LeBron James Wishlist Revealed

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Support him at SoundCloud.com slash May 1st Music. Speaker 1: LeBron James and Rich Paul, they are turning the narrative. Speaker 1: They used a whiteboard to kind of put the information out there of where LeBron is thinking, or at least where we think LeBron is actually thinking. Speaker 1: Now, do I think that Rich Paul would actually let us into the exact brain trust, the exact conversations that himself, Clutch, and LeBron are having? Speaker 1: No, but I think it's a very interesting look at what potentially could be on the mind of not just Rich Paul, not just Clutch, but of one LeBron James. Speaker 1: Because we all have to assume this has to be the last ride. Speaker 1: This has to be the last dance.

Speaker 1: It's already been reported that he has some kind of documentary crew following him around. Speaker 1: So clearly he is setting the table for his own last dance. Speaker 1: I think that to me is where this goes to another level. Speaker 1: This goes to a deeper personal level because never before have we been in this type of room and never before have we had this type of access to where we could see the agent of arguably certainly the greatest player of this era. Speaker 1: Some would say greatest of all time. I push back, but that's fine. Speaker 1: But never, never before have we had access into the brain trust of arguably the greatest player of all time and his thought process as to where he's going to go next.

Speaker 1: And that's why I think this whole situation, if clutching them do it right, could be so unique. Speaker 1: And I think Rich Paul, he's learning the media game from this POV as a content creator. Speaker 1: We know he knows the media game from an agent perspective, you know, being with LeBron for so long. Speaker 1: But now he is learning the game from a content creating perspective. Speaker 1: And that to me is extremely fascinating. So I'm going to go ahead and get the whiteboard up, a screenshot of the whiteboard and what he was doing. Speaker 1: And we're going to put that up here on the screen and let's go here with it.

Speaker 1: All right. So let's go to what part of the screen want to go to. Let's go to this part of the screen. Speaker 1: All right. So the Rich Paul whiteboard. Speaker 1: Let me see. Let me just put the screen up hard stop.

All right. Take myself off the screen. Speaker 1: So the Rich Paul whiteboard is summarized as this. The core of the whiteboard. Speaker 1: You're looking at the Sixers, the Heat, the Wolves, the Nuggets and the Cavs. Speaker 1: They are featured prominently, right? Speaker 1: So that's talking about down here.

Speaker 1: Down here because this is all of the LeBron James scenarios where how does Bron fit in with these rosters as constituted? Speaker 1: So we're looking at, if we're talking about Philly, we got Maxie. Speaker 1: And you see an asterisk next to Maxie, and we'll get into that in a second. Speaker 1: Let's see, can we go even bigger with this? Speaker 1: We can just a little bit. Speaker 1: All right. Speaker 1: So we got Maxie here with the asterisk.

Speaker 1: Vijay Edgecombe. Speaker 1: They got Jalen Brown already in there and Joel Embiid. Speaker 1: So all of these scenarios are the four, the starting fours, plus LeBron. Speaker 1: Okay? Speaker 1: So we have Philly here with Maxi, Edgecombe, Jalen Brown, and Embiid. Speaker 1: And then you have LeBron. Speaker 1: Then if he was to go down to South Beach, right?

Speaker 1: A. Wiggins, the Nigerian freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Speaker 1: Devion Mitchell, and LeBron. Speaker 1: Right now, off rip, even though the Miami one will be very sexy, there's a lot of storylines there, closing the chapter, spinning the block. Speaker 1: You know, LeBron has, there's been reports of LeBron and Pat Rowley piecing it up, all that type of stuff. Speaker 1: But I don't know. I think this foursome with LeBron doesn't seem as good as the six or one, right? Speaker 1: So we'll go there.

And maybe now I could put myself here. Okay, cool. Speaker 1: So now we got to look at the Minnesota Timberwolves version, where we're talking about Ant-Man, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. Speaker 1: So LeBron, Ant-Melo, McDaniels, and Gobert. Speaker 1: How does that play in? Speaker 1: Then we got to go to Denver. Speaker 1: Denver here is the real unique sleeper one to me.

Speaker 1: Because I'm thinking the connection is weak. Speaker 1: Corey, is that? Speaker 1: Well, that's not on my end. Speaker 1: Everything is good on this end. Speaker 1: Not sure what's happening there. Speaker 1: But we're talking about Denver. Speaker 1: We're doing Jamal Murray.

Speaker 1: And looking at Aaron Gordon and Jokic to go along with Johnson, right? Speaker 1: How is that as a foursome to go with LeBron? Speaker 1: And then you have the ultimate home coming home story where he would go back to Cleveland for now a third time. Speaker 1: And team up with Spider Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and your man's Jared Allen, who the lights are still too bright. Speaker 1: That's a conversation for me where if we're looking at these as the core. Speaker 1: Of the teams that LeBron is actively trying to go to, if this is what we're looking at, then to me. Speaker 1: Philly is the winner by far.

Philly is the winner by far. Speaker 1: But you see these ones on the peripheral, on the outside looking in, one would say. Speaker 1: We're looking at Steph and Dre. Obviously, that's the Warriors, right? Speaker 1: So we're looking at Steph and Dre. They're on the outside looking in. Speaker 1: Dallas is a possibility as well.

Dallas and Messiah, Messiah Jury, who was in Toronto, Speaker 1: Got that whole thing going and made the move to go get board man. They got that chip. Speaker 1: Messiah, Jerry and LeBron are very close. Speaker 1: But then there's also non-basketball reasons as to why LeBron would go to Dallas. Speaker 1: You see, Kyrie is not mentioned here in any of this. Speaker 1: Kyrie is not a factor in LeBron going to Dallas. Speaker 1: And I actually applaud that because.

Speaker 1: Rich Paul could have done the shill thing. Rich Paul could have done the PC thing and put Kyrie here just as a make good, just to play nice, just to keep the narratives from bubbling up. Speaker 1: But not putting Kyrie here makes it very clear that I've been saying it for a very long time, but LeBron and Kyrie were never close like that. Speaker 1: So the fact that Dallas, the key factors in LeBron considering Dallas is more of Messiah Jury, more so about oil, more so about playing golf. Speaker 1: More than it is hooping with Kyrie again, extremely telling. Speaker 1: OK. Now we go down to Boston.

Speaker 1: Boston is considered a possibility, again, outside looking in. Speaker 1: So we have all the teams here that are the core. Speaker 1: And then we have Tatum and Brad Stevens. Speaker 1: So LeBron and the boy genius. Fresh off trading Jalen Brown, the Celtics are still a possibility. Speaker 1: Why would LeBron ever actually consider going to Boston? What's the advantage there?

Speaker 1: Now, I know there's some ownership, some of that private equity stuff is kind of there. Speaker 1: and we know LeBron is trying to get himself in position to potentially own an NBA franchise one Speaker 1: day so maybe he's playing that game but if he's going to play that game he needs to spin the block Speaker 1: and remember what happened to Michael Jordan when he tried to play these ownership games let me do Speaker 1: a solid for owner and when it's my time we'll spin the block and he'll bless me it didn't go that way Speaker 1: for Michael Jordan, if LeBron is trying to play the private equity hedge game game by getting Speaker 1: tight with the ownership group, the private equity fund that owns the Boston Celtics, Speaker 1: if he's trying to play that game, that's a dicey proposition. Extremely dicey. I would not do it Speaker 1: if I was LeBron, but the fact that the Celtics are still here, this isn't for basketball reasons. Speaker 1: LeBron can't assume if he's actually trying to go on his way out and get a championship, Speaker 1: Because remember, Rich Paul told us LeBron wants to be in a place where he is completely happy. Speaker 1: He is in search of happiness. Speaker 1: What about hooping with Tatum with no Jalen Brown and not much else if we're going to keep it a buck?

Speaker 1: Derek White, Peyton Pritchard, you're telling me Brown must go hoop his last remnants of his basketball life with Peyton Pritchard? Speaker 1: Is that what y'all trying to sell to me? Speaker 1: Is that what Rich Paul is expecting us to buy? Because that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Speaker 1: So Brad Stevens and Jason Tatum being here to me reeks of LeBron's doing business, just like the Dallas play. Speaker 1: It's clear it's about oil and golf and Messiah jury. Speaker 1: And the only reason why he would go to Golden State is to hoop with Steph and Drake.

Speaker 1: Those are his mans in them. I think the same thing, even though it says Brad and Tatum here. Speaker 1: I think this is about private equity. Speaker 1: Now, over here. Speaker 1: You see what happens when we bring up Darius Garland. Speaker 1: Well, first, let's go to Spurs. Spurs here are underlined, right?

Speaker 1: This is very intriguing. We just talked about how throughout the whole NBA finals, Speaker 1: the Spurs needed someone to calm them down. Speaker 1: The Spurs needed someone that could play point guard that knows how to get everybody involved. Speaker 1: If we were to have put, it doesn't have to be specifically LeBron James, but someone with certainly his acumen, his experience, with his playing ability. Speaker 1: That would have been, that was so sorely missed with what the Spurs showed us in that five game series with the Knicks. Speaker 1: They needed someone that has some common sense. Speaker 1: You need someone that has a feel for pace of play and tempo.

