1 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Favorites, the podcast from the Action Network. 2 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: I am Chad Millman and I am joined if I'm 3 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: the one and only one of my favorite people in 4 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: the world, even when he's not being nice to me, 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: which I know he doesn't feel like doing today. Black 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: Jack Fletcher, Hi, my beautiful brother. No, like, you're just 7 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: being short and normally this is the point where like 8 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: you'd be mean to me and I'd be like why 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: and but we're not going to get into that today. 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: You know why. No, we're not going to get into that. 11 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: Because Baxter Holmes of ESPN wrote a great story about 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles Lakers dysfunction that posted today, and it 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: just so happened that the NBA Finals are starting on Thursday, 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,959 Speaker 1: and uh, Brian Windhorst, who is is one of the 15 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: premier NBA insiders, reporters and analysts in all of America, 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: was already scheduled to come in the podcast today, so 17 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: we got him on. And he obviously has written multiple 18 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: books on Lebron James, so he knows Lebron, his camp 19 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: and what's happening in the Lakers intimately, so he could 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: speak eloquently to the scenario in l a and also 21 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: to Baxter's story. Uh, and he could talk to us 22 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: about the finals um for which we had a lot 23 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: of questions. To sort of handicap the finals a little 24 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: bit for us. Sounds good. So instead of you giving 25 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: me one word answers, we're just just gonna go into 26 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: Brian Windhorst right now. So let's let's listen to the 27 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 1: interview we just did with Brian Windhorst, as promised joining 28 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: the Favorites podcast. Listen. This was one of my favorite 29 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 1: colleagues at ESPN because he can do so many things. 30 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: He can write a story on deadline. He is one 31 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: of the best, most connected insiders in the n b A. 32 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: He can and synthesize complex information for television on a 33 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: moment's notice, and he does it all with a smile, 34 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: almost the complete opposite of my co host from ESPN, 35 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: Insider Analyst extraordinaire, author of multiple books, including the latest 36 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: Lebron Inc. Which you can pick up anywhere books are sold. 37 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: Mr Brian wynd Horse, how are you buddy now? He 38 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: says this before he was always the side eye that 39 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: I got when I was a subordinate. That's because he's 40 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: two faced. Brian No it's more like, I listen, I am. 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: I hold back my love and the compliments until after 42 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: it's over. While it's happening, I want people to be 43 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: inspired and somewhat fearful. How's that working out with your kids? 44 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: That's right? My kids love me. That's cute. Oh, Brian, 45 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: I'm sorry you're in the middle of all this tension. 46 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: How are you man? Listen? There is there is a 47 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: lot going on in the n b A. I think 48 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: we got you on on the perfect day. You know 49 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: Baxter Holmes, Uh uh, you know your colleague who I 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: actually hired at ESPN. Um, can we not write this 51 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: all about you? Has a phenomenal story today out about 52 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: the Lakers and before we get into the Warriors Raptors Finals. 53 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 1: But I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you, like, 54 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: what did you think of that story? Well? I think 55 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: that the Lakers, what we can see, which is there 56 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: some of their decision making over the last few years, 57 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: speaks for itself. Um, they do not. They're not an 58 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: organization that gives off the impression that they have a 59 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: lot of infrastructure and positive workflows. Um. There are teams 60 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: that are you know, what you would call quote unquote 61 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: smart teams or teams with terrific infrastructure, teams that have 62 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: great experience and good decision makers that make bad decisions 63 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: because you know, it's it's basketball is hard, there's says 64 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: you have to make sometimes don't work out, etcetera. So, um, 65 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: the Lakers are not alone, but there their decisions that 66 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: they've made out in public for everybody to see have 67 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: been generally poor. They've got a couple of victories, but 68 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: they've got a lot of losses, and so it's really 69 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: not a surprise that the interior of their organization is 70 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: not entirely what you would call functional. So I must 71 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: say that if you assigned any reporter to any organization, 72 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: whether it was the San Antonio Spurs, whether it was 73 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: the um you know, who's your class organization, the Warriors, 74 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: whether it was the Raptors, you would probably find people 75 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: who are unhappy about things the way where they were going. 76 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: Just is if anybody was assigned to, you know, cover 77 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: any of the places we've ever worked in our lives. 78 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: I mean, so nothing is ever a honeymoon. Um, But 79 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: I think more than anything, even if it was dysfunction 80 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: on the interior, if it functioned properly on the exterior, 81 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: then it wouldn't be as big of a deal. But 82 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: because it's been so dysfunctional outwardly, it makes it easy 83 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: to see what's what's going on internally. Were you surprised 84 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: given the fact that that you know, you you know 85 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: the interior of organizations as well as anybody. Were you 86 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: surprised last year when a Lebron signed with the Lakers? Um, well, 87 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: let's first answer that question and then I'll ask my 88 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: follow up. I was not surprised he was he signed 89 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: the Lakers. If you were watching his and his team's 90 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: movements over the previous eighteen months, they were telegraphing it. 91 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: I was not a hundred percent sure he was going 92 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: to go in two thousand eighteen, Um, just like I 93 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: wasn't a hunt. I mean, you know, they were telegraphing 94 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: coming back to Cleveland, and I wasn't a hundred percent sure, um, 95 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: that it was gonna be two thousand fourteen when he 96 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: went back. I think part of that is just as 97 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: a reporter, your skeptical, and you hold back to you 98 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: really nail things down. Um, you could see it coming. 99 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: What I was surprised about Chad was that he went 100 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: there without the Lakers looking like they had a definitive 101 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 1: plan of what they were doing. It was almost like, 102 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 1: you know, was ready shoot aim as a part RADI 103 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: post already aim shoot, which is the way he had 104 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: operated in free agencies in the past. I guess that, 105 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: you know what, you just answered my question in a 106 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: better way than I asked it, which was this team 107 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: was already in chaos. So why does Lebron sign there 108 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: thinking I know, I'm going to make it better? Or 109 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: did he not care because he just wanted to be 110 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: in l A. I think there was two reasons. I 111 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: think Hubris played into it because I think Lebron feels 112 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: that any team that he's a part of, he can 113 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 1: sort of clean things up, whether it's how they play, 114 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: how they're operated, how their leadership is. I mean, and 115 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: he did that to a certain extent in Cleveland. You know, 116 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: the four years he was gone from Cleveland, they were, 117 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: you know, a non playoff team. They won the lottery 118 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: three or four years, which is incredible fortune but also 119 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: tells you that they're in the lottery with high odds, 120 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: and uh, I think he felt like, I'll just go 121 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: to l A and all sort of fix that just 122 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: bring the mess to me and I'll make it pretty. 