WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:08.000 This is the baseline discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Welcome everybody, 2 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:11.720 your tune to the baseline Cali one shall discussing the hot button topics of 3 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:18.760 the NBA. Fresh off of NBA All Star Weekend, burning the midnight oil, 4 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:25.559 heavy conversations about what took place. NBA All Star Games finals come to 5 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:31.480 an end, and now they focused after a few days of restler relaxation. 6 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:38.759 I suppose for our tired gaming warriors out there in the NBA and for us 7 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:42.799 who've been covering the NBA so far this season, maybe we'll have a few 8 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:47.840 days for us to kind of collect our breaths a little bit and focus our 9 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:52.799 attention on the final stretch run that is required, you know, for said 10 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:58.320 teams. But can overlook the idea that you know, NBA All Star Weekend 11 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:03.359 arrived. It happened in Indie and as always, my man Shaw keeping his 12 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:07.959 eye on the most important things that are going on during there. What's going 13 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:11.200 on. My brother good to be here. As always, family, you 14 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:12.519 know what it is this year, we need to make it out the All 15 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:15.959 Star Don't feel like I missed too much. It was too cold and you 16 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:19.799 can keep on at snow and you know, those thirty degrees. So at 17 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:23.079 the end of the day though the festivities, from what I did see off 18 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:26.280 the court, I think a lot of people had a really amazing time, 19 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:29.400 a lot of great activations that also a weekend as they always are. So 20 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:33.599 might make our return out there to San Francisco in debate next year. Yeah, 21 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:34.840 I think that's going to have to be checked off on the list. 22 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.959 No disrespect to Indy, because I you know, ironically enough, I think 23 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:47.159 part of the allure with trying to have it in Indie, I really think 24 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:51.599 I was expecting the NBA to lean in a little bit more on the history, 25 00:01:53.000 --> 00:02:00.359 really put emphasis on how much the game of basketball is really chairing and 26 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.640 beloved to find it, you know. Kind of funny because they made it 27 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:07.039 a point when they had Reggie Miller and they had Larry Bird, and had 28 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.800 they had Oscar Robertson, you know, come out on the main floor. 29 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:16.360 And even though Reggie Miller took up the bulkload of the conversation, this to 30 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:20.520 me could have really been an awesome teaching moment. And and you know, 31 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:27.000 I feel like, you know, as much as Larry Bird by skin Color 32 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:37.479 does not identify with Black History Month. However, his impact in the game 33 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.479 of basketball and speaking about the history of basketball, I thought would have been 34 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:46.759 a great opportunity for the NBA to kind of really lean in and give some 35 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:51.639 some moments where you know, there are individuals there who have really made significant 36 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:57.280 contributions to the game and where you know, black history kind of aligns itself 37 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.919 in there. So you know, I know, we're going to talk about, 38 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.199 you know, some of the hits and some of the possible misses that 39 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:07.479 definitely happened due to the course of NBA All Star Weekend, but let it 40 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.759 not be you know, forgotten that. You know, it's it's always great 41 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:19.080 when you have the game of basketball in the middle of Black History Month and 42 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.159 all eyes are focused on you know, arguably one of the more popular sports 43 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:30.159 that is spearheaded by black athletes. Well, I mean, I'm not gonna 44 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:32.199 give them a break per se, But there was a bunch of different programming 45 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:37.800 on I think throughout the course of the weekend that kind of tapped into a 46 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:40.479 little bit of the overall history of Indiana and it's connected to basketball. I 47 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:46.400 wouldn't say BHM so much specifically, other than very virtual of some of the 48 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:49.759 athletes that might have been featured. And then I think, again, when 49 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.680 we're not there physically in the presence, you know, you don't get the 50 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:57.120 full or and sense of all the things that are happening, so like at 51 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.879 what's curated for television to some degree, and then obviously for the All Star 52 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:03.120 Game itself, like there was two hours of pregame stuff going on. So 53 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:05.080 yeah, maybe they could have did a little bit more, you know, 54 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:10.159 to kind of lean into that aspect. But I do think Indiana itself tried 55 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:15.400 to really kind of lean into the overall history and it's connection to basketball through 56 00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:18.680 various other activities that we weren't privy to by virtue of not being there physically 57 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.399 and in the presence. But there was some other things. I think even 58 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:25.079 on NBA TV, you know, they have a conversation. It was more 59 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.800 about basketball obviously, but as I had Thomas, Larry Bird, Rechi Milber, 60 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:30.199 they had like an hour long conversation. You do these things that almost 61 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.800 at every All Star weekend where they kind of bring back some semblance of history 62 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:36.600 or you know, the legends if you will, and have some symbol of 63 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:41.240 the conversation. They squashed they squashed beefs and those types of things there. 64 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:44.720 So I'll give the NBA, you know, a little bit of a pass 65 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:46.399 on some of that, just because again we didn't get to see everything maybe 66 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:49.160 in person. But I definitely understand the aora kind of what you're saying. 67 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:56.560 Yeah, Look, it's not so much that I'm trying to you know, 68 00:04:57.160 --> 00:04:59.920 get listen. There's way too many other things we can get on the m 69 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:04.879 about not getting right with All Star Weekend. You know, I'm you know 70 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:08.240 where I would be going with this, So we'll get to that part of 71 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:11.360 it. Well, I think what I'm what I'm just more so alluding to 72 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:18.160 is these are just prime opportunities to allow the NBA to still stay ahead of 73 00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:24.319 the curb when it comes to these initiatives, and especially when it's aligned properly 74 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:27.879 for you to just you know, you just got to do it. I 75 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:31.720 don't disagree with where you're coming from, because there were those opportunities there that 76 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:36.360 was done by NBA TV. I'm sure if on a regional level there was 77 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:40.480 a lot of emphasis and the focal point for the fans that were there. 78 00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:46.519 But what I was just more so alluding to was the primetime opportunity that could 79 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:53.319 have been had with ESPN and TNT and TBS. I felt like there were 80 00:05:53.399 --> 00:06:00.000 just spots, not necessarily emphasis, that could curtail that and really play into 81 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:06.959 to the idea that you're celebrating within a significant month, a sport that illuminates 82 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:13.319 and highlights where the majority of those athletes are black, that can speak to 83 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:17.040 the history young and old, like that conversation you're talking about would have been 84 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:24.800 a great conversation to be had with a combination of young athletes and older athletes. 85 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:29.600 So again, this is just me thinking about it in the context of 86 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:32.319 the NBA is always supposed to be ahead of the curb on these things, 87 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:36.839 and where the emphasis is about brand activation and things of that nature, there's 88 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:43.560 also that opportunity where history could be your brand activation and so that that to 89 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.319 me, is what I was hoping a little bit more from, especially if 90 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:50.199 you're going to bring it to a city like Indianapolis. Well, again, 91 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:53.240 I'm not going to go back and forth from that at all, because I 92 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:57.000 think it's definitely something that you know, the league needs to take a take 93 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:00.639 a serious look at overall in general, and the overall probably they prey no 94 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:02.439 matter what city they're actually in, and I think with also are always falling 95 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:05.879 in the middle of Black History Month and around Valentine's Day and all these other 96 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:09.000 things that are going on. You know, they've got to take a lot 97 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:11.959 of things into consideration as they're trying to do, you know, and promote 98 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:14.480 the sport, but also make it about the athletes themselves as well too. 99 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:17.480 Absolutely all right, So listen, on a scale of one to ten, 100 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:24.199 what was your you know, your overall assessment of NBA All Star Weekend. 