WEBVTT - EPISODE 14: Breaking News! The MVP race is not over! 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:07.040 Welcome to This League Uncut in the world of twenty 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:10.680 four hour NBA news. Just do you lose Chris Haines, 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:16.959 it's time, Mark Stein, It's show time. Woo shuklaka Chris 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:21.119 Hanes and Mark Stein. This link uncutt is underway and 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:28.920 then fire. This should be a good one. Haines and Stein. 0:00:29.200 --> 0:00:32.559 Back again with another good one. Back again with another 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:38.440 episode of This League Uncut. Chris, you were in Minneapolis 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:45.080 on Tuesday night. Joel Embiid put on another show and 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:48.360 we're over We're over due for some Eastern conference talk 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:52.640 on this podcast, and your interview with him certainly got 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:56.240 people talking. Let's actually listen to some of that first 0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:00.200 MVPs Defensive Day All the Year. Yeah, I doesn't you 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:02.640 know what I mean anything to me. I'm just still 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:04.800 gonna be the best bell on the floor. That's a 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:07.440 nice segue to my question that you know that's coming. Joe. 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:10.640 There is a he did debate out there about who's 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:13.839 the front runner for the MVP Award. So I want 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:17.680 your unbiased opinion, who do you feel is the favorite 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.800 in the front runner right now? I don't know, that's 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.600 not for me to answer. I feel like you know, 0:01:24.200 --> 0:01:26.759 you know, obviously being in the running the last few years, 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.759 you know has been whatever. And you know this year, 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:33.240 you know, I've taken a different appostion. She's trying to 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:37.520 focus on the white things. Uh, you know, win games, dominate, Uh, 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.800 which I've been doing, and whatever happens happens. Uh. You know, 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:44.280 obviously who would have loved to you know, win one. 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.560 That's the you know, the best award anyone anyone can get. 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:51.120 So but like I said, I'm just focused on making sure, 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:55.440 you know, first of all, staying healthy, winning games, and dominating. 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:57.360 I love how you put the question right too. In 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:00.760 full court press from Freds though there because we all 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:02.760 want to know what he's what he's thinking on this 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:07.680 MVP stuff. He knew it was coming, so there was 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.760 a okay, what was it towards the end. So towards 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:13.520 the end of the third quarter, he goes back to 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:17.080 the locker room and he just runs him to the back, 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:21.160 and so producers in my ear during the game, hey 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.560 go check on MB. So I go back there and 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:27.560 I'm waiting for I'm waiting for him for probably about man, 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:29.760 it seems it seemed long. It seemed like a long time. 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:33.119 Probably about five minutes. Then I heard he was using 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:36.840 the bathroom, and then somebody told me he usually goes 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:39.040 that's like a routine of his, like towards the end 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:41.120 of the third quarter, he'll go in the back and 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:43.799 like get some oxygen or do whatever he does. I 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.800 don't know exactly what he does. And so I'm like, okay, 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:49.320 So I figured I'll just wait out, just wait him out, 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:53.240 And so as he comes out, he's like chopping it 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:56.359 up with me. We're actually having a conversation as he's 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:59.240 walking back up to the walking back inside of the 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:01.520 side of the red only you, because that is not 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:06.400 normal Sidehind reported to walk and talk in the middle 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.400 of the game. Yeah, look, it was. It wasn't like 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:10.519 an interview. He was asking me what game I got next, 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:13.760 and I told him I think I might be in 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:16.359 um La in a few weeks. And he was like, oh, 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:19.400 he's still giving you know, Lakers still getting getting all 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:21.000 the love or something like that. It was just something 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:23.679 like like it was just like small chat stuff and 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:26.640 we were just talking and so um I said, hey, 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.400 I'm gonna have you because at that point, Sixers were 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.679 up a pretty sizeable lead on the Timberwolves. I said, hey, 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:35.320 i'm gonna have you for the walk off interview. I'm 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:37.880 gonna ask you about the MVP that he just smiled. 