123 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: And I think the other thing was that it wasn't 124 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: wholly of basketball decision, and he he has people of view. 125 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: Was this against him guys um over the last year 126 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: They said, well, this is what you get when you 127 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: move out to Hollywood to make movies and TV shows, 128 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: et cetera. And I would say that, yeah, but he 129 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: could have made space Jam from Cleveland. Space Jam was 130 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: already in the works before he signed with the Lakers. 131 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: And what he came back to Cleveland that was not 132 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: a whole basketball decision, and the Calves were not a 133 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,679 Speaker 1: championship contender. It took him sort of finessing to Kevin 134 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: Love trade and took them making over their roster a 135 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: couple of times. It wasn't like that was a ready 136 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: made team, like for example, that Durant went to. So 137 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: that was a family decision as well. And so I 138 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: think part of it was, Yes, he wanted to be 139 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: closer to the media business, which he is going to 140 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: be heavily involved in for the foreseeable future. And yes, 141 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: I think he just he and the family want to 142 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: live in l a at this point in their careers 143 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: and and at this point in his kids lives. So, um, 144 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: I mean saying that it wasn't a whole basketball decision. 145 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: I don't think he's something to be used against him, 146 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: even though I'm sure it has been and will continue 147 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: to be. All Right, So you literally wrote the book 148 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: on Lebrin. In fact, you've done it multiple times. The 149 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: last one, Lebron Inc. Which just came out in April. Uh, 150 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: speaks to everything that you're talking about, like his ambitions, 151 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: his hopes. When when you understand that, can you think 152 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: that Lebron is fully focused on what's happening on the court. 153 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: He I do believe that he does the best as 154 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: he possibly can. Um. He uses a line, man, he 155 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: uses this line probably fifty times a year, and it 156 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: totally came from pat Riley. And for all I know, 157 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: pat Rodley took it from somebody else. I don't know 158 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: if he took it from Adolf rob or something, but 159 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: pat Robbie. One of the things that he likes to 160 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: say is keep the main thing the main thing, and 161 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: Lebron will talk about that all the time. You'll hear 162 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: him said, you just got to focus on the main thing, um, 163 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: which is his basketball. And if you look at the 164 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,199 Speaker 1: way he approaches the seasons. Typically he does do that. 165 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: I think the one challenge with Lebron is his investment 166 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 1: in in in in the season while it's going on. 167 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,319 Speaker 1: So what what I mean by that is there were 168 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 1: times in Cleveland where he was so frustrated with the coaching, 169 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: or he was so frustrated with the roster, or it's 170 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: at various teammates that he kind of would go into 171 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: a little bit of a shell. And um, you know 172 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,319 Speaker 1: last year, it's in particularly the two thousand seventeen eighteen season, 173 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: he got so frustrated at one point that I saw 174 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 1: that he even took his foot off the gas. Um. 175 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: He would probably deny this vigorously, but this is just 176 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: my perception and one like he said it. But I 177 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: was watching him play and noticing that he wasn't, in 178 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: my mind, going all out, And when they traded half 179 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: the roster at the trade deadline, he immediately reapplied his 180 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: foot to the gas and had um one of the 181 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: best playoff runs of his life. As good as Kauai 182 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: Leonard has been in this playoffs, I think if there 183 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: was a vote, he would be voted in m VP 184 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: of the playoffs. If you go back and look at 185 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: the actual raw numbers, Lebron was better he last year. 186 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: And not only that, he was actually better by a 187 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: little bit of a space, like a little bit of 188 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: a margin. Suddenly that close. That's how great Lebron was. 189 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: But he definitely was guilty, in my opinion, of backing 190 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: off so um. To me, that's where I think he 191 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: can kind of be criticized for not necessarily focusing on 192 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: things that are off the court. I think he's always 193 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: done a good job of balancing and focusing on but 194 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: losing faith and his team, which is one of the 195 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: things that is something he admits that he fights. He's 196 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: even said that he's tried to clean up his body language, 197 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: tried to clean up when he's passive aggressive against his teammates, 198 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: because he recognizes that is a weakness. Brian looking forward 199 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: to June this year, when free agency begins, I'm looking 200 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: at a list of the top eight free agents in basketball. 201 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie, Irving, Jimmy Butler, those guys. 202 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: The Lakers are not favored to land a single one 203 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: of them. So if you were sending me a hundred 204 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: dollars to walk over to New Jersey and bet in 205 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: a sports book which one of these guys would I 206 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,959 Speaker 1: bet is going to be Lebron's teammate this fall. Okay, 207 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: So I think you have to draw a line. In 208 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,599 Speaker 1: my mind, it's not really a free agency. There's for 209 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: what I've been describing as A plus level free agents. 210 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 1: I would like to just call them A but I 211 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: don't want to have the other guys assigned as be 212 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: and have that used against me. So Um, in terms 213 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: of inclusions, I will say the A plus free agents, 214 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: so and they're all case just so, then it fits nicely. 215 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: Um Klay Thompson, UM, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin 216 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: Durant before A plus ks Um. Those four players, in 217 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: my mind are players that if the Lakers got them, 218 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: they would be championship contenders with Lebron and some maneuvering 219 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:37,719 Speaker 1: with their roster. Um their complete straight difference making players. UM. 220 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: I don't know if you want to call them top 221 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: twelve players, top fifteen, top eight, I don't know, whatever 222 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: you want to do. Anthony Davis is sort of an 223 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: answary piece on that list, but he is not a 224 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: free agent. Per se, So I'll leave him off of 225 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: it for now. In my mind, the big decision from 226 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: the big thing for the Lakers is, if you can't 227 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: get any of those four players, what is your plan B? 228 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: Is your plan B to go after the A level 229 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: case as I call them as Middleton, Kemba Walker. I'll 230 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: put Jimmy Butler in that regard Tobias Harris. Those are 231 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: all A level players, but in my opinion, not difference 232 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: makers um or do you do you go a different route? 