WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.200 All right, Utah Jazz are inaction tomorrow. O Case is 2 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:06.719 the opponent. The second half of the NBA season kind 3 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:10.720 of got going last night. Lakers have lost now excuse 4 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:14.039 me to the Jazz and the Hornets back to back 5 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:17.079 games with Luca and Lebron. Our next guest covers the 6 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:19.640 Jazz and other things for the Saul Lake Tribune on 7 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:22.960 a Thursday afternoon. We welcome in Andy Larson. Andy, Happy Thursday, Budy. 8 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:23.440 How we doing. 9 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:25.000 I'm good man, how are you? 10 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:28.399 I'm good? That was beer Bar last night. Most important question. 11 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:33.000 The RSL Conker CAF Champions Cup watch party. Vibes immaculate. 12 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:35.479 As the kids say, the vibe are good. 13 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.679 You know, Look it was not a strongly attended watch party. 14 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:41.520 They're probably I don't know, ten fifteen RSL fans player, 15 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:45.479 But to watch a nil Mill draw and where nothing happened, 16 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:48.200 and so I would say the vibes were were probably 17 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:48.679 pretty mid. 18 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:52.200 Let's be honest, mid vibes at beer bar. Wow, don't 19 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:52.840 sell rimando. 20 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:55.840 Look, beer bar had nothing to do with this. It's 21 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:59.079 it's it's a great location to watch a game. But yeah, 22 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.079 I mean nil Mill with in a it was it 23 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.959 was not the peak of watch parties like you and 24 00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:06.560 I have been too. 25 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:10.400 For example, fair enough, fair enough. So after that performance, 26 00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:14.480 have you changed your expectations for better or for worse 27 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:15.840 for this club this year? 28 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.280 I mean, I guess a little bit worse. Look, Coast 29 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:25.879 Recon teams aren't very good, and ideally you would be 30 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:30.000 promoting more ideas and having better chances than I think 31 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:33.599 RSL had during that match. And I mean I watched 32 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:36.879 the Cincinnati Motagua match after that. That's a hunt Duran 33 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:39.920 club and they just they you know, Cincinnati bought that game, 34 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:42.560 and to a degree that ARSOL didn't now didn't have 35 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.159 Diego Luna, didn't have Justin Glad for most of that game, 36 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:47.719 you know, And the biggest thing is they didn't have 37 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:53.000 a striker. And then unfortunately, Gioga Gonsalves looked as average 38 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:56.400 as he's been since RSL acquired him. And so I 39 00:01:56.439 --> 00:01:59.400 think that in particular, that last note, that Diego doesn't 40 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:04.439 look like a special player even in year two. As 41 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.040 we start year two, and maybe we'll see how this develops. 42 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.800 It's game one for sure, but it was, as they 43 00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:12.919 put it on Twitter, kind of mildly disheart named. 44 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:19.000 Last RSL question. I am told that reinforcements should be expected. 45 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:21.319 I don't know when. I don't know what it looks like. 46 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:23.560 What do you hope it looks like? And when do 47 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:24.439 you hope it comes down? 48 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:30.280 Yeah, look, it's got to be a striker. And Eliath 49 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.879 Manuel didn't want to come to RSL again. It's disappointing 50 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:38.159 that a replacement hasn't been found more quickly, you know, 51 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:40.599 given that now you are playing in Champions League play, 52 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:45.400 Champions Cup play. I guess it's disappointing frankly that they 53 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.280 didn't find a bigger player after they knew that the 54 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:51.680 teacher was going to be moving on, you know, pretty 55 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:55.719 clearly midway through the season. They had knew what that 56 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:57.919 situation was and knew that maybe that wasn't going to 57 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:01.639 be tenable moving forward. So yeah, look, it's got to 58 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:03.080 be a stacker. It's got to be a good striker. 59 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:06.000 It's got to be you know, a designated player striker 60 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:08.000 in my mind, and or at least you know, someone 61 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.120 who's got significant history of scoring goals in this league. 62 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:15.039 You know, there's been the Duncan McGuire rumors and maybe 63 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:17.120 that's the way they go. And I think Duncan's a 64 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:20.319 very good player and would solve a lot of those problems. 65 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:24.120 I don't know about it at the DP level, but yeah, 66 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:26.479 and in the end, you know, this team needs more 67 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:28.280 upfront to be one of the best teams in the 68 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:29.879 Western Conference, Like I hope they will be. 69 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:35.479 All right all Star weekend? Andy, goodness, gracious, what was 70 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:40.560 your interest slash consumption level and your takeaways? 