WEBVTT - What's Wright - LeBron CLAPS BACK at Stephen A. + Travis Kelce’s message to Nick, LAL buzzer beater 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.520 Welcome in. We'll drive you to the great episode three fourteen. 0:00:02.600 --> 0:00:06.280 Those of you who were in the YouTube chat or 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:09.880 watching beforehand, you got a little sneak preview of the show. 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:14.280 Luckily you know what I mean, and you know I'm 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:17.759 not the all time legend Mike Francessa out here, just 0:00:17.840 --> 0:00:21.279 you know, just scolding my producers for bad information, because 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:23.360 I got great producers that don't give me bad information. 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:26.079 I'm not even So you guys got a little preview 0:00:26.079 --> 0:00:27.520 of us when we thought we were off the air. 0:00:27.560 --> 0:00:29.840 We were on the air. But luckily we're professional at 0:00:29.840 --> 0:00:31.400 all times drownd here, so we ain't got to worry 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:35.919 about it. Being professional at all times seems to be 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:41.480 in short capacity in my industry these days. So let's 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:44.640 get right to it. Here's what missed the cut. Joker 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:48.320 came back, reminded everyone's Joker thirty nine, ten and ten 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:52.159 the Tennessee Titans like, but maybe don't love Cam Moore. 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:54.959 They might trade the pick major League Baseball opening Day. 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:59.440 None of that is on the show today because of well, 0:01:00.200 --> 0:01:01.440 demon's a take it away. 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:05.680 Yeah, so Lebron's had quite a day. Obviously, he hit 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:07.959 the buzzer Beaterer yesterday. Yeah, a little bit of a 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:10.040 rough game, but obviously the buzzerbader to win. 0:01:10.520 --> 0:01:12.639 Yeah, the McAfee hit. He's been having. 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:15.520 The whole stephen A Smith thing going on is, yeah, 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:16.640 you want to start with the game? 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:18.080 Where do you want to go with it? 0:01:18.440 --> 0:01:26.320 So since the moment Lebron walked up on steven A Smith, 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:33.800 I would, aside from the groin injury, I would argue 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:44.480 everything has come up Lebron, and it would appear we 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:49.400 are in the midst. And our younger producers or co 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:52.680 host or audience can tell me if I'm using this 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.560 term wrong, but it would appear we are in the 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:02.280 midst from steven A of what the kids call a 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:07.920 crash out, and it is day by day by day. 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:16.520 The moment Lebron confronted steven A, just between third and 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:21.040 fourth quarter of a game, Bron's team was trailing by tena, 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:24.400 steven A's favorite team. On the day, stephen A had 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:28.720 gotten and deserved his new five year, one hundred million 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:33.320 dollar contract, and then he had to sit there and 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:38.480 think about how am I going to respond to the 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:42.760 fact that this guy came up checked me, kept it moving. 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.480 Did the worst thing you can ever do to someone 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:51.280 in our profession, not give us a chance to respond, 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:56.240 not let us talk, and then walked my team down 0:02:56.240 --> 0:03:05.280 and beat him. And then Lebron is very very judicious 0:03:05.720 --> 0:03:14.880 with the interviews that he gives. And it was not 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:24.120 coincidental that Lebron then decides to go on with McAfee, 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:31.960 who some people consider Stephen A's rival for face of 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:34.520 the network, no rival for face of the league, by 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:36.360 the way, more on that. In the moment, we know 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:38.800 who that is, and after this week we know who 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:41.960 face of American Sports is. But face of the network, 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:48.520 that's an argument, Stephen ay Er McAfee. So Lebron picks 