233 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: Do you go sign um you know, more role supporting players. 234 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: Do you try to sign guys on one year contracts 235 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 1: to re enter the market, to try to get Anthony 236 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: Davis one of those A plus free agents a year 237 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: from now, et cetera. And to me, that's what the 238 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: Lakers are really confronting. They're not going to have much 239 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: of a control on what those four guys at the 240 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: top they're going to do, because you know, this is 241 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: a great free agent year, but even in comparison to 242 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: other great free agent years, like let's go back to 243 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: two thousand and ten for example, when you had you know, 244 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: Lebron and Bosh and Wade and Joe Johnson out there 245 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: and there was a couple other star players. Those guys 246 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: weren't like this group in that they didn't have titles. 247 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: All four of those A plus guys have all one championships. 248 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: They don't have to join the team to quote unquote 249 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: chase the title. I think if you look at them, 250 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: Um and and really, we just have to guess because 251 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: all of their personalities are a bit off what you 252 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: consider a mainstream personality. Klay Thompsons want to the most 253 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: unique guys you'll ever see in the NBA for various reasons. 254 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: Durant and and Uh and Kyrie, in my mind, are 255 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: very mere, curial Um change their mind about things on 256 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: a weekly basis, if not daily, And we could sit 257 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: here and I could tell you what who to put 258 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: a bet on. That's why I would think it would 259 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: be dangerous. You have to get really good odds because 260 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: I can tell you to put a bet on Kyra. 261 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: I can tell you, oh yeah, Kyrie's best friend called 262 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: me this morning and told me X, go bet on X. 263 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: And that may be accurate information. The Kyrie may wake 264 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 1: up on June fifteenth and decide to go to something else, 265 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: and then he may wake up on June Threius and 266 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: decided to go another place. And that's just the reality 267 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: of those guys. And then Kauai is a guy who's 268 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: almost impossible to read. That the Raptors have spent a 269 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 1: year trying to read him, and I don't think they 270 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: have a good read on them. So we're talking about 271 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,719 Speaker 1: all these guys who have priorities, who that are not 272 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: what you would call typical basketball priorities, and they all 273 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 1: have championships, they have nothing to prove, so they are 274 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: very volatile and in predicting what they're going to do. 275 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: So if you're the Lakers and you don't know, and then, 276 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: by the way, these other teams don't know either. I 277 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: talk to these teams all the time. They are going 278 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: for them. They don't know. Nobody has a good field. 279 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: The Celtics don't know what's gonna happen. The Clippers don't 280 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: know what's gonna happen. The Lakers don't know. You what 281 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: you really are incumbent on doing um if UM. If 282 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: you're preparing for this as you is making your plan 283 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: D C, D E F G. And if you're again, 284 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: if you're making a wager, make sure you factor it 285 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: into the price that you get because if you if you, 286 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: if you make a wager today, information and things are 287 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: gonna change. They're gonna change that price dramatically, and they 288 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: change how you feel about that wager for the next 289 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: six weeks. Of those top four guys you mentioned, Durant, Irving, Thompson, 290 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: and Leonard, which one do you think Lebron would most 291 00:14:55,160 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: like to play with? Um? I think Durant would be 292 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: amazing to play with him. Um I think Duran is 293 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: gonna be had a chance to be a top five 294 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: to ten all time player. He's maybe built better to 295 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: score than any player in history of the game. That 296 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that he'll end up with more points than 297 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: Abdul jabbar Um or more scoring titles than Jordan's. But 298 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: there's never been a player who has come to the 299 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: NBA who's built a score like him. The game of 300 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: the he he the game of basketball for him is 301 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: different than it's been for anybody else. We've never seen 302 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: a man of that size with that shooting ability, just 303 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: never seen it. And and uh, not only that, but 304 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: he's proven you know, he did have that foot issue, 305 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: but he's generally proven to be durable. I mean, you 306 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: look at him, And you don't think that he couldn't 307 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: play mother ten years. I mean, how long is his prime? 308 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: His prime is as long as he can kind of 309 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: stay healthy and run. That could be six, seven, eight, 310 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: nine more years. So you know, that's a guy that 311 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: I'd like to get into and do UM deal with UM. Now, 312 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: I'll tell you that Tyrie and Bronze games are brilliantly 313 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: paired together. They are their basketball games were made to 314 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: play with each other because Irie is a guy who 315 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: can handle the ball and remove pressure from Lebron for 316 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: creating the offense, but also play off the ball. So 317 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: when Lebron wants to dominate it, he can set he 318 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: can set Kyrie up. And it's no you know, accident 319 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: that they made three finals playing together. They won one 320 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: finals and that team that they lost for one to 321 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: the first year Durant was in Golden State, the two 322 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: thousand seventeen team. In my mind, that team probably wins 323 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: the championship in like seventy five percent of the seasons 324 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: in NBA history, maybe higher. I know that they lost 325 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: four one, but they lost four one to maybe the 326 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: greatest team of all time. That year, that team won 327 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: sixteen and one I'd like to remind you, um, the Warriors, 328 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: the Calves went through the East playoffs at twelve and one. 329 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: They were a dominant team. Kyrie and Lebron are beautifully 330 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: matched as players. Unfortunately, their personalities do not match. And Um. 331 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: In addition to who wants to sort of be the 332 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: dominant figure and sort of the voice of the locker room, 333 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: Lebron always kind of had a I'm going to be 334 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: the older brother or even the father figure to you Kyrie, 335 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: and Tyrie does not want that. UM. And so I 336 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: don't know, I doubt that their person especially since they've 337 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: already been to the mountaintop. I think they're about They're 338 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: They're difference than their personalities makes it unlikely. UM, but 339 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: my goodness, probably the best fitting teammate Lebron has ever had. 340 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: I feel like one of the dynamics that was really 341 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: clear in the story about the Lakers today is the 342 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: influence agents have, despite the protests of Rich