The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: He's Gotta Be Up To Something

Episode Date: May 14, 2024

Today's cast: Dan, Stugotz, Greg Cote, Chris, Billy, Mike, and Roy. LeBron James decided to spend his night taking in some Cleveland Cavaliers basketball. [Brian Windhorst voice] "Now...why...is...that?" The crew discusses LeBron's potential scheme, Bronny James and his draft combine measurements, and the merits of Zydrunas Ilgauskas having his number retired. Then, why doesn't mainstream sports media know how to talk about the stars actually on the court right now? And, speaking of, is Stephen A. in cahoots with Kevin Durant? Plus, the Udonis Haslem vs. Tony Allen debate, the face of nepotism, and what you can learn about someone from the mere fact that they've head-butted another person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Greg, what's going on with you? Greg, you have almost knocked over this entire table. You have knocked over your thermos. You've knocked over all of your papers. You been here nine seconds like how per second all in per second clumsiness like what's going on with you are you okay I'm perfect yeah thanks for referring to this is a thermos I haven't heard that word used in decades what is it it's a you know a think I call water bottle water bottle coffee in a coffee bottle

Wait a minute thermos is a brand name Roy. I think it is. Yeah, Roy like band-aid. What would you thank you, Billy? What would you refer to this as because I don't canteen Canteens need a strap also. I can't see shit. Yeah, it's not a thermos. I'll tell you that literally it isn't a thermos That's a capital T. That's a trademark. I believe I could be wrong. Mm-hmm Well, but when I asked you what it was you said a thing of water, which I know is coffee I'm but I'm closer to being accurate in describing it than you are when regardless you drop it It's a coffee vessel. Mm-hmm than you are when regardless you drop it. It's a coffee vessel.

How's that? That's not what anybody would call this. It's not a coffee vessel. It's a canister maybe. It's a vessel. It carries the coffee from there to Greg's mouth. It's a bottle really. It's bottle like.

I can't see what you're talking about but I'm picturing a thermos. It's thermos-y. No, thermos is a brand Greg's right. Thank you Billy. Like Chapstick is a brand for lip balm Don't thermoses have like the twist off top that also doubles as a as a cup Jello is a brand for gelatin

You can do this all show if you want. Well, I'm running out you could do it all week If you could do it all week if you like if you want it to be your contribution throughout the show Because you're right, but you all knew what I meant when I said thermos and I still think I'm closer right that more people would call that a thermos than a vessel more people would call that a thermos than a bottle of water bubble wrap bubble wrap is a trade name. I know that. Crocpot. Seeing eye dog. Wait a minute. What is this list? I thought crocpot is when Stu got smoked marijuana.

Hey! Let me see if I can find it. Good. Kleenex! Deserve that. That's the sound of unaged whiskey, transforming into Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Around 1860, nearest green taught Jack Daniel how to filter whiskey through charcoal for

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Jersey City, New Jersey. Please drink responsibly. This is the Don LeVittor Show with the Stoogats Podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by DraftKings. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Roy, I want you to tell me on first reference what you would refer to this as, if you had to give it a name.

I would give it the name Water Bottle. Water Bottle is probably closer than Thermos. There's multiple uses for that. Coffee Bottle. Water Bottle Holding Coffee. Vessel. Billy water. There's multiple uses for that. Coffee bottle. Water bottle holding coffee. Vessel. Billy. It's a vessel for sure. Yeah, what'd I do?

How happy were you about what LeBron did yesterday as someone who has accused LeBron for many, many years here. Being someone who loves attention, goes out of his way to seek attention, brought his own bottle of wine to sit right in the middle of Cleveland's postseason and get great seats incidentally. I don't think those seats are easy to get at the last minute. I know Greg Cody. Well it is if you download the game time app Dan use promo code Dan he probably took advantage of a flash deal. Maybe he was trying to figure out exactly

what his seats would look like there and couldn't picture a courtside seat in his mind, so he opened up the app and he opened up Game Time and he saw exactly what his view might be over there. And it's not just sporting events, it's concerts, it's comedy shows, really. Game Time has entertainment on lock and great customer service, low price guarantee.

