WEBVTT - NBA All-Star Game complaints & defending LeBron James 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.440 Welcome In What's Driving the Great Episode three oh three, 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:09.480 we are officially to basketball season. NFL Franchise Tag Day 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:13.880 is today, which means the NFL offseason has begun. In earnest. 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:16.759 The All Star Game was this weekend. I'm the only 0:00:16.840 --> 0:00:19.640 person in the world, evidently who enjoyed it. Or maybe 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:22.560 I'm the only person in the world who just doesn't 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:26.040 know how to consume anything without just bitching and moaning 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:28.280 about it from start to finish these days, I don't know. 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:31.720 So we'll get to all of that before we do 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:35.000 any of that. Demon's good to see you. You look 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:39.720 out just resplendent today. I mean, what is the weather 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:41.920 in Los Angeles? Must be glorious. 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:43.520 It is feeling great. 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:49.519 It is freezing in New York City, and you're wearing 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:54.840 damn near a Hawaiian shirt. Speaking of Hawaii, first things 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:57.520 First is off next week. I won't be going to Hawaii. 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:01.080 I'll actually be going further than Hawaiian. Wilde's is off 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:04.480 this week. Listen. Kate w is one of the hardest 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:08.440 working people in media and never takes time off this 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:10.640 but this was the week he needed off. So he's 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:12.880 off this week. Then we're off as a show next week. 0:01:13.360 --> 0:01:16.560 And so yesterday, before we get to the Lebron stuff 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:20.920 in the ulsterreehum stuff, just quick story. Yesterday Lowayne filled in, 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:24.199 and he didn't fill in as a guest. He sat 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:27.000 in wild seat. He did the intros and outros, he 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:30.480 did weird and wonderful, and people wondered how did that happen? 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:34.360 So I'm going to tell you guys exactly how that happened. 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:43.279 So Monday, a week ago, during the Me Eating Crow show, 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:51.040 Wayne texted, Brah, I'm crying laughing in this blank a 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:54.040 lot of laughing emojis. That was too funny. Whole sec 0:01:55.560 --> 0:02:00.360 me because I am if I have one religion, it 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:06.360 is an undying belief in being a terrible text replier. 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:11.519 I did not reply to that. Low Wayne live texted 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:13.200 me during the show, but I was kind of in 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:20.160 a text blockout from super Bowl until Wednesday afternoon. So 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:23.040 Wednesday evening I finally go back and I'm like, all right, 0:02:23.080 --> 0:02:27.680 I have five hundred unreplied texts. I probably should reply 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:29.680 to some of them. And I'm like, oh my god, 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:36.080 Lowayne texted so I again. Because I'm not very good 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:40.520 at text etiquette. And even though this is you know, 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:43.080 one of the greatest musicians in the history of the 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:45.960 country who took his time out of his day to 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:50.400 watch my TV show and then give a live reaction 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.560 to it. My reply was, I just gave it the 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:56.120 little heart. I just clicked it and gave it the 0:02:56.160 --> 0:03:03.680 heart Wednesday night. And so he then text me immediately 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:07.800 flying out there tomorrow to do SNL fifty. Let's get together. 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:12.160 He always says, smoke something, even though I don't smoke, 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:14.200 but it's just I just feel like he feels like, 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:18.440 this is, you know, the nice offer to make, and 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.160 he said I exactly. His version of it said, I'm 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:25.360 there till the eighteenth, so if you want me on 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:27.200 the show, I can do it, and I want to 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:30.079 come by Wifey's store. I'm like, this is just the 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:36.480 nicest person who's ever lived. So I text him short 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:40.680 version is this Wild's out next week. Here's a funny 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:44.640 option if you're into it. You pick a day and 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:48.360 sit in and fill in for Wild host the entire show, 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:55.160 do weird and wonderful the whole thing. He snap text back, done, 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.480 I just got to my room. Hit my guy Fabian. 