71 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.120 Yeah, I mean, honestly, pretty lowly. I tried to take 72 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.159 some time off and but you know, it also just 73 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:53.199 seems like the exact the exact opposite of must watch television, right, 74 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:56.719 Like even in the sports world that I, you know, 75 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:59.960 love watching sports, Like why is an average sports fan 76 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:03.080 and watching the NBA All Star Game with its tournament 77 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:07.080 and all of it's Kevin hartskit and you know, giving 78 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:10.960 awards to Charles Barkley and the inside the inside the 79 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:13.840 NBA T and T crew when that show is still 80 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:16.560 going to continue next year just on ESPN. No one 81 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.680 cares what channel this is on. To turn you know, 82 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:24.319 thirty minutes of basketball into a three hour presentation is rough. 83 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.360 And so yeah, like the DAYTOTA five hundred, frankly may 84 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:31.199 have been more interesting to watch. For me, I had 85 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:33.240 dinner with my family and did not feel like I 86 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:35.680 was missing a whole lot of what was happening on 87 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:39.079 All Star Sunday. You know, I think Mac McClung does 88 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:41.439 some cool dunks on on All Stars Saturday, and and 89 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.199 you know, Stefan Castle did as well, and that was 90 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:49.040 I think a relatively above average dunk contest. But yeah, 91 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:51.680 it's just not must watch anymore. And I think, you know, 92 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:54.519 that's the league of probably that all these leagues are facing, 93 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.600 is that like the traditional All Star game format doesn't 94 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:01.639 work anymore. And and ultimately, you know, I think kind 95 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:04.600 of the further you get away from that traditional kind 96 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:06.680 of idea, whether that be you know, what the NFL 97 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:08.160 has done with the Pro Bowl or what the NHL 98 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:10.480 has done with the Four Nations Tournament, it's probably the 99 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:12.040 best way to go at this point. 100 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:15.720 So are you old enough to remember when the All 101 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:16.720 Star Game was fun? 102 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.680 Yeah? Okay, yeah for sure. I mean I remember being 103 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.279 a big part of growing up, being like eight, nine, 104 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:26.399 ten years old and watching the All Star Game and 105 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:29.800 it seemed really fun and cool. Then right like, it 106 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.000 seems like these superheroes in my brain and some of 107 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.839 that's just because I was a kid. But we're coming 108 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:38.800 together and playing in this this game. You know that 109 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:41.639 that had everyone I had ever heard of in it, right, 110 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:46.079 So yeah, you know, it was better to look. And 111 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:48.800 it wasn't amazing. It's not like they were killing each 112 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:52.399 other out there, but it was it was significantly, significantly 113 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:53.800 more real than what was you know over the last 114 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:54.720 five and ten years. 115 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.759 Do you have any ideas to make it, you know, 116 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:03.160 consumable because ultimate I understand your point about other leagues 117 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.920 and dealing with their All Star stuff, and but the 118 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:08.399 Pro Bowl was never good, Like the Pro Bowl was 119 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:11.160 never good. And the NBA All Star Game for like 120 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:14.000 thirty years was the best pickup all you know, pick 121 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:16.600 up basketball game that you could find in the world 122 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:19.560 because the best players showed up and played high level basketball. 123 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:23.319 So whenever ask anyone asks me, like, what's your preferred format, 124 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:27.000 my preferred format is the All Star Game with players 125 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.079 who give a rip. That's my preferred format. But I 126 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:33.040 don't think that we're ever getting back there. Is there 127 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:36.519 a format idea, whatever it is that you've heard that 128 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:39.079 you think makes this thing redeemable or is it just 129 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:42.279 time to eat our crow and understand that this is 130 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.160 not anything that's ever going to be exciting. Ever. 131 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:49.600 Again, I haven't heard of one that I think makes 132 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:54.360 a real difference, you know, like if you they've done 133 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.160 so many they've tried so many things, right, Like the 134 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:59.839 one that gets me is that they you