The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: We Don't Have Any Pockets

Episode Date: April 8, 2024

Dan discusses "hip-hop beef" while all Stugotz wants to talk about is how Bronny's destination influences LeBron's. Then, JJ Redick is here! He tells us about the transitionary period between playing the NBA and starting his media career, when he knew his playing days were over, mental health in the NBA, his podcast "Mind the Game" with LeBron James, what bothers him about coverage of his favorite game, and, of course, to play a game of 'Shot For Your Life' between him and Caitlin Clark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Tickets at Cirque du Soleil dot com. Echo thanks its presenting partner, Sun Life. Welcome to the Big Suey presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBattard podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're

just there. That hasn't happened to you guys? I've done it. And now here's the marching man to nowhere, fat face and the habitual liar. An interesting thing happened over the weekend in hip-hop, Stugat, and I know, I'm aware, that as a 55 year old I sound ridiculous exploring some of these subjects and the idea of beef in hip-hop as a subject. But a lot of people right now are talking about J. Cole, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar because Kendrick Lamar is an exceptional writer, is respected as a rapper's rapper,

is respected by all in the industry as being a real creative and artist, as good as anybody who has ever held a microphone and he went at J. Cole and Drake by saying there is no big three there's just big me and J. Cole and Drake have been tempted to respond because these things tend to escalate and the history of this game is there's only one goat, there can't be several goats and when somebody claims to be the goat or goes at someone else, then that person is basically obligated to respond and I just love

that J. Cole went the total other way. Now in rap and hip-hop if you know Benzino is weeping because hip-hop will or because Eminem will not acknowledge him Benzino is viewed as a laughing stock and weak because he is somebody that doesn't know how to just keep the beef alive. So this is viewed in many circles. What J. Cole did this weekend is viewed in many circles as weak or afraid that Kendrick Lamar would go after him and that J. Cole's response would be to apologize.

To apologize. That is really unusual in beef. Quite the zag. And I love that he did it. And not only did he apologize, but he did it like introspectively, talking for three minutes about how he thought that when he disparaged Kendrick Lamar many years ago, that it was the lamest shit he's ever done in his life. He called it, you know, he called it something that spiritually felt bad and that it disrupts his peace now to be in the middle of this and have all his friends telling him that he's got to go back at Kendrick Lamar, that it's wartime, that there has to be blood. And he said he was

conflicted and eventually he just said his spirit the way his way of being how he's trying to live his life At this point. It's just not something he wants to entertain as back and forth. So he denies us the entertainment he takes the arrows of Really Kendrick Lamar is gonna go after you and your response is one of the three best in the game right now is to apologize But I I think it's noble. I don't think a lot of people are gonna look at it that way it's not the history of that game they're just words right sometimes many times in hip-hop the words escalate into dangerous places that become more than just words but in this particular case I really did like that he put his sword

down and and said really Stukats, these three guys are making so much money. Like, what difference does it make whether you're first or third in somebody's opinion? Like, what, I mean, think about- It can only be one goat, though, Dan. I know, but what difference does it make? What the world is the floor. Yeah, there can only be one goat,

but you don't have to be hurt if you're second place or third place, like, there's plenty to go around at this particular trough where all of these guys are making money do you think LeBron is upset that he's in third place I mean Kobe in second place what do you think I don't think anybody puts Kobe in second place some people do some people don't yeah but all isn't said and done yet so can we really say that's true right what's Brawny doing? He's declaring for the draft and entering the portal at the same time? Are we allowed to talk about this

or are we not allowed to talk about it because he's still just a kid? Because I'm confused about that one. No, they're all professionals now in the college game. Well, no, but LeBron said we couldn't talk about it. He said he's gonna be a high pick in the draft and then when he was not ranked to be a high pick in the draft, he's like, eh, he's just a kid,

leave him alone. But now he's entering the draft, so can when he was not ranked to be a high pick in the draft, he's like, hey, he's just a kid, leave him alone. But now he's entering the draft, so can we talk about it or can we not? Let's go. Well, I'm just asking the questions. Okay, so you don't have anything to say about it, you just want me to talk about it? Yeah, just asking if we're allowed to talk about it.