Speaker 1: Are the San Antonio Spurs a LeBron James away from winning a Larry OB? Speaker 1: And we always have to put into context, this is 40 plus year old LeBron James, prime LeBron James. Speaker 1: Every team was a LeBron James away from winning a championship in his prime. Speaker 1: We're talking about right now. Speaker 1: Who is a 40-plus-year-old LeBron James away from winning a championship? Speaker 1: That's what all these teams are trying to figure out. Speaker 1: All these teams are trying to navigate, Speaker 1: are we a 40-plus-year-old LeBron James away from capturing a title?

Speaker 1: I think the Spurs, even though, where would Bron play? Speaker 1: Who goes to that bench? Champagne, who they just re-upped? Speaker 1: I think he would know he has to take that back seat. Speaker 1: so now you're rolling out Speaker 1: De'Aaron Fox Speaker 1: Stephon Castle Speaker 1: Harper probably still has to come off the bench now Speaker 1: although you could probably swing it Speaker 1: alright so you go Speaker 1: De'Aaron Fox Speaker 1: Vassell Speaker 1: you could go three guards Speaker 1: You could run Castle out there to run with Bron and De'Aaron Fox. Speaker 1: And that way, Dylan Harper could run with the benchmark. Speaker 1: He could be the lead guy for the benchmark.

Speaker 1: Now, as long as the coach clarifies that going into the season, which it was earfed, it was unearthed after the finals, Speaker 1: that, hey, man, they really played around with Dylan Harper's role throughout the season. Speaker 1: As long as they're clear, you're running with the six. Speaker 1: You're going to be six men of the year. Speaker 1: Because you're going to come off the bench and go crazy, and you're going to run with the bench mob. Speaker 1: But if the certain lineup is De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Vassell, LeBron, and Wemby, Speaker 1: that's extremely formidable in the West. Speaker 1: That's extremely formidable in the West. Speaker 1: And then you got to see Knicks tape here.

Speaker 1: Knicks tape here, and Rich Paul said that if the Knicks didn't win the championship, LeBron was going to be a Knick. Speaker 1: I severely doubt that. Speaker 1: only from the standpoint, and look, there's obvious mob ties here. Speaker 1: There's clear mob ties between LeBron, World Wide West, Steve Stout, Speaker 1: Leon Rose was his agent back in the day. Speaker 1: Like there's obvious mob ties to LeBron and the Knicks, right? Speaker 1: But that's always been the case. Speaker 1: So what am I to believe that a 40 plus year old LeBron James Speaker 1: will actually entertain the Knicks when a 20 something year old LeBron James, Speaker 1: when they 30 something year old LeBron James always leveraged the Knicks for more bread.

Speaker 1: He would take the meetings, he would do all the stuff, but it was never a real possibility. Speaker 1: Now, over the years, a lot of stuff has been unearthed in terms of what LeBron and those meetings with the Knicks actually were. Speaker 1: Promo videos from Wu-Tang Clan, all that type of stuff. Speaker 1: But in regards to the actuality of LeBron becoming a Knick, it was always a long shot. Speaker 1: so if the Knicks did not win a Larry OB, Speaker 1: I'm supposed to believe that LeBron was going to spin the block Speaker 1: and end his career as a Knick? Speaker 1: Wouldn't it make more sense now for LeBron to go be a Knick? Speaker 1: Or was that just going to be a legacy play Speaker 1: because he wants to be the guy that brought the Knicks Speaker 1: their first championship in now what would have been 54 years?

Speaker 1: Jay LeBron's already beat you to that, Speaker 1: so that's why the Knicks are not going to be, Speaker 1: Because again, LeBron is about the legacy play. Speaker 1: Never forget that LeBron is all about the legacy play. Speaker 1: He brought Cleveland their only championship. Speaker 1: That's huge. Speaker 1: Hometown kid, Akron, all that stuff. Speaker 1: He brings a chip to the land. Speaker 1: Legacy play.

Speaker 1: He goes down to Miami. Speaker 1: Miami was always close but never good enough. Speaker 1: Then D. Wade comes and gets that chip early against the mass. Speaker 1: But a lot of people put an asterisk on that chip because of the fouls. Speaker 1: so that that chip, even though it's respected, it's not held in high regard, right? Speaker 1: Now we got the heels.

Speaker 1: Braun, Wade, Bosch, the whole deal. Speaker 1: That is part of the legacy. That's a legacy play. Speaker 1: The first super team, even though we know it's not, of the modern era, even though it's not, Speaker 1: the victor gets to tell the story. Speaker 1: The history books are written by the victors and LeBron and his team were the victors. Speaker 1: So they get the right that they were the first super team. Speaker 1: Then he goes to L.A.

He joins part of that legacy. Speaker 1: Sorry, then he goes back to Cleveland, gets that one chip. Great. Cements that legacy. Speaker 1: Then he goes to L.A. and joins the pantheon of Laker greats. Speaker 1: And you can't be a Laker great if you don't get a championship.

Speaker 1: Nick Van Exel is a great Laker. Speaker 1: He's not remembered by anyone outside of Laker land because he didn't win a championship. Speaker 1: Eddie Jones was a great Laker. Speaker 1: The late Eldon Campbell was a great Laker. Speaker 1: No one remembers outside of Laker land unless you're a real Hoopers Hooper. Speaker 1: No one remembers because they didn't win a chip. Speaker 1: So LeBron goes to L.A.

Speaker 1: He gets a chip. Speaker 1: Cements that legacy. Speaker 1: So he's part of the Laker pantheon. Speaker 1: He is the part of the Heedles and the super team. Speaker 1: and he brought the only championship to the land. Speaker 1: It would have been a fantastic bookend Speaker 1: to be able to go to the Mecca, Speaker 1: to come to New York Speaker 1: and cure Knicks fans' dreams. Speaker 1: No, excuse me, cure their nightmares Speaker 1: of not being able to get a Larry O.B.

Speaker 1: Having guys like LeBron be in their way. Speaker 1: Having guys like Jordan be in their way. Speaker 1: And to now get one of those guys Speaker 1: and that guy takes you over the top. Speaker 1: The Jalen Brunson story is amazing Speaker 1: from many storylines and plot lines. Speaker 1: Redemption, all underdog story, Speaker 1: all that stuff is there in a Jalen Brunson story. Speaker 1: Could you imagine if that story doesn't happen Speaker 1: and LeBron comes to the Mecca Speaker 1: and on his last legs, Speaker 1: the last remnants of his career, Speaker 1: he gets a Larry OB with the Knicks. Speaker 1: As great as a Jalen Brunson story is, can you imagine the magnitude of LeBron being able to come into the Mecca?

Speaker 1: And win a Larry OB. Speaker 1: Now that's been taken away. Speaker 1: And I think that's why the next thing is not in play. Speaker 1: That's why they're on the outside looking in. Speaker 1: Because LeBron is all about chasing legacy. Speaker 1: Chasing that story. Speaker 1: How does the LeBron James arc end?

Speaker 1: It began with, you know, all the hype. Speaker 1: We are witnesses. Speaker 1: He's the chosen one. Speaker 1: All of that. Speaker 1: It began with the hype train. Speaker 1: And he lived up to it. Speaker 1: Now, how do you hit the dismount on the way out?

Speaker 1: How do you close out a story? Speaker 1: How do you close out the arc of what some think is the greatest basketball player of all time? Speaker 1: How do you close it out? Speaker 1: Jordan had a storybook ending. Speaker 1: but he couldn't give it up because he was chasing legacy play. Speaker 1: He was chasing an ownership play. Speaker 1: How does LeBron end his arc?

Speaker 1: So after what you see here, Speaker 1: what is the best case scenario for LeBron? Speaker 1: Is it Philly? Speaker 1: Is it Miami? Speaker 1: Is it Minnesota? Speaker 1: Is it Denver? Speaker 1: Is it Cleveland? Speaker 1: or is it one of these peripherals?

Speaker 1: Is it one of these teams on the outside looking in Speaker 1: that you feel is the better scenario for LeBron James? Speaker 1: Let me know. Speaker 1: So as you see here in the summary, Speaker 1: the Warriors, Mavs, Celtics, Spurs, Knicks are secondary, right? Speaker 1: Mavs mostly listed for non-basketball reason. Speaker 1: And we talked about that Cavs assistant GM Brandon Weems is a big X factor for Cleveland. Speaker 1: He is, quote, basically LeBron's brother. Speaker 1: Now, the negatives when it comes to Cleveland is Darius Garland.

Speaker 1: And you see that negative here. Speaker 1: No Darius Garland listed as a negative for the Cavs. Speaker 1: LeBron loves Garland like he loves Maxie. Speaker 1: Can you imagine not being able to secure LeBron James because you no longer have Darius Garland? Speaker 1: So Cleveland has a lot of things stacked with them. Speaker 1: They have a good team. Speaker 1: Spider, The Beard, Evan Mobley, Jared Allen, but they don't have Darius Garland.

