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Speaker 1: This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.

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Speaker 2: What is up, straight Fire Pie, It's me Jason McIntyre,

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Speaker 2: straight ow Yer for Wednesday, February the eleventh. We are

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Speaker 2: recording this a little early Tuesday because a buddy of

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Speaker 2: mine was able to score tickets to Lakers Spurs. You know,

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Speaker 2: get you get the word on this in advance. They're like, oh, yeah,

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Speaker 2: round I think it's round three. The Lakers beat him

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Speaker 2: in round one. I was there saw Wemby, and the

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Speaker 2: Spurs beat him in round two. I'm pretty sure. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: round two, and this would be round three, except the

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Speaker 2: Lakers literally moments ago just announced Luca is not back,

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Speaker 2: which was expected. Lebron on a back to back, is

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Speaker 2: not playing due to left foot arthritis, and then just

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Speaker 2: for good measure, they tossed in Austin Reeves and Marcus

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Speaker 2: are also out for the Lakers, and that's four starters down.

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Speaker 2: The Lakers are essentially punting this, which you know, you

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Speaker 2: kind of can understand. After the tough game against the

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Speaker 2: Oklahoma City Thunder last night, no SGA in that one,

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Speaker 2: No Luca, Lakers far hard ultimately came up on the

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Speaker 2: losing end. I have no problem with this doing them

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Speaker 2: doing this even though like I'm going to the game

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Speaker 2: obviously very excited to watch Wemby and my guy Stefan Castle.

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Speaker 2: If we're doing a top ten players who you like

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Speaker 2: in the NBA castles. In my top ten, I'm a

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Speaker 2: huge fan defense ridiculous athlete. He's kind of an effortless

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Speaker 2: player when you watch it, he's not like a try hard.

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Speaker 2: He's just moving gracefully. And I don't know, if you

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Speaker 2: guys saw you got a forty point triple double for

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Speaker 2: a second year pro, you had a ridiculous dumpback. He's

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Speaker 2: unbelievably athletic. If he's able to develop a very good

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Speaker 2: three point shot, that guy's gonna be an all NBA

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Speaker 2: guy for I mean, I think ceiling for sure. I

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Speaker 2: don't know if he can win an MVP because Wemby's

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Speaker 2: on his team and you know Wemby's always going to

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Speaker 2: get the edge there. But I think he's an all

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Speaker 2: NBA guy for sure, and a guy I would buy

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Speaker 2: his jersey, you know, I like to wear an NBA

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Speaker 2: jersey every now and then, or maybe for a Christmas

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Speaker 2: present for Rob G I will get him a jersey

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Speaker 2: that says future Laker Steph Castle, and we're gonna start

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Speaker 2: with the Lakers because of some little comments Lebron made

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Speaker 2: late last night after the loss to the Thunder, and

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Speaker 2: I don't know he was honest. And all these people

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Speaker 2: are like, oh see the Lakers stink and there they

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Speaker 2: can't hang with the Thunder and they're no, they're no

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Speaker 2: match for these other good teams. I'm like, well, wait

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Speaker 2: a minute, Wait a minute, wait a minute. Five years ago,

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Speaker 2: when the Lakers were winning the Bubble title, where were

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Speaker 2: the Okac Thunder. They were struggling in the post KD Posts,

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Speaker 2: Westbrook Post Paul George years Remember that, you guys, remember

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Speaker 2: that they were at the bottom. They were irrelevant. Meanwhile,

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Speaker 2: the Lakers were winning a title. You can't have it

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Speaker 2: both ways when you're winning titles every year and competing

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Speaker 2: and also getting awesome players at the top of the draft.

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Speaker 2: And so as a result, okayse was able to get

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Speaker 2: Chet Holmgren second overall and they got Jdubb I think

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Speaker 2: twelfth overall. It might have been in the same draft.

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Speaker 2: And so when you're bad, you can draft good players.

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Speaker 2: The Lakers haven't been bad since twenty seventeen, when they

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Speaker 2: got a Lonzo ball, and remember they got Brandon ingram

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Speaker 2: I think they got D'Angelo Russell and see they drafted high. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: and the Lakers flipped those three guys essentially for Lebron

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Speaker 2: and Anthony Davis. And what do you know, Lebron plus

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Speaker 2: A the equals title and now you're trying to get

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Speaker 2: back to the title. And you know, at this point,

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Speaker 2: you're just you're not great. They're not a top five

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Speaker 2: team in the league. I still believe they're a top

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Speaker 2: ten team in the league. They're a very good regular

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Speaker 2: season team. JJ Redick excellent coach. Will they be able

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Speaker 2: to hang with the likes of a Minnesota in a

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Speaker 2: playoff series? I mean, if everybody's healthy, I don't see

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Speaker 2: why not would they be able to hang with OKC

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Speaker 2: in a playoff series. Well, you're gonna need to catch

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Speaker 2: some breaks. But I'm just gonna remind everybody the Indiana

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Speaker 2: Pacers were good last year, really good, and then wouldn't

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Speaker 2: you know it, everything broke their way in the postseason.

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Speaker 2: Jason Tatum out for the out for the season with

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Speaker 2: an injury, and next thing you know, the Pacers, playing

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Speaker 2: in up tempo style, take advantage of the Knicks and

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Speaker 2: they get to the NBA Finals, like nobody had the

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Speaker 2: Pacers last February. As going to the NBA Finals, you

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Speaker 2: need to catch some breaks. Let's be real, if Aaron

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Speaker 2: Gordon does not come back healthy and the Nuggets keep

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Speaker 2: breaking down, you could forget them as a title contender.

