link. Are you kidding me?

Who is? What is? I don't know. I never heard of the guy's name. What's the guy's name? You tell me. That's why I was going to you. It's the only point of me going to you. Who'd you get? I got somebody from the Clippers. They're supposed to be a scoring machine. I never heard of his name.

Okay, but what is his name? I don't know. I don't remember. Probably he's a Latino guy. Probably rallying of the Latino guys. Okay, so that's all you've got for us in terms of I don't remember. Probably is a Latino guy. Probably really love the Latino guys. Okay. So that's all you've got for us in terms of breaking news coverage on the big trade for Norman Powell. Oh, that's the guy. That's the guy name. That's it. That's it.

That knew that that was hard to trot on that name. Yes. He's a scoring machine. I understand. Papi, I can still hear the cream cheese on your breath. Yeah. It's good though. Where you, you got a special deal on the cream cheese? What else did you get in the kitchen that you liked? I didn't have time. I was trying to get my mind together,

and all of a sudden I was dragged and said, you gotta sit here and he said, You know what, I'm sorry, Poppy. Go back to eating. I'm sorry that we put you immediately to work. My fault. Thank you for joining the program. I came in earlier so I could eat now.

Okay, that's fine, I'm sorry to interrupt you. It was good coverage, I appreciate your analysis. Go back, we will just film you grazing in the kitchen. Thank you. Okay. All right, good talking to you. The thing that I wanted to ask the group about what it is that LeBron just did, I asked two or three days ago,

and it seems like there's been more reporting on this recently. I asked two or three days ago, all of you, hey, you guys aren't expecting LeBron to finish here as a Laker, right? Like the statement from Rich Paul, when you're purposely taking the opt-in so that you can get all the money, and then you're shouting as soon as you opt in, hey, I'm going to opt out. I'm going to opt in. Don't make me opt out. I'm opting in. I'm opting in, but I'm not all in. I'm about to opt out.

I'm telling all of you. Rich Paul's telling everybody. I'm going to opt in. I'm going to opt out. It's fairly obvious that once you make that statement through Rich Paul, you're telling the Lakers, I'm available for buyout, I'm available to be somewhere else. There's no need for that statement unless you plan to be a part of in this season being a player for another team. But that's what smart agents do. They make

a statement that says, hey, Lakers get better to earn the right to keep my guy. And they're also telling other teams teams my guy's going to be out there. What are you offering? Get better. They made a move that consensus, everyone agrees, sets their franchise up for future success. It just means that LeBron isn't the face of the franchise potentially.

I don't know how that's possible. He's one of the game's greatest players, but this is gearing to be Lucas team. The reason I bring all this up is because this is the 15 year anniversary today of that league changing forever. Changing... what happened today in 2010 will eclipse 15 or 20 years from now in memory what the name Kurt Flood means Kurt Flood is a name that is simply associated with free agency and player empowerment But of course what LeBron did to the entirety of the league holding up

Transactions throughout an offseason waiting for what team he would choose. That was 15 years ago today. For him to be the oldest player in the league, still through his agent, going to ESPN, treating ESPN as the entity that it should be treated as when you're the king. Hey, let me send my agent over there just run information here.

I know that the Lakers are a big thing and ESPN is a big thing, but in the modern age, I'm the big thing. I'm going to send my agent over there to tell the information center, hey, Lakers, you're worth 10 billion, at least in part because I'm right here in the center of everything, protecting that profit margin for you because you've always been the franchise for the star that has the star, but you just replaced me. Like if you think their skill sets are redundant whatever you think of the Lakers they're not gonna win because those two guys are playing defense together. Like it's gonna be really hard to keep up with young

team like OKC when Luca and LeBron are on the court playing defense at the same time. Never mind the redundancies on the offensive end. Just if they were a decent defensive team, maybe DeAndre Ayton will help them some, but we can agree that the usage rate has to go to Luca there, which means LeBron's expendable, which means LeBron just opted into a contract to get his money even though he's not so wanted around there anymore. And LeBron's not about that. LeBron is never, ever going to consider himself expendable, which is why he's playing the game and he's played it better than anybody in the history of that sport. Leaving little tee leaves, whether it was on purpose or not, but the whole New York thing.

Even leaving that Savannah only wants me to play for two more years. He wants to be the focus of attention. He was spotted at the Cavs indoor practice facility. There's reasons for the way that he approaches this off season time. It's a quiet time. This is where a LeBron James can totally take over the narrative of the NBA off season, an NBA off season that it's been pretty atypical when it comes to player movement. Can we talk for a second though? I'm sorry go ahead Zez. I think he's playing us like a flute. I don't think he's going anywhere.

I think he loves having his name out there. Yes oldest player in the league. Yes the Lakers are not my team anymore but hey everyone's still talking about me. So is that the end game though Spence? Because usually you would leverage this to have your team make the roster better. And by the way, perfect time to pinch that ownership group as they just buy the team. So that's him putting a lion in the sand, a new ownership group. That's what I thought it was about. What I thought it was about is because you had the change at the top. He's got a relationship with Jeannie Buss.

And I've said before, I don't think that people understand how mom and pop an organization, the Lakers organization actually is. They're not rich people because they got their wealth anywhere else like most sports owners. Their wealth is only because daddy had the Lakers at the time that Pat Riley Daddy had the Lakers at the time that Pat Riley was running the Lakers and at the time that basketball exploded in Hollywood, that

particular city. So they've had stars since then, but it's a very small operation and LeBron had a relationship with the owner. She's still there as part of this transition. Oh yeah, they haven't sold yet. But maybe this is also like the Mark Cuban thing. I'm gonna hang around, hang around, but these people own several big time franchises. They don't buy it to let someone else control it. But let me do it another way, okay?