101 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.879 So I'll give it a solid like six seven, And that sounds low. 102 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.879 I'm not disappointed. I think I've just I've come to know what to expect. 103 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:35.160 And I'll get on a soapbox for half a second and I'll jump right 104 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:40.240 back off. Listen. Social media was a dumpster fire all weekend, and 105 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:45.519 it's just everybody is complaining about what it is and kind of like what it 106 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.879 is from the aspect of the overall product. This competition doesn't work, Why 107 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:51.879 is this player doing this? This sucks blah blah blah blah blah. And 108 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:55.800 at this point, like I don't I just I don't know what is to 109 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:59.279 be expected. So I mean, you know, for me, All Star 110 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:03.439 is not really about the All Star Saturday anymore. It's not about the All 111 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.160 Star Game on Sunday anymore. It really is about being in there, the 112 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.160 fellowship, the networking that kind of takes place, and everybody's kind of letting 113 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.360 their hair down for kind of what's supposed to be a foot event, but 114 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:20.000 that's not realistic from where we are currently in society and how the leak actually 115 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:22.360 operates now. So to me, while I don't think it was a perfect 116 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:26.319 product, I mean, you know, I'm not. I'm not dissatisfied. 117 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:28.079 So a six or seven is because yeah, I knew what to expect, 118 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.720 so I wasn't. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, and that's six or 119 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:35.399 seven is basically just it's I think that's what it is pretty much every year. 120 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:37.320 So people are saying it's the worst All Star Game or All Star Weekend 121 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:41.600 ever, Hey man, it's it's whatever. So I'm just not on that 122 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:43.720 same vibe that everybody else is. And that's not to say that you or 123 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:48.279 anybody else you know doesn't have any right to to make ripes. I'm just 124 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:50.840 not. I'm just not in that laying currently. So what about you where 125 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.120 would you give it overall? Yeah, so I give it a five. 126 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.080 I you know, that's that's neutral, right for saying one to ten, 127 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:05.639 don't hate and don't particularly care for, you know, NBA All Star Weekend. 128 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:07.879 And I think part of my problem is is I'm coming from a space 129 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:16.279 of this is exactly what happens when you don't control the narrative or you don't 130 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:20.320 initiate to take control of the narrative of how you want the NBA All Star 131 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:26.320 Weekend to really be. This is not about a popularity contest, and it's 132 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:30.759 not really about appeasing. There was a time when the NBA set the standard 133 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:35.799 and we all fell in line to understanding why it was done and the way 134 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.519 it was done. And really, you know, put put our emotions, 135 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:43.480 you know what I'm saying, put more of our fandom a little bit to 136 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:48.440 the side. But again, it's a business. There is a marketability factor, 137 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:54.919 and of course you can clearly see where the NBA succumbed to where a 138 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:01.799 lot of their platform is predicated on where there is businesses happen to lean on. 139 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:07.360 A lot more is what the NBA sphere happens to speak to when you're 140 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:13.480 talking about the social media platforms and the way that the players engage and utilize 141 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.559 those platforms and manipulate those platforms to be another voice in things of that nature. 142 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:26.799 That being said, my issue has always been on really keeping your eye 143 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:30.240 on the ball about what it is that you're driving your people too, like 144 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:33.279 what it is that you want them to take away from the game of basketball, 145 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:37.840 and why you're even having this weekend to begin with, and what you're 146 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:41.080 starting to see again, and I speak to this SHAW is a distancing, 147 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:46.200 a disconnect in the understanding of what you want people to take away from from. 148 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:48.840 Also, if you want this to be about the players having a good 149 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.519 time bringing their family, you want this to be about the stars. They 150 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:58.399 do not put emphasis on the seriousness of the competitiveness during these courses of the 151 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:01.679 weekend because I just honestly don't see the genuine competitiveness. The only thing that 152 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:07.679 was competitive that I found from this weekend SHAW was the three point competition between 153 00:11:09.320 --> 00:11:13.200 Steph Curry and Sabrina na Yescu, right, And that was because they spoke 154 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:18.480 to the importance of them wanting to make this happen, and because they did 155 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:22.639 that, I think people took it seriously that they wanted to compete and show 156 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:28.039 both sides of the coin in the importance of what it is to be a 157 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:33.039 shooter in the current modernday every NBA, and what it's like as a female 158 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.480 to finally say when we say we want to challenge you, we don't need 159 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:41.240 you to give us handicaps or mulligans or put us on. No, no, 160 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:46.159 let's do it. Let's actually have this contest. And I feel like 161 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:50.600 this would have been great had they done that, say Friday night, and 162 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.240 did that as a lead up to the three point contest, instead of doing 163 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:56.600 that and then doing the three point contest. You know what I'm saying, 164 00:11:56.679 --> 00:12:00.679 Like, there's a setup, there's a way that these things can be done. 165 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:05.039 And again, I feel like the NBA misses the mark on them. 166 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.679 In other words, there muddling the message about what should be taken from this, 167 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:13.120 and so it just kind of hurts the idea that you want to be 168 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:16.559 supportive of these type of efforts. But then when you lay it out and 169 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.360 you and you put it out there for the masses, it's almost like you're 170 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:20.879 saying, well, we want you to tell us what you really feel like 171 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:24.799 and what you see when a lot of it could be controlled by the NBA. 172 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:31.159 I think that's something that the league can continue to figure out better, 173 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:35.080 especially when it comes to the integration of the W right and we saw some 174 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:39.200 years ago, and forgetting the name of the competition now, but basically they 175 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:46.039 would pair up two stars like a current guy, a legend. I think 176 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:48.639 it was the skills competition. They teamed up W n B A, n 177 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:52.720 B A and a legend I believe. Is that what they were speaking to. 178 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:54.000 Yeah, there was, yeah, but it was a different version of 179 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:56.519 the skills competition, kind of not like the one we see you're not, 180 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:58.279 yeah, not the one on one it was, Yeah, it was. 181 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:03.399 It was a try effective Yeah. I think generally speaking, the league is 182 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:05.120 you know, they can do a better job I think of integrating the w 183 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:09.240 and the NBA together. I think the other side of that too is, 184 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.879 you know, when the WNBA is having it's All Star weekend, can the 185 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.840 men go over there too, or if you guys, you know, participate 186 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.120 in that other than just showing up and being on the sidelines, there is 187 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:22.440 some conversation, you know, is that an issue? Do the men overshadow 188 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:24.440 and all that? Again? I don't want to get into so much of 189 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:28.960 that as opposed to just what is the best way to cross polinate and I 190 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:33.759 think elevate the game of basketball, both male and female. The rest of 191 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:35.360 it though, like we're not even going to talk about the celebrity game, 192 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.000 right, We're not going to talk about you know, what's going on with 193 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:41.240 the rising stars. All those things are flowfits just for a way for fans 194 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:45.960 to get closer to the guys, and they're not going to be this actual 195 00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:48.919 competition. I think that's taking place throughout the course of the weekend. And 196 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.840 that's where I just kind of stood on it, Like I understand what it 197 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:56.120 is. It's this let's get close to the guys event, But if you're 198 00:13:56.159 --> 00:14:01.840 looking for real life competition, this is just probably weekend where you're going to 199 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:05.080 see that. It's about you know, Instagram taking pictures, celebrities being involved, 200 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:07.600 influencers, et cetera, et cetera, ceta, et cetera, and 201 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:11.000 then yeah, you get a hint of competition maybe to the three point three 202 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:15.320 point contests on Saturday, but everything else, man, it really is fluff. 