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Price you see for $20 is $20, Dan. Most price guaranteed. That has never happened that early in the show before. I have scrolling across my phone as he does this. I have not seen this before. Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker bashes Pride Month, tells women to stay in the kitchen is the Yahoo headline. I'm going to read that during the break and I'm going to consume that. All I've gotten

so far is the headline. Can we go back to LeBron or Thermos or Game Time? It's an easy distraction what LeBron does. Last night in Cleveland he sits right in the middle of the festivities and... I'd argue it was selfless what he did yesterday. You have to look to see the bigger picture of what was going on there right in the middle of the festivities and... I'd argue it was selfless what he did yesterday. You have to look to see the bigger picture of what was going on there, because the news that was coming out of the day, Dan, was that Bronnie is not as big as we thought that he was,

and he also isn't very good, apparently, but somehow is at the combine and is eligible for the NBA draft that no one really thinks that he should be drafted in. So what's going on here? Because the story we've been told is LeBron dreams of playing with his son. However, Some are saying that that's the situation. But for his son to play in the NBA, what do you have to do?

You have to find a landing spot. And then you start looking around, looking at all the different teams in the league, where has he played, where has he hasn't. It seems as though the Lakers isn't gonna be a thing anymore. Maybe they will be, maybe they won't be. But what's a comfy landing spot?

Cleveland. Because if Bronnie gets drafted and he goes to New York with the Knicks, they're having a great season this year, there's gonna be expectations next year. And if Bronnie's not that good, the BooBirds are gonna be coming out for Bronnie James. You know what I mean?

And you don't want that. So, you go to a familiar place, literally a familiar place, family, home, the land, if you will. And who comes to the land? Not only their favorite son, their favorite grandson. Bo. Is coming with daddy. He's bringing daddy back home to finish his career

where it started, a perfect storybook ending for the LeBron James career. And who did that? Bronny James did that. So no matter how bad he is and whether he belongs with me or not, doesn't matter because he brought daddy home and he's there for the storybook ending.

No boo-birds for Bronny James if they return to Cleveland. Well, let's play this from last night, just the standing ovation. This is quite the turn if you've been watching the last 15 years. Cavalier fans, welcome back to Rocking Mortgage Fieldhouse from St. Vincent, St. Mary High School in Aquino, Ohio. Number 23, LeBron James!

That's so good. it really is crazy the story arc he's the oldest player in the NBA and this is what Brian Windhorst had to say that several NBA executives were curious about that visit last night because LeBron's postseason doesn't start that early usually and this is the Windhorst quote I will say this the first thing I thought of was this moment 10 years ago where LeBron's postseason doesn't start that early usually and this is the windhorse quote I will say this the first thing I thought of was this moment ten years ago where LeBron showed up to a game in Cleveland while he was a player for the Miami Heat to honor Zydrunas Elgauskas jersey retirement his longtime teammate and he got in a private plane flew from Chicago over to Cleveland on an off night Pat Riley was not happy and a few months later he signed with the Cavs he's extremely strategic and I wish I could tell you, I knew exactly what he is doing. I don't pretend to know, but he's gotta be up to something.

Yeah. They retired Big Z's jersey. That's crazy. I mean, that's nuts. I mean, Memphis just retired Tony Allen's jersey. What? Until LeBron. That is hilarious.

Which one? Big Z. Big Z is funnier to you than Tony's got more merit big Z was yes He does but LeBron attending it. That's great. Allen was at least the prim lock down to finish He was the grind father Chris. I don't know I'm gonna look up some stats during the break But I'd argue that big Z after maybe Brad Doherty big Z might be one of the best players in Cavs history. Plus it might've actually been a move to get LeBron back into the building.

