The Herd with Colin Cowherd - What’s Wright - Best Of - First Things First's near cancelation to Emmy nomination, Wemby's MVP push, Luka's wild disrespect

Episode Date: March 28, 2026

All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet.   Nick Wright opens up about the history of ‘First Things First’ on Fox Sports, from its start with Cris Carter, to its near cancelation, to now b...eing nominated for its first Emmy with Nick hosting alongside Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes. Next, Nick reacts to Victor Wembanyama stating that he should be the NBA MVP following the San Antonio Spurs' 136-111 win over the Miami Heat and breaks down where Wemby should stand among the other top candidates. Later, Nick breaks down whether we have become numb to Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic's dominance, and why it is absurd that people aren't taking Luka more seriously as an MVP threat. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.
Starting point is 00:00:12 We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick.
Starting point is 00:00:26 Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman
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Starting point is 00:01:41 Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the best of the week for What's Right with Nick Wright, the best takes and moments from this week on the show.
Starting point is 00:02:17 Enjoy. Huge news. Congratulations to you and your show. First Things First was nominated for Most Outstanding Sports, the Most, the Most, Outstanding Sports Studio Show Emmy, has Wimby inspired you to campaign for the award? I'm not going to campaign for the award, but I am going to be a touch self-indulgent here, but also I'm going to spend a bit of time on this because I think this is instructive for people in there at any, I think there are lessons.
Starting point is 00:02:58 lessons sounds patronizing. I think there might be some wisdom shared here. And that sounded pretty patronizing too. As far as, yeah, the story
Starting point is 00:03:15 of the TV show. And listen, I don't know if we're going to win the Emmy, but I and I know the maybe the proper thing, certainly the cool thing, is to say,
Starting point is 00:03:32 I don't care, but I care deeply about being nominated for this. Every year when these nominations came out, I got upset that we were not included and I thought for some time maybe not even considered. Now, to be fair, there was a period of time where we didn't deserve to be considered. But for people that are, you know, to this show or first things first I will try as briefly as I can to kind of give the history of the show
Starting point is 00:04:09 because again there are some fork in the road moments that I think are instructive um so September Labor Day 2017 the show launches 2017, it is me, Chris Carter, and Jenna Woolf. And in pretty short order, the show was solid. And I think, you know, it had some documented growing ratings success at a time slot where FS1 had never had a show before. The show used to start at 6.30 a.m. Eastern, so 3.30 a.m. Pacific and go three hours, 6.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. And before the end of our first football season, we had an episode where we had more than 100,000 viewers, which I think was way, way beyond what real. realistic goals were for not only a new show, not only a new show involving someone that,
Starting point is 00:05:37 me, that nobody knew, but a show that nobody ever woke up to FS1, you know, historically, because we didn't have life programming on that. And, but that show was very different. And people that watched it, you know, know it the I didn't know what I was doing I thought my job was every day to prove to the audience how smart I was I thought my job was every day to just be armed with all of the data all of the facts all of the information to win any potential debate that popped up while also weighing that with the fact that
Starting point is 00:06:31 that my partner and the person fronting the show, Chris Carter, who was so good to me personally and so good to my family and my wife and my kids and who I had a real deep personal relationship and friendship with, he was not really trying to argue. And so I, and as much as I believe Chris respected my intellect, to my work ethic, he certainly did not think if he and I disagreed on football or basketball, for that matter, that I had a leg to stand on. He obviously was one of the greatest football players of all time, and also had 100 Division
Starting point is 00:07:25 1 college basketball scholarships. His brother coached in the NBA. And so I was that first year plus always kind of doing a dance figuring out how to as strongly as I could make my case for something, give my opinion, while never actually entering into a debate which could turn into an argument with Cici because that's just not what he was trying to do. And it was his show. And so there were a lot of moments where, and I'm not really a fold your hand guy, where I had really no other choice but to kind of fold my hand. But it was still great. It was on TV every day.