203 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:16.720 And I'm just that's just kind of where I'm at with it. So 204 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:20.120 That's why I don't have the same disposition I think that a lot of people 205 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:22.759 have when it comes to their distained for the NBA El Straw Weekend that they've 206 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:24.720 had really for the last ten years or so. Well, I think a 207 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:30.679 lot of that vitriol, though it really stems from just the lack of genuineness 208 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:35.879 that the NBA is is not is not speaking to right, Like, in 209 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.600 other words, if this is about if this is going to be fun, 210 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:43.799 then just be fun, right, But don't sell me on Oh, you 211 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:48.039 know, is it really important that Damian Lillard becomes the MVP of the All 212 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:52.360 Star Game and we're gonna speak to you know, the All Star Game itself 213 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.799 and the score and the totals and all this other kind of stuff. And 214 00:14:56.840 --> 00:15:00.399 it's just like, you know, there's a point where the game, the 215 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:05.360 weekend, all of what it reflects evolves, and I think there comes a 216 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:09.679 point when the NBA kind of has to stop and just basically be like, 217 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:13.080 look, we want this to be about entertainment, so let's let not this 218 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:18.759 be about necessarily the idea of how competitive it is, because we want to 219 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.799 give people the glory days of what it would because we're not talking about the 220 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:28.440 same set of people who are a part of who are influencing those competitive skills 221 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:33.480 during All Star weekend. It's just not the same thing, you know, 222 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:37.279 And that's the unfortunate part. I can let it go, but I can't 223 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.559 let it go when you keep trying to sell me on the idea that you're 224 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:43.519 really taking this seriously and you're really putting forth this kind of effort, and 225 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.039 then this is what you give me over the course of the weekend. I 226 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.559 would just rather you just be like, look, just get those guys, 227 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:52.399 sit them on couches, and have them play NBA two K and I can 228 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:54.960 live with that a whole lot better than the idea that you're actually going to 229 00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:58.799 try and sell me on the seriousness that these guys are actually taking it upon 230 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:03.480 them or you know what you knew. If you really are concerned about where 231 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:07.960 the future of the NBA is, let's start opening up the platform to the 232 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:11.480 guys that really deserve that opportunity, because I'm sure that they will give you 233 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:17.559 their one hundred percent, especially if they're playing in places where they're not getting 234 00:16:17.559 --> 00:16:19.679 that level of recognition, they're not getting that kind of prime time. So 235 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:22.480 yeah, I want to see the hungry guys that want to compete and play. 236 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:26.000 I don't have to see Lebron. He could be there. You can 237 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:29.039 focus the camera on him, let him coach up some of these young guys. 238 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:33.720 But that's who my focus would rather be on than seeing us dance around. 239 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:37.240 The whole idea that you know, there's a level of seriousness and competitiveness 240 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:41.639 that really is coming from this. You know, when guys are shooting up 241 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:45.559 left handed shots, you know, Jalen Brown is dunking, you know, 242 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.720 with a left hand, trying to say, you know, this is a 243 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:51.879 Michael Jackson moment, Like, No, I don't care about that stuff. 244 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:55.480 I really don't, unless the idea is that you're just trying to entertain. 245 00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:59.600 All right, Well, let's get into the course of the weekend itself in 246 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:02.600 some of the events that's obviously that we've hinted at here a little bit. 247 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.440 Listen, you can just skip over Friday night, as alluded to a little 248 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:08.319 while ago. There's just not much that I had no intentions of speaking about 249 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.680 Friday Night. Yeah, benneg Matha, and you know you played great on 250 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:15.000 Friday also, But it was great to see Deadlas Shrimp. I gotta tell 251 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:18.920 you, I was listen man I and Jalen Ruse again. You know, 252 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:22.680 there's there's a lot, There's there's some stuff there, right, But the 253 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:27.680 crux of people's cross that everyone is dying on here is really the Saturday night 254 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:33.160 exhibitions and then obviously the All Star Game itself too. So Team Piacers wins 255 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:37.160 the skills competition, uh, Damian Liler repeats as a three peat three peat 256 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:41.599 sorry, three point champion, Steph Curry beats Serbrina and Escu, and then 257 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:47.240 Mac McClung beats Stalen Brown in the slam dunk contest. By far and away, 258 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:49.759 the three point contests itself with Dame and and then the one with Steph 259 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:55.039 and Sabrina took the cake for the best events for the course over the course 260 00:17:55.079 --> 00:18:00.039 of the weekend in general. Now, uh, I think there was a 261 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:03.359 lot of like, hey, let's get the pacers highlighted, Let's get Turny 262 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:06.440 Retallliburton winning some stuff. You can try to win the MVP here, you 263 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:07.599 know, in the game itself too, which we'll talk about it a minute. 264 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:11.920 But from the Saturday stuff, to me, yeah, it was a 265 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:15.799 little bit overdone, but I enjoyed a three point contest. I don't mind 266 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:18.440 that they have a lot of gimmicks in it here now the three point three 267 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:22.200 ball in there, the story ball. I guess if you want to do 268 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:26.799 the proper branding where you're talking about that, then you know, obviously they 269 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:30.960 integrated the full moneyball rack where you can put that anywhere. They did that 270 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.119 a couple of years ago as well too, So I think overall it was 271 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:36.440 nice. You know, a lot of guys got twenty six points, you 272 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:41.039 know, Kat Trey Young Dame obviously as well. It was just again, 273 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:44.880 I thought that was pretty well done overall, in its overall and its entirety. 274 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:48.880 But I really enjoyed the integration of Sabena and stuff. I thought that 275 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.799 was well done, other than the belt being a little bit cheesy, which 276 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:55.359 there were a lot of jokes on that, A lot of jokes on even 277 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:56.920 the quality of the belt. I think I saw somebody I say they ordered 278 00:18:56.920 --> 00:19:00.920 that thing from Tibu and that made me laugh. You know, that made 279 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:03.920 me laugh. But overall, do you really want to be the n B 280 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.480 A. Do you really want to be the n B A and be the 281 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:11.599 butt of these type of type of jokes. I just know you know, 282 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:15.640 you really don't. But again, we get what we get. And I 283 00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:21.359 have a trophy shop that's up the street, bro that could have There's no 284 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:26.200 doubt you couldn't bowling league and w nothing. But I've been a bowling league 285 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:32.160 and and and we had, we have better trophies. And that craziness that 286 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:34.079 it looked like a toy bell, looked like something that they could have gone 287 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:37.279 out of Walmart. And listen, now I'm ragging on it too, but 288 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:41.039 again, to me, it was funny because I'm just like, it wasn't 289 00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:45.519 really about the hardware as much as it was about the showmanship that listen, 290 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:48.039 you know, listen, you know, as much as Sabrina was it was 291 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:52.559 like, you know, a static that you participated in that, and she 292 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:56.359 was it. I'm sure she was very she was quite content. And she 293 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.920 didn't have to put that thing on her and that to put that on her 294 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.599 shoulder, they have to walk it around the I mean, do you know 295 00:20:03.640 --> 00:20:08.079 how often she was being interviewed from the time that that thing ended all the 296 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:12.160 way up until the you know, the game tonight and stuff like that. 297 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:15.880 Can you imagine we're having a walking around with that belt? Then Okay, 298 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:19.119 well, listen, so I'll get serious for a quick minute. I think 299 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:25.119 there was a lot of missus I think in the overall commentary, and then 300 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:32.079 I think while there was this the sense that we really needed to highlight the 301 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:36.160 platform itself, and I think Ernie even missed it. He didn't get a 302 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:37.759 lot of stuff for I mean, everyone was killing Kenny Smith for what he 303 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.440 was saying, and Sabrina should have shot, you know, from the w 304 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:44.440 NBA line and all that stuff like that too, and yeah that was out 305 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:47.519 of pocket or whatever, but I thought like Ernie wasn't. He wasn't even 306 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:49.119 trying to be malicious, So maybe that's why people let it go or whatever. 