The Ringer NBA Show - Time Lord’s Injury, Unlucky Lakers, the Slap, and More With Bill Simmons

Episode Date: March 28, 2022

Logan and Raja catch up on their separate exploits in New York City (1:00), before Bill Simmons hops on to talk about Robert Williams’s torn meniscus, the Lakers' mess, Will Smith’s slap heard around the world, and much more (22:00). Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Guest: Bill Simmons Producers: Sasha Ashall and Mike Wargon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For as long as I've known the NBA, it's been a Stars League. But even among the Stars, there's an exclusive club. Russell and Dr. Jay, Jordan, Kobe. They're all part of a select group that paved the way for the NBA superstar of today. And some even shared secrets with each other along the way. From Spotify and the Ringer podcast network, I'm Jackie McMullen. And this is the Icons Club. What's popping?

Murdoch here, my dog, my OG, my homie, is back. Roger Bell's back in the building. Hey, buddy. How you doing? Back, baby. I'm off a spring break refreshed, fresh off the slopes. Hey, man. Let's get it. We usually just have a rundown. I just really want to talk about our breaks and your break, dog. You seem like you had a phenomenal time. Where do you want to start? Do you want to start, like in Utah or we're going to go to what you did over the weekend? Where do you want to start, bro? I mean, I don't know, man. Like, I, okay. let's start here. So Utah was fantastic. Like, I mean, it was a little warm. My kids want,

like, freshly fallen snow. We didn't get that. But it was beautiful. Nonetheless, like, the scenery out there. The people are always great. Like, you know, like, it just reminds you when you go out there how dope of a place it can be. Skiing was, was fantastic. My son took an unofficial to the University of Utah football, which was super, super hospitable and welcoming. And all of that was dope, but we had an accident on the slopes, our last day there. We were on a blue. My son, Ty, was going down first because he's a little daredevil, and he hit a bit of ice spun around, and his brother, Dia ran into him and sliced his hand open because he wasn't wearing his damn gloves. So we're on the mountain, like, I don't know, 100 yards down this blue, with a gas wide open

on his hands. Skis Patrol has to slide in. Boom. The guy looks at it. He's like, oh, I haven't had to do this in seven years. Cuts his jacket off. turnicits his arm and he's telling me like he might have severed these tendons and nerves I'm like oh shit it's a quarterback right

no this is the other one and this is left hand so like okay when they cut the jacket off and then they tourniquet the arm like I go into straight like panic mode

I'm like oh shit I gotta stay calm so I don't know if you've ever seen a dude like take someone down the mountain they put you in a sled behind them oh word yeah yeah like a rickshaw so he's got the two handles

and he's skiing you down the mountain this brother started sliding sideways down a mountain at full speed. And we are only being controlled by him, just sliding. So he's clearly a pro though. He's doing his thing, right? Like he's not even worried. He is a bad man. But he hit a bomb, Logan, and lost his skis.

And our rickshaw slash sled is now out of control running him over. When I tell you, we got right to the edge of a cliff. I mean, this man was hanging off the edge of a cliff, dog, with us on it. And he still figured out a way to get his damn skis on and get us to the ambulance. Fine.

He was a boss. Bro, was he even fazed by all this? My son was crying. I feared for my life. And this dude was hanging off the edge of the cliff, one ski on, one ski off, looking back at me.

Like, no, dog, you're fine. I got you. Calm down. Chill the fuck out. And he has a, so. This is a Tuesday. Okay? You don't calm down, please.

Some of the wildest shit, bro. It was a really cool trip, but that was just a wild story from it. Oh, my goodness. And we saw Booboo. That was one of my highlights of the week because you put Boo Boo in the chat. You were like, hey, guys, because you didn't think you were going to see him. Oh, quick story.

So I was, I would, it's funny. We'll get to this in the second, how our like trips kind of aligned with each other. Because I was in Brooklyn, just chilling, kicking it with some folks, saw Charles Holmes, saw, just some friends in Brooklyn. Just, you know, saw some peeps. And one of the peeps that I saw was Boo Boo Boo. I saw him And I'm like Hey, you know, I don't know

If there's another side of this But hey, I was like, hey, Boo Boo, Rara's gonna be in Park City I did, I did That's how we knew That's how we knew So I said this right And I was like, I saw I see him

And I'm like, hey, boo boo-boo I see him also Boo Boo Boo Boo Boo Borg walks to the beat Of his own drum at all times He's like, he's just like He doesn't always have a scarf on but he has big scarf energy at all times. Just like, hi, hi, hey, how you doing?

So I go, I say, hey, boo-boo, one, thanks for coming on a pod. Two, Rara's in your hood, right? And he's like, tell him to call me. Right? And I'm like, word, but then I'm like, fuck, because I don't know if Raja wanted me to tell him. And I, like, really just, I didn't know on that end. But we saw Boris Dia.

And I told him that you were going to be in his hood. Our worlds are connected because, first of all, I didn't know that Boris was, I thought Boris might be on the boat, like in French Polynesia or something. I didn't know what he was going to be in Utah. But he did tell me, but didn't say Logan. He said, somebody told me you were out there. But just, again, man, Boris, it's a perfect place for him because as I'm talking about Utah being so welcoming. Boris was like, hey, man, what are you guys doing?

You guys can come down. I will cook you dinner. Like, we'll do. And I'm like, Boris, bro, we could just grab a beer. He was like, no, I'm going to cook you guys dinner. You'll come to the house. Is he extra like that? Is he just like, I have to do this?

And it didn't work out because it wound up being the same day. My son, like, slid open his hand. So he wound up having to just come have beers, but just, you know, great people. Yeah. Yeah. No, it was good. He was like, oh, oh, Rai Rai's in my hood. Yeah.

Tell him to call to me. Yeah. It was great. And then our world's collided again because also I want to preface by saying, you're fake as fuck. You are a fake. You are a fake motherfucker. I just want to preface that by saying that.

Because all throughout the. this podcast, all the real ones really know this, all the real ones know when I bring this up, what's going on. You always say, I'm not going out the house for nobody. I'm not leaving. I'm not going out the house. I am not going out the house. I don't do that shit. I don't, I don't mingle with you peasants at the arenas. Okay. I'm here to watch my basketball in the comfort of my own house where I can rewind and fast forward to my own leisure. This is what I'm going to do, right? You say that. You would agree that you say that a lot, right? You say, that you say I can't do it

you can't do anything. It's too much to be a hassle. 99.9% of the time. And then we also know this. We and you, this is no secret, all the real ones know. Me and you have been really critical

of a one Kyrie Irving. Right. So there's two things, right? So apparently, you know, the apparently the nets are in Miami-Dade County.

Mm-hmm. And Raja a couple weeks ago saw it on the calendar and was like, I don't think I'm going to that shit. I'm not going to that shit, right? I'm not going.

Fuck them. I'm not going. You know, just like really just sticking his chest out like how Rara does, right? Because sometimes he's just too good to go to NBA arenas, right? So imagine my surprise,

you know, a couple days ago when, you know, I'm just looking at the chat and I see, I see Raja sends a, text of him

hugging Kyrie, right? With the caption, me and Kyrie making up. And it's a live photo, too. So you click through it and it's, it's Raja, just come here.

Just fool, just come here, buddy. Right? And then you can just take it from there, Raja. What happened? So, what's going on? Let me paint. You tried to paint the picture. I'll paint it better. What was supposed to happen was Steve Nash and company were coming to town.

