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<v Speaker 1>Hi, Welcome to the NBA Podcast. My name is Morten Jensen,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we'll be discussing the Gary Trent Junior contract,

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<v Speaker 1>and not because we're celebrating it, but instead because the

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<v Speaker 1>NBA most certainly are not celebrating it and are in

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<v Speaker 1>fact investigating it because that actually makes sense. Then we're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna get into some Adam Silver stuff he talked about recently,

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<v Speaker 1>the second Apron and NBA Europe. So that's what we

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<v Speaker 1>have on the docket for you today and with me

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<v Speaker 1>to cover those subjects. It's my good pal Brian to

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<v Speaker 1>Porik Brian, how are you, Sar?

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<v Speaker 2>I am doing well. How are you more?

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<v Speaker 1>Can complain? Can complain? This is a the first podcast

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<v Speaker 1>in my new apartment. Some of you may know this.

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<v Speaker 1>I went through a recent divorce, so this is my

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<v Speaker 1>new place. And if there's an echo that what isn't

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<v Speaker 1>usually present, it's because I haven't made sure that my

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<v Speaker 1>office is like soundproof yet, which the last one was,

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<v Speaker 1>So it'll come. Give me time like it's it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>a work in progress.

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<v Speaker 2>So far, so good, So let's I'm honored to be

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<v Speaker 2>the first guest in your new apartment. Feels it feels right.

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<v Speaker 1>Feels right? Oh my god, all right, you know what

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't feel right? Sixty four million dollars for Gary trun Junior.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, he sure did. You sure did. Yeah, And uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I think everyone when they saw that contract

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<v Speaker 2>immediately jumped to This has to be obvious salary caps

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<v Speaker 2>are convention because Gary Trent Junior is coming off of

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<v Speaker 2>the season where he have bridged eight points, shot below

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<v Speaker 2>forty percent from the field, and his homage to Terry

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<v Speaker 2>Rogier thirty six percent from three just, I mean, just

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<v Speaker 2>an awful season from him overall, had coming off of

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<v Speaker 2>back to back minimum contracts. So it certainly begs the

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<v Speaker 2>question like who was going to offer him at this

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<v Speaker 2>stage of free agency, in particular because he did not

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<v Speaker 2>sign this contract on July first, when there was still

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<v Speaker 2>money to spend, like you know, the the Lakers and

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<v Speaker 2>the Bulls and the Nets have spent a grand majority

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<v Speaker 2>of their cap space and Gary Trent Junior still managed

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<v Speaker 2>to get this deal. I know, Shams is now providing

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<v Speaker 2>cover and saying there was one team that was considering

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<v Speaker 2>a signing trade offer for him at these terms. It

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<v Speaker 2>seems like the NBA, you know, in the Bucks defense,

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<v Speaker 2>the NBA has not concluded anything, but Shams did report

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<v Speaker 2>that they are investigating the contract, which I think, just

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<v Speaker 2>given everything we just said there, I think that's a.

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<v Speaker 1>Reasonable thing for them to do, so I just have

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<v Speaker 1>to get this off my chest. It's funny how this

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<v Speaker 1>only happens when players earn too much. So if Lebron

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<v Speaker 1>signs for the minimum deal, are we going to have

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<v Speaker 1>an investigation there? Not really right, that's just going to

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<v Speaker 1>be fine and Andy Lebron at the men cool A

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<v Speaker 1>guy getting more than what he is like objectively worth,

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<v Speaker 1>that's apparently not cool. I'm just trying to like gauge

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<v Speaker 1>why it's only when the player earns too much that

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<v Speaker 1>we're looking into things.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, Lebron is just such an outlier that

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<v Speaker 2>I think he's like just to have to put him

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<v Speaker 2>in an entirely separate bucket. I don't think it's really

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<v Speaker 2>cap circumvention to get him on a minimum or your minimum.

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<v Speaker 2>It's just that's the reality of where he is in

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<v Speaker 2>his career and the teams that he's interested in joining,

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<v Speaker 2>and just kind of the Second Apron and just the

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<v Speaker 2>Apron era in general, that there's not a ton of

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<v Speaker 2>money to spend. I mean if he if he wanted to,

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<v Speaker 2>like he could sign with the Heat. I think they

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<v Speaker 2>do have a portion of their non taxpayer mid level

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<v Speaker 2>left over. The Warriors still have their full non taxpayer

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<v Speaker 2>mid level left over. It could take some manipulating to

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<v Speaker 2>get under the first apron.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know, but you catch my drift though, right,

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<v Speaker 1>Like it's yeah, yeah, yeah, it's it's just when a

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<v Speaker 1>guy gets paid. It's like, h it's always when a

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<v Speaker 1>guy gets paid, it gets paid too much. Like I

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<v Speaker 1>hear you though, Like I agreed to some of the

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<v Speaker 1>gregious contract, Like I don't even know what the number

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<v Speaker 1>would have been that would not have made me raise

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<v Speaker 1>an eyebrow, Like I think, what everything anything over five

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<v Speaker 1>million would probably have made me go oh oh. But

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<v Speaker 1>like in fairness, and I'm not trying to like rope

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<v Speaker 1>anyone else into an NBA in thisgation.

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<v Speaker 2>But Kevin Herder, sure, I mean they're a couple. I

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<v Speaker 2>would say there are a couple of contracts that And

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's what's funny about this whole thing is

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<v Speaker 2>like the contract is so bad that the NBA is

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<v Speaker 2>like no, no, no, there there's no logical explanation to

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<v Speaker 2>this contract. I mean, think about like all of the

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<v Speaker 2>terrible contracts that have been handed out across the NBA.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, like the twenty summer of twenty sixteen is

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<v Speaker 2>the ten year anniversary or that they could investigate it

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<v Speaker 2>basically every one of those damn contracts. But this one

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<v Speaker 2>is the one where like, this is like we're drawing

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<v Speaker 2>the line here. This is so absurd that there is

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<v Speaker 2>just no logical explanation to giving this man this amount

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<v Speaker 2>of money over this many years, unless it's caps are convention.

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<v Speaker 2>It's just it's all very funny. I don't I don't

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<v Speaker 2>necessarily expect the NBA to actually punish the Bucks they

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<v Speaker 2>find clear evidence of it. I mean, that's what you know,

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<v Speaker 2>that's what cost Joe Smith and the Timberwolves back in

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<v Speaker 2>the day. The Kawai stuff maybe will get an answer.

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<v Speaker 2>By twenty twenty eight, there seems to be a plenty

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<v Speaker 2>of circumstantial evidence that there was some cap circumvention going on.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean to be like, I would not have necessarily

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<v Speaker 2>batted as much of an eye at this if it

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<v Speaker 2>was like a two year deal with a second year

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<v Speaker 2>team option, even at that amount of money, or you know,

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<v Speaker 2>a second year non guarantee, because then you could talk

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<v Speaker 2>me into okay, just a balloon deal. They're looking to

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<v Speaker 2>flip it down the line, and you know, that's just

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<v Speaker 2>salary matching. It's the number of years. I think that's

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<v Speaker 2>more of the red flag and the fact that it's

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<v Speaker 2>fully guaranteed. You know, again, it's just hard to reach

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<v Speaker 2>a logical justification for that, And I've seen a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people say, like, well, who cares. You know, the

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<v Speaker 2>punish is that they have to pay Gary Trent Junior

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<v Speaker 2>that sixteen million dollars over the next four years, and like, yes,

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<v Speaker 2>that's funny, but you know, a if they're not willing

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<v Speaker 2>to enforce obvious caps or convention, then all rules are

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<v Speaker 2>out and every other team needs to start doing this too, Right,

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<v Speaker 2>We're going to start having a lot of fake tree

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<v Speaker 2>companies popping up in the NBA. I saw Caitlin Cooper,

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<v Speaker 2>friend of the podcast, said something earlier, you know, basically

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<v Speaker 2>that she's glad the Pacers now have Zubachi they traded

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<v Speaker 2>for the deadline. But if it is, if the Gary

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<v Speaker 2>Trent Junior deal is circumvention, him taking a blow market

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<v Speaker 2>contract helped the Bucks sign Miles Turner, albeit to a

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<v Speaker 2>contract that didn't age well, leading for the Pacers to

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<v Speaker 2>overpay via trade for Zubach with another team that is

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<v Speaker 2>also being investigated for Shenanigans. So she added, these investigations

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<v Speaker 2>don't only affect the team's being investigated, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>that is a point worth reinforcing. This is not just

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the Bucks punishment is that they have to

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<v Speaker 2>pay out this contract. It's you know, this like everything

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<v Speaker 2>else in the league. It's all part of the same ecosystem.

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<v Speaker 2>So them getting Gary Trent on a minimum had some

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<v Speaker 2>trickle down effects, you know, that could have also like

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<v Speaker 2>impacted what other free agents got last year. I saw

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<v Speaker 2>a screenshot circulating around earlier. It was a quote from

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<v Speaker 2>an executive. This was from Fred Katz of The Athletic

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<v Speaker 2>had it last July, and the quote was, why would

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<v Speaker 2>you spend twenty million dollars on Quinton Grimes when you

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<v Speaker 2>can get Gary Trent junior for a minimum?

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<v Speaker 1>Right? Fitting? Fitting?

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<v Speaker 2>Right? Right?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>But I mean a fair question. But also like if

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<v Speaker 2>that impacted Quentin Grimes's negotiations, and I think you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Quentin Grimes has reason to be pissed, although it obviously

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<v Speaker 2>worked out for him well, this summer.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I think that makes sense. I

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<v Speaker 1>wonder if the league would benefit in installing a type

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<v Speaker 1>of system that leans into John Hollinger's like what is

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<v Speaker 1>it called boards? Like yeah, and I'm not saying it

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<v Speaker 1>has it has to be like within that framework exclusively,

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<v Speaker 1>but like if the league does have some tools that

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<v Speaker 1>you can say all right, within this scheme and then

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<v Speaker 1>only if something pops like dramatically, you can go, oh yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>this is wrong and then have a conversation with the team.

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<v Speaker 1>I just think that would be a smart endeavor because

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<v Speaker 1>this is such a fluid situation. Like I agree with you,

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<v Speaker 1>if they just find the Bucks are incompetent, what can

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<v Speaker 1>they do? They can't do anything. Like if they just

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<v Speaker 1>if they sit down with the Bucks and they walk

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<v Speaker 1>away with the impression that the Bucks are just completely

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<v Speaker 1>on board with this because they think this is such

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<v Speaker 1>a great deal and there's no circumvention in place that

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<v Speaker 1>they just think that highly of Gary Trent Junior, the

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<v Speaker 1>League office will walk out of the Bucks practice facility

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<v Speaker 1>and go, well, they're just idiots allow it.

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<v Speaker 2>It's just remarkable that the Bucks are the ones that

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<v Speaker 2>triggered this type of investigation. And not the Kings right

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<v Speaker 2>over the odds on that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, but again, I mean, look, do we really feel

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<v Speaker 1>as though the Bucks have made quality moves over the

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<v Speaker 1>past few years, because I think we've had a conversation

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<v Speaker 1>or two you and I about that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, sure, well, I mean, yeah, they obviously held on

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<v Speaker 2>too long for your honest and I mean this is

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<v Speaker 2>also a point going back to know how it affects

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<v Speaker 2>the larger ecosystem. Them getting Gary Trent Junior on a

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<v Speaker 2>minimum for the last two years, might you know, like

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<v Speaker 2>that was a enticing selling point to keep you honest?

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<v Speaker 2>Obviously did not work, but you know it, if they

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<v Speaker 2>didn't get him on that contract, does you honest officially

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<v Speaker 2>requests a trade sooner? Does that impact what they have

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<v Speaker 2>gotten in return for him? Does that force their hand?