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:53.640 that guy to go on that show on that network 0:03:55.320 --> 0:04:00.360 and then that night, and this is where I will 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:03.880 get to the soap opera stuff in a second, but 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:09.880 this is where the greatest of all time remind you 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:15.720 that they are. Lebron had put extra pressure on himself 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:22.000 by doing that interview. And guess what, through three quarters 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.360 he had the fewest points he's had through three quarters 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:30.560 in a game since I was in college. He's unfathomable. 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:34.440 One two hundred and eighty two game streak of double 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:38.520 digit points. When the second most is eight hundred something 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:43.040 is in real jeopardy. And of all days, the day 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:46.320 that the streak's going to be snapped is a day 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:51.320 that you know, the biggest voice in sports media the 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:56.520 very next morning is going to do everything he can 0:04:56.640 --> 0:05:00.479 to rip you to shreds. That's when your streak might break. 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:04.960 That's when you're gonna give a little more fodder to 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:09.000 the folks who say, oh, great player, but you know, 0:05:10.040 --> 0:05:15.640 doesn't quite have that clutch gene. So how does he respond, 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:20.479 not only by immediately in the fourth quarter getting the 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:25.839 to double digit points and leading the Lakers to where Okay, 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:28.400 they're gonna win. Wait, did they just squander a twelve 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:31.880 point lead? Okay, Ruey hit those two threes, They're fine. 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:34.640 Did they just give up a seven to zero run 0:05:34.720 --> 0:05:43.040 out of nowhere? And then a perfect, absolutely perfect you 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:51.040 want to put on Lebron James basketball tombstone, a fifteen 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:55.960 second sequence put the end of that Pacers game with 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:59.920 the context of the day. So here's what it is. 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:07.080 Down one, gotta get a stop. Can't double off guys 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:11.880 on the Pacers because they all can shoot. Bron realizes, 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:15.120 oh shot clucks down to three, You're not gonna have 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:19.640 time to pass. Sins Is double creates the terrible shot, 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.960 and before the shots even miss has leaked out and 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:26.920 would have the go ahead layup. Luca doesn't see it 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:32.640 in time. They pitch it ahead late. All of the 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:37.440 guys who have fewer career playoff buzzer beaters, who are 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:41.480 have worse career field goal percentage in the clutch, who 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:46.120 are by any objective measure, worse in the biggest moments, 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:51.640 but we deify because those players historically have put their 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:55.679 personal glory ahead of the team. All of those guys, 0:06:56.000 --> 0:07:01.239 when they get the pitch ahead down one six are saying, 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:04.320 I don't care that a double is being sent my way. 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:09.159 I'm taking this damn shot, not Lebron James. Make the 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:13.640 right play in the moment and for the big picture. 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:18.200 In the moment, Luca's more open and big picture we 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:22.320 need him to be the guy and be great. I'm 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:24.800 giving him the ball. And Lucas said after the game, 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:27.960 how much confidence that gave him that in that moment 0:07:28.360 --> 0:07:34.080 that day, the Lebron James ESPN day, he could have 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:38.280 said I'm making sure I'm taking the last shot. He said, No, 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:46.960 make the right play and Luca missed, But for the 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:53.320 all around greatest player ever, guess what, right position, right effort, 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:59.560 a little more