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:04.360 We'll set it all up that afternoon. He's the greatest 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:08.800 person ever. That afternoon, at the end of the three 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:12.600 o'clock hour, this is now Thursday, we run a promo 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:16.640 on the show that Wayne is filling in for Wilds. 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:22.320 He is watching the show, evidently, because he texts one 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:26.719 minute after the promo, you're way too kind. I can't 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.359 bleep and wait, I'm gonna knock it out of the stadium. 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:34.080 Tell Cadob, I respect the person whose seat will be 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:37.560 filling too much to do anything less than kill it. 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:40.719 I got us and tell him I said, all caps, 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:45.040 thank you. So I read that text to Wilds, and 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:49.880 Wilds just said totally matter of factly, he has this 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:54.160 relationship totally backwards. You get that right. I'm like, yeah, man, 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:58.919 I do like this idea that he is thanking us, Like, 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:03.800 don't worry all, take it seriously. I'm like, bro, twelve 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:08.479 hours before the show, you're performing in front of Paul 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:13.440 McCartney and Tom Hanks at SNL fifty and then you're 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:19.960 coming and doing all Star Clung highlights, weird, doing wild, 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:24.440 weird and wonderful. So that's how that happened. He's just 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.400 the greatest guy in the world. So that was a 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:31.080 ton of fun, and if you guys haven't watched SNL fifty, 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:36.800 it's totally worth your time. His medley is great, and 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:41.960 Adam Sandler's five and a half minute guitar rendition a 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:47.160 tribute to the fifty years of the show is spectacular. 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.480 So I'm biased, Like my two favorite parts were Wayne's 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.880 part and then the Sandler thing, but the whole thing 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:55.400 was great. All right, let's get to the show. Here's 0:05:55.440 --> 0:06:00.920 what miss the cut demonte Kansas City allegedly gives Travis 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:03.799 Kelcey a deadline. I would call that a soft deadline 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:09.400 of mid March. Mac McClung, I mean, I'm gonna say 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:14.479 this with confidence and certainty, the greatest white dude dunker 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:17.120 of all time, and I don't know that anyone's ever 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:20.080 gonna break that mark. I still think Vince is the 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:23.320 greatest dunker ever. And Aaron Gordon and Zach Levine put 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:26.799 on a hell of a show. But Mac McClung is unbelievable, 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:30.839 and Wimby and CP three break the skills contest in 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:36.520 a really the most embarrassing thing that happened this weekend 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:41.159 that deserved criticism was Wimby and Chris Paul trying to 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:45.120 rig the skills competition. But of course that is not 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.840 the thing that got the most criticism this weekend. Instead, 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:53.120 it was the reverse engineered What did Lebron James do? 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:57.000 Therefore it must be wrong. Let's start right there before 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:58.520 we get to the game. And I think this is 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:00.839 one demons. This is gonna be one of the things 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:04.800 that I think demands as we start the topic, disagrees 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:07.240 with me, and by the end of the topic I 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:09.920 might have swayed him a bit. But we'll see. 0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.600 Let's go out, all right, we'll see first and Forebo's 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:16.720 happy belated President's Day. It's all you guys out there. 