It worked. Yeah, just based on merit alone, they were probably like, he's on the edge, but LeBron played with him, and there's a chance he comes to the Jersey retirement ceremony. Also, white pants for LeBron, while you got a bottle of cab between your legs,

that is a dangerous game. Well, I wanna talk about about all that because I don't imagine a lot of people would be allowed into that arena with a bottle of wine. That's crazy. It probably violates all kind of laws. Is there more precedent for that or for a 6'1 combo guard that averaged 5 points a game with a heart ailment entering the draft being talked about as a first rounder? Now in fairness, Brian Windhorse came out and said, yes, he was undersized, but he was a lot better shooter than most people thought. And he was in great shape

and actually had a good day yesterday. Just let me just, for perspective. Say it again, say it again, because Stugacz wasn't listening. He was waiting for you to stop talking. He was waiting for the words to stop, the sounds to stop coming out of your mouth, so that he could say what he wanted

To say but say it again What is the precedent for someone who they told us was six foot four but is actually six foot one and a half Who averaged just five points a game in college and is entering the league with a known heart ailment, right? What is the precedent for that because I'm gonna rattle off a player right now who also had a famous dad Who was actually six foot three and averaged twelve and a half points per game in college Marcus Jordan was not talked about in these circles. He was not talked about as an NBA prospect What is it with Bronnie James? You get LeBron and LeBron still playing at a very high level Michael wasn't at the time. He was done. Michael was done. So you get Brawny just to get LeBron.

Nothing wrong with that. And what a great dad, seriously. To leverage his situation to make money for his son. What a great dad. Dad of the year, I would say. So you're just drafting Brawny James, essentially wasting a draft pick in the hopes of luring LeBron James.

Yes. I would. Yes. I certainly would. Yes. You know, there's a spot on the end of the bench for everybody like no matter how bad Brawny is relative to NBA standards. There's a 15th spot What's the roster 12 or 15? It'd be good to know that before saying that there's a spot We get it. There's a 15 spot on the roster for Brawny anywhere in the league as long as dad comes with him You know personally, I don't believe in nepotism. I don't think a father

should do anything. I think that son should be on his own. But in this case it's a package deal and any team in the league would love still love to have LeBron at age 40 next year which is remarkable. The most maybe the most remarkable thing in a remarkable career is that at age 40 he is still near the the top of the game anybody would want him Greg. We talked about this yesterday What if this is the new Shabazz Napier? Where you draft him thinking this leads to LeBron coming to your team and then you just get Ronnie James He shot well yesterday as to God's mentioned He's also got a 42 inch vertical leap which was one of the best

at the combine. And Shabazz Napier was also 6 foot 1. And what Mike Ryan is saying is correct. But LeBron exerting power is as the oldest player in the league and I'm just going to read the last part of that sentence again, because Windhorst, if you've been following the history of this, Windhorst is and has become an exceptional reporter, but it all started with Windhorst covering LeBron in high school. Windhorst's entire career started covering LeBron better than anybody.

To be in 2024, 20 years, more than 20 years after Winnhorst was covering LeBron and Winnhorst to report, I wish I could tell you I knew exactly what he's doing. I don't pretend to know, but he's got to be up to something. Is a tremendous report from LeBron's number one insider as he gets a standing ovation in Cleveland. Again, I will tell you, Stu Gatz, it's a weird game for him to be at. You don't do that unless you know you're going to invite a lot of this attention that Billy says that he craves when we're not talking about him. At this point in the season and in his career you tell me all the

other times in the second round that we haven't been talking about him because we're always on the court that's correct yeah and so he's going to find a way to get into that conversation and it is one of his superpowers the economy of relevance around him it's not just the economy around him which is enormous he comes to a city and he makes it matter more and he brings a tiny mcconnell money with them and he's underpaid no matter what you pay him underpaid

no matter what you pay him because in a salary cap sports there are limits on what it is you can pay me he's always worth more than that i I just can't believe that he's 39 gonna be 40 years old and he's gonna control another offseason because he is because he is perceived now for Certain teams then off to see how the playoffs play out But he is perceived because he's playing at such a high level still that he could be a missing piece For certain teams in the NBA. Well, how about that one? Like a team like the Knicks.

