The Ringer NBA Show - Kyrie Irving Would Simply Retire if the Nets Were to Trade Him. Plus, a Potential Midseason Tournament. | Real Ones

Episode Date: September 20, 2021

Logan and Raja are back talking about the potential for a midseason tournament and whether that would work in the NBA (0:30). Then they discuss Nick Wright’s reporting that Kyrie Irving would retire from the NBA if he were traded from the Nets (21:00) before Jomi joins to give his thoughts on the Clippers breaking ground on their new arena in Inglewood (33:50). Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Guest: Jomi Adeniran Associate Producer: Sasha Ashall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringers Charles Holmes and co-host Grace Spellman present the most notorious new podcast in the industry, the Ringer Music Show. Every Tuesday, they'll bring you the latest news, the hottest takes, and the deepest reporting about the wild world of music and the chaotic industry that creates it. Check out the Ringer Music Show exclusively on Spotify. What is up? Real Ones, Logan Murdoch here, Roger Bell. Rajah, how you doing, man? You good? It's September 20th. It's like a preseason for us. We're not quite to the NBA season. Yeah, but we're not quite to the NBA season. we're here, man. What's going on? How you feeling, Doug? I'm 45, son. Flex bombs. Flex bombs. Flex bombs. Happy birthday to Roger. Happy birthday to Roger.

You know, honestly, we have a, we have a, it's a Virgo gang here, man. We got Sasha Mac, who's a Virgo. We got myself who starts this thing off as a Virgo. And we got Ra, Ra, as a Virgo. How do you feel, 45? How do you feel? I feel good, bro. Got some tennis in yesterday with my pops. We had a little doubles match in the morning coming off of a long Saturday night.

so I was a surprise I could get up and function. Oh, wow, good job. You had a little flu tennis game? Yeah, you were just, yeah, feeling good. A little game six. What was it, game six? A little MJ games. And then yesterday just kicked it with the fan, bro.

Just did stuff. So it was a great 45th birthday, bro. But I'm happy to be here. Yo, man, I was just going to say, like, I'm not even gasping you because I hate doing that. But it seems like, bro, 45 doesn't even seem real. Like, you seem very younger than that. And the fact that you can have a weekend at 45,

to where you do something you probably did at 25 and then like, and they just really just get through okay? On scale, though. Were you good? On scale, on scale. Okay. Obviously. Like, it wasn't as many shots as much as it was, you know, a glass of bourbon

and a cigar. And then another, you know what I mean? Like, I wasn't. Yeah. But we had good times, bro. And it really, it goes by quick, homie. Like, I know this is cliche shit, but I don't feel 45. Good.

I mean, man. Go ahead, bro. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Happy birthday. Happy birthday, dude. I think you're going to do a lot better because I have a story for you. All right. And I didn't do this in the pre-pod meeting.

I didn't even bring this up, but I have a story for you. So recently, for a story that I'm doing, I did a, I had an interview with someone that you love near and dear. It's very near and dear to your heart. Leandro Barbosa. Yes. I talked to him. Yes, man. Very recently.

And so. Did he say that at all? He told him the interview. Ishi. He didn't. He didn't. He didn't. He didn't.

He didn't. He said, he called me like, bro. He called me bro a lot. A brother. He called me one of the two. He called me one of those. But he was very nice. But anyway, when I get on the phone, right, you know, when you're about to interview

somebody, you know, I asked you first. So like, can I say I know Raja? And you were like, bad, all right, cool, right? I was like, I know Raja. I do a podcast or Raja. I was using your name to get some clout, right? Something that we all do. But when I talked to him, when I said it, he was like, Raja, I love Raja.

I don't want to mess up the accent. I don't want to do that. But he says, I love Raja. And he says, I don't know if he knows this, but when I went to the Warriors for the last time, I wore number 19 because of Raja. And the reason being because you were 19 with the Warriors and you didn't get to finish out your career the way you wanted to. So he wanted to do it right by that number for you. And he got a tatted and he got number 19 during the championship run because he wanted to attribute to you. And I thought that was a great story, man.

makes my heart warm, bro. Like, that's my guy. That L.B. is, you know, you come across teammates, Logan. I mean, same way you come across people where you're friends with them, right? And you would consider them a friend even if you don't see them, right? Like, you worked with them long enough, their friend. And then there are other people where you're like, yo, that's a good fucking dude, man. Like that, like, it's more than just friendship.

There is a true brotherhood type of deal. LB's one of those cats, man. Good dude. I did not know that. I could see that. He was like, can I tell him the story? He was like, can I tell him the story? It's my guy.

So I was just, I've been holding on to this since the last pod. And I, like, it was beautiful. I damn near, like, you know, you've been interviewed before. You got to keep your cool and stuff. You got to make sure that you're like, oh, man. But I was like, damn, Leandro, that was great. That was awesome. So I don't know if we have a real, we don't have a real one, we don't have done our

real one at a week, but like, he's really a real one. A friend of the show also told him to come on the pod. He has to come on at something. Is he okay? Did he accept your invitation? Because I'm, like, he would be fantastic. I know the audience wanted Boris. If you wanted Boris, if you were one of those people, you're going to want LB.

