WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.839 You know, I've got a new goal in twenty twenty five, 2 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:06.240 and that's just to say yes to more things and 3 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:10.080 just find joy in things that bring joy to others. 4 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:12.400 So I don't care anymore that you guys like Pitbull 5 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:14.160 and I don't. I'm just going to embrace the bit 6 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:17.280 and welcome in. Zach Harper on a Wednesday afternoon. I'm 7 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:19.120 over a man. You win, I give up. 8 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:23.199 Here's the thing is with that song, you have no 9 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:25.719 choice but to give up because that is a bank. 10 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:27.280 That's an all time bank. 11 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:29.640 Right, Okay, Like I said, if it brings you joy, 12 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:30.519 it brings me joy. 13 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:30.800 Zach. 14 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.200 That's my new goal for twenty twenty five. Where do 15 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:35.119 we find you today? It sounds like you might be 16 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:36.359 on a sailboat somewhere. 17 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.520 Oh god, I'm in Los Angeles trying to find a 18 00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:43.479 parking spot anywhere in the city, and you, yeah, it's 19 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:46.320 what everyone wants to hear, LA traffic. But yeah, it's terrible. Look. 20 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:48.520 I never knew how real it was until I spent 21 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:50.719 a year working there, and I'm like, screw this. I'm like, 22 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:53.320 it's it's enough to make me not ever want to 23 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:55.600 live there. And then you land and it's seventy five 24 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:57.079 degrees and like, maybe I'll deal with it. 25 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:00.399 Yeah, it's like it's it's kind of over cast a 26 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:02.840 little bit. It's seventy six. You know, we're in the 27 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:05.359 middle of February, late February. I guess I don't know 28 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:07.959 what the cutoff is there, and so there are worse 29 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.439 places to be. But if you, like I made the 30 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:12.200 mistake of going out at one thirty, that's on me. 31 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:13.159 All right. 32 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.480 Philosophical question for you, Zach, right off the top, Are 33 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:21.640 you ready? Yeah, So at some point the asteroid's gonna 34 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:25.040 hit and we're cooked. Okay, it's it's it's just going 35 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:28.439 to happen. And you have talked about it before. And 36 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.359 ultimately what we've learned now, according to scientists that are 37 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:35.480 smarter than you were, you and I, the asteroid y 38 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:38.920 are four has risen to a record level to hit 39 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:40.280 the Earth in twenty thirty two. 40 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:44.200 Here is my question to you, Do you want to 41 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:45.079 know when it's coming? 42 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:48.040 If you had the opportunity, if whoever's in charge, whoever 43 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:50.680 is really behind the Wizard of Oz controls, whoever's in 44 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:53.319 charge of this whole thing, hit you up? Was like, Zach, 45 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.000 I can tell you the day this is happening if 46 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:58.280 you'd like to know and nobody else will know, or 47 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:01.519 you just blissfully live your life until you don't anymore. 48 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:02.879 Which avenue would you take? 49 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:06.599 That's a great question because like, at this point, do 50 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:09.080 I have knowledge that this might happen in twenty thirty two? 51 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:11.719 You do not. It's gonna happen in all right, it's 52 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:13.960 just gonna it's gonna happen in your lifetime, but you 53 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:18.520 don't know when, correct, Yes, man, I think I kind 54 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.199 of gotta know. I'd like to think I'm a bigger person, Like, no, 55 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:23.240 just live my life and every day is the best there, 56 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:24.599 I think I gotta know. 57 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.479 See I this is you know for listeners, it's a 58 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:29.400 peak beyond a curtain. 59 00:02:29.479 --> 00:02:30.280 I'm a Weirdoh. 60 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:32.599 I sat up and thought about this for like thirty 61 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:34.520 minutes last night when I read the article, I'm like, 62 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:36.960 would I want to know? Or would I just rather 63 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:41.719 live my life until I wouldn't know? And the thought Zach, 64 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:46.360 of what you could accomplish, like the last day revenge 65 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.879 wise on people who have wronged you over the years, 66 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:51.360 is enough to be like, I gotta know, man, because 67 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:53.520 the last day before the world ends. Can you imagine 68 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:55.319 how many boxes you could check on your list? 69 00:02:56.039 --> 00:03:00.479 I would be an absolute menace. Oh yes, like't use 70 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.599 this for like, oh I'm gonna like you know, I'm 71 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:05.360 gonna make all the wrongs right and everything. No, this 72 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:08.680 would be like revenge week leading up and be like, wow, 73 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:11.080 you're really like kind of crashing out here, which I 74 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:13.080 think is a you know, turn. Kids are still saying 75 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:14.599 like you're kind of crashing out here, And I said, 76 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:16.159 just you wait, I know what I'm doing. 