know, literally 135 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:03.800 gave you know, I think it was five hundred thousand 136 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.199 dollars to the winner of the game to charity. And 137 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:09.759 in fact, they in Cleveland, they brought kids who were 138 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:13.680 food insecure, who were actually needed food from the food bank, 139 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.000 sat them in they you know, lower bowl, very obvious section, 140 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:19.160 a group of what twenty thirty kids, I don't know 141 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:21.839 what the actual number was, and said we will give 142 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:25.120 the food Bank five hundred thousand dollars if you win 143 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:29.920 this game. And the game still sucks, Like, I don't 144 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:34.000 know what you do with that level of player, you know, 145 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:37.800 disassociation from it being a quality product, and like I 146 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:41.480 you know, yeah, you can kind of play around. 147 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:43.800 The edges with the elam ending and you and the 148 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.240 tournament and you know, make it look worse. So that hey, 149 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:49.920 and some of these games are playing rising stars players 150 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:52.959 and maybe they're trying to establish their name and so 151 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:55.959 play a little bit harder. But like in the end, 152 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:58.920 the rising Stars didn't play that hard either, right, Like, 153 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:00.800 it's not like they were really defending. 154 00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:03.040 They just want to be cool. And when you have 155 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:06.600 the incentives that the NBA currently does, where most of 156 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:09.240 the All Stars are making between thirty and sixty million 157 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:12.319 dollars a year, you know, paying them each a million 158 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:15.120 dollars if they win also doesn't really cut it. You know. 159 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:16.839 I think we've seen that with some with the play 160 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:21.240 in tournament and you know, home court advantage in the 161 00:08:21.319 --> 00:08:23.759 NBA finals. Let's say, I don't think really cuts it, 162 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:27.639 because we see teams tank out of those positions here 163 00:08:27.639 --> 00:08:29.839 after year or just not you know, maybe not tank, 164 00:08:29.959 --> 00:08:33.200 but load manage out of those positions here after year 165 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.600 because they think, hey, being the third seed or the 166 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:37.960 fourth seed in the playoffs is fine compared to being 167 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:40.559 the first seed. It just doesn't matter that much who 168 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:42.639 hosts that Game seven at the end of the series. 169 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:47.360 So I'm fresh out of ideas. I haven't heard anything 170 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:51.000 that's that interesting to me. And ultimately, I think that 171 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.960 just like the incentives of the league, that the league 172 00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:56.559 is too big right now for these guys to care 173 00:08:56.600 --> 00:08:59.200 about this because they are are already stars and just 174 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:02.360 don't have that much the game from trying really hard 175 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:03.399 in the All Star Game. 176 00:09:04.039 --> 00:09:08.080 So PK Suban, you know the Four Nations Finals tonight, 177 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:11.279 Canada taking on the US. It's on our station. After 178 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:14.480 the Craigsmith Coaches Show, he went on a couple of 179 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:17.200 different platforms today. On ESPN, he was doing the rounds 180 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:21.759 and he just eviscerated NBA players and he utilized his 181 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:26.440 platform as an opportunity to express to consumers if you 182 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:29.639 are interested in watching a sport, if you are interested 183 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:32.559 in watching a game where the league employs people that 184 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:35.639 actually care about their craft, and I'm paraphrasing, of course, 185 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:39.960 you should watch hockey because hockey players play through injuries, 186 00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:44.440 They play for the flag tonight and for their club 187 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:48.480 as opposed to simply individual glory. And it's pretty unanimous, 188 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:50.600 man Like, it's pretty much across the board, whether you're 189 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:53.120 talking about Connor McDavid or or you know one of 190 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:55.519 the local guys here Dylan gun Through. It is a 191 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:58.600 different brand of athlete, it's a different brand of care. 192 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:02.919 Do you think that's something that people in the NBA 193 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:05.679 could maybe learn a thing or two from As far 194 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:08.440 as the commitments to their craft that hockey players have 195 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.279 or is this just a cultural societal thing that it 196 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:13.639 is what it is, And if you're covering pro basketball, 197 00:10:14.039 --> 00:10:16.879 you just have to deal with what this thing has become, 198 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.519 which is a product oftentimes played by players that don't 199 00:10:20.519 --> 00:10:22.000 seem to give that much of a rip. 200 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:24.720 I mean, I think it's a mix of balls. And 201 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.240 I think like the NBA players not caring generally is 202 00:10:28.279 --> 00:10:32.360 kind of overstated. Like Kevin Durant, did you watch that 203 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:33.480 Court of Gold documentary? 