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.120 He's like, all right, I'll be ready and so that 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.000 So that's that's what that's why when I alluded to 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:45.680 it in the interview, I said, Okay, you know what's coming, 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:48.520 and here it is. So that's how it's all set up. 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:52.640 You know, when you listen to him, he somewhat sounds 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.400 resigned that it's already out of his grasp. I actually 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:58.520 doesn't think it's out of his grasp yet. That's what 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:01.240 I got at. That's what that's what I took away 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:04.120 from it. He didn't say it, but he seems like 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:09.440 he can sense that the votes are going in the 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:14.400 direction of most likely the Joker, and so he wanted 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:17.120 to make it clear that, Okay, I have no control 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:21.080 over the votes, but what I do have control over 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:24.080 is my play. And you know, I think he made 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.840 a strong statement right there, saying, no matter who he's 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:29.479 playing against, he's always going to be the best player 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.120 on the court, and I think that speaks volumes in 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:35.240 and another. And look, Joe, he wants that MVP for 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:37.279 sure he wants that MVP. I think last year he did, 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:39.960 he did a little bit more campaigning. I think he's 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:44.159 a little disappointed this year. I think he's disappointed with 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:48.520 the narrative. You know, Joker's having a great, unbelievable season. 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:51.640 Should he be the front runner? You know whatever. I 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:55.040 think i'll vote this year. I chose not to last year, 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:56.800 but I think I will this year. And so I 0:04:56.800 --> 0:04:58.560 don't know which way I'm going as a right now, 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:02.960 but I get the sense that embiid is kind of 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:06.600 like just disappointed with the process and the narrative that's 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:10.479 taking place, and and and I think that way he 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:15.800 said that Stein to also get voters to kind of 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:19.279 look at him a little bit more, with him saying 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:21.440 I'm always I'm gonna be the best player on the court. 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.880 Oh you are, huh okay, Well let's see. I want 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:28.440 to say, let me look at the schedule. I'll let 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:31.880 you talk best. I think sixers have one more about 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:35.840 with the nuggets they do. I'm a check right now. 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:37.479 I'm a check right now. But go ahead, you go 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:40.680 go ahead and take over. There's lots to unpack her 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:44.360 because this hits on fifteen different things that First of all, 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:46.479 I think i've I've told you this before. I don't 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:48.080 know if I've said it on the pod before, but 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:51.520 I've definitely I wrote about it even at the time. 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:54.960 Um Joel Embiad is one of my favorite players to 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:58.039 talk to. I love interviewing him. I love that he's 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:03.600 he's edgy, he's all he's ready to talk. In the Bubble. 0:06:03.680 --> 0:06:08.160 One of my most memorable experiences in the Bubble was 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:11.799 at the beginning of the Bubble. There were twenty two teams, 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:15.520 which you remember well. There were so many games at 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:20.200 the beginning that the games had to be played in 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:23.039 three gyms at the start until they started narrowing the 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:27.680 field down. And the Sixers played the Spurs in the smallest, 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:34.440 the supposed least attractive of the three gyms, and there 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:38.520 were only two reporters there. I'm not going to name 0:06:38.560 --> 0:06:43.200 the other reporter, but maybe i'll maybe I'll ask him 0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:44.960 and see if he didn't care later on, but there 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:48.120 was only two of us there at this game. The 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:51.440 Sixers won on a shake Milton buzzer beater. If I 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:55.080 remember this correctly, and knowing me, you have to assume 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:56.920 that I might be messing up some of these facts, 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:59.520 but hopefully I'm remembering it right as I remember it. 