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Speaker 2: And I know they just beat the Lakers without Shay.

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Speaker 2: Lakers did not have Luca. But if something were to

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Speaker 2: happen as Shay Gojess Alexander, obviously OKC ain't winning the title.

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Speaker 2: So you stay in the mix as the Lakers are.

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Speaker 2: Hope everybody's healthy. We'll see given the age. And I

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Speaker 2: got no issue with Lebron being honest, They're not a

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Speaker 2: great team right now now. Rob g a passionate Lakers fan,

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Speaker 2: die hard Lakers fan. I get the sense he maybe

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Speaker 2: is a little upset, And I don't know, perhaps Lebron's upset.

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Speaker 2: Maybe he's just like, you know what, it's a FATA company.

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Speaker 2: I'm not gonna be here next year because I ain't

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Speaker 2: playing on the minimum and I'm just gonna say my piece,

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Speaker 2: and he said his peace.

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Speaker 3: Yeah see, I think you're only saying this because you

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Speaker 3: don't want to lose your access to courtside Laker tickets anymore.

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Speaker 3: Like That's what I think it is, because any rational

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Speaker 3: Laker fan can say, you know, what, is it fair

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Speaker 3: to say that we are not a championship team. I

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Speaker 3: think that's fair, right, especially when you consider Okac is

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Speaker 3: head and shoulders both in terms of odd makers, and

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Speaker 3: you know, analysts view the favorites to repeat, you know,

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Speaker 3: people view we talk about I say, Denver, san Antonio

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Speaker 3: kind of in the periphery. And then the Eastern Conference.

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Speaker 3: Who knows it's gonna happen, right, whether it's Detroit, New York,

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Speaker 3: you know, Cleveland, all us like, we don't know. So

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Speaker 3: it's just someone has to represent the East to get

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Speaker 3: bludgeoned by whoever comes out of the West. Having said

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Speaker 3: all that, one thing that you should not do, and

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Speaker 3: this is not a Lebron thing or a Laker thing,

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Speaker 3: because I said this exact same thing about Steve Kerr

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Speaker 3: like two and a half weeks ago. You should not

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Speaker 3: come out publicly and tell your fan base and more importantly,

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Speaker 3: your teammates that we are not good enough to compete ever,

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Speaker 3: especially if you're the leader of the team. And for

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Speaker 3: Lebron James to do that tells me that he's not

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Speaker 3: fully committed to this season. He's not fully committed to

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Speaker 3: this team. He's worried about his record, which was broken

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Speaker 3: earlier this year when he is ten point streak. He's

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Speaker 3: worried about his golf game, which he said repeatedly he

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Speaker 3: spends more time watching golf on YouTube than watching other teams.

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Speaker 3: Imagine hearing that ten years ago from Lebron James. And

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Speaker 3: he's more worried about what he's going to do with

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Speaker 3: his farewell tour, assuming he gets one next season. It's

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Speaker 3: very disappointing to have a guy of his stature who's

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Speaker 3: been in the league as long as he has to

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Speaker 3: continue to do and say things that are so out

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Speaker 3: of touch and out of tune with the rest of

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Speaker 3: the team. And this is Lebron James to a teeth.

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Speaker 3: Like when he's when things are going good, he's lauded

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Speaker 3: as one of the great leaders in sports, not just

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Speaker 3: in basketball, in sports. His caaraderie, he's always laughing and

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Speaker 3: joking involves everybody. Everybody's happy to be here, right Lebron James,

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Speaker 3: the jovial giant over there wearing number twenty three. And

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Speaker 3: then when things are not going well. He is pulling

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Speaker 3: all the strings to get guys traded. He is putting passive,

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Speaker 3: aggressive tweets and Instagram posts. He is having his agent

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Speaker 3: go on his own podcast recently now to talk about

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Speaker 3: how bad the team is and I need to make

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Speaker 3: moves and saying, hey, I want to compete for championships,

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Speaker 3: but I also want to get fifty five million dollars,

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Speaker 3: so figure out way to make me happy. And it's like,

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Speaker 3: it's part of the reason why I'm done with the

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Speaker 3: Lebron experience. Like you would you would never hear Luca

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Speaker 3: Dna say something like this, well a.

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Speaker 2: Cold on, hold hold on. Luca's like twenty six, Lebron

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Speaker 2: is forty one. Would Lucas say this at forty one?

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Speaker 3: You can't be playing at forty one? I don't disagree. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: So it's like, does Steph Curry say this? No, and

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Speaker 3: his team is light years behind the Lakers right now?

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Speaker 3: I think stand Steve Kerr says it because Steve cur

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Speaker 3: doesn't seem to care anymore, Right, Steve Curry is like,

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Speaker 3: you know, his back's bothering him and he wants to

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Speaker 3: get out of the NBA and become an activist full time,

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Speaker 3: which is fine, do your thing, like all power to you,

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Speaker 3: but you have an obligation to the people who follow

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Speaker 3: your team, to the people who root for your team,

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Speaker 3: and the players on your team to have at least

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Speaker 3: give them the illusion that we can do something if

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Speaker 3: things break our way. You mentioned Indiana, things break our

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Speaker 3: way of an injury go one way, we catch a

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Speaker 3: little fire here at the end of the season, who

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Speaker 3: knows what might happen. Instead, Lebron James would rather say

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Speaker 3: to the media, well, they're a championship team and we're not.