No, but how about the one that he's visiting yesterday? Well, I think it could be. If Donovan Mitchell stays and you have LeBron James, you have Jared Allen, you have those guys, I think he potentially could be a missing piece. Plus, the Eastern Conference is so much easier. The Celtics are not playing their A game by any stretch, and they're about to breeze into the Eastern Conference final.

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wife is laughing that she married she married Larry day yeah I do yeah he one of the great characters in the history of television in my humble opinion and and to my credit my personality in my humble opinion followed by to my credit to my credit is amazing my personal just a little is in three day curfew enthusiasm still gots all while i'm not going to say larry david okay and i'm so i'm happy i put on the poll please do you did greg cody copyright being an asshole long before larry david this the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. Well the Celtics are about to breeze into the finals with one of the easiest paths I've ever

seen to the finals. Right. I wasn't super impressed with them last night either. Just getting it over the line against a Donovan Mitchell-less Cleveland Cav But what are we doing there like sir is that we bash Jason Tatum when they lose game two at home We bash the salt. I guess what we're doing is we're like the only ones that bash Jason Tatum, right? He's living a very charmed existence right now. I want to see him just like you know how a couple years ago I wanted to see Steph Curry just do it in the finals, right? Because there wasn't really a finals where he had the best Performances, maybe you can talk about gravitational pull and all that but I just wanted to see it I wanted to see him take over a series and

Unquestionably be the best player on the court and then he did it. We're good. I'm there with Jason Tatum He's been in the league for a while now, right? I know he's young but he's been playing important games for a very long time I'm very confused by this player So you're saying nothing short of winning an NBA championship will have you praising Jason Tatum like he has to do But the thing is just be like be really good like in the finals if he loses to Yoke itch in the finals who I think is maybe you can have an argument for greatest basketball player of all time sure But like go out like like a soldier. I would say that I thought that you holding Steph

Curry when you did to that standard was asinine though I understand how and why you arrived there and I would say that Jason Tatum's resume at his age is only missing that. His age because he twenty five the number of eastern conference finals uh... very few players of that age that kind of winning that early in their career jordan didn't jordan did not have that kind of winning even that much because it doesn't happen for players that early it doesn't have anthony edwards has a chance to do it but what tatum has done uh... both statistically and with team success

Super unusual for that age. He's been on really good teams though Jordan and but he's been the best player on those teams Well, I mean some people would say Kyrie was on that one team Some people would say that I'm saying he had teammates like Kyrie and like Jalen Brown He's been the best player. Okay on teams that have had a lot of success at a very young age. Also, did that Kyrie team do much? I think that that was like... They did a lot when he got hurt. It did not. When Kyrie got hurt, they went to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Yeah, so I think they actually performed better with them. It's kind of... you have to remind yourself that Kyrie was a Celtic at this point. was a Celtic at this point. I want to talk a little more about the strategy in doing what he did yesterday in the middle of the playoffs. I have not seen LeBron James sitting courtside with his wife and a bottle of wine in the middle of playoff action very often in my life. And I don't believe that was just because he wanted a night

out with his wife. I believe that the, the wind horse report is right. Quote, he's gotta be up to something. So you don't think that he sat down with his wife, we're bounced out of the playoffs. He looked at the calendar. He said, Hey, Monday night, we have an open night. Let's take in a calves game.

Maybe it's a Mother's Day gift. Yeah, could be. I don't know what to make of it. And I'm asking you guys to maybe help me make something out of it, because I was watching Get Up briefly on mute, and I saw them talk about two basketball topics. It was what LeBron was doing, and ESPN basically

being used as a propaganda machine to get Kevin Durant out of Phoenix. Let's talk about this for a second. Like what, but what is happening with the aging stars taking over the narrative where the main, the main sports cable channel is yet. I mean, Lucas is a star SGA is a star that is an even series right there. But instead of talking about the stars of today and potentially tomorrow, we're doing this with guys pushing 40. And it's just, it's, it's just interesting to me.

Are we just so incapable of talking about new topics? We've just been lulled into talking about KD and LeBron and their off-seasons potentially for 20 years that this is all we want to do now? It is an interesting thing to watch the reluctance of the media to give the story over to the action on the court and the young people who have taken the sport away from the old people but these two old people specifically that you speak of are the ones who introduced us to an entirely new age of how we consume all this stuff and their movement is more relevant off the court than it is on the court until you get to the games with giant stakes.