I think he was noncommittal, but I think a call would make it happen. I think it was noncommittal just based on the circumstance that he's with the Warriors right now. Yeah. I think that might, I don't know, like there's right be red tape there. But at some point, Leandro's coming on the pod, he has to. Like everybody from the sun's era has to put on the pot. Oh, we said that about Steve. He ain't showed up yet.

The pod isn't over yet. Also, also, I know Brooklyn Nets people do it. Steve, come on the pod, dude. Come on the pod, man. We've been waiting. We've been waiting. We'll fuck Steve up when I see Steve. I ain't seen Steve.

I'm going to fuck him up. Yo, man. I think I might see Steve. I'm going to see Steve soon. Very soon. What is the message we need to tell Steve? I'm going to fuck him up like that. Okay.

That's exactly what it is. Say it like that. We have to do the obligatory laughter. But like that's real among friends. Say it. Say it. Say it. I'm going to fuck Steve up.

I know. I know if he does that come on. I hit him the other day. I needed him the other day. I needed some advice. on some shit. So I hit him the other day. And I think I'm going to take a trip on with my younger son.

I don't know if I've told you this. My middle son is a Kyrie fanatic. So we are team Kyrie like all day. When they were young, I was with the Cavs and Kyrie the night his first signature shoe came out. Like he took one of them off and handed it to my son. And then took his jersey off and gave it to my son. And so I have a Kyrie fanatic.

So we're going to take a. trip up to Brooklyn this year to see Kyrie in the band and see Steve and all of that shit. That's awesome, man. That's awesome. But it's funny because it's always funny when you're cool people and you ask them for a favor and they just don't hit you. But when you ask them for something else, it's not a favor, they're going to like, oh, yeah, man. If you need anything, you know, I'm here. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

He called me back in two minutes. I hit him. You like, yo, you got a minute, dog? Like, I need some advice. Pop, phone rang. I'm like, that's cool. But I asked you to be on the pod like 72 times and I ain't never heard back. And like, like, and he's like, he's like, he.

We've been asking him for a year. I don't blow him up. All jokes aside, I don't blow him up. I know he's busy. I know there's a lot of shit going. When you're the head coach of a fucking team, bro, you're not going to hop on this pod and talk shit about like, yeah, about your playing days and have me say, you know, ask you about messy shit behind

the scenes. It's not a good look. Also, here's a thing, no, man. I've noticed this. Well, people are become coaches of teams and in prominent positions, every one of their words matters, right? Like every, we saw that, we've seen that on this pod a few times. Every one of their words matters. So they're very cognizant of that. With that being said, get your ass on a pod, Steve Nash. I just, I don't know, man. I just feel like it's weird.

It's funny to see that you're coming into this, this like world with that I've always been in, because you're always been on a player side. It's easy to talk to players about shit and even players that are your friends. But when you have a podcast or something like that, they don't want to come on. And I don't, like, I used to be mad at them. Like, bro, I thought this your homie. But they don't really like to do that. Have you, what's the real, how have you been with that? Have you, what's been the transition like that been for you?

Well, I was pride of myself on it being a guy that never really asked for favors. Like, I wasn't a dude that asked for uniforms or shoes or you to come to my charity. Probably should have done it. I just never did it, right? Because, you know, so I don't have a problem really calling a dude and asking to hop on. And luckily for me, mostly everyone I've called, has been, like, really gracious and has accepted the invitation, you know what I mean?

So I've had very few Steve Nash's. Yeah. Okay. For sure. For sure. I've had very few. But I'm, like, is Steve Nash the guy that you, like, can, is he like your most famous teammate, do you think?

Most famous teammate? Those famous teammate that you can all, honestly. AI, probably. AI, come on the show. That's a harder ass, but AI come on the show. You know. I don't have a direct to AI. Like, I don't, I didn't stay in touch with AI like that.

So it's not like I would personally text him and ask most of the people. Even though it's probably all love. Like, I know Chuck is like. Oh, not. Yeah, Chuck's the people, bro. Yeah. I mean, let's get to it, dog. Let's get to it, man.

I want to talk about. Chuck, if you want to come on the show, let's do it. I mean, pop on. Let's, yeah. September 20th show for sure. I want to talk about something. The G League, I know this is your bread and butter. I know this is what this is the other.

The G League is having. a two-month 30-team 14-game tournament in group stages, like a mid-season tournament. And this is something that the WMBA has done. This is something that the NBA has been looking at, doing what the WMBA usually calls a commissioner's cup, right, where you have a mid-season tournament. Let's be real, man. This is all about money. Same reason why the playing game exists.

