NBA Week 1 Reactions, Kanye West ft. Rachel Nichols | WHAT’S BURNIN | Showtime Basketball

Welcome Rachel to What's Burning. We appreciate you guys, What's Burning? Thank you guys for scheduling around my busy day to day. Can we discuss your clothes? Yeah, she made that. Jesus himself had to the way it looks, I'm trying to tell you a'd at it, and I get to Lord himself to send you point let me see, oh know, what's burning? Like? You should dress down normally. I'm shorts and T shirt. So we got you off guard today, Racheld.

I heard about your thigh meat problem and like, yeah, but he got it, got rave reviews on the internet. So I just stay wait for you because ladies said, pull him up higher. I said, I can't. I got a girl. Anyway. Let's get to the show man coming in hot. Yeah for real, hottest team in the NBA right now Portland's Trailblazers um happy for chance and dame first and foremost. Uh four no, uh dam is back playing at all NBA level. Rachel, What has impressed you

most by this early season start by the Trailblazers. Well, look Lillard, right, Western Conference Player of the Week. But here's all you need to know about Damian Lillard, right, this is the guy who if he's challenged, we know what he is coming back with. Right. So he missed her last season. A lot of people were like, Oh, I don't know how he's gonna be. You know, Damian Lillard, he's not the best definitely in the NBA. All that stuff.

If he gets hurt, what's all of that stuff? And it's any He's been talking a little bit recently and he talked about this first a year and a half ago that in the summer he ran into Lebron James at a w NBA game and Lebron was like, oh, come by the house sometime. So he's like all right, arrangements came by the house and guess who was there waiting for him, Lebron, Anthony Davis and some very expensive wine. And they basically spent the night trying to recruit him

to the Lakers. I know, And he said that at the beginning, he was like, oh, let me think about this, right, at that point he wasn't not happy with the franchise member, and that he was like, you know what, through that conversation even reinforced me more, I want to do this my way on my team in my city. And from that point, and really from the point that they traded c J. Right, those things all happened within the same like six month period. He took an active role into

building the squad that you are seeing out there today. Right. So Jeremy Grant, he played with him on the Olympic team. He recruited him, right. He knew that the defense bottom thirty the NBA the last couple of seasons needed a little pump. He recruited Gary Payton Jr. He has worked hard with Anthony Simon's so like, he has put so much more of himself into this team this year than I think we have ever seen him put before and this man is not done Jack. Obviously they're not going

to go undefeated. Um, is this fool's gold or this sustainable for this team? I mean, it's good to see because you know, we're so many people over that we rock with, you know, Chon's Dame and the whole team, you know, and everybody's healthy right now. Nurkic is healthy, you know, the whole TiO. You have the whole team right now. So they're showing us what they can be. But we know it's a long season, you know, and uh,

it's good to see right now. But I want to see this Portland team at the end of the season because Dame deserves to be, you know, at the top of the West. I got a chance to see Anthony Simon's play um in person, and I was so impressed. This young boy could put the ball in the basket. And one thing I like is he doesn't care how many shots he misses. He's gonna keep going. And I think you know that that that appreciate it from Dame standpoint,

because although Dames playing great, he's getting older. He's not going to carry the load the entire time. So I like Anthony again two points in six minutes and the third quarter. Jeremy Grant was a great pick up. Obviously, g P two hasn't got a chance to get out there yet. But again, I like this team. I think they're more of a middle of the pack, lower playoff type team. But again, great start and hopefully I'm wrong.

I would love to see, like you said, I'd love to see Dame at the top of the West, but the West is tough and it's still early. Next up, one of the most impressive duos in the game, Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown Um picking up where they left off last year. Currently, Tatum is at thirty two and a half a game, eight rebound shooting from the field. Brown is at twenty four, five and a half, one block, one and a half blocks, and one and a half steals. Um off to a three and one start thus far

slipped up. Last night, Tatum, Eastern Conference Player of the Week, broad didn't fitting in well. Early impressions on this Celtics team draft. I love the way they responded, you know, with everything going on out there, I love the way they had they responded out the gate. You know, they came out looking like this championship team looking like one

of the best teams in the East. Uh, Tatum coming in, We said Tatum was gonna have to play a big role and up his gang with everything that's going on there and having a new coach on the sideline, and he doing that. Um, so they're responding the way they were supposed to respond. But you know, like I said, it's a long season, but it's a good way to see them start. Don't you think that the Celtics and the Suns have had the biggest fuck you energy in

the league. You thought this offseason ship was going to derail us. You thought, oh, we're gonna fall apart, right, and both teams have been like, uh, this is the talent we have on the floor, and I love them, Malcolm Broaden Up. You know, being along the game long enough, bad teams, you know that'll mess up, like the Warriors out that situation with Draymond. Bad teams would you know, go in different directions. But these good, solid teams with

solid foundation, it brings him together. And that's sometimes what the outside doesn't really realize. Absolutely. I mean, look and we're seeing it. And Boston is a question mark, right, I mean, you lose your coach that close to the start of the season, it's a scramble and just any coach like he had these dudes playing great basketball in in the finals. Amen. And so it's it's a testament as you say to the good teams, to the guys like Tatum, to the house like Jalen who are able

to say no, no, circle up, we got you. We're gonna be all right. The one thing I'll say about this team is their frontline depth worries me. And I definitely know that last year Robert Williams wasn't playing, wasn't healthy playing, and he saw he had to sit out every other game he had. His knee was flaring up. They need him to be significant in this league. I'm glad he got the surgery though, Yeah, because you just do it. Don't don't like inch along like last season.

