WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Michael Jordan cracks the Forbes 400

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to this League uncut. Rule of twenty four hour

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<v Speaker 1>NBA news. This's ll.

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<v Speaker 2>Chris Haines. It's no time, work's time. It's so time.

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<v Speaker 2>This League uncut is underway and on fire.

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<v Speaker 1>This should be a good one.

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<v Speaker 3>Welcome in, friends to a solo essay Steinleine edition of

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<v Speaker 3>This League Uncut. I wrote a piece this week on

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<v Speaker 3>my sub stack about Michael Jordan, the one and only

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<v Speaker 3>Aired Jordan, and how he has essentially he's traded the

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<v Speaker 3>Charlotte Hornets for a spot in the Forbes four hundred

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<v Speaker 3>Forbes listing of the four hundred wealthiest people in America,

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<v Speaker 3>and Michael Jordan he is the first athlete active or

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<v Speaker 3>retired to crack that list. Impressive, but I decided to

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<v Speaker 3>adapt the written piece into a podcast soliloquy because I

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<v Speaker 3>can't stop myself from wondering.

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<v Speaker 1>I keep asking the question.

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<v Speaker 3>It's something I've been asking for a few years now,

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<v Speaker 3>but this is really the time to ask it. What

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<v Speaker 3>does Michael Jordan think? What does Michael Jordan really think

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<v Speaker 3>about his NBA ownership legacy. I don't think you'll ever

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<v Speaker 3>be able to convince me that he's good with it,

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<v Speaker 3>no matter what the Bank Balance says not after the

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<v Speaker 3>last dance that we all inhaled in April and May

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<v Speaker 3>of twenty twenty, the world soaked in every episode and

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<v Speaker 3>the last dance. It really did bear to the world

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<v Speaker 3>what winning truly meant to Michael Jeffrey Jordan. It will

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<v Speaker 3>never compute, never compute, at least not to me, not

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<v Speaker 3>after watching that that the wildly successful and maniacally competitive Jordan.

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<v Speaker 3>He's never done better as a businessman than he's doing

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<v Speaker 3>right now. But he left an undeniable impression when he

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<v Speaker 3>owned the Hornets that he was okay with losing. Now,

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<v Speaker 3>because of the Forbes announcement and all the hoopla this week,

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<v Speaker 3>Jordan has been celebrated anew and again serious hat tip,

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<v Speaker 3>unreserved hat tip. He is forever going to be known

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<v Speaker 3>as the first professional athlete on that list, active or retired.

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<v Speaker 3>And it was the sale, the recent sale of the

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<v Speaker 3>Woebegone Hornets, that put Jordan in this rarefied air even

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<v Speaker 3>for him. Forbes itself valued the franchise. The Hornets, according

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<v Speaker 3>to Forbes, were worth only one one point seven billion

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<v Speaker 3>as recently as twenty twenty two. This summer, Jordan just

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<v Speaker 3>sold the team at a valuation of three billion dollars,

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<v Speaker 3>which means Charlotte was sold for the second highest sale

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<v Speaker 3>price in league history, behind Matt Ishbia's purchase of the

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<v Speaker 3>four billion dollar Phoenix Suns. When Forbes published the article

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<v Speaker 3>this week trumpeting Michael's rise to the Forbes four hundred,

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<v Speaker 3>the way they put it, we're talking quote nearly seventeen

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<v Speaker 3>times its value compared to when Jordan became principal owner

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<v Speaker 3>in twenty ten. When you spell it out this way,

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<v Speaker 3>on those terms, Michael Jordan won. He won big time,

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<v Speaker 3>an absolute route the franchise. And remember the franchise was

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<v Speaker 3>known as the Bobcats when Jordan took over. It only

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<v Speaker 3>cost him a reported twenty five million dollars out of

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<v Speaker 3>pocket it to assume control of the Bobcats at that time. However,

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<v Speaker 3>the Bobcats turned Hornets. In Michael Jordan's thirteen full seasons

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<v Speaker 3>in charge. They had as many nicknames as playoff appearances

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<v Speaker 3>two and even if we throw in the end of

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<v Speaker 3>the two thousand and nine ten season, which was right

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<v Speaker 3>after Jordan took over the team in March twenty ten,