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Speaker 3: Last I checked, you have Luca Dongis, who's the top

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Speaker 3: five player in the league. Last night check, you still

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Speaker 3: view yourself as an All NBA caliber player. Last night

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Speaker 3: checked Austin Reef. We're not for Ingjurie would have been

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Speaker 3: an All Star this season. You mean to tell me

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Speaker 3: that those three guys and role players could not sneak

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Speaker 3: in and win a road game in Okac, a road

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Speaker 3: game in Denver, and suddenly you're back game five to two.

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Speaker 2: Well wait, he didn't say that couldn't happen, did he.

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Speaker 3: He's saying that we are not a championship team.

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Speaker 2: I don't I mean he's do you think the Lakers

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Speaker 2: are a championship team?

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Speaker 3: I think that they would need a lot of things

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Speaker 3: to break their way, right.

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Speaker 2: So that's like a qualifier.

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Speaker 3: So well, if we're playing that game, there's only like

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Speaker 3: two championship.

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Speaker 2: Team Okay, wha wait, who so who? I think the

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Speaker 2: knickser championship team.

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Speaker 3: Don't you if they played in the West? Hell?

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Speaker 2: No, no, but they don't.

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Speaker 3: They're in the East, right, Okay, so sure there's like

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Speaker 3: five teams in the East because I don't know who's

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Speaker 3: good in the East and there's OKAC.

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Speaker 2: You don't think the Spurs or championship team?

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Speaker 3: No?

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Speaker 2: Wow?

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Speaker 1: If the.

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Speaker 3: If the definition of a championship team is I I

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Speaker 3: would not be shocked. If they want a championship then no?

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Speaker 2: Interesting are there is Denver championship team? No wow? Fully healthy?

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Speaker 3: No, they would need things to break their way again

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Speaker 3: for them to win a championship.

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Speaker 2: I mean, listen, they went seven rounds with OKAC last year.

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Speaker 2: And if Aaron Gordon isn't playing on a bum wheel

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Speaker 2: where he could barely run, I'm sure they win that game.

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Speaker 2: I mean, hell, Halliburton, if he doesn't get hurt at

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Speaker 2: the beginning of Game seven. Do the Pacers win exactly?

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Speaker 3: But that's my point is if coming into this time

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Speaker 3: last year, the trade dar just after the trade headline,

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Speaker 3: even heading into the playoffs, I think Indiana and OKAC

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Speaker 3: were the two hottest teams to end the regular season.

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Speaker 3: I think that that was well documented. Even with that,

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Speaker 3: coming into the playoffs, would you have viewed Indiana as

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Speaker 3: a championship team.

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Speaker 1: Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in

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Speaker 1: the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio

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Speaker 1: dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to

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Speaker 1: listen live.

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Speaker 2: Let me call up the odds, if memory serves, the

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Speaker 2: best teams in the last year were Boston, New York,

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Speaker 2: and Cleveland was the number one seed. Yes, I think

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Speaker 2: those were the three championship teams.

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Speaker 3: Right, sure? Yes?

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Speaker 2: And then things broke Indiana's way and they went and

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Speaker 2: they end up going to the finals, and they.

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Speaker 3: Got super hot. They they figured out something with their

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Speaker 3: system and their team and their style of play that

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Speaker 3: allowed them to take advantages some things, most notably you know,

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Speaker 3: the Bucks self combusting. I think Lillard might have torn

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Speaker 3: his achilles either in the series or right before the series,

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Speaker 3: right he got hurt. They were probably win that series anyways,

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Speaker 3: but the New York Knicks had this famous meltdown in

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Speaker 3: Game one, right, they end going down two Oh then

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Speaker 3: that series, right, so things worked out in their favor.

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Speaker 3: Now they capitalized on them, of course, but there are

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Speaker 3: things that happened that allowed them to build momentum, to

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Speaker 3: get some confidence. By the time they got to Okay, see,

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Speaker 3: even though all the metrics at OKC is not just

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Speaker 3: the best team last season, but one of the best

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Speaker 3: teams ever, they felt like, Hey, our style, the way

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Speaker 3: we play, the way we're operating right now, we can

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Speaker 3: not only hang with these guys, we can go toe

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Speaker 3: to toe. Let's see what happens. And Lebron James to

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Speaker 3: come out and say on Monday, February ninth, we are

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Speaker 3: not a championship team is such a dumb thing to say.

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Speaker 3: You can say, Hey, until we build on these habits,

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Speaker 3: we're not gonna get to where we want to go.

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Speaker 3: Unless we can figure out a way to defend at

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Speaker 3: a high level consistently, we're not gonna get to so

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Speaker 3: we want to go. But for you to come out

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Speaker 3: and say the difference between us and them is their

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Speaker 3: championship team, and we're not, like, what is that gain

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Speaker 3: for you as a team?