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<v Speaker 2>Like the You know, it seems minor and funny in

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<v Speaker 2>a vacuum, right, we can't deal with it only in

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<v Speaker 2>that vacuum. And when you kind of look at the

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<v Speaker 2>bigger picture implications here, you can understand why the NBA

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<v Speaker 2>is taking this as seriously as it appears to be.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely, it's funny. How it's not funny, That's just my

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<v Speaker 1>way of saying it. It's weird. How remember when we

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<v Speaker 1>talked about him at such a in such a positive terms,

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<v Speaker 1>like when he was this like three and D guy

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<v Speaker 1>in Toronto, like averaging eighteen points, strong defender, hitting three

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<v Speaker 1>triples per game? Like, what the hell happened to Gary

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<v Speaker 1>Trent Junior?

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<v Speaker 2>Is this the guy?

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<v Speaker 1>Right?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, that's what's interesting is that, Like, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>that's probably the case that the Bucks are going to

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<v Speaker 2>make when they defend this contract. Is that. Yeah, a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of years ago, he was averaging you know, eighteen

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<v Speaker 2>point three points in twenty one twenty two, and then

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<v Speaker 2>seventeen point four and twenty two twenty three. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>not on great efficiency, but at least a good, decently

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<v Speaker 2>high volume three point shooter. And like overall volume or

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<v Speaker 2>overall efficiency not great, but three point shooting from the

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<v Speaker 2>twenty one to twenty two through twenty four to twenty

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<v Speaker 2>five shot thirty nine percent from three on six point

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<v Speaker 2>seven attempts per game, So you know, that is fair.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe they see him as like, you know, we have

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<v Speaker 2>this giant void now without Yiannis. He can put up numbers,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, raise his trade value, and then we look

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<v Speaker 2>to flip him down the line. Like I could. Again,

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<v Speaker 2>I can get behind all of that logic if it

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<v Speaker 2>was on a shorter term deal, right, but there's just

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<v Speaker 2>no way that the team is going to offer much

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<v Speaker 2>value for a guy on a four year contract coming

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<v Speaker 2>off the season that he just had. You know, given

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<v Speaker 2>how teams are operating these.

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<v Speaker 1>Days, if they had signed him to half that two

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<v Speaker 1>years forty two, would you have baded an eye? Like

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<v Speaker 1>I think like you and I, because we're nerds, like

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<v Speaker 1>would absolutely have said, oh, that's that's a bad deal.

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<v Speaker 1>But would we have reacted in a way where we

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<v Speaker 1>would have said, oh, this is this is cap circumvention.

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<v Speaker 1>Would we have reacted disaggressively?

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<v Speaker 2>No, because we've seen this happen in the past. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>like we saw kJ Martin got a two year, sixteen

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<v Speaker 2>million dollars day right yeah with the Sixers, I forget

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<v Speaker 2>off the top of my the Sons did it that

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<v Speaker 2>same summer with I think josh akogy I can't remember,

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<v Speaker 2>but I know the Sons did the exact same thing.

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<v Speaker 2>It was like a two year deal, you know, a

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<v Speaker 2>balloon deal effectively is what we were calling it, where

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<v Speaker 2>it's like, okay, you're you're signing this guy to a

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<v Speaker 2>well above market contract with the intention of using him

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<v Speaker 2>as salary matching fodder in a trade down the line.

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<v Speaker 2>Now the Sixers instead use kJ Martin and salary dumped

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<v Speaker 2>him and spent two second round picks to do it.

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<v Speaker 2>So that blew up in their face. But the Sons,

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<v Speaker 2>I believe, trying to remember who they they got a

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<v Speaker 2>center in. Was it Nick Richards? Does that sound right now?

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<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna look it up.

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<v Speaker 1>Nick Richards had like a two year, ten million deal.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, yeah, I think maybe it wasn't him, Yeah, it

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<v Speaker 2>was him, Yes, Yeah, that's how they got Nick Richards

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<v Speaker 2>to the Suns. They flipped Joshua Koji on this on

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<v Speaker 2>the balloon deal and they were able to get Nick Richards.

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<v Speaker 2>So yeah, like I think again, a two year, second year,

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<v Speaker 2>non guaranteed, second year team option. I don't care what

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<v Speaker 2>you pay him, because then it's there's a justification of

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<v Speaker 2>we just have this big contract and like maybe we can,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, package him with another one of our deals,

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<v Speaker 2>Tyler Hero, Miles Turner, whoever, Kyle Kuzma, and we can

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<v Speaker 2>get a thirty five forty forty five million dollar player.

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<v Speaker 2>It's the length of the contract is what raises the

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<v Speaker 2>red flag for me, especially like it's fully guaranteed in

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<v Speaker 2>a summer where we're not seeing those types of deals

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<v Speaker 2>handed out very oft. I mean, John Collins did not

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<v Speaker 2>get a fully guaranteed contract. Robert Williams Powell, Yeah, Norman

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<v Speaker 2>Powell coming off of an all star season two years

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<v Speaker 2>and the second years of team option. I believe, like

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<v Speaker 2>that's hard to square away. How did Gary Trent Junior

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<v Speaker 2>get all this guaranteed money when guys who had much

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<v Speaker 2>better seasons than him did not?

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<v Speaker 1>Right? No, yeah, absolutely right, And I think I normally

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<v Speaker 1>I blame the NBA a little bit for meddling too much.

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<v Speaker 1>This time around, this is fair. This is like a

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<v Speaker 1>fair investigation. I just don't mind that they're looking into

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<v Speaker 1>this because it just seems so goddamn wrong.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Yeah, Like again, we're not saying the are necessarily guilty,

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<v Speaker 2>but I think it's at least if you don't even

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<v Speaker 2>investigate it, Yeah, that just tells you it's the wild

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<v Speaker 2>West and every team should be doing this.

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<v Speaker 1>Kind of thing, right exactly exactly, like they have to

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<v Speaker 1>draw the line somewhere. So, Brian, we're going to take

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<v Speaker 1>a short commercial break, and then we're going to come

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<v Speaker 1>back with Adam Silver and who's talked about the second Apron.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Brian, you wanted to get into this. Adam

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<v Speaker 1>Silver had a press conference recently. He talked about the

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<v Speaker 1>second Apron. He talked about NBA Europe. You wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the second apron, so so present what he said.

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<v Speaker 1>So everyone's following along.

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<v Speaker 2>Sure, So, I mean this has been kind of a

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<v Speaker 2>topic of debate obviously since it came online a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of years ago, but really this summer, you know, Kyle

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<v Speaker 2>KU's been had a tweet a couple of weeks ago

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<v Speaker 2>railing against how what the NBA has become thanks to

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<v Speaker 2>the Second Apron. The nbpa's executive director said, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we are not fans of the second Apron. We should

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<v Speaker 2>have done a better job fighting back and we're going

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<v Speaker 2>to in the future. So that did come up Adam.

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<v Speaker 2>The NBA Board of Governors had a meeting in Vegas.

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<v Speaker 2>Adam Silver gave a press conference on Tuesday after that,

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<v Speaker 2>and he was asked about David Kelly, the nbpa's executive director,

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<v Speaker 2>about the comments that he had. So the question was,

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<v Speaker 2>when you look at the effects of the Second Apron

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<v Speaker 2>and you see that a team can draft well and

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<v Speaker 2>draft potential MAX players but have to trade them. Does

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<v Speaker 2>that make you want to change something about that because

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<v Speaker 2>it's an unintended consequence and fans lose out on continuity

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<v Speaker 2>of players that they have watched grow or is that

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<v Speaker 2>just baked into the CBA And Adam Silver's first the

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<v Speaker 2>first words out of his mouth were, it's certainly not

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<v Speaker 2>an unintended consequence. Is that when you have a salary

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<v Speaker 2>system in place, as we do, every general manager is

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<v Speaker 2>going to need to make mixed basketball and business decisions.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, in the case of a league, it's in

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<v Speaker 2>essen zero, so that the extent a team doesn't resign

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<v Speaker 2>a player chooses to trade a player, of course that

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<v Speaker 2>player goes to another team. The purpose of the system

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<v Speaker 2>is ultimately to create competition throughout the league. And from

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<v Speaker 2>that standpoint, I think the system is working incredibly well.

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<v Speaker 2>And they pointed to you know, the league's had eight

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<v Speaker 2>different champions over the last eight years, more parody throughout

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<v Speaker 2>the league, which he has been speaking about repeatedly, I

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<v Speaker 2>mean for years at this point.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>So I just find it interesting because I feel like

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<v Speaker 2>the kind of conventional wisdom about this stuff is that, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>this is not going as the players anticipated, as fans anticipated,

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<v Speaker 2>as agents anticipated, as front office is anticipated. And here

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<v Speaker 2>Adam Silver is out saying, no, this is going exactly

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<v Speaker 2>as this is exactly what we had in mind. So

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it's like we are not that far away,

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<v Speaker 2>unbelievably from another round of collective bargaining negotiations. The CBA

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<v Speaker 2>is supposed to run through twenty nine to thirty, but

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<v Speaker 2>either side can opt out after the twenty eight twenty

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<v Speaker 2>nine season. And I'm going to go out on a

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<v Speaker 2>limb and say the players are probably going to opt

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<v Speaker 2>out after the twenty eight twenty nine season. Yeah. So

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<v Speaker 2>I talked about this with our friend Dan Favallei the

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<v Speaker 2>other day about like kind of like what what can

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<v Speaker 2>they fix, what should they fix? What will they fix?

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<v Speaker 2>Like what where do you stand? Do you think the

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<v Speaker 2>second Apron as it's currently con you know, the current

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<v Speaker 2>rules in place for the second Apron, Do you think

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<v Speaker 2>they're working well, they're working as intended and that we

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<v Speaker 2>should just be fine with the way that things are

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<v Speaker 2>right now, or do you think there are things that

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<v Speaker 2>need to be improved about, you know, to avoid situations

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<v Speaker 2>where the Boston Celtics feel like they don't want to

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<v Speaker 2>keep Jalen Brown anymore because he's on a thirty five

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<v Speaker 2>percent max deal, right, So.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it depends on the motivation. Like the answer

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<v Speaker 1>to that question depends on the motivation. If you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the league has, as you said, just hammered the home

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<v Speaker 1>the point that they haven't had a repeat champion for

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<v Speaker 1>eight years, and they see that as an enormous asset.

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<v Speaker 1>So if we look at it through that perspective, then yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's working, right if we agree with that premise. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if I do agree with that premise though,

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<v Speaker 1>Like is it exciting, Yeah, to a certain extent, absolutely,

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<v Speaker 1>But I also think there's value in having a team

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<v Speaker 1>that suddenly becomes a dynasty, a team that wins back

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<v Speaker 1>to back or back to back to back. I mean, look,

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00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:52.200
<v Speaker 1>that's that's special. Like at three peat, we've we've seen

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<v Speaker 1>them before and they stand out over the course of

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<v Speaker 1>NBA history. So if you were asking me, who is

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<v Speaker 1>it four Like, for the business side of things, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's working like a charm and like for the variety

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<v Speaker 1>of it all. Absolutely, is it working in the hand

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<v Speaker 1>in the within the framework of giving teams a reasonable

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<v Speaker 1>chance to maintain roster continuity. Absolutely not. Then it's dreadful

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, like you also said, in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>just keeping players around, it's so difficult to do that

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<v Speaker 1>because this is something that you and I have been

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<v Speaker 1>harping on for years, the extension limit. Like, here's my

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<v Speaker 1>overall issue, and it's probably not like immediately directed towards

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<v Speaker 1>the second Apron, but it does tie into it. If

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<v Speaker 1>you are changing the way free agency works, if you're

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<v Speaker 1>changing the way the draft lottery works, if you're making

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<v Speaker 1>trades more difficult to complete, the three pillars of roster

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<v Speaker 1>construction are then suddenly dramatically altered, and so you have

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<v Speaker 1>to adjust to that on the fly. While also, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>keeping in mind there's now a second Apron restriction applied

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<v Speaker 1>if you get over a certain financial limit, which means

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<v Speaker 1>you can't do Deadley squad. So it's I don't look

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<v Speaker 1>at this current financial development from the league as a

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<v Speaker 1>particularly good thing because I think it has forced the

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<v Speaker 1>hands in terms of like what you can do from

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<v Speaker 1>a roster construction perspective. Like if if I were to

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<v Speaker 1>be hired as a general manager for an NBA team

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<v Speaker 1>right now, I would come in and I would be

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<v Speaker 1>able to I would be able to scout, sure, but

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<v Speaker 1>I wouldn't be able to say, oh, yeah, we can

389
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<v Speaker 1>anticipate a certain quality of player in the draft because

390
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<v Speaker 1>I can drop way down now regardless of what happens.