Starting point is 00:08:21 The show was growing. And we were headed in a really positive direction along with the network when undisputed was really starting to hum. They were on after us. Colin's been great throughout. The show on after Colin, at that point in time, he was still a part of.
Starting point is 00:08:42 He would do the herd and then also do speak for yourself. And the network was really rolling. And then late October of 2018, so the show's now been on for 14 months. I get a phone call that Chris and Fox have parted ways. And the, you know, I, it's been eight years.
Starting point is 00:09:13 It's something I've never really talked about, but call it a reconcilable differences. And I show up to work the next day. I think the first day was Halloween 2018. And they're like, well, listen, you know, Chris Canty has been a great. guest of ours he's going to do a lot of stuff Greg Jennings will still come in coach mangeny Greg and coach were there from day one those guys um will you know still be a part of
Starting point is 00:09:47 the rotation and we will just kind of do you know a rotating co-host while we figure out you know who's going to be full-time what's what and that win from the rotating co-host thing from October of 2018 to we are now in February of 2020 and there is still not a full-time co-host and while that was to be obviously not the best thing for the stability of the show. And Chris Canty did an awesome job because he was there more than anybody. We also, during the NBA, Chris Broussard started being a part of it.
Starting point is 00:10:45 It's how I really got to know Broussard. And while it wasn't, that lack of stability wasn't what was really best, I think, for the show's growth, it certainly allowed me to put my stamp on it. And for, you know, almost by default, a show that was never supposed to be my show, became my show.
Starting point is 00:11:15 And then in January, February of 2020, Kevin Wilds, who was, you know, in the running, and he himself bowed out of being on the show when it launched, had decided he did want to do it and they brought KW in and then of course when I say February of 2020 we are approaching
Starting point is 00:11:45 COVID but right before COVID was the 2019 Super Bowl which was in January of 2020 or February of 2020 KW is now you know getting ready to be or is already a part of the show and the Sunday night of Super Bowl week when we are about to do a three hour live show in basically the middle of the
Starting point is 00:12:19 night um from wherever that Super Bowl was it was Miami I think so it wasn't really the middle of the night uh but at 630 in the morning we find out that Kobe Bryant's helicopters crashed. And we are going to be doing a three-hour show the first day of Super Bowl week with a live studio audience reacting to this unspeakable tragedy. And I remember specifically requesting that Chris Rusard who was there in case any basketball stories popped up during Super Bowl week, could he host the entire show with me? With the crew. Could he be there for the whole thing?
Starting point is 00:13:15 And Brew, to his credit, said yes. And we did those three hours together, which were just, I, the impossible in retrospect to think about. um cobie had lost you know obviously coby died but it was also other adults and a bunch of young girls including covey's daughter and i remember when that show ended hugging brew and telling him man i literally could not have done this show without you out here like thank you and it felt like that really bonded us and then um you know Six weeks later, the world shuts down. And we still don't have a full-time co-host.
Starting point is 00:14:09 We still don't really know, you know, exactly what's what. And COVID hits, and all of a sudden, we're doing the show from our house with no live sports on. And I might get some of this timeline a little wrong. And I apologize for the length of this, but there's a reason. I'm glad I'm finally kind of putting this full thing out there. And at one point during the first call it 12 months of COVID, I'm told by folks who would know, not sure if we're going to continue with the show.
Starting point is 00:14:59 We never landed on the co-host the, you know, there's no sports on that, if you guys remember, the sports economy and advertiser economy at that time, like the show was on, what, not thin ice, but it was, I was given a heads up that it was probably going to be canceled. Three years and four years into the show. Again, I don't remember if this is late 2020, early 2021. And I don't know. what changed over the next two months other than, you know, maybe I had, you know, the people,
Starting point is 00:15:43 I don't know what changed. But I know all of a sudden it went from me telling my wife and daughters that I think we're going to probably move to L.A., that I think that, you know, I've established myself well enough with Fox that even if they canceled the show. I think they will have, they'll want to keep me around. I'm under contract. And, you know, but I think we're going to have to move to L.A. I was, I was setting up interviews for my older daughter for L.A. high schools.
