Speaker 1: On this episode of This League, we talk about what
Speaker 1: happens when the league decides you are just washed, no
Speaker 1: longer an NBA player. They do not want you, they
Speaker 1: do not need you. How hard that is to change
Speaker 1: their minds when it is not true. We are talking
Speaker 1: about Isaiah Thomas, but we're also talking about the likes
Speaker 1: of Michael Beasley, Kenneth Reid, Mike James, and many many more.
Speaker 1: So do me a favorite, Marty Oh, dead time, dead summer,
Speaker 1: dead summer, you know when we're talking about it.
Speaker 2: But that's where we're at right now.
Speaker 1: So time to get into the heartwarming stories, sad stories.
Speaker 3: Let's drop the beat and it's the same.
Speaker 4: You'll be waiting for.
Speaker 5: Spleen of a goal stop.
Speaker 3: We got the plan.
Speaker 5: If go, let me go gaping. Everybody knows.
Speaker 2: If you love hoops, you love it. Do you say
Speaker 2: that's true? I think he's.
Speaker 1: For kids who did not become sixty three, sixty five,
Speaker 1: sixty seven like myself and yourself.
Speaker 2: Knowing what Isaiah Thomas can.
Speaker 3: Do at we'll call him six.
Speaker 2: Feet flat is a very generous. Yeah, that he's not
Speaker 2: even he's at five ten.
Speaker 1: Yeah, getting back into the league is something that I
Speaker 1: want for Isaiah Thomas.
Speaker 2: It was about a month ago.
Speaker 1: Remember, he broke down and cried after he scored eighty one,
Speaker 1: just like a month ago at the Crenshaw Classic, and
Speaker 1: he said, the league gave up on me. The league
Speaker 1: gave up on me, And then he tweeted afterwards, Listen,
Speaker 1: it wasn't just the league that gave.
Speaker 2: Up on me. It was the whole goddamn world.
Speaker 1: I wasn't showing y'all a snippet of me being emotional
Speaker 1: so y'all can feel sorry for me.
Speaker 2: Hell no, my life is great.
Speaker 1: I was showing y'all to show you what it feels
Speaker 1: like to give everything you have to something you love
Speaker 1: and to.
Speaker 2: See it slowly coming back where it's supposed to be
Speaker 2: the marathon continues.
Speaker 1: The emotion was tied up from the last four years,
Speaker 1: battling every single day. I'm not talking about the league
Speaker 1: giving up on me, lol. The world gave up on
Speaker 1: me and was shitting on me while I was down
Speaker 1: and out. When you love something, you'll do whatever it
Speaker 1: takes to get that. And I'm back, baby. I mean
Speaker 1: it was when I watched that clip, I kind of
Speaker 1: tear it up a little bit, like all that mental anguish,
Speaker 1: all that physical anguish, knowing what he went through with
Speaker 1: his sister's death, all of his hip issues with the
Speaker 1: way the Boston Celtics organization ran him down to the
Speaker 1: ground and discarded him like a piece of trash.
Speaker 2: And then the league decided, yeah, you're trash.
Speaker 1: Even though he was just an MVP candidate before he
Speaker 1: got injured, Like that's where we're at. You know, five ten,
Speaker 1: loose some mobility, loose athleticism, and.
Speaker 2: You're just a guy.
Speaker 4: Two time All Star, two.
Speaker 2: Time All Star, And that eighty one points got people's
Speaker 2: attention again.
Speaker 1: People like Lebron were tweeting his support, and then all
Speaker 1: of a sudden, before you know what is isa Time
Speaker 1: Thomas is at Staples Center.
Speaker 2: He is trying out for a roster spot, to be
Speaker 2: a backup to the backup of Russ.
Speaker 6: Look good, Yeah, look good.
Speaker 1: And then, like clockwork, even though it looked like Isaiah
Speaker 1: Thomas was going to be in purple and coal once again,
Speaker 1: there was a wrench in the plan thrown in by.
Speaker 2: The universe, and his name was Rondo.
Speaker 1: Apparently it was unexpected that Regon people don't like it
Speaker 1: when I say Regeon, So I'm just gonna call Regon
Speaker 1: got bought out by the Grizzlies.
Speaker 6: I didn't think that was gonna happen.
Speaker 2: I think that John.
Speaker 1: Morant could use little Regon Rondo leadership in the locker room.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 4: I wasn't expecting a buy out there, especially because we've
Speaker 4: seen Rondo like play on teams like that, like he
Speaker 4: was on Sacramento for a minute and like didn't really
Speaker 4: bitch about it. Like, yeah, no, I didn't see a
Speaker 4: buy out really coming.
Speaker 2: And remember also the Lakers.
Speaker 1: We talked about this earlier in the season where the
Speaker 1: Lakers said that one of the reasons that their chemistry
Speaker 1: was off is because they lost Rondo and he was
Speaker 1: so instrumental into the chemistry. I know you don't buy
Speaker 1: into that, but there are guys who are important in
Speaker 1: keeping people accountable, and apparently La really felt like Rondo.