Speaker 1: So that might stop you from having the storybook ending of LeBron coming back to the land for the third time. Speaker 1: It may be getting one more Lario B for the land on the way out. Speaker 1: But you have Weems, who is his man's. Speaker 1: These are the corporate games. Speaker 1: These are when you're in this type of position, this is a leverage play. Speaker 1: This is all about looking at things and having the power. Speaker 1: We talk a lot about the player empowerment era that we're currently in.

Speaker 1: And LeBron and KD have kind of ushered this in. Speaker 1: Player empowerment has always always been there. Right. But it's always been for the top of the top. Speaker 1: It's kind of trickled down thanks to the CBA and things like that to only max players. Speaker 1: Back in the day, you only had maybe four or five guys who really had player empowerment. Speaker 1: We can talk about the 80s and the 90s, maybe about four or five guys per era.

Speaker 1: had actual player empowerment. Speaker 1: Now, any dude with a max contract Speaker 1: has some sort of empowerment behind it Speaker 1: because the money is so much bigger. Speaker 1: And with the CBA, the salary cap is structured Speaker 1: in such a way that when you have two max players, Boston, Speaker 1: you have to pick one. Speaker 1: And the one that you like, Speaker 1: the one that you feel is the most empowered Speaker 1: to make you better is the one that you're going to stick with. Speaker 1: So then you jettison the Jalen Brown. Speaker 1: Each team has a max player. That means you got 30 some guys that have player empowerment.

Speaker 1: That was not always the case. Speaker 1: So what do you do if you are LeBron? Speaker 1: You're looking at this from the perspective of, OK, I can pick and choose where I want. Speaker 1: And I see the chat going. We're going to get to that in a second. Speaker 1: We got Philly here that has, I think, the best starting five of the ones that are in the core. Speaker 1: Of the ones that are in the core, I think the Spurs are still a sleeper here.

Speaker 1: I could argue the Spurs could be right there. Speaker 1: Especially with the youth that we saw. Speaker 1: That youth was good enough to go through OKC. Speaker 1: And lead the Knicks in every single game. Speaker 1: And lead the Knicks in every game by double digits. Speaker 1: If they had a LeBron, even a 40-plus-year-old LeBron, they win that championship. Speaker 1: But if we're looking at from the core, who Rich Paul has designated as the core options for LeBron, Philadelphia seems to be the most optimal.

Speaker 1: Miami seems the most sexy because you're pairing Bam Adebayo, who just fresh off dropping 80 plus. Speaker 1: You're bringing in a back to back MVP and NBA champion in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Speaker 1: You're bringing in a Wiggins, who you could argue was the finals MVP on that last chip with the Warriors in them. Speaker 1: And then Davion Mitchell is a solid player. He's clearly the weakest of this five potential five with LeBron. Speaker 1: But that's a sexy thing. He made up with Pat Rowley allegedly.

Speaker 1: Storybook ending and closing the arc by going back to one of your former stops and making good. Speaker 1: Miami did not like the taste in their mouth when LeBron left. Speaker 1: They felt jettisoned by LeBron. Speaker 1: They felt the cold shoulder by LeBron when it was clear he was not returning. Speaker 1: In that organization, in that fan base, especially that media base, always got at LeBron because they were mad. Speaker 1: They were mad. They were a bad ex.

Speaker 1: It was a bad breakup. Speaker 1: now when you're looking at Speaker 1: making a storybook ending Speaker 1: closing the loop Speaker 1: is it going back to South Beach Speaker 1: and pairing up with Giannis Speaker 1: pairing up with Bam Speaker 1: is taking the minimum Speaker 1: or close enough to the minimum Speaker 1: worth it to go hoop in South Beach Speaker 1: then you gotta look at Ant Speaker 1: Ant obviously is a clutch sport Speaker 1: so him and Rich Paul is like this Speaker 1: him and Bron is like this Speaker 1: so there's that obvious connection Speaker 1: but now you're talking about LaMelo Speaker 1: who gets the ball? Speaker 1: LaMelo's very ball dominant Speaker 1: now Jada McDaniels is a bigger three Speaker 1: but a small four Speaker 1: now if LeBron's with Minnesota Speaker 1: that LeBron is able to play the four, Speaker 1: Jaden McDangles could go to what I think Speaker 1: is a more natural position for him in the three, Speaker 1: and you still have Antler and LaMelo in the backcourt. Speaker 1: That to me is a very, Speaker 1: it's the easiest lineup for LeBron to fit into. Speaker 1: So I think the Sixers is the best lineup Speaker 1: outside of the Spurs, Speaker 1: because the Spurs on the outside Speaker 1: looking in the court under Rich Paul. Speaker 1: The Sixers are the best lineup LeBron could fit into. Speaker 1: I think the easiest lineup for LeBron to fit into is the one in Minnesota because everyone is clearly defined.

Speaker 1: Everyone moves into their natural position. Speaker 1: It is a natural two. That's what he is. Speaker 1: LaMelo is a point. He's a point that also likes his shot. Speaker 1: So you got to figure that out. But he is a willing facilitator.

Speaker 1: Jaden McDaniels is not a four. Speaker 1: So you have LeBron play the four. Now McDaniels goes to a natural spot at the three. Speaker 1: And you think you still got Rudy Gobert anchoring at the five. Speaker 1: I think that's the easiest lineup for LeBron to fit into. Speaker 1: The Denver one is the most intriguing from the standpoint of Nikola Jokic and LeBron playing together. Speaker 1: How would that work?

Speaker 1: Now, by no means am I saying it won't work. Speaker 1: I just want to see what that would look like because Jokic is another guy that likes to have the ball in his hands, likes to orchestrate and facilitate. Speaker 1: He's the best passing big man of all time. Speaker 1: How do you now play with a guy that's 6'9 and has similar abilities and vision, court vision to you? Speaker 1: It's a great problem to have. Speaker 1: And Jamal Murray is no slouch at facilitating as well. Speaker 1: So you have three guys potentially in Bron, Murray, and Jokic who can all facilitate.

Speaker 1: The ball movement would be amazing if you could get Jokic and LeBron to be at the top. Speaker 1: And then you have Murray, Johnson, and Aaron Gordon just running around. Speaker 1: Screens, pin downs, flares, just setting all types of ball movement and player movement to spread offense could be really in play. Speaker 1: So maybe the most fun lineup is LeBron in Denver. Speaker 1: For pure basketball reasons, the most fun is LeBron in Denver. Speaker 1: Cleveland, I think, is the team that needs LeBron the most. Speaker 1: So the most neediest lineup is Cleveland.

Speaker 1: Because Spider Mitchell and the beard, we saw it. Speaker 1: It looks good in a regular season. It could even get you through the first round. Speaker 1: But we have no faith in them advancing past that. Speaker 1: Putting LeBron in this lineup now gives me the confidence that they can at least get to the conference finals and be a legitimate threat if they were to get to the conference finals and not just be a walkthrough. Speaker 1: Like the path that was carved out in the East was extremely weak this past season. Speaker 1: Nick's got their championship.

I'm not taking any credit away. Speaker 1: However, we also need to examine the teams that were in the way of anybody in the East. Speaker 1: All those teams were flawed. All those teams had glaring weaknesses. Speaker 1: The glaring weakness for Cleveland is that they have nobody. Speaker 1: They don't have anybody that anyone is scared of in a clutch. Speaker 1: As good as Spider is, as good as the beard is, no one is scared of them in the clutch.

Speaker 1: and even though LeBron has had his moments Speaker 1: mostly early in his career Speaker 1: where guys like Skip Bayless made millions of dollars Speaker 1: over calling him not clutch Speaker 1: LeBron is clutch Speaker 1: LeBron is a guy that you can count on Speaker 1: to make the right basketball play Speaker 1: it may not work Speaker 1: but he's going to make the right basketball play Speaker 1: so Cleveland to me is the most neediest team Speaker 1: they're in the team in the most need of LeBron Speaker 1: the Sixers don't need LeBron Speaker 1: but if they get him Speaker 1: that takes them through the roof Speaker 1: they have to be the favorite Speaker 1: in the East Speaker 1: even with the Knicks Speaker 1: coming back with more or less Speaker 1: the same roster Speaker 1: sans Maga Mitch Rob Speaker 1: LeBron in Miami Speaker 1: will be a great story Speaker 1: but I still think Speaker 1: Giannis and Bam Speaker 1: just off that Speaker 1: and filling in with Speaker 1: a bunch of other guys Speaker 1: your Chris Middletons Speaker 1: maybe even your Bradley Beals Speaker 1: of the world Speaker 1: that's enough for me Speaker 1: still put them as a top 14 in the East. Speaker 1: Now you go over to the, Speaker 1: to the West out outside of Cleveland of this core group. Speaker 1: I think that the Timberwolves are probably the second most neediest team that Speaker 1: needs LeBron. Speaker 1: I think LeBron fitting into this lineup fits almost too good for them not to do Speaker 1: it. Speaker 1: Like it works. Speaker 1: It works so much that it would be really a big, big, huge oversight if they didn't do it. Speaker 1: They have to do it.