And, you know, our house just got remodeled. We had a lot of stuff going on. We're going to have hanging the wife up. Probably my buddy David Vanderpoole as well, who's also on that staff, just to kind of kick it, you know. Also, not brief time around the Nets, it's really just fucking, it's, it's, it's sun's east. It's just Sunseasease. Absolutely. So Mori's there.

Saw Boo-boo. Vanderpoolepool's there. At the time, obviously. At the time, I didn't really put two and two together. But the plan was to have them over and then I didn't have to go to the game, right? Like, they were going to come over and, you know, kick it with us. And then I've seen everybody. I don't have to go to the game necessarily because I don't really love going to the game.

Because you're a very girl and you're antisocial sometimes. Yes, I don't like people. But it didn't work out. And so my sons were like, you know, you do things for your kids, Logan. You'll figure this out that you don't want to do. You just make the sacrifice. They wanted to go. So I called in one of those favors that you told me I was able to call in from time to time.

What's what you do? Which ones you do? What's one's you do? I'm not giving you my plug, though. I'm not giving you my plug. I'm not giving you my plug. I called in a favor. So my middle son, you know this.

I don't know if the listeners know. He is. Cairo's Stan has loved him from day one. Kyrie was really good to him and my older boy. Like, they love. Quick side note to the story of the story about your middle son. Yep. When I remember, remember when you were throwing up that gas about

John Morant getting a sneaker? Yeah. I just, you threw a video in the chat for me and Sasha. I don't know that I'm just going to paraphrase here. Everybody was like, John needs a shoot. And then like, I think your son, who is the pretty boy of the whole crew, right? Who was the one that practices his face in the mirror was like, he ate Kyrito. That's how big of a stand your son is about Kyrie.

That is definitely his energy as it pertains to Kyrie. So we're at the game. Kids are loving life. We actually had a great time. I went out, had pizza, went down to the arena. I didn't get bothered that much. The mask helped. with that.

Like, you know. Did you find your parking? Did you find your parking on time? Did you do your thing? It's good. Now, it was still a shit show. I didn't get home until 1.30 in the morning. I had to fight traffic for an hour to get there.

But it was worth it. The kids had a blast. And post game, as Brooklyn starts to come out, they have some of the dopest people on that team in terms of engaging with the kids that are sitting standing around, really given a little bit of their time and a little of their self. Like, I forget what that's like. It's been a long time for me, right? But it means a lot to the kids, right? And I've always, like I told my son about Kyrie. Like, I can disagree with some of Kyrie's decisions as it pertains to that team and what went down this year. And it's my

job. Like, I have to say that. Like, I pride myself on keeping it above. I have never questioned Kyrie, the human being, like the philanthropic efforts that he puts forth, what he cares about how he is with kids mine first and foremost. And so after the game, bro, he was just, he was as gracious as ever with them, as was KD. I got to see Goran Drogich who still calls me his vet. Like it was, it was vibes. I kicked it with a Mario.

Was it one of those things where you were like, I'm glad I came? Because you know how you are and you don't like to do this stuff. And then you got there. It was like, I'm having fun. I'm having fun now. Yes, begrudgingly, I was that dude. I was having a good time.

About the end of the night, I was on one. So, like, it was even better times because I was like, hey, man, fuck it, we're here. I'm five in. Let's, let's rock. I'm out of the, you got me out of the house, guys. Okay, let's fucking rock. We did it. We did it.

What is it like when you're a father and you're out here as a family man and you finally, like, you're not used to getting out of the house, but you finally just do it. Just like I'm here. I'm right here. I'm rocking. The vibes are here. Yeah. You know, you live through your kids, Logan.

Like, you start to, like, the joy wasn't mine necessarily. was theirs and my joy came from watching theirs. Right. So like when I'm looking down from, I was a couple rows behind them and I see my three boys sitting together, like having a good time and laughing and pointing and taking pictures. Like I'm sitting with my wife having a beer. That's my joy, right? And so post game as to relate it back to like Kyrie and KD and even Ben Simmons and all the people that gave their time to speak to them. Like Kevin, Kyrie specifically, right? Carrey came over and hug each one of Mike. kids individually, hugged me, gave them, gave him a little like pep talk each and every one of

them, told him he remembered him and like he, they were young pubs last time he saw him like that. You know, I can talk as much shit I want about the decisions, but as a dad, that shit warms your heart, bro. Even if you play. So did the hug? Did the hug come before or after he remembered all your kids? Like, when was that in the moment? No, I was like the, I think he walked.

He might have dapped and hugged up two of my boys. then he got to me and we had a moment and then he got to my third boy and then I stepped back and he dealt with the kids you know and so it was cool man was it in your mind like damn we'd work we have been critical of this man's a lot would that cross your mind at all?

Well certainly because I mean well first of all I don't imagine he listens but you know like as a player with so many so many media outlets having social media availability and stuff you never know what's gotten to him But, you know, I've all, again, like, I am not anti-Kyrie ever. Like, I am, I am, I have to weigh in and be opinionated on the decisions that he made and,

and what type of situation Brooklyn was in because of, and those are my opinions. But I think Kyrie and I are in the same that we, like, keep it a buck. Like, whether we agree or not, I don't, that doesn't always have to be the case. But I can, I, like I said, I know his dad, his dad played it be you. I've no Kyrie a long time. he has always been really, really good people with kids, especially, with what he cares about and all of that. And I'll always be fair to him.

And he's, again, I watch the game, dog. Him and KD make some of the plays, like, only a few people on the planet make plays like that. So you know how I was saying at the beginning of the pod, like our weeks, I didn't see you, which, you know, I'm sad about it. I didn't get to go to Miami. But, you know, either way, I was saying, our lives pretty much intertwined a lot last week.

One of those moments was in Memphis, right? So, you know, just chit-chat with Kyrie. And I tell him, like, yo, how, you know, like, I just, you know, thanks for holding my guys' kids down, you know? Like, you know, you always told stories on the pod. You always were just like, yo, man, at the end of the day, he's always been cool to my kids, which is like, which has been dope. So I relayed the message.

You know, not knowing because I thought she was going to be fake and not go to the game. I didn't even think, you know, I didn't know, right? So I'm saying like, yo, man, you know, it's really cool that you know what you did with Rai Rha and stuff. And he's like, who? And I'm like, Raja. Oh, yeah, well, word. And then, so I tell him, like, what's going on? Like, yo, man, you know, I did this power, Roger.

He, you know, he always raves about how, you know, you've been holding down with his kids and stuff. And he's like, yeah, man, that's what's something. He looks me dead and eye. And he's like, see, man. We're connected. And our chakras aligned at that moment. Right then, huh? Right then.

Like, I know, like, we're all, he's like, we're all connected, like, human beings. And, yeah. That's a, that's a, all jokes aside, opinions aside. He is a fascinated human being, bro. Like, he is, he is a very interesting dude. And I can, yeah, very interesting. Will there be any more, Kyrie Slander on the pot? If he does, I mean, not slander.

I won't, no, not slander. And did we slander? I just, I thought we both really, really disagree. You know, when I got that, when I saw that hug, I was like, oh, Raja, this for now in an instant, this is just like, okay, well, you know, I can't, we can't say that. It's over. Kyrie's a friend of the show now. Like, it's over. I mean, I'm torn between being a dad and being a media person.

Like, fuck it. He's good to my kids. No more Kyrie slander. We won't do it. there will be none. No Russ, no Kyrie. Off limits. Fuck it.