77 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:18.560 Yep, Now I'm one percent with you. 78 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:21.080 That I was debating and then when I realized what 79 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:23.360 I could do the final day before the world ended, 80 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:24.599 and I'm like, I'm I'm on board. 81 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:25.280 I want to know. 82 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:28.319 Yeah, all right, real quick, let me let me ask 83 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.800 that you know what, like what I would feel like 84 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:32.800 I would feel like Magic Johnson when he had quit 85 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.240 and only the media knew, like the Lakers didn't know, 86 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:39.159 like what an incredible feeling where when he has this 87 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:41.039 whole thing of like they're talking about, you know, free 88 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:42.680 agents in the summer and I'm just thinking I'm not 89 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:44.599 gonna be here, like people will be like, oh yeah, 90 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.439 we're going to like santrape next summer and everything, and 91 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.199 I just think, like, you're not. Yep, i'd promise you're not. 92 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:53.840 Keep keep keep up with those plans. Hopefully it makes 93 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:54.319 you happy. 94 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:56.479 I thought you'd be a good one ask that question, 95 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:58.240 and maybe we'll get back to it at some point. 96 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:00.000 But here's, uh, here's where I'll pivot. 97 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:00.319 Now. 98 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:02.800 How much of the All Star weekend did you consume? 99 00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:05.080 I mean, I don't know if you went, I don't 100 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:06.520 know if you were watching. How much of it did 101 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:07.000 you consume? 102 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:10.840 I didn't. I didn't. I didn't watch the Celebrity game 103 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:16.199 because I don't hate myself. And then I watched the 104 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:20.639 second half of the Rising Stars games because I kind 105 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:22.279 of forgot they were on. So like I caught like 106 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:24.240 the second half of the second game, and then the 107 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:26.879 entirety of the of the Championship game or whatever I 108 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:29.439 guess it's called. Watched all of Saturday night, watched all 109 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:36.480 of Sunday. You know, it was fine, which I guess 110 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:38.319 is an upgrade over last year. But like it was 111 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:39.079 just it was fine. 112 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.680 Yeah, yeah, I guess it was fine if you enjoy 113 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.920 the weekend. And so ultimately, because you and I are 114 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:47.879 members of the media to cover the NBA, we are 115 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:50.120 obligated to do the topic how do we fix this 116 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:53.759 thing right? And when when anybody asks me, what's your 117 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:57.439 preferred format, I say, well, it's the all star game 118 00:04:57.879 --> 00:04:59.800 comprised of players who care about playing. 119 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:01.360 That's my preferred format. 120 00:05:01.399 --> 00:05:03.319 What we saw for like thirty or forty years that, 121 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.680 for the most part, was very awesome. Now I'm not 122 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:09.519 a revisionist historian. Not every game was greats up and 123 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:11.879 down the entire time when I was growing up watching 124 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.560 in the nineties, but more often than not, it was 125 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:17.120 the greatest pickup game in the world because the greatest 126 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:19.240 players in the world showed up and more often than 127 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.600 not tried to play. So my preferred format is the 128 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:26.040 all star game, comprised of two teams with the best 129 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:29.040 players in the world they care about playing. But I think, Zach, 130 00:05:29.079 --> 00:05:32.160 I'm resigned to the fact now there's no format that 131 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:33.680 will motivate these guys to care. 132 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:34.920 So I don't really know what you do. 133 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.759 Yeah, I mean, it's just there's you know, they make 134 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.199 so much money. And I'm not using that as a complaint. 