Speaker 1: You got Ant in play. Speaker 1: So Ant and Rich Paul, we know what that is. Speaker 1: That to me, if I am the brain trust, if I am Alex Rodriguez and the rest of that Timberwolves brain trust, Speaker 1: you have to go all out to get LeBron because it's the most seamless fit to where he slides in at the four. Speaker 1: and you put Jaden McDaniels back the way he belongs at the three. Speaker 1: If they got LaMelo and Ant in your backcourt, Speaker 1: that to me is the most seamless. Speaker 1: The Sixers getting him would be an embarrassment of riches. Speaker 1: The Heat getting him, it's cool, Speaker 1: but I don't know how this works from a basketball perspective.

Speaker 1: Again, everything hems on are the Miami Heat Speaker 1: finally unleashing point forward Bam Adebayo. Speaker 1: Are we getting point Bam? Speaker 1: If we're not getting point Bam Speaker 1: and Bron is going to be running point Speaker 1: or sharing point with Devion Mitchell, Speaker 1: I don't know. Speaker 1: If Bam is chilling in the paint with Giannis Speaker 1: just trying to crash boards, Speaker 1: I don't like that fit. Speaker 1: Now, if Bam is at the top of the key, Speaker 1: like a Jokic, like a habitual nut hitter Draymond Green, Speaker 1: now that's a different story. Speaker 1: So if they're unlocking Bam Speaker 1: and LeBron is fitting into that, Speaker 1: I'm cool with it. Speaker 1: Denver is the most intriguing because I don't know what that looks like from a basketball perspective, but I still want to see it.

Speaker 1: So you got to let me know. Speaker 1: Hit the chat. Speaker 1: Not enough of a super team without Garland for LeBron's. Speaker 1: I mean, look, that's the whole point, right? Speaker 1: He has the power to dictate that. Speaker 1: He has the power to sit across from his manzanum in Weems and tell him, yo, dogs, I will come here. Speaker 1: But I really like Darius Garland.

I like Darius Garland like I like Tyrese Maxey. Speaker 1: So if I had the choice of hooping with the dudes that I really want to hoop with like a Maxey, and that's why that asterisk is here for a reason. Speaker 1: That asterisk is here for a reason. Like that matters. Speaker 1: Again, never before have we been brought inside this type of breakdown and assuming this is all above board. Speaker 1: This could all be for content, which Paul's learning this, as I spoke about earlier. Speaker 1: But assuming this is even 70% accurate, him putting that asterisk means a lot.

Speaker 1: And him putting this minus means a lot. Speaker 1: So however you want to go about it, Weems is a plus because that's his man's, but no Garland, negative for Cleveland. Speaker 1: stephanie chat was good the speed maxine edgecombe played with me clash with bronze style of play now Speaker 1: interesting let's let's see if we can break that down so Speaker 1: yes yes that could be a thing right or let's spin that the other way Speaker 1: we know how kevin love is with the outlet pads right where he crashed the boards and his first Speaker 1: turn is to look and see who's available to start early offense, to start the transition, Speaker 1: to start that early offense, right? What if Braun in this flow, because obviously Jalen Speaker 1: Brown can get up and down as well. Imagine Braun playing the four. He crashes the boards Speaker 1: with Embiid and he turns and Maxie, Edgecombe, and Brown are all leaking out. Speaker 1: so while yes to your point Steph I'm I'm not disagreeing I'm taking that and I'm saying okay Speaker 1: word but what if we flip that what if we take that that yes Bron at this point in his career Speaker 1: might be more of a a half-court offense guy in terms of possession by possession but if we now Speaker 1: put him in a position where all he's got to do is crash boards and look who's leaking out Speaker 1: which channels into what he naturally is.

Speaker 1: He is naturally supposed to be Magic Johnson. Speaker 1: He is supposed to be the evolution of Magic Johnson, Speaker 1: but because of his athletic ability, Speaker 1: he's been pushed to be more chasing Jordan. Speaker 1: LeBron, at his core, is more Magic Johnson than he is Michael Jordan, Speaker 1: more than he is Kobe Bryant. Speaker 1: He's more magic. Speaker 1: if we can on the way out Speaker 1: unlock Magic LeBron Speaker 1: or LeBron's interpretation of Magic Johnson Speaker 1: and he's got Maxi and Edgecombe leaking out Speaker 1: and also JB. Speaker 1: And then, oh, by the way, Speaker 1: I still got that seven foot two Cameroonian. Speaker 1: Like that to me, Speaker 1: I like that.

Speaker 1: If I'm Bron and I could do that, Speaker 1: I'm hooping with someone I want to hoop with in Maxie. Speaker 1: I had my issues with Jalen Brown. Speaker 1: He was talking shit about Bronny, but we got over that. Speaker 1: I'm trying to get a Larry OB. Speaker 1: You're trying to, you know, shove it up this Celtics ass. Speaker 1: We could both agree to disagree. Speaker 1: We could still hoop together.

Speaker 1: I got this youngin in Edgecombe who I can help groom. Speaker 1: I can help the process in Embiid be cemented and help Embiid finally reach that apex of what he's been promising as the process. Speaker 1: There's a lot of things that work well for Philly here. Speaker 1: So while, yes, I do see what you're saying in regards to Maxie and Edgecombe like to get up and down, Speaker 1: that can be impactful in a negative way because of how LeBron is right now. Speaker 1: I'm still going with, well, LeBron should be smart enough to understand that piece and be like, Speaker 1: all right, well, I'm going to be Kevin Love. Speaker 1: I'm going to get these boards. Speaker 1: I'm going to turn.

Speaker 1: I'm going to look. Speaker 1: And I'm going to play. Speaker 1: He used to play football, right? Speaker 1: I'm going to try to be the quarterback. Speaker 1: get that rock off the glass Speaker 1: and I'm looking deep Speaker 1: I'm going to get it to Max Speaker 1: I'm going to get it to VJ Speaker 1: and we're going to get Speaker 1: a lot of early easy buckets Speaker 1: how does someone LeBron's age Speaker 1: conserve energy Speaker 1: by letting them youngins Speaker 1: keep running up and down Speaker 1: I'm going to get these boards Speaker 1: and I'm going to give you the ball Speaker 1: and y'all go get a bucket Speaker 1: I'll be right back here Speaker 1: conserving energy Speaker 1: ready to lock in Speaker 1: and play defensive crash boards again Speaker 1: at least that's how I would spin it Speaker 1: I would spin it in that way Speaker 1: so that to me is where we stand here with LeBron Speaker 1: and in Rich Paul throwing the nugget Speaker 1: every team has reached out outside of one or two Speaker 1: who do you think has not reached out Speaker 1: do you think the Spurs Speaker 1: I think the Spurs and probably the Celtics Speaker 1: if I had to guess Speaker 1: but just because the teams have not reached out that does not mean that ownership players Speaker 1: and peripheral people have not reached out see that that is the the trick bag that people in the Speaker 1: media which rich paul is one of them now because he's a podcaster like to put out there they tell Speaker 1: you the truth but the truth is hidden so deep between the lines that you need to extract from it Speaker 1: and try to decipher the code. Speaker 1: Paul says every team has reached out Speaker 1: outside of one or two. Speaker 1: And let's assume Speaker 1: that those two are the Spurs and the Celtics.

Speaker 1: That does not mean Speaker 1: that players from the Spurs and the Celtics Speaker 1: or representatives of the Spurs or the Celtics Speaker 1: have not been in contact with Rich Paul Speaker 1: through back channels, Speaker 1: through, you know, private group chats, all that type of stuff. All that shit really does happen, bro. Speaker 1: All that shit really does happen. So as much as it, this went viral, right? The whole Rich Paul at a Speaker 1: whiteboard thing went viral because this is a unique way to break something down. This is Speaker 1: analytical. This is metrics.

This is data. This is taking a lot of time to sit down and break it down Speaker 1: piece by piece, brick by brick. Speaker 1: And never before have we seen, again, I think it went viral Speaker 1: because we haven't seen this from someone who clearly is inside Speaker 1: like Rich Paul. Speaker 1: Can you imagine David Falk, Michael Jordan's agent, Speaker 1: sitting down at a whiteboard when Jordan could have left the Bulls, Speaker 1: which he could have left many times and actually thought about it a few times. Speaker 1: And the Knicks were one of that mix even back then. Speaker 1: Can you imagine a scenario where David Falk is sitting down at a whiteboard and walking through all the options Michael Jordan has and the one that he's actually considering and giving you some of the reasons, not all. Speaker 1: Like Rich Paul ain't giving you all the tea.

Speaker 1: But he's giving you enough tea that he knows that he can float out there and it doesn't come back to hurt him. Speaker 1: So he's giving you releasable tea. Speaker 1: And putting it out there for the world to take and to consume. Speaker 1: So as much as I am. Look, I've been in sports media a long time and I have not been a fan of what new media as Dream on Green has had like the coin it new media has done. Speaker 1: This is what I want from new media. Because this isn't locker room stories.