391
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<v Speaker 1>I can go in and say, well, I want to

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<v Speaker 1>conduct a couple of trades, but oh no, I'm over

393
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<v Speaker 1>the second apron. So I can't really do anything. Like

394
00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:03.839
<v Speaker 1>I'm really limited here. I can say, wow, I want

395
00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.599
<v Speaker 1>to be a big player in free agency, but free

396
00:23:05.640 --> 00:23:09.000
<v Speaker 1>agency has more or less died. I can say, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to keep one of my players who's on

398
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<v Speaker 1>a sweetheart deal, but I actually want to be able

399
00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:15.799
<v Speaker 1>to pay him reasonable money. Oh fuck, I can't do

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<v Speaker 1>that because there's a one hundred and forty percent limit.

401
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<v Speaker 1>It's my hands, in other words, have become so dramatically

402
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<v Speaker 1>tied that it when Adam Silver says, you know, you

403
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<v Speaker 1>have to gauge it between you know, basketball and business,

404
00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:37.880
<v Speaker 1>he's not wrong. But I absolutely firmly believe it's leaning

405
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<v Speaker 1>so far into the business side now that the basketball

406
00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:44.559
<v Speaker 1>side has become a little bit forgotten. So if you're

407
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<v Speaker 1>so through that perspective, my answer is going to be no,

408
00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:50.079
<v Speaker 1>I don't think it's working out like I think it's

409
00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:52.359
<v Speaker 1>working out to the extent that they want it to

410
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<v Speaker 1>work out. But I don't like it from a basketball perspective.

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<v Speaker 2>No, Yeah, I think I'm right there with you. I mean,

412
00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:04.680
<v Speaker 2>as funny as the as the you know and Brown

413
00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:08.359
<v Speaker 2>trade and the reaction to it is, you know, it

414
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<v Speaker 2>does feel like you should at least be able to

415
00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:16.000
<v Speaker 2>justify your moves. There should be some on court justification

416
00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:17.640
<v Speaker 2>for it. I mean this, I would argue this is

417
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<v Speaker 2>not the most egregious move that the Celtics have made

418
00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:25.400
<v Speaker 2>for financial reasons. I mean trading Drew Holliday for Anthony

419
00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:30.039
<v Speaker 2>Simons last year straight up. I don't think definitely didn't

420
00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:31.359
<v Speaker 2>get first round picks. I think it was just a

421
00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:33.599
<v Speaker 2>straight up trade. I don't think any picks changed hands.

422
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:36.839
<v Speaker 2>Like they did it because Anthony Simons was earning less

423
00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.000
<v Speaker 2>money and it helped them get under the luxury tax.

424
00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:42.440
<v Speaker 2>But they're doing that to a team that had won

425
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:45.720
<v Speaker 2>a championship a year ago. Yeah, Like, and I get

426
00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:48.960
<v Speaker 2>you know, the Celtics took advantage of a very unique

427
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:51.240
<v Speaker 2>window that there was the one year like phase in

428
00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:54.000
<v Speaker 2>of the new CBA where the second apron stuff hadn't

429
00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:56.559
<v Speaker 2>gone into full effect yet, so they that's when they

430
00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:58.759
<v Speaker 2>got Drue, That's when they got Christops. And I get

431
00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:01.359
<v Speaker 2>that you don't want that team to stay together forever,

432
00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:04.920
<v Speaker 2>because that team could not have existed had they just

433
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:08.880
<v Speaker 2>phased in the second apron right away. But I mean,

434
00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:13.480
<v Speaker 2>I just I worry about, you know, the health of

435
00:25:13.559 --> 00:25:17.759
<v Speaker 2>the league and the ability to create a new generation

436
00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:24.759
<v Speaker 2>of fans. Yeah, if they you know, if teams continue

437
00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:28.920
<v Speaker 2>to make moves that are just so obviously financially driven

438
00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:34.240
<v Speaker 2>and don't it's hard to justify from a basketball perspective.

439
00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:39.359
<v Speaker 2>I don't know how you get young kids into those

440
00:25:39.400 --> 00:25:42.480
<v Speaker 2>teams or like make them die hard fans of those teams,

441
00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:46.599
<v Speaker 2>make them lifelong fans of those teams, because I mean,

442
00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:48.680
<v Speaker 2>think about how many kids right now are in the

443
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:52.079
<v Speaker 2>Boston area are super pissed about the Jalen Brown trade.

444
00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:57.119
<v Speaker 2>And so that I think is my big concern about

445
00:25:57.160 --> 00:25:59.799
<v Speaker 2>the system in general. Like I do think it went

446
00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:03.279
<v Speaker 2>too far. I can understand the reasoning behind it. I

447
00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:08.720
<v Speaker 2>think there are some relatively easy fixes that at least

448
00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:13.599
<v Speaker 2>could reduce the pain without eliminating it outright. But no,

449
00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:16.279
<v Speaker 2>I think it comes down to the question of like

450
00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:22.319
<v Speaker 2>the NBA, to me, the most distinct eras of NBA

451
00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:25.759
<v Speaker 2>history are defined by dynasties, or at least by like

452
00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:30.880
<v Speaker 2>great rivalries. So you've got you know, I mean, obviously

453
00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:35.519
<v Speaker 2>Russell Wilt back in the day Magic Bird, Lebron and

454
00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:38.240
<v Speaker 2>the Pistons or not Lebron, MJ and the Pistons, and

455
00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:41.039
<v Speaker 2>then MJ and the Jazz later and just MJ destroying

456
00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:44.839
<v Speaker 2>the entire league in the nineties. You have the Heatles,

457
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:48.200
<v Speaker 2>you have you know, the the two thousand and eight Celtics,

458
00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:53.519
<v Speaker 2>you have Lebron, the Wars, Shacks, Lakers. Yeah, I mean

459
00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:57.799
<v Speaker 2>so like those, those are the even the Duncan Spurs

460
00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:00.319
<v Speaker 2>and the mid two thousands like those, those are the

461
00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:05.279
<v Speaker 2>teams that we remember. And the NBA system is making

462
00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:10.240
<v Speaker 2>it difficult, if not impossible, for teams to build sustainable dynasties.

463
00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.960
<v Speaker 2>And you can argue like, okay, that's fine, because that means,

464
00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:18.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, to Adam Silver's point, like when teams are

465
00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:21.400
<v Speaker 2>trading stars, the stars aren't going out of the NBA,

466
00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:24.160
<v Speaker 2>They're just going to different markets. So maybe you know,

467
00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:29.160
<v Speaker 2>every market's loss is another market's gain, but you're still

468
00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:32.359
<v Speaker 2>not getting you stars aren't going to go to every

469
00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:35.240
<v Speaker 2>single market, like no star is demanding a trade to

470
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:38.480
<v Speaker 2>the Sacramento Kings, with all due respect to the Sacramento Kings.

471
00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:43.359
<v Speaker 2>So I don't know that it's necessarily accomplishing the goal

472
00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:48.640
<v Speaker 2>of parity, and I worry it's just undermining the league's

473
00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:55.319
<v Speaker 2>ability to, you know, have the next memorable, iconic team.

474
00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.720
<v Speaker 2>We're seeing it with Okac right now. It's only going

475
00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:01.440
<v Speaker 2>to get worse with them. But you know, they effectively

476
00:28:01.480 --> 00:28:05.279
<v Speaker 2>his salary dump Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this offseason,

477
00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:08.119
<v Speaker 2>got a couple second rounds picks back. But you know,

478
00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:11.400
<v Speaker 2>you can't justify that from a basketball perspective, like we

479
00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:14.519
<v Speaker 2>don't want these two guys on our team anymore. It's

480
00:28:14.599 --> 00:28:17.720
<v Speaker 2>just like we had Chet Holgern and Jalen Williams going

481
00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:20.960
<v Speaker 2>on max contracts now and you know, Shake Gilges Alexander

482
00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:23.920
<v Speaker 2>is starting a super max in twenty seven to twenty eight.

483
00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:26.759
<v Speaker 2>That's a twenty million dollar raise for him. Like they're

484
00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:29.720
<v Speaker 2>gonna and case on Wallace if he doesn't sign an extension,

485
00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.480
<v Speaker 2>he's going to be a restricted free agent next summer,

486
00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:34.240
<v Speaker 2>Like this was the tip. This summer was the tip

487
00:28:34.279 --> 00:28:36.960
<v Speaker 2>of the iceberg for the Thunder and you know, they

488
00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:39.559
<v Speaker 2>managed to retain Isaiah Hart and sign for now, but

489
00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:43.119
<v Speaker 2>like the pain is only going to continue for them

490
00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:46.400
<v Speaker 2>moving forward. And then we see what we saw with

491
00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:50.799
<v Speaker 2>Victor webbin Yama's extension, where he bypasses the chance of

492
00:28:50.839 --> 00:28:54.079
<v Speaker 2>a thirty percent max uh decides to only take the

493
00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:56.799
<v Speaker 2>twenty five percent max. You know, maybe he wouldn't have

494
00:28:56.839 --> 00:28:58.839
<v Speaker 2>played sixty five games, and maybe it's a non issue

495
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.000
<v Speaker 2>and he would have gotten the twenty five max either way.

496
00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.240
<v Speaker 2>But you know, if he plays sixty five games, he's

497
00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:05.720
<v Speaker 2>making an All NBA team or he's winning Defensive Player

498
00:29:05.720 --> 00:29:08.920
<v Speaker 2>of the Year, so you know, he he forfeited the

499
00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:12.759
<v Speaker 2>opportunity to earn an additional fifty million dollars for the

500
00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:16.680
<v Speaker 2>pursuit of, you know, additional financial flexibility for the Spurs

501
00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:20.240
<v Speaker 2>down the line. I think the NBA's point is that

502
00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:24.039
<v Speaker 2>players shouldn't have to bear that burden, like the system

503
00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:28.480
<v Speaker 2>is broken. If Victor Wimbanyama feels like he has to

504
00:29:28.519 --> 00:29:31.039
<v Speaker 2>take a twenty five percent max rather than a thirty

505
00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:35.079
<v Speaker 2>percent max because he's worth you know, he doesn't want

506
00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:38.359
<v Speaker 2>he knows he's got Steph Gassel and Dylan Harper on

507
00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:39.759
<v Speaker 2>his team as well, and those guys are going to

508
00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:41.200
<v Speaker 2>have to get paid at some point too, and he

509
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:46.160
<v Speaker 2>doesn't want the Spurs to have to choose between them.

510
00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:48.960
<v Speaker 1>And I think the framing here is important, right because

511
00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:52.000
<v Speaker 1>like when we say that the NBA is doing is no,

512
00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:56.119
<v Speaker 1>it's NBA ownership doing this against their own teams. I

513
00:29:56.119 --> 00:29:58.839
<v Speaker 1>think this is an important thing that we have to remember.