This probably wouldn't happen or feel like this during the finals but when you've got this absence of star power we're familiar with and you've got Jokic who doesn't have an embrace that America has warmed to you get this kind of thing and are you what are you saying that Stephen A Smith and Kevin Durant are now in cahoots because we have the sound of Stephen A Smith and at one time I've never seen a journalist do this on television to a star athlete before Stephen A Smith and at one time I've never seen a journalist do this on television to a star athlete before Stephen A Smith did it. You don't want to make an enemy out of me and I'm looking right into the camera and I'm gonna see it again. You do not want to make an enemy out of me. I'm not having it.

So we of course turn that into a movie trailer because it did sound like an action star talking. I sit here today incredibly offended by the personal attack that this man has put against me. In a world with hot takes, his takes might be the hottest. Kevin Durant is the one that's lying. Kevin Durant is in too deep. You know, I made a mistake. With a man you don't want to make an enemy out of.

The Slim Reaper versus the suit with 400 buttons. I don't want to hear from you, and nobody else should either. McDonald's All-American. Am I human? Do you look at me that way? Versus McDonald's Commercial. Had I had to come on the air that next day, I can promise you it would have been very bad. Stephen A. Smith.

Forget the numbers. You don't need them. Look at his eyes. Smith. Forget the numbers. You don't need them. Look at his eyes. Versus Kevin Durant and them boys. You're the real MVP. You won't want to be on his Jorna Hit List. You don't want to make an enemy out of me.

And I'm looking right into the camera. And I'm going to see it again. You do not want to make an enemy out of me. I'm not having it. He's writing your fate and he's up against a deadline. But since then, since our public beef, Stephen A has been on air, pretty good ally for Kevin Durant,

quietly because everyone thinks of their initial beef. But he goes on first take earlier this week and he says like keep an eye out at Kevin Durant he's not happy there he keeps to himself and they're sort of kind of using Stephen A Smith he gets great information but Stephen A Smith on the other side is also pushing this very well-informed opinion that Kevin Durant is unhappy over there. So it's just bizarre that these guys aren't really mattering on the court right now, and yet they're leading the discussions

when they're not who they once were. Greg, your breathing is very loud. You OK? Yeah. OK, cool. It's just very loud. That was his first word, I think. It's a nice reminder that you're still kicking.

I appreciate it. Thank you. We're going to miss that when it's gone. Yeah, seriously. Him breathing? Yes. I'm not the only one that hears it, right? Well, him.

No, I hear it. No, I meant the breathing because then he too will be gone. Those things go hand in hand. Yeah, you sort of have to breathe. Not into the mic when other people are talking. For the love of God. By the way, if I can say this, oh, we're out of time. I didn't hear a horn. The Dan LeBattard Show with Sugats is sponsored by BetterHelp. We

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and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Get it off your chest with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash D L B today to get 10% off your first month. That's better help H e l p dot com slash D L B Don libertar Billy somebody has written in here. I need way more Just said in his headset haven't you been to all of them too? It sounded like you were speaking aloud my bad 100% on me Stugats yeah, but that goes without saying right that it couldn't have

He did say it. He's on the end. Yeah, that's just in your head again. Greg, Greg, Greg. My apologies. Greg, why? Greg. Yeah. Greg.

He apologized. Greg. Sincerely. This is the Don LeBethard Show with the Stugats. ["The Stugats"] Chris Cody, I do not condemn you for this because it's something I see not just throughout sports, but basically throughout a ton of commentary that doesn't have a grasp of history that happened just a little before

Big Z became a joke to you, for example, because the last parts of the dreams of gals kisses career when lebron brought him over to the in two thousand ten is worthy of your laughter but big z uh... has the second most games for the calves ever second most rebound second most points all behind lebron only and the most blocks in franchise history. So if you're not gonna retire his number, there aren't a lot of other ones for you to retire. But you're doing it because you're desperate,

because you have no other jerseys to retire. I mean, that's not a reason to retire someone's jersey. I'm seeing on some website that he's the fifth best cab of all time, so he should be, I guess, celebrated. It's just hilarious to me. So we take a shot at cable television for being retreads about talking about topics from a bygone era with LeBron and KED possibly moving teams.