Yeah, can we talk about it? Yeah. So? You can. What's he doing? Is he going to the draft or is he transferring out of school? Keeping his options open. Where is he gonna go?

Yeah. How does that work? I thought when you declared for the draft, you he transferring out of school? Keeping his options open. Where is he gonna go? Yep. How does that work? I thought when you declared for the draft, you like forfeit eligibility, don't you? No agent. That's right. I think he can get a draft evaluation and then decide if he wants to play.

You're playing by old rules, Billy. They have more options in general now and he's just maximizing all of his options. Why wouldn't he? But many people are saying he is not nearly as good as his father thinks he is, and everything that we have seen from him in college suggests that he's not as good as his name would suggest.

But it doesn't mean he's not a pro prospect, it's just there are plenty of people who think that he's got plenty of work to do before he becomes a legitimate pro prospect. His coach left too, which then started this domino effect, which now brings Coach Cal to Arkansas. Just a wild string of events, and I feel like this is all conference realignments fault.

So you're saying Brawny to Arkansas. Huh. No, SMU I think, Brawny. I like what LeBron is doing though, because this is the only opportunity I think he'll have to ensure that his son is gonna be a first round pick. If you're a team in the NBA that feels like you're a LeBron James away from making a deep run

into the NBA playoffs, perhaps winning a championship, Knicks up talking to you, you draft Ronnie. You do, to get LeBron, yes. Why are you talking to the Knicks? You told us a month ago you didn't want LeBron. That was then, this is now, Dan. As a world where Coach Cal was coaching in Kentucky. Different world now.

Also all wasn't said and done. Yeah. It's not kinda cleared yet. What if Greg Popovich goes and chases his dream to become a D3 coach and then Bronnie goes there because LeBron always wanted to play there? Ha ha ha ha ha. Chase the dream.

I'm glad you took the topic where you did, Billy. You had so much on it. You know, he was just asked. I do what I can. I just ask a question. You do as little as you can. But Dan, if you were a LeBron away, if you felt like your organization was perhaps a LeBron James away because he's still playing and I can't believe I'm saying this at such a high level. He's great. I don't want to do the LeBron show. You want to do the draft his kid to get LeBron. I would. Yes, I would like the

economy of LeBron around my basketball team. However, it is that I could get it around my basketball team. There are very few teams that I would think couldn't use that economy around them. I just think that basketball has has gotten finally to a place where we can stop with LeBron daily conversations. But no, evidently not. I will say, though, as it regards Calipari and the idea that a Tyson Foods billionaire can just buy himself a Calipari, I do embrace the modern age of college sports where we're going to dispense with any of the nonsense and just say yep a billionaire booster can just go buy Calipari

and all of a sudden make Arkansas matter more than it has mattered since Nolan Richardson in basketball? When's the last time? Nolan Richardson. Yeah, they won a championship. They almost went back to back. Scotty Thurman, Corliss Williamson. It was a great team. Yes. Jeremy doesn't have any idea who Nolan Richardson is. Sorry, he's 82. Why would he, Roy? He was so offended.

Why would... He's young. He's young. He's 82. Why would he, Roy? Why would he? He was so offended. Why would, why would? He's young, he's young, he's very young. He doesn't know. Learn your history. But has Arkansas, Roy, learn your history. You're gonna have to forgive me on not knowing the history here.

I don't know if Arkansas has had any kind of sincere relevance since Nolan Richardson. The head muscle man. Off the top of my head. Isn't he at USC now? Yes. Off the top of my head. Isn't he at USC now? Isn't he? Off the top of my head though, I do not think of them, I think they just bought their way into the game.

This is the way you can do it in the modern age. Even if Calipari is falling behind, even if Calipari is not perfectly suited for the NIL era, even though Kentucky and one and Dons came undone this year and for the last couple of years because he has not been dominating the sport, you buy yourself a Calipari, you've bought yourself immediately into the relevance game.

