KJ Live - King Josiah

also my younger brother. Let's welcome in Joe Siah Johnson, the King. Josiah Johnson's in the building. What's up? Joe's going down with it? Man? Thank you for making time for your brother. Dog. I I look I can when I try to see John. I gotta turn on Ted teena ship. I gotta find a job. What's up, man? What's going on with you? Dog? On a major bag finesse request. Uh. I just got back from Atlanta. I was out there doing some stuff with NBA, Twitter Live

and with some Bleacher Report. But yeah, man, it's happy to be happy to be getting bags. Happy to be out here getting it. Uh, loving life and appreciate you having me on now. How is life kind of changed in the last four to five years for you? Uh, you know, you've been going at this for a while.

I feel like, you know, the kind of critical mass hit maybe in the last two years or so, if you agree with that, where people just last year probably really last last year, you became a national phenomena in New York Times. How has life changed for you, Joe? I mean, you know how this this game goes. Obviously growing up in l A and just kind of dealing with the peaks and valleys of hoop of career whatever.

So going from having a show on Comedy Central, show, getting canceled, people not really working with me, you know, no job, opportunity, phone not ringing to, you know, getting back on it, grinding, figuring it all out, you know, working with you know, Michael Starburry and able to renee Colin Kaepernick, doing that show, which was kind of the first kind of jump start. I was doing some other

stuff too with this company Attention. Uh did a show Martell has been at called mostly football for accomplishing y'all who sports. But it was a lot a lot of behind the scenes stuff there. But I think that show, really, the mostly Football Show really helped elevate me kind of level Matt. Now, we were doing a bunch of sketches

stuff like that. So I was writing a bunch of stuff, acting a bunch of stuff, and a lot of that stuff is still I wrote a lot of it with being Evergreen, like you know, had like a Rooney Rule sketch that I can run every January obviously when we know no black coaches are getting hired. That's not changing anytime soon. Some things like that. But I really got

to show my creative voice. And now, you know, in the last year, really, you know, since that lebron Co signed back in last June, kind of really launched it. But even before that, I was doing a bunch of stuff, working with a bunch of companies. But now it's, you know, like you said New York Times article, athletic, a bunch of people rocking with me. Obviously got to be on the NBA on TNT Tuesday with Shaq left Co Candice in d Wade uh last like, what's that like? Man,

what's that like? On the set of T and T bro what's that like? So I did I did a couple of NBA Twitter lodges with him last year during

the pandemic. But we were shooting robously, super cautious that we were shooting the studio and you know, you're just walking right away and it's like Charles and Kenny and I'm you know, I was there this past week walking, you know, for a Hooper basketball players just like you know, you try to play it cool or whatever, but walk in and Grant Hills there and Grants talking about you guys in the team and locking down Jordan's dome and I'm telling them how you wanted to go to Duke

and how salty you were the coach. K did come with the scholarship, and he's like, damn for real, like hey, did you know Kay did look you know, like he saw to you now. But how we used to watch him in Italy, you know, just stuff like that. But Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith literally in the room with Kenny and Kenny, you know, talking about the workouts back in the days whatever. He's steaming a suit and I'm like,

damn it, she was about to come on. He literally six seconds later on the air, like you know, doing this stuff. But it's so chill laid back and just to be able to work with that crew. Just a lot of phenomenal human beings. Ernie I've got to talk to a little bit, but just you know, super professional, always locked in and doing a bunch of work with Taylor Rooks and left on that whole crew. So every time I go out there. Last week, all ways out there, I did the actual show and I was kind of nervous.

I'm gonna be real, but you know, Walking and Left Co's got a good relationship with Sleigh He who's a big time designer back East. So give Shack this this Canada Goose jacket. Shaq tries on the jacket. It doesn't fit. It's a little light on the arms. He looks over at me, like, yo, big dog, you know you can have this. So I literally just walk in and walk out with like a twelve dollar jacket. I'm just minding my business kind of kind but that's just the type

of stuff that goes on there. Man. Everybody's super cool. It was cool about Turners. You've got the TNT crew, NBA TV crew, You've got the social people. So everybody's kind of just hanging out around there. Some NHL stuff going on MLB stuff going on. So it's like Jimmy Roylands. We're talking about chicken wings and you know, I had a negative experience in Magic City. I'm hoping it to prove, but they gave me a little baby wings. But he was eating some delicious wings. We were talking about that