And we're relitigating the jersey retirement of Zydrunas Ogauskas. Just laughing at it. Too many retirements, too many jerseys being retired. Well, has there been one less recently that you guys have seen, that felt less worthy to you than Tony Allen getting his jersey retired in Memphis? Because I understand they've retired a couple of jerseys recently. I don't even remember what the other one was, but I had a reaction to the other one, and

then that was erased in my memory by, oh they're retiring Tony Allen's which seemed excessive you done is has long no I'm gonna hide now come on man well that hasn't happened yet it's happening it's been announced but it has it been announced yeah when the first Tony Allen when the first stat you like say about someone is most games played that is just always a yeah that screams compiler yeah again though it's second most games played but also I said point second rebound second behind only LeBron blocks first Haslam's number is already retired it's interruptus already saying that's an embarrassing one I think is what he was

saying I don't think that's embarrassing at all. Not at all. Stu said it. I didn't say it. I didn't say anything. You fool! Embodiment of heat culture. Yeah, he invented heat culture.

UD did. Well, I'm going to go ahead and say that Tony Allen is to Memphis whatever it is Miami thinks Udonis Haslam is to Miami. Yeah, grandfather. Same kind of guy. What do you mean blasphemy? Tony Allen? He's a grind father of the grind house.

That's how people talk about Udonis, like that on Miami. Correct, yes. I know, but in Memphis they would talk about Udonis exactly the same way. I think, there was a comedian I think that went on his podcast, was it Gary Owens? That went on his podcast and said to Eudonnis' face that his last five years with the Heat was a make-a-wish

kid that that's what Eudonnis was and Eudonnis allowed it that that the whole thing because he just sat on the bench for five years because he is not afraid to say to Eudonnis' face what Stugatz would never say to Eudonnis' face. In fact, you kind of hid under the desk while trying to say what you did say. I did. All we're saying about Big Z, by the way, is no one would have them on their Cleveland Cavalier Mount Rushmore.

I mean, nobody. It would be LeBron, it would be Mark Price, Brad Doherty, and Larry Nance. It's easy. And by the way, the fact that the heat for five years had that last spot on the bench for you d verifies what i said earlier about brani there's always a spot on the end of the bench

for useful people who are useful on the court billy are you laughing because you know that stood out was looking that up there's no way that although i ask him kairi's not on your list now nothing seems out of shot what shot was looking that up, there's no way that they're. Well though, I asked him, Kyrie's not on your list? No, no please, stop. I mean, the shot. What shot? I mean the shot he hit in the NBA Finals, his teams were so lousy before LeBron decided to come back and then Kyrie hit that shot and only hit that shot

and had the opportunity to hit that shot because LeBron decided to come back. I thought you were talking about the shot he wouldn't take. Look, I'm a sports meathead, so I truly don't mean to have a larger conversation about nepotism and make LeBron James all of a sudden be the face of it. Answer for nepotism and how it's unfair.

No, I'm not gonna do that, but this is truly bizarre with Bronnie James. It's so bizarre that we're just taking the news that he's two and a half inches shorter than they told us just like in stride. Because we all know the deal. You draft Bronnie, you have an inside track It's so bizarre that we're just taking the news that he's two and a half inches shorter than they told us just like in stride. Because we all know the deal. You draft Brawny, you have an inside track on a dude who's currently under contract with

another team. I just, it's a fast, I understand why it's all unprecedented. We don't have, we've never had a child superstar fulfill the promise the way that LeBron James did. We don't, we've never had a basketball player play this well at his age. We've never had one have a son come into the league potentially. I understand why it's all unprecedented, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be talking about it in terms that are like, this is unreasonable.