Same way about all these things exist. But the NBA is looking at. this right now. And especially with the G League, this is what the NBA does. They'll announce something with their, you know, maybe they're smaller leagues or they probably try something with the WMBA to see how it works there and then they see if they can adopt it for their own use. I, what do you think of something like this? Is this feasible? Because you have a lot of things that you have to worry about. There's a lot of factors with the NBA, right? Because you can incentivize players with money, right?

But what it incentivizes the fan to watch this if there's no real stakes, right? You can introduce stakes for players, but then, you know, then there's has to be the money component into it. The players have to care. Does that mean maybe an extra draft pick? I don't know that because that's instead of for the team, not necessarily the players. So do you think this is feasible, Roger? Would you want to do something like this?

I guess the money, if you were a player, money would have to be a factor. But would you be open to something like this if you were a player? Yeah, but there are levels to everything, right? Like if I'm a team vying for a, if I'm a nine-year vet, 10-year vet, eight-year vet, having made substantial amounts of money, solely focused on trying to win a championship. This is where most people get lost in the weeds. Every NBA player isn't solely trying to win a championship. Like, that is fairy tale stuff.

Right? Like everyone should want to win a champion. Yeah, fuck yeah. I used to be really upset. I used to be upset when you, when, like as a fan, when, you know, I would get that narrative of like, man, why aren't you wanting to win the game? But then like, honestly, before it's a sport, it's a job. It's a job. It's a business, man.

So, if I were that guy, I probably would want no part of a cup because the ultimate goal is to win the chip at the end of the season. And the cup just introduces more games. more chances for injury. Yes, more money, but I'm not really focused on that now. So like all of those things could get in the way of the ring that I'm ultimately chasing. So I'd probably say no. But I was a younger player for a lot of reasons monetarily.

Also more opportunities for me to play and be seen by other teams who might then pay me or give me an opportunity. Sure, I'd want to play in a cup. Cups in like in European soccer models and I believe they have them in in South American in soccer leagues as well. Like those are, people don't just buy into those overnight. Those have been there forever.

There's tradition around those. You know what I mean? They're real stakes at hand that have been, that have been born and bred into the fans. I don't know how they pull it off. Yes, you could get it off the ground. Having people really tune in

and really be excited about it, I don't really know how you accomplish that. Yeah, no, I, um, my biggest thing is, you talk good, it works for, the model works for a league like the W. NBA. I don't, I'm not, I'm not, I'm going to, like, say I know so much about soccer. That's for Jomey. That's for you. That's for other people. I'm not going to act like I'm just some, can speak on authority.

But for the WMBA, that works by and large because WMBA players just don't make as much money as NBA players to fact. So if you can get another monetary thing for them to be incentivized for, then yes, of course, you would try to do that. NBA players got a shit ton of money, bro. It's about pride at that point. And I think with, um, My thing is, and another thing that when I did watch the commissioners cup at the WMBA, I was so confused, I was really confused as to why am I watching this? Why should I care about something like this when, you know, you're trying to get a trophy here, but I'm waiting for the WMBA finals, right? I'm waiting for that.

What incentivizes me as a viewer to want to care about this game more than others? What do you think that, for a fan perspective, what do you think that there's something that can, like, mitigate that confusion of in the midseason, what would be something that you would, like how does it work in soccer, right? Where there's an, you know, incentivize things to do, how could that happen in the NBA? Like, I don't know what there would be for people's intrigue. How would you build intrigue for a midseason cup that really doesn't matter? I am not versed well enough in the soccer model.

I know that Cubs exist. I've seen the winners. I'll watch some of the games. but I don't know the incentives that clubs and fans have other than just saying that we won the cup. You said something when you were kind of set in the table about draft picks or something that would give the club a competitive advantage at the end of the day.

That would be something that would get a fan interested. And quite frankly, that might get your star players more interested if they were good enough picks. I just don't know how you change the entire model of the NBA with that type of, you know, competitive balance shifting incentive just thrown in, you know, off the cuff. The NBA's existed like this forever. That would get a fan, like, interested, but I don't know how you can do that again. And I think, you know, and I know why the NBA is doing this. They're trying to get a CNBC reporter, Jabari, CNBC reported that the,

back in March that the NBA is trying to get a. a $75 billion television deal. That's fucking ridiculous, right? And so because of that, when you have, when you're trying to get those numbers, you have to get evolve and try to get new things involved. The NFL did that with the 17-game season, right? You have, but for the NBA, you have to have that playing tournament. You have to try to find and figure out ways to justify that cost.