Pedro Martinez. So you know, we were big fans of the Jerry Crow back in the day and just the maximum hold laid down. But these dudes are now just hanging out, just all kicking in this area watching a bunch of TV screens. They're watching the baseball games. Were why in the basketball games? But ridiculous And I just tell everybody up there, man, it's just like such a tight knit family. Tighten their cruiser. Every time I get

to go out to Atlanta. I know you've got a lot of experience out there, and that's, you know, your second home. But every time I get to be out there in Midtown, turn up at the Loves, hitting the gym, steam room, just just living the life. Getting to feel like a celebrity is always a good time. Being rooms. So key dog, it is so key man. That's so I was like a lot of fun. Man, what are

your thoughts on the playing so far. I mean, you know, when if Adam Silver first brought it to the table, there was mixed sort of opinions, mixed um yeah, mixed results. What do you what do you think about it so far? In the first couple of games, Well, I think last year, obviously we saw the Lakers in it, and Lebron and A D were necessarily fans of the tournament. They would have preferred obviously get that just direct line into the playoffs.

But we also got to see Lebron dot steps i you know, for game and further it just established his his goat argument and conversation. And as a Lakers fan, a watching the Warriors get smacked, it is always a good feeling. This year, I think a lot better. You know, Katie and Kyrie in there. They more embraced the challenge, they were up for, ready to go. Obviously, I think they were playing against a struggling calf team that didn't have Jared Allen, who was kind of their defensive anchor

and you know, the difference maker on that squad. So yes, it's it's a lot. You know, you're a lot more confident going into that game when the team doesn't have arguably their best player, but seeing guys like Darius Garland Cook obviously that we we did that game for NBA Twitter Live, came home to the hotel, watched the Timberwolves Clipper game and we all, you know, we got on the Timberwolves for over celebrating. But it's an amazing moment and we see it in baseball. We see during the

tournament guys are emotional. Pat Beth super super emotional guy. And for me it was Greg cause I got to run my numbers up with with a bunch of memes and things like that. But just phenomenal to see how much these guys love and care for and getting to see Trey. I watched that game on the plane coming back to l A. But Trey going up against LaMelo and all that stuff. Obviously, Myles Bridges hitting the fan with the mouthpiece, it's gonna be a big deal made

out of it. You know. You know I remember that Michigan game when you through the little bullock the breakaway. I was ridiculous. Well, I'm just saying, if that would it costs the dog? Is that a big story? Now it's a mouthpiece rubber, It don't really hurt. But I'll say this, I'll say this about sorry about that. I'll say this about mouth Bridges. He owned that ship today on Twitter, bro, he owned it on Instagram. He here and the comments talking about yo, give me a contact

with this young lady. That's unacceptable on my behalf. I'm rolling with that kid. I got a whole new respect for that kid. But then it has been live dog watching Lamello. I was hoping they give a better fight for the Hawks, but you know, Trey out there just solving that that that little double team real quick. And then you talk about k D and Kyrie and Kyrie you know, twelve or twelve coming out looking like just a god out there, like one of the greatest players

I've ever seen play basketball. So yeah, man, I'm all, I'm all about this playing every year, bring it, bring it home. Man. Even last night with the Pelicans Dogs, the Pelicans look live. I don't know if you I don't know if you've seen Jose Alvarado, but he got he got some ship that reminds you. But it reminds of your ship back in the day when you had the one curl. I mean it was like a long floy I don't know if you've seen him with it

without the man He's joy is sick phenomenal. I mean, I'm happy for that dude, obviously two way getting the contract converted and this everything he's been able to bring light to that Pelican squad that's still waiting for Zion.

But what's the thing. We knocked the Pelican for the jankie start, and obviously they started boo boo, but you know, games with brandon Ingram versus games without brandon Ingram's night and day and to see the chip on the shoulder that he played with obviously still some lingering bitterness was getting traded away from the Lakers, which is understandable, and uh, you know, Spurs, I would expect it a little bit

more of a spirited effort. They came back obviously late in the game and made it a game, but you knew kind of that the Pelicans were going ahead and do that thing. So I'm excited to see how this this thing pans out. I know what, They've got the Clippers in l A on Friday. That's gonna be a exciting interesting game. And yeah, I like the format of it kind of has that that turning time feel to it, and again kudos to the league for making it happen.