307 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:52.880 But he was just like the thing he says about, oh yeah, 308 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:55.160 and they told you you couldn't play and that you needed to go play with 309 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:57.759 dolls, And I was like, yo, like what like we're just like 310 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:02.720 kind of force feeding the narrative here a little bit. There's I mean, 311 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:04.480 if you're watching this competition, you know she's a hooper. You know she 312 00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:07.480 can vall. She's involved for a very long time. And to just kind 313 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:11.640 of feel like we need to always have to figure out this place how to 314 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:17.319 I don't know inspire, I guess if you will, at every every single 315 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:21.920 aspect of getting a microphone in front of us. I don't know. I 316 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.960 just found that to be maybe a little bit cheesy and a little bit off 317 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:27.319 putting. But that and that's not to say that's us not an inspiration you 318 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:32.000 know, to young women and young men as well too, But I just 319 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:33.160 think it's it was. I don't know. I thought it was a little 320 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:37.000 bit overdone in that aspect, and I didn't really enjoy that part of the 321 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:40.400 of the competition. Oh, I didn't care for it at all. Listen, 322 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:45.920 if two great athletes say they want to get something going, you know, 323 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.759 growing up where we grew up, right, whether it be New York, 324 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:56.480 Florida, wherever that spoke in and of itself, you don't need any 325 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:03.960 manufacturer journalism in order to give people and incentive to see greatness come together and 326 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:07.680 finally compete. You know what I'm saying, Like, the story is already 327 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:11.960 there, The story is already being told. All you gotta do is just 328 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.200 give it a platform for it to to speak to. And this is the 329 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:21.559 day and age where everybody has to inject themselves to be a part of that 330 00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:25.119 story and I'm not saying that that's what Ernie Johnson did. I'm not saying 331 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:27.799 that's what Kenny Smith did, But I am saying that this is the culture 332 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:34.559 by which sports entertainment tends to live in at times and without it's just it's 333 00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:38.160 reckless, I guess, I guess the way you can call it. They 334 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:48.160 recklessly undermine the story being spoken by the people who truly are participating in it, 335 00:22:48.519 --> 00:22:51.839 you know, And that's that's the part that's the bad part about it, 336 00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:53.480 right Like, that's the part that sucks, and you try to tune 337 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:57.480 it out, but unfortunately you can't. So yeah, and I think for 338 00:22:57.559 --> 00:23:03.319 being ahead of herself, you know, absolutely, you know, but it 339 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:06.319 you know, I just she probably didn't need to go through a lot of 340 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:10.640 that stuff. And again, the social media was a minefield, I think, 341 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:15.880 with comments and people making their interpretations misogynistic and others. It was just 342 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:18.279 a lot going on. And it was a little for me here, I'm 343 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:21.039 gonna say the word that I really want to utilize. It is overutilized in 344 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:22.880 art in our cultural society now. But it was a little toxic, you 345 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:25.599 know, to kind of be on there. And now she's just like hero 346 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:27.839 just kind of kind of just all over the place, and even in the 347 00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:32.119 altcast, I wish is this is a Sunday night thing too, but I 348 00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:37.440 don't know, Man, listen, I'll probably get in trouble for it. 349 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:41.119 But I think if you watch the aultcast, so the not not the Twitter 350 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:42.880 broadcast, the Room of TT, the one Untrue with Taylor, Rooks, 351 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:48.880 Draymond and Charles, Like Charles is he making these kind of like comments. 352 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:51.319 Towards the end, you could see he's trying to hold himself back, you 353 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:52.799 know, with some stuff that he was even trying to say about Taylor, 354 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:56.359 and even that I was just like, well, like really, you know, 355 00:23:56.519 --> 00:24:00.240 just just just call the game, just you know whatever everything else, 356 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:03.519 Like there's a lot of great and funny moments in there, but it was 357 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.839 just like always having to make some reference to not always, but he made 358 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:10.519 more than on more than one occasion, you know, how she looks or 359 00:24:10.599 --> 00:24:12.200 how he thought she looks, or the case be, and those types of 360 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:15.519 things. It's just like, it's it's stupid and it's silly. And while 361 00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:19.759 that T and T crew wins Emmys and they are a lot more popular and 362 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:23.480 famous and will ever be and I get all that too, but they don't 363 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:27.160 always get it right. And I guess I don't know. They're lauded in 364 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:30.960 a way sometimes just like yeah, but she didn't see that. Yeah, 365 00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:33.759 Kenny caught hell. Kenny caught hell for his comments. But to me, 366 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:37.359 they need they all need to tighten some things up here a little bit too, 367 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:38.880 and trying to you know what I mean, I don't know. It's 368 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:41.240 kind of like the old Guard, if you will. And I feel like, 369 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:44.960 and I'm an old guy, but I feel like it's kind of the 370 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.319 old guard continuing to just kind of hammer some messages that don't probably necessarily need 371 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:51.799 to be said. I mean, look, after a while, the message 372 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:56.319 tends to get a little bit tiring, you know, And even within its 373 00:24:56.359 --> 00:25:00.440 simplicity, it tends to get a little bit tiring, you know, Like 374 00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:07.119 at some point you would you would you would expect that their voices no longer 375 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:11.640 just sit in a booth with the same four guys. And I understand that 376 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:15.799 the T and T has expanded and we're getting off of track for our conversations 377 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:19.319 with also are we do? But I do think again, Shaw, this 378 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:27.519 highlights the point about where the NBA has opportunities to rewrite the script, because 379 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:34.079 right now the script is being written by outside factors that have in many respects 380 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:37.160 and no disrespect because we're all doing it. We're making money off of it 381 00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:41.599 in some way, shape or form, popularity, whatever the case may be. 382 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.039 And the NBA is just riding along with it. But they're not. 383 00:25:45.079 --> 00:25:49.000 They're not, you know, setting certain standards, meeting certain you know, 384 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:53.599 requirements, setting certain things like dictating a certain path that we want to kind 385 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:57.160 of make sure that we're staying on. It's almost like we're being guided by 386 00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:00.119 the voices of only the guys from T and T. We're only being guided 387 00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:03.400 by the people from Bleacher Report. We're only being guided by We're not being 388 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:08.400 necessarily guided by the people who are actually involved in the game of basketball, 389 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:12.559 being elevated and televised and spoken to in a certain kind of way. And 390 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:15.839 this is the danger that comes from it, because now when you're wanting to 391 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:21.480 genuinely write the script, you want to genuinely put your best foot forward, 392 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:26.519 the message gets muddled, the message is misinformed. The message is now coming 393 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:30.079 from people no longer playing the game, but yet suddenly think that they know 394 00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:33.599 everything about the game. And everyone rides along with it, and that's not 395 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:37.640 necessarily how this is supposed to work, you know. So we were in 396 00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:40.640 a space where we like who we like or perceivedly you know what I mean. 397 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:42.200 And there's a lot of group think, I think when it comes down 398 00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:48.200 to who can get into this gatekeeping space that we all know is truly real. 399 00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:52.279 And yeah, while Cannus Parker was there and she had some moments where 400 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:56.400 she got to be on the telecasts, there should probably been more female representation 401 00:26:56.519 --> 00:27:00.480 kind of throughout. But can we get some new authentic voices kind of throughout? 