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:23.480 But just hours, just hours before the game, Lebron decided 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:25.200 that he was he was hurt. I don't want to 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:26.760 say he decided, but he was. He was injured. He 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:28.800 wasn't gonna play in the All Star Game, and this 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:31.120 led to fans saying, oh, you took a roster spot. 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.600 He also took a picture and did not suit up 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.880 as the regular as the rest of the team didn't 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:41.000 wore a street clothes. What's your take on this? People 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:41.760 are pissed about it. 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:47.280 Yeah, everyone's lost their mind. So let's just start here 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:53.600 who knew? So many people gave two shits about Norman 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:56.720 Powell making the All Star Game, and the answer is 0:07:56.760 --> 0:08:01.240 they didn't. The the idea the amount of people that 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:05.080 were tweeting about Norman Powell because if Lebron had bowed 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:08.920 out a week early, Powell would have gotten the spot. 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:14.840 Though the vin diagram of people who two weeks ago 0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:20.640 demonse were like these Pro Bowl alternates. It's such a joke. 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:24.280 Drake May gets to call himself a pro bowler when 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:28.320 he didn't actually make the team and then tweeting this week, 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:33.320 why aren't people thinking about Norman Powell. The fans in 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:39.280 San Francisco definitely wanted to see him play. It's disingenuous nonsense, 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:45.040 and the idea that there was any way for Lebron 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:49.920 to thread this needle and not end up being criticized 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:55.280 is just disingenuous and not true. So if he would 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:58.679 have a week ago said I'm not playing, the media 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:00.800 cycle would have been this is why nobody takes the 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:05.600 All Star Game seriously. This is you know, people are 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:09.640 excited and the face of the league doesn't do it. 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:17.200 Lebron gave it to the last possible minute to figure 0:09:17.240 --> 0:09:20.680 out can I play? And it's not so much can 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:23.719 I as much as it is should I, Like if 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:27.520 it were a playoff game, would Lebron have played? Of course? 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:33.360 Does that mean that when he clearly believes this Lakers 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:37.079 team has a real chance to do something and this 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:41.040 Lakers team, because of the California Wildfires, has the shortest 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:43.800 break of any team with them and the Hornets because 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:46.679 they play Wednesday and the rest of the league plays Thursday, 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.439 that he was like, you know what, not going to 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:54.920 push it on this ankle? That makes total sense to me? 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:59.440 And then number of people who failed to acknowledge the 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:04.360 following truths. Okay, first of all, is this Has anyone 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:10.240 given more time, effort, sweat energy to All Star Games 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.520 in the history of basketball than Lebron James? The answer is, 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:18.480 of course no. He's played in twenty of them. Kareem 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:22.920 played in eighteen, the next closest or Kobe and Duncan 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:28.720 at fifteen. Has Lebron consistently shown up to this event 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.640 more than any player in the history of the league. Yes, 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:37.800 by a massive margin. This broke his streak. And but 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.960 the other reason that people are just so out of 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:46.280 their damn minds about This is