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Speaker 2: What if that's his motivational ploy What if that's his

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Speaker 2: way of trying to get in their head and saying, hey,

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Speaker 2: we're not a championship team, and they say, well, how

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Speaker 2: do we get there? And then it spurs the discussion

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Speaker 2: of what has to be done. I did look this

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Speaker 2: up rov So after the regular season last year, these

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Speaker 2: were the top ten title odds. Okay, see thunder overwhelming,

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Speaker 2: followed by Boston. Cleveland was three because they were number

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Speaker 2: one in the West. In the East, the Lakers were four. Now,

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Speaker 2: I don't know how that ended up being the case.

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Speaker 2: They didn't. They were hot.

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Speaker 3: They were hot at the end of the season, and

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Speaker 3: they had home court over the wolve Y's right, right, yep.

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Speaker 2: Warriors were five, and uh Alsott Yeah, Clippers were six.

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Speaker 2: Clippers pushed Denver to seven games in the first round.

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Speaker 2: Minnesota was seven, Nicks were eight. But if you notice

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Speaker 2: all those teams are or most of the five of

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Speaker 2: the top seven were in the West. Knicks were the eighth,

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Speaker 2: Nuggets nine, Rockets ten. Notably not on the top ten

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Speaker 2: heading into the playoffs last year, Indiana Pacers according to

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Speaker 2: and I'm using Google Gemini. Now you know, I've resisted

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Speaker 2: an unsubscribed from CHATGBT. Why was Indiana? They were fifty

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Speaker 2: to thirty two, the number four seed, but they had

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Speaker 2: started ten and fifteen. They were not a great defense.

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Speaker 2: And then, of course you're right, they beat the Bucks

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Speaker 2: in five. That was the series where Dame went down, right, yes, okay,

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Speaker 2: then they took down the Calves. Now I did predict

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Speaker 2: that because I was not as bullish on the Caves.

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Speaker 2: I thought they were fullls cold. And then they beat

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Speaker 2: the Knicks and then they nearly won it and seven.

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Speaker 2: So can the Lakers pull off an Indiana Pacers type run?

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Speaker 2: And I would say sure they could if things broke away.

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Speaker 2: If you then said, Rob, are they a championship team

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Speaker 2: right now? I would say no, the Lakers are not.

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Speaker 2: But that's not a slight.

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Speaker 3: But you can say that because you're not part of

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Speaker 3: the team. Yeah, yeah, right, it's a different conversation. That's

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Speaker 3: like if you're talking to Colin and you guys are

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Speaker 3: doing this. You know that Barrett Sports media list came

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Speaker 3: out last week that was like a big deal in

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Speaker 3: national sports media. Who is the number one radio host

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Speaker 3: in the land nationally, and for the last I think

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Speaker 3: like six or seven years, it's alternated between Colin Coward

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Speaker 3: and The Herd and Dan Patrick Show. Like those are

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Speaker 3: the two shows alternating back and forth. If Colin comes

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Speaker 3: into you one day and says, hey, you guys slipped

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Speaker 3: the three whatever reason, it's like, hey, man, you know

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Speaker 3: we're just we're just not a We're not a number

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Speaker 3: one caliber show. We're not a championship show. Now. Is

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Speaker 3: that not going to piss you off?

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Speaker 2: Like? What do you mean?

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Speaker 3: We're not a number one caliber show? You know what

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Speaker 3: I mean? Like like that, there are things and this

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Speaker 3: is just this is the way things operate when you're

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Speaker 3: working within a system where it's a group of people

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Speaker 3: all working towards one goal. If with any walk of life,

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Speaker 3: if you are a construction worker, if you are a

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Speaker 3: sales team at Verizon whatever, and you say, hey, guys,

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Speaker 3: were we are not capable of being the number one

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Speaker 3: store in our region. We just don't have it. It's like, well, then, ship,

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Speaker 3: what am I trying for? Then?

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Speaker 1: This bad boy down?

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Speaker 2: Man?

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Speaker 3: What am I putting this effort in for? Why am

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Speaker 3: I coming into work early and staying late? Why am

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Speaker 3: I putting extra hours in the gym. If you're a

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Speaker 3: basketball player, why am I watching all this film? If

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Speaker 3: our arguably our leader of our team is already saying

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Speaker 3: that we can't do it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that is not excellent news out of Lebron's mouth. Again,

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Speaker 2: I don't think it's the worst thing in the world.

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Speaker 3: I may.

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Speaker 2: I'm hoping it's a motivational tactic for Lebron to get

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Speaker 2: the troops rallied. Obviously they're gonna need a big second half.

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Speaker 2: You need Luca healthy, you need Reeves healthy. I mean again,

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Speaker 2: how many games have they played together? By the way, Rob,

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Speaker 2: It can't be many.

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Speaker 3: It's less than can I know that this season?

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Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, you know this season and last season, and

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Speaker 2: it's something like thirty. That's it. And a large problem

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Speaker 2: with that, I believe is Lebron's inability to stay healthy

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Speaker 2: this season, largely Austin Reeves. But I think you and

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Speaker 2: I are both going to say Page Lebron's probably gone

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Speaker 2: after this year, and that opens up a max slot.

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Speaker 2: If you will, is Reeves good enough that you would

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Speaker 2: not trade him for your honest or would you?