This isn't I'm showing my biases. Speaker 1: This is the actual inside information that we do not get. No journalist. No insider. Shams could not have done a whiteboard like this. Shams can only mention the teams. Speaker 1: It may be some of the contributing factors, but Shams is not going to be able to sit down and bust it down like this on ESPN.

Speaker 1: He would not. He could not. Speaker 1: But Rich Paul, again, player empowerment and proxy because of that agent empowerment. Speaker 1: So much so that arguably the leading agent in the in the basketball space has a podcast. Speaker 1: and that's not considered a conflict of interest, Speaker 1: be that as it may, Speaker 1: this is what we're looking for. Speaker 1: When the whole notion of new media Speaker 1: and athletes are coming in and taking over the space, Speaker 1: they're going to do it their way Speaker 1: and they're tired of old school media, Speaker 1: which is predominantly old white male media. Speaker 1: We're going to do it differently Speaker 1: because we're black, we're different, we're young, Speaker 1: we got different energy, different tech, Speaker 1: different access, word, I'm here for all of it.

Speaker 1: And then they continuously just do things that the old white media did just with their spin on it, which wasn't that different. Speaker 1: How they went about it, they showed the same biases. Reporters are biased to the players who they liked. Speaker 1: Players that gave them access. Players that would sit down and be nice to them and give them, you know, minutes or hours of their time so that so that they could do their stories. Speaker 1: Athletes are doing the same thing. Speaker 1: They're giving inside information.

Speaker 1: They're giving tea. Speaker 1: They're giving tea to the insiders that they like. Speaker 1: And the agents are doing the same thing. Speaker 1: The agents are leaking information through the media members that they like. Speaker 1: So you're not doing anything different. Speaker 1: You're doing the same thing that you were mad that the media was doing. Speaker 1: Just with your coat of paint on top of it.

Speaker 1: The primer is still there. You're just putting a fresh coat over it. Speaker 1: Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's the same thing. Speaker 1: So now with new media, if this if this is what new media is going to look like, Speaker 1: where an agent is going to sit down and bust it down and break it down and tell us, Speaker 1: this is what me and my most important client are walking through and thinking through and talking through in free agency. Speaker 1: This is new media. This is what it is.

Speaker 1: Not Draymond hosting a podcast in his hotel room after a game. Speaker 1: That's not new media. Speaker 1: This is new media. Speaker 1: This is what I want to see. Speaker 1: This is the access. Speaker 1: This is the information. Speaker 1: So again, the core group, Sixers, Heat, Wolves, Nuggets, and the Cavaliers.

Speaker 1: Outside looking in, Warriors, Mavs, Celtics, Spurs, Knicks tape. Speaker 1: Where the hell will LeBron James end up? Speaker 1: Y'all let me know. Speaker 1: So as we get, you know, deeper and deeper into this thing, let's move into and, you know, the topic of LeBron is not close. Speaker 1: If you still want to talk about that, chat about that, no problem. Speaker 1: If you want to hit that like button, tapping in on the chat and you're digging what's going on on the stream, let the algorithm know by hitting the like button. Speaker 1: If you haven't subscribed to the channel, go ahead and do that.

Speaker 1: This is what I do here. Speaker 1: At least once a week, I pull up and do a live stream, just talk about whatever's going on in sports, sports media. Speaker 1: I'll go by the name of the Sam D. Speaker 1: I'm almost a 20 plus year veteran in sports media. Speaker 1: Within that industry, I've made a lot of friends, made a lot of connections. Speaker 1: I try to bring some of the information that I know and try to cut through the narratives and the biases and bring that to y'all here. Speaker 1: So if you like the type of content, go ahead and subscribe.

If not, you just check out the stream. Speaker 1: The least you could do is just hit the like button to let the algorithm know that you think it's a pretty dope stream. Speaker 1: So let's get to John. So John Morant is in a position to where he is now a Portland trailblazer. Speaker 1: And this trade for the like of me, I could not figure out what the hell this trade is. Right. Speaker 1: I could not figure out why the hell is John in Portland.

Speaker 1: And it really just came to be one thing. Speaker 1: Because when you look at what, and just come on the screen, Speaker 1: if you want to look at what Ja Morant is as a basketball player right now, Speaker 1: he only played 20 games this past season. Speaker 1: So it's not like Portland can spin it where we believe in Ja. Speaker 1: We saw him bounce back from all the injuries, from all the off-the-court stuff. Speaker 1: We've seen him bounce back and still be him again. Speaker 1: No, you didn't see that. Speaker 1: He only played 20 games last year.

Speaker 1: And he hasn't played. Speaker 1: Let me see if I can find the stat. Speaker 1: He hasn't played upwards of, I think it was 60 games since like 2023. Speaker 1: Let me look up that stat real quick. Speaker 1: No, 50 games. Speaker 1: Ja Morant has not played 50 games since the 2022-2023 season. Speaker 1: We're about to hit 2027, bro.

Speaker 1: We are halfway to 2027. Speaker 1: Ja has not played 50 games in about four or five years. Speaker 1: So it can't be for basketball reasons. Speaker 1: So why would Portland trade for Ja Morant? Speaker 1: It was widely reported that the league did not want Ja Morant, Speaker 1: that teams were telling the Grizzlies, Speaker 1: You're going to have to package some picks for us to take Ja in a trade. Speaker 1: We don't think that highly of Ja. Speaker 1: Now, whether this is some Jalen Brown smokescreen, vague racism, I don't know.

Speaker 1: But in regards from a basketball perspective, this does not make sense for Portland. Speaker 1: You have Dame on his own farewell tour. Speaker 1: You have Drew Holiday still on this roster. Speaker 1: Even though we know he's not going to be there. We know he's not going to be there. Speaker 1: And then you have Scoot. You have Scoot Henderson who went number two behind Big Vic, behind Wemby.

Speaker 1: And he's had his own ups and downs. But last year was the best year of Scoot Henderson's career. Speaker 1: He at times looked like a point guard. He at times looked like a guy that was worthy of being taken. Speaker 1: And number two, overall, he also at times looked like a guy that, yeah, I see why y'all sent him down to the developmental league. Speaker 1: But why would you bring in another guy who can play not only Dane's position, but could even play Scoot's position? Speaker 1: From a basketball perspective, you have three point guards.

Speaker 1: That doesn't make basketball sense. And I could throw in Drew and say four, but we know Drew ain't going to be there. You got three point guards. That's not going to make a lot of sense. Speaker 1: So why is Ja in Portland? Speaker 1: He's in Portland because Nike is in Oregon. Speaker 1: And right now, Ja Morant is extremely important to the continued development of what Nike is trying to do with their basketball shoes.

Speaker 1: It really just comes down to, for financial reasons, Nike needs to keep Ja Morant close. Speaker 1: It's gotten to that point in his career where is Jai even 30? I don't even think Jai is 30. Speaker 1: They already need to have a babysitter around Jai Moran. Speaker 1: Now, we could have understood that early in his career because he was so young coming out of college. Speaker 1: And then obviously with some of the trouble that he got into in Memphis, Speaker 1: we can understand why they want someone on standby just to make sure Jai ain't doing no crazy shit. Speaker 1: But now we're getting to the point where the only place that is willing to take in Ja Morant, who was looking like a perennial MVP candidate at one point in his career, who was looking like a face of the franchise, potentially even face of the league at one point.

Speaker 1: We're now just sending him off to Portland so they could just keep an eye on him because the shoes are doing buku numbers. Speaker 1: is gone to this point in his career? Speaker 1: Because you can't convince me this is about basketball. Speaker 1: You can't convince me I envision a world Speaker 1: where Dame and Ja are cooking up. Speaker 1: You can't tell me you envision a world Speaker 1: where Scoot and Ja are cooking up Speaker 1: in the same backcourt at the same damn time. Speaker 1: You can't convince me of that. Speaker 1: So it's clearly not about basketball.

Speaker 1: It is about these shoes and how important these shoes are to not just Beaverton, Oregon, where the Nike headquarters are at, but more importantly, the stock price. Speaker 1: The Nike stock price has been doing a nosedive for a minute now. Speaker 1: And the only thing keeping that thing afloat from nosediving even harder is all the retro J's y'all keep buying. Speaker 1: and these Jothries Speaker 1: these Jothries Speaker 1: and the CEO Speaker 1: is more or less admitting as such Speaker 1: John Moran's doing a great job for us Speaker 1: from a basketball perspective Speaker 1: we just launched his Joth3 Speaker 1: and had really good sell-throughs there Speaker 1: not just in the United States Speaker 1: but around the world Speaker 1: In China, he was there. Pulled through Sabrina in Asia. So Ja is the gateway drug for Nike to keep spreading out and creating a worldwide dominance. Try to regain some of that ground they lost from Adidas.

