WEBVTT - What's Wright - BEST OF: Stephen A. FIRES BACK at LeBron James, wild Patrick Mahomes story, why SGA is NBA MVP 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:04.520 Steven A. 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:08.560 Smith has been going around talking about his confrontation with Lebron. 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:11.520 James talked about on his show. I went and talked 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:14.240 to talked about it with Gilbert Arenas and he said, 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:15.800 I thought it was weak. 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:18.840 I thought it was some bs. 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:22.400 Yeah about Lebron coming up to him. And then also 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:27.880 he went on Sean Hannity's show last night, Yes and Does, 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:31.000 and this got brought up in despite the all the 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:34.320 awful things hannedy Is said about Lebron over the years. 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:38.360 So I have a lot of takes on this, and 0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:42.839 I was going to leave this be, but the Gilbert 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:52.479 Arenas show appearance was to me it has to be 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:57.600 responded to, and there's so many different tentacles to this, 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:02.319 so I will first first, I want to make this 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:12.120 point we in the media have to be willing to 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:21.000 occasionally taken out. Everyone does, but particularly us. We in 0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:25.240 the media have to be willing to at times be 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:31.760 like that was a miss. I was wrong. I didn't 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:38.440 handle that perfectly. And we in the media also have 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:47.600 to recognize and acknowledge that no matter how big or prominent, 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:54.400 or wealthy or successful any of us ever get, we 0:01:54.480 --> 0:02:05.480 will never be from a fan or credibility to the 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:12.480 audience standpoint on par with the biggest athletes that we cover. 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:19.640 It'll never Howard Cosell was not equal to Muhammad Ali. 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:25.680 He was telling Ali's story. The audience was there for Ali. 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:34.920 Bob Costas was not equal to Michael Jordan. He's he's 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:37.440 telling Michael Jordan's story. 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:39.600 Go ahead to mins with that. 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:41.760 With that point, don't you think it like, because Steve 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:45.240 Natesmith is saying it's weak, Lebron James obviously has all 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:48.400 the leverage on the court. Do you do you not 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:53.399 think that it's a little Uh, I don't know, it's 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:55.200 I don't want to say it's weak, but because he 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:58.280 obviously does have leverage, like nobody's gonna be on Steven 0:02:58.280 --> 0:02:59.000 As yet. 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:02.160 But you also you that's the thing. So that's the 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:07.800 thing you have to know in the media that you 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:14.320 at some point the actual stars are the people we're 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:19.880 talking about. Sometimes we can be good enough or successful enough, 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:23.400 or prominent enough or whatever where we become kind of 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:30.079 supporting actors, but it's their movie. People are here. They 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:36.680 care so much about them that we become important people 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:41.360 because we talk about them. And so there is there 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:45.640 will never be a White House courus or White House 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:52.839 correspondent that is more important to the political discourse than 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:56.480 the president. There will there, and there will there will 0:03:56.560 --> 0:04:01.280 never be a stephen A And he has earned it, 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:08.600 earned it. He is the most prominent sports media member, 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:14.800 which does make him bigger than some athletes, but he 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:19.799 will never be bigger than the biggest athletes. Like here's 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:26.599 a good kind of you know, back in the Napkin math, 0:04:27.560 --> 0:04:36.279 do you remember Demanse when I went after Patrick Beverly. Yeah, 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:44.440 that is I think two people on kind of equal footing. 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:49.479 But think about why that is. You have me. I'm 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:52.960 just saying we're about on equal footing. Me someone who's 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:58.280 probably near the bottom of the top ten in my field, 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:02.640 and someone like him who's near the top of the 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.960 bottom ten in his field. And that's where we meet. 