Paul, who 343 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: is Lebron's agent, in the making of a roster, in 344 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: the management of a franchise, and that throws any conversation 345 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: around Oz and where someone is going to go out 346 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: the window. So is there a sort of agent X 347 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: factor in any of this k club where that could 348 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,400 Speaker 1: influence things that people who are generally thinking about this, 349 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: whether they want to you know, make novelty bets or 350 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,919 Speaker 1: just thinking about it as fans, could influence it in 351 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: a way that we don't know. Yeah, you can, you know, Chad, 352 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: You're you're looking at that like an editor. Because the 353 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: fat most fascinating part of the story to me was 354 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: that the Lakers have made their decision that they're going 355 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:28,479 Speaker 1: to build this team through free agency. Um. They've had 356 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: high draft picks, but they have not hit on those 357 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: high draft picks. Um. And by the way, I like 358 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 1: to point out that the Lakers have been one of 359 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: the luckiest teams in the lottery in the last twenty years. Um. 360 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: They have. In the last four times they've been the lottery, 361 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: they their numbers come up, um, three years in a 362 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,959 Speaker 1: row they came up as a number two pick. Um. 363 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: And then all three of those years that would have 364 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: lost that pick if it didn't fall in that top 365 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: five or in one year and that was in the 366 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: top three. That's incredibly lucky, especially with the pick protection issue. 367 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: And then this year they go from the eleven pick 368 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: the number four pick. Last year they didn't have their pick, um, 369 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: and of course they didn't move up. But you know, 370 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: for the last four times had been a lottery boom 371 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: boom boom boom boom. Um. So they they've elected to 372 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 1: say we're gonna we're not gonna build through trades or 373 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: free agency. I mean, they're chape tried. I'm sorry, draft 374 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: or trades, but we're going to try to go through 375 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:23,199 Speaker 1: free agency. And to play that game, you really have 376 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: to play the game with the agents. You really have 377 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: to open your door to the agents and you know, 378 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: cultivate those those relationships. Um. There's no question in my 379 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,399 Speaker 1: mind that their decision to give Contavious Caldwell Pope a 380 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: one year, eighteen million dollar contract two years ago was 381 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: tied into the fact that his agent, Rich Paul was 382 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 1: representing Lebron Um. You know, I know Rich very well. 383 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: He would be very upset, um if I said that 384 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: to his face. Um, But there's just no doubt in 385 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: my mind that that played a role. To to play 386 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: a seventeen percent role, to play an eighty three percent role, 387 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, um, but the Lakers had this caps 388 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: they they didn't know if to do what they could 389 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: only use it for a year. It wasn't like they 390 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: had a ton of options, but they gave it all 391 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: the Pope and um. And so they were they were 392 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: kind of playing the game there. Uh. And you know 393 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: Rich represents Anthony Davis, who is going to be a 394 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: free agent unless he extends his contract next summer. And um, 395 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:25,400 Speaker 1: you know that's just important. Not only that, guys, but um, 396 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: you know, the value runs the team now was a 397 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: former agent himself who was was around the team very 398 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: often with Kobe and a lot of other teams. You know, 399 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 1: Rob Blanka had a lot of clients. In fact, I 400 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: don't know if he was James Harden's first agent, but 401 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: he represented James Harden when James Harden basically became a star. Um, 402 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: he had you know, he had number of other agents, um, 403 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,400 Speaker 1: another number of other players. Um. But he certainly would 404 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: have been known to how the Lakers you know, used 405 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: to sort of play things old school and keep the 406 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: agents at arm's length. And that you know, for years 407 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: they weren't getting free agents. They went through dry spell 408 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: where they couldn't get free agents. And I'm sure that 409 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: an agent run now running the organization had no small 410 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: part to the way they change their deal with they 411 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 1: their way that they dealt with agents. So really it's um, 412 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 1: it's sort of uh, you know, it's an organizational decision. 413 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: We're either gonna, you know, play this game or or not. 414 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: But if you want to be a free agent player, 415 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to probably play the game on some level. UM. 416 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 1: And I think that's really one of the films. The 417 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: takeaways that you can take from the whole Lakers story. 418 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: How would how could it possibly could affect the betting? Um? 419 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: You know. One of the things that I think is 420 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: interesting is if Rich Paul is going to have um 421 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: access to the team plane, which Baxter describes in that story, 422 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,879 Speaker 1: if he's going to have access to the team in 423 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: in in ways that other um that other agents don't. 424 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: If I was a top agent, I wonder if I 425 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 1: would want my my player to go there, because I 426 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: would be afraid that, you know, Rich Paul would have 427 00:21:57,880 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: extra access and try to steal my player. Not to 428 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: I think that that's what would happened, but I could 429 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: certainly see an agent being afraid to send a player 430 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: to l a freak because of it. But guys, the 431 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: agent business is as competitive as any business on earth. 432 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: So it's very difficult to have one agent talk about 433 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 1: another age in any sort of realistic way. They always 434 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: hate the other guys, They hate their competitors are they're 435 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,719 Speaker 1: they're perpetually stabbing each other in the back. Um like 436 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: you know, Magic Johnson calling Ralph Blinka backstabber. Well, find 437 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: me an agent in the last fifty years in the 438 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: NBA who hasn't been a backstabber. On some level, You've 439 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: got that. You're not a successful agent if you're not 440 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: a backstabber, or if you don't backstab, you'd never get clients, 441 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: you'd never make money. You would make it. So if 442 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 1: you get into that kind of business, that's what you 443 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: expect to have to deal with, al right. So on 444 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: one side of the ledger in the Western Conference, we've 445 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: got the Los Angeles Linker Lakers, who are working at 446 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: the highest level of dysfunction that you could possibly imagine, 447 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: and it's been happening for several years. On the other end, 448 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: you have of the Golden State Warriors, who in that 449 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: same time frame have been as effective and functional and 450 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: um run an organization that is almost a meter image. 451 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: Because Bob Meyers at the top and he's got experience 452 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: in the agent business, and Steve Kerr has been running 453 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: it and he is a former player, and so from 454 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,679 Speaker 1: a coaching perspective, now you've got him in the finals 455 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: again for the fifth straight year. They are minus three 456 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: fifty to win the title. Obviously no value there, but 457 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 1: right now the odds are better that they will Blackjack. 