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<v Speaker 3>if we include that year Charlotte under Jordan, it still

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<v Speaker 3>never won a playoff series and appeared in just fifteen

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<v Speaker 3>playoff games. Compare that to Mike's personal total one hundred

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<v Speaker 3>and seventy nine playoff games as a six ringed Chicago

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<v Speaker 3>Bull the Jordan Hornets for his thirteen full seasons, they

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<v Speaker 3>went four to twenty three and six hundred. That's one

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<v Speaker 3>hundred and seventy seven games below five hundred for a

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<v Speaker 3>composite winning percentage of four to thirteen point four to

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<v Speaker 3>one three from twenty ten to eleven through last season.

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<v Speaker 3>And worse yet, the Hornets they became known in league

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<v Speaker 3>circles as a team with an apathetic owner that didn't

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<v Speaker 3>want to spend. Like it or not, that was the reputation.

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<v Speaker 3>Now you could argue it's because the Hornets so rarely

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<v Speaker 3>feature in the broader general NBA conversation.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's admit it.

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<v Speaker 3>We don't pay tons of attention to the Hornets, and

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<v Speaker 3>we didn't even when Jordan was the owner. Or more

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<v Speaker 3>likely it's because no one wants to criticize the man

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<v Speaker 3>that many regard as the NBA's greatest player ever. Whatever

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<v Speaker 3>the reason, and it's probably more the latter than the former,

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<v Speaker 3>there just hasn't been much discussion about this topic in

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<v Speaker 3>recent years. But I'm going to be that annoying guy

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<v Speaker 3>who brings it up and poses the question, at least rhetorically,

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<v Speaker 3>because to be honest, I don't think MJ is going

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<v Speaker 3>to sit down with me for an answer anytime soon.

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<v Speaker 3>That doesn't change the fact, though, so many times when

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<v Speaker 3>I watched the Hornets in recent years, especially after the

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<v Speaker 3>last dance, I found myself wondering, where was that MJ

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<v Speaker 3>in the proverbial owner's suite because we never saw it.

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<v Speaker 1>We just didn't. We never saw that in Charlotte.

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<v Speaker 3>Theories to explain this they range from what you would

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<v Speaker 3>classify as pro Michael that he quickly got frustrated by

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<v Speaker 3>how little he could control things on the court compared

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<v Speaker 3>to how much control he had when he was actually playing.

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<v Speaker 3>And then there are the more dismissive notions that making

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<v Speaker 3>this a financial conquest or his golf obsession, that those

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<v Speaker 3>things are what really have dominated Michael Jordan's competitive spirit

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<v Speaker 3>in recent years when team building proved to be so problematic,

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<v Speaker 3>I again would simply relish the opportunity someday to ask him,

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<v Speaker 3>which I realize is highly unlikely. He was impossible to

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<v Speaker 3>get near even at twenty nineteen's All Star Weekend in Charlotte.

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<v Speaker 3>And remember, as Hornet's owner for that All Star Weekend,

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<v Speaker 3>he was essentially billed as the Grand Marshal.

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<v Speaker 1>Of that All Star Weekend.

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<v Speaker 3>Couldn't get near him the twenty twenty All Star Game

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<v Speaker 3>in Chicago. And I want to stress to you how

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<v Speaker 3>synonymous Michael Jordan remains with the Bulls. I just traveled

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<v Speaker 3>abroad and saw so much Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan stuff,

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<v Speaker 3>and I think we underestimate that sometimes in the States,

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<v Speaker 3>just how obviously he's massive here, but just abroad, Michael

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<v Speaker 3>Jordan continues to be the Chicago Bulls even today. Now,

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<v Speaker 3>when in the past I've chided Jordan for this low

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<v Speaker 3>profile he's maintained as part of these public appearances, all

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<v Speaker 3>I got back was that mere mortals like us will

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<v Speaker 3>never be able to fully grasp how complicated it is

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<v Speaker 3>for someone of Michael's global fame to operate in public.