What did you make of the reaction to pet bev dude, I mean, you got a lot of folks you know he act likely win the championship. Look I like it, man, it was a lot of steak. I was listening to Draymond on his podcast and he said and he said it. He said, Pat Biggle coming up tonight turned up. He playing against this old team. That's how this thing go. And that's exactly how it went for him. But it seemed like folks was kind of mad because you know, he did the KG anything it's possible and jumped up

on the scores table. What do you think about that? Ship? And mean, I loved it. I think I'm watching the Hotel and I'm obviously on East Coast and it's like twelve thirty whatever it is. I'm getting ready to go to sleep, and you know, the game is kind of decided. But to see how ham these dudes went. I'm a big Anthony Edwards fan. Obviously, what he's been able to do Delo that hell crew obviously carled ath Any Towns

which he had a better performance. But I think with Timberwolves fans and they're getting a little sensitive, little emotional in their feelings. They have to understand this the NBA Twitter like when we see things, we're gonna respond and react to him. It was not critical of them overreacting, said everybody, Now they won the game, do whatever you want, you know what I'm saying. But you're taking off the

jersey throwing into the crowd. And it's like if you see the same thing in baseball when they go to

the wild card or whatever it may be. But it's like, all right, locked back in because now you've got a seven game series with the Memphis Grizzlies who talked just as much trash as you do and would love to embarrass y'all, and you know you want to have those emotions shift from It's kind of like the same thing when when Ben Simmons got traded and Joe willen b put up the legendary mime of the dude at his

Hayter's funeral. Like that's a great thing in that moment, but you don't want that now to come bite you in the ass down the road, because that's the thing Internet does not forget. So when it's the jumping on the tables, throwing the jersey's whatever. Now you take that, l You gotta be prepared for that slander. But now

I respect that. I know Pat bad was done done wrong by the Clippers in his mind, so for him to get redemption on that squad, of course, who wouldn't who wouldn't celebrating cheer And I know the Timber has only made the playoffs like what twice in the last seventeen years or whatever it is, So yeah, you know that feeling like they're gonna be exciting. Yeah, got out to Pat Bag and the Wolves. Who I mean, you

gotta give it to Joker. I think you know we're paying her to the Milwaukee Bucks just for the way they treat Dad, the way they treat our family. You give it to Joker the m v P. But I'd rather have Hness on my team. I'm just being real. I think what we saw with Coach Button, what they've done with Yanness this year, playing with thirty two minutes a game or whatever it is, you know, and you look for thirty six and I think Joker's numbers are still slightly a tab bit better, But you know, playing

for different things out of the Bucks of the three seed. Uh, Jannice. I think it's established himself currently as the most dominant player in the league. You could say it's k D. But after Katie lost that series last year to him, and I remember we were all that, you know, after Khaleli's graduation, we all at Dad's house watching the game, and it was a foregone conclusion if Katie got the ball, member Dad saying they should just found him, get them

two free throws. You know, like you don't even want one of the shoot because if he shoots, is gonna make it. And this is coming from you know, Emmy Award win winning Milwaukee Bucks, you know, a color commentator. So you know, you know that he's being real about it, and we're all just in agreement, and he shoots the shot. I think we had a big gas foot and you know, now we get to turn up at game three. I know, y'all was at Game six. You're really getting it flares

out everything like at three and four whatever, y'all. Yeah, y'all, y'all stayed for the now about that. We didn't had to work. Yeah, it was all good. But but just just just the way that yann has changed the game and how good he's gotten. You know, he has a basketball player. You only started playing when he was four team. This stuff, I have to remind people of constant he's

still getting better, getting ship in this game. Imagine how quickly, how much work you have to put in to get that good that quick how many hours in the gym, how much dedication. I think that's the thing about y honest that I respect the most about this game because you see you when you saw it when he was draft I remember when they were talking about drafting him

and his name was floating around. I did some digging on YouTube and I found like this grainy video of him playing on like a tartan floor of greefs a too, but he's running around at six nine. I was just looking at how quickly he can get up the floor and I'm like, this dude, dribble it in three dripples. And you could see little things like that where you gave project out a guy being, you know, one of the one of the top guys in the league. The league has been a trip this year, man, it's been

a real trip. Um. You like Yoker for m v P. What about Rookie of the Year who impressed you the most this year. It's a tight race because you got k you got Evan, you got Ja. I mean who impressed you the most? I mean I love Scottie Barr. I think the just the intensity and the hustle in the heart that he played with. But Evan Mobley too obvious, l a guy Inland Empire guy. Uh you know, lad rookies and rebounds, blocks, double doubles. Had that Calve squad.