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Speaker 3: I mean, in a vacuum, I would trade him for

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Speaker 3: your honest. You know, Joanness is such a great player,

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Speaker 3: Like anytime you get a chance to get a top

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Speaker 3: five player in the league, you almost have to do

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Speaker 3: it right.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: The issue then becomes, though, is like the contracts, Like

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Speaker 3: his cap number, even though he's gonna get a huge raise,

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Speaker 3: even going into the offseason, his cap number before they

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Speaker 3: gets the new contract is going to be like thirty

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Speaker 3: million dollars. So you can fill out a hell of

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Speaker 3: a roster with Reeves only quote unquote on the books

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Speaker 3: for thirty, pay everybody else and then give him his

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Speaker 3: forty million dollars a year deal, whatever the number is.

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Speaker 3: And with Giannis and Luca combined making like a hundred,

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Speaker 3: it's hard to fill out the rest of the roster

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Speaker 3: with good players like that quickly. It almost have to

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Speaker 3: be a trade later.

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Speaker 2: Interesting, what do you think? Yeah, I mean, I'm torn.

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Speaker 2: Reeves looks so good so frequently that I think he's

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Speaker 2: the perfect number two next to Luca. And then ideally

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Speaker 2: you fill it out with a bunch of role players,

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Speaker 2: three or four awesome players. But can you find three

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Speaker 2: or four awesome players right? You know? Are they on

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Speaker 2: the market? Can you trade for them? I don't know,

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Speaker 2: and that's the bummer of it all. Like, if I

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Speaker 2: go back to Dallas, because that's the obvious blueprint, can

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Speaker 2: you find a Derek Lively slash gafferd Do we have

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Speaker 2: a PJ. Washington in Ruiy Hachimura? I don't know, Probably

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Speaker 2: not Ruy. I think a better scorer Washington, a better defender.

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Speaker 2: And who are the other key pieces for that team?

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Speaker 2: You had Gafford Lively, you had Derek Jones, junior defensive

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Speaker 2: minded wing, who's gonna hit corner three? He's like, you've

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Speaker 2: got to fight? Like, is that Jake Laurivia? I don't.

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Speaker 3: Maybe not in an idea where it's Jared Vanderbilt.

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Speaker 2: Jared Vanderbilt, Okay, I don't think he's as good of

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Speaker 2: a shooter, but no, he's not Derek Jones, not an

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Speaker 2: amazing shooter. I mean, you just don't respect Vando enough

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Speaker 2: to even guard him. Derek Jones. I think he had

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Speaker 2: to least hedge too. But yeah, I mean that would

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Speaker 2: be a great way to build it. Otherwise you give

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Speaker 2: up the farm for Giannis and go all in. Given

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Speaker 2: the Dodgers and how they've operated with the Dodgers and

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Speaker 2: Otanian company, my guess is they're gonna go all in

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Speaker 2: for Janni's.

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Speaker 3: Right of course, Like I think that's option A and B.

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Speaker 3: If according to all the people on the team, they go.

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Speaker 2: Get like Dylan Brooks, Is that going to excite the fan?

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Speaker 2: I don't know.

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Speaker 3: You know what's crazy is like there's this narrative out

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Speaker 3: there that you know, you can't win a championship with

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Speaker 3: a guy like Luca right like that that's been that's

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Speaker 3: followed him now for a few years because he doesn't

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Speaker 3: play a lot of defense, and does he does. He

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Speaker 3: does whine a lot to the refts, and I think

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Speaker 3: those things are fair criticisms of it. And then you

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Speaker 3: watch him play and you're like, man, if we had

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Speaker 3: like two guys who could defend, you know, two guys

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Speaker 3: who could hit it open three. Now, obviously Okac is

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Speaker 3: this version of a team on steroids. But did you

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Speaker 3: know that Sga averages more dribbles per game than Luka Doncic,

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Speaker 3: That his usage rate I believe this season and last

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Speaker 3: season is higher than even Luka Doncic. The difference is

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Speaker 3: is that he's surrounded by all world defenders all over

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Speaker 3: the floor and no, no, they play a little dirty

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Speaker 3: they grab a little bit. It's a difference a little bit.

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Speaker 2: I mean, it's never committed a foul in his life.

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Speaker 3: But you know, Lou Dort suddenly became a good shooter,

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Speaker 3: Alex Caruso became a respectable shooter, Isaiah Joe is a

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Speaker 3: great shooter. Canry will doesn't play like he's a great shooter,

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Speaker 3: like case On Williams, like Kaseon Wallace. They have a

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Speaker 3: lot of guys who are in that three and D mold,

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Speaker 3: and the Lakers don't have. And they have guys who

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Speaker 3: either can play great defense or guys who can hit

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Speaker 3: open threes. None of the guys can do both. That's

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Speaker 3: the problem.

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Speaker 1: Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in

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Speaker 1: the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio

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Speaker 1: dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to

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Speaker 1: listen live.

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Speaker 2: Let's quickly pivot to a college story to wrap up.

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Speaker 2: I really liked Arizona on Monday night against Kansas, and

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Speaker 2: then Darren Peterson, the superstar Kansas player, was ruled out

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Speaker 2: due to a quote unquote illness. Now Peterson, if you followed,

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Speaker 2: has missed a bunch of games for Kansas. It's a

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Speaker 2: hamstring it's an ankle, it's an illness. Always seems to

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Speaker 2: be something. Bally Hood High school player, he's gonna be

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Speaker 2: a pro. As soon as he started playing for Kansas,

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Speaker 2: Rob I'm sure you saw the comparisons that looks like

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Speaker 2: Kobe Bryant. That was coming from a lot of people.