To me, the contract, I don't know how much he's being paid over five years but you get uh... on the front end of that contract you're getting five years worth in the first year because of what he does for your program in immediate ticket sales before just by creating hope around what you're doing under muslim in arkansas went to back-to-back elite eights so they had a run in the muslim had a bad year this year he got let go and now he's at USC.

This is going to be interesting. Calipari, Dan, everything you said is right about Calipari, but he hasn't made, he made four Final Fours with Kentucky. Hasn't made one in I think eight or nine years. So, I mean, how good of a coach is he? Honestly, because he has number one draft picks all over, you know, his roster is littered with number one picks lottery picks and he hasn't been able to get to final fours I know but most coaches who have great success do so because they have great players you're really gonna sit here and say how good of a coach is Calipari you feel comfortable doing that like if you're comfortable doing that then who's actually a good coach Dugats like go ahead and name all the guys that you have making magic out of nothing out of having no players that

yet you have to have was a great recruiter i'm not saying that he's not okay but that for okay that is enough what what the tyson foods billionaire is buying is someone who's a great recruiter he's had more trouble the last couple of years than others have because it's a new finance age. Like I do wonder Nick Saban just left Stugats and the sport caught up to him. Like that's not up for dispute. The fact that he was still at the top is a tribute to him but the sport caught up to him because there were a different

way of doing business that can be hard for an older coach. When Nick Saban is telling you that his wife is saying to him, why are we still doing this when all the player cares about is, what's my playing time and what's my money? That's all I care about. There's not a third place. I don't want to see the library. I don't want you to tell me how you're going to make me a better man what i care about is my playing time and my money if you strip it down to get to give the players freedom options money and no limits it's gonna be about greed and money it's going to be about

how do i'd best get according to a seventeen-year- old sensibilities the things that I want and a 17 year old is thinking about playing time money and Toys right and getting to the NBA, right Cal yeah, he's good coach in that regard Yeah, I mean he can say that Nick Saban can say that and I just don't like how what are you gonna criticize about? Calipari's coaching that what do you go ahead go ahead? Give me the details Well, I'm just saying hasn't been to a final foot with all that talent

He gets the talent to his school, but he hasn't been to a final four in eight years. That's it with all that talent That's what I'm criticizing. That's it. Yes. Yeah, that's it. That's the final four Yeah, I mean no sure get to the final four it's it's it. Get to the final four. Got a point. Yep. Yeah, I mean, no, sure, get to the final four. It's hard to get to the final four, but sure. Don't lose, okay. What makes it? Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, don't lose one game and one game samples, okay. Well, no, for 10 straight seasons. I think winning is kind of the point. Last time it was 2015. Yeah, they're paying him $8.5 million to win. Who's gonna replace Calipari at Kentucky? Because I'm thinking Patino, Billy Donovan, Coach K, or... No.

Dawn Staley. Ooh! 109-3 her last three seasons with the national championship. The Dan Libetard Show with Stu Gotts is sponsored by BetterHelp. It's time for a self-check-in. How's your social battery doing right now? Is it drained or is it bursting with energy? Similar to how a battery stores energy

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the DQ freezer now picture the DQ freezer opening to bring back two of your favorite treats delectable rollo and legendary brownie batter back for its 20th anniversary but it won't be open for long so hurry in and get these flavors before the DQ freezer closes and keep your eyes open You never know what may come out of the DQ freezer next only a DQ happy tastes good Don LeBattard we were talking to and about Freddie Gibbs and then Greg Cody made an appearance Chris Cody made an appearance and we were talking about the possibility of Freddie Gibbs having actually having the rap album of the year, at which point Chris Cody, who is too young for this

and doesn't know athletes from the 90s, Chris Cody says, is that Barry Gibbs? And so then the Bee Gees start playing. Stugats! Well said. A little bit of a struggle, a little bit rusty. And so then the DJ, the BJ, BJ start playing. Stugats. Well said. Little bit rusty here. This is the Dan LeVatar show with the Stugats.