Starting point is 00:16:27 I had, my pal Maverick had, you know, made some calls for me. where, you know, his friend's kids went to school. And like, this is what was happening. Like, I had kind of just come to terms with it. And then something changed and the show didn't get canceled. And they were adding a full-time co-host. And it was going to be Brandon Marshall. And we were still doing the show from our house.
Starting point is 00:16:58 And that was the 2021. I think football season. And we did, Brandon, me, Wilds, and Jenna did that show for a year with Brew being our basketball guests, coaching Greg, still being on the show as guests. And it was fine. Brandon and I had a good relationship, but it was also weird. Brandon and Wilds did a show together for a year. never once met in person. Brandon was in Florida. He was still COVID. We were still doing it from our houses.
Starting point is 00:17:41 Everything was remote. And then Brandon decided he didn't want to do, you know, renew. And we're approaching going back in studio. And this is, I gave that whole background, but this is the moral of the story and the reason I'm telling this and spending a half hour on this. Um, in that moment, we knew, uh, that Jenna was moving on. KW's role was going to change a little bit. And they were discussing with me thoughts on who the person opposite me should be. And out of respect to all the, to these people, I'm not going to, going to say who they were all talented all people i like or had good relationships with and all
Starting point is 00:18:42 former um athletes and i knew in my absolute core that the best person for the show the guy who worked the hardest had the best relationship we had the best chemistry with and who had the best disposition and was the most reliable was brew. And I also knew that I had probably one time I could play the card of, let's not do what you're suggesting, trust me. and it was i really debated whether or not that was even smart to do because if you do what you know your bosses or whatever are suggesting and you register i don't know if it's the best idea but yeah i'll go with it and then it doesn't work or something happens that's not as much
Starting point is 00:19:57 on you it's like well i you know i said but if you say hey I know this is right. And I'll take the hit, if I'm wrong. If it doesn't work, that is on you. And in that moment, I knew Wilde thought it should be Brew. I knew in my core that, because I listen to Brew's radio show. I was like, these guys think he's just a basketball guy.
Starting point is 00:20:32 He does a daily radio show every night, talks about football every day. Plus, I also knew from my own history. I was like, I am so, such an annoying person to argue with that there is something, in my experience, for former athletes, particularly former football players, that if every single day they got to argue with me, something in their brain activates a few months,
Starting point is 00:21:02 and they're like, man, I used to put guys like him in the damn locker. He's telling me who the better court is shut up. And one of the reasons I think Greg and coach have been so great for eight years on the show is by around Thursday, certainly by Friday of a week of dealing with my nonsense, they know, all right, I'm about to get a week away from this idiot. And they can reset. And so I just really didn't think going with another. former athlete was going to work.
Starting point is 00:21:35 And I advocated in the strongest possible terms along with Wilds. We all agree. Me Wilds, Brew, let it run. Just see. And even after that happened, once that was like agreed upon in the 23rd hour, they, I was presented with, hey, we got it done. with Brew, he's going to be on the show, but we think we are going to add a fourth person full-time. Not coach or Greg, they will still be on the show in their current role, but in every segment,
Starting point is 00:22:18 full-time person, and we think we know who it is. And I laid down in traffic on it and said, let us have this shot. And that was August of 2020. What? Hold on. Am I, do I have this? No, that was August of 2022, right? Two, three, four, five.