energy, a little higher IQ in the 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:03.040 right spot for the tip, ind for his first buzzer 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:06.720 beater since he walked off the Raptors in Game three 0:08:07.240 --> 0:08:12.360 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in twenty eighteen as a 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:17.120 cav eighth career buzzer beater, third in the regular season, 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:20.880 five in the playoffs, which, for those keeping track at home, 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:24.080 more than Kobe and might combined more on Kobe, the 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.320 late great Kobe Bryant, who didn't ask to be brought 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:28.880 into this but got brought into this in just a moment. 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:35.000 So go watch those last fifteen seconds and see why 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:37.719 Lebron's the best player we've ever seen, Because in year 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.760 twenty two, at age forty, he understood when to send 0:08:41.760 --> 0:08:46.160 a double, He understood how to leak out. He understood, 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:49.600 oh I'm getting doubled, it's not about me and my ego. 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.560 And he understood, in case Luca misses, let me be 0:08:53.640 --> 0:09:01.120 in the right spot. And so on a day that 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:07.000 as much pressure as could be on a player in 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:18.920 a regular season March game, Lebron delivered with another brilliant 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:26.280 fourth quarter and with the game winning tipping and then 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:35.040 got on his phone found out that stephen A had 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:41.480 told the world if Lebron had put his hands on me, 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:47.080 I would have swung on him. And so he posts 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:51.000 the pictures, the video of steven A boxing and now 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:58.640 the feud goes on. So now to the stephen A 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:04.200 of it all. I said it before, I will say 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:15.559 it again. It is a lost art in current culture. 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:27.040 Just taken l man, just taken L. All you had 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:34.960 to do the day after Lebron walked up on you 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:38.200 against the Knicks was do kind of what you did 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:41.120 on TV, which was be like, I don't really want 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:44.280 to talk about this. That was a father talking about 0:10:44.280 --> 0:10:46.960 his son, and again that was a little misleading. It 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:51.559 wasn't so much about stephen A's commentary on bronni as 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:54.280 much as it was about stephen A's commentary about Lebron 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:59.400 as a father. And listen, all you had to say 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:05.280 was I think I've been more than fair. Lebron obviously disagrees. 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:08.240 I would have told him that if he had given 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:13.520 me the opportunity he seems to be, and it was 0:11:13.559 --> 0:11:17.880 communicated to me he was really bothered by what he 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.800 thought was me questioning him as a father. That was 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:25.720 never my intention. I would never do that, and it's 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:31.680 dead and it's over. Instead, you do half a dozen 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:37.000 podcasts about it, you start fantasizing about what if he 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:42.719 had put his hands on me? You you do. 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:45.360 On the putting his hands on him thinking. Lebron ended 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.600 up posting the boxing video. Stephen A did say that. 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:51.160 He said later in the video he would thoroughly kick 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:51.560 my butt. 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:52.040 So I feel it. 0:11:52.200 --> 0:11:52.400 I am. 