Just do it at the beginning to get healthy. You know. I like how they're you know, hey, we're not You're not going to see him till the second half of the the season, so there's no guests, Like, even if he feels better, make sure he rests because he's going to be an integral part, you know, everything he brings to that team they don't have, although they have other bigs,

no one does what Robert Williams does. I'm a big fan of him and he needs to be healthy for you know, Boston to be a serious contender this year, that's for sure. Western Conference. Zion and the Pelicans off to a hot start. Zion's at twenty to a game, Ingram at twenty two a game, c J at twenty three a game. Um, I love this team. You know, our brother Willie Green is doing a good job over

their head coaching. Um. Rachel first thought on this team's early start in what you've seen from Zion this far, I'm so glad you brought up his name because everyone talks yeah, because Zion is just a magnet, right and never was like, oh, c J came in, and by the way, I am in the c J McCullum camp forever. I think what he does to a locker room when they brought him in, and so many people are questions of why do you spend this much in the trade.

David Griffin knew exactly what he was getting and CJ has lived up to every part of that. Great player, but even better person, even better person, and just again the grown, He's grown up in the room, right, And you have of young players on that team. B I obviously incredibly talented, but it's up to Willy to manage all of that. And I think a lot of their early success comes from him knowing the right notes to

hit at the right time. You can have a lot of talent and not know how to integrate them all. And those guys you can tell their team they're really playing together for each other. They're clearly gonna be a top five offense this season, right. And the questions the defense, and in that sense, it's just you know what I always say, it's how hard are you gonna play? The defense is just walk from the effort. Thoughts on this squad. Do you see them being a top seven team in

the West? Top and you think they're in the top eight in the West? Let me put it that way. I see this team surprising a lot of people. I would say top eight team, like in that bottom half. Um. I just I think b I is going to go to another level with his game. I love you know

what I'm saying this kid. He has the attitude, he has the talent, he has a passion and the Janiel swing on you, and he's starting to come into his own, you know, he I think I think that they to pass him to touch on this team, let him know he's the guy. But just I, like you said, I like everything about it. It's gonna always My question is gonna always be Zion. How many games are gonna play?

Like I've took worse of falls in that and I don't have he has, though I don't have the question he has and I got up and play, you know what I'm saying. So I we need to see him on the court them to be successful Jack. I think if he had to play tonight, he would. I think there's only just more precaution because of his his past. But you know, I'm looking forward for growth from him

as a player. You know, obviously he's missed a lot of time, but he's still learning how to play this NBA game and he's putting up you know, video game numbers as far as you know, shooting percentage and you know, at twenty to a game. But I'm excited just to see his growth this year because I think there's so much more he can add to his game. But you hit on they had the key as his availability for this team next heading out to the the South Beach. I

don't feel like there's any reason to be scared. But he or off to one of three start. Just what I expected, Jack thoughts get better. They did. They did not get better. This something. They didn't do anything to get better. The most entertaining thing they did this something was watching Jimmy work around with extensions. I was called him to you know, I said, jim how long I say? I told? I caught out my say. Jake Paul said

he had bet hell but a million dollars. If you that that, you don't wear it all year, I say, bro, please wear it all. You saw I did this mirror, He said, I can't do it. They put down to his waist. If they didn't get better, man, I mean, as much as I want to see Jimmy here, dog like us, he come from my he come from our cloude, and I just want to see Jimmy win man, but

they didn't get better. I don't see it happening right. Look, I'm not gonna bet against that team until they show me that they can't get it done when it counts, because they have been there in that last chunk of the playoffs over and over and over again recently, so I give them the benefit of the doubt until they showed me they can't do it, and then I say, hey,

what do we do need to fix them? I am amused that Jimmy Butler is going to have that photo taken on media Day thrown up on every broadcast for the rest of the season and maybe that might be his his look. Um, yeah, I'm with you, Rage, I'm not concerned. It's early. You know, all SPO teams are are gonna play hard to end up getting together. Jimmy is a great leader. What is Kyle Larry going to give this team this season? He's currently at about ten and a half points a game, but only shooting from

the field. You see that Tyler Hero is now the starting point guard. I don't know if labels matter. I don't know Kyle Larry like that to know if it's going to bother him that Hero is the point guard. But they need him because to me, they don't have very much depth. So what is Larry at at age thirty six, is gonna be able to give this team? Obviously, you know older players get off the slower start. To

see CP getting off to a slower star. But what does Lowry still have left in the tank to be able to add to this team, because whatever it is, they're going to definitely need it. I mean, Tyler Hero, I'm pretty sure he's bothered by losing the spot to Town the Hero. Tyler is not a point guard. You're not gonna pay Tyler that much money and not play him a lot. True, but he's definitely not a point guard. They're not gonna win with him bringing the ball up