one criticism of Lebron 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:48.640 that I don't even look at as a criticism but 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:53.800 is true. Is the guy cares about streaks and records 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:57.400 and accolades. He does, and he would have liked to 0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:01.600 keep this thing going twenty one straight All Star appearances 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:06.360 because the record prior to Lebron playing in twenty in 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:11.360 a row again, twenty in a row was held by 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:17.319 John Havlicek and Bob Coosey, who both played in thirteen 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:21.199 in a row. That was the record. So Lebron set 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:26.600 the record for consecutive All Star Game appearances back let 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:29.640 me do them before he was a Laker, when he 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:33.640 was with the Calves, midway through his second sit with 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:37.400 the Calves and has just been spreading it out. Of 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:42.080 all the active players other than Lebron, Durant is the 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:44.720 only one who has played in ten of these in 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:49.080 a row. He did that pre Achilles. The new active 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:54.800 streak for consecutive All Star Games played is Joker at seven. 0:11:56.480 --> 0:12:00.000 So this is the guy that we're gonna say, oh 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:03.400 it to everyone to play to play, the guy who's 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:06.600 played in twenty straight of these, the oldest player in 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:12.280 the league, a guy who has literally played more professional 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:15.200 basketball than any human being ever to live. Were like, 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:19.680 give us more, and if you don't, you're selfish. It's 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:25.000 just so ludicrous. And then there's this piece of it 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:28.240 and I'll get to the picture stuff later. There is 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:34.440 so Nick Fredell, who I really like. I really like him. 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:37.679 He was with ESPN. I think I don't want to 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:40.760 speak for him, but the way I understand it, I 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:45.439 think he was absolutely foolishly a part of their layoffs 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:50.839 months back. He is a great NBA reporter opinionist. Chicago 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:57.200 guy love Nick Nick quote tweeted it and said, there 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:01.280 is just absolutely no way mj would do this. He 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:06.319 always understood what his presence to the game meant. Guys, 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:08.640 Michael Jordan at this point in his career had quit 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:13.640 the game three times. It meant to his presence to 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.439 the game meant so much that he quit the game. 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.240 He went and played minor league baseball, then he came back, 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:26.160 then he quit again, Then he came back, then he 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:31.960 quit again. Do you know the most consecutive years that 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:40.880 Michael Jordan played in an All Star Game? Seven seven years, 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:46.600 the longest streak of consecutive All Star appearances. Michael Jordan 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:50.680 had was seven. Well, there's no way MJ would do. 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:54.400 So this is where the criticism. People just lose their minds. 0:13:55.320 --> 0:14:00.760 So if Lebron had just retired four years ago, no problem, 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:05.160 no problem, you win your championship with the Lakers. You've 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:10.520 played at that point eighteen years. You know what, You've 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:14.880 given a lot to the league. But because he keeps playing, 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:20.360 because he's good enough to be a deserving, top tier 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:25.080 All Star, he then to these and I'm gonna talk 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:29.040 about Nick here, talking about the folks at large, folks 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:33.480 that have just become entitled that no, you owe us this. 