402 00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:02.839 So that's where it like, it's interesting because you know, now I'm 403 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:06.279 kind of going into that to that overall mantra, not trying to complain, 404 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:07.720 but more of this. It really is a critique, right, And so 405 00:27:07.720 --> 00:27:11.920 if you're going to have all these social media influencers and different people kind of 406 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:14.759 coming into the space, great, awesome, right, But I'm sure there's 407 00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:18.680 a lot of great, great, you know, broadcasters and journalists who are 408 00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:21.920 also looking for a shot. And I understand the TV rights and all those 409 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:23.920 other things, like you know, T and T has to get their get 410 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:27.440 their shots off, ESPN has to get their shots off. But I would 411 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:30.559 like to see some great integration into some of those other voices as well too. 412 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.759 And I will say this, I want to give T and T credit 413 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:37.640 because they did highlight a young man for youm and I'm gonna mess it up. 414 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:40.680 Whatever they did. Highlighted a young man who's basically getting a journalists in 415 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:42.960 scholarship, and he got a chance to kind of show himself throughout the course 416 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:45.880 of the weekend. He made it on the big pregame show in terms of 417 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:48.720 some of his interviews and things of that nature. But there are a lot 418 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:52.240 of people working within the NBA space and the sports space in general. It'd 419 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.160 be nice to kind of hear some of that too, But we missed that 420 00:27:56.079 --> 00:28:00.160 by virtue of not physically being there because maybe they are getting highlighted and doing 421 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:02.720 their own thing as are now platforms. But as you said earlier, to 422 00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:03.960 get on the big stage, if you will, to get on TNT, 423 00:28:04.359 --> 00:28:07.440 ESPN, we're going to get kind of the curated content that they're used to 424 00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:11.279 giving us absolutely your tunes to the baseline. Cali Warnshaw discussing the hot button 425 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:17.279 topics of the NBA as we get into our overview of NBA All Star Weekend 426 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:22.240 one quick thing. I just wanted to highlight syaw like so and to the 427 00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:26.200 point what we were talking about. You know, I'd be remiss because I 428 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:29.559 was texting this, you know, to a couple of my boys up here 429 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:34.480 on how you know, I'm just tired of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest being 430 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:38.920 the end of end all be all of the you know, all star night. 431 00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:45.480 It is no longer the most important, you know event that people are 432 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:49.440 really coming to watch, except to see stars sitting there when and I and 433 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:53.079 and you know, pulling up their phones and things of that nature. And 434 00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:59.640 you know, I just again, this just really speaks to what is it 435 00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:02.160 that we're asked, Like, what is it the NBA is asking us to 436 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:07.799 embrace about these events? Right if we're embracing the quality of the three, 437 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:11.039 the shot of the you know, the beauty and the art of the three. 438 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:15.240 Okay, when you've got guys like Damian Lillard and Steph Curry and those 439 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:19.000 guys representing and this is what they do, you have a moment where you 440 00:29:19.559 --> 00:29:22.920 fuse together one of the great shooters in the w NBA and one of the 441 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:27.200 great shooters in NBA history together and Steph Curry is still in the prime of 442 00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:32.200 his career shooting it out between each other. Love that, that's great, 443 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:36.119 awesome, you know, run with that if you feel like that's what's necessary. 444 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.440 But the slam dunk contest, Like, and I said this, what 445 00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:42.799 are we telling people? Like what does the dunk really mean at this particular 446 00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:47.799 moment in time? Is it just a bunch of guys is jumping up in 447 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:52.640 the air and doing a whole bunch of stunts and you know, like just 448 00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:57.640 doing all kinds of nonsense that you pretty much are going to put on America's 449 00:29:57.640 --> 00:30:02.160 Got talent. That's not what I come to pay for if I want to 450 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:03.839 do that, and I'm gonna go watch America's Got talent. But if I 451 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:07.519 want to see guys going up and dunking the basketball, if I want to 452 00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:10.799 see that, because it's a part of the art, it's like a part 453 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:14.119 of what is making you know, the game of basketball really great, the 454 00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:18.160 NBA really great. The NBA has to do a better job of laying that 455 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:21.960 out, telling us why this matters still, Like why does it mean so 456 00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:23.119 much? I don't think I see. That's where I think you're wrong, 457 00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:26.720 because I don't I don't think they can, and they that's that's not a 458 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:32.440 pillow that they've been willing to swallow. So your your point is so well 459 00:30:32.920 --> 00:30:36.680 well put in the aspect of it doesn't matter anymore. But it's like, 460 00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:37.880 but then when you take it away, the purists get mad, well, 461 00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:41.759 how dare you? But then everybody all week and long, bitches and bitches 462 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:45.720 and bitches about it being there. And I think it's one of those things 463 00:30:45.799 --> 00:30:49.200 like either you move it out of the spotlight spot altogether, right it's not 464 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:52.640 the feature event on Saturday night, or you can slit or maybe you bring 465 00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:56.799 it back every fifth year, you know what I mean, And so that 466 00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:59.839 way, maybe there's not some flare about it, but maybe there could be 467 00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:02.839 some level of interest. But we're at the point now there's just not enough 468 00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:07.839 dunks that people can do, the people competing, and this is no disrespect, 469 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:08.720 you know, shouts to Jail and round for at least trying to bring 470 00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:14.319 some star quality to it. But Jalen himself is not somebody who a lot 471 00:31:14.359 --> 00:31:18.079 of people identify with in terms of even being an NBA All Star or not 472 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:21.640 right, So to me, that's where the NBA needs to make a hard 473 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:25.640 decision and say, listen, hey, we're we're done with this in this 474 00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:29.759 current format one word or the other. Take it out of the feature spot 475 00:31:29.799 --> 00:31:33.240 on Saturday Night, or take it out altogether, and then I think you 476 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:34.759 have you know, you can try to replace it with some other, you 477 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:37.440 know, quirky event if you want to. But the game really is about 478 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:41.440 shooting now and dunks more or less. Things that people get excited about are 479 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:45.799 people dunking on other people. Okay, not gonna do that, right, 480 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:48.720 right right, I understand that. But again to the point sh'all, that 481 00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:55.119 is what I'm saying is the NBA reading the temperature in the room and recognizing 482 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:59.519 it's almost like they're afraid to transition off of something that no longer fits the 483 00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:02.960 narrative of what the NBA's culture and game is. And remember they're responsible for 484 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:07.240 that because they chose to go down this path. It's not to say, 485 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:10.200 like, listen, for something that you're you're putting more into means something is 486 00:32:10.200 --> 00:32:14.720 gonna come out. Something eventually is gonna have to be removed from the equation. 