We got Bill on. We'll see if Bill. Bill's coming on in a bit. Bill's going to rubber-stamped at. We've no more kind of... Before Bill comes on, I've got to ask you a question, though. I don't even know.

We're going to talk all the NBA shit with Bill comes on. Did you watch the Oscars yesterday, buddy? Oh. I didn't watch. Did you watch what we came to talk about? Did you watch what I'm talking about? Dog.

I'm going to paint the picture, man. it ain't even that much Peyton. Will Smith came to slap the shit out of Chris Rock on national television in front of billions of people because Chris Rock made a G-I-J joke about Jada. He talked about his wife.

Now, I'm not, I don't have a... I'm not married, Raja. I'm not the father of children. So I'm asking you right now as my OG and is somebody that, you know, I look to for advice on these type of things. Would you recommend

And next time I go to, like, if we, you know, we get the pod awards and stuff, when we go to the award shows because, you know, real ones hold us down. When it's our time, right, and Chris Rock is at this podcast award show. And he just, you know, roast, you know, my queen or something like that. Would you recommend I go and slap the shit out of Chris Rock in that moment, Roger? Jesus. As someone who has lost his cool and smacked a person or two, try to put myself. At the very least, by the way.

Yeah. See, here's what's interesting to me, Logan, if I may. Generally, when you do that and you lose who you are in that moment and you make this, like, it's not even a decision because you flipped out, that person is so close to you that it's inevitable. If you have to walk as far as Will Smith walk, I'd like to think that even myself, I would be able to say, hey, bro, this isn't a good idea. Somewhere along those 70 steps it took to get there. Not a good idea, rah-rah. Don't do that. Don't do it. But, Well, it didn't occur to Will Smith. It died. But now, listen, I thought it was staged. I saw the uncut version that looks very, very real. Yeah. What I was told, which changed my perspective on it, was that Jada suffers from alopecia. And so they're hypersensitive to that.

You know that my middle son has alopecia. Oh, yeah, I do. It is a constant daily reminder from kids. that he has it to him. So it's shaped his world in one way or another. And it can be, you know, really tough as a parent or someone that loves someone that has it to deal with that. So I want to be fair to them.

I still think you have to understand where you are and that the Oscars people are going to be made fun of and they're going to be jokes heads. But so I don't, I mean, I wouldn't have done that. But I just like, but this rock could, could, could Smith have just like said, yo, man, like, I'm going to call. I'm going to get you to the. side to be like, yo, that wasn't cool. To smack the taste out of his mouth

on national tell. This is where I'm conflicted, right? Because there's the side of like, holding your queen down. And I've looked at the clip extensively, Ross, forensically, bro, on every angle, right? What happened was Chris Rock made a G.I. Jane joke

about Jada's hair or lack of hair, right? Will laughed. There was a clip where Will laughs. And then Jada and then Jada looks at him like what you're gonna do right and Will

I don't know their I don't know their relationship dynamic I'm not there I don't know them right but Will I'm imagining saw that and was like yo hey bro check this out and I see that he in his mind protecting his queen

come however man there was so many ramifications to this bro I'm not even talking about the award we're not even talking about the award he was up for, which was King Richard, which is about the whole night was about being as Serena Williams. Yeah. Right?

That's why we're here. That's why you got the award, right? Yep. You got to think about, in my opinion, you got to think about that to all the ramifications of this phenomenally phenomenal slap, right? You got to think of the ramifications that comes with it, right? We're not even talking about what we should be talking about, which is shout out to Will, Serena and all everybody involved

with that great movie. You just described a very rational approach that should have been taken but you're not factoring in at that point he's irrational bro. When you get to that point like there's no reasoning with me when I get

to the point Will got to and I know this it's not a great it's not a great part of who I am I try to stay away from it as much as I can but when I get there I'm gone and so there's no rational thought like you're absolutely right there's no rational thought. The crazy part to me was like,

to your point, the look from Jada got you, like, that shit flipped you out, because it wasn't the joke. Also, the joke was very tame, honestly. It was a benign joke. It wasn't, like, was it funny?

It wasn't even really that funny, right? My man Will has had a, he's had a fucking tough. I said to my wife last night, I said, yo, it's been a tough little ride for Will, bro. And I like Will. It's been tough, though. last few years has been tough.

We can just leave it at that. Leave it at that, bro. Let's take a quick break. We have a special guest on the other line coming. He really, really wants to talk about Boston. Oh, we'll be right back.

And we are back. Rara, we were starting to pot and, you know, I would start, and I get a text from our guests, and he's fucking disheveled right now. He's fucking disheveled.

He just wanted to just like, get up. his frustrations because one Robert Williams has torn his meniscus and he hasn't been able to vet yet. So we got Bill Simmons on. Just Bill, like just what's your feelings right now? What's going on? How do you feel? Are you okay? Are you in a dark place? Where are you at right now? We're still and I, we finished our pot at like 715 Pacific time yesterday. And I was like, this is great. I'm done. I'll watch the Oscars. What could go wrong? The Will Smith thing happens. I have to go back, finish the pod with, I got Jimmy Kimmel to come on.

Really worried about Will Smith. I've loved that guy forever. I'm worried this might be his Tom Cruise jumping on the sofa moment. He might not be able to recover from this. Yeah. So then wake up this morning, more Will Smith stuff, trying to figure out my, and then all of a sudden, boom, Rob Williams, who was playing out of his mind. Every game, 25, 30 minutes, double, incredible defense.

shoots 70 to 80% depending on the game. It's like statistically you just put that dude in your lineup for 25, 30 minutes. It's like the best version of a center. Doesn't need the ball. All he does is positive stuff. He's, you know, he was a big reason why this Celts were just smoking everybody. And their odds were like at plus 350 to make the conference finals before this intro. I haven't looked lately because I'm afraid.

But I thought they were going to make the finals. I really did. Not as, as you know, I try to be level-headed with my team. They were smoking everybody. And at some point, it's just like, hey, if Phoenix is killing everybody and Boston is killing everybody, maybe this is just how the finals is going to be. We'd have these two. Because Phoenix, same thing, right?

They're 61 and 14. Every time they get in a close game at the end of the game, they win. They execute better than anybody. They play defense better than anybody except the Celtics. And I just felt like we were headed for the 76 rematch. And now I don't know what to think, Roger. Bill, I wish I had good news for you, man. But I mean, every team I say it about any team that wins a championship,

there are a few things. Like you have to be playing great basketball. You have to have stars. They can score the ball. They're ingredients that go into a championship run. And one of them, usually first and foremost on the list, is being able to get lucky with the injury bug. Yes.

And you've seen it derailed multiple campaigns to win championships. And, you know, the meniscus is one of those where, you know, we were talking before we hopped on, depending on the severity of it, I guess, or the pain tolerance of the person who had, you can maybe play with it. But man, you know, they don't have a whole lot of places to go.

He was such an integral part of that number one defense in the NBA, you know? Raja knows because it happened in the mid-2000sons a couple of times. Yeah, absolutely. Like that you just can't afford them. You can sometimes prevail with them, but it's pretty hard. You saw the Lakers last year with Davis. I just think,

When history, when we look at the recent history of the meniscus injury, there is the guy that comes to, comes back too soon, a la Derek Rose, and it fucks him up, right? Yeah. And then you have the other side, which is Jared Jackson, tears meniscus in the bubble, does his rehab, just, meniscus is like that new injury now where it's just like, just give it a year. Just, we'll see you in a year. And we're going to figure it out from there. And then you're fine. It's one of those, is one of those things in recent history. Does that give you solace at all, Bill?