And again, if you're gonna talk about these things, obviously you have to your preference to give the nuance that Calves team probably shouldn't have been in the playing game. But you know, Jared Allen gets hurt. I want to say, early March or whatever it was, mrs a significant amount of time and that defense goes from like with fifth rank to like twenty second whatever it was. You see

a noticeable shift in that squad. He's their anchor and to lose that, that's a lot to put on Evan Mobile as a rookie to come in and be like, all right, now, you gotta you gotta carry that load and get us over the hump. But you know, I think Mobile probably will get it. But I think any of those guys in Kade obviously came on strong case stuff because he's playing for a trash team right now.

But I think if you look at that squad and where their future looks like it's gonna go, and if he develops what he's gonna be, you know, the Pistons fans got a lot to be excited about. But I think you can't go wrong. It's hard, man, because you look at all the nuanced context. You get all the nerds and tweeves in with the numbers and whatever, but there's so much and my guess, my biggest problem is, especially with the voting, it's just who gets to vote.

I think we look at media and like, I love the guys in the TNT crew, But when you're preparing for shows and doing all these other things you're doing, you're not watching every other game in the league. If you're you know, a beat reporter or whatever, Yeah, you get to see these teams once twice, three times a year. You're watching your home team, you know, for the for

the whole duration. But it's hard to get a real litmus test and judge these guys because you're not seeing a full sample of what they're able to do so, I generally respect players more about Obviously, players can be biased to you know, players could be salty and haters and you get Booze involved in you know, Instagram chicks and you know all the type of things that they do. So there's always that lingering level of bitterness and whatever

going on that may de turn sway their opinion. But coaches, players me, I think everything needs to kind of come together and figure out a balance. Because for me to sit there and act like they watch every game, you're not watching that. You know that that local market, whatever game during the week, you're just not you know, you can watch the national games, and obviously guys are gonna play harder in my opinion when they're on national TV

and they know they've got more balls on them. But to try and formulate an opinion of who the best guy is, even my crunching stats and numbers, those things will lie to you, like defensive rating and things like that. There's five guys on the court, so if you've got you know, strong anchors on your defensive squad, everybody's gonna benefit from that, you know what I mean. It's not like it's not like, oh, I mean he's a great Yeah,

then you put them on a trash defensive union. It's like, oh, he's not a great us, Like, come on man, like

all that stuff. I just think there's no context in nuance with a lot of discussion the arguments that have and like Barkley said, there's kind of this contingent now that's come out and guys that never really hooped but now try to calculate and formulate and give you numbers and it's like, yeah, but I'm I'm more with trusting opinion of a K D, of a Draymond, somebody like yourself who's actually done it at a high level than you know, the guy who's good a typing or or

or you know, I understand what I understand where those guys you described, like where they get off and why they have that sort of audacity to come with it, because you know, there's something to be said for data and the science argument and all that, but there's also

something to be said for the eye test. And from a guy from from Hoop from fellow Hoopers coaches, I'm a big believer in that that all the awards should be you know, decided by at least a combination of coaches and media, is not just one or the other. So like, you know, because they play more value on the NBA Coach of the Year that's decided by the media, but Money Williams just won one decided by the coaches, and it's kind of like not as you know, a big deal. I just feel like he needs to be

a combination of both. Let's get some opinions, some ideas and thoughts from people that are actually uh like coaches and players that are actually in the thick of everything. But speaking of the thicker things, man, I know you've been talking about this a lot, man, but I wanted to talk to you about it because you know, we're Lebron folks. We used to you know, we had the Lebron folks. Had a chance, had a chance to see him in Milwaukee. He took some nice photos with him.

He was very gracious and kind and cool. I was shocked on how cool he was. But this year, man, l A fans have been tearing his ass up. They've been on his head. They're saying late GM has failed us. Now I hear some reports about Mark Jackson. Man just a couple of comments on just through the lens that you're seeing, it's like, what the hell is going on with that Lakers organization? And it is Mark Jackson going to be the guy that could kind of turn this

thing around. When when you look at Lebron James, I think it's a testament to his greatness that the man is in year nineteen still getting compared to guys that are in year eleven, year twelve in their prime. Before the season even started, I remember I worked the NBA Twitter Live for the Lakers Warrior season opener, and my whole thought precess was like, look lebronx older ship, and we have to accept that we we seen some great things from his career. He's elevated and adapted over time.