Starting point is 00:22:52 Yeah, we've done four football seasons together. That was August of 2022. And I believe by August of 20, 23, me Wilds and Brew, along with Coach and Greg, and the amazing folks who work on the show behind the scenes, have the best show on sports TV. And that's why being nominated for that award was so gratifying. I understand there's been a half hour of self-indulgence, but the lesson, there is a real lesson there, which is... if if you feel ownership over something and I listen I try to be very consistent and I'm being very honest when I talk about this is a collaborative effort but I feel real ownership over
Starting point is 00:23:55 this show um we are all equal partners in it but I the I it's why when we were moving to the afternoons, the other thing that I was adamant about is don't change the name. They were like, yeah, but we named it first things first because it's a morning show. I'm like, don't change the name. Let us keep it because I felt a real connection to it. But if you feel real ownership over something and in your core, you know what the right call is, be willing to put some stakes to it. going along to get along can be smart in certain instances.
Starting point is 00:24:44 Accumulating good co-worker, good colleague, not being a pain in the ass chips along the way, is super valuable. Because I had never once played a let me have this one card. And I've only played it once really since then. I mean, that's the only time that I've played it, I should say, since then. And it's the greatest thing ever happened to the show. Brew is perfect. He is works as hard as anyone in the business. He is funny.
Starting point is 00:25:24 He is never in a bad mood. And he is just the greatest guy to be around. The greatest guy. We've never had a real fight. Ever. KW is one of the smartest television sports television creators ever He created really good shows was behind the scenes has all these amazing instincts and then like we've had this this awesome group of people behind the scenes Matt Katanik was our original executive producer. He then moved on to breakfast ball. He then moved on to other stuff a couple years ago.
Starting point is 00:26:14 Sam Pepper was the brains behind the show for years. He then, you know, left and now is the brains behind the Manning cast. And two guys who have been with the show, the only people who've been with the show from day one, as far as producers, like Christine in Wardrobe and Danielle my wife in Wardrobe been there from day one but the people who put the TV show together been there from day one are me guy named Stephen Hubbard and Dustin Waite dusty started as my researcher
Starting point is 00:26:56 and now is the producer of the show and Hubbs started as I don't know an AP like a low-level producer and now is an executive at the company and the executive producer of the whole afternoon block we've been working together for eight and a half years the three of us um and and so i again maybe this is a bad use of time and maybe people have skipped ahead or they've tuned out um however uh i don't know if we're going to win. I do know that nominated for that best sports studio show Emmy is ESPN's flagship NBA show, ESPN's flagship NFL show, ESPN's flagship NFL show, ESPN's flagship flagship, this is where all the biggest guests in the world go, you know, radio slash YouTube slash TV show
Starting point is 00:28:07 McAfee and Sports Center, the defining sports highlight show of, you know, in television history. Those four shows and us. And I am, I'm really, really, really proud of it. And it is a gratifying thing every day to work on something where so many people work, hard. And I didn't mention all the behind the scenes folks because I'm terrified that I will, you know, mention nine of ten and leave someone out. And, but people work really hard and people care. And it's just really gratifying to work on something that, uh, you feel like is good. And I feel like it's good. And, uh, I don't think we,
Starting point is 00:29:08 not I don't think I know the only way first things first is ever nominated for anything is if it's me wilds and brew out there doing it and I'm really really really grateful those guys are my partners
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Starting point is 00:30:46 Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-833 play-wise. In Indiana, if you or someone you know is a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news.
Starting point is 00:31:11 What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts.
Starting point is 00:31:24 We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And we were thinking I'm originally called. calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down?
Starting point is 00:31:45 Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Starting point is 00:32:03 or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel. Help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.
Starting point is 00:32:26 Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays,
Starting point is 00:32:52 the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments, to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action
Starting point is 00:33:17 with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. So Wemby made his case for MVP after the game and oppressor, and here's what he had to say.
Starting point is 00:33:35 My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race. Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season and we dominated him. My third argument would be that
Starting point is 00:33:58 offense impact is not just points. Okay. So, Before I even get to the actual merits of his point, what do you like, dislike, or you're ambivalent, DeMonse on him stumping for, I know he was asked the question.