And I get that. But I just feel that it's the soccer, model is just totally different than the NBA. It's just totally different than in general just how players are, you know, loan to other teams and how, you know, after a certain point, it's just different. It's just completely different as a league. So I don't, it's, it's hard to bring a soccer model to a league, NBA model like that. It's just weird. So I just don't know how you do that. You're already in the space, you know, I don't know, over the last 10 years where NBA teams, Behind closed doors talk about resting Logan or Kauai Leonard or LeBron James

for a quarter of the season to protect and make sure that they're ready for the stretch run. Do you know what I mean? This isn't something that these are conversations that are had in the summer by the executives. It's worth it for us. Even flying in the face of everything that that, everything the contract and the language of the contract that we signed stands for, it's worth it for us because we are one of the four teams that has a shot at winning a chance. So contract be damned. They're sitting. I don't know how you introduce another tournament with very little, again, other than purely, you know, money, which won't matter to most of those dudes or the

owners for that matter. I don't know how you introduce that. Well, the biggest thing right now is most of the league's star stars. Like, now I'm not talking about Luca. I'm talking about Trey Young. I'm talking about the stars, like the bona fide stars names of the league. Talking about Steph Curry. I'm talking about LeBron James. Talking about Kevin Durant talking about, I mean, those are three ones right there. You know, even just those guys are getting older. You need to rest them during the season. It's not something to where like if the game was a little bit more younger and the stars were a lot younger, then yeah. Like if you had like if when, you know, because you just need more time for Trey Young and a John Moranson, a Luca Dantius to get that worldwide name as they

have. And I'm sure there's going to be pushed. What do you mean like Luca Dunts? I'm talking about in the standing of the league league pillars. Luca Dantzis is not that yet. Neither is. Trey Young, neither is John Morant yet. They're like probably a year or two away from being that. But the guys that carried a league, like a LeBron, like a Kevin, like a Steph, the youngest out of that group is Janice, who is like the guy that is one-name guy right now. So it's hard to do that when your league is a bit older. And you're like, are you going to tell Kevin?

Are you going to tell LeBron? Tell Kevin Durant a few years after an Achilles, bro, we need you to go hard for this commissioner's cup or whatever. it is or tell LeBron who's what a year 19 hey man we need you to go hard for this this thing we're going to give you like an extra million dollars bro i got like i made a hundred a meal this year we're good i don't give a fuck about this right yes and that's what you're going to have to do is this is balancing act of trying to find if find incentivize fans to watch and incentivize players to play at their full go it's just that is what it is and it's not like an all-star game where

hey man like in baseball hey you can you can you can get your conference will get like, I don't know, home court advantage or something in the finals. It's not that. You're talking about individual teams. So this is hard. This is something that the league is just going to have to figure out. I don't know, man. I'm a proponent of the playing game, but I'm not a proponent of this just yet.

Yeah, I would watch a cup. I'm for anything, and I've always said I like the NBA most because of their willingness to just think outside of the box and try new stuff. So, like, I like to play a game. And I would, I'd watch the cup. But I'll just say this again. Cubs, at least from the outside looking in, like, I don't have a real team that I cheer for in European soccer. But they seem steep in tradition, right? Like, that's something that isn't like, you know, that's passed down from generation to generation.

And I don't know how they were received originally. But you just throw this at a fan that's never seen it before and never had a vested interest in it. I just don't see how it sticks. They're trying to grow the game. Like, we're going to get, there's. going to get us because we're like basketball nerds. We're going to be like, oh, we want to see, we want to see them play. It will take an extra game. But for the, this seems like something when you're trying to grow the game out and try to get new fans, I don't do that this, I'm just

calling a commissioners cup because they don't have a name for it yet. But for this commissioners, because it's mid-season tournament, you're not going to get newer. I don't think you're going to get newer fans. I think you'll get newer fans for a playing game for sure, because that's, that there's stakes there. When we watched Lakers Warriors, there was six. stakes there. It was a great game. So we'll see. I'd like to see it. I'd like you give a million dollars away. Let's play pickup games for a million dollars. I'll watch that.

I watch you play. I'd watch you play pickup for like a hundred grand or a million. You know, I'd watch you play. You'd like getting the best shape of your life and kick somebody's ass on one more or more. But a shorter, it's a dog. You might be in a body cast after, but I believe in you. You know what they might have to do? They're like, like, and I don't know how you pull this off.

but if you shorten the game, like all jokes aside, like a pickup game is way shorter than a regular season game, right? Like you're minimizing your risk of injury as best you can. You're not going to play a pickup game. But I mean, if they're going to have to figure out ways like that. You turn the NBA into the big three. Yeah, they're going to have to find ways, though. You know what I mean?

To creatively kind of you're not going to be able to just roll out. A cup is how many games? How many games do you think is in a cup? Four game, four games for a cup, usually three games? Like, yeah, I just don't know how. you do it. But anyway, we'll see. I watch it. We're going to take a quick break. And we are back.

Rajah. I was on Twitter recently. Just like, you know, scouring since we were gone. And I saw that, you know, Kyrie Irving would retire from the NBA if Brooklyn were to trade him. And we know that there's a lot of trade rumors circulated. I don't even seem too many, especially with Ben Simmons.

I haven't seen too many Simmons to the Nets, but, you know, that's, that just, that doesn't mean it's not true. It just means it probably hasn't leaked, you know? Right. We just don't know. Right. But Nick Wright said that, um, it's known that Kyrie's agents have made it known that Kyrie would simply retire from the NBA if the NBA if the NBA if Brooklyn were to trade him. Um, I believe him. I believe that, I believe that Kyrie would simply retire from the NBA if Brooklyn were to try.