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:02.920 Shake Elton won the game on a buzzer beater. My 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:06.760 only other press row colleague in the building left, which 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:09.360 meant I had both teams to myself. Now. I went 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:13.360 there thinking that it might be a chance to get 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:16.360 Greg Popovich alone. But obviously, when the Spurs lose on 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:19.600 a buzzer beater, that was not going to happen. But 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.880 I was able to pull off a Chris Haynes like 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:28.000 Sidal and I walked Joel. I walked Joel Embid to 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.440 the Sixers team bus. I was not you were not 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:32.440 supposed to based on the letter of the law in 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:34.120 the bubble, But I said, you know what, I'm in 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:37.560 the third gym. Nobody's here, nobody's watching. Screw it, I'm 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:40.760 doing it. Had a great little interview with Joel on 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:47.320 the way to the bush. He's a fantastic talker. He 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:49.560 knows what he's doing. You're You're absolutely right. I think 0:07:49.600 --> 0:07:51.440 he knows what he's doing. He's trying to He's like 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:55.360 campaigning without campaigning in that interview with you. But look, 0:07:55.400 --> 0:08:01.440 I he's I don't think it's been decided. I do think. Look, 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:03.080 I mean, I don't know how much we want to 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:06.600 get into the MVP conversation because it's been so just 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:09.480 it just gets worse and worse and worse in spirals 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:14.000 to an uglier, uglier place. It has got, it has 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:18.160 got ugliest. I've been looking at hey, I've been looking outside. 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:20.480 You know, I haven't went outside. I don't play a 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:25.160 vents ernolf and getting into those uh, those shenanigans out there. 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:27.480 But I'm looking out there. I'm seeing all the talk. 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:31.600 But uh, to the point we made yes, MB and 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:36.080 Joker do meet one last time March twenty seventh, sixers 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:41.280 in Denver, and here like I no longer vote. I 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:43.480 mean you mentioned that you didn't vote last year, which 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:45.959 I didn't even I didn't even know that. I have 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:51.360 not voted since twenty seventeen, when the twenty seventeen awards 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:55.360 were the last time I voted. My my the subsequent 0:08:55.400 --> 0:08:57.400 four seasons I was at the New York Times at 0:08:57.400 --> 0:09:00.439 the times we were not allowed to vote. And then 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:02.840 I just decided, when I started my own substackt that 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.120 I was going to continue on that path and not vote. 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:09.800 And just you know, I still do a faux ballot 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:11.840 that I print, and I still print out all my 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:14.520 choices of who I would have voted, but I don't 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:18.200 I don't cast a real ballot. But I've softened my 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:21.240 position because I used to be very absolute about what 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:23.640 MVP is, and you just have to realize that the 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:28.319 reality is everybody is almost invited to just see this 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:31.600 the way they want to see it. There are no 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:36.199 strict rules and criteria from the league. The way I've 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:37.880 always done it and the way I think a lot 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:41.760 of old school writers do it. It's a best season award. 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:45.840 And that's why you know when Nash won the MVP 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:49.520 in his first season in Phoenix is because they went 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.160 from twenty nine wins to sixty two and he was 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:55.080 the driving force. It's not because he had better stats 0:09:55.080 --> 0:09:58.240 than Shaquille O'Neil. That's why Steve Nash won. I think 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:01.120 Steve's second MVPs the more controversial one and the one 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:06.040 that probably pissed Shock off more. But look, Yokich won 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.760 last season for a lot of the same reasons that 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:13.520 Westbrook won in twenty seventeen. He had an amazing stat line, 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:18.080 largely without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Junior. At his side, 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:21.120 and his team almost won fifty games. I know for me, 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:24.920 I personally use the exact same rationale with Westbrook. In 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:28.720 twenty seventeen, the Thunder lost Durrant. They were supposed to 0:10:28.760 --> 0:10:30.920 fall off the face of the NBA map. They won 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:35.400 forty seven games. RUSS average a triple double. They you know, 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:38.200 fifty wins has always been the minimum standard. You know, 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:40.719 in the modern MVP voting, your team had to win 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.320 fifty games for you to be an MVP. Yoki won 0:10:43.480 --> 0:10:46.199 forty eight last season, RUSS one forty seven, So it's 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:50.440 like they came close to fifty in adverse situations with 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:55.800 a shorthanded team. So but like it just seems like 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:58.959 the strongest case against Yoki this season is he's already 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:00.640 won two in a row. And I mean, look at 0:11:00.679 --> 0:11:02.600 it that, you know, it's a one all star team 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:06.079 and they're winning the West, and Yoki's numbers are unbelievable. 