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:56.760 He wasn't, you know, he wasn't like faking the funk there, no, but. 0:11:56.640 --> 0:12:00.319 He but it's well, I disagree to it. You're right, 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:03.319 you're totally correct. He didn't imply. Steven A didn't imply 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:06.800 I would have whooped his ass, right, yeah, no, no, no, 0:12:06.880 --> 0:12:12.240 I'm not saying that. But he is creating you know 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:15.400 what he's doing. Oh, this is gonna make him mad, 0:12:15.559 --> 0:12:18.120 This will hurt the this will cut and I don't 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:22.440 mean it too. But steven A, in real time the 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:29.760 last three weeks, on national television and podcast and every 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:37.120 platform available is doing what we've all done standing alone 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:42.160 in the shower. You know what I'm. 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:46.360 Gonna say, Yeah, like, go ahead, but yeah, I'm pretty sure. 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:51.560 Man, what I should have done. And then if I'd 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.319 have done that, he'd have done this, and then I'd 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:56.960 have done that, and then he'd have done this. He's 0:12:57.120 --> 0:13:02.600 recreating in real time how the interaction should have gone. 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:08.240 For our older audience, it's Costanza and the Shrimp and 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:12.000 the jerk store ran out of you. But in real time, 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:19.000 in real life, against the world's most popular athlete, that's 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:24.640 what's happening. We are seeing it. Ah, Man, that would 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:28.080 have killed him in the argument, Oh, I should have 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.120 said this, But if I'd have said that, that might 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:33.120 have put him over the edge, and then they might 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:35.560 have hit me. And if they hit me, man, I'd 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:37.520 have to hit them back. I know, I'd get my 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:41.920 ass kicked right after. Stop it, man, there's no need 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:47.240 for it. And we can say, you know, Lebron should 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:50.880 be above this. Lebron been above this shit for twenty 0:13:50.920 --> 0:14:02.200 five years. Lebron went his entire career without everone saying 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:07.199 these two words. Skip Bayless never mention his name. And 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:08.959 by the way, sidebar. 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:16.720 Man, Skip has to be sick livid that he is, 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:21.560 I mean just sick that this is. 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:27.240 Happening right now. The one of my demand knows. This 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.840 one of my kind of you know, sayings that I like, 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:35.760 sometimes you know, as a joke, sometimes as a lesson, 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:39.560 sometimes as an atta boy. Is every decision you've ever 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:41.200 made in your entire life has led to you to 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:44.080 this very moment. And that is true for all of us, 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:47.640 in every moment. And sometimes you know, it can be 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:50.560 a cut, it can be a positive, whatever it is, 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:57.800 you know. And again I have affection for Skip, and 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:02.400 so I'm not I'm just being honest. You know, there's 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:06.400 a moment last night or this morning when Skip is 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:15.920 like I'm about to instead of having this discussion on 0:15:16.080 --> 0:15:22.240 national television sitting across from stephen A himself or Shannon, 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:26.960 I'm gonna have this discussion in my house, sitting across 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:30.040 from Ernestine. And that's not how this was supposed to go. 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:34.360 Like this is like this would be the moment. And 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:40.080 again my record reflects that I don't think that's unfair. 0:15:40.240 --> 0:15:42.920 I know that if the wrong people clip it, whatever, 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:43.960 I'll deal with this. 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:45.920 Situation. 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:51.480 That is the reality of the situation. And here's the 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:55.240 other piece of it. And I say this pretty confidently. 