135 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.319 I'm just like, that's a that's just a fact of life, right, 136 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:47.639 Like you get to a certain point, and these things 137 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:50.639 regardless of like your job or whatever like thing, there's 138 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.439 certain things that just become less and less meaningful. And 139 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:56.600 I've heard some players, you know, try to explain the 140 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.519 reason the competitiveness isn't there, and you know it's some 141 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.399 validorie like oh, you're supposed to be about making sure 142 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:04.279 you're okay for the second half the season and so 143 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:07.160 if I get injured there you know, blah blah blah. 144 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:09.519 Like yeah, like I get all that, and you know 145 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:13.199 there we had something Joe Varden published something for us today, 146 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.240 I think it was today, either today or yesterday, able 147 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:18.639 a player poll from people who participating in All Star Weekend. 148 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:20.279 I think Darius Garland. I don't know if it was 149 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.399 tongue in cheek, but like his suggestion for making players 150 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:27.560 care was like a million dollars per player, like if 151 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:29.399 I guess, I guess if you win, or maybe if 152 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:31.959 you play. I don't know what it was, but like 153 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.079 it just said a million dollars per player would get it. 154 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:36.000 I'm like, I don't know, man, like you kind of 155 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:38.480 already make a lot of money and that seems like 156 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:40.000 a gross way of doing it. But if that's what 157 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:43.160 it takes and it's worth it, and the league has it, sure, 158 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:46.959 I guess, like I ultimately it's on the players. You know, 159 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:49.160 Draymond's complaining and whining the other night, And I'm not 160 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:51.680 anti Draymond, but I'm anti Draymond when he when he 161 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:55.480 tries to like pretend he's inventing an idea and it's 162 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:57.600 just stuff that's been thrown around. Like I get it, 163 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:02.959 like Rising Stars on Sunday is not hallowed sacred ground. Well, 164 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:04.639 you guys shouldn't have messed around for the last eight 165 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:06.959 years with All Star Games, and then maybe you wouldn't 166 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.079 be in this position. And ultimately, like I think it's 167 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:12.199 gonna be on the players. I think maybe someone like 168 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.000 like Wemby seemed to take it pretty seriously and not 169 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.160 one guy can change it. But I've heard stories in 170 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:21.000 the past from guys like Dwyane Wade who are like, yeah, 171 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:22.519 Kobe set the tone for a lot of those All 172 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:26.720 Star Games, and I think that like it matters. It 173 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:29.879 matters when the good players decide to care and decide 174 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:32.319 to set the tone. In almost shame. I'm into shaming. 175 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:34.399 I'm into bullying. I don't know how you bully someone 176 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:36.839 who makes two hundred million dollars, but there are ways 177 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.040 to shame them into it, and I guess throwing rising 178 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:41.720 stars into the mix on a Sunday, like, yeah, you 179 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:43.600 don't want that, then you better bring it next year. 180 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.040 Yeah do you? Well said? 181 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:48.079 I mean, it is on any player who's complaining about, hey, 182 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.920 the sanctity of being able to earn your way to 183 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:52.040 play on Sunday, Well, yeah, you guys had the chance 184 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:56.120 and you didn't deliver the performance. And look, ultimately, I 185 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.360 understand that when I complain about what I perceive to 186 00:07:59.399 --> 00:08:01.360 be a problem for the league, they always just talk 187 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:05.519 about the amount of eyes and attention and the international 188 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:11.240 revenue streams that they generate will completely offset any compromised 189 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:13.720 domestic revenue streams due to lack of interest. And I 190 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:17.959 get it, I understand, but ultimately it really is I 191 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:21.199 think something you take away from basketball fans and something 192 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:23.680 that you have kind of tried to put on that's 193 00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:27.399 only harming the consumer of somebody that tries to watch 194 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:29.800 this thing that once upon a time was really good. 195 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:32.120 Now we're probably never going back to what it was 196 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:33.840 once upon a time. Maybe it is just one of 197 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:37.720 those things that generationally has changed and now it's just 198 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:41.120 time to accept it for what it is now. Yiannis 199 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:44.159 came out with a whole like European or international players 200 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:47.720 versus domestic players. We've done that before. But there was 201 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:50.399 also a mention of maybe playing this game overseas. But 202 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:53.519 I land on the same issue, like I don't care 203 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.120 where you play it, whether it's Salt Lake two years ago, 204 00:08:56.200 --> 00:08:59.440 the Bay Area this year, or Paris in two years. 