When I used to talk about Michael Jordan and the most improbable things that he did, Stu got, I put at the top of the list making bald cool, like just under it was defying gravity and the championships and everything else. When Greg Cody says, and you can, you know, say that this is science or modern medicine, but when Greg Cody says on the resume that has so much on it, including somehow meeting the expectations that came with being 16 years old and no one would look at his body of work and say that he under achieved from there he met whatever the expectations were and they were unprecedented expectations for 16 year old coming into the league skip alice

would say okay one person would say it and no one would make an entire media career out of saying that that he was the only one willing to say it because it was an asinine thing to say again and again when greg cody says this value at this age might be the most impressive thing on the entire resume i'm not sure i can argue it like there's a number, he revolutionized what can be done at that size by a player. And he's still doing it. I mean to average 26 points, nine rebounds, nine assists a game this year, which is what he averaged. It's

insane. And the fact that he is going to be one of the guys in free agency that controls yet another offseason is Insane I'm starting to gain more and more respect for LeBron as he gets older Is it like a player and a dad especially when he's not up like he's just forcing this to be a conversation They've already blown out their head coach He's just making this a thing when he's under contract and I understand doing this is certainly for LeBron and his prime. But how much longer are we going to, is he going to possibly be doing this? You really got to waste, a draft pick's important. I mean, those, I understand you're saying there's 15 guys,

I'll give one of them to Bronnie James, but you can set your franchise back by doing this potentially. It is a bad draft though. But it is a bad draft poor Atlanta No one by Yama this year, but take Barani Yeah, there you go when you say that LeBron turning 40 is still in his prime and might be for another couple of years No one said that that's the truth. That's what I'm saying right now. You can't say that No, you can't say it. No, you can't you why. I can say that. No, you can't say that. Yes, you can.

No, you can't. Why? They're his words. I think LeBron is as good as he's ever been. Thank you. That's crazy. You're not watching. Excellent commentary.

They are his words. Well, he thinks, he said. He didn't say it as a fact. He thinks. His defense has 100% taken a decline. Just so we're clear, LeBron has a player option. He is scheduled to make $54 million this year from the Lakers, but he can opt out if you want you cannot say you can work for free that LeBron James is in his prime I think he is why what do you still got to go sit

outside no dad just go hear me out for a second no no one second give me a shot in two minutes I'll hear you out in two minutes you can come back with what a point what I left with the highest has whatever that thought is there's a window for Prime. Prime doesn't mean he's as great as he's ever been. It means he's as close to the pinnacle as he still is. He's sounding insane right now. He's not.

Coach Prime, yeah. He's not, Greg. I'm seeing he also has a player option for next year, for the 2024-2025 season. Well, hold on a second. If Brawny doesn't get drafted, can he just go back to college? I saw something about that

where he has eligibility left in college, but he's also in the draft. It's weird. He wasn't very good in college either. I don't know, Greg, why you wouldn't walk back the take that the oldest player in the league is not in his prime. I don't know why you, you're just being stubborn about this.

I will say on one of the things that's happening here that makes it so that what greg is saying about lebron's entire body of work and saying that playing this well at this age is the oldest player in the league might be the best thing on the entire resume if tom brady didn't exist we'd be more all by this if tom brady hadn't done it first and older at a totally different position where the rules are meant to protect him. The most surprising thing to me about LeBron at this age is that he could still play the most rugged and physical of games. That he could still bully Aaron

Gordon at 40 and yell at him on the court. I go I'm in the way you're not the only one who's in the weight room. I guess the reason why talking about it isn't the most entertaining thing is because we have no real option or way to talk about this other than to marvel. And maybe if a generation comes and goes where someone doesn't do this,

then maybe we can talk about it a little bit better. But as it's happening, how do you explain what Tom Brady and LeBron James are doing other than saying you can't? But I think it's fair to question. And we saw the New England Patriots decide, all right, we're done playing this game. Tom, we don't doubt that you have good football left,

but at some point we got to put the franchise first. Now for them, wrong call. Tom Brady's an alien. But with LeBron James in a sport that is way more reliant on physical athleticism. Like if he loses a half a step in that sport, it's far more perceptible than if Tom Brady loses a half a step playing quarterback. This is a legitimate conversation to be had about Bronny James and how a dude who doesn't have the player option that Sugat's claimed he hasn't next year,

how he's having this much influence over the proceedings, how he's purposefully playing coy, won't give answers as to like, are you done playing for the LA Lakers? What does that mean? You're under contract, bud. Mike, the under contract part, he broke all of that over his knee in 2010.