Because I do remember in all of the mythologizing that we did about Michael Jordan, one of the things that just gets thrown over the side, and I get it, his legacy is he made bald cool and it's not at the top of the list. He was gravity defying all the superhero things. But at the end of his playing career, about four years earlier than where LeBron is right now when he was just fadeaway jumpers, he was an employee for the Washington Wizards who got run out of the building by the owner who had power. That's never happening to LeBron. Like he knows basketball history enough

to know what happened to Michael Jordan at the end. And there he will defeat Michael Jordan forever on the punctuation because no one is gonna be owner of LeBron at the end of this. He's got his no trade clause and the announcement that he's opting in for fifty plus million dollars comes with a salvo of, I've got all of the power here, Laker's gotta please me going forward. I will make messes for them. They're not going to control the punctuation. I'm going to control my punctuation at the end of my career." And also he's probably done not being the topic of

conversation come June. He's already been a wild success in Los Angeles. They won their championship. He's won a championship in a Heat jersey, in a Cavs jersey, in a Lakers jersey. I guess going East he can kind of take his pick. Do the New York thing. Become, he would, I know that's Jalen's team and Knicks fans feel a certain way about it insanely enough as that sounds he strolls in there he's the biggest star on that team goes back to the Cavs he actually really helps the Cavs and the Cavs are right there I know they got Donovan Mitchell but LeBron will eat first there he will always be the talus man of that franchise in that area all of its super interesting because the better play for him is to leave the

better play for everything that his management team has tried to put together. It's a riskier play. And it's buyout by the way. Leave with a buyout so you don't have that 50 million dollars on the books for someone else. You take 30 and you take 20 elsewhere and you have some some team still be able to add to the pieces to help make you look better. And by the way, Sedano and Ramona Schuburn did a podcast on this. I want to say last week there is smoke to this theory that LeBron's got to get bought out by the Lakers more likely that he gets bought out and traded because

the trade is so difficult with his cap. This is what I would predict because of that part, right? His number is hard to trade it One year contract at that number has got difficulties in it. The thing that I don't think is being talked about enough around here because of the opt in with a no trade clause is the moment LeBron does that, he can start behaving with his management team like he's a free agent,

because he's never been in the last year of a deal So he doesn't have to honor that because he can trade himself and so his agent 15 years ago He was famously in the last year of a deal Correct. No what with you when he was with the calves he opted out up there This is the only time in his career. It's the last year of a deal where he has an expiring deal That's right 20 23 years first three years for some of his a twenty three years but but but certainly out there with miami the part the part that i'm saying to you that i think is going unrecognized as the statement is made by rich paul and no one knows exactly what to make of the

statement other than you know it's purposeful and it's a warning and the warning is i'm still a free agent like i'm under contract, but I'm not I'm doing you a favor here by just Collecting my money, but I've got the no trade and so now negotiations begin on with my own franchise Treat me like I'm a free agent. I love testing the new ownership That is that's that's the move and gotta test the new people and test their metals see what they're willing to do now These people they have Dodgers connections, Chelsea have C connections. This isn't a mom and pop show. Why wouldn't you be talking to CAA in New York?

Why would you not be talking to the team that has reinvented executiveship? Well, that would be tampering. Yeah, yeah, but and? I understand. You can back channel. That's what you're saying. Why would you not? I mean, he just showed up at the Cavs facility why would you not be exploring your every option on who

gives me the best chance to not just win a championship but dominate the storyline the way I will not next year because the Lakers are not gonna be that next year like the media will move on now that okay now we've had seven different champions, young people are here. The media is not going to do Stefan LeBron again lazily. It's why I think he's going to play two more years because he's going to be the because he's going to do the thing where he announces before the season and do the tour and be the topic of conversation. He's an all-time great. We know that he hasn't done that entering this year. There was the Savannah wants me to play two more years and I'm done type of conversation.

So he's going to go for gold this season. Don't forget the other son becomes eligible for the NBA in a year from now. He's going to want to play with him too, right? The people, I don't, I don't think that you are properly appreciating LeBron's management team and the way they have carefully crafted the entirety of his career and economy, if you do not believe that they are trying to figure out a way to make the last, the next year of LeBron something that whether it wins a championship or not,

resonates in the conversation as if it can is going to feel like he can leapfrog here to an upgrade from the lakers by picking a couple of spots that are better championship opportunities chief among them because when i ask you everything the nicks have built there everything with an executive ship that people now trust,

but a little less with Mike Brown as the coach. So you'll play for Mike Brown again? Connections there though. If I'm LeBron and his management team, how am I not making sure that New York knows that I might have a play to be the story? It's not about even winning the championship, although that's what they said in the statement.

Again, a statement sent to ESPN You're like you're basically asking ESPN which didn't ask you for comment Hey, can you guys just create the smoke for us for a while? Please do this for a while ESPN We're gonna have LeBron's agent delivering a statement to ESPN Keep us the story is what the statement should have just been. And it's redundant because they've done that for 25 years. It's crazy to think about it, it really is. And you guys think I'm wrong though when I say I don't believe he finishes a Laker. Like Zazz thinks I'm wrong and three days ago you guys dismissed it out of hand on me.

The dream ending is New York. I don't think he ends as a Laker. I mean dream ending you could say Cavs, full circle. I think that that statement makes it like, the fact that the agent went on the record for no good reason at a time of celebration when you're opting in to cause confusion, makes it more probable than not.