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:11.200 So his case is really really strong. But Joel has 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:13.480 a great case too, and Philly has put on an 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:17.160 absolute They've been on a monster run now for three 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:21.600 months and it's not over. We still have fifteen ish 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:25.200 games left in the season, depending on where Philly ends 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:27.600 up in the ladder, and if Joel keeps playing the 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:31.240 way he's playing, it both ends. I still think he 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:38.200 has time, Yeah, I think he does. But Joker's numbers 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:43.280 are they're unbelievable, triple double as a right now, number 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:46.800 one in the Western Conference standings Philly right now they 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:50.040 are third, yeah, third and Eastern Conference. So there are 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:53.760 four games back of Milwaukee for the top spot in 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:57.400 the Eastern Conference. So there's still some there's still some 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:01.600 room for him to make a push. I would say 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:04.040 that make a push. But you just hear, you know, 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.640 you see these straw polls that come out, and you 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:10.920 just you hear from a lot of the you know, 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:14.720 the NBA talking heads, and you know, you hear Joker 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:17.800 pretty much. It seems like he almost hasn't solidified. And 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:20.520 so I think that's kind of what Joel is hearing 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:22.960 right as a right now, and he's kind of, you know, 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:26.160 fed up like Philly. You know, obviously I'm talking from 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:29.600 the six er standpoint. Man. They they believe it should 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:33.600 be Joel's award hands down this year. And I think 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:37.839 Stein to your point, like I think I would have 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:39.920 if I voted, I would have voted last year. If 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:42.080 I voted, I would have voted for for NBA last 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:45.720 year and this year as a right now, the way 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:49.959 it stands right now, I don't you know, I can 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.000 see why somebody has given the ass to Joker is 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:56.200 you know, it's crazy. You know, we we we never 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.559 seen anything like that from a big to put these 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:01.880 type of us. I mean, he's shooting forty percent from 0:13:01.920 --> 0:13:04.880 three point range as well. He's gotten better as field 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:07.560 goal percentage. I believe career high field goal percentage as 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:10.800 of right now too, So you know, he's playing unbelievable. 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:14.480 But Joel embiid Man, that dude is a dominant beast man. 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:18.079 He's definitely you could definitely make the case he should 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.800 have had at least one MVP by now. But yeah, 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:22.880 there's there's still more time. So I was saying, b 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:25.920 don't give up, keep doing your thing, keep you know, 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:29.880 keep killing out there. And that matchup, that matchup against Denver, 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:33.680 that could go a long way. Because again I'm going 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:39.040 back to that Russell Russ brook Brook MVP. Russ stole 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:41.880 my vote the last two weeks of the season. He 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:44.199 stole my vote. I had it. I was going to 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:46.440 give it to Harden, and I remember the Rockets got 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:48.200 mad at me at that, you know, at that time 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:52.880 when they found out I voted for Russ. So there's 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:57.120 still time for MB to take it, to steal this award. Yeah, 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.200 And look, you know, like I said, when I when 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:04.040 I give my synopsis of the race, it's again using 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:08.040 that the way I've always done it, the way, you know, 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:11.439 And again this is just me, one voter out of 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:15.679 the usual hundred or used to be, I think even 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:19.400 more than a hundred. You know, I've always treated it 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:25.000 as who had the best season combination of their production 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:29.200 and team success. But then other voters might feel like, 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:33.200 you know what, Joel Embiide is a sensational two way player. 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:37.120 Yokich is not known as a two way player. And 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:40.520 I'm going to give my vote to MB because he 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:42.680 does it at both ends of the court. And that 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:46.360 was always the knock against Nash. Nash was certainly, you know, 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:50.400 by no means any kind of force on the defensive end. 