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Speaker 2: It was like, this guy is special. Then he goes

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00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,720
Speaker 2: head to head against Ajadbansa from Byu kind of ate

430
00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,720
Speaker 2: his lunch for most of a half and then of course,

431
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,360
Speaker 2: you know, got injured and uh Hamstrick Titan did well, well,

432
00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:25,520
Speaker 2: we're gonna sit out the rest of the game. Byu

433
00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:27,399
Speaker 2: comes back but it doesn't win. But it was like

434
00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:29,000
Speaker 2: he came out to prove that he had to and

435
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,639
Speaker 2: then some might say shut it down. So now everybody's like, oh,

436
00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,200
Speaker 2: this guy doesn't want to play against Arizona. The illness

437
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:38,840
Speaker 2: of this guy's dogging it is he even an NBA guy?

438
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:42,240
Speaker 2: You'd won? And before I give you my answer, I'm

439
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,240
Speaker 2: gonna remind you guys of two instances. One that happened,

440
00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,760
Speaker 2: actually both happened on this podcast. Number one, we had

441
00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,160
Speaker 2: a draft guy on here ahead of the Lamello ball,

442
00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:58,600
Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards. I think James Wiseman Draft, and I loved

443
00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,359
Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards. I had him. I think I'm almost certain

444
00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,720
Speaker 2: I had him number one in that draft. I liked

445
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,439
Speaker 2: him a lot. And we had a draft guy come

446
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:06,960
Speaker 2: on and say, you know that you talk to these

447
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,720
Speaker 2: teams and they're a little skeptical of Anthony Edwards. Does

448
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,480
Speaker 2: he love basketball? That's a direct quote. If you feel

449
00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,479
Speaker 2: like looking through the archives, you can go look that up.

450
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:20,280
Speaker 2: Does he love basketball? He loves football. He don't like

451
00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,600
Speaker 2: watching film. He's a show bow. He went to Georgia.

452
00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,040
Speaker 2: He didn't win a lot of games. He went all

453
00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:29,159
Speaker 2: Ben Simmons on, you just empty stats, couldn't do anything,

454
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,240
Speaker 2: couldn't make it an NCAA run. No, he's no Kevin Durant.

455
00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,439
Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards is just fine, okay. And the other one,

456
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,520
Speaker 2: and I think Rob remembers this. It was a few

457
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,800
Speaker 2: Decembers ago during COVID and a gentleman by the name

458
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:47,360
Speaker 2: of Jalen Johnson was a much traveled high school basketball player.

459
00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:49,919
Speaker 2: I think he went to three high schools in four years.

460
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:52,400
Speaker 2: Then he goes to Duke and of course with coach

461
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,640
Speaker 2: k they're having a terrible season and Jalen Johnson quits

462
00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,520
Speaker 2: on Duke sometime in February, and I remember because we

463
00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,960
Speaker 2: happen to be skiing and I was recording a podcast

464
00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,600
Speaker 2: from this ski wherever we were some airbnb. It was

465
00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:09,400
Speaker 2: not a ski chalet. I know Rob wanted to toss

466
00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,000
Speaker 2: that in. There was definitely just a random place at

467
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,320
Speaker 2: this ski mountain. Signal wasn't great, blah blah blah. And

468
00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,480
Speaker 2: I remember defending Jalen Johnson, like, guys, the season stinks,

469
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,879
Speaker 2: he's a pro. Why it's COVID, why not just bag it?

470
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,080
Speaker 2: And everybody got upset with me. Doug Gottlieb had a

471
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:28,760
Speaker 2: show at Fox. He was so pissed at me. He

472
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:30,679
Speaker 2: had me on a show. He's like yelling at me.

473
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,320
Speaker 2: He's a quitter. He doesn't want to play. I'm like, Doug,

474
00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,320
Speaker 2: what is there to play for? They're not going to

475
00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,520
Speaker 2: the They're not going anywhere in March. I don't even

476
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:40,760
Speaker 2: know if they were going to make the tournament. I

477
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,040
Speaker 2: don't think they did. Things are not he's not happy,

478
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,359
Speaker 2: he's a pro. Just let him go get ready for

479
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,639
Speaker 2: the draft. And they all were cableling a quitter? Does

480
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,879
Speaker 2: he love basketball? Fast forward five years Jalen Johnson is

481
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,399
Speaker 2: an All Star on the Atlanta Hawks and looks like

482
00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:58,560
Speaker 2: a foundational piece to the point that they traded Trey

483
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,080
Speaker 2: Young and we're like, we're building around that guy. Jalen

484
00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:07,920
Speaker 2: Johnson is like the equivalent of a five tool player, defends, passes, scores,

485
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,360
Speaker 2: midi's threes. I mean, he is an awesome player. If

486
00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,640
Speaker 2: you asked around the league, I bet you people would

487
00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,120
Speaker 2: say he's a top twenty five player in the league,

488
00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:20,240
Speaker 2: maybe higher. And I go, I use those two examples

489
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,359
Speaker 2: and reference Darren Peterson. Guys, I don't really care that

490
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,119
Speaker 2: he's talking it now. If you do the uh you know,

491
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,199
Speaker 2: background check and health check and he's not like his

492
00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,800
Speaker 2: body's not healthy and all that stuff, that's a different story.