205 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:02.480 I just don't know that any sort of format or 206 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:05.519 any sort of matchup is going to make the majority 207 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.200 of these guys show up and play hard. 208 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:09.200 It just don't. I don't know that exists, man, I 209 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:09.679 really don't. 210 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:12.039 Yeah. I mean remember like the first year of the 211 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:14.039 elam ending where you had to hit a certain marker 212 00:09:14.039 --> 00:09:16.519 after the fourth quarter, Like that was a great all 213 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:19.000 Star game and everyone was like it got fixed, they 214 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:21.440 figured it out, and then like a year later, maybe 215 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.399 two years later, it sucked again, right like it like 216 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:27.200 I just the toothpastes out of the tube and I 217 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.120 don't know how you get it back in there. And 218 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:31.000 I think it's like you can make all these tweaks, 219 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.240 you can make all these changes. I think USA versus 220 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.879 the World would be great for a year or two, 221 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:37.879 and then it would kind of go back to, Yeah, 222 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:41.000 my hamstrings a little little tight. I'm not going all out. 223 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:43.600 I'm not rotating over you know, I'm like, I'm not 224 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:47.519 jeopardizing this and jeopardizing that. Like I I it's just 225 00:09:47.559 --> 00:09:49.799 a culture thing. It's a culture thing. And the culture 226 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:53.840 in the NBA when it comes to this stuff is 227 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:57.240 I'm gonna I'm gonna try. I'm gonna give my you know, 228 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:00.919 my my best effort for the things that matter the most, 229 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:03.720 and an exhibition game just doesn't matter as much as 230 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:05.720 it's supposed to be a celebration. I mean, man, we 231 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.600 went from from years of all the league is in 232 00:10:08.679 --> 00:10:10.919 good hands, the league's in good hands after every All 233 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:15.159 Star game to now this conversation every year and it's 234 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.879 and it sucks, like it's it's annoying, but that's what like, 235 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:20.759 that's just what it is. And I don't know, I 236 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:23.240 don't I don't think there's a way to outright fix it. 237 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:25.600 You can tweak it and improve here and there, but 238 00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:28.159 you know, it's human nature, like regression is going to happen. 239 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:29.960 Okay, excuse me. 240 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.320 So the Lebron portion of this and I'm not a 241 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:36.159 Lebron hater at all. I mean, if anything, I've always 242 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:39.200 been a guy that's like, I'm stunned that this dude 243 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:41.200 lived up to everything that we placed on him when 244 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:43.240 he was seventeen years old, and then some I mean, 245 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.519 I I am in awe of this career and always 246 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:47.200 will be. And that's there's a period at the end 247 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:50.519 of that sentence. No matter what, but to show up 248 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:53.759 and not really tell anybody that you're not going to 249 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:57.120 play initially, and then as the players are being introduced 250 00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:59.919 and you're the last guy they introduced, it's just this grand, 251 00:11:00.519 --> 00:11:04.159 self absorbed approach and you're in street clothes and everyone's like, 252 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:07.120 wait what, because look, man, the fact of the matter is. 253 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:09.679 And I've never been like even back in the day 254 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:12.919 when players played hard in the All Star Game and 255 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:15.679 they cared about the acknowledgment. I was never a fan 256 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:19.000 of putting clauses in contracts that activate bonuses if you 257 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:21.279 make the team. And I'm not a huge fan of 258 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:25.559 clauses in player contracts that activate bonuses if you win 259 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:28.759 postseason awards, because the process at times can be so arbitrary. 