Gonna get right at it here with JJ Reddick. No pleasantries. He is no longer an up and comer in the business. He is doing giant things in the media, Stuguts. I have told you, I wonder what his opinion is on what I'm about to say here. I have said a couple of times in the last month, JJ, that you're gonna make more money in your media career than you did in your playing career.

Am I wrong? Huh. That's an interesting take. Hadn't really thought about that. I don't know, Dan. I don't know. How much money's in your bank account right now? Tell us.

How rich are you? That is not what I was asking him. I am just saying he's gonna have 20, 25 years to do this. And if he continues conquering at the rate that he's doing it, he's made some very interesting and good choices on what it is that he wants to do. So let me talk to you a little bit about the options you had. Did you turn down an NBA coaching head coaching job?

Not a head coaching job, no. I interviewed last year for the Raptors head coaching job. I was not offered the opportunity to coach that franchise. There was a number of assistant coaching opportunities, coach that franchise. There was a number of assistant coaching opportunities, particularly my first sort of year and a half of retirement that were presented to me, had conversations with different head coaches about, about doing that sort of thing. Didn't, you know, life is about timing. That's why Dan to answer your question, I don't know. And frankly,

I don't care. I'm motivated by the enjoyment and fulfillment of doing something. So for me, I really wanted to call games. And once I started calling games, I said, oh, I really like this. I would love to call the finals someday. Did not think it would happen in such a short amount of time. And obviously there was a bunch of circumstances that led to getting bumped to the to the A-team with Mike Endoris but I get to I get to call the Eastern Conference finals and the NBA finals this year like that's my motivation. Same

thing as a player like I wanted to be really good at my I wanted to be great at my craft I probably settled on really good I didn't get to quite to great so it's the same thing here I I want to be great at what I do I want to enjoy it and I want to do it with people that I enjoy working with and so far it's been Wonderful he made over one hundred and sixteen million dollars in his a lot of pocket watchers over at the Dan Levitard show Lot of pocket watchers. No, I don't have any. I don't blame you for not caring. You made 116 already. I am interested in the choices that you're making though because you have all of them available to you.

What is the most fun? Great question. I would honestly say this. Everything I get to do, I enjoy. There were some things early on my first year I signed a one-year deal. There were some things that I can't say I enjoyed it. I did it because I was contracted to do it, but there were some things like I've been on NBA Today in person, I think three times total. Twice my first year in LA, once this year in Vegas for the in-season tournament. I really enjoyed that. When I did NBA Today from the New York studio, you're in a closet for an hour with a camera

on you and a screen in front of you. And it's a very small room and you just in front of you and it's it's a very small room and you just sit in there with no cell service and and you don't get more than 10 to 15 seconds at a time and I'm sitting over there and I'm like I'm jealous of the people that are in studio getting to do this right so everything I've chosen to do at this point whether that's been first take the podcast the new podcast mind the Game with LeBron, the DraftKings

segments that we do on our YouTube channel and in obviously Call of Games, I enjoy all of it. I would say the best thing for me, truthfully, is Call of Games. There's nothing like it because you do get that closeness to the game and you also get a little bit of that performance anxiety that you had as a player, you know, right before you do the live intro and then right before as they're doing the national anthem

and the starting lineup and the producers in your ear, 90 to T's, whatever it may be, that feeling is something that is hard to replicate and probably isn't at the same level as when I played basketball, but I feel that performance anxiety when I get to call a game, and that's really fun. Whenever I talk to people who were lopsided

because they obsessively did something like craft being great at three-pointers, and they lose their identity because they have to grieve or mourn retirement and the fact that they're burying who they used to be. Almost every athlete I've ever encountered, and some are better equipped than others, fails with that transition initially

just because it's so hard. You don't seem to have, but did you struggle with retirement? Dan, I know you like humor on your show, but if you'll bear with me, I'd like to tell a brief story. So going into my last season, unfortunately coincided with the COVID year. So I spent six weeks in the bubble. My son was starting kindergarten in New York

and I knew that entire fall that this was gonna be my last year. And we play a game in Tampa, first game of the season, December 23rd. I play well. We go to Miami for our Christmas day. We got the noon Christmas day game and my wife sends me a video that morning.