Speaker 1: John Morant is too important to Nike. Speaker 1: So the reason why John Morant is in Portland is because Nike is based out of Oregon. Speaker 1: And they need to keep close ties on John Morant. Speaker 1: Now, Portland as an organization moves very differently. Speaker 1: All the stuff we saw with Joss Pops, that's not going to fly in Portland. Speaker 1: It's not. It's a different organization.

Speaker 1: It's a different ownership group now, especially all that fly shit, all that front row. Speaker 1: I'm cosplaying as Usher. I'm beefing and joking with LeBron. Speaker 1: All that stuff is not going to fly in Portland. Speaker 1: So the Marantz in general are going to have to get in line. Speaker 1: They will not have the carte blanche. Speaker 1: They will not have the free reign that they had in Memphis.

Speaker 1: It's going to be extremely different. Speaker 1: with Portland. Speaker 1: So it's very interesting Speaker 1: to have the CEO Speaker 1: of a sneaker company Speaker 1: that everyone knows Speaker 1: has ties throughout the league, Speaker 1: that has influence Speaker 1: throughout the league. Speaker 1: Basketball is the main thing Speaker 1: that has built Nike Speaker 1: into what it is today. Speaker 1: but with LeBron on the way out Speaker 1: and LeBron sneakers don't have the cachet Speaker 1: like Jordan's Speaker 1: Kobe sneakers have the cachet but Speaker 1: there's a ceiling there Speaker 1: KD sneakers are really good but we're hitting the point where Speaker 1: it's just the sneakers aren't hitting culturally Speaker 1: like they used to Speaker 1: the Jordan brand Speaker 1: has siphoned some players Speaker 1: that if it would have hit Speaker 1: they could have really helped Speaker 1: but it's under the Jordan brand Speaker 1: so it's a little different Speaker 1: the Luka kicks Speaker 1: people ain't wearing those Speaker 1: not like that Speaker 1: the Zion shit Speaker 1: came and went Speaker 1: it flopped Speaker 1: nobody wearing those Speaker 1: so Nike doesn't have Speaker 1: too many guys Speaker 1: like they're trying it with Wemby Speaker 1: but again Speaker 1: the guy that's a 7'4 Speaker 1: 7'5 on the good day Speaker 1: Frenchman Speaker 1: I don't know how many Speaker 1: youngies in the streets Speaker 1: gonna be rocking some Wemby's Speaker 1: but you have enough people that are in the streets rocking the jaws and not just in these streets Speaker 1: in the worldwide streets that John Morant is that important to Nike that they put the bug Speaker 1: this is all alleged put the bug in Portland's ear go get him we need them close we can't have him Speaker 1: wilding out we can't have another repeat of the Memphis ship we can't have him having kids coming Speaker 1: in his backyard and having him brandish guns because he's losing one-on-ones with the kids Speaker 1: or a team games with the kids like we can't have any of that no more those days are done he got Speaker 1: away with it because Memphis was up Memphis was winning Memphis was in position to go get Larry Speaker 1: obese potentially if everything would have worked out but no all that's a wrap all those guys have Speaker 1: been jettisoned individually I bet that Memphis era is now closed now we just need you to come Speaker 1: here and keep selling these shoes. Speaker 1: We're going to keep putting you in Speaker 1: position to keep selling these sneakers. Speaker 1: So whatever it takes, Portland, Speaker 1: Nike, they're going to try to create Speaker 1: an atmosphere where Jal's going to play.

Speaker 1: And Jal's going to play well Speaker 1: because there's no pressure. There's absolutely no Speaker 1: pressure in Portland. No one's Speaker 1: expecting the Blazers to win anything. Speaker 1: Memphis, you were Speaker 1: the face of the franchise, potentially Speaker 1: future face of the league. There was pressure that was Speaker 1: coming along with that. Speaker 1: He's going to face Speaker 1: none of that in Portland. Speaker 1: No one's thinking Speaker 1: he's the future of the franchise Speaker 1: because now they have Speaker 1: their returning hero, Speaker 1: Dame, back home.

Speaker 1: And they can always Speaker 1: spend both scoots the future. Speaker 1: So Ja can come in Speaker 1: and just do whatever Ja wants Speaker 1: to a certain level, Speaker 1: to a certain degree. Speaker 1: Because Dame going to get his shots. Speaker 1: Dame ain't giving up no shots Speaker 1: for no Ja Morant. Speaker 1: and Scoot is still trying to show and prove that he's the future. Speaker 1: So he's not going to bow down to no Ja. Speaker 1: Ja's going to have to come in and earn it.

Speaker 1: Ja's going to have to come in and act right. Speaker 1: And we haven't seen too much act right from Ja Morant. Speaker 1: Y'all let me know. Speaker 1: Is Ja Morant going to be able to pull this off? Speaker 1: Is Ja Morant going to be able to rehab? Speaker 1: Not just his game. Speaker 1: Because his game has kind of, he's turned into a great value Derrick Rose.

Speaker 1: He's turned into a bootleg Derrick Rose. Speaker 1: We've seen the explosiveness. Speaker 1: We've seen the ability to finish at the rim. Speaker 1: We've seen the ability to finish through contact. Speaker 1: We've seen the fearlessness, the cockiness, the braggadociousness. Speaker 1: We've seen all that. Speaker 1: But we've also seen a jumper that never improved.

Speaker 1: We've seen a lack of basketball IQ at times, and we have definitely seen an attitude that has hurt him on and off the court. Speaker 1: Can he rehab all of that by just chilling in Rip City, chilling in PDX and making trips to Beaverton, getting getting, you know, P.E.'s, Jha 3's and Jha 4's? Speaker 1: Like, is that what it's come to? Have we reached that point with Jha where it's really just your dogs? Speaker 1: Just stay upright. Stay healthy enough. Speaker 1: You haven't played 50 games in about 3, 4, 5 years.

Speaker 1: You only played 20 games last year. Speaker 1: When you do play, it looks cool, but it's not winning basketball. Speaker 1: Dog, just go there to Portland and chill. Speaker 1: Don't fuck it up. Don't fuck the money up. Speaker 1: Hopefully you're like Jordan and you got royalties on the back end for these Jaws. Speaker 1: As long as you play and stay healthy, these Jaws are going to keep flying.

Speaker 1: Don't mess your bread up. Speaker 1: Don't mess the bread that your dad is trying to siphon off of. Speaker 1: Don't mess any of that up, allegedly. Speaker 1: Don't mess any of that up. Speaker 1: Play the game. Speaker 1: You don't even have to play that well. Speaker 1: Just stay healthy.

Speaker 1: Stay healthy. Speaker 1: Get your 20. Speaker 1: Have a couple of exciting plays throughout the year to keep your name up. Speaker 1: Keep the highlights coming in. Speaker 1: But the winning basketball thing, the face of the league thing, those are all gone. Speaker 1: The face of a franchise thing, that's all gone. Speaker 1: We hit the chat.

Speaker 1: Instead of Jha's Memphis Stitt truly shows how short windows are in the NBA, Speaker 1: professional sports, period. Speaker 1: Now, that's a fact. Speaker 1: I mean, look, we had the discussions of Jha and Zion. Speaker 1: Those two are going to be attached at the hip. Speaker 1: We're going to be tracking their careers and figuring out which team, like, Speaker 1: did the Pelicans trick it off by not taking Jha. Speaker 1: I said off rip, and this is documented here on this YouTube channel. Speaker 1: I said I would have took John number one.

Speaker 1: I was never a believer in the whole Zion is the face of everything. Speaker 1: I was never a believer. Speaker 1: But now it's not even both are afterthoughts. Speaker 1: When have we seen a number one and number two pick? Speaker 1: And we can make this any sport. Speaker 1: We can keep it to basketball. Speaker 1: We can make this any sport to keep it a buck with you.

Speaker 1: When have we seen a number one and number two pick that were held in high regard? Speaker 1: And at times showed us why they were taking number one and number two. Speaker 1: In an under a decade, they're both afterthoughts. Speaker 1: I challenge you. Speaker 1: Because this is unprecedented to have Zion, who was a certainly a nationwide phenomenon, but he was starting to trickle across the world. Speaker 1: And then just his story, the Murray State thing, all of it was happening. Speaker 1: And then he came to league and showed and proved and was able to get a team of the Grizzlies that was young and up and coming.

Speaker 1: And a team that looked like they're going to be a problem in the West. Speaker 1: What did he say? The West is ours. We got next or whatever. Speaker 1: He was talking crazy shit. Speaker 1: He thought he had figured it out. Speaker 1: Until he didn't.

Speaker 1: When have we seen a number one and number two pick? Speaker 1: have that type of trajectory Speaker 1: and then that type of fall off? Speaker 1: You let me know. Speaker 1: But Portland and John Morant Speaker 1: has nothing to do with basketball Speaker 1: and everything about selling more shoes. Speaker 1: All right, let's see what else we got. Speaker 1: Again, I go by the name of the ECMD. Speaker 1: If you have not liked the stream already, Speaker 1: go ahead and hit that like button.