That, like, if he just, or no, because you're, you're fucked up at a playoff run right now. Howard, what is, what is, what are you feeling about the long-term effects of the Celtics? Because it, it sucks, because I think I talked to you in like, this December, and you were like, oh, man, I'm, I'm down, you know. We were terrible. We were terrible. Now you guys have a bit of a run.

This has been a roller coaster year for you, buddy. It really has, because the, when they weren't playing well, the first two plus months, then the Brown Tatum stuff starts, right? Can these guys play together? And which I always thought, and I said over and over again, this is the dumbest conversation we can have. Like, these guys are 25 and under.

They've never played with a point guard who really made them better ever. They've always played with scoring point cards. They've had really bad luck from an injury standpoint. And now we're just going to say one of them needs to go, like this is insane. Let's see them once with somebody who makes them better. That had big like middle of the season.

we have nothing else to talk about vibes. I remember just being in the thing. We were on that. We were on that too. I mean, we didn't say they needed to be traded, but we certainly say it's an interesting topic at the time. It opened the door for it. Yeah, I'm with you.

But I wasn't ready to go there. I wanted to see them for another year. You don't want to make, you don't want to trade either of those guys unless you're at rock bottom. They weren't at rock bottom. And what changed was, first of all, Williams went to another level.

and then smart they finally just gave them the car case, especially after they traded Schrooter, and it's like, all right, you're our point card. And it was really the first time dating back to when they traded for Isaiah Thomas that he ever was the point card. He was always playing off the ball, sometimes the point card, but not really enough. And it became his team.

And he went to another level. And now all of a sudden, and then Tatum was the last piece where the game just slowed down for him. You could see it happening in real time game to game, where it was like, you know, the All-Star game, I think, was helpful because he started. And then the Brooklyn game, when he went toe to toe with Durant. And it was the first time he didn't seem like the little brother in the game.

He was like, I'm as good as this guy and I'm going to beat this guy. And when that happened, I was like, oh, this is now, this is now happening. So now who knows? I just think from a standpoint, Jason was on a podcast a couple months ago and just really just laid all that stuff to rest. like, hey, I love Jaylon. I want to play with him. Ever since then, they've just been on a role. They've just been on a role just ever since he was like,

hey, calm that shit down, relax, relax, relax, you said something about thinking about the Celtics going to the finals. I think that goes to a bigger point right now of I don't know what the fuck to make of the Eastern Conference in general. I don't know what's going on. I was in Brooklyn last week. And there were times when I saw I saw Kyrie and Kevin play where, I was like, oh, if they get their shit together, I mean, they can figure something out.

I don't know if they're going to the finals, but then you have the Milwaukee's. And then you have the Miami's who are a contender, but then the goal loses the Golden State and with all their reserves, right? I just, Rajah, what do you make of this Eastern Conference as a whole? I don't know what, I don't know what's going on there. Yeah, no, it's kind of wide open. The Miami, you know, I don't, Miami doesn't have the guy. They don't, they don't have the dude that you need. They're really well put together.

they play hard. They're squeezing every ounce. They can get out of it. They don't have the guy, right? Playoff you got out of the guy. Their guy is hero, which is dangerous for them because he's hit or miss. Right, correct. Right.

So, you know, in that, in that space, I'd still argue, you don't have, you don't have the guy because the guy does it at a more consistent rate than Tyler does right now. You know, the Celtics are right there with the injury. If he plays, like, I still give him a chance. He doesn't play. I do not give him a chance. I like... All right, Raja.

This is my opinion, Bill. Sorry. Have you not seen Daniel Tice? Can you be 80% of Rob Williams? I don't think they... I think it's too fragile of a chemistry for you to extract a piece like Williams and still expect to win it.

Is that fair? Like, can you be competitive? Yeah, I wouldn't be my favorite. So here's my counter. Milwaukee, every time they take a step forward, they take a step back, and they've just done that all season. Brooklyn, Look, Kai replaying once a week, and it's been amazing to watch.

But if you're a professional athlete, you only have to play once a week in basketball, you're going to be really good. I want to see what it's like when they have to play every other day with the team they have, relying on kind of how erratic that guy is week to week off the court. And not only that, their roster aside from those two guys is pretty bad. Depth is their issue. A lot of role guys. And, you know, who, now you could say this about most teams,

but who is their Tatum matchup? Who's guarding Tatum in a game five when they're in Boston and they need to win when they don't have Ben Simmons? They don't have anyone with size other than Durant. I saw a boy the other night, Bill, I was with Steve, and I told him, I said, listen, man, because I watched him play the heat, and the heat weren't very good, but Kyrie is locked in defensively.

KD had a good game. Like, they were really bawling. And I said, man, if you guys get Ben Simmons back, if you get him back, they become a problem for everybody in the evening. You can't sway me off of that. But I just don't know whether he'll come back or not. And without him, they lack debt.

Like, KD and Kyrie have to be brilliant every night offensively. I'm out on Ben Simmons this season. I don't think it's going to happen. You get an epidural at this late in the stage in the season. Yes. He had a disc issue. I think it's herniated disc. No, no.

He had a herniated disc, which is a lot different thing. Which Nash was like kind of tiptoeing around the whole week would not tell him. And it leaks. And then he's like, oh, I guess you got a herniated disc. You don't,

we, Raja knows this plane. You can't just plop into any situation in the middle of the playoffs and just expect to just be successful. I don't think it's going to happen. I think that they just play with, under the prospects,

they're never getting Ben Simmons until next season. I just went through this with my daughter who plays soccer. And she, she did not have a herniated dish. She had the one, you know, that was a lower level than it.

But we still had to rehab. for four months. And people don't realize, man, when you, when you come back and you're playing a physical sport and you just had a back injury and you don't trust the head, it's no different than the knee. It takes like you have to take hits for a few weeks before you trust like that you're okay. To think of just throwing him back into the fucking NBA playoffs when he's coming back from like a legitimate back injury where my daughter never had to have epidural. And his he had a herniated disc. Like, I just don't see him coming back this year.

I think it's crazy to assume that he will. Yeah, I'd imagine. I imagine he wouldn't come back this year. But I will tell you guys this. Like, Brooklyn, although they're not deep, if those two are cooking, you saw what they look like when they're not cooking. Like last night, they were tired and shit. But if those two are cooking and they're locked in, that's a scary prospect for anybody.

That east is wide open. I'm not, I'm not scared, Logan. You're not scared about what? I wanted the, I wanted the Celtics get the one seat. I'm not this whole thing about jacking to stay away from Brooklyn. Like, the Celtics are better than Brooklyn. I'm not scared of Durant and Kyrie because it's like give them their 70 points. I still think we beat them any game.

There's a thing, no. They still have two guys, though. I think you should be scared. It's a little bit. And, you know, and Raja always gets on my head about this just because I give him the benefit of doubt on that. But like, dog, Kevin's cold. We saw what happened against, if he goes Milwaukee level, how he did last, Last year, you guys are in trouble.

You're playing good teams every round. Like, that's the part I don't get. It's like, yeah, you know, else I'm scared of Phoenix. Like, there's five teams I'm scared of, but I don't think you can actually be scared of anybody. At some point, they're going to have to play Brooklyn. I'd rather play them in the first round and get it over with knowing that Simmons isn't going to be in the series versus letting them having a linger.