Starting point is 00:34:22 He was asked, what are your three points, but that he is stumping for himself to win MVP? I actually like it, because I feel like some guys probably go the opposite way and they might feel in them in themselves that they should be MVP and might not be saying it. And I think Wimby deserves it. I like it.
Starting point is 00:34:41 Oh, so you think he is the MVP? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty fair to say. And I also just like Wendy. Yeah, and you don't like the thunder. Okay. So let me go through his points. Because Brew and I got into a more heated than is typical for our show, argument, discussion, whatever, yesterday about kind of Luca versus Wimby.
Starting point is 00:35:14 And the first point people make is the one he made, which is defense is half the game. And that sounds smart and that sounds correct, except for the fact that when it comes to winning MVP of the league, defense is not. and has never been half the game. And when it comes to individual impact a player can have, it has never been and should not be 50% defense, 50% offense. This is evidenced by the entire history of awards voting, up to and including Demonsé, the awards we have to give out. we have the all-MBA team, the 15 best players in the league, and then a supplemental
Starting point is 00:36:16 all-defense team. You know what we don't have? The all-offense team. You know why? Because they're like, yeah, that'd pretty much just be the all-MBA team. We have the most valuable player award and then a supplemental award called defensive player of the year. You know what we don't have? Offensive player of the year because that would be redundant to MVP almost every season. Furthermore, just this century, we have had damn near 10 MVP
Starting point is 00:37:00 seasons by objectively bad defensive players. Yeah. Both Steve Nash years. Dirk's year. Some would argue Russell Westbrook's year. Certainly James Hardin's year. Steff's years. At least one or two of
Starting point is 00:37:23 Joker's years. Certainly the first one. So now, those are all, again, varying levels of bad defenders. But they are, at best, Joker's gotten way better. defensively, I should say, by the way. Somewhere from mediocre to a Nash's case,
Starting point is 00:37:44 downright damaging. Steph's first year, he was, they were a great defense despite him, his first year winning MVP. Now, let me go ahead and ask folks this question. This century or any century, how many league MVP's have we had were their downright bad,
Starting point is 00:38:08 offensive players. The answer is none. It is not how we now, Wimby's saying he thinks that's a flaw in the system. Yeah. And Wimby's defense is so sensational that maybe it bends the rules a bit on impact an individual defensive player can have on the game. But his offense, he also affects the, the offensive side pretty well too, though, right? Does he not? So, so that's what I want to discuss here because this is where Brew and I got into it it a bit. Okay. But let me stay on the defense just for a second, then I'll get there, okay?
Starting point is 00:38:45 So I do agree when it comes to a team winning the championship. Defense is as important as offense. And history backs that up. And in fact, a truly elite defense has been as big, if not
Starting point is 00:39:04 slightly bigger, historical signifier of championship. chances than an elite offense and so team wise I agree with that take the distinction is one singular talent can impact a team's offense more than one singular talent can impact a team's defense more than one singular talent can impact a team's defense and again Wimby might actually be changing those rules in real time. Like his ability, he might be an unprecedented
Starting point is 00:39:44 defensive performer with defensive impact. And then we get to Wimby's offense, which is where I am not comfortable for someone we have never seen do it, assign them the ability
Starting point is 00:40:09 or the credit for doing things they don't do. It's one thing when Kevin Durant goes to Golden State, if people are like, well, he could be averaging 30 plus. It's like, well, yeah, we've seen him do it a bunch. Wimby averages 24 points and three assists a game. And folks seem to want to say, yeah, but he could average 30. it's just not how the Spurs do things.
Starting point is 00:40:46 Okay, I'm not, I am not going to say that you get to have everything when it comes to your MVP argument. And by that I mean this. Folks seem to believe that the Spurs, as Brew puts it, egalitarian style of basketball is what's best for their ability to win games.