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:41.360 He he's not allowed to be cautious with an ankle injury. Uh, Nick, 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:45.120 where did this injury come from? From Solomon Hill three 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:48.280 and a half years ago, the only real injury he's 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:52.800 ever suffered his entire career. That ankle and foot have 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:56.720 been messed up since then, He's and if you're if 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:01.880 you watch the Lakers, Lebron all the time pops up 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:06.800 on a morning of injury report because the ankle tightened 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:10.960 up on it. And do I imagine that in the 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.360 days leading up to the All Star Game he actually 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:20.000 took some time, maybe didn't do his regular every day 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:25.320 cryogenic chamber treatment that he would do if they had 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:28.280 actual games coming up, so it was more likely to 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:34.680 tighten up. Of course, of course, that this being such 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:40.840 a universally criticized thing that even Shannon and Kendrick and 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:44.040 guys who are normally you know, on Lebron's side, on 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:47.680 Stuffer's like, ah, this was this is a bridge too 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.000 far from me? What are we talking about me? 0:15:50.240 --> 0:15:52.600 And I've seen fans go as far as say, is 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:54.160 like Lebron's ruined the game. 0:15:56.240 --> 0:15:58.560 Oh yeah, well that's the other piece of it. The 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:02.120 other piece of it is the fall of the All 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:06.400 Star Game is late at the feet of Lebron James. 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:09.480 I mean, it's just again, the All Star Game in 0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:13.400 twenty twenty was awesome. The All Star Game in twenty 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:18.240 twenty two was awesome. And this is just it is 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:24.800 just an entitlement from fans and media that a guy. 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:32.240 Can you imagine any of these conversations existing around Tom Brady? Honestly? 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:36.360 Could you that if Tom Brady is second to last 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:40.360 year with Tampa was like guys, which he did do. 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:43.560 By the way, I know, I was named a pro bowler. 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:47.400 I'm not gonna play and it's not because I'm hurt, 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:52.560 it's just because not interested. It's exactly what happened. Was 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:56.920 there a could you imagine how stupid folks would look 0:16:57.320 --> 0:17:00.160 if they went on TV and they were like, Tom Brady, 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:03.640 this is why it's a flag football game. Now see 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:08.280 this guy. Hey, look at the direct line of the 0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:12.239 Pro Bowl's popularity with when Tom entered the league and 0:17:12.280 --> 0:17:15.880 where it is now. Blood's on his hands. And then 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:24.480 we get to the photo stuff. Guys, there's like, this 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:31.720 is all documented. Injured players still are in the photo. Oh, 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.240 they don't have to be at the middle. You guys, 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.760 go look at the picture of Yao when he was hurt, 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:41.920 and obviously the middle of that picture has to be Lebron, Steph, 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:45.639 KD just has to be. Those are the guys you 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:48.239 and people are like, oh, they'd haven't a criticism if 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:56.440 often what'd you say, demonse? First of all, First of all, 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:59.480 the injured players. When Kobe was injured, he didn't suit up. 0:17:59.720 --> 0:18:02.679 When other guys were injured, they don't suit up. But 0:18:03.200 --> 0:18:09.320 everyone is lying if they are acting like if Lebron 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:13.359 had suited up for the picture, there wouldn't be this 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:16.639 exact criticism. It would just be the exact opposite this. 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:19.800 Why why was he suited up? 