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.960 So you've got it. Like so the and there was 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:12.560 another little jab at Patrick Beverley fit in there, but 0:05:12.760 --> 0:05:17.599 uh so it is so No, I don't think it's 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:24.640 unfair for Lebron to to respond. We all like the 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:30.120 And here is the other thing. You gotta be prepared 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:34.160 in the moment with how you're going to respond if 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:40.000 they if you get checked, and this idea like I got, 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:44.400 I told the story you know, confronted is too strong, 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:50.119 but questioned by Jalen Hurt's mom night before the super Bowl, 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:54.680 and she was totally within her rights. I've told the 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:58.240 story for anohing of good things say about her, uh 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:00.679 and one of the only they're not many bright sides 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:02.640 for me that came out of that Super Bowl. But 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:06.120 I respected her in that interaction so much that I 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:08.440 was part of me, the little part of me that 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.320 wasn't heartbroken about the result of the game, was happy 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.760 for her because she was so adamant or someone was 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:15.240 gonna win and that he was gonna play great and 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:19.520 all that happened. But in that moment, I had a 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:26.600 choice to make do I snapfold my hand, or do 0:06:26.680 --> 0:06:31.440 I say, okay, we can actually talk about it. What 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:40.560 I don't think is typically cool is to in the 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:47.200 moment snapfold your hand and then after the fact talk 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:52.840 and talk and talk and talk and talk about it. 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:59.800 And here's the other pieces of it that I just 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:04.320 I'm gonna go ahead and say I have a hard 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:16.080 time fully buying. On Gilbert's show, stephen A said, essentially, 0:07:17.320 --> 0:07:21.960 my producers made me address it. I didn't want to. 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:29.640 My producers made me address it. Bro, that's not how 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:35.520 that works. We all we all know that, like, that's 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:39.240 it's not how that works on first things. First, I 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:42.760 can't imagine that's how that works. On first take. I 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:51.600 cannot imagine. And I do not think that anybody really 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:56.440 believes like there is anything on that show that stephen 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:59.280 A's like, I do not want to do this, and 0:07:59.320 --> 0:08:04.520 they're like, so you have to come on, man, that's 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:10.400 not like, that's not that's not a thing. Like maybe 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.720 the day after a finals game, if see if someone 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:17.040 was like, I don't want to talk about the basketball game, 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:19.680 they might be like, well you have to and if not, 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:24.040 we're gonna pay, like the but I, that's not a thing. 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:28.679 And the other thing was this because on Gilbert Show, 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:34.439 stephen A said, oh, I I thought in the moment 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:41.720 this was about Bronni. It wasn't until I saw what 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:46.560 Lebron's conversation mouth somewhat covered mouth not with Richard Jefferson 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.240 that I knew this was actually about what I had 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:54.120 said about him as a father. Man. I knew it 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:59.120 the next day. I was on here the next day 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:02.800 and I told everyone that's what it was about it 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.679 was obvious. That's what it was about. The everyone who's 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:10.200 in these circles knows, that's what it was about. When 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:15.240 Lebron's people called you and you made fun of them, 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:18.960 it was months ago. It was about that. It was 0:09:19.000 --> 0:09:25.360 about the I'm begging you as a father. So it's 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:31.720 okay to say I was caught off guard, has caught 0:09:31.760 --> 0:09:34.760 off guard, didn't really know. And then the other part 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.560 of it, like again, and I say this every time, 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:41.000 and I'll say it again, And it's so funny that 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:47.360 I texted with stephen A the day this, the morning 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:52.280 before this all happened, so like I think this happened 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.120 a