458 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: Help me out with this because I forgot the numbers here, 459 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 1: Warriors to win the title in four, five, six or seven. Yeah, 460 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: you've got plus five hundred sweet plus three fifty and five, 461 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: plus two forty and six and plus five fifty in 462 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: seven of all these numbers. Go ahead. Yeah, well, let 463 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: me ask you this, what is the price for the 464 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:00,040 Speaker 1: Raptors money line in game One's good question. Let to 465 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: look in the Action Network app, which is free, and 466 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:08,679 Speaker 1: I can tell you that. But this is the bet. Okay, 467 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: this is the bet that you have to consider. Um, 468 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: if the Raptors win Game one, if you believe that 469 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: the Raptors can win Game one, you essentially, in my mind, 470 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: are believing that this is going to be a six 471 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,479 Speaker 1: game series. Um, if you believe that the Warriors are 472 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: winning Game one, I think you can you now have 473 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: to begin to look at betting a four game series 474 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: and really where your feelings on that are in my mind. 475 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: You know, if you're going to make a pre series bet, 476 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: that's what you're looking at. That's what you have to consider. Um, 477 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: because the the you know, you've got the time off 478 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: nine days, You've got the Warriors going on the road. 479 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 1: They've only gone on the road, uh for one playoff 480 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: series in the last five years, and that I believe 481 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: was um um the Rocket series last year in the 482 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: Conference finals. Unless I'm having a brain fart, So this 483 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: is something that they're not to do. Um. Toronto has 484 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: a nice thing of of rest. They you know, Kauai 485 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: has gotten to rest those legs, and yet they haven't 486 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: had really any rest. They began practicing yesterday. Um, there's 487 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: enormous emotion. They're coming there on a four game win streak. 488 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,880 Speaker 1: They're playing very well. If you're gonna have a chance 489 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: to get ahead of the of the of the Warriors, 490 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: it's um, it's it's in game one. And the other 491 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: thing I'll point out Steph Curry has been on a 492 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: hot streak. Uh. He was on a he was in 493 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 1: the slump for the first series and a half, he 494 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: was shooting poorly, he was struggling, he couldn't make a shot. 495 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: Durk got hurt, and he continued on the slump. He's 496 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: was scoreless in the first half of the game in Houston, 497 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: and for the last four and a half games he's 498 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: been on a hot streak. But one of the reasons 499 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: that the Warriors are so damned deadly with Durant is 500 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: that they have that margin for air, that that um 501 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: other bullets of fire, so to speak. And I'll just 502 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 1: take you back to last Finals. In Game three of 503 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: the Finals last year game in Cleveland, first road game, 504 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: you know, sort of the Cavs last stand. Steph Curry 505 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,360 Speaker 1: went three of sixteen in that game, I believe, Uh 506 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: Clay Thompson don't have the box score in front of me, 507 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: went like four of eleven or four of twelve, four ten, 508 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: something like that. Both of them had an offshooting game. 509 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: But Durant put in thirty seven, um, because they had 510 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: this awesome other weapon they could go to. And then 511 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 1: in the in games Game four, which was a closed 512 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 1: out game, Curry had a huge game at thirty seven 513 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: and they blew them off the court. So I don't 514 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: think we have seen the Warriors deal with a game 515 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: where Curry doesn't stay on fire and they have to 516 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: deal without Durant. That game is going to happen. At 517 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: some point. Curry is not going to continue to shoot 518 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: from three point range, especially if you defend him a 519 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,920 Speaker 1: little bit it And so I don't know. I wish 520 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: I had a crystal ball. I could tell you, Yeah, 521 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: Thursday night, curries hot streak is gonna end. He hasn't 522 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: played in a while. Hot is gonna end. But if 523 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: you think you're gonna beat the Warriors despite what their 524 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: record is without Durant, I realized that record is thirty 525 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 1: four and four. I realized thirty and one. I agree 526 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: that's daunting, and why you bet against it. I'm not 527 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: saying that you should. I'm just saying when Curry does 528 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:25,640 Speaker 1: not have a good shooting game, if Durant's not there 529 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: to be the safety net, they are more beatable. And Durant, 530 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: I think, is a game two games three return depending 531 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: on how that leg goes. So if you can talk 532 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: yourself in to um, if you can talk to yourself 533 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:44,200 Speaker 1: in to the Raptors winning straight up in game one, 534 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: and you can talk to yourself into money line that 535 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: you know you can maybe back it up with thinking 536 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: that the series can go six games, because I think 537 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: if the Raptors get him one so they probably can 538 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: get him again. And Brian, that's kind of one of 539 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:57,880 Speaker 1: the questions that I wanted to ask you about because 540 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: I heard you and Scottie Pippen on the jump of 541 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: an interesting discussion about this during the Warriors Blazers series. 542 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,639 Speaker 1: I feel like Kevin Durants not playing in this series, 543 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: and I feel like the Warriors are kind of slow 544 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 1: playing everyone and making it sound like we'll take a 545 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: game to game, But it feels like he's going to 546 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 1: be out for most, if not all, of this series. 547 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: And in my mind, if Kevin Durant's not on the 548 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 1: floor and Kawhi Leonard doesn't have to chase him around 549 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: for five or six or seven games, I think Toronto 550 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 1: can win this series. Now, if Durant's on the floor, 551 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: I'd say there's no chance. And the odds are very different. 552 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: Golden State is minus three fifty two win, Toronto's plus 553 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 1: two twenty. We've heard the NBA ask for integrity fees. 554 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: We've seen them strike a deal with MGM to exchange 555 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: information and intellectual property. Where is the line between as 556 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: a better me having all of the information necessary to 557 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: make an informed decision and a team not wanting to 558 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: give a strategic advantage to their opponent. Well, I think 559 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: there's two different rush in here. One is if an 560 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: injury is unreported, and one is if the severity of 561 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: an injury is made blurry. I don't think you're ever 562 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 1: gonna be able to solve the riddle of how well 563 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: when is Kevin Durant coming back. We'll tell you one thing, 564 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: if the if the Warriors fall down to well, Kevin 565 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: Durant will playing Game three. I think if they fall down, 566 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 1: if they fall down one, oh we'll see, you know, 567 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: if they get down to one. You know what I'm saying. 