Starting point is 00:41:13 Okay, so if Wimby took more shots, maybe they would have a slightly worse record He shouldn't get the MVP boost from the better record that is caused by the style they play and then also a boost of But hypothetically he could be averaging more points unless in that hypothetical We're also gonna draw away a few of the wins that's first point second point is this I don't know if Wimby would be quite as impactful defensively if they added to his offensive workload. So what I'm not comfortable with is saying, we know if he were taking way more shots and playing more minutes, he would be play-to-play as dominant defensively because what we have seen from every play, player across league history is as their offensive workload increases, their defensive impact
Starting point is 00:42:23 tends to decrease a bit. Kauai Leonard is a great example. Kauai Leonard's best defensive seasons were before he became the team's number one offensive option. And it is, now, Tim Duncan would be the argument as to a guy who won MVP. without gaudy offensive numbers, I would argue MVP Duncan was a better offensive player than Wimby is at the moment.
Starting point is 00:43:01 But I don't think right now, Victor Wimbunyama, as great as he is. And again, I'm not trying to be the anti-Wimby guy, but it does seem like there's, the there is a bit of an one. I think America's gone too far? I don't.
Starting point is 00:43:19 A touch. Just a touch. It feels like it is an ongoing contest for Wimby hyperbole at the moment. And so here is the question that I would have. And this is where you know, one of the arguments Brew and I got in yesterday.
Starting point is 00:43:38 I don't think Wimby if we are evaluating just offense, just as offensive players. I don't think he is one of the 10 best offensive players in the sport yet. Doesn't mean he won't be. But I think, and I'm going to do this off top my head, I think Shea is a better offensive player. I think Joker's a better offensive player.
Starting point is 00:44:05 I think Luca's a better offensive player. I think Ant is a better offensive player. I think Steph Curry is a better offensive player. I think Steph Curry is a better offensive player. I think Devin Booker is a better offensive player. I think Donovan Mitchell is a better offensive player. I think if we're going to give him, assume he gets back to himself, I think Jason Tatum is a better offensive player.
Starting point is 00:44:31 I think Cade Cunningham is a better offensive player. The one I threw out yesterday that Brew lost his mind on, but I thought was like kind of, I was shocked there was so much pushback. I think Tyrese Halliburton is a better offensive player. And I think we're seeing how much of that offense was relying on him. But even if you want to take Tyrese out, who am I? Oh, Jalen Brunson, I think is a better offensive player.
Starting point is 00:44:59 And I am not saying Wimby won't get there. I am not saying Wimby that maybe he is already there. and we're just not seeing it. But what I'm not comfortable with is saying, he gets credit for things he has not done. He is not doing and he has not yet done. And so I think that if I were right now voting for League MVP, my ballot would go.
Starting point is 00:45:35 Number one, Shea, number two, Luca, number three, Wimby, number four Joker. number five, Cade, but Cade's going to fall off for eligibility, so Jalen Brown would take his spot. That's what my, and again, if we want, so I guess right now technically I've Cade 5, Jalen Brown 6, Jalen Brunson, 7 is how I would stack it with assuming Cades going to lose out on the spot. but there are people are so fascinated by what wimby is already doing that we're doing some weird psychological things on so go ahead it is it is most valuable player like you say wimby's averaging 24 and 3 23 and 3 right now uh shia's averagea's averagea averaging 31 and 6.
Starting point is 00:46:37 I think it is most valuable player. I think that with what Wimby does on offense and the amount of shots that he affects on defense, I think together it makes him the most valuable player. Like, in my opinion, like, I think that's how I think of it. So I get that. And I, and I, and I. No, no, no. And, and.
Starting point is 00:46:57 You know, it, no, I, I, you know, no, I, I, I, you know, what, what I'm saying is, I think we have. Wimby is, but statistically, the exact same guy he was last year. Last year is 24, 11, and 3. This year is 24, 11, and 3. Efficiency is the same. I guess you can argue he got better defensively, but it feels like he has been basically the best defender in the league since the moment he walked into the league.