487 00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:17.000 And that's that could very much be a hard pill to swallow. Three 488 00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:22.079 on three basketball is a much more viable product to put out there right now 489 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:25.000 than it is about guys getting up and dunking the basketball, you know what 490 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.079 I'm saying. So there just comes a point unless the NBA figures out of 491 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:31.039 way in order to make a fine. Look, they had one of the 492 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:36.279 Topen brothers. You could easily had the top and brothers go against each other, 493 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:38.799 and you didn't even need anybody else, you know, Matt McClung. 494 00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:43.039 Fine, you want, you know whatever, But he's a representation of the 495 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.160 G League. So fine. They had a guy like this the night before. 496 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:47.640 I forget who it was. He wound up winning the G League at 497 00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:51.599 and T dunk contest. Fine, put those two guys together. You know 498 00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:53.720 what I'm saying. I don't need to see four guys dunking, especially if 499 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:59.720 they're not if they're not even if people are not wanting them to be a 500 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:02.759 part of the competition, you know what I'm saying. And then the judges, 501 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:07.880 the judges, how many of them were actually dunkers? How many of 502 00:33:07.880 --> 00:33:09.119 them? You know what I'm saying. Like, I love my man, 503 00:33:09.119 --> 00:33:13.640 miss Richmond. He's one of my favorite players to follow. Boyd Anderson Alump 504 00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:15.960 and I spoke about this. Why is he judging this, he does not 505 00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:20.319 need to be judging the slam dunk contest that was not his in town. 506 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:25.319 Give you something to do, and that's why you should be there, spokesperson, 507 00:33:25.480 --> 00:33:30.720 Bro, because you can lay out all of the genuine excuses that would 508 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:34.079 have talked to me off of the ledge. But at that moment in time, 509 00:33:34.119 --> 00:33:36.720 I'm sitting there saying, and you're wondering why people are giving you the 510 00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:40.720 vitriol that they're giving you. So again, like you know, so it 511 00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:45.880 is what it is. But I'm hoping that, like you said, the 512 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:51.440 NBA will take notes and we'll see what comes of what they're gonna try to 513 00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:57.200 do for twenty twenty five. Right, I will say this though, hopefully 514 00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:00.319 they will bring all of the visualization that they put a lot of emphasis on. 515 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:05.400 I thought it was pretty cool that they did all that, So you 516 00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:10.000 can work with that. You're too debase. Like Callie Warrens show discussing the 517 00:34:10.039 --> 00:34:14.000 hot button topics of the NBA, coming up, we're going to talk about 518 00:34:14.119 --> 00:34:19.920 an important land milestone that was achieved in the NBA. Our man Lebron James 519 00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:22.280 doing something that few people have been able to do, and the question is 520 00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:25.199 can it ever be done again once he walks away from the game. So 521 00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:29.440 you'll find out what we're talking about in a little bit. But before we 522 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:32.199 do that, did you know that there's a whole collection of black lead products 523 00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:36.440 that fit into your daily routine and lifestyle that you can get at Walmart. 524 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:39.079 And it's so important that we show Black founders some love, not just during 525 00:34:39.079 --> 00:34:43.599 Black History Month, but all year long, because every time we buy a 526 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:46.920 black led brand, we're making room or creating demand for another Black led brand. 527 00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:51.199 Black Founders and the products they bring to the table are creating a whole 528 00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:53.400 new world of choices at Walmart. Some of the products I want to check 529 00:34:53.400 --> 00:34:58.639 out are Natural Vert Granola, Zach and Zoe, Honey, Scotch, Porter, 530 00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:01.360 Beer Bomb, and part Take Cookies. Go to walmart dot com, 531 00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:07.039 Slash Black and unlimited to discover all the amazing black owned products that you can 532 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:10.039 add to your daily routine. More Baseline Cali warn Shot, don't go away. 533 00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:16.559 We're bat Cali Warren Show, the Baseline NBA Podcast and we're doing our 534 00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:24.639 NBA All Star overview or post game discussion, post All Star weekend discussion. 535 00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:31.159 However, we want to put that one so Lebron James, you know, 536 00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:37.519 add another notch to you know, his legacy, you know, twentieth All 537 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:44.639 Star basically passing. I believe it's Kareem, Yeah, Kareem Abdul Jabbar for 538 00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:50.119 most All Star appearances and listen, he probably still has another one or two 539 00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:58.119 in him. I would probably say unless plays, or you know, or 540 00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:05.360 if somehow rules suddenly change. But we won't go there on that. But 541 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:12.480 what does it mean for Lebron James, you know, to achieve this you 542 00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:15.800 know milestone And I think you posted the question that I think is a very 543 00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:22.360 interesting one in that do we think that anybody is in range to possibly surpass 544 00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:30.880 Lebron James's achievement or is he going to be the last you know, of 545 00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:34.639 the Mohicans. Yeah, I mean we say last, I mean the last 546 00:36:34.679 --> 00:36:37.679 of our proverbial lifetime because after we're we know, we're out of here, 547 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:39.519 you know, we'll know, we'll have no idea what's happening in the league. 548 00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:43.719 But I think, you know, as we're watching it currently and understanding, 549 00:36:43.719 --> 00:36:46.119 you know, the current landscape. Yeah, I think we're hard pressed 550 00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:50.440 because, as you alluded to, he's at twenty now and he'll get one 551 00:36:50.599 --> 00:36:53.000 for each year, each more year he plays, so even if that's two 552 00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:55.880 or three more seasons, right, So I'm just trying to figure out, 553 00:36:55.880 --> 00:37:00.599 well, we have another twenty time All Star. That number seems so daunting. 554 00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:05.000 Is one thing to be a twenty time All Stars another thing to even 555 00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:07.599 play twenty years. So I don't know that we're gonna see so many. 556 00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:12.519 You got so many players who will play twenty years in this league current right 557 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:15.559 now, Curly Kevin Durant is a fifteen time All Star or sorry, a 558 00:37:15.639 --> 00:37:21.599 fourteen time All Star. So do you think Katie has six more years in 559 00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:24.880 him, six more years even to get the twenty I don't think so. 560 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:29.440 And then when you take even some of the younger generation, like Luca, 561 00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:31.639 So Luca's a five time All Star, you think Luca's gonna play till he's 562 00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:36.239 forty years old? And just I think even with his game style, I 563 00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:39.079 think that's kind of pushing it. He'll get into the double Jeditch thirteen fourteen. 564 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:44.000 Curry is already thirty five. Durant's thirty five too. Forgot to mention 565 00:37:44.039 --> 00:37:47.519 that Curry is thirty five and has what ten Curry's not playing ten more years? 566 00:37:47.559 --> 00:37:52.400 Bro and not making ten more All Stars than ten more years. So 567 00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:55.280 to me, it seems like it just it really kind of goes to show 568 00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:59.840 what Lebron has been able to do. And I don't know that we're going 569 00:37:59.880 --> 00:38:04.760 to see another player of not necessarily just of his Olken overall greatness. And 570 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:07.400 I normally say the great the game itself is in great hands, and I 571 00:38:07.400 --> 00:38:12.480 don't disagree with that, but there's not another Lebron in terms of the overall 572 00:38:12.599 --> 00:38:15.679 magnitude, the overall skill set, and I think the overall fandom good, 573 00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:19.920 bad or indifferent, whether you love them or hate them, there's nobody who's 574 00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:23.320 inspiring that level of emotion like Lebron is in today's game. And I don't 575 00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:25.960 think there's anybody even on the horizon coming up right now. Yeah, so 576 00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:30.599 I agree with you there. I'm gonna throw something into what you were talking 577 00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:35.280 about that lead that leads me to that point. So in other words, 578 00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:38.920 we're agreeing on the same point, But my logic as to how we arrived 579 00:38:38.920 --> 00:38:42.960 at that, I think is a little bit different methodology. Yeah, got 580 00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:45.800 you. So I look at it like this until the NBA goes back to 581 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:51.039 the rules where they allow high school athletes to come and enter back into the 582 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:55.280 NBA. You're not going to see this. The uniqueness about this situation when 583 00:38:55.320 --> 00:39:02.039 it comes to Lebron James is from the very big Lebron James has always put 584 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:06.880 emphasis on the greatness of his ability to play the game of basketball, and 585 00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:12.840 he invested in that. And the reason why I don't foresee anyone really getting 586 00:39:12.920 --> 00:39:17.360 as close to Lebron, at least within our generation, is because the climate 587 00:39:17.559 --> 00:39:22.599 and the conversation about what the NBA means to some of these players is totally 588 00:39:22.599 --> 00:39:28.840 different, right, And you can you can say Lebron James helped that and 589 00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:34.360 also hurt that because now a lot of these players have their hands in so 590 00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:38.760 