514
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:02.920
<v Speaker 1>Owners want this like owners want to be saved from themselves, right,

515
00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:05.599
<v Speaker 1>There's a reason they vote the way that they do,

516
00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:08.799
<v Speaker 1>and it's to save a buck. So I think it's

517
00:30:08.839 --> 00:30:11.880
<v Speaker 1>so important that when we frame it as the NBA

518
00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:16.200
<v Speaker 1>is doing, I just think it's worth remembering it's actually

519
00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:19.000
<v Speaker 1>a different type of war we're talking about. It's ownership

520
00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:24.319
<v Speaker 1>versus you know, leadership like or management. Sorry, like, it's

521
00:30:24.519 --> 00:30:28.319
<v Speaker 1>it's owners versus general managers or team presidents. It's like

522
00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:31.559
<v Speaker 1>the league is just they're working for the owners as is,

523
00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:34.279
<v Speaker 1>Like if the owners say jump, the league will ask

524
00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:37.480
<v Speaker 1>how high? Like that's that's where it is. So I

525
00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:39.920
<v Speaker 1>just think it's so important to remember that whenever we

526
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:44.200
<v Speaker 1>hear owners come out and say stuff like well, it's

527
00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:49.400
<v Speaker 1>really difficult to build a sustainable roster under these circumstances,

528
00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:54.640
<v Speaker 1>you fucking voted for it because you wanted to save money.

529
00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:59.759
<v Speaker 1>So I just like, I just I don't want to

530
00:30:59.799 --> 00:31:04.240
<v Speaker 1>hear owners come out and try to explain like shut up,

531
00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:08.759
<v Speaker 1>like shut the fuck up, honestly, because that's just that

532
00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:13.079
<v Speaker 1>is so ridiculous. Like you're the ones actually going in

533
00:31:13.559 --> 00:31:16.440
<v Speaker 1>and asking for these changes to be made, and then

534
00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:18.640
<v Speaker 1>you're standing there at the press conference a couple months

535
00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:21.440
<v Speaker 1>later with your arms shrucking like, oh, I don't know

536
00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:24.119
<v Speaker 1>what happened these rules?

537
00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:28.240
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, I mean they they come into every

538
00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:33.079
<v Speaker 2>round of negotiations asking for an actual hardcap, yeah, and

539
00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:36.519
<v Speaker 2>they effectively won one with the second apron. I mean

540
00:31:36.839 --> 00:31:39.359
<v Speaker 2>a couple teams have gone over it, but you know,

541
00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:43.079
<v Speaker 2>most teams do appear to be treating it as a hardcap.

542
00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:47.640
<v Speaker 2>I think some teams are intentionally using the non taxpayer

543
00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:50.000
<v Speaker 2>EMLI so they are hardcapped at the first statement, or

544
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:53.039
<v Speaker 2>they're using the taxpayer EMIL so they're hardcap so they

545
00:31:53.079 --> 00:31:57.480
<v Speaker 2>have no ability to go over it. But yeah, I mean,

546
00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:01.079
<v Speaker 2>it's it is very funny to see you. So I'm

547
00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:03.880
<v Speaker 2>so I'm interested in terms of like how we fix

548
00:32:03.920 --> 00:32:06.640
<v Speaker 2>this because Brad Stevens gives his press conference where he's,

549
00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:09.039
<v Speaker 2>you know, kind of explaining the rationale behind the Jalen

550
00:32:09.079 --> 00:32:12.079
<v Speaker 2>Brown trade, and at some point he said more or less,

551
00:32:12.440 --> 00:32:14.519
<v Speaker 2>you know, if there was a rule in place where

552
00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:17.440
<v Speaker 2>Jalen Brown, even though he's on a thirty five percent

553
00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:20.440
<v Speaker 2>max because we drafted him, he only counts as twenty

554
00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:22.880
<v Speaker 2>five percent or thirty percent of the salary cap, we

555
00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.960
<v Speaker 2>might not be having this press conference. He might still

556
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:27.559
<v Speaker 2>be on the team. And I've seen that idea floated

557
00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:30.440
<v Speaker 2>a couple times throughout the years. What do you think

558
00:32:30.440 --> 00:32:32.880
<v Speaker 2>about that as a potential fix or do you have

559
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:37.240
<v Speaker 2>any other ideas of like how how we could fix

560
00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:40.200
<v Speaker 2>this to the point where teams do not have to

561
00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:43.680
<v Speaker 2>completely blow their cores apart, but we still accomplish the

562
00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:45.880
<v Speaker 2>goal of you know, a team can't have a four

563
00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:48.240
<v Speaker 2>hundred million dollars pay roll and just hoard all the

564
00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:53.160
<v Speaker 2>talent and still maintain the put at NBA's push toward

565
00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:58.599
<v Speaker 2>parody without like quite the drastic side effects that we're

566
00:32:58.599 --> 00:32:59.240
<v Speaker 2>seeing right now.

567
00:32:59.319 --> 00:33:01.880
<v Speaker 1>Right So one of the solutions, and I brought this

568
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:06.440
<v Speaker 1>up during the entirety of our podcast for the past

569
00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:11.400
<v Speaker 1>what ten years, ten plus years. Is that you know,

570
00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:13.839
<v Speaker 1>the whole idea that you are eligible for thirty five

571
00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:18.400
<v Speaker 1>percent after your tenth season is asinine. It's absolutely ridiculous.

572
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:21.319
<v Speaker 1>Oh I'm going to go out there and pay a

573
00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:24.200
<v Speaker 1>thirty two year old player thirty five percent of my

574
00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:29.359
<v Speaker 1>salary cap for four years? Why why he's declining, He's

575
00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:33.559
<v Speaker 1>not going to get better, if anything. Reserve the thirty

576
00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:36.880
<v Speaker 1>five percent cap for when they're in their prime, like

577
00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:41.039
<v Speaker 1>the seven to ten right. And that's the thing, Like,

578
00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:45.000
<v Speaker 1>I'm not going to argue against players earning money because again,

579
00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:48.960
<v Speaker 1>it comes down to billionaires versus millionaires, and I'm just

580
00:33:49.160 --> 00:33:51.039
<v Speaker 1>never You're never going to find me on the side

581
00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:55.039
<v Speaker 1>of the billionaires. So I'm not going to sit here

582
00:33:55.079 --> 00:33:57.680
<v Speaker 1>and say players shouldn't have their money. But what I

583
00:33:57.720 --> 00:34:00.640
<v Speaker 1>am saying is they need to be structured different like

584
00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:03.160
<v Speaker 1>Brad Stevens's idea of basically saying, hey, if this is

585
00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:06.960
<v Speaker 1>our homegrown guy, and we can pay the difference, but

586
00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:10.800
<v Speaker 1>it's outside of the salary cap. Hell yeah, yeah go,

587
00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:15.119
<v Speaker 1>because then we won't have like us analysts and pundits,

588
00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:18.360
<v Speaker 1>we don't have to take hold or take into account

589
00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:22.519
<v Speaker 1>what Jalen Brown truly earns that doesn't matter to us.

590
00:34:23.079 --> 00:34:26.760
<v Speaker 1>What we have to analyze is like the salary cap number.

591
00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:28.960
<v Speaker 1>That's it. Then it's none of our business. If he's

592
00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:33.920
<v Speaker 1>earning ten percent more, doesn't matter to us. So I

593
00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:38.199
<v Speaker 1>think that's a smart way of doing it. By again,

594
00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:40.719
<v Speaker 1>the league will find every excuse or the league owners

595
00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:44.119
<v Speaker 1>see now I did it. The owners will find every

596
00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:48.760
<v Speaker 1>single argument that they can to avoid going in going

597
00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:51.039
<v Speaker 1>in that route, because at the end of the day,

598
00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:54.199
<v Speaker 1>it means, oh, still might pay my guy more and

599
00:34:54.280 --> 00:35:01.760
<v Speaker 1>I don't want to. There's also this thing where now

600
00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:04.800
<v Speaker 1>that we've seen that the salary cap is not climbing

601
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:08.480
<v Speaker 1>as much as we thought, I do think the cap

602
00:35:08.519 --> 00:35:11.079
<v Speaker 1>percent just just just follows suit. So if you sign

603
00:35:11.159 --> 00:35:13.639
<v Speaker 1>for forty five percent of the cap, it just can

604
00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:16.519
<v Speaker 1>never exceed that. So a player's salary will always be

605
00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:19.559
<v Speaker 1>capped at thirty five percent. So when the when the

606
00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:22.960
<v Speaker 1>salary is announced or the new contract is announced, yeah,

607
00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:25.840
<v Speaker 1>sure we can get into that, but it comes with

608
00:35:25.880 --> 00:35:29.239
<v Speaker 1>the caveat that if the league's salary cap doesn't increase

609
00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:32.119
<v Speaker 1>to the level that we thought, while that player's salary

610
00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:34.599
<v Speaker 1>is going to decrease down to like thirty five So

611
00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:37.199
<v Speaker 1>it can't be thirty five point one, It can't be

612
00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:40.280
<v Speaker 1>thirty six, it can't be thirty seven point five. It

613
00:35:40.519 --> 00:35:44.760
<v Speaker 1>always has to be thirty five. Like, just adjust it

614
00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:49.440
<v Speaker 1>that way. That's a like. But again we're that's it's

615
00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:52.079
<v Speaker 1>kind of splitting hairs a little bit because that how

616
00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:53.760
<v Speaker 1>much how big of a difference does that.

617
00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:55.679
<v Speaker 2>Make at the end of the day.

618
00:35:54.920 --> 00:36:01.239
<v Speaker 1>I don't know my personal favorite, but again, pen liaicning players,

619
00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:03.519
<v Speaker 1>and that's why I'm not going to say that that

620
00:36:04.280 --> 00:36:07.280
<v Speaker 1>it should be this, But I just think from a

621
00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:12.599
<v Speaker 1>nerdy salary cap general manager perspective, having the max contract

622
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:15.800
<v Speaker 1>capped at all times at twenty five percent would be

623
00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:20.239
<v Speaker 1>chef's kiss because that means you can carry at least

624
00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:24.000
<v Speaker 1>three guys who are who are superstars for example, Like

625
00:36:24.039 --> 00:36:26.719
<v Speaker 1>you can devote seventy five percent of your salary cap

626
00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:29.880
<v Speaker 1>to three stars. That shouldn't be a problem. You can

627
00:36:29.880 --> 00:36:31.440
<v Speaker 1>fill out the rest of the roster on for twenty

628
00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:36.239
<v Speaker 1>five percent. I don't think that's out of line, but

629
00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:37.760
<v Speaker 1>the players would never go for it.

630
00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:42.920
<v Speaker 2>Right, So I want to revisit a couple of the

631
00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:46.800
<v Speaker 2>ideas you brought up. So I'm the you know, you

632
00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:51.039
<v Speaker 2>a guy you draft is thirty five percent, you can

633
00:36:51.079 --> 00:36:52.880
<v Speaker 2>earn thirty five percent of the only counts to twenty

634
00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:55.840
<v Speaker 2>five percent. I think the pushback that I've seen to that,

635
00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:58.440
<v Speaker 2>and I actually kind of agree with that, is that

636
00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:03.159
<v Speaker 2>why does it only apply to players that you draft?

637
00:37:03.360 --> 00:37:06.760
<v Speaker 2>Like why could the Indiana Pacers not do this for

638
00:37:07.159 --> 00:37:10.039
<v Speaker 2>Tyrese Haliburton or the Thunder couldn't do it for get

639
00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:13.000
<v Speaker 2>Shake Gilgess, Alexander or you know, you could say like

640
00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:15.480
<v Speaker 2>if you acquire them during their rookie.

641
00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:17.880
<v Speaker 1>Contract, to say that if you get if you get

642
00:37:17.880 --> 00:37:20.159
<v Speaker 1>them within the rookie scale, that should work. That's sure.