Starting point is 00:47:33 And to me, the big difference, is the Spurs team around him has gotten so much better. Now, we can, now, the Spurs defense, he is the sun, the moon, and the stars for that. I don't feel that way about their offense. I don't think like Wimby's presence dramatically makes Deeran Fox a better offensive player. Or the Harper and Castle are Blue Chip guys. And so, and I think it is noteworthy that they're 10 and 5 in the 15 games he hasn't played.
Starting point is 00:48:18 It's not, again, I'm not negging his case, but it's not as if they fall apart entirely without him. And so if we are, I, the guy who by I test, the team is, team is. absolutely most relying on to be anything is joker now they actually went on i think they did decent the time he missed um but it's just watching him it feels like everything revolves around him entirely and i'm not it just feels like people are pressing fast forward and have been throughout wimby's career i in the you know my palville simmons yesterday on his podcast for a reason I still don't totally understand did a Wimby's in year three but I want to compare him to all of the best year twos ever and part of now I understood why he wanted to
Starting point is 00:49:26 do that um when it came to Duncan and Kareem guys who played four years in college but like LeBron was younger than Wimby when he came out of school. And LeBron in year three was second in the MVP race and average 31 points a game. And LeBron, when he was younger than Wimby is right now, took a team to the NBA finals. And so the Jordan in his rookie year, rookie year Michael Jordan, was 28 a game. Jordan's year two, he got hurt. Jordan's year three, average 37.
Starting point is 00:50:06 So like I So you feel similarly about like Josh Allen You think a similar thing is being done Just like kind of pushing some No this is actually very different than Alan Because Alan was not this feat at phenom like this This starts for Wimby before he was drafted This was you know
Starting point is 00:50:27 Woj saying people think by his third year He can be the best offensive and defensive player the league. And again, offensively, I think he's a real, I don't think he's a great offensive player yet. I don't. I think he's a really good offensive
Starting point is 00:50:48 player, far and away the best defensive player in the league. And if that is enough to make him league MVP on a two seed, so be it. Like, I don't think it's outrageous to say he's league MVP. What I am saying is this, because a lot of this
Starting point is 00:51:06 has come up in the Luca MVP. discussion. Well, defense is half the game. And for the MVP award, no, it is not. And it never has been. And the last five guys to win defensive player of the year did not, you know, got a combined, the five, five guys who won defensive player of the year got a combined one fifth place MVP vote between the five, five guys who won defensive player of the year, got a combined one fifth place MVP vote. between the five guys, the five seasons. If defense were half the game, when it comes to voting for MVP, then they'd be. So I just, I don't think that is how it's been done. And so there's my 30 minutes on Wimby and the MVP award.
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Starting point is 00:52:39 Huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember.
Starting point is 00:52:59 I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And, well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.
Starting point is 00:53:27 Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I Heart.
Starting point is 00:54:01 radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.
Starting point is 00:54:22 We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context,
Starting point is 00:54:40 and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.
Starting point is 00:54:58 So Yokic had a new year 2020 and 20-20 game. Murray went over 50, where would you rank these guys in the list of duos over the NBA? So here's the thing. I mean, if we're talking about like contemporary right now, they're obviously as good as anybody. Right. Historically, here, here's what I'll say about Yokic and Murray. It's hard to rank them anywhere historically because Murray is similar. not consistently that caliber of player to where he all of the great the truly great duos that we talk
Starting point is 00:55:44 about you have a legend and an all-time great and whether that's magic and worthy berna mccale Jordan and Pippen shack and Kobe that's two legends there um Duncan and Tony or and Manu, Bron and Wade, Bron and Kyrie, Stefan Clay, Katie and Steph. When Jamal Murray is rolling
Starting point is 00:56:13 like he was last night, they are, they look as good as anybody ever. He's just not consistently that guy. And it's a testament to Joker's greatness. And I'm not, listen, Jamal Murray scored 50 last night
Starting point is 00:56:29 against the tanking Mavs. I'm not taking. anything away from the guy. But I don't look at them as anything close to an all-time great duo. Now, maybe
Starting point is 00:56:43 they peeled the title this year from the four of the five line. Maybe we look at them differently. But right now I don't look at them like that. I know you have another Joker question. Yeah, so he's gone 60, 50, and 50 over his last three games. Are we forgetting
Starting point is 00:57:01 about him in the MVP race, you think? Listen, I think I have him fourth. I know a lot of people have him third over Luca. I would like to, just if I may for a moment, make the Luca. Well, let me talk Joker and then I'm going to pull up this Luca note, okay? Are we a little numb to Joker's consistent offensive excellence? Sure. I think that's fair.