493
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:36,640
Speaker 2: But if he checks out and they're just like, yeah,

494
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:38,680
Speaker 2: I don't I don't know why he's missed all these games,

495
00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,200
Speaker 2: I don't want to hear it. The guy can play.

496
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:47,040
Speaker 2: He's a superstar waiting to happen. Darren Peterson can score

497
00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,040
Speaker 2: and all the levels. He's proven to be a very

498
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:53,440
Speaker 2: good defender. I'm not going to give him Kobe Bryant comparison,

499
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,760
Speaker 2: but he is one of these prototypical three and D

500
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,440
Speaker 2: six to six. Can handle, could play the two, could

501
00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,520
Speaker 2: play the three. I mean, he can do it all.

502
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,439
Speaker 2: He looks like a star, and I just I miss

503
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:11,159
Speaker 2: me with the well does he love basketball? If he

504
00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,600
Speaker 2: loved it, why is any out there competing? He's got

505
00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,399
Speaker 2: bigger things ahead. And if you're not one hundred percent, listen,

506
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,240
Speaker 2: I'm not totally down with this hole not playing. I

507
00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,000
Speaker 2: don't love that. But if I'm draft, if I don't

508
00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,280
Speaker 2: love it, if I'm a Kansas fan or on the

509
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,160
Speaker 2: Kansas coaching staff, but if I am in the Darren

510
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,560
Speaker 2: Peterson world, hey man, you gotta do what's right for you.

511
00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,080
Speaker 2: You're going to the league. You gonna have a long,

512
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:37,760
Speaker 2: lucrative NBA career. Do whatever you feel is right. And

513
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,960
Speaker 2: I don't know how that's gonna come off. I said

514
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:42,960
Speaker 2: a lot just now, Rob. I don't know if people

515
00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,520
Speaker 2: can be like man, that's such a weak attitude. Listen, man,

516
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,000
Speaker 2: you guys know him. In the men's leagues, occasionally we'll

517
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,560
Speaker 2: get a superstar on our team. I'm gonna be like, Okay, man,

518
00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,159
Speaker 2: if you could play one or two games in the

519
00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,880
Speaker 2: regular season, that's great. Just show for the playoffs. That's

520
00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,240
Speaker 2: really all the matters. You know, we get meet the guys,

521
00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,280
Speaker 2: get some cohesion. But I get it, you've done stuff

522
00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 2: in your career. I don't expect you to show up

523
00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 2: every week. You know, you're not out here to prove anything,

524
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,600
Speaker 2: to show up for the playoffs, and I expect when

525
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:10,560
Speaker 2: he gets to the league, Darren Peterson to be a

526
00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:11,160
Speaker 2: stud rob.

527
00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:15,600
Speaker 3: I agree, one thousand percent agree. And it's it's funny

528
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,640
Speaker 3: that you brought up the dugger Doug Gottlieb considering that

529
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,719
Speaker 3: he saw Darren Peterson this season in the Game one

530
00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,159
Speaker 3: of the year for the Jayhawks, Game one of the

531
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,239
Speaker 3: year for the Green Bay Phoenix and Kansas unsurprisingly won

532
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,639
Speaker 3: by forty three points and Darren Peterson at twenty one

533
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,560
Speaker 3: points to twenty two minutes on seven to eleven shooting.

534
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 3: So yeah, you know, it's interesting that that name we

535
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:40,760
Speaker 3: brought up. Look, this whole situation with Darren Peterson, is

536
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,679
Speaker 3: it a good look? No, Like, I think we can

537
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,640
Speaker 3: all agree that you'd like to see players play, right.

538
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,800
Speaker 3: I think that that's even if we agree that he

539
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,320
Speaker 3: has bigger fish in mind and he has bigger goals

540
00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:53,080
Speaker 3: and aspiration, his goals to get to the league and

541
00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 3: do it has new to sustain that. Obviously, as a

542
00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,239
Speaker 3: sports fan, you want to see him play, and I

543
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,560
Speaker 3: totally understand that sentiment, but you also have to understand

544
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:04,800
Speaker 3: that this is a business and even though he's probably

545
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,080
Speaker 3: what nineteen years old, he is a business man at

546
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,440
Speaker 3: this point, and all he needs to worry about at

547
00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,879
Speaker 3: this point in time in his career is to you

548
00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,720
Speaker 3: mentioned number one, stay healthy, and number two, make sure

549
00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:20,760
Speaker 3: that when it's come time for draft season he's at

550
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,760
Speaker 3: his peak performance. He's as good as he can possibly be.

551
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,919
Speaker 3: And if he is decided or his advisors or his

552
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,680
Speaker 3: accountant or his agent or whoever is telling him, if

553
00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 3: you are not feeling one hundred percent, whether it's the hamstring,

554
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,400
Speaker 3: whether it's the ankle, whether it's cramps, whether it's flu

555
00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,800
Speaker 3: like symptoms, like I said on Monday, do not play

556
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,639
Speaker 3: because you putting out bad tape is only gonna hurt you.

557
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,920
Speaker 3: And then we're gonna have to rebuild your image. During

558
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,160
Speaker 3: the combine circuit, you're gonna have to play one on

559
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:52,600
Speaker 3: one against the band, so that you're gonna have to

560
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,800
Speaker 3: play in three on three with Boozer. And you know,

561
00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:56,760
Speaker 3: even though we all think you're the best guy. You're

562
00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,960
Speaker 3: gonna have to reprove it again and again, because when

563
00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:04,240
Speaker 3: Darren Peterson plays, he is awesome. Yeah, twenty points a game,

564
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:06,960
Speaker 3: four rebounds to assists, Like see these systemers go up.