260 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:33.120 But Lebron actually, in my opinion, made a very selfish 261 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:36.399 move over the weekend to not ignowge. If you're not 262 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:39.840 going to play, speak up, because then a replacement will 263 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:42.639 step in for you, and then that activates a clause 264 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:44.799 in that player's contract to get a little cash, Like 265 00:11:44.840 --> 00:11:47.919 he took money out of somebody's pocket by just wanting 266 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.120 to have this moment be about him as opposed to 267 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:53.320 being just I honestly don't know how his. 268 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:54.159 Peers feel about him. 269 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:56.200 I really don't, because I think there are two sides 270 00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:58.519 of the coin, right. I think there are probably plenty 271 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:01.360 of players that appreciate the path that he paved for 272 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:05.360 simply more player empowerment, and that's not necessarily even a 273 00:12:05.399 --> 00:12:09.039 bad thing. But then there's the over exaggeration of his 274 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.399 own story, the outright lies that are very easy to 275 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:14.279 pull receipts up for. And if I'm like Porter brought 276 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:17.039 up the name Norman Powell, if I'm one of the players 277 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:20.639 that was on the outside looking in and realizing that 278 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:22.440 I had a chance to be an All Star and 279 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:25.200 make a little cash and I'm watching that, I'm probably 280 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:25.960 pretty upset. 281 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:26.120 Man. 282 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:27.480 So give me your thoughts. 283 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.399 Well, I'm with you, Like I think all that is 284 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.320 fair if that's the case. Now, our friend Amine al 285 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:37.840 Haffen had a theory today on the pot of the 286 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:43.519 podcast Basketball Illuminati. Maybe it was a quiet protest. Maybe 287 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:45.960 it was a quiet protest of rising stars being allowed 288 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.279 to play on the Sunday game. And like, I don't 289 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:53.200 know if I completely buy that theory, but I'm interested 290 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:55.240 because when you think about it, all right, he doesn't 291 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:57.720 tell anybody, He just goes out there. He doesn't even dress, 292 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.600 he just wears his normal clothes and everything, the photo ops. 293 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:03.000 Doesn't even dressed for the photo ops and everything. And 294 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:06.440 then multiple times on the weekend, multiple times in the 295 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:10.480 in the broadcast, Draymond Green, his friend, a clutch athlete, 296 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:16.039 starts openly saying, how trash this is that rising stars 297 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:18.720 get to play on this day. Lebron doesn't have to 298 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:21.600 be the bad guy in that sense. But if that's 299 00:13:21.639 --> 00:13:25.360 the case, if that theory holds any weight, holds any water, 300 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:30.519 I like, I'm I'm very intrigued by it. I don't Again, 301 00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:32.279 I don't know if I believe it. I've been processing 302 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:34.559 it since I heard it this morning, but I like, 303 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:37.519 I'm not outright rejecting it as a possibility. 304 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:43.679 All Right, hmm. I'll have to digest that. And look, 305 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:47.600 I mean like I've been thinking about it all day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 306 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.399 it means my guy. Tom's my guy. 307 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:51.840 At times I listen to that podcast, I'm like, how 308 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:54.440 much ayahuasca did you do this morning prior to the record, 309 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:58.360 because they go into places and look, it's why it's 310 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:03.080 a good product, because they do think outside of the box. Yeah, man, 311 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.159 I don't know. Let me just followup with this since 312 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:08.000 I alluded to it. How do you think, like if 313 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.919 you had a room fall of the majority of the 314 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.480 league and they had to tell the truth, how do 315 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:15.360 you think his peers view him? 316 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:16.840 How do you think the other players in the league 317 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:17.799 view Lebron James. 318 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:20.559 It's a great question because you do have you know, 319 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:23.159 you have so many different eras of people who are like, 320 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:27.399 you know, hey MJ's the greatest, right, or hey, Kobe's 321 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:30.679 actually the greatest. Why isn't he considered for this? Like 322 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:32.919 I saw a video, an older video, but it was 323 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:36.559 Alan Igerson recently enough talking about I can't believe Kobe 324 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.320 gets you know, skipped over for these conversations and he's like, 325 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.960 no disrespect to Lebron, but you know, Kobe was the 326 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:45.159 next guy. And then you get to like, I mean, look, 327 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:47.559 it's Brandon Miller. But there are players in the league 328 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:49.679 that are like, hey, Paul George is the guy, right, 329 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:52.600 I'm like, that's crazy, Like what a crazy jump there 330 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.000 to be like, hey, you know the best players? To me, 331 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.200 it's Paul George. You know, Ant's favorite player. I don't 332 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:00.840 think he's say the best, his favorite player Kevin Durant. 