I wake up to a video of Kai, my youngest, running down the stairs to the Christmas tree. And it was at that moment that I let go. Doc Rivers always talks about this internal battle that we face as players within a game. And we certainly face that a little bit as we get towards the end of our career. You can't let go of the rope. You're in this tug-of-war you can't let go and at that moment I let go. So I really struggled

that entire season. My parents called me on New Year's. They said that we watched the last four or five games. You don't look like yourself. I wept to my mother. I just want to go home. She said to me, well, why can't you? And I said, because I can't let go. And it's exactly what you're talking about. I didn't want to let go of that part of my ego. I didn't want to let go of that part of my identity.

And that entire season, Dan, I can remember games from high school. I can remember games from college. I can remember a random Wednesday night in Washington when I played for Orlando. I don't remember anything that last year. If you said to me, you know, you played the Chicago Bulls when you played for the Pelicans your last season. What happened in that game? Did I play the Chicago Bulls? I don't remember, I don't know who I played that year. I just completely zoned out. And it took a couple months with my performance coach

slash therapist to get to the point where I could let go of that part of me. It was the most confusing and scary thing. You brought up the word death, and I think any person that has competed in athletics, whether it's been high school, college, professional sports, Olympic sports, when you get to that moment, it is like a death. And it is a grieving process and

I Was very fortunate. I would say I was fortunate and lucky in some ways Just due to timing because I was one of the first guys that had started this player podcast revolution. I Had a podcast. I was already going to be doing that podcast I had one year left on my deal with Cadence at the time. And I got asked by Dave Roberts and my agent, they really pitched me hard on doing a year contract with ESPN. It gave me something to do.

It gave me a sense of purpose beyond just being it. I remember there were days that first year where I wasn't very busy with ESPN yet and I was only doing one podcast a week and I'd have like a Thursday Friday and my kids are in school my wife's doing all the stuff that my wife does during the daytime I'm sitting there at home 12 degrees outside in New York City what am I doing right so I get this part of the athlete lifecycle is incredibly difficult.

And I would, I would pose this to anyone who has played any level of sport or athletic. When it ended for you, were you sad? Did you grieve? Was it a hard transition? When you got done with your last high school event or your last college event or maybe you played overseas or maybe you played on the corn fairy tour for a couple years. Was that a difficult transition? And I would say the vast majority of people would say yes. Now imagine dedicating your life. 30 years of my life to one thing the bron talks about it on the mind the

game you have to sacrifice loved ones it was such a selfish pursuit and I was all invested at all times and then that ends of course it's difficult and it was very difficult for me despite the fact that I had other stuff going on. He mentioned Mind the Game, new episodes every Wednesday on YouTube and wherever it is you get your podcasts. What did your parents see? What did my parents see? Those last few games or those games where they could tell watching you on television that what are you?

The parents know the look. Well, but you're watching, what are you doing? What are they noticing? You know, what's funny? They weren't the only ones that saw it. There's a I take I took great pride in a player and when I ask Coaches or I asked GM's about certain guys One of the things I always want to know is are they the same person every day? Do they come to the facility and they say hi to people? Do they talk to the trainers? Do they interact with the assistant coaches? Are

they in the weight room talking to their teammates, talking to the performance staff? When they get to the arena, are they saying hi to the arena people? Are they saying hello to the the PA announcer? Are they going over and saying hi to Reggie Miller if it's a TNT game? Are they the same person every day? I stopped being that person. And it was clear in my body language, it was clear in my facial expressions, and they weren't the only ones. Josh Tiven, playing the Boston Celtics that year, Josh Tiven came up to me before a game and he said to me, hey man, you don't look like yourself. Is everything okay?