week ago today, I actually text with steven A 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:59.640 that morning, so before it all happened. Obviously, I have 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:06.680 and I'm still using current present tense. I hope a 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:10.959 good relationship with him. But I have to be I 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:14.720 have to be fair here, because I'm not hesitating ever 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:19.160 on this platform or on the TV show really to 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:22.360 criticize colleagues if I think they're dead wrong. I can't 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:24.120 just have the guys that I really like or my 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:27.320 friends or whatever be like a sacred cows here, especially 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.480 when this this is the story that continues to be 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:38.360 the story. The implication with Gilbert and Company that listen, 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:42.280 maybe I'd have handled that differently, but I work for 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:43.160 Walt Disney. 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.800 Come on, man about like the fighting or like I 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:47.719 was gonna I. 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:56.840 Mean, that's what it seemed like was being implied. I mean, like, man, like, listen, 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.960 Steven Ain't, to his credit, has gotten in great shit 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:04.440 and did like a real boxing thing and would be 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:09.640 a even even you know at his at his you know, 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:13.480 he's in great japer's age and is despite being a 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.320 decade plus order than me, I'll say it would be 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:20.240 a significant favorite over most other media members. You know 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:24.400 what I mean in hand to hand combat, but the 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:29.079 idea that it's like well, you know, hands are a 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:33.120 little tied because I work for the mouse. Otherwise, like, 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:37.160 come on, man, like what are we like? That's just 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:38.800 go ahead. 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:41.240 I don't play a Devil's advocate any longer, but this 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:42.199 last time we'll do it. 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:45.640 Do you think like what is in like? Is are 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:47.400 we saying that the only thing that Stephen A. 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.800 Smith did wrong was call out Lebron James a father, 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:53.079 Like is everything else like in bounds? 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:53.839 What's out of bounds? 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:57.040 So here's so here's what I think. That's a great 0:11:57.040 --> 0:12:06.480 follow up and a great question. The I think that 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:10.840 I'm pleading with you as a father was out of line. 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:16.280 It's also what Lebron was responding to. That was very 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:21.280 clear from the morning after the event. I again, I 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:27.640 set it on this show on a little emergency pod 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:31.440 that we did right after or over the weekend, but 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:37.360 before the rj uh interaction with Lebron, and it was 0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:41.840 it was very clear that's what it was about. So 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:45.040 that is you Now, I talked to Bamani about that, 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:48.760 Butmani says we need to normalize judging other people's parenting, 0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:53.680 which is an interesting take, and like it's also you know, 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:56.840 Butmani's you know, glass house there, not glasshouse there. BUTMANI 0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:59.040 ain't got no kids, so he didn't know how hard 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:02.480 you guys can be some times. But but the that 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:06.200 is that's what triggered Lebron. Okay, that's what it was 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:15.199 now is the criticism of Bronnie fair. It let me, 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:17.720 I'm gonna tweak how I word that. 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.480 Go ahead, Well, I mean also like there's a while 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:24.120 back Lebron put out a tweet and I get it's 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.680 not Bronni that tweet like it's just unfortunate that it's 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:28.640 landing on Bronnie the kid. 