Do you believe this? Yeah, I've got mixed emotions about this. There's part of me that does believe it. There's part of me that does believe it. I would just say this. The part of me that believes it would also say to Kyrie, give it a little bit more thought. Because I know how you feel.

No, I do. I know how you feel. I know how you feel, bro. I know. Like, you're like, no, fuck that. I don't want to. I get it. I get everything that comes with that.

And he's a really deep dude that's got a lot of interest outside of basketball. and he's... Say what you want to say about Kyrie? Nah, he's... Anything you want to say about Kyrie? I'm not holding my talk. He's his own man. I'm just saying he's his own man.

I'm just saying he's his own man. And with like, there's joking in his own. I've questioned some of the way Kyrie has handled things. Like, that's fair. That's my job. Like, I don't give a fuck. I also know Kyrie.

And I know that he's got a lot of interest and he's into a lot of stuff. And he's really thoughtful and he does a lot of great work. And so your world's bigger than basketball. As someone who had basketball taken away slightly before it was out of their system, right? And didn't really admit to that at the time.

I would just say, while your feelings may be hurt and you might think you can fill that void with all the other shit you have going on, if basketball's not fully out of your system, like, don't do that. Is that fair? If basketball isn't, because, I mean,

I do get what you're saying. No, I do get what you're saying, because when you retire, man, it's done. It's done. like well not for chiree

necessarily because he's that good it's not that good but it's very rarely ever the same yeah

right so like you may say you may come back but you know often I mean MJ came back and was phenomenally dope I don't know

I was like the MJ one he ain't MJ Mike Vic has come back but that was different circumstances different circumstances

he probably could I'm just saying give it some more thought that's all I said this is another like I don't so I believe that he would retire I believe that he would also like this is a different form of if this is like it's been reported you know Kyrie it was reported by um by Nick Wright of Fox Sports and I'm you know like so it's like I'm saying all I'm not saying it's not true I'm

saying Kyrie didn't say it out of his mouth is all I'm saying right right and that's a whole other thing but the thing is with Kyrie is you just you don't know what to make of anything that is reported about him or even that what he says, you just don't know. And I'm sure his intentions are pure. I'm sure they are. But it's a different form of player empowerment when you're like, bro, I'm just retire. That fucks up any trade. Like off off rip. The threat of retirement fucks up any trade that you're going to try to make for him. If you're Sean Marks, I mean, how do you like, what's, if you're Sean Marks, how do you feel about? Seriously, if you're Sean Marsh,

you gotta be like, this motherfucker. Like, he's in a builder. You got to look him in the face every day. And he's preemptively struck with the, nah, nah, son. Nah, no, fam. Nah. Yeah, right.

No, we're gonna win a championship while long. And also, man, like, Kyrie is a big enough star to be able to do that, to be like, yo, bro, yeah, yeah, I'm going to retire. I'm going to be on the Nets. I really want to be on the Nets that bad. Oh, so that's how we're spinning it. Can we spin it to that, though?

We're going to spin it to that. Oh, don't. Put me in my place, Roger. No, I'm just saying. Like, that's a hellified spin, right? Like, one of them is really selfish take about like, hey, man, I'm, I will shut this whole thing down and make myself untradable. And you could spin it the other way and be like, I just love Brooklyn that much. I don't want to play anywhere else.

Hey, I just learned this. I just learned devil's advocacy from Raja for the last year. I'm just throwing it. I'm just doing that. I'm just throwing it in. I don't know, bro. We're potting, dog. Like, I'm just throwing it all outside.

What if he's like, yo, he forced his way to go to New York. You don't feel like he's going to be like, yo, man, I'm going to, I want to be a Brooklyn net. But through all this stuff, you are guys, you are not going to trade me. And also, like, it's crazy because Kyrie out of those three, you can make the argument that he is the, I even make the argument. I think it's this truth. He is the most expendable out of him, Kevin, and James Arden. It is what it is.

if you're going to trade, that's what you're going to do. You would trade Kyrie. And I think that that's him saying, this is what I think. And I don't, this is just what, just looking at it and what I think, that Kyrie is seeing like, no, bro, I'm on this team, too. Okay? I'm a part of this big three, bro. And this is how we're going to win a title. You remember when I got injured in the playoffs, how things went? You remember, we were supposed to beat the Milwaukee Bucks? Then I got hurt. And it put all the stuff on Kevin. But we probably would have won that series. This is his mind.

We probably would have won that series if I'm healthy, straight up. So that's why I need to, I'm a net. And I'm, this is valuable as other two dudes, too. How about that? Okay. Great. I'm just, I like Kyrie. I think Kyrie is.

I like Kyrie too. I really like Kyrie too. I don't have a problem. But I think liking Kyrie, you still got to be honest. Yeah. No, clearly Kyrie, clearly what Kyrie is doing here. is is putting his like, like, no, I'm not, I'm not moving. I'm not going here.