And I didn't know how to respond to that. I was nine minutes away from competition. And so I went back into the locker room and cried a little bit. I come back out, I was a little ornery that day and Josh gave me a technical for yapping or something because I thought Aaron Neesmith fouled me. And then the very next possession, for yapping or something because I thought Aaron Neesmith fouled me and then

the very next possession I spun the ball a little too aggressively at him and he tossed me out and it's a very like infamous moment in my career where I just you know I got thrown out for tossing the ball back to the referee there's a backstory to why I threw the ball I didn't actually mean to throw the ball at him I didn't think I thought I thought the guy closest to the scores table was making the call to the scores table. It actually ended up being Josh who was down there and I was trying to spin it around Tristan. I put a little too much English on that. We him and I have worked it out, but that's what I mean by what my parents saw and what what Josh saw as well. And I'm sure, you know,

Darnell our assistant coach in New Orleans seats would talk to me and I'm sure you know Darnell our assistant coach in New Orleans seats would talk to me it's you know pregame shoot around or it walk through in the morning he's like what the hell is going on with you man this wasn't the guy that was here last year this is hard man it was hard whoa what are you listening to this for wait who's talking you know you're driving a 2024 Ford Escape with available Alexa built-in, so you can change the music. Oh yeah, Alexa, change station to 99.2.

See? Purchase a 2024 Escape ST-Line all-wheel drive with TechPak at 3.49% APR for 72 months with down payment. That's just $2.67 bi-weekly, cash value of $40,294. Plus, eligible Ford owners get a $1,000 bonus. For details, visit your local Ford store or Ford.ca. Don LeBattard. Let's go to 80.

His name is Bo. Wow. I think Billy typed an eight instead of a B. Fine. It's a clear as day. Two dollars. Stugatz. Number eight. It's Chris Corner on the line. This is the Don Leventar show with the Stugats!

We have players like Kevin Love in the league embracing fixing your mental health. What do you think we are right now in the league when it comes to mental health? I think we're in a much better place than we were when I first started in the NBA. I think the fact that guys like Demar DeRozan, Kevin Love, coaches, everybody's just more open about it and it's talked about in public forums You know I've had chats with young players even in retirement because I'm always available for guys if they need something You know, are you talking anybody? I know you're dealing with this issue. Are you talking anybody and with this issue are you talking to anybody? And it's no longer a taboo thing to be like hey guess what I'm in a little bit of a high pressure situation. This is the thing that

always annoys me. It annoys me when we do the discourse thing and Dan I know you've gotten on me because you're like you choose to be on first take and you make fun of it. I'm like that's fine dude I recognize what first take is I recognize what this whole ecosystem is and I have no problem with it well it's fun and entertaining. Who's gotten on you? Who's gotten on you? I like what you do I like how disruptive you are on first take. People on your show. I don't like how you treat Mad Dog, he's an idol to me. I'm just saying I and you're not did this show is not the only one that's ever pointed out the the hypocrisy of it I'm totally saying I and you're not this show is not the only one that's ever pointed out that the hypocrisy of it

I'm totally comfortable with with that my point though is like the idea of who is under more pressure it Is the stupidest fucking question and excuse my language? We are all under pressure at all times. That is the nature of a highly competitive, highly cutthroat, 450 jobs, eight man rotation, that's 240 basketball players in the world that get to play in the NBA on a consistent basis. There is always pressure and it carries, there is a cloud that is on you every

single day of the NBA season. It is not to the off season that you don't feel that. There is a weight on you. So that's the pressure that exists in our sport. So the fact that guys are now seeking out just someone to chat with, a trained mental health professional, I think is wonderful. And I give credit to Demar specifically and Kevin as well for leading this group of players, this generation of players into recognizing that it's okay. It's okay. You come to Purdue tonight, 920, way too late. Who has more pressure? tonight 920 way too late who has more pressure

I was hoping you'd do a spit take there. I was hoping you were going to spit take there. I got him as he was drinking. You almost got him. I enjoy what it is that you do on first take. I enjoy how disruptive you are. I enjoy how smart you are and when it comes to questions like that, most pressure, I enjoy that Shannon Sharp has to say to you, will you please embrace the hypothetical, we can't do a show. And you're like, they tried to voice this on me in the pre-production meeting

and I didn't wanna talk about it there either. I like that you pull back the curtain on all of that stuff and I like what you're doing in general in the media But I want to circle back around to what you were saying about your son letting go and the Christmas tree Can you tell me what was happening there? What can you take us back to that moment and how it is that you were able to let go? Yeah so, you know, he's

cheese this was 2020, so he had just turned four. He was about 4 and 1 half years old. And anybody who's had kids knows the joy that a 4 and 1 half year old has on Christmas morning. And so he runs down the stairs of our apartment, and he sees the Christmas tree all lit up and all the presents that Santa has brought. And it was just, it was hard because I didn't get to experience that moment with him.