204 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:34.840 I did. It was awesome, It was awesome. 205 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:38.039 Yeah, Kevin Durant cried about the idea of playing in 206 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:41.279 the Olympics, right, like and in that in that documentary, 207 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:45.039 and it clearly meant a ton to him, right, And 208 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.279 Like KD is not someone who I think is like 209 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:51.519 an outlier in terms of caring about the game. Like 210 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:55.200 I thought it was really clear that the Olympics really 211 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:59.200 mattered to those players and to a huge degree. And 212 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:02.200 so I think, like the Four Nations tournament being a 213 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.000 success in the NHL level is reflective of kind of 214 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:07.840 those same things that we we did actually see from 215 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:11.120 NBA players in the Olympics, right, And I think we 216 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:14.399 could see in kind of a tournament similar to four 217 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:18.960 nations in the NBA. I also think that you're right that, like, 218 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:25.399 clearly there's a pride in playing through injury that hockey 219 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:29.919 players have that NBA players don't. I would also say that, 220 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:33.440 like frankly, that happens more on the team side, and 221 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:35.519 I put more blame on the team putting out the 222 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:39.279 injury report than the players. I mean, look, I've been 223 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.000 in these jazz locker rooms or on you know, jazz 224 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:45.639 shoot arounds whatever all year long and watches kind of 225 00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:48.399 the training staff and these team representatives come up to 226 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:53.000 players and essentially say, hey, you know, how serious is 227 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:55.759 this injury? Hey, maybe we should take this one, you know, 228 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:59.639 be cautious about this, Maybe you should sit these next 229 00:11:59.639 --> 00:12:03.360 couple of games out. Like while the players have those 230 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:07.039 conversations and are not happy about them, right, like would 231 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.720 prefer to be playing those games. I mean, like John 232 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:13.000 Collins is sitting, you know, had sat in the last 233 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:16.799 few weeks with a fake injury. Would rather be playing 234 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:20.320 out there. Larie Markinen would rather be playing, uh, And 235 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:23.200 it's just the team that is preventing them from doing so. 236 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:26.159 And I think that to me is like Okay, you 237 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:28.200 need to change the incentives of the sport a little bit. 238 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.919 Where in hockey, you know, for whatever reason, those seven 239 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:35.240 game series are not foregone conclusions, even when it's a 240 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:37.480 one seed versus they seed. I mean, we've seen eight 241 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.200 seeds make tremendous runs for the NHL playoffs in a 242 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.679 way that we just have not seen NBA playoffs. The 243 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:47.120 NBA eight seeds make those runs generally, you know, with 244 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.639 a couple of exceptions, it feels like upsets are much 245 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.399 more common in the NHL, and it you know, again 246 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.759 those games seems to individually matter. But like I do 247 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:00.200 think that mean maybe over state of maybe peak. It's 248 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:03.360 about an overstates a little bit like the players side 249 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:06.279 of everything that's not the All Star Game. I will 250 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:09.639 absolutely blame the All Star Game on the players. I 251 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.360 don't necessarily blame a whole lot of what we see 252 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:14.879 in the NBA on the players exclusively, because I know 253 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:17.759 how much the teams are involved in not getting the 254 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:18.679 best product every night. 255 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:23.320 Yeah, I think PK was probably utilizing the moment to 256 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:26.120 make a larger point to get more people to tune 257 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:28.200 into hockey, and a lot of it was performative, But 258 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:29.799 I think a lot of points that were made are 259 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:32.720 very fair and yeah, and you're not wrong ultimately to 260 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:35.600 bring in the dynamic of not just teams but the league. 261 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.639 And I always bring up agents behind the scenes wanting 262 00:13:38.679 --> 00:13:41.360 their clients to get to that second, third, fourth, sometimes 263 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:44.519 fifth contract if you're Chris Paul, to make generational Well, 264 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.600 I get the game. But has the league simply become 265 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:50.960 andy a Fortune five hundred company that is only caring 266 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:54.080 about creating value for their shareholders? Like it feels like 267 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.000 the league is run like a and it's always been 268 00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:00.320 a business. David Stern was a hardcore business man, but 269 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:04.240 David actually got the media game and the consumer game 270 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:08.159 a little bit differently than this. You know, this office 271 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:10.679 under Adam Silver seems to get. Is it just now 272 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.600 that this league is simply about creating as much value 273 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.679 for their shareholders as possible and it's just being run 274 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:17.600 like a tech company. 