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:54.360 And so that used to bother the anti Nash lobby 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.880 that would say, how can this guy be the MVP 0:14:57.680 --> 0:15:01.400 when he really is only doing it at one end? 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:03.880 But that's kind of the whole point is that there 0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:07.720 are no guidelines. Everybody can do this eye of the 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:11.080 beholder and anyone who has a vote can do it 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:14.680 anyway they want. I mean, that's really it. You can't 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.640 and I think yeah, and and you make a good point. 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:19.600 We're talking about both sides of the ball right there. 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:26.920 I think most people, most unbiased people would say, pound 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:32.840 for pound, all around player, they would probably say Joel 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.360 is probably the more complete player because he could do 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:40.680 it on both ends. But again, when when you're talking 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.760 about the Joker and what he's doing, yes, he's not 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:47.160 that efficient on a defensive end, but you know, still 0:15:47.240 --> 0:15:51.360 like what he provides to a team and how important 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:54.520 he is and the numbers he's putting up and how 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:56.400 much onnes is he you know, he's a quarterback of 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.560 that team, so you can't dismiss his contribution. But definitely, 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:03.160 like for Pal to me, I don't know if this 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:05.880 would be controversial. We'll see on social media. We'll see 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:08.800 if if this is aggregated, we'll see if this is controversial. 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:11.680 But I don't think it's controversial to say Poal for Pal, 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:17.040 Joel Embie is a better player than a Joker and 0:16:17.160 --> 0:16:22.200 that's not that doesn't mean that his Hibbie p case 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:25.120 should be stronger because of that. I'm just stating what 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:34.240 I think. It's probably fast. I mean, you just you 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:38.080 just kind of summed up one of the biggest debates 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:42.800 about this award that has always been is this. And 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:45.680 that's why I say I'm from that old school that 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:50.880 says this should be a best season award, because if 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:54.360 we try to make it about best player again, I 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:57.280 came up. I started my first season in the league, 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:00.160 was the second half of the ninety four seas and 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:03.120 I probably got my first award ballots the next season. 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:07.000 So ninety four ninety five, you know, Jordan comes back 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:09.399 at the end of that season. But so now you 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:12.120 know the first you know, ninety six, ninety seven, ninety eight. 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:15.119 If you want to give MVP to the best player 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:16.840 on Earth, we could have given it to Jordan on 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:19.200 opening night. We didn't need to even have a vote, 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:23.280 I mean if And that's why I've always felt that 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:28.800 MVP should be best Season. And I think to this 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:34.320 point because the Nuggets have been the runaway first place 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:39.240 team in the West with only one All Star, with 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:44.320 these other guys missing some time, with Yoki putting up 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.240 the numbers that he has and you know, I think 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:49.480 shooting better than sixty percent from the floor. I mean, 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:53.280 I'm not saying he's already won it, but I you know, 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:55.879 when when you know, I think Tim Bonchamp's from ESPN 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:58.400 when he came out with a straw pole that said 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:01.280 Joker was in the league, I think Joker was in 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:05.560 the lead. But the season ain't over. And so you're right, 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:09.840 if Joel Embid comes out in that showdown with Denver 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:15.560 later this month and absolutely dominates the Joker, It's only 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:18.600 one game, and one game shouldn't change everything, but you 0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:22.159 know it will. I mean, can you know if that 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:25.000 face off the next day, the noise is going to 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:29.359 be loud. It shouldn't. But if he wins that face 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:33.159 off and dominating fashion, it's much more significant to do 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:36.320 it late in the season opposed to haven't done it 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:38.600 earlier in the season, because that's going to be the 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:42.960 last impression, you know, so that that's a significant game. 0:18:43.000 --> 0:18:45.359 That game is going to mean more than just one game. 0:18:45.480 --> 0:18:47.800 