You know, I think we were more hopeful and optimistic that he'd be able to shift to a power forward type role, kind of like a souped up Karl Malone. You know, I don't respect the car it does off the court, but as a hooper like souped up Karl Malone and his ability not have to be ball dominant, get to conserve some of that energy, not have to you know, carry the load. So I think even seeing these thirty points per game, I was never really excited

about that. It's like, yeah, it's great to see Lebron getting buckets, but at what cost? You know what I mean? It's like that. I was like, you know, at what costs are we looking at all this stuff? I think A D was supposed to be that guy now who took over Lebron, brought him into basically now carry the torch Rust. I mean, U c l a guy, you'r U c l a guy. It didn't really work out. It was hard. But you also talking about a D missing forty games and the impact that has. I think

that's kind of that's the issue. Come on, a D not there, I mean, what's your thing's gonna happen? So you talk about to be bad mouth Rust and Vogel and now all this stuff is coming out. Never seemed like a good fit. You know, you had Damar. I did no chill with Gilbert Arenas and we had tomorrow on and he was telling us about how he thought he was gonna go to the Lakers. Thought it was pretty much a done deal. So you think about that, that big three a little bit more compatible with each

other on paper. But a D miss forty games. So whatever we want to talk about or or fingerpoint or whatever. And that's not to blame he You never want to blame somebody for injury. But if he's playing at least twenty five of those forty games, it's a different outlook, different seed. I'm not saying there another one seed, but they're in the playoffs comfortably. It's a different feel to it.

It's the same thing last year. Uh. You know when a d goes down to injury in the playoffs about to go up three one on the Sun's you know what I mean, it's it was. It was a foregone conclusion. Then he gets hurt and you can just see the season turn right there. Sons go to the championship. You tell me Lakers Bucks Championship. I think they would have had the mental edge O Rihanna's and you know, those

same things aren't happening. The Lakers win that championship. But if as or butts are cookies and nuts and all that goodness, so it doesn't really matter. I think it's a bron fans. If you want to call le GM and talk about the failure and all, you're a terrible gym, then let's talk about the ten finals appearances, the four championships, uh GM ing of four time m v P, four time finals MVP and that caveat. It's funny, man, when when when things don't go Lebron's way, all Lebron's asshole,

He's a team rown or whatever. We see the same type of things with Kobe, same type of things with Jordan's I think there was a lot of comparisons, uh to. You know, Lebron and Kobe, and Kobe want to do this and Combe want to did that. Lakers were at sixteen or seventeen and sixty five. You know in Kobe's final two seasons, we're there, we know what time it is, and it's a level of delusion. This is no not to Kobe. Kobe is in your nineteen twenty his body,

you know what I'm saying. At that point, man is working out ten eleven hours a day. You can't do that for twenty years and not expect your body to eventually turn on you. Your body will be trade. You know that ship. I can't walk around now, and I'm not even a good hooper. Needs still hurt, and I

wasn't putting it anywhere near that amount of work. But just you know, but just kind of the tearing RiPP lebron It's like, okay, so, but it's Polinka Executive of the Year when things go that way, when they orchestrate the A D trade and win the championship, and I see a lot of people like, oh, just four years, what would you grade at It's like how many championship do you think teams win? Right? Like, like what team

has won four championships? The knocking of the bubble, it's like, you know the front of the bubble, and the bubble wasn't so if it was so fucking easy. Nobody can ever explain that to me. If it was so easy, why didn't your team win it? And some of your team didn't even make the ship to win it, so it was so easy. So basically, and it's sad because they say that and they're really just shipping on their team. They're saying how terrible their team, and they don't even

think about it, like, oh, yeah, well whatever, it doesn't count. Like, motherfucker, you go to fucking prison at Disney World where you can't leave. You have to blow it down, like J R. Smith said, a lot of guys don't smoke dough though, like that down you know, there's a different level hoop or somewhody. Wait, so what did you so? J R. Was saying it was going too much out there. They were just smoking heavy, you know what I'm saying, Like getting it in something they can do. Some dudes can

do it. Joe Subkin. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live. And I've talked to several media members people were out there. It was, you know, you your quarantine for two weeks, coming out there, chilling in the hotel room. You can't dip cameras everywhere, getting the jankie meal service food. Then you can finally move. But there's different levels of places

you can be and you can't be. So everybody's getting turned up, drinking heavily, smoke, you know what I mean. But there's just nothing else to do to pass the time. It's not like you can go out do what you wanna do, like eventually got family in there, but it's literally like a prison, so to see that happen. But again, this is this is the testament to the bronze greenness, because no matter what he does, it will always be a conversation if you're gonna tear somebody down that much.