Speaker 2: Was one of them.
Speaker 1: So now the Lakers want Rondo and not it even
Speaker 1: though literally the contract was almost in it's grasps and poof.
Speaker 2: Now he's looking for another way to get back into
Speaker 2: the league, and I don't know if he will.
Speaker 1: I don't know if he will, but this sort of
Speaker 1: brought me to a larger issue. Do you think about
Speaker 1: like Isaiah Thomas is not far off from being an
Speaker 1: NBA player, Like he's a good player.
Speaker 4: No, And he played in the league last year.
Speaker 6: He had a ten day with the Pelicans, yep.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And like that was weird.
Speaker 1: Stanley and Gundy didn't treat him well because Lonzo Ball
Speaker 1: was out and Josh Hart was out and he wasn't
Speaker 1: really getting any run.
Speaker 6: Yeah, no, Marshall was playing over them. Yeah, weird, very weird.
Speaker 1: But to me, it's like, Okay, we know that Isiah
Speaker 1: Thomas is capable of playing in the league if he's healthy,
Speaker 1: and I really want someone to take a flyer on him.
Speaker 2: But really it's about what happens. Where do you go?
Speaker 2: What do you do if you're a.
Speaker 1: Player of NBA caliber and the league decides you're no
Speaker 1: longer an NBA player anymore, like all the teams and obviously,
Speaker 1: according to Isiah Thomas, the world as well, Like you're washed.
Speaker 1: How do you convince people that they're wrong when they're like,
Speaker 1: you can't be here anymore, you can't even get a
Speaker 1: ten day.
Speaker 2: You're like, oh, you're not gonna get any run. You're
Speaker 2: just here.
Speaker 1: Summer League is your best bet to try what do
Speaker 1: you do. There's not a ton of options. We just
Speaker 1: came out of a summer league. Summer league used to
Speaker 1: be where rookies came in and showed their stuff, and
Speaker 1: now you fucking Michael Beasley trying to.
Speaker 2: Show he's not washed.
Speaker 1: Like it's now where old players come to show their stuff.
Speaker 4: I hope that continues, so why I kind of love it?
Speaker 2: It was crazy.
Speaker 1: Here are a few of the many players trying to
Speaker 1: get into the league through summer league. Kenneth far Reid
Speaker 1: play for the Blazer Summer League team thirty one not old.
Speaker 1: He's the same age as Dame. Been out of league
Speaker 1: two years playing in China. I mean the league has
Speaker 1: kind of gone to where he is. He's six' eight
Speaker 1: stretch for can play, three four, five definitely. Tough Con,
Speaker 1: dunk can play some roles and, somehow some way no
Speaker 1: one wants.
Speaker 6: HIM i, mean can you?
Speaker 4: Shoot?
Speaker 2: Now Can Draymond?
Speaker 1: GREEN i mean If kenth For red just stuck With Jay,
Speaker 1: crowder all you need to do is just Be Jay.
Speaker 1: Crowder like we, see if you're six eight and you
Speaker 1: can shoot some corner, three some just, outlets you're. Good
Speaker 1: you just that's the only thing he. NEEDS i know
Speaker 1: it's a big. Thing that's What Ben simmons. Needs but
Speaker 1: come on, Now Marquis, chris he's only twenty.
Speaker 6: Four he's, bad eighth overall. Pick he's a bad.
Speaker 2: PLAYER i watched him a.
Speaker 6: While he's.
Speaker 2: Bad he's trying to get back in. Though twenty. Four Michael,
Speaker 2: beasley he hasn't played since twenty. Nineteen he's only thirty.
Speaker 4: Two Michael beasley's only thirty. Two, yes, jeez, YEAH i
Speaker 4: guess that makes.
Speaker 6: Sense.
Speaker 1: Yeah Mike, james who played serious minutes for The nets
Speaker 1: in the. Playoffs he's been bouncing everywhere seven, seasons From
Speaker 1: serbia To, israel To croatia to all WHERE i Mean.
Speaker 1: YUGOSLAVIA i don't even. Know like he's been legitimately everywhere
Speaker 1: in the. Globe, yes and people are, like, yeah we'll
Speaker 1: give you a shot if someone gets, hurt and then
Speaker 1: that person's backup gets.
Speaker 2: Hurt but he can.
Speaker 1: Play but the best example is Former oregon Dust Joe.
Speaker 2: Yng who is That? Marty Who's Joe?
Speaker 1: Yong?
Speaker 6: EXACTLY i MEAN i kind of remember, him but, yeah.
Speaker 1: Twenty fifteen went to the league From oregon the second,
Speaker 1: round played three seasons there all, right one hundred and
Speaker 1: twenty seven, games averaged like four points nine minutes a.
Speaker 2: GAME i, mean he's.
Speaker 1: Fine the only reason he didn't get extended after his
Speaker 1: rookie contract is because they Drafted Aaron holliday and they
Speaker 1: had way too many. Guards they HAD i, THINK i
Speaker 1: think three or four other, guards so they're like. Nah
Speaker 1: then they give him In china a one point three
Speaker 1: million dollar contract with The Monkey, kings which problematic. NAME
Speaker 1: i would, say very problematic, name but we won't we
Speaker 1: won't go into. That and he became for two straight
Speaker 1: years the highest scorer in The Chinese Basketball league high
Speaker 1: score fucking thirty eight a.