many different pots, so many different initiatives, and listen, sometimes that means 591 00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:43.960 that they have to put their energies in different places, which means that it 592 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:46.280 takes away from the same dedication that they give to the game. It would 593 00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:50.280 be completely different if a lot of these guys, you know, are really 594 00:39:50.280 --> 00:39:53.400 really hungry. But if you really think about it, Kevin Durant has already 595 00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:58.360 supplanted his level of greatness. He will always be in the conversation among one 596 00:39:58.360 --> 00:40:00.440 of the greatest players to play the game basketball. But he'll never be the 597 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:05.639 greatest, right, He's already kind of etched out a little bit of where 598 00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:07.079 he's gonna has to go to be able to do that. So, no 599 00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:10.000 matter what he does, it's really gonna come down to do you love the 600 00:40:10.079 --> 00:40:14.239 game enough that you want to continue to keep playing it the way that you're 601 00:40:14.280 --> 00:40:17.280 playing it, how you're playing it, right? I don't see that with 602 00:40:17.719 --> 00:40:22.960 Katie, With Steph Curry, to your point, the uniqueness of his game 603 00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:30.559 is so far out there that it's like, does he have the legs to 604 00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:34.280 continue to keep doing what he's doing? So a lot of the momentum in 605 00:40:34.320 --> 00:40:38.119 them still being given All Star considerations has all been predicated for everything that they've 606 00:40:38.119 --> 00:40:43.519 done leading up to this point, whereas with your Lebron James, that level 607 00:40:43.559 --> 00:40:46.920 of greatness I think has always been etched in does he really love the game 608 00:40:46.960 --> 00:40:51.800 of basketball this much? Well, he was one of the pioneers to this 609 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:55.360 to have us ask that question because of the amount of money he's made and 610 00:40:55.400 --> 00:40:59.960 the way that he's changed the NBA culture, way he's moved the ball forward. 611 00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:04.360 But I think had he not been in the cross heirs of Kobe Bryant 612 00:41:04.719 --> 00:41:07.519 been in the cross heirs of a lot of great plays, like he was 613 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:13.840 one of the few that crossed that that rubicon sort of speak to have access 614 00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:16.679 to that level of competitiveness. Now he sits the top of it. And 615 00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:21.119 because he's so far ahead of it, I just don't see the only other 616 00:41:21.119 --> 00:41:23.800 people who I really think have that opportunity to probably do it is like Anthony 617 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:29.519 Edwards, you know what I'm saying. But even then that's again, where 618 00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:32.920 will the NBA be in another ten years to what we see from what Anthony 619 00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:37.800 Edwards does. So I think the only way that this great experiment works again 620 00:41:37.239 --> 00:41:43.960 is if the NBA rescinds that thought process that a player has to be, 621 00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:47.159 you know, two years or has to hit a certain age to be eligible 622 00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:51.519 to end to be able to enter the NBA. I think we got to 623 00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:57.719 see another seventeen year old come back into the fray and essentially mimic or ascend 624 00:41:58.639 --> 00:42:02.000 a lot faster and a lot a lot higher to what Lebron is doing for 625 00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:07.079 us to have that conversation about what he's just done. Yeah, but I 626 00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:10.400 think a lot of what he's done is because of his overall popularity and then 627 00:42:12.119 --> 00:42:15.519 he's actually good. Right, So your point about the years is so so 628 00:42:15.800 --> 00:42:21.599 poignant because you see, you force somebody have to come in at nineteen. 629 00:42:21.639 --> 00:42:23.039 Now they got to play till the thirty nine, and they have to get 630 00:42:23.039 --> 00:42:25.840 it in on their first go. I think even with Lebron, I don't 631 00:42:25.840 --> 00:42:29.880 believe he got it in his first year, right, and then every year 632 00:42:29.960 --> 00:42:32.880 basically since then he's been an All Star. You can you know, fact 633 00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:36.639 check me on that, so to speak. But again, coming in at 634 00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:39.280 seventeen has made a lot of the difference in that too. So you're looking 635 00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:45.559 at somebody even having a twenty year career, let alone twenty All Stars. 636 00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:47.840 It just seems so far gone, especially with the way we are in terms 637 00:42:47.880 --> 00:42:52.039 of this now be like I will be the old commagine. You know these 638 00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:55.159 guys, Listen, the money is so much more than it was even from 639 00:42:55.199 --> 00:42:59.599 when Lebron came into the league. You don't have to play twenty years to 640 00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:01.639 kind of get the proverbial back to really set you up for life. Now, 641 00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:06.079 Jaylen Brown's making what sixty million dollars a year? Why would he play 642 00:43:06.119 --> 00:43:09.519 till he's forty years old to forty two? Why would anybody do that when 643 00:43:09.559 --> 00:43:13.199 you're gonna just stack enough money. And now there's so many other ways you 644 00:43:13.199 --> 00:43:16.719 can make money and reinvest that money, So you definitely can work smarter if 645 00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:20.320 you will, and make your money work for you, and you don't have 646 00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:23.840 to use the playing the basketball court as your sole source of income. And 647 00:43:23.880 --> 00:43:28.119 that's another reason why I don't think we're gonna see twenty your careers, let 648 00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:30.480 alone twenty twenty time all sort of like Lebron, this really is, as 649 00:43:30.519 --> 00:43:34.159 you put it so eloquently, I think, the last of the Mohicans here, 650 00:43:34.719 --> 00:43:37.320 even with some of the guys who are on Lebron's heels, if you 651 00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:40.840 will, and Katie kt most most recent, because he has the most amounting 652 00:43:40.880 --> 00:43:45.400 right, he's gonna have fourteen fourteen all SAR appearances. Katy might play till 653 00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:47.679 he's forty. He might, I mean, there's a slim possibility he does 654 00:43:47.679 --> 00:43:52.719 that, and then he he'd be right up there probably with Kareeman right under 655 00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:55.840 the twenty and Lebron. But again, Lebron's going to be at twenty two 656 00:43:55.920 --> 00:44:00.559 or twenty three before all is said and done. Kevin Dryant he doesn't. 657 00:44:00.599 --> 00:44:05.519 But I think again a lot of that also comes down to the style of 658 00:44:05.599 --> 00:44:09.039 player that we're talking about. Like Lebron James impact in the NBA right now 659 00:44:09.159 --> 00:44:15.760 is that he is he is a leader, right, Kevin Durant has has 660 00:44:15.880 --> 00:44:19.800 leadership qualities, right, which a lot of it is spoken through the way 661 00:44:19.840 --> 00:44:23.000 he plays his game. So if his game doesn't translate and he's not available, 662 00:44:23.400 --> 00:44:25.920 is he really gonna be there? Is he really trying to be there 663 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:30.000 for like these other guys to come up, and And that's what I mean, 664 00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:31.360 Like maybe with Steph Curry, I see that a lot more than I 665 00:44:31.400 --> 00:44:37.239 do see that with with with KD. But I don't I don't see that 666 00:44:37.280 --> 00:44:40.800 with too many other guys, except if you go as far back, because 667 00:44:40.840 --> 00:44:43.920 like even if you want to listen, for example, you want to consider 668 00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:46.679 Jalen Brown, he's already missed a few years, right like when he first 669 00:44:46.679 --> 00:44:53.079 came into Yeah. Yeah, So you know again, like it's gonna come 670 00:44:53.119 --> 00:45:00.400 down to these young the younger you know, hot out the gate kind of 671 00:45:00.440 --> 00:45:05.320 like Patrick Mahomes, you know, fast start legacy stuff. We're already in 672 00:45:05.360 --> 00:45:10.480 that kind of conversation and where you fit in the hierarchy of that level of 673 00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:15.639 greatness that you're showing year and year out in order to build up the momentum 674 00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:17.719 for that talk to be had. Because I to your point, y'all, 675 00:45:17.800 --> 00:45:22.239 like you just spent a few moments really speaking to the business of what a 676 00:45:22.280 --> 00:45:27.320 lot of these players are talking about regarding the NBA, and a lot of 677 00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:32.239 it doesn't necessarily translate to what they're expected to do on that basketball court. 678 00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:36.880 Like there's a you know, it's interesting. Over the weekend, we were 679 00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:39.519 hearing how guys are really getting tired of the conversation. Oh, I'm sorry, 680 00:45:39.599 --> 00:45:43.960 was Damian Lilie. He's saying he's really getting tired of the conversation about 681 00:45:44.119 --> 00:45:46.039 you know, I got to have rings attached in order to show that I 682 00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:52.159 have had a great career. And I hear him, I understand where he's 683 00:45:52.199 --> 00:45:55.880 coming from. But at the same time, remember a lot of those guys 684 00:45:55.920 --> 00:46:00.880 that are talking about that were guys that spent a lot lot of years before 685 00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:05.360 they found an opportunity to play in the NBA finals. So you know, 686 00:46:05.599 --> 00:46:07.400 they're sitting there saying, damn, I wish I had your skills. It's 687 00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:10.840 like, because my passion to want to win a championship, It's like, 688 00:46:10.920 --> 00:46:13.559 you're kind of like, oh, well, you know, if I don't 689 00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:15.239 win whatever it has, Like, I don't understand how you can have that 690 00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:19.639 mentality and still be playing in the NBA. And I think that's where a 691 00:46:19.639 --> 00:46:22.800 lot of that, you know, that side ey is coming from from, 692 00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:25.000 a lot of the criticism when guys are just saying, yeah, you know, 693 00:46:25.079 --> 00:46:28.679 I'm not really worried about that, and that's not going to define my 694 00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:32.000 career. It's not something that you should be speaking loudly about anyway, because 695 00:46:32.000 --> 00:46:36.159 the idea is is that you'll play as long as it takes to get you 696 00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:39.719 to that point where you're playing for an NBA championship, and rings should matter 697 00:46:40.039 --> 00:46:44.079 in the grand scheme of things. Is why most guys wound up staying in 698 00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:46.960 the in the NBA a lot longer than necessary. Yeah. No, I 699 00:46:46.960 --> 00:46:50.119 think really great points, really great points. And you know, I think 700 00:46:50.119 --> 00:46:52.000 as your targeting is trying to think about, you know, Tyre's celibrat and 701 00:46:52.119 --> 00:46:54.960 kind of one of the princes something, All Star, All Weekend, two 702 00:46:55.000 --> 00:46:58.639 All Stars and four years that he's been in the league. But he's already 703 00:46:58.639 --> 00:47:02.239 twenty three, right, So I think I mean already twenty three, right. 