You know, first year he got hurt, they were like fourth in the West. You know, I'm not saying they would have finished there, but that was a playoff team. Obviously, entry he missed like thirty games. Next year, win the championship. You after that make the playoffs, lose to eventual Western Conference champions after your star player goes down in a d and this year, yeah, you know, if you want to call it a failure, eleven seat, it was disappointed. You were hoping they would kind of turn it on

towards the end start tricking off. They tricked off a lot of you know, like rockets, stundard like games. It was just like the thunder game. Bro. I was like, man, and you know, it sad because you're watching these games and even they're up twenty five, it's like they're probably gonna win it, you know, and you have to watch it like you're not like not getting jokes off, not getting nervous, feeling nervous, pessimistic, like I can't fire these tweets.

I have to make sure the game is really in that decided like before, I can get him out, but we'll see. And it's like Lebron is not getting no younger. We'll see what those are made this offseason. In terms of coaching, there's not really a name that's super sexy. Nick Nurse cool, Quinn Snyder. I like Quinn. I think he's a player's coaching and he could stand up for

a change of scenery. Mark Jackson, you know, if you want to give Steve Kerk credit, it's funnier man watching this winning time uh, you know show, and it's like, if you want to give uh Westfall and pat Riley credit, go back to Jack McKinney, you know, not for an unfortunate Jakie bike incident, you know, accident. But Mark Jackson's imprint is on that squad in terms of getting staff and getting claim getting those guys to the level they

were at. Steve Kerr obviously gets all the praise and credit, and I say he's the greatest coaching or worst coaching or whatever it may be. But I just don't dock another name. There's no real name out there other than like Phil. We know Phil got the Jankie back and he's not really trying to his heart's not in it. It's just not a name that's gonna get fans excited

and riled up. It's weird too, because you know, it's like fans have this idea of who they want, you know, in their mind, who they want to coach, and if it's not that name, dog, they do whatever they do, really tear down some of the names that are out there. I saw somewhere, I don't know if it's on your show, you guys talk about John Howard uh potentially coming in. Um, I like Jowan, I like A, it's gotta for me.

It's got to be somebody that's played in the league and that you know, basically just understands how to deal with these guys, you know Lebrons, and you know it takes a special kind of a coach. You can't just remember David Blant was in Cleveland for like all of like I don't know, I don't know if it's a year season but less than the season, but just how that just didn't work and from day one, and you

just sensed it by Lebron's body language. If they bring it in Quinn Schneider and some of these type of dudes. I'll be interested to see just just how that works. Stand on winning. I think Doc might be an option. Doc. You know we have we have Paul Pierce on the show out there in All Star Week, and Paul and Doc has some issues when Doc first got there. But Doc is a hooper. I think he can relate and

connect to superstars with Lebron and ads magnitude. And again, to your point, you respect guys who did it a lot more than gud. I don't care what everybody says. And it's not a knock expo with some of the great coaches in the game. But if I'm Jimmy Butler, I might not come in Doc the same way that I'm gonna coming spoke and then, yeah, you saw that, you saw Jimmy j was going at it. But it's

like again, Doctor, you know he can't control jam. I mean, he's throwing James Harden under the bus, so it's like, you know, he's not even dealing with him. Beating hardened to me in the right kind of way. The energy out in Philly is a little weird, so I mean again,

it's it's just gonna be interesting to see. But man, I wanted to talk to you about Winning Time because I wanted to find out just what and just to explain to the audience on just sort of what creative license means and in this in your world, Joe, because people are really but heard about the portrayal of Jerry

West and some of the other characters. But I don't think you know the grasping of what the creative license and what this show is really you know about, and what the liberty that the writers and the producers took with some of the character portrayal. Can you get into that a little bit for me? I would say, Look, I have a tremendous amount ofspect for everybody involved in the show. Ronnie Bars won the EPs on the show.