His idol is Kobe Bryant. Yes. His idol is Kobe Bryant. And when Kobe was, it's funny because it's the Nets too. When Kobe was about to get, or the Nets, the New Jersey Nets are interested in Kobe Bryant, he said, reportedly, or his age has said, yo, I'm going to go back to Italy if y'all draft me. I'm going to go play professionally Italy. Yeah, that's reserved. Yeah, Kobe.

Kobe say, I'm just saying that's what he sees. He's like, no, bro, I'm retired, bro, you don't want me to, I want to play for the Nets.

First of all, I don't know how any of this is true. I don't like, to your point, like it was reported, if I will say this, if Sean Marks and company, behind,

behind multiple closed doors, behind multiple closed doors, in secrecy, like, are quietly taking phone calls or making them about Kyrie. You have to now, look at Kyrie in the face every day

after this man came out and just did that. That is really awkward. Because someone, I don't know if it was Kyrie that leaked this, but somebody leaked this. Somebody did this. Because Nick Wright is a reputable source, like for sure, Fox Sports. He's a reputable dude, right?

Somebody leaked this to, I don't know if it was, I don't, you know, this game was a dirty game, it's a dirty game. And you never, you don't know who was doing all this stuff. I mean, who else would leak that, though? Who else would leak that? That's only Kyrie's camp, right?

My third eye is not open right now. I don't know. I don't know. My third eye isn't open right now. I don't know. I'm not there. But I could see Kyrie being like, yo, check this out, player. I am a Brooklyn net.

We are a championship contender when I'm on the roster. Okay? And I went through a lot of shit to get here. I went through a lot to get here. to this team. I'm not mad at him for that. I'm going to stay on here. How about that?

I'm not mad at him. I'm just saying that it can become really, really strange, like, uh, passing in the hallway conversation with Sean Marks now, right? Like, it's fine. I mean, also like, would you trade Kyrie? Would you trade Kyrie? Let's see. Let's go shopping.

For who? For who? I don't know, man. Give me a second. I don't know. I haven't thought this out all the way. I mean, this was, you put this out either. Would you?

Okay, big big, big, big, all right, hold on, hold on. Would you trade him for Jimmy Butler? Jimmy Butler and? Or just Jimmy Butler? Would you trade him? Did you say Jimmy Butler? I'm just saying, I'm saying stars. I'm giving you stars.

That's a, what is an interesting one? What did you trade him for Bradley Bill? You would. You would. No, that's another interesting. You are, you're looking at James Harder. These are very good, these are very good names to throw out, Logan. Like, you're not saying anything.

You're not even. Pat yourself on the back, sir. Jimmy Butler, yes. You would trade him for Jimmy Butler. Yes. You would trade him for Bradley Boo? I don't know. I'd have to think about that a little more.

I don't know. Damian Lillard. Oh. Oh. Yes. Yes. I don't know why. I don't know why, but yes.

I'd like, yes. I'm going to just stop. Yes. That's what you're talking about? Yes, I would. What are you talking about? I was going to go ahead and hedge my bed and just say then bullshit around the bush.

I'm not going to do it. I'm about to be an asshole right now. Would you trade him for Step Curry? Would you train him for Paul George? Huh. Huh. It's interesting.

Well, let's break this out. You haven't answered one question. Can we break this down together before I can answer it? Will you allow me the like? Okay, go ahead. The breath, if that's the right, right? Would you give me, you're playing James Hardin at the one, right? Like, he's the one on that team.

So, yeah, no. No. You wouldn't trade him for, what was that? Paul George. Paul George. Would you trade him, I'm just spitballing. Would you trade him for Devin Booker right now? Correct.

Correct. You would. You would. That's correct. That's correct. Luca Donchich Correct No

What are you I told you my thing With Luca man Luca I think Kyrie It's crazy as this sounds It's further along the path Of like understanding

He's got to share Than Luca is It's just weird right now Honestly it's just weird How like How we see Kyrie right now Because Kyrie honestly

One of the best players I've seen with the basketball Ever bro He's one of He's a top 10 player Like he's really good No, he's better than good. He's phenomenal. Like, I've made no bones about this. I've told you, I sat at a practice and watched LeBron James sit there and watch Kyrie and be like, Jesus,

and go over to him and be like, yo, show me that? Like, show me how to do that. Like, that's the best player on the planet. Like, so I, I understand the scope of Kyrie's greatness like with the ball in his hands. I do. I've seen Kyrie. I think I saw Kyrie once in person, once. It was when he was on the Celtics and him and Steph went at it. And it was just an incredible display of like one-on-one game. Kyrie is a different dude. So it's hard to like hear like he would even get. I don't even think here's a thing.

I don't know what's going on in that building. I don't know in Brooklyn. But like teams really good. I wouldn't even want to trade. I think we're fine. What all we got right now? I think that's the biggest point. There's no reason to trade him.