It's going to be more than just one performance. That 0:18:47.840 --> 0:18:51.199 could if he keeps dominating up until that point. The 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:54.440 Philadelphia seventy six to continue to climb up in the standings, 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:58.080 and he dominates that game where it's a clear cut, 0:18:58.680 --> 0:19:01.679 no doubt about it. Be got the best of Joker 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:05.840 that can that can have a significant that can play 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:10.480 a significant part on who's this year's MVP. Yeah, no, 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:12.560 it's gonna be fascinating. But you know, to your point 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:16.199 about how you know, Joel has kept it focused on 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:20.760 the playoffs and on winning, and he's been super consistent 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:25.600 with that. I went to Houston in early January and 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:29.119 went to the Sixers were playing the Rockets, and the 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:32.320 way it turned out, it was actually Harden's return game 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:35.520 from his long injury absence. It wasn't planned like that, 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:37.679 you know. I had planned to just go to Houston 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:39.480 and see the Sixers because they were in Texas, and 0:19:39.520 --> 0:19:42.320 it just worked so worked out that that that was 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:46.320 Harden's comeback game and the rock the The Sixers loss 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:49.120 in overtime that night and looked awful, and since then 0:19:49.160 --> 0:19:52.680 they've just been on an absolute tear since since that game. 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:55.679 But I wanted to I wanted to talk to Joel 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:57.840 not about the MVP. I wanted to talk to him 0:19:57.840 --> 0:20:00.879 about which a story which I I've been writing about 0:20:01.119 --> 0:20:04.800 since I want to say, September and October, a story 0:20:04.800 --> 0:20:09.960 that I just find so fascinating that France and Team 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:15.639 USA are basically in a recruiting war to get Joel 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:19.600 to play for their national team. The basketball romantic enemy 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:23.439 would love to see and Bead and Siakam team up 0:20:23.480 --> 0:20:26.600 for Cameroon and see how far they can take Cameroon. 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:31.240 But all the rumbles suggest that Joel is either going 0:20:31.280 --> 0:20:34.560 to play for France or the United States. He is 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:38.360 a citizen of both now and has the choice. These 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:43.239 are the two best teams in world basketball. You know, 0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:47.680 France beat the United States at the twenty nineteen World Cup. 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:50.480 They beat them at the Olympics. The United States ended 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:52.920 up beating them in the medal round and coming back 0:20:52.960 --> 0:21:01.000 to win that game. But I'm really fascinated by what 0:21:01.119 --> 0:21:05.400 happens there and and what decision and Bead makes. So 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:08.760 I got trying to say, can I say yeah, I 0:21:08.760 --> 0:21:13.720 think I can say this. I think I can. So 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:18.280 there was there was a this was what's Grant Hills role? 0:21:18.359 --> 0:21:20.439 You know, that's my partner in crime over there at TNT. 0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:26.240 What what USA basketball? I mean basically GM Okay, So 0:21:26.920 --> 0:21:29.560 I was we were doing me and Grant were doing 0:21:29.560 --> 0:21:33.960 a game. M it might it had to been longer. 0:21:34.080 --> 0:21:36.080 It had to been longer than a year ago. It 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:38.120 had to have been. But I was on the phone 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:40.919 with with Himbad about something. I don't know if we 0:21:40.920 --> 0:21:43.760 were doing a six year game or whatever. And this 0:21:43.840 --> 0:21:45.920 was before you know, this was before you came out 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:49.120 with the emerge with the report of that. I thought 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:50.960 Grant was playing. So I'm on the phone with him 0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:54.200 bad and Grant like it is in the background, he 0:21:54.320 --> 0:21:57.000 heard me talking to Joel and he was like, hey, 0:21:57.400 --> 0:21:59.199 tell him a come on this side, tell him come 0:21:59.240 --> 0:22:01.280 on this side, you know. And I didn't know what 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:03.720 he was talking about, and so I like, I left 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:06.800 it alone. I didn't really entertain it or dig too 0:22:06.840 --> 0:22:09.280 deep into it. Then when you came out with your 0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:12.560 story later, I was like, that's what Grant was talking about. Man. 0:22:12.600 --> 0:22:17.000 That whole time, I had no clue. I had no clue. Man, 0:22:17.200 --> 0:22:20.520 I was completely lost. But that that would that would 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:22.720 be big, that would be I don't know which way 0:22:22.760 --> 0:22:25.960 he's was, which way he's headed. I'm kind of like you, 0:22:26.000 --> 0:22:29.840 I kind of I guess I want to see him 0:22:29.920 --> 0:22:33.760 go against the USA a little bit. That would be cool. 0:22:33.840 --> 0:22:38.200 But here's the thing. Here's the thing. France has Gobar already. 0:22:38.720 --> 0:22:41.399 They also now have this guy named when Ban Yama, 0:22:41.440 --> 0:22:44.720 who I think everybody's heard of. Do they really love 0:22:45.200 --> 0:22:49.879 and beat as well? The United States actually has a 0:22:49.960 --> 0:22:56.840 void at center? But does I mean USA basketball has 0:22:56.960 --> 0:23:02.680 always had the deepest rosters in international competition since nineteen 0:23:02.760 --> 0:23:06.119 ninety two, when NBA players were allowed to start playing. 0:23:06.720 --> 0:23:11.040 Does I mean does USA basketball really now need to 0:23:11.119 --> 0:23:14.119 recruit Joel and bead on top of all the talent 0:23:14.200 --> 0:23:19.680