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:35.240 When so that tweet is I would argue, and this 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:39.080 I think kind of speaks to how relatively well, not 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:44.280 relatively well, but incredibly well lebron James has handled twenty 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:47.520 five years in the public eye. That tweets one of 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:51.640 the five biggest missteps of his whole career, honest to God, 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:56.440 like it really is. But the fact that everyone keeps 0:13:56.520 --> 0:14:02.520 pointing to this tweet from three years ago as evidence that, oh, 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.840 Lebron has been building Bronnie up bigger than he was, 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.320 I think speaks to the fact that after that tweet, 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:12.480 Lebron pumped the brakes on it, right, like that that 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:16.199 tweet was it put a bigger target on Bronnie's back, 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:21.320 and so that was that was a mistake. That that's 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:25.520 totally fair, and that's that would be criticizing lebron You 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:29.880 know that a decision he made, Like that's totally fair, 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:32.880 But that's not what this was about, right, So the so, 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:35.560 but I but to get back to your other question 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:46.520 is is Bronnie James a fair target for criticism? The 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:49.560 answer to that is yes, he's an NBA players, a 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:57.520 grown man NBA player. Is it also fair to say, 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:04.520 if this is going to be the one and only 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:10.400 second round pick in the entire draft in the last 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:16.280 two drafts three drafts that we are going to occasionally 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:23.040 criticize on national television, that if you have been one 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.920 of the more vocal critics, whether it was his summer 0:15:27.000 --> 0:15:30.160 League performance or his opening few g League games or 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:34.920 those awful minutes against the Sixers, then if you really 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:39.400 want to be fair, you've got to mix in the 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:45.720 context and maybe include, oh, he's actually played really well 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:50.160 since that moment. Now, I think it's probably like, does 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:54.000 that make sense that if I'm that anybody that you 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:57.720 are is you don't have to talk about, but you 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:04.000 choose to talk about either super glowingly or super negatively 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:09.560 or it's you know that you insert in, It's probably 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:13.320 fair to balance the scale to a degree you don't 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:17.200 have to do. That's why I keep doing the You 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:22.000 know where he ranks amongst rookies, and he is somewhere 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:30.359 between forty eighth and fifty eighth in every single minutes games, points, assists, steals, 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.400 which is what you would hope for from the fifty 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:35.800 to fifth pick. So that's the other piece of this 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:41.560 that I think is a little bit of bullshit. If 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:45.440 you were and this is not I'm not talking about 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:52.480 Steven ah here, okay, if you are, to a degree, 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.040 I'm kind of talking about one of my dearest friends 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.600 in the world, among others, but among other not among 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:01.160 my other dearest friends, but Manni is one of my 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:04.280 dearest friends in the world. He's one of many people 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:08.720 who were very loud and skeptical about Bronni being drafted. 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.600 I do think what's fair is if you were one 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:16.399 of those people saying this is a farce of a pick, 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:23.600 to at some point mention he's acquitting himself pretty well 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.680 in the G League, that he's averaging the exact same 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:29.479 as the Lakers first round pick last year in the 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.560 G League, that he you know what, like that, because 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:35.800 I think it's pretty clear that the people who said 0:17:35.840 --> 0:17:38.720 this is a farce of a pick, if Bronni in 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:42.040 the G League was four points, couldn't you know? It 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:46.080 is terrible to be like see, And so I just 0:17:46.440 --> 0:17:52.359 I do think though that stuff is convenient well, and again, 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:57.639 I just it's also not all that day to day relevant. 