643
00:37:20.280 --> 00:37:24.000
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, But like I I I don't even know, you

644
00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:27.679
<v Speaker 2>know what if you acquire like the Lakers with Luca,

645
00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:30.440
<v Speaker 2>they got them after his rookie scale deal, why can't

646
00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:34.320
<v Speaker 2>they you know, have that same benefit. So I think

647
00:37:34.360 --> 00:37:38.000
<v Speaker 2>that's a fair pushback is like, why why are you

648
00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:43.679
<v Speaker 2>kind of favoring the draft as the preferred method of

649
00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:47.320
<v Speaker 2>team building if you are creating this exception for guys

650
00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:49.480
<v Speaker 2>that you draft or four guys that you acquire earlier

651
00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:52.559
<v Speaker 2>in their careers, especially when you just turned the draft

652
00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:55.079
<v Speaker 2>into even more of a crapshoot than it already worked.

653
00:37:55.119 --> 00:37:57.360
<v Speaker 2>With this new lottery system.

654
00:37:57.559 --> 00:38:00.920
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, no, you're right, and that that's it's a completely

655
00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:03.039
<v Speaker 1>reasonable Like I don't think we're going to find a

656
00:38:03.079 --> 00:38:09.679
<v Speaker 1>solution that just is the perfect golden way for everyone.

657
00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:12.239
<v Speaker 1>Like I think regardless of what we figure out, they

658
00:38:12.280 --> 00:38:16.119
<v Speaker 1>are going to be drawbacks to some extent, like the

659
00:38:16.119 --> 00:38:18.800
<v Speaker 1>perfect solution doesn't exist. But I do agree that that's

660
00:38:18.920 --> 00:38:20.440
<v Speaker 1>that's one drawback for sure.

661
00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:25.280
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. But to your larger point, like Donovan Mitchell, I

662
00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:28.639
<v Speaker 2>think is a good flashpoint for this discussion because he

663
00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:32.320
<v Speaker 2>signed a four year full max twenty or two hundred

664
00:38:32.360 --> 00:38:36.360
<v Speaker 2>and seventy two point eight million dollars nine. Actually two

665
00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:39.360
<v Speaker 2>seventy two point nine is the projection. Yeah, And to

666
00:38:39.400 --> 00:38:42.599
<v Speaker 2>your point, the estimates on spot track, and you know,

667
00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:45.159
<v Speaker 2>these are very very rough estimates because we don't know what.

668
00:38:45.159 --> 00:38:48.840
<v Speaker 1>Forty seventy and they have I know where you're going here, yep. H.

669
00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:53.239
<v Speaker 2>So I do actually like the idea of capping arrays

670
00:38:53.320 --> 00:38:56.880
<v Speaker 2>at the percentage that the cap increases. That does seem

671
00:38:57.119 --> 00:39:01.920
<v Speaker 2>you know, again it's relatively small potatoes, but every dollar matters,

672
00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:06.039
<v Speaker 2>especially you know, teams are pocket watching more than ever,

673
00:39:06.360 --> 00:39:11.519
<v Speaker 2>So I think that is a reasonable compromise but I mean,

674
00:39:11.559 --> 00:39:13.840
<v Speaker 2>I think he's a good example of like why this

675
00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:16.519
<v Speaker 2>is a discussion in the first place, because when he

676
00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:18.880
<v Speaker 2>as soon as that came, as soon as I saw

677
00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:22.719
<v Speaker 2>the sham's bomb there, my first instinct was not good

678
00:39:22.719 --> 00:39:27.679
<v Speaker 2>for the Calves. It was like, ooh uh oh. I

679
00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:30.159
<v Speaker 2>was planning on writing about it this later this summer.

680
00:39:30.159 --> 00:39:31.800
<v Speaker 2>I didn't think it was going to come through so quickly,

681
00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:34.400
<v Speaker 2>but I was planning on writing on like, should the

682
00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:36.639
<v Speaker 2>Calves give him a full thirty five percent? Are we

683
00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:39.519
<v Speaker 2>sure that's a good idea? And they were kind of

684
00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:43.199
<v Speaker 2>stuck because if you don't give him that, then he's

685
00:39:43.239 --> 00:39:45.239
<v Speaker 2>a free agent in twenty twenty seven, and we know

686
00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:48.079
<v Speaker 2>what the entire storyline around the Calves all season is,

687
00:39:48.599 --> 00:39:50.960
<v Speaker 2>what's going to happen with Donovan Mitchell. Yeah, and especially

688
00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:54.519
<v Speaker 2>as you're pursuing Lebron James and free agency, you know

689
00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:58.880
<v Speaker 2>that would be a clear negative. I would think in

690
00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:02.000
<v Speaker 2>your pitch is like you want to come and deal

691
00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:05.039
<v Speaker 2>with this distraction all season. So they kind of had

692
00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:09.519
<v Speaker 2>to do this, but you know, should Donovan Mitchell have

693
00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:16.400
<v Speaker 2>been willing to take less? Arguably? Right? I mean, but

694
00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:20.039
<v Speaker 2>that's that's just puts these players in such a crappy

695
00:40:20.119 --> 00:40:25.480
<v Speaker 2>situation where it's like you either take less and you

696
00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:27.840
<v Speaker 2>know you get to play that I care more about

697
00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:31.000
<v Speaker 2>winning card, or you don't take you take the full

698
00:40:31.000 --> 00:40:33.280
<v Speaker 2>amount of money that you're eligible to earn based on

699
00:40:33.320 --> 00:40:36.719
<v Speaker 2>your years of experience, and then you find yourself in

700
00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:38.199
<v Speaker 2>Jalen Brown shoes in a couple of years.

701
00:40:38.280 --> 00:40:42.880
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Yeah, because again then we come we're coming back

702
00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:45.760
<v Speaker 1>to that debate, right, like the players should earn or

703
00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:48.519
<v Speaker 1>get what they earn, and like like they should be

704
00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:51.000
<v Speaker 1>able to get the full bang for the buck. And

705
00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:54.320
<v Speaker 1>because they're the public figures, they're the ones we're asking

706
00:40:54.400 --> 00:41:00.440
<v Speaker 1>questions about, you know, financial sacrifice, Whereas, let's be real,

707
00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:04.519
<v Speaker 1>it's probably the owners we should be asking that question about, like, oh,

708
00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:08.519
<v Speaker 1>are you not worth one hundred billion dollars and you're trying,

709
00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:11.360
<v Speaker 1>you want you want to make sure that you get

710
00:41:11.360 --> 00:41:13.760
<v Speaker 1>your luxury tax pay out from different teams so you

711
00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:18.199
<v Speaker 1>get twelve million dollars. Okay, okay, Like, isn't that small

712
00:41:18.239 --> 00:41:20.880
<v Speaker 1>potatoes for you? But like no, because again that's the

713
00:41:20.920 --> 00:41:24.880
<v Speaker 1>problem with ownership. It's they're looking at it as a loss,

714
00:41:25.159 --> 00:41:27.199
<v Speaker 1>instill looking at it as oh, I'm going to field

715
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:30.800
<v Speaker 1>a competitive team. Like, my biggest gripe with NBA owners

716
00:41:31.920 --> 00:41:35.320
<v Speaker 1>is that they're just not looking like far enough down

717
00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:39.719
<v Speaker 1>the road, Like approaching this as a business is fine

718
00:41:39.760 --> 00:41:42.519
<v Speaker 1>to a certain extent, but just let me paint you

719
00:41:42.760 --> 00:41:46.000
<v Speaker 1>a picture here. So I'm going to use the team

720
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:48.920
<v Speaker 1>that we have crapped on the most during the ten

721
00:41:49.000 --> 00:41:52.000
<v Speaker 1>years we've had this podcast for financial reasons, The Bulls.

722
00:41:52.239 --> 00:41:54.360
<v Speaker 1>Let's take the Bulls, sure, And I think they're the

723
00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:58.320
<v Speaker 1>best example because they earned an absolute shit ton of

724
00:41:58.360 --> 00:42:02.079
<v Speaker 1>money just having all those nights right like from the

725
00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:06.719
<v Speaker 1>six championships, like oh it's ninety ninety two night, Oh

726
00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:09.000
<v Speaker 1>it's ninety ninety one night, and so on and so

727
00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:12.039
<v Speaker 1>on in Legacy Night and everything, Like they have earned

728
00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:18.280
<v Speaker 1>millions upon millions upon millions of dollars just by promoting

729
00:42:18.719 --> 00:42:24.239
<v Speaker 1>previous seasons, Like that's a fact, like merchandising and everything. Now,

730
00:42:24.840 --> 00:42:27.840
<v Speaker 1>they're so scared of their own shadow in terms of

731
00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:31.159
<v Speaker 1>like going into the luxury attacks that they're never going

732
00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:33.719
<v Speaker 1>to give themselves a chance or an opportunity to find

733
00:42:33.760 --> 00:42:37.920
<v Speaker 1>themselves in like a new rotation of this where they

734
00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:40.400
<v Speaker 1>can go in and potentially win a couple of championships

735
00:42:41.679 --> 00:42:44.440
<v Speaker 1>because and then you go, let's say Caleb Williams or

736
00:42:44.519 --> 00:42:47.559
<v Speaker 1>Kay Williams, Caleb Wilson of course is going to be

737
00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:51.079
<v Speaker 1>the next greatest of all time and he automatically wins

738
00:42:51.119 --> 00:42:53.800
<v Speaker 1>the three titles. How much money do you think that

739
00:42:53.880 --> 00:42:58.079
<v Speaker 1>team can can spurn over the course of the next

740
00:42:58.199 --> 00:43:01.119
<v Speaker 1>thirty thirty five years off of those three titles that

741
00:43:01.199 --> 00:43:04.239
<v Speaker 1>Caleb Wilson won them. I guarantee you it's a lot,

742
00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:08.280
<v Speaker 1>and it's probably more than what owners save during that

743
00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:11.280
<v Speaker 1>luxury tax thing where they go, oh, I want that

744
00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:13.800
<v Speaker 1>twelve million dollar payout at the end of the year.

745
00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:18.920
<v Speaker 1>So I'm just I'm not pissed at players for taking

746
00:43:18.960 --> 00:43:23.079
<v Speaker 1>what they they've earned. I'm pissed at ownership for sitting

747
00:43:23.079 --> 00:43:26.039
<v Speaker 1>there and saying, well, I just want to win the

748
00:43:26.119 --> 00:43:29.840
<v Speaker 1>financial title. I don't want to pay the luxury tax.

749
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:32.440
<v Speaker 1>I got into this business to make money and not

750
00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:35.480
<v Speaker 1>to provide a competitive advantage to the team that I'm

751
00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:38.960
<v Speaker 1>operating like. We can talk shit about Mark Cuban all

752
00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:41.400
<v Speaker 1>day long if we want to, and he's certainly got

753
00:43:41.519 --> 00:43:45.320
<v Speaker 1>warts on him, but I will give that dude this.

754
00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:49.559
<v Speaker 1>He was always basketball first when he came to the

755
00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:53.760
<v Speaker 1>money part. Always and like, I think the league has

756
00:43:53.800 --> 00:43:57.679
<v Speaker 1>become so short on some of those guys in terms

757
00:43:57.719 --> 00:44:01.559
<v Speaker 1>of ownership that that's the biggest hurdle we're looking at

758
00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:02.039
<v Speaker 1>right now.

759
00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:08.840
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, I completely agree with that, right.

760
00:44:09.000 --> 00:44:12.719
<v Speaker 1>All right, Well that's closed. So what was it? The

761
00:44:12.760 --> 00:44:15.320
<v Speaker 1>way we wrap this up is owners get better? Yeah,

762
00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:16.679
<v Speaker 1>because that's gonna happen.

763
00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:18.679
<v Speaker 2>Right now.

764
00:44:18.760 --> 00:44:21.320
<v Speaker 1>But we're gonna take a commercial break and then we're

765
00:44:21.320 --> 00:44:23.480
<v Speaker 1>gonna come back with another little Adam.

766
00:44:23.199 --> 00:44:26.840
<v Speaker 2>Silver tip about NBA Europe, all.