Speaker 1: let YouTube know to get tapping in on the streaming and digging what you're seeing here. Speaker 1: Trying to give you some authentic commentary, some real commentary. Speaker 1: No shill talk here, no biases here, no allegiances or alliances here. Speaker 1: Just straight pure thoughts that are in my head based off what I know, what I know within the industry, Speaker 1: and what I know with conversations I've had with people within the industry. Speaker 1: So the last topic before we make a move is the Michael Strahan stuff. Speaker 1: And some of you might be here today because you tapped in on the Michael Strahan video that I did. Speaker 1: And I was very critical of Michael Strahan.

Speaker 1: I was very critical of Michael Strahan's performance in the interview with CJ2K. Speaker 1: And none of it, and I've been battling the people back and forth in the comments of that video, but none of it is about, I don't care about CJ2K. Speaker 1: It's more about, I care so much about what happened to CJ2K that I don't want this to continuously happen to others like CJ2K. Speaker 1: That point has gone over a lot of people's heads. Speaker 1: They're only focused on, you're getting at Michael Strahan. Speaker 1: You don't care about what's happening with Chris Johnson. Speaker 1: That doesn't make any sense.

Speaker 1: I think this issue should be brought up and be pushed more to the forefront because I care about what happened with CJ2K. Speaker 1: And because I don't think other players should have to endure what CJ2K is going through. Speaker 1: And early awareness and early detection is a huge thing in any disease prevention. Speaker 1: So. In case you don't know. Speaker 1: Chris Johnson has been diagnosed with ALS. Speaker 1: ALS is a debilitating disease and he went on Good Morning America with Michael Strahan as the interviewer.

Speaker 1: And they talked a lot about the suddenness of his diagnosis, the suddenness of the impact of his diagnosis. Speaker 1: He was diagnosed at 39 and then the debilitating state that he's in now where he can no longer walk and he can no longer speak under his own power. Speaker 1: Just a year later. So within a year, he has lost tremendous amounts of motor skills. Speaker 1: However, the conversation has evolved. The conversation has evolved because for me, again, as someone that looks at this from a different POV, I'm not just looking at it as a fan just saying, oh, man, that sucks for CJ. Speaker 1: Yes, hard stop.

It sucks for Chris Johnson. It sucks for his family and friends and loved ones, all of that hard stop. Speaker 1: However, there is a growing trend to where football players are contracting ALS. Speaker 1: And yes, ALS has a bit of randomness in it. There is no direct cause and effect of how you can get ALS. Speaker 1: But unfortunately, the research and the science and the data that has been done is showing that football players, more so than others, are contracting this disease at a higher rate. Speaker 1: And not only are they contracting it at a higher rate, they are dying from it at a higher rate.

Speaker 1: Upwards of four times as likely to die from ALS as opposed to those who have not played a game of football. Speaker 1: They took a sample size of about 15,000 former players, current and former players. Speaker 1: And the research data that they got back was that enough players had died from contracting ALS, Speaker 1: that they have crunched the numbers that NFL players who have only played one game are four times as likely to die from ALS disease. Speaker 1: And that to me is why Michael Strahan should have asked the question in the interview. Speaker 1: Hey, we are both former players. Speaker 1: We both left our blood, sweat and tears, all the jargon, right? Speaker 1: All the stuff that players always say.

Speaker 1: We both left it out there on the field. Speaker 1: We both are living handsomely off the fact that we left it all out there on the field. Speaker 1: This game gave us a lot. Speaker 1: But it also took a lot from us. Speaker 1: What have the doctors told you about football, the game that we love, the game that we both play, the game that we both play at a high level? Speaker 1: What have the doctors told you about this sport potentially contributing to the condition that you're in today? Speaker 1: That's it.

Speaker 1: One question. Speaker 1: Doesn't have to be intricate, thought out. Speaker 1: It's a simple question. Speaker 1: And the amount of people that were in the comments trying to tell me that I was asking too much when I'm asking for one question to be asked is asinine. Speaker 1: It is lunacy to have a player who was the fastest player in the league, who the most dangerous players the league has ever seen. Speaker 1: And by the age of 40, that player cannot speak nor walk. Speaker 1: And we shouldn't ask if football did that to him.

Speaker 1: And I had people in the comments giving me anecdotes. Well, my grandma died. She ain't play football. She had ALS. She died from it. She ain't play football. Speaker 1: What does that have to do with Chris Johnson?

Again, if the research hadn't been done, you could get that point off. Speaker 1: Unfortunately, the research has been done. This is by Harvard. Speaker 1: UCLA, they've done the research. Speaker 1: Football players who have played only one game of football are four times as likely to get ALS as opposed to you and I. Speaker 1: Isn't that telling? Isn't that alarming?

Isn't that a problem? Speaker 1: Isn't that something that should be given a platform? Speaker 1: And players are doing the ALS ice bucket challenge in a show of solidarity for Chris Johnson. Speaker 1: And I think that's cool. I also think that is a performative measure because there is real conversation that should be had. Speaker 1: Because players are falling down and going boom, players are dying. Speaker 1: There's been numerous players over the last few years that have died from ALS.

Speaker 1: And yet while everyone is running and trying to remix and bring back the ice bucket challenge, they're not talking about how there could be more Chris Johnsons that are not diagnosed. Speaker 1: But if all we are concerned about is dumping ice buckets on our heads, then that's what's going to happen. Speaker 1: We're going to keep getting Chris Johnsons. Speaker 1: Where someone who's in the prime of their life all of a sudden can't speak or walk. Speaker 1: if we're not pushing early diagnosis, if we're not pushing for awareness and getting tested, Speaker 1: what are we talking about? Speaker 1: Anyway, I just had to get that off. I just think it's a little bit of lunacy to absolve Michael Strahan, Speaker 1: who is a former football player who's been thrusted into a media position Speaker 1: and has an interview with a former football player, a contemporary of his, Speaker 1: who no longer can speak or walk, Speaker 1: who has to speak with his eyes through technology, Speaker 1: and you're not going to ask that player Speaker 1: if the sport you both played contributed to this?

Speaker 1: Absolutely insane to me. Speaker 1: But anyway, we'll have to chat. Speaker 1: Y'all still talking Ja and Zion. Speaker 1: Steph, Zion and Ja are about to be the same combos. Speaker 1: Jabari and Wiggs was in. Speaker 1: Jabari, Parker, and Ann. Speaker 1: But see, at least A.

Wiggins gave us something, right? Speaker 1: Wiggins gave us something. Speaker 1: And I think that Jabari Parker definitely is in that conversation. Speaker 1: So I like that. Speaker 1: I like that piece of it. Speaker 1: But like, A. Wiggins, let's look at A.

Wiggins' career. Speaker 1: We know Jabari did not have a good career through no fault of his own. Speaker 1: Wasn't that the Evan Turner draft as well? Speaker 1: Wasn't Everett Turner in that draft? Speaker 1: Was that the big three in that draft? Speaker 1: I mean, Andrew Wiggins is the NBA champion. Speaker 1: Let's see.

Speaker 1: Let's see what we can pull up with A. Wiggins. Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, he's had a 12-year career. Speaker 1: Nah, I can't put Wiggs in there. Speaker 1: Jabari, yes, I can't put Wiggs in there. Speaker 1: And I don't think you're saying that, Speaker 1: but just trying to have that convo. Speaker 1: Let's see that draft Speaker 1: I mean you talk about Speaker 1: Trying to do a draft do over Speaker 1: Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon Speaker 1: Marcus Smart being the 6th pick is nasty Speaker 1: Like how do you Speaker 1: Redraft this Speaker 1: And B is the number one pick.

Speaker 1: Who do you put second in this draft? Speaker 1: Do you go Aaron Gordon or do you go A. Wiggins? Speaker 1: We're not missing anybody from the second round, are we? Speaker 1: Let's see. Speaker 1: Oh, Jokic. Speaker 1: Sorry, Jokic is the number one pick.

Speaker 1: My bad. Speaker 1: I forgot that was that year. Speaker 1: So Jokic is your number one pick. Speaker 1: Jokic is number one. Speaker 1: and bead number two Speaker 1: between Wiggins and Aaron Gordon, Speaker 1: who's number three? Speaker 1: You probably go Wiggins? Speaker 1: Probably?

Speaker 1: I mean, numbers wise, Speaker 1: if you see it here, numbers wise, Speaker 1: you probably go Wiggins, Speaker 1: but Aaron Gordon's impact is deeper than numbers. Speaker 1: Man, you have a draft with Speaker 1: Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Aaron Gordon, guys that had notable college careers Speaker 1: and the best player in the entire draft wasn't taken until the second round Speaker 1: and not even high in the second round, the middle of the second round. Speaker 1: Who only went a few spots ahead of luminaries like Russ Smith and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Speaker 1: Do you understand how crazy this is? Speaker 1: the fact that Nikola Jokic Speaker 1: only went a handful of spots higher Speaker 1: than J.R. Smith's brother Speaker 1: and Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother Speaker 1: that to me should throw all analytics out the window Speaker 1: the greatest passing big man of all time Speaker 1: was drafted only a handful of spots higher Speaker 1: than J.R. Smith's brother Speaker 1: and Giannis the Nigerian freak Speaker 1: Antetokounmpo's brother.