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:01.719 I just what I don't. I just have a really 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:09.200 hard time with the sequence of I didn't want to 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:13.800 talk about this. I've now talked about it almost every 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:18.240 single day on four different platforms since then. I didn't 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:23.280 know what he was mad about when I got a 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:26.679 call five weeks ago from his agent about the exact 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:32.240 thing he's mad about, and anyone with kind of deductive 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:42.440 reasoning knew that's what he's mad about. Having been on 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:47.280 the record for twenty years about how many games you 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:50.600 go to and about how everyone you talk about is 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:54.640 welcome to come up and talk to you about anything 0:18:54.680 --> 0:19:01.760 they say, and when that happens, to say it was 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:05.119 weak and it was bullshit, And this is why I 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:10.639 started with the we're not on equal playing field with 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:20.040 these guys. He sometimes you don't get to respond like 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:25.320 you can respond. That's let me don't That's I said 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:28.320 that wrong. That's not what I meant. What I'm trying 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:32.000 to say is, in that moment, I think what he's 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:34.920 saying is I wanted a phone call so I could 0:19:35.040 --> 0:19:39.919 give give my side of the story, and Lebron was saying, 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:41.959 I don't give a shit about your side of the story. 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.680 I didn't like what you said, and I wanted you 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:53.240 to stop it, and if we never speak again, no 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:57.200 skin off my back. And that is a power and 0:19:57.320 --> 0:20:03.760 balance because like rounds like I don't care about this relationship. 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:06.800 You might, I don't, and that just kind of is 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:13.440 that that that's why I used the Coseel Ali thing. Now, 0:20:13.640 --> 0:20:19.159 Cosel actually was incredibly helpful to Ali because Ali had 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:21.920 the US government working against him and a lot of things. 0:20:21.920 --> 0:20:27.000 So it's not a perfect example at all, but as 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:34.840 helpful as Howard Goseel was to Muhammad Ali, Howard go 0:20:34.960 --> 0:20:37.440 Sel needed Muhammad Ali in that relationship more than Ali 0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:47.359 ever needed would need him. And no matter how wealthy 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:56.000 or famous any of us get, we're not the actual stars. 0:20:57.640 --> 0:21:03.240 And then we also have to have the humility to 0:21:03.400 --> 0:21:08.760 at times just take an l. I don't know why 0:21:09.320 --> 0:21:17.840 that is so difficult for certain folks like and that's 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:20.800 and I'm not just pointing out stephen A there at all. 0:21:20.880 --> 0:21:26.080 That is that is a lot of people again, well 0:21:26.160 --> 0:21:31.320 particularly people that in our business people that are there 0:21:31.440 --> 0:21:34.639 is It's also why there's kind of this unspoken rule 0:21:34.680 --> 0:21:37.399 almost like oh, you know, I'm in the media, I'm 0:21:37.440 --> 0:21:40.119 not going to criticize other media that I obviously don't 0:21:40.680 --> 0:21:47.840 subscribe to. I just think that is somewhat hypocritical, almost 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:52.880 like we can't we we can't do what we do 0:21:53.720 --> 0:22:01.040 to these athletes and then act so wounded if somebody 0:22:01.200 --> 0:22:02.280 does it to us. 0:22:02.640 --> 0:22:05.280 Exactly like this guy needs to change this that like 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:08.640 that needs to happen. It's like I feel like which 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:10.320 is in some fashion. 0:22:10.960 --> 0:22:13.840 And so listen, I really hope this is the end 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:17.160 that of this the and the handity thing. 0:22:19.960 --> 0:22:21.800 Do it well? 0:22:21.840 --> 0:22:28.400 I just I don't. I I don't look given all 0:22:28.480 --> 0:22:31.679 the things Sean Hannity has said about Lebron that I 0:22:31.880 --> 0:22:40.440 find to be in inaccurate on their face and wildly unfair. 0:22:41.400 --> 0:22:49.159 I think going on that turf and doing this was 0:22:50.720 --> 0:22:53.399 and now and again in Stepney's defense there, it didn't 0:22:53.400 --> 0:22:55.960 look like he knew that question was coming, and he 0:22:56.000 --> 0:22:58.000 didn't spend a lot of time on it, you know. 0:22:58.119 --> 0:23:01.119 I think he was on there to give more political commentary, 0:23:01.119 --> 0:23:08.439 which is a whole nother discussion. But whatever, Who's scoring 0:23:08.480 --> 0:23:10.720 big in the NBA this season? You are with the 0:23:10.800 --> 0:23:12.480 all new with all the new ways to get in 0:23:12.600 --> 0:23:15.760 on the action. Draftings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner 0:23:15.800 --> 0:23:17.760 of the NBA from Monster Slams, Dish in the Rock 0:23:17.800 --> 0:23:20.600 cleaning Glass, get behind your favorite players and the prop 0:23:20.640 --> 0:23:23.240 bets you can make on DraftKings, the home of NBA 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:25.879 player props. Ready to place your first bet? Try betting 0:23:25.880 --> 0:23:29.399 on something simple like picking how many points your favorite 0:23:29.400 --> 0:23:32.040 player will have. Go to the drafting sports book Gap 0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:38.120 and make your pick. Guys, I'm killing you, I'm killing you. 0:23:38.200 --> 0:23:44.600 On Tuesday, I keyed in on Pelicans Clippers. I was like, 0:23:44.720 --> 0:23:48.800 Kwhi's being hot. You know, he's probably gonna come down 0:23:48.840 --> 0:23:53.000 to Earth. Zion I thought was gonna have a monster game. 0:23:53.600 --> 0:23:56.800 Zion did have a monster game, tripled Obel, but I 0:23:56.800 --> 0:23:58.720 had him over twenty three and a half points. Too 0:23:58.720 --> 0:24:00.919 many assists, not in a point it spins with twenty two. 0:24:01.040 --> 0:24:03.879 That's a loser. Kawhi under twenty three and a half points, 0:24:03.960 --> 0:24:05.879 he damn near at thirty, so that was an O 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:11.159 for two. So again I'm being totally transparent with you, guys. 0:24:11.600 --> 0:24:16.640 I farmed this one out, I said, Demons, Daniel, Producers, 0:24:16.720 --> 0:24:20.199 Blue Ducks, somebody help me out here. They're looking at 0:24:20.280 --> 0:24:22.760 Cam Thomas, who's never seen a shot he doesn't like 0:24:23.160 --> 0:24:25.800 over twenty three and a half and Steph Curry over 0:24:25.880 --> 0:24:29.080 twenty six and a half. So we got it. 