767
00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:33.239
<v Speaker 1>Right, bright so yeah. In that same press conference, Adam

768
00:44:33.239 --> 00:44:36.320
<v Speaker 1>Silver also talked about NBA Europe, which is a bounce

769
00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:40.639
<v Speaker 1>tip off in twenty seven eight. And again we're we're

770
00:44:40.679 --> 00:44:44.559
<v Speaker 1>hearing all these great things about like there are more

771
00:44:44.719 --> 00:44:48.599
<v Speaker 1>cities interested in joining this league than they actually even

772
00:44:48.679 --> 00:44:53.519
<v Speaker 1>asked bits from. And it's it's Mark Tatum, who is,

773
00:44:53.960 --> 00:44:57.440
<v Speaker 1>you know, a deputy commissioner who's basically handling all of this.

774
00:44:58.159 --> 00:45:03.679
<v Speaker 1>I am, as a European and so intrigued about all

775
00:45:03.719 --> 00:45:06.039
<v Speaker 1>of this. And I'm not just intrigued from like from

776
00:45:06.079 --> 00:45:09.639
<v Speaker 1>a basketball perspective. I've intrigued in terms of like how

777
00:45:09.679 --> 00:45:13.239
<v Speaker 1>this is all going to work because there is significant

778
00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:18.480
<v Speaker 1>blow up potential attached to all of this. I've been

779
00:45:18.519 --> 00:45:22.880
<v Speaker 1>asking around quite a bit from my neck of the

780
00:45:22.880 --> 00:45:26.519
<v Speaker 1>woods over here, and it like, if I have to

781
00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:29.800
<v Speaker 1>put a rough percentage on it, it's like eighty percent

782
00:45:29.880 --> 00:45:35.559
<v Speaker 1>negative and like, really, yeah, this is not like viewed

783
00:45:35.800 --> 00:45:39.000
<v Speaker 1>that positively, and like there were some and I think

784
00:45:39.239 --> 00:45:42.320
<v Speaker 1>a year ago the percentage was very different. But as

785
00:45:42.320 --> 00:45:46.679
<v Speaker 1>we're getting closer and closer, I've sensed a shift. And

786
00:45:47.320 --> 00:45:49.800
<v Speaker 1>I'm not going to get into the political thing, but

787
00:45:49.880 --> 00:45:52.960
<v Speaker 1>I think, you know, the political current administration in the

788
00:45:53.039 --> 00:45:57.639
<v Speaker 1>US has also soured a lot of Europeans on basically

789
00:45:57.840 --> 00:46:01.599
<v Speaker 1>an American endeavor coming in and overtake a major sport

790
00:46:01.719 --> 00:46:04.360
<v Speaker 1>over here. That that is my guess, and that's what

791
00:46:04.400 --> 00:46:07.159
<v Speaker 1>I've heard from a couple of people, more than a

792
00:46:07.199 --> 00:46:11.719
<v Speaker 1>couple of people, to be completely transparent, but it's interesting

793
00:46:11.920 --> 00:46:15.920
<v Speaker 1>because what there's this whole thing about the FIBA angle

794
00:46:16.599 --> 00:46:20.840
<v Speaker 1>and the EuroLeague angle. Like the NBA and FEBA, they

795
00:46:20.920 --> 00:46:24.239
<v Speaker 1>have this great relationship. FIBA and euro League not a

796
00:46:24.239 --> 00:46:30.320
<v Speaker 1>great relationship there. And my guess is eventually, maybe not initially,

797
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:33.119
<v Speaker 1>but eventually it's going to be the euro League that's

798
00:46:33.159 --> 00:46:35.960
<v Speaker 1>going to be sort of replaced with NBA Europe, and

799
00:46:36.039 --> 00:46:39.960
<v Speaker 1>that is where I think that's the fear at least,

800
00:46:40.199 --> 00:46:42.119
<v Speaker 1>and that's the fear I see represented from a lot

801
00:46:42.159 --> 00:46:44.880
<v Speaker 1>of people over here, basically saying, look, if we have

802
00:46:44.960 --> 00:46:51.079
<v Speaker 1>to relinquish European tournaments and European competitions just to shoehorn

803
00:46:51.159 --> 00:46:54.679
<v Speaker 1>the NBA into this market, that's a bad thing. There

804
00:46:54.800 --> 00:46:58.000
<v Speaker 1>is a fear that these NBA Europe teams are going

805
00:46:58.039 --> 00:47:00.920
<v Speaker 1>to piel for young talent from local clubs, so the

806
00:47:00.960 --> 00:47:05.559
<v Speaker 1>local clubs just don't get any level of compensation.

807
00:47:05.079 --> 00:47:05.800
<v Speaker 2>For these players.

808
00:47:06.320 --> 00:47:09.719
<v Speaker 1>So there's a lot going on right now, and I

809
00:47:09.719 --> 00:47:14.280
<v Speaker 1>think the NBA right now are presenting things in such

810
00:47:14.280 --> 00:47:18.559
<v Speaker 1>an optimistic and positive view that I can be a

811
00:47:18.679 --> 00:47:23.039
<v Speaker 1>little concerned. Because every time I've interviewed Mark Tatum, I've

812
00:47:23.079 --> 00:47:26.199
<v Speaker 1>actually asked him about this, just in regards to like,

813
00:47:26.519 --> 00:47:30.119
<v Speaker 1>are you aware of like the European basketball traditions over here,

814
00:47:30.159 --> 00:47:33.159
<v Speaker 1>and like the respect that it requires, and like the

815
00:47:33.880 --> 00:47:37.280
<v Speaker 1>attention to detail that needs to be in mind here,

816
00:47:37.639 --> 00:47:40.519
<v Speaker 1>And while he gives me perfectly valid answers, I always

817
00:47:40.519 --> 00:47:44.880
<v Speaker 1>feel like it's sort of not that big of a priority.

818
00:47:44.280 --> 00:47:44.840
<v Speaker 2>For the league.

819
00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:52.039
<v Speaker 1>And Silver again in his press conference about this I'm

820
00:47:52.159 --> 00:47:57.079
<v Speaker 1>not sensing that the league is fully understanding of the

821
00:47:57.199 --> 00:47:59.920
<v Speaker 1>level of passion there is over here from European basket

822
00:48:00.079 --> 00:48:02.800
<v Speaker 1>ball fans, and that could worry me from like just

823
00:48:02.800 --> 00:48:07.360
<v Speaker 1>from the NBA europe League perspective, Like I know that

824
00:48:07.400 --> 00:48:09.400
<v Speaker 1>you don't don't necessarily have a big take on this,

825
00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:11.639
<v Speaker 1>because I'm guessing you're not going to follow and be

826
00:48:11.760 --> 00:48:15.719
<v Speaker 1>a eurable that much. But yeah, but I even so,

827
00:48:15.760 --> 00:48:17.559
<v Speaker 1>I just wanted to bring it up because I think

828
00:48:17.559 --> 00:48:20.480
<v Speaker 1>it's interesting that the league is just trying to present

829
00:48:20.559 --> 00:48:24.800
<v Speaker 1>this in a manner where I think it's almost what'ts

830
00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:29.239
<v Speaker 1>the framing I'm looking for here, it's it's almost laughably optimistic,

831
00:48:29.440 --> 00:48:31.000
<v Speaker 1>and like, I'm not saying it's not going to work,

832
00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:34.719
<v Speaker 1>but I think it would suit the league so much

833
00:48:34.880 --> 00:48:39.320
<v Speaker 1>to also speak to the European audience and say, hey, guys,

834
00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:43.119
<v Speaker 1>we actually hear you, we understand your concerns, and we're

835
00:48:43.159 --> 00:48:45.320
<v Speaker 1>going to try to meet them to the best of

836
00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:49.280
<v Speaker 1>our capabilities. But instead it's it's a lot of business lingo,

837
00:48:49.559 --> 00:48:52.599
<v Speaker 1>it's a lot of lawyer talk, and I don't think

838
00:48:52.599 --> 00:48:57.519
<v Speaker 1>that's going to make the product at all more interesting

839
00:48:58.320 --> 00:48:59.960
<v Speaker 1>over here from a lot of people.

840
00:49:01.719 --> 00:49:07.599
<v Speaker 2>That's interesting perspective. I mean it kind of seems to

841
00:49:07.639 --> 00:49:13.320
<v Speaker 2>fit with the larger idea that we just talked about,

842
00:49:13.360 --> 00:49:17.039
<v Speaker 2>where the NBA is like less focused on the product

843
00:49:17.559 --> 00:49:20.639
<v Speaker 2>than it is just making the line continue to go up. Yeah,

844
00:49:21.239 --> 00:49:25.079
<v Speaker 2>you know, I think like I would imagine owners are

845
00:49:25.119 --> 00:49:28.119
<v Speaker 2>pretty happy with Adam Silver overall because you know, the

846
00:49:28.199 --> 00:49:30.400
<v Speaker 2>salary cap only got to the point that it has

847
00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:34.519
<v Speaker 2>because revenues have exploded. I mean the new national TV

848
00:49:34.639 --> 00:49:36.559
<v Speaker 2>deals or you know, triple what they used to be.

849
00:49:37.119 --> 00:49:39.599
<v Speaker 2>Franchise valuations are in an all time high, to the

850
00:49:39.599 --> 00:49:42.559
<v Speaker 2>point where like no one can even afford a team

851
00:49:42.599 --> 00:49:47.480
<v Speaker 2>anymore without getting a team of investors together. And I

852
00:49:47.840 --> 00:49:50.400
<v Speaker 2>you know, I with NBA Europe, I just keep coming

853
00:49:50.440 --> 00:49:52.760
<v Speaker 2>back to the question of like who was asking for this,

854
00:49:53.840 --> 00:49:58.679
<v Speaker 2>Like this was a league initiative. Sure, but you know,

855
00:49:58.719 --> 00:50:02.559
<v Speaker 2>I don't think American fans particularly care about this. And

856
00:50:02.920 --> 00:50:07.800
<v Speaker 2>what you're saying is that European fans don't seem particularly

857
00:50:07.880 --> 00:50:10.559
<v Speaker 2>high on it right now, well right right now being

858
00:50:10.599 --> 00:50:11.360
<v Speaker 2>the key phrase.

859
00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:15.239
<v Speaker 1>Right, So the NBA brand is interesting, I think what

860
00:50:16.719 --> 00:50:19.159
<v Speaker 1>so like there's the practical level, like I think a

861
00:50:19.159 --> 00:50:21.960
<v Speaker 1>lot of Europeans are intrigued to having the NBA brand

862
00:50:22.000 --> 00:50:25.079
<v Speaker 1>in Europe, like they don't mind that, And it's more

863
00:50:25.079 --> 00:50:27.559
<v Speaker 1>along the lines like will it come at the expense

864
00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:30.320
<v Speaker 1>of the clubs that we have here right now that

865
00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:34.239
<v Speaker 1>have played for you know, fifty sixty seventy years, Like

866
00:50:34.280 --> 00:50:36.960
<v Speaker 1>where's that history going to go? Is that going to

867
00:50:37.119 --> 00:50:39.360
<v Speaker 1>wash away with the NBA brand because that is not

868
00:50:39.440 --> 00:50:41.679
<v Speaker 1>something that we want. And that is a mindset that

869
00:50:41.719 --> 00:50:44.960
<v Speaker 1>I deeply empathize with, because that is that should be

870
00:50:44.960 --> 00:50:48.000
<v Speaker 1>a non starter. Like but but then again, if you

871
00:50:48.079 --> 00:50:51.880
<v Speaker 1>can maintain that history and just incorporate it, like let's

872
00:50:51.880 --> 00:50:55.760
<v Speaker 1>say Real Madrid. Real Madrid for at least seven years

873
00:50:55.800 --> 00:51:00.320
<v Speaker 1>have been so thirsty to become an NBA team, like

874
00:51:00.360 --> 00:51:03.679
<v Speaker 1>they've been it's the thirst is Real Bride, like they

875
00:51:03.760 --> 00:51:06.079
<v Speaker 1>have wanted to be an NBA seems so bad you

876
00:51:06.079 --> 00:51:09.519
<v Speaker 1>can taste it, So like what do you do? Do

877
00:51:09.599 --> 00:51:11.920
<v Speaker 1>You just basically say, you know what, Real Madrid, You're

878
00:51:11.960 --> 00:51:15.079
<v Speaker 1>going to keep your entire identity and the only thing

879
00:51:15.119 --> 00:51:17.480
<v Speaker 1>we're going to do is just slab an NBA Europe

880
00:51:17.480 --> 00:51:21.719
<v Speaker 1>logo on your jersey and then that's sort of it's

881
00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:24.599
<v Speaker 1>like everything else maintains and you're just part of a

882
00:51:24.719 --> 00:51:28.119
<v Speaker 1>larger thing, but you're still your own entity. I think

883
00:51:28.199 --> 00:51:30.480
<v Speaker 1>that would be a smarter way to approach it. But

884
00:51:30.519 --> 00:51:34.159
<v Speaker 1>if the league comes in and basically asks them to

885
00:51:34.239 --> 00:51:37.239
<v Speaker 1>do something different to alter their history, like, we don't

886
00:51:37.280 --> 00:51:39.880
<v Speaker 1>know this, this is just me projecting a little bit. Sure, sure,

887
00:51:40.960 --> 00:51:43.360
<v Speaker 1>but then that's going to go sour real quick. Like

888
00:51:43.440 --> 00:51:46.760
<v Speaker 1>the tradition has to be maintained. There has to be

889
00:51:46.800 --> 00:51:50.920
<v Speaker 1>a level of foundational respect, foundational respect and understanding of

890
00:51:50.920 --> 00:51:53.079
<v Speaker 1>where the fan base is, the history of these clubs.