0:15:57.120 --> 0:16:02.240 I do not think Lebron will ever talk about this again. Now, 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:08.920 maybe the fact that Stephen A evidently a few minutes 0:16:08.960 --> 0:16:17.120 ago said took a shot at Lebron for not being 0:16:17.160 --> 0:16:25.640 at Kobe's memorial, maybe that will generate a quick reaction 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:29.880 because that is what Lebron was talking about last night 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:34.920 or yesterday on McAfee, was like, there's basketball criticism, then 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:36.320 there's this other criticism. 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.600 Yeah, like that's how it bounds, right, like as like 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.360 how that's a really I mean, that feels out abounds. 0:16:43.120 --> 0:16:47.240 It feels out of bounds. I and now listen, I 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:50.560 try to be self aware enough. I look back and 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:53.840 I say, I've been out of bounds at times, but 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:56.960 I get when those guys don't like me, so like 0:16:57.040 --> 0:17:01.240 something again, to kind of mix metaphors a bit, I 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:05.359 know you haven't. If people are kind of new to 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:09.640 the pod, well hi welcome everyone, like rate, subscribe review. Also, 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:12.680 if you're super new, you probably don't. You're maybe a 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:16.280 little confuser. Don't know. Me and Demonse's dynamic. Demansey's my son, 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:20.639 and Demonse didn't grow up like wanting to be in 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:24.720 sports media. It just came about that. I wanted him 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:27.359 to do this with me, and so we've done it together. 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:29.840 For now. The life of the podcast took a few 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:31.679 months off. His sister filled in. But that's what it is. 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:38.720 And there's a reason I'm explaining this, especially early on 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:44.240 in the pod. If you really disagreed with me on something, 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:49.719 you didn't say it, now you would like it's still 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:52.879 it's that's not like an asshole. It's my show, and 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.560 so you you understand the dynamic of it. But you 0:17:55.600 --> 0:17:58.200 are You've been doing it long enough, and I think 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.080 and also you're older than you were or whatever. Or 0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:02.720 if you think I'm way out of bounds on something, 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:08.320 you'll politely or kindly or whatever. So here's the reason, right, 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:13.880 here's the reason I mention it. There was time when 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:16.080 I know for a fact, even though he didn't put 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:19.439 voice to it, demands thought some of my Kyrie Irving 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:22.920 stuff was out of bounds. It was like, hey, that's 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:25.480 you know what I mean, that's not about basketball. You 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:29.879 know that's unfair, And I in the is am I 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:31.280 putting words in your mouth like that? 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:35.080 Fair? I think it was a little heavy fork. 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:41.040 Right, Okay, So here's here's the reason I'm bringing that up. 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:48.080 If Kyrie Irving does not like me and has a 0:18:48.119 --> 0:18:54.880 real issue with me because of that totally fair? Now, 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:58.919 what I like the opportunity ideally to at some point 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:01.920 because I am now not only really impressed by Kyrie, 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:04.879 but fascinated by Kyrie, and I actually think there are 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:07.080 a lot of really interesting things about him. If that 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:10.080 is how he feels about me, would I really like 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:15.280 the opportunity to give the full scope of my commentary 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:18.480 and say like, hey, maybe you haven't seen some of 0:19:18.520 --> 0:19:21.520 these other things I've said, or you know whatever, I 0:19:21.600 --> 0:19:25.159 would do. I think he owes me that, No, do 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:26.960 I just have to eat the fact. Hey man, that 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:30.200 guy might just think you're a fucking clown. He might, Yeah, 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:36.119 I hope not. And so I know that I was 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:43.480 unfair but a far about far less serious things. But 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:48.440 