275 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:21.200 Frankly, yes, I'd agree with with all of that. And 276 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:24.960 I think the kind of too big to fail idea 277 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.120 does apply to the NBA a little bit right now, 278 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:31.399 where you know, the despite the TV ratings being what 279 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:34.519 they are, you know, kind of mid whatever, the TV 280 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.440 deal is tripling over the in the next contract, right like, 281 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:41.879 they are assured so much money and so much revenue 282 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:44.320 at the team level and at the player level that 283 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:47.480 you know, frankly, teams back in the eighties, right like 284 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:50.000 the Jazz were a million dollars away from going bankrupt 285 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:52.799 at any given time, right like, and now they are 286 00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:57.399 incredibly flushed with cash. And and even if a team tank, 287 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.960 even if a team tanker, even if the Jazz didn't 288 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:03.600 se we'll sell out the Delta Center, like that's going 289 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.399 to be signed for them. It doesn't make a big deal, 290 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:09.159 you know. They they will still make a profit and 291 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.399 the value of the franchise will continue to go up 292 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:15.679 because the league has been so successful in running it 293 00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:19.639 well as a business, in ensuring that every team throughout 294 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:24.559 the league makes a profit. And you know, that good 295 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:28.399 business sense. And I'm sure the thirty owners appreciate Adam 296 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.200 Silver for you know, making moves in that direction. But 297 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:33.279 it does just remove a lot of the stakes of 298 00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:36.440 the competition, especially from the team side. And so yeah, 299 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.120 as a result, I think you do see all of 300 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:42.919 these things that you know, the tanking and load management 301 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:48.000 and all these kind of anti consumer kind of results 302 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:52.360 of that consequences of that that weren't there in the 303 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:56.960 eighties and nineties because profit was, you know, the kind 304 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:00.000 of way more aligned with the product out there on the. 305 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:02.919 I can't tell you how many buddies I have that 306 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:06.399 are lifelong NBA fans that are just like disenfranchised with 307 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:08.480 the old thing. It's just I don't know. But to 308 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:10.679 your point, you know, they'll email you their P and 309 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:13.360 L statement with their middle finger and say, what's our problem? Like, 310 00:16:13.399 --> 00:16:16.240 we're doing fine, and I get it. One more question 311 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.039 in this space and then we'll do a little jazz 312 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:21.600 before I say you lose. What's your opinion on? And 313 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:24.639 I'm not a Lebron hater. I've sounded like it this week, 314 00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:27.200 but I'm not. I mean, I don't know that we 315 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:30.399 have an example of another athlete that was anointed at 316 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:33.399 the age of like sixteen or seventeen, who lived up 317 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:36.720 to every expectation and superseded most of them. The story 318 00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:40.120 of Lebron James is phenomenal and always will be. But 319 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:44.320 you know, I'm watching the intros and they I think 320 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.159 it was on Shacksog team, and they introduced every player 321 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:50.320 and then they go to Lebron and he's in street 322 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:53.559 clothes and we all find out like he's not playing. Now, 323 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:57.320 there are a lot of ideas we're having. Amina El 324 00:16:57.399 --> 00:16:59.559 Hassan on coming up in the four o'clock hour his 325 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:03.799 podcast asked with Tom Haberstrow Basketball Illuminati. Their theory is 326 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:07.799 he was silently protesting the young players playing on Sunday. 