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<v Speaker 3>And I have to concede, Okay, we probably will never

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<v Speaker 3>fully grasp what that's like. But if you may please

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<v Speaker 3>allow me to cling to hope, somehow, someway there will

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<v Speaker 3>be a chance to interview him somewhere down the line,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm going to cross my fingers, but not not going

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<v Speaker 3>to hold my breath now. As for mj the businessman,

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<v Speaker 3>he's one of the absolute all time greats. You do

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<v Speaker 3>not need me or Forbes to tell you that. Let's

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<v Speaker 3>be honest, Jordan was a mogul and a brand before

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<v Speaker 3>we even knew what people were talking about when they

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<v Speaker 3>said things like my brand. He's earned a reported two billion,

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<v Speaker 3>two billion with a B from his four decades association

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<v Speaker 3>with Nike that continues to flourish today. Obviously, Jordan brand

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<v Speaker 3>is doing huge business. You all, I'm sure are aware

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<v Speaker 3>of the movie Air that Jordan's initial contract and signing

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<v Speaker 3>with Nike in the eighties inspired. And look, he realistically

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<v Speaker 3>just eclipsed his career shoe Houl with this sale of

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<v Speaker 3>the hornets. That's how significant the dollar amounts are here.

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<v Speaker 3>And you put all of that on top of what

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<v Speaker 3>has to be considered an untouchable legacy as a pitchman

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<v Speaker 3>for Gatorade, Haynes McDonald's anything else that Michael hawked in

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<v Speaker 3>collaboration with his longtime agent David Falk. Yet the business

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<v Speaker 3>of basketball, it's its own one of a kind beast

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<v Speaker 3>when we're talking about putting rosters together that are worthy

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<v Speaker 3>of winning championships, and simply being Michael Jordan wasn't enough

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<v Speaker 3>for MJ to sor to those heights.

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<v Speaker 1>By all accounts, he's.

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<v Speaker 3>Been a tremendous owner in the NASCAR world, teaming with

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<v Speaker 3>Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace. But man, first of all,

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<v Speaker 3>we had to process be difficult concept in February that

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<v Speaker 3>Michael Jordan is now sixty. He celebrated his sixtieth birthday

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<v Speaker 3>in February, and here we are, six seven, eight months later.

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<v Speaker 3>We are now forced to contemplate the idea that Michael

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<v Speaker 3>might actually be done with the NBA in hands on terms,

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<v Speaker 3>beyond the minority ownership stake that he still retains in

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<v Speaker 3>the Hornets. The reality is, like it or not, Nike

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<v Speaker 3>never did come up with the shoe that could help

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<v Speaker 3>Air Jordan levitate to the stratosphere of ring winning boss,

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<v Speaker 3>and really he never got anywhere close. And most of all,

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<v Speaker 3>the big takeaway from my piece and what I'm sharing

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<v Speaker 3>with you guys here, I'm not sure we're ever going

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<v Speaker 3>to gain a true understanding of how all that sits

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<v Speaker 3>with him? All Right, everyone, thanks much for listening. As always,

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<v Speaker 3>please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to this League

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<v Speaker 3>Uncut if you haven't already. I'm going to have an

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<v Speaker 3>interview Saturday with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch that will be

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<v Speaker 3>on my radio show in Dallas, the Saturday Steinline presented

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<v Speaker 3>by Panini America that airs on ninety seven Won the

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<v Speaker 3>Freak in Dallas also and iHeart Property, We're gonna put

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<v Speaker 3>that interview on this feed as well, so any interested

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<v Speaker 3>parties out there you will be able to get a

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<v Speaker 3>Timberwolves preview, get your Anthony Edwards fix from my conversation

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<v Speaker 3>with Chris Finch and then the famed Chris, the one

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<v Speaker 3>and only Chris Haynes and I. We will be back

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<v Speaker 3>to full strength early next week with our usual two

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<v Speaker 3>man game. Greatly appreciated everyone, Thanks again for tuning in

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<v Speaker 3>and ramping up with us, because yes, the season is

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<v Speaker 3>almost here, days away, real NBA games that count two

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<v Speaker 3>weeks and change.

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<v Speaker 1>We're getting close. Back with you soon, everybody, Take care.

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<v Speaker 2>And that'll do it for us.

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<v Speaker 1>See you next time.

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<v Speaker 2>This League Uncuttage and iHeartRadio Production, Christine and Marks Time