I took kind of basketball exclusive related cheap shots at 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:51.879 Durant on Twitter, and he took him back at me. 0:19:52.480 --> 0:19:57.840 And I have since tried, truly tried through kind of 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:04.600 back channels to repair that because it's and I don't 0:20:04.600 --> 0:20:07.560 even know if it needs repairing. But it was like, hey, 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:11.040 I think we all knew what was going on there, 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:13.560 you know what I mean that? And I was keeping 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:18.120 it purely about basketball, but it was it was there 0:20:18.160 --> 0:20:21.040 were a couple things that were probably like, Okay, you're 0:20:21.080 --> 0:20:24.880 going you are tweeting for the likes or whatever, rather 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:29.960 than it's not hardcore analysis and so like. But I 0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:34.600 own that, I wear that, I know it. Part of 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:39.040 the business is accepting some of these guys aren't gonna 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:41.639 like you, and some of them are not going to 0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:46.800 be wrong for not liking you. And here is where, 0:20:48.359 --> 0:20:51.640 and this is where I think Steven A has made 0:20:51.920 --> 0:21:00.920 a grievous error. He just today he's said, quote, He'll 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:03.040 smile on your face then stab you in the back. 0:21:03.160 --> 0:21:07.000 That's why I don't like him. He's bringing up Wade's 0:21:07.000 --> 0:21:10.679 Hall of Fame induction, Kobe's memorial. He's saying, quote, he 0:21:10.720 --> 0:21:15.960 literally circummitted meritocracy in the NBA. Here's the problem, man, 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:20.040 And this is where, by continuing to talk about this 0:21:20.480 --> 0:21:24.240 and not allowing yourself to take the l you are 0:21:24.400 --> 0:21:29.720 really putting yourself in a bad spot. You always claimed 0:21:29.720 --> 0:21:34.840 you had no problem with Lebron. You always claimed he 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:40.240 only had a problem with you. Up until six weeks ago, 0:21:41.600 --> 0:21:49.760 the stance was, oh, nothing but loving Lebron James. I, 0:21:50.080 --> 0:21:54.560 you know, a a great person in the community, a 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:58.360 great This a great that I just I just think 0:21:58.880 --> 0:22:05.320 he's not the greatest basketball player ever. I just think 0:22:05.560 --> 0:22:09.440 he's only the second greatest player ever. And because of that, 0:22:09.800 --> 0:22:13.320 he has a problem with me. That's been the public stance. 0:22:16.359 --> 0:22:18.320 And now the guy makes fun of you on Instagram 0:22:18.440 --> 0:22:20.840 and takes a couple of jokes at your expense on McAfee, 0:22:21.200 --> 0:22:25.720 and you're letting everyone know, actually, no, never liked him. 0:22:25.800 --> 0:22:28.720 And so if the if, if we are going to 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:35.359 do a full, real telling of it, it then the 0:22:35.480 --> 0:22:41.199 honest answer is, so why what's been the problem? Was 0:22:41.240 --> 0:22:45.919 there something personal before? And the answer is no, Lebron 0:22:45.920 --> 0:22:53.280 wouldn't talk to him, that was the problem. Lebron wouldn't 0:22:53.480 --> 0:22:58.640 talk to him or acknowledge him. And Michael Jordan texts 0:22:58.680 --> 0:23:04.920 with him. That's it. It's the whole thing. That's the 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:09.119 start of it. And so I. 0:23:12.440 --> 0:23:12.840 It is. 0:23:14.200 --> 0:23:18.280 People ask me all the time, man, do you believe 0:23:18.320 --> 0:23:24.560 what you say? And my answer always is, now, do 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:27.240 I say it louder or more emphatically, or add some 0:23:27.280 --> 0:23:29.800 spice to it or whatever? Do I dress it up? Sure? 0:23:29.920 --> 0:23:38.760 Of course? But the reason and this is not my quote, uh, 0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:43.399 but this quote is correct. If you never lie, you 0:23:43.440 --> 0:23:49.240 don't ever have to remember anything when you do as 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:51.359 And I'm not acting like I'm someone that never lies. 0:23:51.440 --> 0:23:55.080 I probably have a bit of a I'm probably true 0:23:55.240 --> 0:23:58.640 character flaw of mine is I am my most honest 0:23:59.000 --> 0:24:02.879 talking to you guys, friends and family. I might you 0:24:02.880 --> 0:24:04.240 know what I mean. I might be like, you know what, 0:24:04.320 --> 0:24:06.280 I can dance through the rain drops here a bit 0:24:06.359 --> 0:24:11.480 and clean this up later. And that's not be honestly. 0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:17.680 It's self serving. It's not out of some Woodrow and 0:24:17.720 --> 0:24:22.840 Burnstein Woodward Woodrow Jesus Woodward and Burnstein journalism ethic. It's 0:24:22.920 --> 0:24:26.240 because I don't want to have to. It is too 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:30.240 difficult to do this much content. If you're having to remember, 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:36.480 oh shit, I said that, and if your stance forever, 0:24:37.480 --> 0:24:40.960 forever has been I have no problem with that person. 