568 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: I think whether he plays or not depends kind of 569 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: on how the series goes on whether he needs to 570 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: push it or not. UM. When it comes to whether 571 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: you know an injury is completely unreported, like we had 572 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: um with Lebron James in last year's finals. UM, which 573 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: in my mind is sort of the classic example here 574 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 1: because if you look at the numbers that Lebron was 575 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: putting up in the playoffs, and then you look at 576 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: his Game one, he had fifty one points. In Game one, 577 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: they lost an overtime. On the road. He punches the blackboard. 578 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: He averages seven points per game lesson shoots about five 579 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: or six percentage points less. The next three games he 580 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: is getting m R s, he's getting X rays. They 581 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: don't say a word, and the vest three games are 582 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: all sort of one sided. To me. That's where I 583 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: have the problem. If you've got a guy who has 584 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: an injury, and injury significant enough that they actually did imaging, 585 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: you know that, you know it's not one of these things, 586 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: well my knee is sore, Well my ankle is sore. 587 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: I can't know quantify that. But the other thing is 588 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: the way that the NBA could could fight back on 589 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:29,479 Speaker 1: this is they could just put every injury on. They 590 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: could say lebron um, you know, sore ankle, sore hips, 591 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 1: sore shoulder, hangnail um, sore neck, uh, sore ribs and 592 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: he and and he. They could have them with sore 593 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:42,960 Speaker 1: ribs of the entire postseason and you'd never know how 594 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: they really hurt. That's why I have suggested, if there's 595 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: imaging done, there's no gray area there. Did he have 596 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: the X ray or did he not have the X ray? 597 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:53,240 Speaker 1: Did he gave you? Because nobody's having an m r 598 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: I just for fun. Nobody wants to go sit in 599 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: that tube. Nobody wants to, you know, get in that 600 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: hospital gown. Nobody wants to ride down to the thing 601 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,239 Speaker 1: for fun. If you have an m r I on 602 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: somebody's knee or in somebody's hand, I think you should 603 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: I think you should say it. And in this last round, um, 604 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: you know, Uh, Damian Lillard had a a diagnosed injury 605 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: on his ribs um and I don't know if there 606 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: was imaging on that. They never said my guests would 607 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: be that they x rayed. I mean, how could they 608 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: if you have a rib injury. I don't know why 609 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: you wouldn't x ray it to see if you had 610 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: cracked ribs or whatever. But everybody saw him land on 611 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: him get landed on And if you after the game 612 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: you heard that he had an X ray on his 613 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: ribs um, you would know that it's a concern. And 614 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: so to me, that's the issue when it comes to 615 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: like betting on this series and trying to decide what 616 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: Durant's gonna do. I don't even know if Durant knows. 617 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 1: I don't know if the Wizards or if the Warriors know. 618 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: I know that when they first looked at him and 619 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: they first did the examination and did the m R 620 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 1: I they looked at and said, you know, that looks 621 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: like three to four weeks, and by the way, we'll 622 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: right it three weeks. I think tomorrow is three weeks 623 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: if I'm not mistaken UM. And he has said that 624 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: the injury is a little bit worse that he's had 625 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 1: in the past. So I don't even think that they're 626 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: off what their what their timeline was, and I wouldn't 627 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: expect them to to ever announce that. But my thing 628 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: with the League is they literally put out a whole 629 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 1: memo to all of their owners who said, if you 630 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 1: own more than of this. In fact, in the memo, 631 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys know this. The Action 632 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: Network is mentioned in the memo that the League sent 633 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: to its to its UM, to its the owners want 634 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: it talked about investing and owning media properties that are 635 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: dedicated to gambling, and it's aid example, the Action Network UM. 636 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: And so they put out all these rules that if 637 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: you have of of of of a company, it takes bets. 638 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: You your uh, your company, you know your best can't 639 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: be taken by that gambling house. Um. If you're on 640 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: the board of the directors of a of a gambling 641 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: of a sports book, or a company that operator takes bets, 642 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: you can't have your teams games like that. There's bullet 643 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: point by bullet point by bullet point going over all 644 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: of these regulations for an owner being able to take 645 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 1: bets on his game, which you know, to be honest 646 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: with you, do you think it would honestly be really 647 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: that different if the Golden Nuggets could take rockets bets? 648 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,360 Speaker 1: Do you honestly think that it would change the any 649 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 1: sort of chance of integrity issues? I mean, maybe I'm naive. 650 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: I don't think so. Um Um, but they have. But 651 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: they have not addressed the injury problem as far as 652 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: I know. They have given the teams no guidance and 653 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 1: not changed any of their rules. And to me, that's 654 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: a big problem. And I don't really the integrity fee 655 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: that they're chasing, that's a that's a pipe dream. They're 656 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 1: never going to get that in any state. The only 657 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: way they're going to get that is by getting me 658 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: the Congress to approve to slip that into a to 659 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: a federal law. They tried it with the states. That 660 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: didn't work. They're now gonna you know, if that bill 661 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: ever becomes in front of Congress, which I'm sure it 662 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: will someday, Um, they'll lobby the hell out of those 663 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: congressmen to try to get that done. Um. I don't 664 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: think it has at that integrity. See is they're chasing money. 665 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 1: I don't think it's really about integrity. If it was, 666 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: if there was another way from the chase money, they 667 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 1: would Um. But I do think for for public appearances, 668 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: you know, because you want to invite new fans. You 669 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: want a fan living in what you talk Kansas who 670 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: doesn't care about the NBA, who now may watch a game, 671 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: or buy a jersey or by the NBA league pass 672 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: um or attend a couple of games in Oklahoma City 673 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:33,879 Speaker 1: a year. You want you want to approach that guy. 674 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: You got to convince that guy and people in Spokane, 675 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: Washington and and young kids who grew up without affiliation 676 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:42,280 Speaker 1: to a team. You want to convince them to invest 677 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: in the NBA. You gotta make them feel like there's 678 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: some transparency. And I don't know if the league has 679 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:48,799 Speaker 1: gotten there yet when it comes to injury, how do 680 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: you like that We've been mentioned in the league memo 681 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:57,919 Speaker 1: to stay away from that big time. Hey, listen, we're 682 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 1: getting mentioned. No, there's no such thing is bad, but liste, 683 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: I have two more questions for you. You mentioned the 684 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 1: opportunity is potentially, you know, betting on the Raptors tonight 685 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: and then re examining the series price forget about that. 686 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,800 Speaker 1: If you are betting on the series, who are you taking? 