He worked on Legendar Chamber of Heights with us. I love Rodney Max Barrensteins as a guy I'm a big fan of. But when you watch that show, you just gotta realize the Hooper, that show is not made for you, right, It's made for the average human being who's more of like a Bill Simmons fan, who really, you know, doesn't really know Hoop and kind of just wants to know what happened in that world and to your point, you're

gonna take a lot of creative license. Like, you know, it's funny you talked to to our father Marcus Johnson, who's a you know, a Hall of Fame finalist, knows all these guys. You know, obviously you spend a tremendous amount of time with Norm Nixon and and some of the crew, so to see, and I can just see as a producer and putting my writer cap on, it's like, oh, I gotta try to exploit some of that drama and

create some of that tension. But for me, it's like it's it's tough at times when it's like, oh, you want to show this tension with with Magic and Norman. I know where they're going with it because that was one of the most dominant backcourts in NBA history, both averaging like eight nine assists, like elevated Norm's game too another level, elevated Magic game to who another level for

a couple of years that they played together. But stuff for me, like I'm a big history buff and it's when I see things like you know, they had the episode where they're playing against the Clippers and uh, you know, Magic doesn't doesn't follow the playing in bounded to Kareem for the game when he's sky hook But it's like Magic didn't take the ball on that game, you know

what I mean. Like, so when you go back and watch and it's the things that we have in the YouTube world, so that there's some decision that I made. I understand you want to show some of the contention and dissension whatever how Magic is now coming into the star role. But I think you can accomplish that just as easily of showing Magic overreacting to this first game of the season and Kareem having to kind of keep him in check. Yeah. Shout out to to to Quincy,

Isaia and Solomon Hughes, Big Solomon the Legends killing. I mean, honestly, I feel like he's gonna deserve some some award, you know, consideration first portrayal of Kareem is is phenomenal. That that see where he was doing the yoga on the cliff and Jerry came to see him. He didn't say nothing to him, but it was just a cold like just he I knew it. I went to school with his sister.

His sister passed away. Kisa huge he played well, yeah so she but she was big time basketball U l A and ended a past in the way at to some rare disease. Man, we went to the funeral, but this is years ago. But uh, Solomon, you know, it's always you know, I'm really happy for him and that great dude man Saloman's brothers one of the best dudes that So I was at the Premier All Star weekend

just nothing but love and that's my thing. And I understand, you know, being on working on the show of Colin Kaepernick, there were decisions that we had to make some some stuff that we had to change to help story, but we tried to be consistent if we did something, you know, like he threw no hitters, but I believe it was a senior year, but the way we framed the story, we showed it as a junior year, but just to show how good at baseball he was, to show how

how much attention to love, you know. I wrote that episode and it was like y'all was getting scholarship from every everywhere around the country to really heightened and build that up. So I understand that the choices they're making too was showing these things that Jerry Westing, as you know, as a Hooper. Things will gett overblown sometimes, like that Shaq Kobe situation. That's not a big deal, you know.

I mean, you're cussing out dudes, fighting dudes. You know, you play with Ed O'Bannon, who was one of the most you know, crying and lockingroom, you know, but just it's not going hard with ever. Stuff that a lot of people didn't see behind the scenes, But now you see how you elevate to a championship level. That's just a part of being a champion. You're gonna have people. It's working in the film industry as well. People you don't see. I I would get along with You're gonna

bud heads would cut each other out. But I think from a square perspective seeing that, they're always like, oh my god, that's really just put from us. It's like ship, we were cool, like we had dude fight, dude fight, ready to kill each other, you know, on a Tuesday Wednesday. It's all good because you gave me the rock and I dropp plenty. Like it's not you know, I mean, it's not it's not nothing that we hold onto with this bitter grudge. So for them to portray Jerry is

this like consummate loser. Like he's going against some of the most dominant teams in history. Yeah, that's gonna linger on them. But if everybody who knows Jerry can he beats early or whatever. Yeah, if you don't know the dude. Same with Kareem. I always tell people like I see Kareem, like shoot people away or whatever. He don't shoot us away.