891
00:51:53.199 --> 00:51:55.440
<v Speaker 1>But I think you just nailed it when you said

892
00:51:56.199 --> 00:51:58.679
<v Speaker 1>it does feel like the league is looking more at

893
00:51:58.719 --> 00:52:04.119
<v Speaker 1>the bottom line instead of the basketball. And if we

894
00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:07.039
<v Speaker 1>are to one day have a conversation about Adam Silver,

895
00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:10.000
<v Speaker 1>I think it's going to be a complicated one because

896
00:52:10.079 --> 00:52:11.960
<v Speaker 1>I actually do like a lot of the things that

897
00:52:11.960 --> 00:52:14.800
<v Speaker 1>he does. I do like the fact that he can

898
00:52:14.840 --> 00:52:18.159
<v Speaker 1>be assertive. I also like the fact that he is

899
00:52:18.239 --> 00:52:21.400
<v Speaker 1>willing to try something new, But I also have an

900
00:52:21.480 --> 00:52:24.760
<v Speaker 1>issue with trying too much all at once. I also

901
00:52:24.920 --> 00:52:27.559
<v Speaker 1>have too much of an issue with, you know that

902
00:52:27.679 --> 00:52:35.039
<v Speaker 1>the financially driven ideology that sometimes overtake you know, basketball.

903
00:52:35.800 --> 00:52:41.760
<v Speaker 1>So it's it's becoming complicated to like look at the

904
00:52:41.840 --> 00:52:44.440
<v Speaker 1>league now, I feel compared to a few years ago,

905
00:52:44.480 --> 00:52:47.519
<v Speaker 1>where I was a little bit more secure in knowing

906
00:52:47.559 --> 00:52:52.280
<v Speaker 1>where the priorities were. Now it just feels very I

907
00:52:52.320 --> 00:52:54.960
<v Speaker 1>don't want to say ghoulish, because I'm not at ghoulish,

908
00:52:55.079 --> 00:52:59.639
<v Speaker 1>but it does feel very You know, money, money, money,

909
00:52:59.639 --> 00:53:02.199
<v Speaker 1>all the time time, And I understand it's a business.

910
00:53:02.360 --> 00:53:06.079
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate it's a business, but I also think if

911
00:53:06.159 --> 00:53:08.159
<v Speaker 1>you're selling a product, you need to make sure that

912
00:53:08.239 --> 00:53:11.159
<v Speaker 1>product is good. I can't go out and sell crap

913
00:53:11.440 --> 00:53:13.599
<v Speaker 1>if I want to open a business, like, I want

914
00:53:13.599 --> 00:53:15.400
<v Speaker 1>to make sure that what I sell is of the

915
00:53:15.480 --> 00:53:20.119
<v Speaker 1>highest caliber, because then I can focus on earning money.

916
00:53:20.360 --> 00:53:24.679
<v Speaker 1>And this NBA Europe constellation, I just I need to

917
00:53:24.880 --> 00:53:28.159
<v Speaker 1>understand it in its entirety, and I think all fans

918
00:53:28.159 --> 00:53:31.199
<v Speaker 1>need to understand it in its entirety for it to

919
00:53:31.239 --> 00:53:32.599
<v Speaker 1>be sold.

920
00:53:33.400 --> 00:53:37.199
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean to your point, like it's still relatively

921
00:53:37.239 --> 00:53:40.559
<v Speaker 2>early stages and maybe they release their plans for this

922
00:53:40.599 --> 00:53:44.119
<v Speaker 2>thing and everything is hunky dory, but I think right

923
00:53:44.159 --> 00:53:48.159
<v Speaker 2>now it is fair to be skeptical about the endeavor

924
00:53:48.280 --> 00:53:51.000
<v Speaker 2>in general, and like all of the points you brought

925
00:53:51.039 --> 00:53:53.679
<v Speaker 2>up are completely fair. I mean, I can't I can't

926
00:53:53.719 --> 00:53:57.519
<v Speaker 2>even imagine a US equivalent to another team, just like

927
00:53:58.079 --> 00:54:01.039
<v Speaker 2>or another league just can take conduct a hostile takeover

928
00:54:01.280 --> 00:54:04.039
<v Speaker 2>of I guess it'd be like if there were die

929
00:54:04.079 --> 00:54:07.400
<v Speaker 2>hard XFL fans and then you know, the NFL came

930
00:54:07.440 --> 00:54:09.440
<v Speaker 2>in and said, we're actually going to take over the

931
00:54:09.559 --> 00:54:12.639
<v Speaker 2>XFL and completely change how things are done here, right,

932
00:54:13.519 --> 00:54:16.400
<v Speaker 2>But they're obviously not diehard XL fans. So yeah, there's

933
00:54:16.400 --> 00:54:21.079
<v Speaker 2>really no equivalent that we could compare this to. I mean,

934
00:54:21.079 --> 00:54:27.239
<v Speaker 2>I think your point on Silver is interesting because yeah,

935
00:54:28.719 --> 00:54:31.320
<v Speaker 2>I don't you know, you said you could be assertive

936
00:54:31.519 --> 00:54:34.519
<v Speaker 2>and like we we have the Donald Sterling stuff. Yes,

937
00:54:35.719 --> 00:54:42.599
<v Speaker 2>but since then I would argue he you know, yeah,

938
00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:47.920
<v Speaker 2>David Stern was a lot tougher against teams, you know,

939
00:54:48.800 --> 00:54:51.280
<v Speaker 2>had the tanking stuff taken off to the extent that

940
00:54:51.360 --> 00:54:55.519
<v Speaker 2>it did, and David Stern was still in power. I

941
00:54:55.519 --> 00:54:57.519
<v Speaker 2>don't think teams are getting away with it to the

942
00:54:57.559 --> 00:55:01.960
<v Speaker 2>same level. You know, Like Adam Silver had a chip

943
00:55:01.960 --> 00:55:05.360
<v Speaker 2>in his back pocket. The player participation policy allowed him

944
00:55:05.360 --> 00:55:08.679
<v Speaker 2>to issue some pretty steep finds, and he he find

945
00:55:08.920 --> 00:55:11.960
<v Speaker 2>the jazz and like handed out a couple of minor ones.

946
00:55:12.000 --> 00:55:16.480
<v Speaker 2>But we did not go into you know, the like

947
00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:22.159
<v Speaker 2>multimillion dollar finds that he easily could have. And I

948
00:55:22.199 --> 00:55:25.440
<v Speaker 2>think you know your other point about like the ghoulish

949
00:55:25.840 --> 00:55:29.400
<v Speaker 2>nature of or the potentially grulish nature of the NBA

950
00:55:29.480 --> 00:55:32.480
<v Speaker 2>in recent years, I wonder how much of this is

951
00:55:32.519 --> 00:55:36.599
<v Speaker 2>a byproduct of the franchise valuations rising so high that really,

952
00:55:37.079 --> 00:55:39.519
<v Speaker 2>I mean, most of the people buying into the league

953
00:55:39.559 --> 00:55:43.239
<v Speaker 2>in recent years are either venture capitalists or private equity

954
00:55:43.960 --> 00:55:46.320
<v Speaker 2>and it feels like they're kind of just running the

955
00:55:46.360 --> 00:55:51.039
<v Speaker 2>same private equity formula on the NBA. And you know,

956
00:55:51.119 --> 00:55:54.639
<v Speaker 2>the term in shitification exists for a reason. I have

957
00:55:54.840 --> 00:55:58.440
<v Speaker 2>some concern, Like, it's not a the players are incredible,

958
00:55:59.079 --> 00:56:02.199
<v Speaker 2>the game action incredible, the finals were incredible. I'm not

959
00:56:02.239 --> 00:56:06.000
<v Speaker 2>saying this is not a critique of the that the product.

960
00:56:05.599 --> 00:56:08.480
<v Speaker 1>At all, Right, the encore product is good, yes.

961
00:56:08.599 --> 00:56:14.159
<v Speaker 2>Right, But I worry that the system that the on

962
00:56:14.320 --> 00:56:18.159
<v Speaker 2>court product exists in is becoming and shittified, in part

963
00:56:19.039 --> 00:56:22.159
<v Speaker 2>potentially because of the types of owners that they've been

964
00:56:22.159 --> 00:56:24.559
<v Speaker 2>bringing into the league. And I wonder if we're going

965
00:56:24.639 --> 00:56:28.199
<v Speaker 2>to see a similar situation play out with NBA Europe

966
00:56:28.679 --> 00:56:29.760
<v Speaker 2>as it gets off the ground.

967
00:56:29.880 --> 00:56:35.039
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, I mean, overall, I'm I'm interested to see

968
00:56:35.039 --> 00:56:37.199
<v Speaker 1>what goes on with that league, and and like I'm

969
00:56:37.239 --> 00:56:40.679
<v Speaker 1>not I'm not disinterested in following along, like I'm going

970
00:56:40.760 --> 00:56:43.400
<v Speaker 1>to play with with open cards here. I would love

971
00:56:43.480 --> 00:56:46.039
<v Speaker 1>to announce those games, like I would love to call

972
00:56:46.079 --> 00:56:49.079
<v Speaker 1>those games and and and like be a part of

973
00:56:49.119 --> 00:56:53.440
<v Speaker 1>it in some capacity, as long as it's done responsibly,

974
00:56:54.119 --> 00:56:56.760
<v Speaker 1>Like that's that's the whole thing. Because if the league

975
00:56:56.800 --> 00:56:58.719
<v Speaker 1>comes in and pushes a lot of stuff out that

976
00:56:58.840 --> 00:57:02.239
<v Speaker 1>has historic value you and thus emotional value to fans,

977
00:57:03.559 --> 00:57:06.920
<v Speaker 1>that's a tougher selling point. But if they come in

978
00:57:07.039 --> 00:57:10.360
<v Speaker 1>and have this respect for the established fan base, the

979
00:57:10.440 --> 00:57:13.400
<v Speaker 1>established culture, you know what, I'll be first in line

980
00:57:13.440 --> 00:57:16.400
<v Speaker 1>to say, all right, like gladly, I would love to

981
00:57:16.400 --> 00:57:21.880
<v Speaker 1>call those games. That's cool, but it's I just need

982
00:57:21.920 --> 00:57:26.840
<v Speaker 1>to see it beforehand. I really do, because I understand

983
00:57:26.920 --> 00:57:29.679
<v Speaker 1>the skepticism and especially the whole you know, if you

984
00:57:29.840 --> 00:57:34.239
<v Speaker 1>find a youngster somewhere and you're just not like you're

985
00:57:34.280 --> 00:57:38.199
<v Speaker 1>just pilfering him from some local team, like I think, honestly,

986
00:57:38.239 --> 00:57:41.159
<v Speaker 1>I need to understand also, like the trend's actional system

987
00:57:41.199 --> 00:57:43.119
<v Speaker 1>that's put in place, like are they going to have trades?