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:23.960 Whow he wants people to think he played? It's guy's 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:29.080 ankles so hurt, you don't think again, None of this 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:34.399 shit is logical. It's just it's Lebron. I'm going to 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:37.600 attack it. If he'd just suited up, he'd have gotten 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:41.680 roasted for it. Jan has suited up and again Anthony 0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:46.320 Edwards who in the meantime he didn't play either. He 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:50.000 gave less notice than Lebron. We found out during the game. 0:18:50.960 --> 0:18:54.959 Anybody crying for Norman Powell with Anthony Edwards? No, Anthony 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:58.600 Edwards allowed to be injured? Why why is he? He's 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:02.399 because he's twenty three of the of his powers, young athletic. No, 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:08.520 it's so dumb. This whole thing is so stupid, and 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:16.360 it is. I don't understand how people call this selfish. 0:19:16.760 --> 0:19:19.280 I don't get that. 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:23.640 I know dude doesn't really have to be playing right now. 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:26.120 It is crazy to do for him to get criticized 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:29.320 on anything that he doesn't do, because any extra time. 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:31.400 At this point, he's in. 0:19:31.560 --> 0:19:38.679 Year twenty two. He has now played more minutes in 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:43.119 years twenty one and twenty two than every other player 0:19:43.119 --> 0:19:45.720 in the history of the league who made it to 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:50.119 year twenty one and twenty two combined. So let me 0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:56.800 say that again, as of two years ago. If you said, 0:19:57.480 --> 0:20:01.240 give me all of the minutes, all of the points, 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:05.720 all of the assists from every player ever in year 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:09.600 twenty one and twenty two and put it in a bucket, 0:20:10.240 --> 0:20:14.080 that bucket is now doubled just from what Lebron's done 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:20.840 the last two years. And for it's just folks say, oh, 0:20:20.920 --> 0:20:25.440 he's the face of load management. The guy is going 0:20:25.520 --> 0:20:28.080 to play more games in more minutes than any player 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:30.080 in the history of the league. And he's the face 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:33.040 of not playing. I mean, give me a fucking break. 0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:37.240 This suffs. People are out of their mind. And I again, 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:41.520 I mean Kendrick saying put your damn uniform on. He 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:44.520 messed up the whole picture. Again, Where was this for 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:47.840 Kobe or for yow sees. 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:50.040 His greatness At the end of the day, though, is 0:20:50.080 --> 0:20:52.360 really what it is? I feel, what do you mean 0:20:53.200 --> 0:20:55.800 people want to see him play? People are our age. 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:57.560 It's like, I don't think it's I think people just 0:20:57.600 --> 0:20:59.160 want to see Bron. Oh. 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:03.040 I agree with that piece of it. But the criticism 0:21:03.080 --> 0:21:08.840 about the picture and about again, I Lebron cares about 0:21:08.880 --> 0:21:13.800 these records, and also he likes the accolades of winning. 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:19.960 And he knew I have the best team by a mile, 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:25.400 like they won it without him. So and it's two 0:21:25.440 --> 0:21:31.399 games to forty. He could have like he he going 0:21:31.440 --> 0:21:35.960 into Saturday night, I truly believe, did not know if 0:21:35.960 --> 0:21:38.520 he was gonna play or not. Then woke up Sunday 0:21:38.560 --> 0:21:41.560 mornings like I'm not doing it. And so I just 0:21:41.680 --> 0:21:49.240 find so much of this to be just insane. By 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:52.199 the way, just because I invoked stephen A, did you 0:21:52.280 --> 0:21:56.280 see it demands, steven A did a whole segment responding 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:58.840 to us responding to him about the top ten list. 0:21:59.480 --> 0:22:05.000 So a couple things. One is he was incredibly kind, 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:10.080 very nice to me personally there called brew maybe the 0:22:10.080 --> 0:22:13.000 greatest human being he knows. I think like he was 0:22:13.080 --> 0:22:16.800 incredibly kind, uh, And I should reach out to stephen A. 0:22:18.280 --> 0:22:21.160 Didn't shout you out, which is a shame. But I'm 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:23.760 gonna work on that. I am. I would like at 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:26.960 some point I'm throwing this out there now, at some 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:30.840 point in the next year, we have to do a 0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:34.679 family crossover episode because you know, he does stuff. 0:22:34.440 --> 0:22:37.280 With his nephew. Yeah, yeah, that would. 