When I see Kareem is love that hugs photo, love your show, like you know, like we don't have the same experience, so I understand, but some people could be that was always a knock, always an asshole. He's difficult, and it's like, you know, we interviewed John Wooden back to day and they're walking around talking about looking at that big black in word and he's a freak show and everywhere he goes he's getting It's like, yeah, I

wouldn't really be rocking with y'all either. I'd always kind of have my guard up as well, not knowing how's the weather up there, jokes like you know, I'm not funny anymore. That's not funny. Seventeen times the same weather we're literally like eight inches apart. It's the same weather. Cheap the same weather. Oh, man, Joe, what's up for you for the rest of this year? Man? What's what's coming down the pipeline for you? Bro? I know you've

got stuff on the table, man, can't you. I mean, wait, didn y'all get nominated for a Peabody for the nominated for a Peabody Me and Gil Me and Gil want It's funny man, Gilt like we had airy spears on. But before the show, Gil, like, you know you want about your awards, right, I'm like I did not just like started rattling off all these awards. We either one or we're like finals for It was like, damn, but I'm just here, like, you know, just just happy to

be working with you. But yeah, Colin in black and White, we want to ule as the Image Award, uh for Best Limited Series, got nominated for a Peabody Award. I did another show with Abra du Rene called Chairs Today. Super excited about that should be dropping soon. A lot different than anything I'm used to, Yeah, for sure, on um Uh developing a lot of projects. Man, Honestly, it's

it's great. I'm starting to meet It's funny. Uh. You know, I tell people, I'll tell you candidly like like where I was at a year ago and kind of the funny styling and who are you and like we need more information about you and blah blah blah, and now like oh Josiah, like yeah, we would have do all this ship with you and it's funny to see, but that's kind of Hollywood with a nutshell. So I've always stayed humble, stayed super appreciative and thankful. And for me,

I'm still like a kid in the candy store. Like I said, I get to walk into you know, Turner Studios in Atlanta and C Shack C Canny C dudes as they're literally about to go on the air, you know, have same makeup artists as them, kind of going again, you know, you know that feel where you get to make like how sweet you feel. And but my thing is like you know, even with the crew and everybody I work with, it is always just being humble and understand that I've been on your guys side. I've worked

with great talent. I'm working not so great talent, and I know that I never want to be on that not so great list. With everybody I'm working with, just being super respectful of their time and just showing I'm a real human being just like everybody else. And I'm super thankful. I just some ship with the NFL last week broadcast boot Camp, we got to hang out with like Richard Sherman and dudes, and I'm fan the McCarthy twins and you know, Gerald McCoy and all types of

just legend Kyle van Noy dudes. I'm like fanboying about, you know, and my people are like, you know that they're they when you're they came up, they were the happiest, They're most excited about that ship. And I'm just like, yo, I'm telling these guys like, look, yeah, I get a lot of these hosting opportunities, but it's because I've been able to leverage my brand and leverage my social to

open those things up. I'm not getting those opportunities if I don't have that, Like you know, people mess with me, and I understand it. I'm not delusional about it. I'm a solid host. I'm getting a lot better. Like Guilt Show, first couple of episodes are kind of rough, kind of

just shifted into that spot, learning Gil's tendencies. You know, it's kind of having to be like a point guard, traffic cop, be able to really you know, control kind of the show, but getting a lot more comfortable in those spaces and and really enjoying the men and thriving, and like, you know, I saw what Dad did, saw what you did. Was always super envious. I remember us working like see how you have championship game back in

the day with modern day Artisa with James Harden were twins. Yeah, we're twins, you know, which is another funny a story. That's why I always rocked with Harden because I remember I told y'all, they made me go shoot, go shoot, be rolling in both locker rooms, going Mater Day's locker room. It's somber. It's like a funeral in there, like the weird twin. Everybody super quiet. Gary mcneida going our TEASER's locker room hard and got the whole room pumped up,

freestyling getting in. I just watched out, like, yo, our team is about to kick they ask tonight like Harden Wade. Harden had this locker room just ready to go. And that's why I even see something knocks on him now like he's a bad teammate or whatever. Like every dude in the locker room, Ernardo Sydney, all these dudes rocking with James turned up ready to go out there to work. Man. But it was always envy. So the stuff you guys were doing, did a ton of production work behind the scene.

Ship always wanted more so now to be able to go out there and actually do it at a high level of phenomena. Man, I'm super thankful and blessed for everything I'm doing. We're doing the great job, man, and keep crushing it, bro. This year is gonna be the best year. Man. I appreciate you for coming through, ladies and gentlemen, Josiah Johnson, and that's it. I thought we had some more and more of this, but I appreciate you. You You got the quick boy. I appreciate you, no doubt.