704 00:47:04.280 --> 00:47:07.760 Anthony Edwards, same thing to All Stars in three years or four years 705 00:47:07.800 --> 00:47:12.960 as well. He's twenty two. So I just but there's just there's just 706 00:47:13.039 --> 00:47:15.639 not going to be the need. They were already making more money than Lebron 707 00:47:15.679 --> 00:47:17.400 May when he was twenty two or twenty three, even four or five times 708 00:47:17.400 --> 00:47:21.199 the amount that he was making at that point. So I said, there's 709 00:47:21.239 --> 00:47:23.480 the need and want to be in the league for twenty years, it's just 710 00:47:23.519 --> 00:47:27.280 not going to be there. There's some guys who really do love Hoopen and 711 00:47:27.320 --> 00:47:30.039 that or I think we were talking Ryan Allens right a couple of weeks ago. 712 00:47:30.280 --> 00:47:31.320 He's like, yeah, Tyr's Heyliburton. Man, he's gonna be playing 713 00:47:31.360 --> 00:47:35.280 until he's whatever. And maybe that's true. Doesn't mean it's gonna be an 714 00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:37.480 All Star until he's whatever, right, I think that's that's that's what we 715 00:47:37.559 --> 00:47:39.599 need to kind of discern here. It's not just, hey, well, 716 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:44.199 even if Haliburn has a twenty year career, to think he'll be a twenty 717 00:47:44.239 --> 00:47:47.440 time All Star, I think that's probably you know, a little bit out 718 00:47:47.440 --> 00:47:52.159 of the overall scope long term. So all of this to give Lebron to 719 00:47:52.199 --> 00:47:57.039 his proverbial flowers and and you know, and not that he needs our pats 720 00:47:57.039 --> 00:47:58.760 on the back or that of boys, or what are the case me? 721 00:47:58.920 --> 00:48:01.199 But this is truly, truly remarkable. You know, I gotta throw a 722 00:48:01.199 --> 00:48:06.800 dig in here, though I don't. I'm sure you caught his statement about 723 00:48:06.880 --> 00:48:08.440 he didn't know if he was going to do a fair World tour. He 724 00:48:08.440 --> 00:48:12.199 does no how long more, how much long he's gonna play, or if 725 00:48:12.199 --> 00:48:15.199 he will do a fair world tour, or if he will just retire like 726 00:48:15.239 --> 00:48:19.760 Tim Duncan because he's uncomfortable. He said he's uncomfortable with praise, and a 727 00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:27.159 lot of people don't know that about him. Sure, sure, but shots 728 00:48:27.159 --> 00:48:30.320 to Lebron man, because he definitely obviously is a real one and one of 729 00:48:30.360 --> 00:48:34.119 the best to ever do it. But you know, listen, we see 730 00:48:34.119 --> 00:48:37.360 that Fairwell tour. For sure, Lebron puts an emoji right of an hour 731 00:48:37.440 --> 00:48:44.760 glass, right, so should we put an emoji of a Come on, 732 00:48:44.800 --> 00:48:50.760 man, I'm just like or or yeah, bro, that's really what it 733 00:48:50.840 --> 00:48:53.519 is. It's what what are we talking about? The need for a kind 734 00:48:53.519 --> 00:48:59.280 of needless drama is I think it's it's always been a little bit of interesting 735 00:48:59.639 --> 00:49:02.679 common station. I think all around his surrounded around his overall greatness. But 736 00:49:02.800 --> 00:49:07.800 he is great. He's absolutely great. But again I think that's just kind 737 00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:12.320 of a funny one way or the other. Listen, we will forever be 738 00:49:12.400 --> 00:49:16.000 decoding Lebron messages, even when he walks away from the game of basketball. 739 00:49:17.760 --> 00:49:22.559 Does it surprise you, though, that the NBA didn't really celebrate like Lebron 740 00:49:22.679 --> 00:49:28.480 James in that he you know, I know that they you know, they 741 00:49:28.519 --> 00:49:31.039 have the nice announcer and everything like that, and he was the last person 742 00:49:31.480 --> 00:49:35.840 you know, introduced for the Western Conference All Stars. I mean I saw 743 00:49:35.920 --> 00:49:42.320 I saw more than one or two different montages to him kind of throughout against 744 00:49:42.360 --> 00:49:45.840 a lot of stuff pregame, you know, and things like that kind of 745 00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:49.320 So to me, I think it was enough for what it for, for 746 00:49:49.400 --> 00:49:54.320 where it's at. Passing Kareem great. They acknowledged it. But come that 747 00:49:54.400 --> 00:49:59.760 farewell tour and whatever his last All Star Game is two three years from now, 748 00:49:59.800 --> 00:50:02.519 where whatever that ultimately is, there will be a celebration like no other. 749 00:50:04.000 --> 00:50:07.320 So you're not worry about But I think for the I think for the 750 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:10.599 purposes like look, you know, I don't think Kareem was there in attendance, 751 00:50:10.960 --> 00:50:15.039 and I know that he's been battling some health issues, you know, 752 00:50:15.800 --> 00:50:17.920 through the course of this regular season, so you know, fortunately he was 753 00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:22.639 there to see Lebron break the all time scoring record and things of that nature. 754 00:50:23.119 --> 00:50:27.400 But I do think that like these are the like, like we said, 755 00:50:27.440 --> 00:50:30.360 y'all, like these are the kind of things that help remind us why 756 00:50:30.400 --> 00:50:32.840 we have these, you know, events when we do, and how these 757 00:50:32.840 --> 00:50:37.079 things happen, because they'll you know, listen, the level the list of 758 00:50:37.119 --> 00:50:42.320 what Lebron has achieved. There's a long list, and I think we'd be 759 00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:46.079 remiss if we didn't, you know, in our own way as as the 760 00:50:46.119 --> 00:50:50.679 culture, try to acknowledge it, because again to your point, it is 761 00:50:50.800 --> 00:50:54.880 not easy, you know, getting getting to this point, like these accomplishments. 762 00:50:54.920 --> 00:50:58.079 And you know, listen, if there's one thing that you want to 763 00:50:58.119 --> 00:51:01.440 one up Lebron James over Michael Jordan, this would be it. Right Like 764 00:51:02.039 --> 00:51:07.039 at this particular point when when Michael Jordan is coming out on that basketball court 765 00:51:07.079 --> 00:51:09.400 at the age of thirty nine, we're not seeing the Michael Jordan that we 766 00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:14.320 lauded and applauded for a good stretch. You know what I'm saying of the 767 00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:17.360 nineties. You know what I mean, and in the late eighties it was 768 00:51:17.599 --> 00:51:21.519 you know, a remnants of it, and you saw spotty moments of it, 769 00:51:21.559 --> 00:51:23.599 but you weren't getting it, you know, on a consistent basis. 770 00:51:23.599 --> 00:51:27.159 And I think you know, this is the reason why, you know, 771 00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:30.599 to your point, it was important that we highlight this because again, this 772 00:51:30.679 --> 00:51:35.920 is one of those like those unspoken achievements that probably will never be accomplished for 773 00:51:36.039 --> 00:51:38.360 quite some time. It's gonna be a long time before we see somebody actually, 774 00:51:38.679 --> 00:51:43.039 you know, get somewhere close in proximity of doing it, you know 775 00:51:43.079 --> 00:51:46.400 what I mean. And that's and that's saying something yeah, yeah, like 776 00:51:46.480 --> 00:51:50.280 I said, and I'll just close with this, it's duality of it. 777 00:51:50.280 --> 00:51:54.199 It's not just the twenty time All Star. It's being able to play at 778 00:51:54.239 --> 00:51:58.199 that level and even play twenty years. Well, he's setting he said, 779 00:51:58.239 --> 00:52:04.519 he's setting the standard at his position right like at his age, you know. 780 00:52:04.599 --> 00:52:07.840 And and again like we can sit here and we can you know, 781 00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:13.360 argue semantics about you know, what the criteria is, but you think about 782 00:52:13.440 --> 00:52:16.000 all of the guys that play his position right now in the Western Conference, 783 00:52:16.920 --> 00:52:22.199 name me, outside of Kevin Durant. I mean, he's still a better 784 00:52:22.559 --> 00:52:25.920 you know player right now, even a better player than Karl Anthony Towns, 785 00:52:25.920 --> 00:52:30.039 who you know, we've always said he really should be playing the five rather 786 00:52:30.079 --> 00:52:32.639 than playing the four. But since he plays the four, you can make 787 00:52:32.639 --> 00:52:37.599 the argument, well, his numbers should be something equivalent to what Lebron James 788 00:52:37.679 --> 00:52:39.920 is doing. He doesn't. He doesn't meet those numbers, you know what 789 00:52:39.960 --> 00:52:43.719 I'm saying. He doesn't do and he doesn't do it with the same consistency, 790 00:52:44.000 --> 00:52:47.440 which again he sets that bar you know, ultimately, and so you 791 00:52:47.480 --> 00:52:52.039 know that's saying a lot like again, he could take a year off, 792 00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:54.039 come back, and he'll probably still wind up being an All Star because you're 793 00:52:54.039 --> 00:52:58.719 not going to see too many people playing that position like he plays that position, 794 00:52:59.079 --> 00:53:01.599 which makes him a viable commodity in the current state of what we consider 795 00:53:01.639 --> 00:53:06.960 an All Star. Yeah, so our hats off and salute to Lebron James. 796 00:53:07.840 --> 00:53:12.119 It's going to be hard pressed, if if pressed at all, to 797 00:53:12.199 --> 00:53:15.519 be able to match what he's been able to do for the longevity and at 798 00:53:15.559 --> 00:53:17.239 the level that he's been able to do it. So we definitely wanted to 799 00:53:17.239 --> 00:53:22.039 give him his proverbial flowers you know, on our show here too. And 800 00:53:22.159 --> 00:53:24.480 put a wrap on what was an interesting All Star weekend. And we'll see 801 00:53:24.480 --> 00:53:28.239 the based on boys make their parents out there in San Francisco. Maybe we 802 00:53:28.280 --> 00:53:30.480 can get the vibes going again. We'll see what's going. They definitely need 803 00:53:30.519 --> 00:53:32.559 us to be the party starters. We'll get it. We'll get it livened 804 00:53:32.639 --> 00:53:38.320 up. Speaking of flowers, did you give flowers to your missus? Excuse 805 00:53:38.360 --> 00:53:43.559 me too, did you give flowers to your missus? Oh? I mean 806 00:53:43.599 --> 00:53:45.920 you're talking about Valentine's Day? Yeah, man, we we did that. 807 00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:46.880 We did the damn thing, brother, we did the dam I mean, 808 00:53:46.920 --> 00:53:50.519 listen, man, we didn't give a whole lot of love in this UH 809 00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:55.920 in this episode of the Base. I'm trying to try to try to give 810 00:53:57.000 --> 00:53:59.960 us a safe somewhere here. You know, we gave love. We gave 811 00:54:00.039 --> 00:54:06.199 of you know, to UH to our partnership with with UH with with Walmart. 812 00:54:06.199 --> 00:54:10.360 Shout outs to Walmart, you know again for continuing the UH the initiative 813 00:54:10.599 --> 00:54:16.079 and you know again being a great platform UH for the black and black community. 814 00:54:16.199 --> 00:54:20.079 So you know, we encourage everybody and once again to make sure that 815 00:54:20.159 --> 00:54:24.400 you go to walmart dot com, slash black and unlimited to discover all of 816 00:54:24.440 --> 00:54:30.519 the amazing black owned products. They're available out right now, all right man, 817 00:54:30.679 --> 00:54:32.480 So once again we like to thank you and yours for hopping on board 818 00:54:32.519 --> 00:54:37.280 with us this week. Thanks for burning the midnight all with us to the 819 00:54:37.280 --> 00:54:39.519 baseline Cali Warren. Shall we appreciate you, guys, Thanks for hopping on 820 00:54:39.559 --> 00:54:42.920 board this week. Gots with you next time.