327 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:10.240 I do not have my tinfoil hat on like that. 328 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:13.240 But my issue with it, Andy is this, and I've 329 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:18.559 never loved clauses and contracts that award All Star appearances 330 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:20.880 or give you a bonus if you win a postseason award, 331 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.079 because the process at times is arbitrary and it messes 332 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:27.240 with people's money. All Lebron had to do was let 333 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:29.079 somebody know he wasn't gonna play. They could have named 334 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:31.480 his replacement, and that player could have had a clause 335 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:34.519 exercise in his contract where he makes a couple hundred grand, 336 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.319 like if I'm a player that had the opportunity to 337 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:40.079 potentially step in as a replacement, And Lebron pulled that 338 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:44.240 act that was continued by always Questionable for the Hornest Game. No, 339 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:47.799 he's not like he was playing like obviously, so I 340 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:50.519 had a real issue with the way he approached what 341 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:54.559 he did over the weekend. What are your thoughts, I'm 342 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:55.000 work dealing. 343 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:58.880 I feel like you've kind of covered it. Lebron absolutely 344 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:01.319 should have said that he was if he didn't want 345 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:03.559 to play or didn't feel, you know, like that he 346 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.680 was going to play, should have said something earlier. So 347 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:09.319 Demontes the bonus could have been in that game, and 348 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:12.880 frankly honestly did it with Anthony Edwards, who also did 349 00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:16.000 not play for an injury. If we're you know, we 350 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.039 should be fired of both of those guys that if 351 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:22.880 we criticized one and criticize the other. I if they 352 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:24.599 if they didn't want to play, if they felt that 353 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:26.799 their participation was at risk, they should have told the 354 00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:29.920 league earlier. And again, a deserving All Star would have 355 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:33.519 got gotten to play in the game. I yeah, have 356 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:36.400 a I have a significant problem with that. I don't. Yeah, 357 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:38.240 it doesn't mean I'm a Lebron height or it doesn't 358 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:41.559 mean I'm an Anthony Edward Peter. Uh. It's just it's just, 359 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.079 you know, not cool. 360 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:46.240 I did not mean to take the good points with 361 00:18:46.359 --> 00:18:48.480 that was embedded into my question. Andy. I just know 362 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:51.039 you're a smart guy and you could bounce off of it. 363 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.799 But yeah, I mean, like it's just a bad look. Uh. 364 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:56.759 Is there anything and this is me reaching for a topic. 365 00:18:57.400 --> 00:18:59.599 Is there anything Keanta can take away from that weekend? 366 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:01.400 I mean, I suppose if you're going to be around 367 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:03.240 your peers and they're the best players in the world, 368 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.160 that has to be a good thing. 369 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:09.440 Right, Yeah, probably, I mean probably. I'm interested in talking 370 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:12.559 about this. So the jazz practice at three o'clock, so 371 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:15.680 really quite soon here, and then once they're done with practice, 372 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:18.079 we'll go over and talk to both Kiante and I 373 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:21.079 think we're talking to Lowry market In as well after practice, 374 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:24.799 and I will ask him my question because I'm curious too. Yeah, 375 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:26.680 what he took away from it? I kind of wonder 376 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:29.880 if like, playing as reasonably well as he did in 377 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:32.960 the Rising Stars and even on Sunday, like may give 378 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:36.920 him kind of a boost of confidence. But yeah, well 379 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:40.119 I'm curious to see what he says. I don't guess. 380 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:41.839 I guess I don't want to put words into his mouth, 381 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:43.839 and and I am just going to ask him about 382 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:45.359 it in an hour and a half. 383 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.799 Fair enough, all right, do you want to give me 384 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:51.400 a hot Jaden Springer take I guess Jazz fansher at 385 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:53.240 least get to know the new player on the roster. 386 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.440 I mean, he's a ten ten day guys who is 387 00:19:57.480 --> 00:19:59.640 going to be on the game and the on the 388 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:01.720 team the next five games I believe it is. And 389 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:05.559 then but yeah, I mean kind of has struggled to 390 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:10.119 find a consistent role in Boston and Philadelphia can defend 391 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:14.559 a little bit. We'll see kind of. Yeah, if if 392 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.319 he gets playing time over the likes of Johnny Choosing, etcetera. 393 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:20.039 I you know, if everyone's healthy, I'm I'm curious which 394 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.519 way will Hardy will go with that? But yeah, you 395 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:25.279 know he's the fifteenth man on the roster. 396 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:27.559 All right, before I say you lose make the final 397 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:29.839 what twenty eight games? I believe it is the final 398 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.200 twenty eight games for the Jazz. Make it interesting? 399 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:38.480 Yeah, I mean, look, it's the same thing as we've 400 00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:40.599 done all year, right, Like it's whether or not the 401 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:43.400