I mean, ideally for the Seltz, they get one, Brooklyn, Milwaukee goes 2-7, one of those two knock each other out, and then we don't know. have to see one of them, right? I don't think you're dealing. I mean, I agree with you. There's no reason to be afraid. I don't think anyone's afraid of anyone, but there are certain matchups out there that pose more of a threat than others. And dealing with Kyrie and Kevin Durant and having a game plan knowing that either one of them can just completely destroy your game plan. That's something if you could navigate away from. If I was a coach, now there are other things, right? Like, they don't play great D. Like, they're not super deep. And so I hear you, but shit. I say.

And they don't have size. I just think Brooklyn's a pretty good matchup for the South. The team that scares me in the East as a matchup is Milwaukee because of the Yannis piece. Does Chicago even scare you at all? Is Chicago? They were a great story to start the season. Are they even like even on your radar anymore? Well, no Lonzo.

Looks like he's not coming back. And then I just think it's too easy to attack Vooch and pick and rolls when you need baskets. They haven't, I haven't seen Chicago solve that piece no matter how good some of the perimeter guys have been. The guys that, you know, the fact that they have two guys who can get great shots in the last seven minutes of a game always is scary. But it seems like they're a level. I thought it was Milwaukee and Boston, then Brooklyn, then Philly and Miami, then it drops again. And Brooklyn has the wild card if Simmons comes back. But if they don't have Simmons, I just think the East is better than it was last year.

I want to talk about the Western Conference a little bit. I was in Memphis and was thoroughly impressed by their program down there. Now, I do think that they are a year ahead of schedule in the way that, I think that they're better than last year's Hawks team, but they're still on that trajectory where, hey, they came a year early. I think they're my dark horse finals team, man. Wow. Yeah, yeah, I'm going there. If they could figure out what the fuck's going on with John Morant, man. Like that knee issue, I was talking to some folks in Memphis, some are like very concerned.

Some are not. Verno is not concerned, but I think if they have everything together, I'd be scared of them in the Western Conference. I'm scared of them. They're really fucking good. I'm going to do this for Raja. I did this on my pod last night,

so I'll do the quick version of it. I actually think the sons are a lock if they don't have an injury. I think they are a lock in the West because history tells us they are a lock. Like they have a chance to go 67 and 15, something like that. And you just look at the teams that have won 66 or more.

It's only happened 17 times. 12 of those teams have won the title. And then I went back and I looked at how many of those teams also were at least eight games better than every other team in the league, which the sons are right now. They have plus nine over every other team.

And it was 67 Sixers plus eight, 72 bucks plus 14, 73 Celtics plus eight, 92 bills, Bulls plus 10, 96 Bulls plus eight, 2,000 Lakers plus 12, five of those six teams won the title.

73 Celtics got hurt. That's why they didn't make the finals. So you're just like in a history with how they're kicking everybody's ass for five, six straight months. It would actually be shocking if somebody beat them in the West. And I don't think other than, if you told me Jha was healthy, all right, now I'm mildly interested, but I just, Raj, I just feel like our armed people, I know everybody's saying this, but I really think it's true.

people are actually sleeping on how awesome the Sun's team is. Yeah, so I mean, obviously, I don't have all those numbers. Like, I didn't go digging into it like that. But I'm fully prepared to tell you that barring any kind of catastrophic injury, the suns are my favorite. I expect them to be in the finals this year. They're just that good. You can watch them, the body of work, spay over the course of the season.

Facts. I know. I know. I know. I know. I'm here. I'm here. I hear you, Logan.

Like, if you're talking about, I'm Milwaukee. I'm sorry, Memphis. I like them. I think they're a really good team. I think they could put you in the entertaining series. We've seen all these with younger teams. When they're just, they don't give a fuck about anything that you're doing.

When Brooklyn was there, Jaws' dad is on the sidelines talking big cash shit, right? They're saying, they, Raj, you'll love this. They play whoop that trick after they beat them handily. Just not giving them. DJ, man. And then you walk around the city, they're with it. They're like, we're here.

We don't give a fuck. And you, I have not seen a star. that has just ingratiated himself into a city where you just know he's going to be there for 20 years and he's just going to, he doesn't want to go anywhere. I've seen a star like that in Jai where the city just loves him. He's that talented.

And then he's going to be there for a long time. I love everything about Memphis. And I think if they're fully healthy, they're a team to be reckoned with. I'm putting on my chips in for Memphis, Bill. I'm putting on my chips in if they're healthy. I got to say I'm offended that you went to ride, for your whip that trick reference.

Like I wasn't going to get it. What am I in a nursing home? I don't know, baby. I don't know. I don't know if you was outside, Bill. You think I didn't see that movie? What do you mean? Outside.

Come on. Yeah, look, the Golden State piece of it, it just seems like they've had the season of hell in some of these ways. And I'm not sure they can get their shit together. But that's the thing with the playoffs. Like, I'm not ready to count them out as like the other contender. They're the team you can't. You always got to give the better.

Yeah, because you figure like, yeah, if it goes longer, once they get past round one, round two, Draymond, you could see like, oh, they have two 20-point blowouts at home. And it's like, oh, here come the words. But I just think if the sons are healthy, nobody's beating them in the West. It's funny because it depends on the version of Golden States you're looking at, man. If the early season Golden State, if they were playing this son's team, I'm like, oh, okay, well, yeah, they're going to fucking win in six. And they're going back to the finals.

They're winning at all. right now you know this bill when you when you've seen just in past years it does sometimes it just matters when the injury happens when the injury happens and the step injury happened at a weird time your guy marcus smart out here while and i i talked to that was a sunday for raja oh come on god russia but but what just when that injury happens i just i don't know i don't know step is like one of those guys, he's like Kevin in that way, where they just fucking, when they get on the court, they're fine. But I just, that's a weird injury,

too close to the postseason. And those guys haven't played with each other, Steph, Clay, and Dre all year. It's just bad juju going down into the playoffs. It's all I'm saying. I'm kind of, I was in on gold. You guys both know, I was in on Golden State throughout the whole season.

I'm just, I'm, I've gone to Memphis. Well, Golden State, Phoenix became what we thought Golden State was going to be. I think Phoenix was like, 9 to 9. They had the Sarver thing going. They're just annihilating everybody, you know. And I don't know, man.

Riesel and I were talking yesterday about the MVP and it's the three guys and it's Janice or Yokic or Embed and it's going to come down to game 82. But like, if you're talking about actual most valuable thing of the season, it's the Paul Booker back court. That's the most valuable entity. That's only variance, though. That's only variance. I don't know how, like, as you can speak to this.

I don't know how healthy. History suggests that Chris Paul does not stay healthy. He looked really good yesterday. Yeah, but we're not talking about in March. No, I know, but I thought good about him what I saw yesterday. Yeah, and to your point about the timing of an injury, like his injury, his injury that you know was coming, it happened at a good time. Right.

Like, he's healthy now. And then you had all of that rest. Like, you know, those are miles that would be accumulating, you know, going into the playoffs that he, you know, he had time off. It's funny. They, they, their bench can also. not only extend leads, which was what Memphis has too, but as you think about, like, where are they going to land historically?

Like, they have a chance to go 68 and 14. The teams that there's only, there's only been six teams ever that had 68 woods or more, you know? And I just think people aren't focused on it. And at some point, it's not a sample size. This is who you are. And they beat everybody. And that's like the Celtics, smaller sample size,

but for two months, they're beating everybody. and at some point that's, you know, that's not a sample size anymore. That's just who you are. How do we get back to the Celtics? Yeah. Who's that way? All time. You know.