And again, that was also, I think it was harder because I had played on the road before on Christmas. I think I played 12 of the 15 years in the NBA. I think I had a Christmas day game. Sometimes my family would come, sometimes they wouldn't. But what was hard about that was I had missed six weeks with them, it was closer to eight weeks actually, because I had to go to New Orleans early

to report to market. So I'd missed maybe eight weeks that prior summer. And you know, like the off season, if you have a family in professional sports, whether you're a coach or a player, like the off season is like the bread and butter. That's like the sweet spot. That's why you do it. So you get the real time with your family. And I had missed out on that.

And then just it was like for some reason, it was that moment of seeing the joy on his face that I said, oh, shit, I can't do this anymore. I've missed too much. When you talk about things that annoy you, and there are many because you articulate them all the time, what annoys you most about the way basketball is covered by the mainstream media?

Again, I wanna be fair here. People people watch discourse shows. The discourse shows go viral. There are funny moments. They're entertaining. I think Stephen A. I've worked alongside him for Almost three years now. It's one of the smartest people I've been around He really truly is and you can disagree with it was with some things that he does or whatever

but I've genuinely enjoyed it I I think What annoys me is? That the game gets lost. That the things that I grew up watching and the things I grew up being talked about, that has been lost. And it's, it's nearly almost universally specific to basketball. And it's really interesting, I'm sure you guys are going to talk about this and I'm sure you followed along. It's really interesting what has happened over the last two weeks in women's college basketball.

We have witnessed some of the best performances in recent memory. We certainly, I'm not going to get into the goat debate at all, but Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Don Staley as a coach, like we're in real time witnessing some of the best basketball players and coaches in that sport. In all in all in all basketball I should say. I'll all in all in all of basketball I should say I'll be fair in all of basketball and we've spent two weeks on the bullshit

that's what annoys me. Mind the game new episodes every Wednesday on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts I imagine is the zig to that zag right when you complain about people don't want to be educated, I'm guessing that you, as someone who appreciates the roots of basketball, I'm guessing that you being across from LeBron James are simply awed by being able to pick that mind. I've always had a deep appreciation for LeBron and the mental side of his game and obviously I competed against him. You know I didn't play a lot in 2009 in the conference finals but you know I'm sitting there on

the bench watching what he's able to do. 38 points a game, eight rebounds, eight assists with zero spacing. And I'm like, that guy's he's different. He's different. In the same way that I watched Kobe Bryant, uh, he was different, you know, and I've had a, Luke is the same way. Yoko is the same way. James Harden is the same. Like these guys think the game and they court map the game at a different level. And there are certain coaches now that I get to interview before games that you ask them a couple of questions

and you're like, okay, these guys think about this differently and there's a lot of joy that I get out of that. And it's an incredible opportunity. I don't look at it as like an opportunity for me. This is an opportunity for any basketball fan to listen to one of the greatest players ever talk about the game of basketball. We saw that for a few years with Kobe.

And God rest his soul, I think him being gone, there's a void there. Like how many of the all-time greats are talking about the game? I don't know if there's anybody. I just don't know. And so it's an opportunity for fans to get an inside glimpse at how the game works, the why. I never forget when I first signed up to do ESPN, somebody asked me, what do you hope to do? And I didn't know what the landscape was.