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:41.879 Be super funny if you and his nephew did like 0:22:41.920 --> 0:22:47.760 a twenty minute show together. Nephew, Yeah, I know you 0:22:47.800 --> 0:22:50.280 would get to be like and I think you're older 0:22:50.280 --> 0:22:52.960 than him, you would get to be like the responsible 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:58.840 season journalist in the group. And but if you go 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:05.160 back and watch it, here's the thing, if you actually 0:23:05.200 --> 0:23:09.760 listen to what he says, he unintentionally concedes that I 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:14.800 was exactly right that, yeah, if you put pencil to paper, 0:23:14.880 --> 0:23:17.120 you would never you wouldn't have Katie in your top ten. 0:23:17.520 --> 0:23:20.760 Because he brings up the guys I mentioned. He brings 0:23:20.840 --> 0:23:27.040 up Uh, Kobe and Bird primarily, and he says off 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:30.920 the front end, he was like, of course, we would 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:34.320 never have Kevin Durant ahead of Kobe. Bryant says it 0:23:34.359 --> 0:23:36.919 like three times, and then he's like, but he averaged 0:23:36.960 --> 0:23:39.240 more points and was more efficient and its taller. But 0:23:39.320 --> 0:23:41.160 then he's like, bo, we wouldn't have him ahead of him, 0:23:41.320 --> 0:23:43.440 And then he brings up Bird. He's like, of course 0:23:43.480 --> 0:23:47.159 we wouldn't have Durant ahead a Bird because Bird's a 0:23:47.240 --> 0:23:49.960 champion and a three time MVP. But he did all 0:23:49.960 --> 0:23:53.399 these things, which was the exact point I was making like, 0:23:53.480 --> 0:23:55.760 you can say all these things, but if you actually 0:23:55.760 --> 0:23:58.800 put pencil of paper, you're going to come down on 0:23:58.880 --> 0:24:02.960 my side of things. And so shout out stephen A 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:05.520 for his kind words. I also am going to reach 0:24:05.560 --> 0:24:09.159 out to him, not only about the nephew thing but 0:24:09.240 --> 0:24:13.280 about some other stuff. But regardless, I disagree with him 0:24:13.720 --> 0:24:17.680 that this was selfish. I disagree with again. And let 0:24:17.720 --> 0:24:21.159 me just cause I tried to tweet out the link, 0:24:21.880 --> 0:24:26.080 the YouTube link, and when I did that, I saw 0:24:26.119 --> 0:24:30.240 the like pre show chat and one of the snap 0:24:30.320 --> 0:24:32.720 One of the first things I saw and I'm glad 0:24:32.720 --> 0:24:34.600 I don't read that during the show would distract me. 0:24:36.359 --> 0:24:41.840 Was on Here comes Nick defending Lebron. Got to make 0:24:41.880 --> 0:24:46.679 sure those clutch checks clear. I've said this once before, 0:24:47.119 --> 0:24:50.159 let me say it again because I don't think people 0:24:50.280 --> 0:24:58.120 understand how agents work. So my agent, this guy named 0:24:58.160 --> 0:25:02.119 Ryan Hayden, does an awesome job. He works at UTA. 0:25:02.960 --> 0:25:06.960 Rich Paul is a partner at UTA. Ryan and Rich 0:25:07.040 --> 0:25:09.920 work together. Rich has helped me with a few things, 0:25:10.359 --> 0:25:15.480 so you know, I'm clutch client adjacent. But Rich is 0:25:15.520 --> 0:25:19.240 not my agent. But I've done stuff with him, right, Okay, 0:25:19.320 --> 0:25:21.359 So I've made that very clear in the past. Here's 0:25:21.400 --> 0:25:28.040 the other thing. Not only do they not pay me, guys, 0:25:28.240 --> 0:25:31.800 I pay them. It's the exactly you got this relationship 0:25:31.840 --> 0:25:37.359 exactly wrong. Your agent doesn't pay you. You you I 0:25:37.560 --> 0:25:46.119 work super hard building this family empire for Demons and 0:25:46.240 --> 0:25:49.919 Danielle and diora Indiana TV podcast, all of it, and 0:25:49.960 --> 0:25:54.760 then every month like a you know, almost ten percent 0:25:54.800 --> 0:25:58.080 of my money goes to them. Like it's not it's 0:25:58.440 --> 0:26:02.119 it's so the idea that I'm on the take quite 0:26:02.160 --> 0:26:06.119 the contrary. I provide a balance to the Lebron James 0:26:06.280 --> 0:26:10.119 equation and then I pay them for the pleasure of it. 0:26:10.560 --> 0:26:13.640 So if you're gonna roast me, don't get it right. 0:26:14.200 --> 0:26:16.560 And not only am I not on the take, I'm 0:26:16.600 --> 0:26:21.360 paying out all right, Demanda, let's talk All Star game. 0:26:21.400 --> 0:26:23.600 By the way, speaking to my agent, my dad about 0:26:23.600 --> 0:26:26.800 once a year, uh, Hayden, if you're listening about once 0:26:26.840 --> 0:26:31.560 a year my dad comes for your job. He's like four, yeah, 0:26:31.600 --> 0:26:33.800 he wants to yeah, because he's a professionally. You know, 0:26:33.840 --> 0:26:36.480 he was ran a firefighters union for thirty five years, 0:26:36.520 --> 0:26:41.480 negotiating with the city and he just the he's like, 0:26:41.520 --> 0:26:44.199 you know, I could negotiate this way cheaper than you 0:26:44.240 --> 0:26:47.080 know what you're paying your guy. Like, okay, pops, I appreciate. 0:26:47.160 --> 0:26:49.840 Oh initially you said you said your job. I thought 0:26:49.840 --> 0:26:51.320 you we were talking about me. And he wanted to 0:26:51.320 --> 0:26:55.040 come and do the podcast. No no, no, no, no 0:26:53.680 --> 0:26:53.840 no no. 0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:58.040 He comes from my agent's job. My dad would be 0:26:58.160 --> 0:26:59.800 the worst podcast host ever. 0:27:00.640 --> 0:27:03.400 He'd be a pretty great agent, though. Huh. 0:27:03.480 --> 0:27:07.399 He would be great at the negotiating the contract parts 0:27:07.400 --> 0:27:10.480 of it. A lot of being an agent is the 0:27:10.560 --> 0:27:16.680 soft per skills relationships. And you know, my dad can 0:27:16.760 --> 0:27:21.040 be a tough guy. Yeah, and he also is big 0:27:21.080 --> 0:27:26.240 on He's very big on the like walk away from 0:27:26.280 --> 0:27:30.360 the table, you know, dare them to. And I don't 0:27:30.400 --> 0:27:32.639