687 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: And if it's the Warriors, how many games I've got 688 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 1: to I've got a real hard time trying to determine, um, 689 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: just how difficult getting through the East was for the 690 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 1: Raptors visa the how, the how, what what the Warriors 691 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:41,240 Speaker 1: just went through. And I'm having a difficult time really 692 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: comparing the teams because I can sit here and make 693 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,800 Speaker 1: a case for you that one of the things that 694 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: bothers the Warriors is physical play, and that the Raptors 695 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,440 Speaker 1: are gonna be really physical with them, and that, um, 696 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,799 Speaker 1: that they've got a really smart defensive team, and they've 697 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 1: got two defensive Player of the Years and they're starting 698 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,600 Speaker 1: line up Marcutsong and Kaua Leonard and a handful of 699 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 1: other guys who have been on all defensive teams. Their 700 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: defense is extremely playoff tested. You look at Serge Ibaka, Marcusol, 701 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, those do Danny Green. Those dudes 702 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: know how to play defense in the playoffs. Some of 703 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:22,320 Speaker 1: those dudes have played against the Warriors in the playoffs. 704 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: It's not the first time that they've prepared for that 705 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: split cut defense. And I watched him go through a 706 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 1: grinder series against the Sixers, who I think have a 707 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: terrific team. I watched him go through a grinder series 708 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:36,800 Speaker 1: against the team that was number one in the league 709 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 1: in a whole bunch of categories, including record in Milwaukee, 710 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 1: including going into Milwaukee and winning, and I could convince 711 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 1: myself the dis Raptors team is actually really awesome, and 712 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: the Kauhi Leonard is the kind of beast that is 713 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:55,239 Speaker 1: Lebron level beast who could um strike a couple of 714 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: blows and caused the Warriors to bleed a little bit. 715 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 1: Then I can go look it and say what the 716 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:05,080 Speaker 1: Warriors they're doing right now is the highest level of 717 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 1: basketball they've played in the last couple of years. And 718 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,919 Speaker 1: they've gone eight one in the finals. The last two 719 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 1: years and that the Raptors won't know what hit them. 720 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:16,399 Speaker 1: And this is something that I see over and over 721 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: early in series. Um Uh. You are not used to 722 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:25,720 Speaker 1: the pressure that the Warriors put on you on defense. 723 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 1: It reminded me one of the one of the teams 724 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:33,359 Speaker 1: that um really prioritize length for the first time, where 725 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: they all they wanted was big ranging guys. Oklahoma City 726 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: Thunder backed about the turn of the decade, UM, And 727 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,240 Speaker 1: when you played against the Thunder, they had all these 728 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: super long armed guys, and like the in the first quarter, 729 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: they would get like ten deflections because passes that you 730 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 1: threw against every other team where all of a sudden 731 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,600 Speaker 1: within the reach of the Thunder. I'll never forget this. 732 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:57,360 Speaker 1: This was like a phenomenon um, and the Thunder frequently 733 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: had their best defensive games early in se race. UM. 734 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: I think it's the exact inverse of the Warriors. No 735 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: matter how much film you watch, no matter how you 736 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: prepare yourself for it, they run that split cut and 737 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:11,239 Speaker 1: your brain says, go with Curry, or your brain says, 738 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:13,359 Speaker 1: go to this guy, And next thing you know, dray 739 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 1: Montrose some wicked bounce past for a dunk. You think 740 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 1: you know the play, and then Curry goes in the 741 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 1: direction he's wide open on the wing catch and shoot gone. 742 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 1: There's three. Next thing you know, they've had four in 743 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 1: a row and you're calling time out wondering how you 744 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 1: got down twelve. I just uh if I can present 745 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:31,800 Speaker 1: the cases on both sides, and normally I feel like 746 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:33,720 Speaker 1: I have a good feel that I've watched these teams 747 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: play for months and I go, this is this is 748 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 1: how they really truly match up. I don't have a 749 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 1: good feel here. I mean, I honestly could sit here 750 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 1: and tell you, oh, yeah, I think this sucker is 751 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:46,799 Speaker 1: going six games. I think the Warriors will win, but 752 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:48,360 Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be a grinder and all the 753 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 1: games are gonna be close and they'll just eke it out, 754 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:53,319 Speaker 1: or I complain that I think the Warriors would are 755 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: just gonna take a look at this Eastern Conference dregs 756 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: and pound him by ten every game. And I honestly 757 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:00,360 Speaker 1: don't know which way it's gonna go. I don't actually 758 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: think it's a good series to bet on before the 759 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: series begins, um, and I know that it will cost 760 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: you the money. It will cost you some odds if 761 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 1: you have to wait and watch game one. Um, which 762 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: is again why I think the real question to me 763 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:19,200 Speaker 1: is I just I just think that Raptor's money line. 764 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:23,680 Speaker 1: And I wonder if, as you mentioned, Mr Blackjack, that 765 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:28,399 Speaker 1: the way that the odds aren't equal, that they're they're 766 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 1: really incentivizing you to take the Warriors for the series, 767 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 1: but they're not so crazy about having you take the 768 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 1: Raptors in game one because the price isn't that good. 769 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: I think I think that's you know, without having seen 770 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 1: the odds, which just have you describe it to me. 771 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,440 Speaker 1: I think that reflects the bookmaker's uncertainty. I think as well, 772 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:47,399 Speaker 1: maybe I'm reading it wrong, but I sort of feel 773 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 1: that if if it's really that flat in uh in 774 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: game one for allegedly a heavy favorite, yeah, I mean 775 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,399 Speaker 1: Toronto is minus one ten in game one, but plus 776 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: two twenty for the series. I fink you're exactly right. 