I truthfully did not know First Take was a debate show. I'm being honest with you. I did not know that. And I was like, I want to help explain the why. Like, I want to help explain the why. Why are you putting two on the ball against Steph Curry? Why is Draymond catching the ball with no one in the middle of the court and he's got a four on three? Why are they back cutting out of the corner and Draymond's hitting Iguodala or Andrew Wiggins on a lob pass for a dunk why is that happening it's a great pass it's a great cut it's a great finish it's beautiful to watch but why and that's essentially what

the show is there's there's a there's a level of why things happen the way they do JJ did LeBron finish the sentence, do you want to host a podcast with me before you said yes? Like was he able to finish that sentence or you just said yes when he called? Well how do you know that he called me? I don't. Yeah, see, so you're making assumptions here.

You're making assumptions, that's interesting. But had he called you, JJ. Time to try and wait on called you credibility and get reckless here is something we like to call reckless speculation you're good you're good to answer that no JJ look I you know we we we met in December group of us met just to have a sort of initial conversation. And I think it was trying to figure out, the biggest thing was just trying to figure out what the show was, what it would look like, what the format would be. We went through different iterations of it. You know, I think it wasn't about like, yes, yes, yes, I'll do it. It was like, all right,

let's figure out how to make this work. I mean, even now it's like I'm flown to LA twice to record these episodes in person. I live in New York City, man. It's like trying to figure out how to make it all work. It's not like a seamless thing. He's an active player trying to get into the playoffs and make another run. So the logistical stuff of it has been, you know, interesting to try to figure out. Got a couple of rapid fire questions here before we let you go.

Mind the game, new episodes every Wednesday. Do you believe that your podcast partner, LeBron James, flu-like symptoms that he missed last night's game because he wants Minnesota to be the number one seed so he can face them in the playoffs instead of Denver? I have no reason to believe that's the case. Other than Jokic, why would anybody want to play against Jokic? Why would anybody, never mind the oldest player in the league,

why would anybody want to be playing against Jokic? You know there's there are different points in time in my career where teams would do that and I'm not saying the Lakers are doing that at all because there again they haven't secured a playoff spot yet and I'm sure you know for them wouldn't it be nice to to win the 7-8 game and not have to play in an 8-9 single elimination elimination game. So I don't think that's happening but there were times in my career where teams would do that and there were a few times where it came

back to bite him. So just be careful what you wish for in a matchup. We played this game before with you I'm gonna play it again. Shot for your life okay? Shot has to go in you could only choose one. He understands what shot for your life okay shot has to go in you could only choose he understands what shot for your life I'm just making sure trying to clarify for the audience one of the smartest players in the history of the league complicated game yep but shot for your life JJ okay here are your choices yourself or Kaitlyn Clark JJ or CC Wow I think last last time I was on the show, you asked me, me or Larry Bird? Yes. And I answered me, and I'll answer me again.

And I can't believe you're still here. Yes. I mean, yeah. It's amazing. I'm going to say me again. I'm not putting this. I don't want my life in the hands of someone else. I will trust the probably close to a million shots that I've shot

in my life. I walk on a basketball court right now. I'm, give me 25 shots, five shots at each spot. I'm making 20. I'm making 20. I got an 80% chance of being alive. Last question, true or false? It's done for the old people. The young people will be the ones who win the championship this year in the NBA true or false Oh interesting And I need some delineation here of who are the old people under 30. It's not gonna be kawaii It's not gonna be the guys who have run

Yeah, I think I will say the young people. Young people. I will tell you again that JJ Reddick is making very good choices with his media career and it is going to be a wildly fulfilling one for him. Dan, since he doesn't remember, JJ, I wanted to remind you, your final game for the Pelicans, 22 points, 9 of 15 shooting, it was on a Wednesday night. That's pretty good. Yeah.

Oh, interesting. You don't remember? You don't remember? You don't know. You know what? I guess that sparked a thing in my brain, actually. Garrett Temple, who locked me up in the 2006, we 16 when he played at LSU, shout to Garrett Temple. Great dude, great pro.

So happy he's had the career he's had. He guarded me that game. And I remember after the game, he had he guarded me that game and I remember after the game he came up to me and said hey it's good to see you get your mojo back and I always appreciated that and I don't think I scored in double digits again. JJ good seeing you thank you for making the time sir. Alright thanks guys