I'm ready. What else do you want to do? You know what I'm completely out on that I saw them over the last week. I've seen them a couple times. Utah. Utah is this in a doubt. It's over, dog. I just, it's over, dog.

I don't like watching them play basketball. It's not fun. You know, it's not over. You know, it's not over. What's that? When is the Mitch. Nick's stuff start. When they're down to nothing in round one,

when is that kick in? It's just one of those things with, like, it's big mellow, oh, 2010 vibes right now from, from Donovan Mitchell. To the point where it's like,

hey, you can trade for Donovan Mitchell to go to the Knicks, but like, what are you going to be at the end of the day? Probably going to be a 40 to 45 win team. Who can they trade for? What are they going to trade? They're going to trade Barrett?

What other assets did the Knicks have. Like, what are they going to do to put a good team around and to the point where it's better than the situation he has in Utah? That's the question. Well, it's New York. His uncle's there. World Wide West.

It's his guy. Grew up on the East Coast. He totally gets the New York thing. You go there. You become the savior that franchises embattled to say the least. And in Utah, you're going nowhere. You're just, you're just treading water in the pool in Utah. You have no upside.

Nick's fans, Raja, is spending just the time that I spend in New York, are a sad bunch, bro. It's a sad bunch. Like, just to the point of you're not, you're juiced to get a star to make you win 50 games tops. You're never going to win a title with that attitude. But they're just like, well, you know, we need to get the propaganda going. You know, mellow to God, you know, three to the dome. We had a great. But it's like, really?

That's what you want? That's what's, that's what, you did all that to get that. Now you're being a bully. I'm just going to, I'm going to add to that, though. I'm going to add to that though, because like, not that this would factor into Donovan's decision, but it's a real thing. When you're not good in New York, you hear about that shit. Like, they're on you.

You're not, you know, you're not great in Utah. You're not winning a championship in Utah. They still ride with you, you know, as long as you're out there doing your thing, it's different. I mean, I guess that speaks to the level of pressure in, in a market. like New York, right? But, you know, there's always, New York is always a place. Like I've told you, I played in some great places, enjoyed my stay in most of them,

and I still wish I had gotten a chance to play in New York. So it's always going to have that. The propaganda's there. It's heavy, but it's like, dog, you're not going to want a title there. It's not going to happen. Bill, when- You felt it, though, and even in round one last year, the energy in that building, you know, the energy of the building, which, by the way, prompted them to stupidly double down

on that team that lost their five to the Hawks. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to lie. That was a front-ass team. That was a great. Tim's were in the air. They were clapping. They were clapping.

They were clapping. They were clapping. They were clapping. They completely lost their minds. They gave Randall an extension. They didn't even need to. They could just played it out this year. Listen,

the A's have sucked for a long time. We go to a postseason and win one series and won anything is popping out here. I get it. I understand. Yeah, but wait. That's different analogy, though, because the A's have always been like, Like the cheap team that's had to outthink everybody

and try to time it for one year. The next year in New York. I'm just saying I understand, Bill. I would like to, I want to talk about, it's funny. We don't like talking about this team, but we always talk about this team. The fucking Lakers, man. If I were to tell you right now,

if I were to tell you in October that they are going to play their way out of the playing game down the stretch, what would you have said? Roger Logan knows how to cheer me up. This is the first time I've been happy all morning. I'm fucking pissed, man. This sucks, man.

They're going to miss the playing tournament. It's pretty clear now. Have you seen their schedule? They have one easy game left. They have OKC that's like the only easy game on the schedule. And LeBron is now hurt. I was looking at the odds on Fandul. And they have the to make the playoffs odds.

They have the same odds. as the spurs to make the playing tournament. Now only one of those two teams can make it. Have you seen the spurs? They've got like Landale and all these dudes out there. Like, I don't think they make it. That shit went from like interesting to watch to like, not great to watch.

It's fucking hard to watch now. Like it's, you can't even watch it. I can't watch it. Rob, you know this because you talk to me twice a week. Bill knows this because I contemplated wearing a fucking Lakers hat at his house and I will do it. And you contemplated moving here too,

but now that's not happening either. He's staying in the bay now. He doesn't want to be near this Lakers team. I can't fucking do it. I'm a huge, you guys both know I'm a huge Lakers fan. This is probably aesthetically the worst Lakers team I've seen in a long time.

Like, I have never not liked a Lakers team this much since the 0405 team is up there, right? That 12, 13 years up there, right? But I don't think I've ever disliked a Lakers team this much, where I am just, at least the 1213 season, Kobe just went nuclear and just said, I'm just going to take this season bottom balls

and we're going to just will us to a title. There was something there. This team is just, they don't die for loose balls. They don't care. It's just, it's not a fun watch. How's L.A. right now? What's L.A. like right now? with this Lakers team, Simmons.

I just think LeBron, I don't think, feels like a true Laker, right? Because he only got here a couple years ago. But the big thing, the big topic out here is just Davis and what is that at this point, where when they trade for him, he's 25. And it's a whole summer of Will, Kareem, Shaq, and now Anthony Davis, they did it again. And he was somebody that was talented enough that it didn't seem. crazy to put him in a sentence like that. Rajah, three years later.

You're speaking Roger's language? Three years later, he's 28. He's basically been able to stay healthy for this one bubble season we had for 10 weeks. And then other than that, he can't stay on the court. And he's going to be 29 next year with a huge salary. And I think the Laker fans out here are like, what's next for us?

Because LeBron is supposed to pass the torch to Davis. Is this guy, can he be the, the face of our franchise. Roger's shaking and said no. Razza's coming in hot. I'd been tried to told y'all. Okay, I'm going to break the English. I didn't try to told you.

He is not the dude to take that baton and take the Lakers where they want to go or where they're accustomed to being. He's just, and it's not, it is a slight, right, as I say it, but it's not meant as one. this is just me keeping it a buck. Like, he is not physically, durability speaking, able to do that. his talent should be able to do that. But it's the makeup of like the fiber of who you are that also plays into whether or not

you're a guy dependable enough to take a championship level organization and keep it at that standard. And I don't believe him to be that. And that's my opinion. I said it when they traded for him. I think I said it, Bill, maybe the first time I was on your pod, I scream it on this platform. I just don't, I don't think he's that guy. But three years ago it was at least conceivable.

It was. I was in the minority. Now he's 10 years in the league and this kind of might be who he is. It's a tough go. And then you keep getting, I'm up in the bay and so Sacramento's not too far up. And so in the beginning of the season,

you just keep getting reminded of like what, there was an early season game, Kings Lakers where Buddy Hill, I don't know if you saw it or either one of you guys saw it. Where Buddy Healed, they just go into overtime and Buddy Hill hits the jumper, late down the stretch,

and just talking big shit, cast shit and like tears are just, I was in sack when that happened. The game was in a lay. I'm in sack. Just tears is coming down my eyes, right? And then just, just, you know, nothing goes right this season. And then another year of LeBron just getting older and just, these knick-knack injuries are just sticking with him now. They're just, it's just, it started ironically in the bay when he got that, like, growing injury. And it's just like, it's been downhill from there ever since.

just, it's one thing, it's one thing to suck and it's one thing to be a title contender. The worst thing you can be is just in the middle. And that's what the Lakers are right. In the middle, they're not even in the middle because they don't have picks. It's not even like they can tank. Like, if they had their pick this year, LeBron already been shut down. So how about Robert Williams, Bill? How about, how you're doing about Robert Williams right now?