Like that's one of the many things that he changed and pioneered on. No doubt, damn, but he was up. Like he was a free agent. Understood, but since then, all he has done inside of the last five years, including create an entire agent economy around something he ostensibly doesn't own, the agent business that he doesn't own wouldn't be allowed to own a player cannot be the agent for a bunch of other players in the league this person has changed the way the rules work and the finances work in this sport for the last

15 years. Reading the internet wrong June 29th he has a deadline to opt into this player option so I will pay a big hefty fine there. What do you love, Billy? Just all of this. That Mike is wrong? No, no. I love that LeBron can do whatever he wants. He can. That is correct. I also like that all of a sudden Mike were following that, well, the players are under contract, so they must behave and they can't just force their ways to whatever team they want. No, but it's just I've never seen a player, no, you're right to call that out. I've just never seen, the presumed leverage play that he's doing here is to get his son Into the NBA so he can play alongside of him, but his son would seemingly be a charity case

Just going off of just going off of draft I know what's gonna happen and maybe even juju clips at but there was just no precedent for a six foot one guy Who we were told this six'4, who averaged only 5 points a game in college, who enters the league with a very publicly well-known health issue. There's no precedent for this. This was more of a conversation I thought last year when we were fantasy booking this, but he actually went through the combine process. He went through a full season in college. I know it was hampered by what he dealt with, with a heart ailment, but this is this is a truly bizarre one

He was medically cleared. Yeah He was my he missed several months of his college career because of this and he's been medically cleared from it So I think in fairness, he's got a clean sheet health-wise and and he didn't look good afterwards It's like you're right. He didn. And it doesn't happen all the time where a player flatlines comes back. That's also a miracle. I do think that you give that player a runway to try to figure it out.

But we were being told by people in the know that there was a lot of hype associated with Bronnie James that wasn't necessarily fair two years ago. Mike Piazza was a charity case, and he went to the Hall of Fame. But he was drafted in the 64th round or something. As a favor, was a charity case and he went to the Hall of Fame. But he was drafted in like the 64th round or something. As a favor? Yeah, charity case. But drafted in the 64th round.

And it's a different sport. Not the first round. Tom Brady drafted pretty low. There you go. What I don't like is I'm setting myself up to be like the face of like, well this isn't right, but it's also like, I think it's crazy that no one else is talking about it. But you say it's not right, his value,

LeBron's value is whatever someone is willing, whatever one team is willing to make it. And there's no questioning that he still has an enormous value. I want to switch gears here real quick and put up on the screen a photograph of Tyson Fury's father from an incident in Saudi Arabia over the over the last couple of days.

Now you have to understand this family's history. It is a family of bare-knuckle boxers. What this man has passed down to the heavyweight champion is we fight in the street with our knuckles for money. And the reason his head is bleeding that way is because he appears to have head-butted a toddler that was in the other camp and bloodied his own head in head-butting him. And I just wanted to ask you guys, do you guys know anybody? Do you have anyone in your circle that you believe in a fight would use the headbutt? Because this tells you so much about a person. I don't want to be reckless here. Stugats of course leaves

for more than two minutes because he likes the time off. Time to throw away dull journalistic credibility and get reckless. Here is something we like to call reckless speculation. You're good. You're good. I want to ask the group, how many times has Tyson Fury's dad been in prison? There's an answer to this. I don't know.

I need you to look it up. I don't know. I'm recklessly speculating it based on based on how he handled that situation like a like a say overnight in a in a holding cell type of thing or like like like he went through a hmm if i set the over under at two would you go over or under years going going prison or jail push feels right push feels i'm going over we'll look it up let's look it up up