777 00:39:57,760 --> 00:39:59,440 Speaker 1: This is this is what's really interesting me. This is 778 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:03,239 Speaker 1: my last question is like, since gambling became more and 779 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: more relevant in the NBA instead became legal, you have 780 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,799 Speaker 1: written a ton about this, and the way you talk 781 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,600 Speaker 1: about it, you clearly know it. How did you learn 782 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 1: so much about betting, and I don't ever I never 783 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 1: was really big sports better. Um. First off, when I 784 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,760 Speaker 1: saw the court case go to the Supreme Court, even 785 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:29,400 Speaker 1: before it went to the even before it went to 786 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:33,840 Speaker 1: the to to the actual hearing, I felt that it 787 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:36,319 Speaker 1: had a good chance to win, because even though I'm 788 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,120 Speaker 1: not a lost scholar, if you read if you read it, 789 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: you know it's pretty clear. And then when I listen 790 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 1: to the oral arguments, I actually listened to the to 791 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:49,000 Speaker 1: the justices asking the questions. And by the way, the 792 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 1: two um, you know, the two lawyers who this was 793 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:56,600 Speaker 1: like the heavy this was like Ali Frasier. Two of 794 00:40:56,640 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: the most prominent attorneys who've ever you know, you have 795 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: gone before the court round after round after round, and 796 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 1: some of them one of them was the was one 797 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 1: of the bush Gore lawyers who actually won. The guy 798 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,879 Speaker 1: you have had lost the case, Ted Olsen, actually one 799 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,840 Speaker 1: bush Gore um in front of the Supreme Court, one 800 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:18,359 Speaker 1: of the most important Supreme Court cases of our lifetime. Um, 801 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:21,799 Speaker 1: if you listened to the orchu oral arguments, you could 802 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:25,279 Speaker 1: tell that the gamblers are gonna win. And so even 803 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:27,719 Speaker 1: though we had to wait five months and that was 804 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:31,960 Speaker 1: obviously a lot of people felt that, Um, Chad, you 805 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 1: must have felt it too, because you left a really 806 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:36,279 Speaker 1: good job to go to the Action Network because you 807 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:38,879 Speaker 1: thought this was going to happen. And so more than 808 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,040 Speaker 1: my interest in the actual gambling itself, I felt that 809 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:43,840 Speaker 1: there was something because one of the things I like 810 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: to do is I like to try to find complex 811 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: subjects and try to explain them, um, and trying to 812 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:53,359 Speaker 1: explain them to the audience, sort of like, hey, let 813 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,319 Speaker 1: me help you get smarter here, let me try to 814 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 1: do the hard work for you. And I felt like 815 00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:00,839 Speaker 1: this that gambling is was an area where you could 816 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 1: do this. So I also feel like, um, there's very 817 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:07,520 Speaker 1: little of voices of authority on gambling right now, and 818 00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:10,279 Speaker 1: there's you, There's there's a few people out there who 819 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:13,120 Speaker 1: could say the league, Hey, when are you going to 820 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 1: address this injury the spay situation. You can't talk about 821 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,400 Speaker 1: gambling and try to figure out how to get money 822 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:21,879 Speaker 1: from these folks on one end and not change your 823 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,920 Speaker 1: policies on the other. Like somebody had to be the 824 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,720 Speaker 1: voice to say, how about you do that? And since 825 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,759 Speaker 1: I don't really have any interest or investment in the 826 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,320 Speaker 1: gambling side of it, but I do have an interest 827 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:36,520 Speaker 1: in fairness and I do have an interest in the 828 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 1: changing landscape. I felt like that was some that was 829 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:43,400 Speaker 1: a zone that I could play in. So, um, I 830 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:46,120 Speaker 1: don't really want this to be my beat. Um. You know. 831 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:51,640 Speaker 1: For example, guys, I write a lot about NBA officiating, um, 832 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,960 Speaker 1: because that's something that nobody really wants to talk about. 833 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:57,480 Speaker 1: They just complain about it. But I actually think it's 834 00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 1: like super important, and um, you know, I I sort 835 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 1: of had it up to hear with the Houston Rockets 836 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: and the Warriors bitching about calls in the in the 837 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:09,319 Speaker 1: in that series, and I pretty much took them both 838 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:11,279 Speaker 1: the task and as loud to the megaphones I could 839 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 1: get my hands on. And so I kind of feel 840 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 1: like that's a space where nobody really wants to do that. 841 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,359 Speaker 1: But I think it's important. Nobody really wants to talk 842 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:24,600 Speaker 1: about the bones of what happens, you know with the 843 00:43:24,680 --> 00:43:27,360 Speaker 1: league in the game. I mean, who really cares that 844 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:31,080 Speaker 1: there's memos going out about what the owners can do. Well, 845 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,600 Speaker 1: that's kind of where I come in. I care about it, 846 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 1: and so I tried to I try to track it 847 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:40,279 Speaker 1: for whatever that audience is interested in. Well, listen, you're 848 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:43,439 Speaker 1: nailing it as you always have. And if I didn't 849 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 1: tell you when we were working together, I think you're 850 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 1: a marvel. And I apologize if I held back in 851 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:51,279 Speaker 1: my Now I'm teasing. I actually, you know you never 852 00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:53,360 Speaker 1: wanted you would never want to hear from the boss, 853 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:56,160 Speaker 1: right like, uh, when the when the text would come in, 854 00:43:56,239 --> 00:43:57,880 Speaker 1: or when Chadszone wuld ever come up, there would be 855 00:43:57,880 --> 00:43:59,600 Speaker 1: an email, I'd go. You know, your first thing is, 856 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:01,520 Speaker 1: oh no, what did I do? So I actually would 857 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:04,880 Speaker 1: prefer to have not heard. I think no news. I 858 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,359 Speaker 1: think in our business, no news is good is good. 859 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: I think how any time you reach out, it's usually 860 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:12,439 Speaker 1: because there's some sort of problem. I felt black Jack 861 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:14,600 Speaker 1: just pulled the microphone closer to his mouth, and I 862 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: feel like he was going to say something obnoxious and 863 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:19,880 Speaker 1: I'm cutting him off. So now now he might just 864 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 1: be sleeping. I apologize. Brian. Thank you so much for 865 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 1: coming on the podcast and spending all this time making 866 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,560 Speaker 1: us much much smarter about the NBA Free Agency, the 867 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 1: NBA Finals. This was fantastic. Thanks. I really appreciate you 868 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,640 Speaker 1: having me. Good luck with everything. We want to thank 869 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:37,960 Speaker 1: Brian Winners for coming on the show. He was pretty amazing, 870 00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:40,759 Speaker 1: wasn't you, black Jack? He was awesome. Give me, like, 871 00:44:41,239 --> 00:44:43,399 Speaker 1: in more than four words, what you think the most 872 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 1: interesting thing. I have like three things that I thought 873 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: were amazing, But give me your most amazing thing. Because 874 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:51,800 Speaker 1: the guy knows everything. Nobody wants to play with Lebron 875 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:55,080 Speaker 1: and the Lakers. Why are you acting like this right now? 876 00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm just being succinct, But why I didn't ask you 877 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 1: to be succinct. Do I just do things that you 878 00:45:02,239 --> 00:45:05,040 Speaker 1: asked me to? Oh my god. I thought he was 879 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:08,839 Speaker 1: amazing on the the idea on the Lakers, but also 880 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 1: the idea of like how agents are sort of playing 881 00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 1: in the space. I thought was really smart. That was fascinating. 882 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:17,600 Speaker 1: Also his take on the finals and sort of finding 883 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:19,719 Speaker 1: the advantage in the series and not really betting on 884 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,239 Speaker 1: anything until you see what happens tonight. Obviously you're not 885 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 1: going to make as much money, but I thought that 886 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:25,640 Speaker 1: take was really interesting and I want to thank him 887 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:28,640 Speaker 1: for coming on. He was actually, um, it's a really 888 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 1: good idea. The Raptors will still be plus money even 889 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: if they win Game one. Oh. He was actually a 890 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,960 Speaker 1: little more committed to the podcast today than New work well, 891 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:39,839 Speaker 1: he didn't have to sit next to you. So this 892 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:45,320 Speaker 1: has been the favorites from the Action Network, downloaded on Apple, 893 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:50,320 Speaker 1: podcast radio dot com, slash the Action Network, or wherever 894 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:56,719 Speaker 1: you listen to your podcasts. Until next time, I Love you. 895 00:45:57,920 --> 00:46:03,320 Speaker 1: Don't steal myself a do