How do you, how are you doing? Before we get you out of here, we did talk about, you did talk about, you did talk about, Will Smith. And I know we can talk to your, go on your pod and talk about this. But what's the fallout of this, man? Like, he's, this is unprecedented. I don't know. I've been, I've watched the Oscars on and all, but I did not watch last nights.

But for someone, we had to talk about this in the earlier segment, for someone as big of a star. Yeah. As Will Smith to go up to someone as big of a star as Chris Rock and smack the shit. out of him on live television on the biggest stage networks on the biggest stage on the biggest stage what is what could come next after this i don't i he didn't even apologize afterwards he did he i don't it just it was all bad last night was just not great yeah right now it's almost 1030 i kept well first of all he didn't apologize in the speech to chris rock what's his son came up the top rope and did a tweet about like this is how we do it or something like that that that's

Yeah, you didn't see that, Raja? No, I see that. I didn't see that. He came off top rope, like, basically saying, yeah, don't mess with us. And I think there was a chance where they could have, you know, you get the PR sides together and Chris and Will, they do something. And maybe they say they're going to host the Oscars next year and they try to defuse it. But now if I'm Chris, I'm like, fuck that.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm not helping this guy out and I'm going to use this as ammo. He's going on tour this year. I'm going to use it for my act, basically. I'm going. It's like, you know what? I'm going to be the winner of this. Like, he handled himself with dignity last night.

I think he, I don't think this gets solved. And for Will, it's like, I said this before we went on, it feels like the Tom Cruise jumping on the sofa moment where it's like this really, really crazy weird moment that is kind of unrecoverable for people. They're just going to think about this in the first sentence when they think about him. Will Smith had a unanimous approval rating.

They loved Will Smith. Yeah. Yeah. No, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I think, I, I, I, I think, he said a rough couple years. And the dude that I saw last night, like, I've been in that space where you've lost it. But what, what I said was, I'm basically in that space for a quick moment. And, you know, the lash out is, is, is quick and whatever's close to me, right?

The fact that he stayed in that moment for the entire walk-up. Do you know what I mean? Like, that's kind of telling. And then after for his speech. Yeah. That was like an hour later. Yeah. I think he was such an intense night for him.

He's probably so nervous about whether he was going to win or not. And then combined with Saw his wife was upset and he just kind of, it all got added up. But yeah, it's such a bummer when, you know, the only winner, as usual, was Denzel. Denzel is just like he always wins. Jimmy and I talked about it last night on my pot. That dude, no matter what the situation is, he's going to be the coolest guy in the room and he's going to have the best advice

and he's going to handle it the best. He's the fucking the all-time best. Bring up Denzel, which is an interesting point because I'm thinking about this, when we talk about Will Smith, and we're going to big rewatchable's time right now. When we talk about Will Smith, he's one of those guys,

and me and you have texted about this, a lot, Simmons, where in terms of black actors, he is one of the defining ones of his generation. But from an Oscar standpoint, he has not been able, he has not gotten validated for being such, right? He is not in that class. In terms of popularity, he is in the class of Denzel, but in terms of acclaim and all these things, he is not. Absolutely not. But when it comes to the Oscars, he's one of those guys that really wanted an Oscar to

validate a lot of the acting that he's done. a lot of those things. So on that night where he is about to get that, and we knew that, and there's other ramifications too, he does this, that's, that fucks him up. We don't think about the Oscars and his only, I don't know if it's only Oscar, I'm pretty sure it is, but. Oh, no, that's 100% his only Oscar. He's only been nominated twice. Right. So when we think about that, the only thing about we're going to think about, we're not going to think about the fact that, yo, this is fucking Venus and Serena's big moment. This is the Williams family's big moment. We're not going to think about, oh, this is finally

Will Smith's time to get validated as an actor. We're going to think about how he was in his feelings and went up and smacked the shit out of one of the greatest comedians of all time. For telling him, honestly, a tame joke when it comes down to it. Yeah. That's tough.

It's, he just lost it. He lost it. And it became, you know, it became like the Artesmele or Tyson. Jimmy mentioned Tyson biting Holyfield's year, these moments that you can't believe

when it's happening and you know you're always going to remember it. But then as the hours pass, 12 hours later, you're thinking about it and, you know, it's like I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I love Will Smith. I feel like he really fucked up and I don't know what his way out is on this,

but it's, as you said, completely taints this night that should have been incredible for him. He's finally on the same level as Denzel. You know, he finally gets an Oscar, he joins the club. Yeah. So, I just, my question,

nobody there cares about Will Smith. I hear, like, no one knew what he was going to, but no one thought to, like, get up and be like, oh, bro, where you going? What's up? Hey, where are you going, bud? Like, nobody? Like, yeah, that's, I guess in sports, you guys are conditioned,

like, if something's going to happen, you have all of these, like, instant reaction kind of prototypes you follow. Like, oh, there's a brawl might be happening on the court. Nobody else go on the court. Like, you can, but in real time, if you're at the Oscars, you're just sitting there,

you probably had a gummy. You just got zoned out. Just walking and walking and walking, oh, shit. A couple of the very least. You just kind of, and then all of a sudden, Will Smith, it's like he's coming out of the TV

on stage. I don't know. But even my wife, my wife would have grabbed my arm as soon as I stood up, knowing me, right? Like, and you have to know Will. My wife would have grabbed the back of my shirt.

Like, bro, no, don't you fuck? Nope. Not going to do it. Sit down. You know, there were so many moments on that. where it's like, oh, shit. Like the only, the closest thing I can think of that's in comparison is a Taylor Swift Kanye moment, right?

Where it's so many moments of like, what the fuck? What the fuck? Wait, what the fuck? And then after he smacks the shit out of him, when he comes back down, he says, keep my wife's name out of your mouth. You see people in the back, like, is this really fucking happening right now for the third time? Simmond, you said one of the, like, how could he have, asking how he could have salvages? honestly, you could establish it with an apology

during the speech. He could have just started out saying, I fucked up, I apologize. I just, because that should look constrained. He didn't want to apologize. He was still mad. That was why that was an hour later. He was still pissed off.

That's where I'm at, Bill. Like, it's one thing if you snap, it's a whole other thing to just be enraged for the net for the evening. I'm worried about him. He was enraged for the evening because he crafted that whole speech around Richard Williams, was a guy who defended his family. And he was basically saying, like, not only am I not apologizing, I did that for reason.

I have breaking news. Irene from the real world Seattle season texted or tweeted, a message to Chris Rock from Irene from Real World Seattle. It gets better. Hashtag Oscars. Hashtag the slap. Shout out Sasha Mac. Sasha mentioned her before we started taping.

Irene is back. Sasha. So, all right, let's do a definitive list before we get out of here. top slaps because Sasha Mac did bring that up. The real world Seattle slap. My one, my number one is this slap of all. This

the will slap is the number one. Number two is probably Rick James slapping the shit out of a fictional Charlie Murphy. And number three is Charlie Murphy smacking the shit out of fictional real Rick James. I guess the third is the Seattle one. I'm going to go, Roger,

who's your top, let's say top three, top four slaps. And then I go to Bill. Other than the ones that you just mentioned, I don't know any other slaps. I haven't, it's rare that I see a grown man slap another grown man. So like I'm just,

I'm going to tell you again. Nipsey slapping the shit out of somebody at BET Weekend, 2018. That's also up there. That's my number five. Yeah. Again, I'm just going to say this.