988
00:57:43.159 --> 00:57:45.000
<v Speaker 1>Are they going to have a draft, Like what because

989
00:57:45.039 --> 00:57:47.440
<v Speaker 1>we don't have this over here, right, We just don't.

990
00:57:48.039 --> 00:57:50.840
<v Speaker 1>And that's not necessarily a critique of anything, it's just

991
00:57:51.199 --> 00:57:53.920
<v Speaker 1>a fact we don't have that in our basketball leagues.

992
00:57:54.280 --> 00:57:58.480
<v Speaker 1>So I would be interested to understand just like how

993
00:57:58.559 --> 00:58:05.039
<v Speaker 1>do you make transactions within in BA Europe? Like how

994
00:58:05.079 --> 00:58:07.360
<v Speaker 1>does that hold? How does that work? Do you just

995
00:58:07.480 --> 00:58:11.079
<v Speaker 1>buy players like things are happening right now? Do you

996
00:58:11.199 --> 00:58:15.519
<v Speaker 1>have to draft players of a certain age? Like do

997
00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:17.599
<v Speaker 1>you have to work with teams and you can call

998
00:58:17.639 --> 00:58:23.400
<v Speaker 1>them up or down? Like I look to quote whoever

999
00:58:23.440 --> 00:58:25.800
<v Speaker 1>said this to John Snow? You know nothing? John Snow,

1000
00:58:25.880 --> 00:58:29.400
<v Speaker 1>we know nothing. We have no idea, And I think

1001
00:58:29.440 --> 00:58:31.239
<v Speaker 1>at some point the league has to be a little

1002
00:58:31.239 --> 00:58:34.440
<v Speaker 1>bit more transparent in making us understand like what is

1003
00:58:34.599 --> 00:58:37.519
<v Speaker 1>actually going on and what are our intentions here?

1004
00:58:38.880 --> 00:58:42.320
<v Speaker 2>Yeah? For sure, for sure. And one we hope as

1005
00:58:42.320 --> 00:58:45.039
<v Speaker 2>they get closer to getting it off the ground and

1006
00:58:45.079 --> 00:58:47.599
<v Speaker 2>like you know, having all the ownership groups in place,

1007
00:58:47.639 --> 00:58:50.559
<v Speaker 2>we'll start to get more concrete details about it. But

1008
00:58:50.719 --> 00:58:54.400
<v Speaker 2>I mean it's what aren't they planning on starting in

1009
00:58:54.480 --> 00:58:56.320
<v Speaker 2>twenty seven?

1010
00:58:56.599 --> 00:58:57.039
<v Speaker 1>Yeah?

1011
00:58:57.320 --> 00:58:59.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so we're a year away from this and we

1012
00:58:59.400 --> 00:59:01.320
<v Speaker 2>still know basically nothing about it.

1013
00:59:01.360 --> 00:59:03.719
<v Speaker 1>That's the thing that and that was kind of my

1014
00:59:03.880 --> 00:59:05.800
<v Speaker 1>That's why I wanted to talk about it as well,

1015
00:59:05.840 --> 00:59:09.000
<v Speaker 1>because if this had been like a twenty thirty project,

1016
00:59:09.079 --> 00:59:11.840
<v Speaker 1>all right, fair enough, and like you had time, this

1017
00:59:11.920 --> 00:59:17.199
<v Speaker 1>is this is literally a year and what three months away?

1018
00:59:19.320 --> 00:59:20.639
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's nothing.

1019
00:59:20.679 --> 00:59:21.800
<v Speaker 1>That's fifteen months away.

1020
00:59:24.440 --> 00:59:27.039
<v Speaker 2>That seems like a lot to figure out in fifteen

1021
00:59:27.039 --> 00:59:28.639
<v Speaker 2>months out. Agree, yeah, exactly.

1022
00:59:29.000 --> 00:59:32.280
<v Speaker 1>So I'm just saying, at some point the league needs

1023
00:59:32.320 --> 00:59:34.440
<v Speaker 1>to be a little bit more transparent about this. And

1024
00:59:34.480 --> 00:59:37.000
<v Speaker 1>that's not necessarily a critique of the league. It's just

1025
00:59:37.800 --> 00:59:40.440
<v Speaker 1>if you want to It's more an advice, Honestly, I

1026
00:59:40.480 --> 00:59:43.039
<v Speaker 1>should I think I framed it as too much of

1027
00:59:43.079 --> 00:59:46.480
<v Speaker 1>a criticism point instead of like advice, like if you

1028
00:59:46.639 --> 00:59:51.159
<v Speaker 1>want to get Europeans on board, don't play the US

1029
00:59:51.280 --> 00:59:55.199
<v Speaker 1>corporate We're gonna, you know, put out feelers here and there, like,

1030
00:59:55.320 --> 00:59:59.480
<v Speaker 1>just be fucking transparent about things. Because your entire league

1031
00:59:59.599 --> 01:00:04.440
<v Speaker 1>hinches interest. I would assume. I don't think the league

1032
01:00:04.440 --> 01:00:08.920
<v Speaker 1>would love to have empty stadiums, so for sure, maybe

1033
01:00:09.039 --> 01:00:14.880
<v Speaker 1>do something to make sure that people are interested. Yep,

1034
01:00:16.079 --> 01:00:19.480
<v Speaker 1>that would be nice, right, Yeah, I think so too. Well,

1035
01:00:20.039 --> 01:00:23.360
<v Speaker 1>that was it for this episode of the NBA podcast.

1036
01:00:23.400 --> 01:00:26.239
<v Speaker 1>But before we go, Brian, do you have some work

1037
01:00:26.280 --> 01:00:27.079
<v Speaker 1>that you want to pluck.

1038
01:00:28.639 --> 01:00:31.079
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. By the time this comes out, I will likely

1039
01:00:31.119 --> 01:00:35.000
<v Speaker 2>have a piece up on Forbes kind of just previewing

1040
01:00:35.079 --> 01:00:37.239
<v Speaker 2>the second Apron stuff that we talked about today and

1041
01:00:37.239 --> 01:00:40.400
<v Speaker 2>how that seems to just kind of be the center

1042
01:00:40.599 --> 01:00:44.920
<v Speaker 2>of a brewing labor battle. But also tell people to

1043
01:00:44.960 --> 01:00:49.159
<v Speaker 2>check out Bleacher Report. We just published a piece the

1044
01:00:49.199 --> 01:00:52.920
<v Speaker 2>Mount Rushmore of every city, every major US sports city

1045
01:00:53.000 --> 01:00:55.559
<v Speaker 2>since two thousand oh when it comes to athletes, and

1046
01:00:55.599 --> 01:01:00.480
<v Speaker 2>it was, let me tell you, man, like bing up

1047
01:01:00.559 --> 01:01:02.239
<v Speaker 2>with you know, working with the writer and trying to

1048
01:01:02.239 --> 01:01:05.840
<v Speaker 2>figure out who should be on each team's list was

1049
01:01:06.159 --> 01:01:08.239
<v Speaker 2>one of the most brain breaking things I've had to

1050
01:01:08.280 --> 01:01:12.960
<v Speaker 2>do in my job. Like super fun, but just agonizing

1051
01:01:13.039 --> 01:01:15.360
<v Speaker 2>to be like, oh, man, for you know, for Philly,

1052
01:01:15.400 --> 01:01:17.079
<v Speaker 2>like Joel Embiid did not make the list.

1053
01:01:16.880 --> 01:01:19.079
<v Speaker 1>For Philly that much, All right, cool?

1054
01:01:19.599 --> 01:01:22.280
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, you know, for for the big cities,

1055
01:01:22.840 --> 01:01:25.760
<v Speaker 2>there were a lot of very Shack is another one.

1056
01:01:25.800 --> 01:01:28.800
<v Speaker 2>Shack did not make it for La I'm just waiting

1057
01:01:28.840 --> 01:01:34.119
<v Speaker 2>for it. Well, I mean a lot of really good athletes. Yeah,

1058
01:01:34.159 --> 01:01:38.800
<v Speaker 2>but like repeat, yeah, well, it was only since two thousands,

1059
01:01:38.800 --> 01:01:40.880
<v Speaker 2>so he was only he got screwed because it was

1060
01:01:40.880 --> 01:01:41.239
<v Speaker 2>only for.

1061
01:01:41.280 --> 01:01:44.280
<v Speaker 1>It he won't he's won the first title in two thousand.

1062
01:01:45.480 --> 01:01:49.599
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and then I mean they had two more. Kobe

1063
01:01:49.639 --> 01:01:52.920
<v Speaker 2>obviously made it for La Aaron Donald who is just

1064
01:01:53.039 --> 01:01:55.480
<v Speaker 2>one of the best NFL defensive players of all time.

1065
01:01:56.880 --> 01:01:59.679
<v Speaker 2>Clayton Kershaw was a pitcher for the Dodgers who had

1066
01:01:59.679 --> 01:02:02.960
<v Speaker 2>an credible prime, and then show Hey Otani was the

1067
01:02:03.000 --> 01:02:07.960
<v Speaker 2>fourth fellout. La been been there for fewer years than Shack,

1068
01:02:08.079 --> 01:02:10.880
<v Speaker 2>so like you could argue that right now, Shack deserves it,

1069
01:02:11.079 --> 01:02:14.599
<v Speaker 2>but show Hey is just a bet on this guy

1070
01:02:14.719 --> 01:02:18.840
<v Speaker 2>is the best baseball player ever and that selection will

1071
01:02:18.880 --> 01:02:21.679
<v Speaker 2>age very well, I think. But yeah, it was that.

1072
01:02:22.119 --> 01:02:24.760
<v Speaker 2>That was the LA one was where we when we

1073
01:02:24.840 --> 01:02:27.000
<v Speaker 2>were going through this, like the ideation of it, we

1074
01:02:27.079 --> 01:02:29.199
<v Speaker 2>got to LA and we're like, yep, this is where

1075
01:02:29.519 --> 01:02:31.840
<v Speaker 2>this is a brilliant idea because if you can't get

1076
01:02:31.960 --> 01:02:32.880
<v Speaker 2>Shack on this thing.

1077
01:02:34.079 --> 01:02:39.320
<v Speaker 1>Wow, God, all right, that's interesting. Yeah, shooting my way.

1078
01:02:39.679 --> 01:02:40.360
<v Speaker 1>I'm going to read that.

1079
01:02:40.400 --> 01:02:42.760
<v Speaker 2>Question, so yeah, please please check that out. It was

1080
01:02:42.800 --> 01:02:47.920
<v Speaker 2>a long time in the making. I'm very happy it's Yeah, yeah,

1081
01:02:48.039 --> 01:02:51.840
<v Speaker 2>should and thank you for Lebron James for not announcing

1082
01:02:51.880 --> 01:02:54.800
<v Speaker 2>his decision on Wednesday and burying this which was my

1083
01:02:55.480 --> 01:02:56.000
<v Speaker 2>entire fear.

1084
01:02:57.000 --> 01:03:01.280
<v Speaker 1>Mm hmmm same same season, And for everyone listening in

1085
01:03:01.599 --> 01:03:03.760
<v Speaker 1>thank you for doing so. Until we speak again, have

1086
01:03:03.880 --> 01:03:09.079
<v Speaker 1>a good one and stay safe everyone. Mm hm