That's the point. Why would I even would want to trade for him? I don't even. think this should, I think this is just a warning. Like, hey, bro, maybe there's some, like, you know, there's some rumors around here. Let me just say, check this out. You ain't traded me, player.

You're not. Not happy. Just so you know. Yeah. So, so we're Claro. Absolutely. Okay. So, it's a nice little Kyrie segment.

All right, man. It's September 20th, man. Like, what are we doing? It's September 20th. Yeah, man. Yeah, yeah, it's September 20th. Um, say a quick break. We're talking about an organization that's near and dear to

Raj's heart. Roger, we have a, we have a call. I think we have a call on line. Sasha, we have a call. Pin that person in, Sasha Mac.

We have a call on line one. Oh, snap. Oh, snap. It's Jomey. Jomey. Hey, how you doing, brother?

How you doing, man? What's going on? What you need? What's going on? First time caller, long time baller. I just wanted to tap in, you know?

I don't know if you guys saw it this weekend, but the, the Clippers broke ground on their new stadium in Englewood, you know. What's it called again? What's it called again, Roger? What's it called?

Jemey, what's it called? Intuit Arena? Okay, yes. Yes, yes, yes. That's what it's called. Altair and Englewood, up to no good. Shout out Mount 10. So yeah, I was just, you know,

I wanted to call in and ask you guys what you think about it. Because personally, you know, I'm, you know, not the big, well, here's the thing, right? I'm glad that eventually they're going out of staple. Center, right? The Lakers banners deserve to hang. Everybody should see them, right? I'm really tired of getting it covered up with, you know, Kauai's face or in the past JJ Reddick face. You know what I'm saying? I love me some JJ though. Shout out to them over there, you know. So I'm finally glad that they're getting out of Staples Center. But but to Englewood, you know what I'm saying? I love my fellow Englewoodians, you know what I'm saying? They don't, they don't deserve that. Here's, what I'm proposing, right?

Instead of moving to Englewood and still calling them the LA Clippers, the perfect place for them to go? Palmdale. Wait, wait, listen. Listen, listen. There's a lot of empty space, a lot of room for an arena. You know what I'm saying?

Or, I mean, you don't even need to build an arena. You can just go to the local YMCA because that's how many fans show up to y'all games anyway. You know what I'm saying? Wow. So it'll be perfect. It'll be perfect. I know it's a little ways out, but it's cool.

You know what I'm saying? You get to drive across. You get to see like the desert. You know what I'm saying? There's nothing for miles. Just like the Clippers trophy case, it's pretty empty. Wow. Wow.

Paul George gets to go home. You know what I mean? Like, it's really a perfect situation. And honestly, that's what we need. So I just wanted to get y'all thoughts on that because that's perfect. I have one more question for you, Jomey. I have one more question for you. You're an L.A.

You're an L.A. County resident. Yes. and raced. Yes. Englewood is named the city of champions. Do you think that that will rub off on the Clippers in their new arena

because we all know Englewood is a very proud city with a lot of history of winning. Do you think that would rub off on the Clippers? Absolutely not. They shared a place of Lakers for what's going to be

25 years. And the only thing they can show for it is a Western Conference appearance, right? And a Pacific Division title. Oh, I'm sorry, two Pacific Division titles. I'm so sorry, that's my fault. I should know better about my Clippers history. But ultimately, it boils down to they cannot.

I think Steve Bomber says something to the effect of they'll be champions before they go, they move to the new arena. And what would he, what makes him think that would happen? I would love to know. Thank you. All right, gentlemen. Great call. Thanks for having it.

Thank you. Thank you. Well, it was a great call. Thanks for having me. Roger, let's go. Thanks for coming on, man. Roger, Joe Me, but a great point about the Clippers and I don't,

I just, it was all, I don't know if you saw, you're not on Twitter. You're not verified. I don't know if you're verified on Twitter. Yeah, we need to get that figured out. All I am verified on the Graham, though, bro. Let's just get that in a second.

We'll get that in a second. We'll get that in a second. As far as the clippers are concerned, I just, I feel like part of me wants them to get the shine that they want. Because if you, the reason why they're doing this is all valid. They want to get their own identity. They want to have their own, they want to have their own piece of Los Angeles, right? It just doesn't feel like it's ever going to work out there. I don't know.

Let me stop. Everyone who listens to the pod knows. All right. As I point at these like, as I point at these Brady Bunch squares, top left, clipper hater, that's Logan Murdoch,

right? Bottom left, Jomi, Clipper Hater. So all of this, I don't have any dog in the fight. Right? Let the clippers live,

bro. Also, they got themselves a new arena. I'm with Jomey. Now, hold out. I'm with Jomey. You go into arenas, right? Everybody got their own shit.

Everybody's got their own digs. You go in there and you know you're in, you know, the Timberwolves arena. Or you know you're in the Kings arena, old Arco, because I don't know what the new one is. It's got a vibe. Like you're excited to be there. The Clippers never had that. Every time you went into Staples, it was about the Lakers from a player's perspective, even when you were there to play the Clippers, right?