Starting point is 00:57:37 Has, because he has been so, it's not like he's short on accolades. The guy's got three MVP's, okay? He's got the same number of MVP's as Larry Bird. He's one short of LeBron. So he's not a guy that's like, well, you know, he's disrespected, far from it. he is to a point in his career where there is not much to do other than win more. And that's why we are somewhat numb to these crazy numbers. And speaking of being numb to the numbers,
Starting point is 00:58:26 Luca just averaged 40 a game on a road, a six-plus game road trip. That has not been done since Michael Jordan 40 years ago. 40 a game over a six-game road trip. Last guy to do it, Jordan in 1986. Luca also is going to average 33 plus on a 50 win team and this is where I will get a little upset so to speak. DeManzi in the last 60 years here are the guys who averaged 33 or more
Starting point is 00:59:28 on a 50 win team and their MVP finish. Wilt in 1966, he won it. I want to make sure I'm right about that. Yeah, of course I am. Wilton 66, 33 and a half a game on a 50 win, Sixers team, he won it. Kareem in year two, 35 a game on a Bucks team that went on to win the title. He won the MVP.
Starting point is 01:00:06 Jordan in 88, 35 a game on a 50 win Bulls team. He won the MVP. Jordan in 90, 33 a game on a 50-plus win Bulls team. He came in second, okay? James Hardin. 36 a game on a 50 plus win Rockets team in 2019 he came in second
Starting point is 01:00:33 as the defending league MVP so Jordan and Hardin when you first said I was like James Hardin didn't do it recently no he did it in 2019 he came in second in voting but he had won it the previous year Jordan did it in 90 after doing it in 88 and winning MVP there
Starting point is 01:00:53 Joel Embed in 23 average 33 a game for a 50 plus win Sixers team he won it so we have in the last 60 years Will Kareem Michael
Starting point is 01:01:06 and Embed won the MVP for 33 plus on a 50 win team Jordan came in second another time when he had already won an MVP Hardin came in second when he had already won an MVP
Starting point is 01:01:21 and then Luca Danchich two years ago, 34 a game on a 50 win team, came in a distant third. Four first place votes out of 100. Four. And Lukadanshich this year, who people think is going to finish third or maybe even fourth, every other person to do this,
Starting point is 01:01:51 this high volume of scoring, on this good of a team either has won the MVP or come in second and the guys who came in second had already won MVP's except for Luca who did it once already before and that year came in third in MVP voting but it was 79 votes yokech 15 Shea Four for Luca. And Luca this year, who people think is going to finish either a distant third or fourth, probably with only two or three first place votes for. I think that's, I think we are approaching a bit of lunacy when it comes to
Starting point is 01:02:47 recognizing his utter and complete dominance as an offensive player. And I think we've overstated. Here's the thing. Is Luca a good defender? No. Do the Lakers, does the Lakers defense go from an average defense with Luca on the court to a horrific defense with Luke off the court? 115 versus 121.
Starting point is 01:03:21 They do. So I just, I, Lucas can average 33 a game on a 50 plus win team and nobody cares but me. It's weird. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin.
Starting point is 01:03:37 And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.
Starting point is 01:03:51 Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer,
Starting point is 01:04:17 Street or Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive.
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Starting point is 01:04:57 right now and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the Iheart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the
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