0:24:41.000 --> 0:24:43.919 He has a problem with me. And then the first 0:24:43.920 --> 0:24:48.359 time you get pressed you empty the clip about everything 0:24:48.440 --> 0:24:51.679 you've always had a problem with. People are gonna say 0:24:51.960 --> 0:24:57.800 you're fucking lying to us. You were lying to us, 0:25:00.240 --> 0:25:06.120 and I don't. And here is the problem with people 0:25:07.359 --> 0:25:10.879 in general who don't have the ability to take an 0:25:11.080 --> 0:25:23.480 l and who are very online and who are public figures. 0:25:24.920 --> 0:25:32.600 This applies to I guess some of our actual politicians 0:25:33.320 --> 0:25:37.280 and some of our potentially would be or want to 0:25:37.280 --> 0:25:42.000 be politicians. All you can do is keep doubling, tripling, 0:25:42.040 --> 0:25:49.199 and quadrupling down because you don't have the ability to 0:25:49.280 --> 0:25:59.879 be like I was wrong. You constantly are reminded of 0:26:00.480 --> 0:26:06.880 the incident at hand, and you are constantly reading people 0:26:06.960 --> 0:26:13.640 make fun of you or rip you. So again, I 0:26:13.680 --> 0:26:18.199 am not trying to act like I am some I 0:26:18.240 --> 0:26:21.200 am you know, the silver bullet on this stuff. However, 0:26:21.560 --> 0:26:28.280 I do have one kind of just natural superpower, I guess, 0:26:28.320 --> 0:26:31.560 and another decision I've made. The natural superpower is this 0:26:32.359 --> 0:26:36.040 I am totally fine being wrong, like, oh shit, got 0:26:36.040 --> 0:26:38.679 that one wrong. My bad, not a problem. And the 0:26:38.720 --> 0:26:43.000 other one is I don't read my mentions, so people 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:47.600 are like, I'm I am not finding my and had 0:26:47.640 --> 0:26:50.600 a third thing I'm very good at. I'm I'm on 0:26:50.680 --> 0:26:54.399 the right side of the great athletes conversation. Like. The 0:26:54.440 --> 0:26:57.080 other thing is like, I you know, I in the 0:26:57.359 --> 0:27:02.120 hey Lebron James good or overrated. I had the foresight 0:27:02.160 --> 0:27:04.199 to be like, I'll go with good, you know what 0:27:04.240 --> 0:27:06.720 I mean. I think I'll plant my flag on good 0:27:07.240 --> 0:27:10.160 and see how it plays out. Over the next fifteen years. 0:27:12.160 --> 0:27:18.359 And so that's been help that's been helpful, But I 0:27:18.359 --> 0:27:22.760 I can't believe that this is how these last few 0:27:22.760 --> 0:27:29.480 weeks have gone. And the fact that so here's the 0:27:29.520 --> 0:27:35.920 other piece of it that's important, demands on one one 0:27:36.160 --> 0:27:40.639 party in this is fighting a war of war work. 0:27:40.880 --> 0:27:45.760 I can never say that war of words reminders reminder 0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:49.720 of the new people in the audience and young people. I, 0:27:49.800 --> 0:27:52.760 as someone who my only skill is speaking and arguing, 0:27:53.119 --> 0:27:55.600 had a really bad speech impediment growing up and couldn't 0:27:55.640 --> 0:27:57.800 say my rs are my ls And now I do 0:27:57.840 --> 0:27:59.720 it for a living. So I this is kind of 0:27:59.720 --> 0:28:03.560 a s bar, but just for you know, young people 0:28:03.560 --> 0:28:07.160 out there or whatever, like yeah, you can get over anything. 0:28:08.320 --> 0:28:10.240 I shouldn't say anything, but you can work on stuff 0:28:10.240 --> 0:28:11.240 and it won't hold you back. 0:28:11.280 --> 0:28:14.520 Go ahead, No, I was just flexing on you. 0:28:15.520 --> 0:28:19.840 No, well yeah, and we're world and girl. Anything that 0:28:19.880 --> 0:28:22.320 has the R L next to each other like that. 0:28:22.440 --> 0:28:26.040 I still struggle with a bit. And I've told this 0:28:26.040 --> 0:28:27.919 story nothing worse. And not being able to say your 0:28:28.040 --> 0:28:30.159 rs and your last name starts with a hard R, 0:28:30.600 --> 0:28:33.280 and when it's not an R, it sounds like a 0:28:33.280 --> 0:28:35.920 different word. You don't know how many times I went 0:28:35.960 --> 0:28:38.880 to basketball camp as a kid. They're like, what's your name? 0:28:39.000 --> 0:28:42.080 Nick White? They're like, no white, white, no white. It 0:28:42.160 --> 0:28:45.640 was brutal. Maybe that only happened once, but it's it 0:28:45.800 --> 0:28:47.960 seared me. It scarred me. The guy wrote down on 0:28:48.000 --> 0:28:50.520 my jersey right, and I'm like, no, it's not white, 0:28:50.600 --> 0:28:53.080 it's white. Brutal doesn't matter. I'm good now. 0:28:53.200 --> 0:28:53.520 Brutal. 0:28:53.560 --> 0:28:58.720 Here's the point I was making. In a war, stephen 0:28:58.760 --> 0:29:04.720 A is fighting a war of words. Lebron gets actually 0:29:04.720 --> 0:29:08.280 go out and play the games, and he's still awesome. 0:29:10.160 --> 0:29:13.480 So think about it. In the couple weeks since this 0:29:13.560 --> 0:29:23.080 all happened, Lakers had a winning streak, Bronni drops thirty 0:29:23.160 --> 0:29:27.120 nine drops, a career high in the NBA, has another 0:29:27.200 --> 0:29:30.480 good game the other night, bron last night hits a 0:29:30.520 --> 0:29:39.040 game winner. And you have positioned yourself. I can't imagine 0:29:39.720 --> 0:29:44.240 being this box stend. You have now positioned yourself where 0:29:47.640 --> 0:29:55.440 any time you give fair analysis about a good Laker 0:29:55.560 --> 0:29:58.880 game or Bronni or whatever, you're gonna get ripped for 0:29:58.960 --> 0:30:05.240 that too. Like you are all. You are so boxed in. 0:30:05.760 --> 0:30:09.600