Like it was the Lakers building. Let them live. It's a good thing. Will they win a championship there? I don't know. I don't know. Either teams flawed. A lot of teams are flawed. Like, I'm not, what are you going to do?

Let them live, bro. That's a, that's a, that's a lot of tough talk from a guy who knocked the clippers out of the playoffs in his day. It was my job. He's my job. But I don't have any animus, animus towards the clippers. Like, I'm not going to let them have it. They deserve their arena.

Shout out to them in their arena. Shout out to the city of Englewood. I was asking a question. I was asking questions. I don't have a problem. No, no, no, no, no. The two of you guys are doing, what you always do is you get. you don't hear, and you hate on the clips.

Like, this is your form to get your clips hate out. I'm not even tired of it, but I ain't doing it with you today. It's not the forum. It's not the forum that is actually in Englewood, and the Clippers do not play there. I'm just saying, this is not the forum. So, you know what? Shout out to the Clippers, congratulations.

Let's get to Rewin of the Week. Now, I'm going to start this off. Something different that I don't really delve into. Rewan of the Week is a guy by the name of DJ Graham, from Oklahoma University. I don't know if you saw this, Roger, but he had an incredible interception. Oh, I did see that, yeah.

One hand pick to help seal the game the win against Nebraska in a home game. Incredible play. One of the best plays, one of the best picks I've ever seen. Definitely play of the year in college football right now. So DJ Graham, shout out to you, my man. Straight up.

What was your one of the week, right? Let me start by going with a non-real one of the week and I hate to do this, but it's my Miami Hurricanes. I mean, I'm sorry, dude. We got to do better. I'm sorry. I mean, I'm not, yes, we got to do better, okay?

I think there are a lot of fingers to point in places I could go with that. I'm going to choose a refrain. Let's just do better. Okay. All right. Fair point. So my real one of the week, I will stay in football, okay? It may have been a real one of the week on this show before.

I think he deserves it. Primetime game last night. The media does what they always do is pit Lamar against somebody, pit him against, you know, like, never mind, there are two teams playing. This becomes Lamar against Patrick Mahomes. There are a lot of reasons I can get into that. I'm not going to do that either. But, yeah, you see it. But Lamar came out and looked real shaky earlier.

Look real shaky early in the game. Two quick picks, even though it's, you know, one of them, you know, Sammy Watkins fell down, pick six. And all he did was hang around, hang around, hang around, do his thing, get hot, 18 for 20. 26, 239, and ran the ball 107 yards on the ground and another two TDs. And he won the game, but it wasn't the fact that he won the game for me that makes him a real one. It was the fact that this man, like I was at the football fields this weekend, and I was talking to his cousin, no bullshit. I was talking to his cousin in a stance. And he was telling me Lamar's path, even out of high school, nobody would, like, FSU didn't want him to play quarterback.

No one wanted him to play quarterback. And Mom Dukes had to keep standing up saying, son, as a quarterback. Like, this is what he's going to do. That's why he picked Louisville. And when he came out of the draft, people were talking about changing his position. Like, and he slips in Baltimore.

Which is an age-old thing. You know what? You're not going to say it, it's an age-old thing for black quarterbacks. Let them fucking play quarterback. Let him play quarterback. I have one. We've seen this for decades.

They started with my son when he was seven trying to take him out of playing quarterback. So I know what is fact. But he did it unapologetically him last night. Like, I ain't got to fit into this box. Like, nobody says I got to do that to win games. I'm going to win it the way. play. And he was the best player on the field last night, and he's a real one for that.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Also, speak, stay keeping football. The Oakland, Vegas Raiders are two and oh, motherfucker. Hey, I, wait a minute. Just win, baby. Didn't I say something about Derek Carter you? Didn't you give me? I did. Let's go back. You did. I said something to you about him. You did. You did. Okay. It's, we're still in September, though, relax. Relax. All right. We're still in September, so we can relax. Okay. Because John Gruden and Derek Carr have done this before. Let's, let's, let's kind of relax on that until about November, December. Fair. Let's just calm down. A lot of raiders talk, man.

Just win, baby, the autumn wind is a raider. Okay, we're back. Propaganda's here. We're back. All right, man. That was another addition to the real ones. Oh, man. We're off the rails, don't.

Let's get to the NBA season at some point. September 20. Yeah, man, yeah, man. Make sure you check out everything on the ringer's slate. Make sure you check out mismatch. Make sure you check out group chat. Make sure you check out the answer. Let's you check out everything on the other slate.

Make sure you check out Jomey on the Ringerverse. Make sure you check out Ringer Music Show. Make sure you take out Black Girl's songbook with who, Roger Bell. Town legend, Daniel Smith. Make sure you check out R2C2 with who, Roger Bell. See, I forgot to say this last time, but it was Vallejo legend and the Cresside Cloud C-C-Sabatian. Who was at the Raider game, and I'm sure he's excited because the Raiders are 2-0. Shout out to the Raiders.

We will see you guys next week. Holla!