333 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.480 I don't know how many current players look at Lebron 334 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.799 that way. I think they appreciate the longevity. I think 335 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:07.639 they know, especially once they've been in this for a 336 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.559 few years, to recognize that we're on year twenty two. 337 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.799 He's still this good. He's got all these check marks 338 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:16.879 on his resume. To your point, like he had the 339 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:22.679 most insane expectations for everything and he exceeded them. Like 340 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:25.519 he's flat out exceeded them. He hasn't really had Like 341 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:28.240 his biggest scandal is is that he you know, he 342 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.399 signed with a team on television in twenty ten, right, 343 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:35.399 Like that's the biggest thing that people really like can 344 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:38.960 hold against him still, I guess, but don't I don't 345 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:42.720 know that he holds you know, across the League in 346 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:44.799 a way that MJ did, or a way that Kobe 347 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:47.039 did for a while, because even Kobe was getting that 348 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:50.320 as Shaq was still an MVP and a great player, 349 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.320 and people were still like, yo, Kobe's kind of the guy. 350 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:55.399 I don't I don't know how many players would be 351 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:58.159 like I think they they're appreciative of the player empowerment. 352 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:00.799 I think they're appreciative of how this stuff is gone. 353 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:03.519 But maybe it was always going to go that way 354 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:05.879 and he was just the person to do it rather 355 00:16:05.879 --> 00:16:08.279 than he's the reason. You know, if that makes sense. 356 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:09.000 It does. 357 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:12.600 And my best guess is most players would land on, 358 00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:16.000 you know, ultimate respect with a side of eye roll 359 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:18.320 right from time to time where you're like, dude, come on, 360 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.159 like you know you've already proven it's in a way. 361 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.039 And I was at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony 362 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.519 when Michael Jordan gave his famous speech when he just 363 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:31.960 eviscerated everybody, and everybody there was like, Mike, like, we 364 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:33.960 know that none of those people could guard you, Like 365 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.519 we watched the whole thing, like why are you reminding us? 366 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:40.200 Right? And I kind of that's why he's the greatest 367 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:40.919 to me, Oh. 368 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:44.279 No, look it was, and that's probably one of the 369 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.799 things that he used every single night to motivate, uh, 370 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:50.200 you know, to play at the top of his game. 371 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:53.279 But I think in a different way, I feel the 372 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:56.080 same about a lot a lot of the Lebron stuff 373 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:58.360 where he's not as outwardly like I want to kill 374 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:01.919 you and slash your throat, But like the comments about 375 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:04.400 having a high basketball ATQ and the comments about like 376 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:06.960 you don't understand what it is to play on the 377 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:07.920 level that I do. 378 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.200 And like it's the same thing. I'm like, I know, man, 379 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:11.960 I watch you. It's amazing. 380 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.200 You don't have to remind us how great you are 381 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:16.480 because we can see it. Like that's the stuff with 382 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:18.440 him that kind of falls on deaf ears for me. 383 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.599 Yeah, I mean, like I'll push back on one thing. 384 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.279 I love the line, the line that we can like 385 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:28.400 outright prove immediately to be wrong. I think is such 386 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.240 a bold move by him and such a funny move 387 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:33.400 and such a funny part of his legacy is that 388 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.920 he will just outright fay stuff that isn't true and 389 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:37.799 we're like, hold on a second, like, no, none of that, 390 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:39.599 Like we've got receipts here. As he said, like we 391 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:41.880 got these receipts, like I don't know, and he just 392 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.400 kind of like just tries stuff with that in terms 393 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:47.160 of narratives his whole like I'm not even a score. 394 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:49.720 It's like, you've averaged twenty four points of games since 395 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:51.640 you were in the NBA. Like I don't think he's 396 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:53.480 I think the lowest he's ever averaged is like twenty 397 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:55.640 two or something like that, right, Like, like, no, you're 398 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.200 a score. Like I get you were supposed to be 399 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.720 Maggie Johnson, but you you're just like twenty seven a 400 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:01.960 game your career like that, like you're a score. No 401 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.160