565
00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:11,280
Speaker 3: But he's shooting. Get this, he is shooting almost fifty

566
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:16,879
Speaker 3: forty eighty as a freshman. Like, what more do you

567
00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,760
Speaker 3: need to see from him? He passes the eye test obviously,

568
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:21,760
Speaker 3: you mentioned the way he moves his athletic he's big,

569
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,040
Speaker 3: he can shoot the lights out, Like what else do

570
00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:30,520
Speaker 3: you need to see? And so for him, he's looking

571
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,000
Speaker 3: out for his own self interests, which kind of goes

572
00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:35,240
Speaker 3: against the whole team mentality. But at this point, when

573
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 3: it comes to college sports, the team mentality doesn't exist anymore. Like,

574
00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:41,440
Speaker 3: if that's what you're looking for, then bringing a much

575
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 3: as sixty year players from you know, uh, Southern Connecticut,

576
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,080
Speaker 3: Tech State and have them be You're starting five in Kansas, right,

577
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,120
Speaker 3: If that's what you're worried about. If you're in the

578
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,920
Speaker 3: business of getting the top players to play to come

579
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:54,280
Speaker 3: to your team, then this is kind of just what's

580
00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,320
Speaker 3: going to happen. This is kind of where we are

581
00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:01,040
Speaker 3: in college sports now, and I don't blame him whatsoever.

582
00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,560
Speaker 3: It's interesting that you also brought up Anthony Edwards because

583
00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:07,479
Speaker 3: I was also down at the Edwards. I was like, Hey,

584
00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:08,680
Speaker 3: I don't know if I would take a guy number

585
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,760
Speaker 3: one who doesn't who says he doesn't know if he

586
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,640
Speaker 3: likes basketball and says that football has been his primary

587
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,320
Speaker 3: love forever. I could see you having reservations Aboulet taking

588
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,800
Speaker 3: him number one with something like that. But that's only

589
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,880
Speaker 3: because during that season the flashes we saw from James

590
00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,400
Speaker 3: Wiseman were incredible. You know, he didn't play a lot

591
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:28,160
Speaker 3: because he was I think it was injuries or he

592
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,760
Speaker 3: got ineligible, yeah, or ineligible or something like that. He

593
00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:33,240
Speaker 3: didn't play a lot, but when he did play, he

594
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,080
Speaker 3: was great. And we had known about LaMelo Ball for

595
00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,080
Speaker 3: so long that even though he didn't play in college,

596
00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,480
Speaker 3: we saw the talent. And you're like, hey, I could

597
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,160
Speaker 3: see I could make a case for one of these

598
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,560
Speaker 3: other guys getting taken above him if Athy Edwards doesn't

599
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:50,840
Speaker 3: really love basketball. With Darren Peterson, you saw what happened

600
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:52,960
Speaker 3: when he went up against aj Debatsu, was supposed to

601
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:54,920
Speaker 3: be the other guy in this class like that, those

602
00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,440
Speaker 3: are viewed as the top two guys. All respect to

603
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,560
Speaker 3: Boozer and saying he took his lunch money, but he

604
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,360
Speaker 3: definitely outperformed him in that game, made all the big

605
00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,160
Speaker 3: plays down the stretch. So you know, I don't understand

606
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,800
Speaker 3: all of this vitriol, this blowback for a kid who's

607
00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,320
Speaker 3: only looking out for his future.

608
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's college basketball is having an amazing gear. If

609
00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:19,520
Speaker 2: you look at the top of the draft, there's a

610
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:24,160
Speaker 2: reason that, like the Utah Jazz are literally playing their

611
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,800
Speaker 2: guys for a half and then putting in bum not

612
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,760
Speaker 2: bum sorry, two way guys, Amazon drivers geligue guys in

613
00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,040
Speaker 2: the second half so they can lose games. That's like, actually,

614
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,960
Speaker 2: what's happening yesterday you heard me on the pod. It

615
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,840
Speaker 2: was like, oh, look at the Golden State's losing by

616
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,600
Speaker 2: fifteen at home to Memphis. What a laugher. Memphis sits

617
00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,520
Speaker 2: all their guys in the fourth quarter. Golden State goes

618
00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,400
Speaker 2: on like a seventeen nothing whatever the numbers, and somehow

619
00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,400
Speaker 2: wins that game. They're actively tanking so they have a

620
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,560
Speaker 2: shot at Dabanza at Caleb Wilson from North Carolina. Boozer

621
00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,719
Speaker 2: definitely Peterson, Like I mean, it's this draft is going

622
00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 2: to be now. I don't know how the Lakers factor,

623
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,040
Speaker 2: and I started to bring them back to the Lakers.

624
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:05,680
Speaker 2: But the draft is so good, Rob that there is

625
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,400
Speaker 2: a whorld where the Lakers end up getting a really

626
00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,480
Speaker 2: good player. Here. They're like, there's there's a lot of guys.

627
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,080
Speaker 2: I wanna go too deep on it now, but Lakers fans,

628
00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,880
Speaker 2: there will be brighter days. Okay, we're back tomorrow. See

629
00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:18,120
Speaker 2: you then,