Speaker 1: Like this is a movie. Speaker 1: Nikoli Jokic, Speaker 1: I'm sure they got a whole bunch of movies Speaker 1: and where is he from? Speaker 1: Serbia? Speaker 1: Where is he from? Speaker 1: Yeah, Serbia. Speaker 1: I'm sure Serbia has done so many docs Speaker 1: on Jokic and his story Speaker 1: but when that American one drops, Speaker 1: that's the one. Speaker 1: Because you're telling me, Speaker 1: and we can't even talk about Jeremy Grant low-key, Speaker 1: and even then we like this second round, Speaker 1: this second round ain't no slouch.

Speaker 1: If you do a starting five of the first round Speaker 1: versus the starting five of the second round, Speaker 1: the second round ain't no slouch. Speaker 1: Jeremy Grant, Jokic, Speaker 1: Put some Jordan Clarkson, some Dwight Powell. Speaker 1: Like, you could get a good five. Speaker 1: You ain't getting much else than that five, but you could get a good starting five. Speaker 1: Jokic in the starting five makes the lineup solid, off rip. Speaker 1: They could put in Denwitty, Jeremy Grant, Jordan Clarkson, and a Dwight Powell. Speaker 1: I mean, you got something going there.

Speaker 1: But can you imagine? Speaker 1: So again, I continue to ask. Speaker 1: Number one, number two picks overall in their irrelevant in under a decade. Speaker 1: Has there been anything to that level? Speaker 1: Stephanie chat. Speaker 1: That's the same one. Speaker 1: Okay.

Speaker 1: So, I mean, we could go through some drafts real quick, but I think it's very, very telling. Speaker 1: Very, very telling. Speaker 1: Calling it Townsend D-Lo. Speaker 1: Nope. Speaker 1: Let's go 17. Speaker 1: Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. Speaker 1: We almost got up with Ben Simmons, Speaker 1: but then Young Reaper has had a good career.

Speaker 1: Let's get to 2017. Speaker 1: Ooh, Markel Fultz and Lonzo. Speaker 1: Fultz and Lonzo going 1-2. Speaker 1: Is that equivalent to Ja and Zion 1-2 Speaker 1: in terms of irrelevancy and coulda, shoulda, woulda? Speaker 1: That might be the closest so far. Speaker 1: DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley. Speaker 1: They both are bust, but both, neither one of them showed us anything Speaker 1: that made it look like they were worthy of the pick.

Speaker 1: Like Ja and Zion have individually showed us at times Speaker 1: that they were worthy of where they were drafted. Speaker 1: Ayton and Bagley were just both bust. Speaker 1: 2019 Speaker 1: there we got the Zion and Jair Speaker 1: since then Speaker 1: Ant and Weissman Speaker 1: no Speaker 1: 2021 Speaker 1: Cade and Jalen Green Speaker 1: no Speaker 1: 2022 Speaker 1: Paolo and Chet Speaker 1: no Speaker 1: yeah Speaker 1: I think we're going to be hard pressed Speaker 1: to find a 1-2 in a draft Speaker 1: where both guys Speaker 1: are irrelevant Speaker 1: but showed us flashes Speaker 1: but are now irrelevant Speaker 1: in under a decade Speaker 1: than Zion and Ja. Speaker 1: The biggest coulda, shoulda, woulda, what ifs Speaker 1: in draft history. Speaker 1: Ooh, this is interesting. Speaker 1: According to Shams, Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonard has hired a new agent Speaker 1: to oversee extension talk with the Raptors. Speaker 1: Quote, Leonard previously had Mitch Frankel Speaker 1: and his uncle and business advisor, Dennis Robertson, Speaker 1: handle all of his affairs.

Speaker 1: So, oh boy, let's talk about this. Speaker 1: So there's a video on this channel I did. Speaker 1: We talked about this on stream last week, Speaker 1: but there's a video I did on here Speaker 1: talking about why Kawhi is actually in Toronto. Speaker 1: And part of that reason is Speaker 1: because he's running from the smoke Speaker 1: of he don't want to be in LA Speaker 1: when all those sanctions come raining down Speaker 1: on not just the Clippers, but on his people. Speaker 1: And by people, I mean Uncle Dennis. Speaker 1: And now apparently his ex-agent, Mitch Frankel. Speaker 1: So Kawhi was sent back to Toronto Speaker 1: not for basketball reasons.

Speaker 1: Just like I talked about how John Moran is in Portland Speaker 1: and it has nothing to do with basketball. Speaker 1: And how the Celtics trading Jalen Brown Speaker 1: had nothing to do with basketball. Speaker 1: Same thing here. Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonard was traded from the Clippers to the Raptors Speaker 1: and it had nothing to do with basketball Speaker 1: it has everything to do with anyone associated Speaker 1: with Kawhi and the Clippers Speaker 1: and the collusion Speaker 1: all of you are about to catch it Speaker 1: so all of you need to separate and go your separate ways Speaker 1: so Kawhi has to leave the Clippers Speaker 1: they have to separate Speaker 1: now that Kawhi is in the 6 and he's back in Toronto Speaker 1: Now Kawhi and his management, Uncle Dennis, and even Mitch Frankel, his agent, now they got to separate. Speaker 1: Because when the sanctions come down, when the punishment comes down, everybody's catching it. Speaker 1: Everybody's catching it. Speaker 1: So am I stunned or surprised that Shams is reporting that Kawhi is going to hire a new agent to oversee his new contract?

Speaker 1: No, because he will not be allowed to still have Uncle Dennis and Mitch Frank and Mitchell and Mitch Frankel represent him because they were complicit. Speaker 1: In the contract collusion in the CBA circumventing contract that Kawhi had with the Clippers. Speaker 1: So everyone associated with that deal has to separate. Speaker 1: This is the next domino. Speaker 1: The first domino was getting Kawhi up out of L.A. Speaker 1: Because the Clippers could not extend Kawhi because it would be like giving the league a middle finger. Speaker 1: Would be the equivalent.

Speaker 1: So we can't do that. Speaker 1: So we got to get rid of Kawhi. Speaker 1: Because they would come down on us even harder if we were to extend Kawhi. Speaker 1: So we got to get rid of Kawhi. Speaker 1: We don't have no picks. Speaker 1: So even if the league wanted to punish the Clippers right now. Speaker 1: The Clippers did not have any picks.

Speaker 1: prior to trading Kawhi. Speaker 1: Now they can leverage Speaker 1: those three first round picks Speaker 1: that they got from Toronto Speaker 1: in exchange for Kawhi. Speaker 1: So now when the lead comes down Speaker 1: and punishes them Speaker 1: and forfeits their picks, Speaker 1: don't be surprised Speaker 1: if it's the vast majority Speaker 1: of the picks that they just got Speaker 1: for Kawhi. Speaker 1: Okay? Speaker 1: Now that Kawhi is in Toronto, Speaker 1: y'all think it's going to stop there? Speaker 1: No, no, no, no. Speaker 1: Because Kawhi's team was just as complicit in this collusion as the Clippers.

Speaker 1: So they can't just come down on only the Clippers. Speaker 1: They got to come down on Kawhi's team as well. Speaker 1: Well, now that team is no longer Kawhi's team. Speaker 1: So the only one who might actually skate in all this could be Kawhi. Speaker 1: Uncle Dennis no longer has a job. Speaker 1: Now, again, am I silly enough to actually believe Uncle Dennis will not be involved in his nephew's affairs? Speaker 1: No, but on paper, he will no longer be representing Kawhi Lentz.

Speaker 1: And sometimes that's all the league needs, just the optics. Speaker 1: Because the optics is what got them in this position. Speaker 1: They had too much stuff on paperwork that was too easy to find by anyone who gave a damn. Speaker 1: And unfortunately for Balmer, the Clippers, Lawrence Frank, and Kawhi and them, Speaker 1: Pablo Torre gave a fuck and went after the paperwork and it was clear as day, allegedly. Speaker 1: You know what it is. This has been the V-Sandy podcast, a podcast that is talking about sports and sports media in addition to other things. Speaker 1: Soon we will be talking those other things.

The brand is growing. The brand is evolving. Walk with me. Stay with me. Speaker 1: This podcast is available on all major podcasts and platforms. Don't forget to subscribe and rate. Bob stars with a less.

Tell a friend. Speaker 1: If you're into the visual component, Speaker 1: holler at the The Sam D YouTube channel Speaker 1: at The Sam D, that's T-H-E-E-S-A-M-D. Speaker 1: For all my thoughts on tech, Speaker 1: that channel is now up and running and is strong. Speaker 1: At shill free tech on YouTube. Speaker 1: Thank you again for listening to this episode. Speaker 2: I will catch you again on the next one. Speaker 2: I go by the name of The Sam D.

Speaker 2: This has been The Sam D Podcast. Speaker 2: I'm out.