Speaker 2: Game he averaged thirty eight points a. Game that's.
Speaker 1: Strong then coronavirus fucked him. Up couldn't come into the,
Speaker 1: bubble couldn't get back From china to The United.
Speaker 2: States you know how it. Is when we got.
Speaker 1: Somebody calling it The china, IRUs you're not getting in From,
Speaker 1: china like that's the, way then goes you, know, listen
Speaker 1: we're not bringing a monkey kid in to our. Bubble
Speaker 1: this just can't do, it, yeah optics. Wise so then
Speaker 1: he plays First Stufon, marbury, who by the, way is
Speaker 1: a head coach now Not.
Speaker 6: CLAIRE i THINK i know that head coach for a
Speaker 6: couple of.
Speaker 2: Years now he's. Not he's earned like three. Million Joe
Speaker 2: young still not in THE.
Speaker 1: Nba he got an invite to be on The wizards
Speaker 1: and they didn't even play him in summer league enough
Speaker 1: games for you to have stats for. Him he didn't
Speaker 1: play enough minutes during the fucking summer league for you
Speaker 1: to find a goddamn stat about how he's.
Speaker 6: Done they didn't play him like barely at.
Speaker 1: All, uh, dude average thirty eight points a, game and
Speaker 1: it's The Washington wizards and they're, like we're not gonna
Speaker 1: play you in the fucking summer. League this is What
Speaker 1: i'm talking, About. Marty when the world decides.
Speaker 6: Yo you're.
Speaker 1: Nothing you can't even get The Washington wizards to put
Speaker 1: you out on minutes when they've got absolutely garbage players
Speaker 1: coming in coming. Out you're a pro averaging thirty eight
Speaker 1: points a game In. China they're, like, yeah, no not
Speaker 1: enough for you to get.
Speaker 4: STATS i, mean that's bizarre to not play a guy
Speaker 4: on your summer league. Team the point is for these
Speaker 4: guys to get some. Run that's bizarre to just not play.
Speaker 2: Somebody it's just, crazy all of.
Speaker 1: This to make the point, of like when THE nba
Speaker 1: decides it doesn't really matter what you've, Done like you
Speaker 1: have guys Like Jeremy lynn sanity and you're just a
Speaker 1: spark in the.
Speaker 2: Bottle you're just a we've decided you're a spark in the.
Speaker 2: Bottle you're. Nothing and then.
Speaker 1: There's guys who still get, minutes Like Hassan. Whiteside there's
Speaker 1: guys who just deserve nothing.
Speaker 2: Who continue to get, Contracts.
Speaker 1: And it's a, weird non meritorious, situation, Right like you
Speaker 1: just can't change these GM's. Minds Pat, beverly who we
Speaker 1: know is AN nba caliber, Player we know that he's
Speaker 1: a difference, maker we know that he is an, irritant
Speaker 1: spent three years abroad before he could ever get on
Speaker 1: AN nba. Team it was like he went on AN
Speaker 1: nba team and then, left then tried to come. Back
Speaker 1: he wasn't even allowed to come to the first. Place
Speaker 1: Bruce bowen spent four years In france before starting a
Speaker 1: thirteen YEAR nba.
Speaker 2: Career it's wild how this whole thing. Goes.
Speaker 4: YEAH J, TUCKER Pj tucker five years In israel In Europe.
Speaker 1: Wild Jeremy lynn this, year just this, year lit up
Speaker 1: THE G league and no one's looking at him for
Speaker 1: AN nba roster and we Got Jalen. Green no disrespect
Speaker 1: To Jalen, green but, like why does What Jalen green
Speaker 1: does in THE G? League like why is that applicable
Speaker 1: to THE? Nba but What Jeremy lynn does in THE
Speaker 1: G league not applicable to THE.
Speaker 6: Nba good, point you know What i'm. Saying, yeah it's
Speaker 6: a good.
Speaker 1: Point how hard is it to change people's minds when
Speaker 1: they've decided that you are no longer, wanted that you are,
Speaker 1: washed that you are not a, Player and more, so
Speaker 1: how physically and mentally exhausting is it to wake up
Speaker 1: every single day knowing that the world has counted you
Speaker 1: out and you believing differently and trying to dig and
Speaker 1: grind and get to the place where the world will
Speaker 1: accept you for who they thought.
Speaker 2: That you were and no longer wanted you in the.
Speaker 1: League like just fucking Ask Isaiah, thomas like fucking, hard really,
Speaker 1: hard as he would, say a slow.
Speaker 2: Grind that's all the time that we have for This league.
Speaker 1: Podcast please remember to follow us On, spotify On apple and.
Speaker 1: YouTube we will be Back wednesday for a special little
Speaker 1: mini episode and Then friday morning.
Speaker 3: For a new episode of this Week.
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