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Help is available for problem gambling. Call 0:25:12.680 --> 0:25:17.080 eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven 0:25:17.440 --> 0:25:22.560 or visit CCPG dot org. Please play responsibly on behalf 0:25:22.600 --> 0:25:26.520 of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas twenty one plus 0:25:26.560 --> 0:25:31.920 age in eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus 0:25:31.960 --> 0:25:36.000 bets expire one hundred and sixty eight hours after issuance 0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:42.919 for additional terms and responsible gaming resources see DKNG dot 0:25:42.960 --> 0:25:45.000 co slash b ball. 0:25:45.560 --> 0:25:49.000 So yeah, after dropping the first ever thirty twenty twenty 0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:53.520 twenty game against Phoenix Yolks, MVP odds cut in half. 0:25:53.960 --> 0:25:56.080 Then SGA got the best of them in that Denver 0:25:56.160 --> 0:25:58.840 game he dropped forty and then Jokic got a little 0:25:58.880 --> 0:26:01.280 get back. So they're kind of kind of a weird 0:26:01.320 --> 0:26:02.679 situation for the MVP right now. 0:26:02.720 --> 0:26:03.320 Who do you have? 0:26:05.040 --> 0:26:08.159 I think it's Shay. I don't think it's really that debatable, 0:26:08.840 --> 0:26:15.280 and I am consistent. Well, here's why Demansey and I 0:26:15.320 --> 0:26:19.240 heard Mike Malone. God, Michael Malone. Basically, if you're not 0:26:19.400 --> 0:26:24.920 willing to say the NBA logo should be changed from 0:26:25.000 --> 0:26:28.639 Jerry West to Nikola Jokic, like you're not given Jokic 0:26:28.800 --> 0:26:32.040 enough respect by Michael Malone's standards. I mean the idea 0:26:32.080 --> 0:26:35.360 that Jokic has won three of the last four MVPs, 0:26:35.640 --> 0:26:39.119 he won back to back MVPs prior to ever going 0:26:39.160 --> 0:26:43.080 on a deep playoff run which was not unprecedented but 0:26:43.160 --> 0:26:46.920 close to unprecedented, and so like this idea that he's 0:26:46.960 --> 0:26:56.919 not getting enough respect is just crazy. And here is 0:26:57.000 --> 0:27:00.359 why I feel the way I do about the MVP, 0:27:00.960 --> 0:27:05.199 and it is the same reason I felt it was 0:27:05.359 --> 0:27:08.480 very clear Josh Allen was the MVP this past year 0:27:08.520 --> 0:27:17.520 in the NFL. We cannot play Calvin ball with how 0:27:17.560 --> 0:27:19.680 we give out MVP awards. And if people don't know 0:27:19.720 --> 0:27:22.120 what the phrase Calvin ball is, it's from the old 0:27:22.160 --> 0:27:25.040 cartoon Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip. But it's where 0:27:25.080 --> 0:27:27.720 you just make up the rules as you go. It's 0:27:27.840 --> 0:27:31.680 essentially heads, you lose, tales I win. It's where whatever 0:27:31.760 --> 0:27:34.960 the whatever the rules need to be for me to win, 0:27:35.400 --> 0:27:39.679 those are the rules. And so two years ago the 0:27:39.800 --> 0:27:45.040 NFL MVP Josh had these amazing numbers and not so 0:27:45.119 --> 0:27:48.480 much Josh. Actually it was really brock Perty and Dak 0:27:48.560 --> 0:27:53.160 had these amazing numbers. Lamar had middling numbers, but his 0:27:53.280 --> 0:27:56.240 team had the best record. He played you know great 0:27:56.280 --> 0:27:58.720 in some big spots, and they gave it to Lamar. 0:27:59.840 --> 0:28:05.399 This year, Lamar has amazing numbers, but his team's record 0:28:05.480 --> 0:28:08.880 is you know, mediocre compared to the other MVP candidates. 0:28:09.440 --> 0:28:13.199 Josh had good numbers, not as good as Lamar's. The 0:28:13.280 --> 0:28:16.280 team had the better record, and people were like, no, 0:28:16.640 --> 0:28:19.359 Some people were like, no, it should be Lamar again, like, well, 0:28:20.800 --> 0:28:24.600 he can't win for one set of logic in twenty 0:28:24.640 --> 0:28:28.720 three and inver ctle logic in twenty four that if 0:28:28.720 --> 0:28:34.320 we give Joker the MVP this year, then we need 0:28:34.359 --> 0:28:36.760 to go back last year and give the one he 0:28:36.920 --> 0:28:44.480 won there to Luca. Because last year here was Luca's numbers, 0:28:45.120 --> 0:28:51.680 thirty four points per game, the scoring champion by three 0:28:51.720 --> 0:28:57.160 and a half points, nine rebounds, ten assists. He was 0:28:57.280 --> 0:29:01.520 thirty four, nine and ten on forty nine to thirty 0:29:01.560 --> 0:29:06.840 eight splits. Joker, who won the MVP was twenty six 0:29:06.920 --> 0:29:13.160 points per game, twelve rebounds, nine assists on fifty eight 0:29:13.400 --> 0:29:18.080 thirty six splits. So why did Joker win it? Because 0:29:18.120 --> 0:29:20.880 the Denver Nuggets tied for the best record in the 0:29:20.880 --> 0:29:24.040 Western Conference. They had fifty seven wins and Luca's team 0:29:24.160 --> 0:29:26.800 was the five seed. They had fifty five or they 0:29:26.800 --> 0:29:30.719 had fifty wins. Pardon me that seven win golf is 0:29:30.760 --> 0:29:33.880 why not only did Joker win it, but it was 0:29:35.360 --> 0:29:38.760 not close. If I remember, I'm gonna check real quick. 0:29:41.160 --> 0:29:46.160 Joker had got seventy nine first place votes, Shay got fifteen, 0:29:46.640 --> 0:29:51.720 Luca got four. He ran away with it. So this 0:29:51.840 --> 0:29:59.120 year when Joker's numbers are remarkable, and they are remarkable 0:30:00.160 --> 0:30:05.480 at twenty nine, thirteen and ten. Shae is going to 0:30:05.520 --> 0:30:08.080 win the scoring title, by the way at thirty two 0:30:08.120 --> 0:30:14.760