If you go up there, I would have liked you. I mean, if you're feeling like that, why not punching? Is that too much? I mean, if you're really, I'm not advocating for the punch. I'm just saying if you're feeling like that.

Like, the punch takes it to a hold of a level. Now you're fighting on the stage. But that's what you went up there for. He wasn't really about that life, dude. And Chris, I think, thought it was, he was having fun. And then he got slapped. And then for a split second, clenched his fist. And then it was like, I'm going to let this go.

I have first slaps, Vito Corleone, slapping Johnny Fontaine and the original Godfather. I know it's a movie, but when he does it, You can act like a man. And he just like wax them. There's been some good movie slaps, but real life, I don't, what about NBA?

Well, no, I was thinking about this. So Shaq and Brad Miller, if he would have connected, that would have been the greatest slap of all time. Do you remember that back in the day? This hurt. Yeah, I remember, but this hurts, but there was an actual slap.

Sadale 3, Danny Ange. He hurts me to say this because it happened to one of my salts in the 80s. You can watch on YouTube. they got into it. Aange kind of started it and Sadale three open hands smacked him. Is that the tackle?

And then he tackled somebody? No. He smacks him. And Aang is kind of like, he kind of like almost knocked him out. But it was an open hand slap. But if you watch like, Angel is kind of like staggering

for the next couple seconds and the people come in and it's like the hardest slap I've ever seen. So I would include that. I would encourage you guys to look at that one on YouTube. I'm going to check that one out. I'm trying to differentiate the slap in the punch

because on Friday there's the iconic punch you got knocked the fuck out. But that doesn't count. There's a difference in a punch, right? There's definitely a difference. A slap stinks. A slap could like legitimately knock you out. I think it would be the difference.

All right. Wow. I have, it says classic NBA fight. I went on YouTube to look at it. And it said it's an account that's Raja, the account is Raja Bell. But it's not. obviously not you.

I'm going to mail this to you guys. Wait, before we go, you guys have, maybe you can't watch this at the same time as Rudy in the Pipe, but I just sent it to you. Danny, I'm getting completely staggered. Hold on. I'm looking right now. I'm looking. I'm looking. It's only like 10 seconds.

Let's see. Oh, wait, hold on. He's talking to him. He's talking to him. Hold on. Here he goes. Push his, push. Push his strength. Wow. That's not a slap, Bill. It's not a slap. That's a mush. That's a mush.

That's a mush. What do you call it? The hard open hand push of. That's a mush. That's just like, get away from me. That's not a slap. I didn't see it.

I'm on voice recorder. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Oh, wait, before we go, before we go,

because I was asked Roger this, just quickly, how worried are we for our guy's scale 1 to 10 right now? Because there was a point in this season when Roger was like a 9.7. Yeah. I was.

I was, It was, I think we're at a five, Bill. I saw him. I was at a five. I'm at even five. Yeah, even five right now. I saw him last week. Rajah made this point.

Every time we talk about Steve, preface this by saying, we love Steve. Steve's front of the show. Steve's going to, he's going to come on the pot at some point, at some point. I don't know what. Steve's that guy. But, comma, however, but, Raja says fully that he's full of shit sometimes. I don't know him the way Roger does, but I do know this.

When I interview, the Steve Nash that I interview versus the Steve Nash that I talk to are two completely different people. Logan, you know what that is? That's a Canadian thing. They are nice and pleasant, but underneath, you don't know what you're getting.

I did. I just, the Canadians, man. He's great. He's amazing. And then you put the recorder, he's just, you could, it was funny because there was something, that I might, I may or may not be writing something this week.

He's great when the interview goes off too. He's just different. But he just turned. But here's a thing. Here's a thing. There was something that I needed from, like I said, I may or may not be writing something this week. But I put the recorder to him, right?

And we're talking. And, like, you know, we get the little siddle and I talk to him. And then I turned the recorder off. And then he's like, hey, what up, what up? And then I put the recorder back on because I needed one more question. He's like, just like, somber in his face. just goes to like, yeah, that's right.

That's why it's that. I'm used to, like, I'm used to Kerr just like, you know, stream of consciousness and it's just going to talk whether they're the same with him like, it's on. You know, I wasn't used to that. You know what that is, though.

Honestly, breaking that down, I mean, it's personality for sure, but it's also that Steve Kerr wasn't the same type of star that Steve Nash was when they played. And so you learn to get in front of microphones as a player and button it up real quick, you know?

Like, I can say whatever the hell I want. there were very little ramifications for me. Steve's, Kobe's, those dudes had to learn how to get in front of a life. I'm scared to see you as a head coach. Me and Bill got to go to Florida and just watch a game and see how you just, we just got to see one here. Bill, let's make that happen. We'll figure it out.

We'll go to Florida. I would love that. I'll see how, you know, come to do it. Yeah, Steve, that's a good point about the Steve. Steve Nash from basically 03 on had a different spotlight. And then especially when he went to Phoenix and he was two-time MVP, taking a lot of shit for the awards, including from people like me.

because I didn't think he deserved two in a row. But, you know, I think he was just kind of always in the middle and you get like a different level of kind of grit when you're taking shit like that on a big stage. And he had a lot better than Will Smith did, by the way. I just want to say, I can't wait to just like get a glimpse of the Steve Nash that Roger knows. And that's all I'm going to say.

It's all I'm going to just say. Steve Nash is tough MFer. Go watch that YouTube clip when he's like gushing blood out of his nose. It's still like making threes. It's unbelievable. And his eyes, they couldn't control. It costs a chip. Man, damn.

We always get to just like Phoenix Sun's Hartford, no matter what, like at all times. Well, we won't. And we won't after the finals because the boys about to bring it home. Can we get Roger to a game? Let's get Rogers to a fucking Phoenix Suns game. I told you. If they're in the finals, I'm in the Valley, so.

All right. Let's fucking do it. We'll put a pod. We're going to do real ones from, from Scottsdale. here's how real this son's thing is. They got to figure out a fucking Sarver plan if they win the chip. What are they going to do with that?

That is like the elephant is on room. Going to be out here in these streets, man. It's like, it's not going to be pleasant. It's coming. Him holding the Larry trophy? They better figure that shit out. They have like two months because that team's going to be in the finals. Now, they got a, no, they got like two and a half weeks.

Sharpton said, hey, I don't see no, progress in this investigation. We're coming. We're rolling through. They better figure that out. All right, guys, good to see you. That was another edition of Real On Wednesday. We'll see you guys every Monday and Thursday.

But in the meantime, make sure you check out our other ringer slate. That is mismatch. That is group chat. That is The Void with KOC. Fall on the Void! Make sure you check out mismatch. Make sure you check out all of our. other stuff on the NBA feed.

Also, make sure you check out icons club. Me and Bill texted about that. Really great show with Jackie Mac. Auntie Jackie just did a great job. It's amazing. Go make sure you go check that out. Let's keep the propaganda going, Raja. Make sure you check out R2C2 with who,

Roger Bell. Vallejo legend, the crestside cloud, Cici Sabathia. Also, we're working on a new ringer podcast hosted by Raja where he interviews people who snapped. And then Will Smith is a first guest. Whether it was justified or not. how he would have handled the situation.

Let's keep the propaganda going. Check out. Black Girl songbook, season three, is here. Town legend. Town legend, Miss Danielle Smith. We're in the motherfucking house. Holler, stretch run, baby.