and running place. He's a scorer. He can score at a high clip. I think that's why he paid him to score the buck and not to one play. So but I know as a as a as a guy who played a while, I know that that ball is Kyle liar because he's a dog too and he wanted to play. I mean, that's that's just main characteristic, right. But to me, it's it's not how he started. Tell you finished, right? So whether you're starting games, I don't care,

are you out there closing games? Right? That's and then it's true this last weekend ahead for the whole season too, how you're starting the season versus how you end the season. Kyle Lowry dealt with a lot of personal stuff last year, and it took him away from the court, and it took him away from his normal conditioning. And I'm not shocked if he's getting a slower start to ramp up to this season. Let's check in on him and how he's finishing in the second half of the season. Then

I'll be working a Maratha. We know that um Jack's favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers, is off to oh and three star. You don't have a pennant in your bedroom. You know he's lying, right if he ever told a lie, he's just told me what I mean. Obviously, it's it's again it's early in its three games, but it's the Lakers, you know, and and you know, when I do ESPN and RACHE, you can recall whether they're winning or losing.

We're talking about them every single day. So it's just like, and it's funny too because I've been talking to Darvin him a lot lately, and you know, just kind of letting him know what he's in for, and he's picking my brain and asking me stuff too, And it's just like, this is probably the hottest seat in basketball. It will always be the hottest seat in basketball. This team is off to a slow start, um Jack, what's your thoughts

on Russ? And and and and not so much as play, just the way he's the stuff we've seen him doing kind of away from the team a little bit. I don't want to make anything out of contest or make anything bigger, but we've seen a couple of times, you know, him not getting huddles, him not do this. You know,

we saw a d and Lebron's reaction. Russ was going forward to for one when they had the lead against Portland's the crowd, his home crowd, he's from here, His home crowd is booing the dog shit out of him. Um as a player who has always been mental tough, and that's when Russ has been What is what is your thoughts on just that? What I just spoke on, Uh, well, one, I just want Russ. I'm looking into my single kind of Russ. You're a dog bro. You one of the

best players to ever play this game. Get your confidence back, get tougher skin, and try to block everything out. And what you're going through. Every player has went through. Everybody has slumps, so everybody had up and down the games that's been up and down, so you're not going in going through anything that nobody else has went through. Yeah, people on around the Lakers are making it bigger than what it is because they're not winning and everybody expects

the Laker to be this team. But Russ, from a brother to brother, man, keep doing you find your game back and find your love for the game back, bro, because we know you can do what you need to do. Rage thoughts on Russ, but also the lack of shooting that Lebron is dressed in the media. Right. So look, I think the criticism of us all day every day. He's the problem that has been way overblown. Pretending that Russell Westbrook is the only issue with this labor squad

is just willful. I'm sorry. I do think that he maybe shouldn't be out on the floor closing games as we saw the other night, And I do think that he has to adjust a little bit. You say, oh, go back and get your game back. I don't know if at this age that is available to him. What made Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook and we all saw it at his peak, his athleticism was off the chart, insane from end to end, North South on the floor getting up for those dunks, all the stuff that he did

that you knew when you were watching him. It is absolute best. That is not the kind of game the ages in the NBA, the way say Steph Curry can hit jump shots until he's sixty, right, So I think there does need to be a little bit of acceptance of, Hey, instead of just going and trying to do the same stuff that you have done your whole career, how can I be good and helpful at this age and in

this way. That being said, I don't know if he'd be trying to go to for one at the end of the game if there were more shooters on that team. And that goes back to the stuff that Lebron has obviously been talking about, and and look, he's right. Nothing he said. You might question how he said it, but

nothing that he said was wrong. And it is mystifying to me sometimes that this team started when he got here, building a team around him that did not have shooting, saying oh, we think there's a different way to play with Lebron. I mean they came out and said it, and you just sat there and go, Miami, look what they did. Cleveland the second time, look what they did even the first time they knew how to play with

shooting around him, trying to reinvent the wheel. When he got to the l A at the end of his career was it made no sense to me. Then in that season and they won the title, there was a boatload of shooting around him him and it was like, oh see they get it awesome, great And since then they have dismantled the shooting around him, and I don't know if there is a fix for that this season.

I do think that there will be more players available towards the trade deadline, more good players, all star players, then we've seen in a few years, because the parody is crazy around this league right now. A lot of teams that think that they're going to be in the top four in their conference are not. They're not going

to be contenders. And with such a good draft class coming up, I think you're going to see teams cut bait midseason and all of a sudden, some of these really great players will be available at a little bit of a discount from what we might have seen previous years. So the Lakers could jump in then not now then and do something or and I hate to say this, when Lebron is the age. He is about wasting one

of his seasons. It's criminal. But the fact of the matter is if they just wait until the off season, they got a max salary slot, they have what at that point they will be allowed to use three first round picks. They can only use too right now, because I gotta wait to see how the season flips out. With the Pelicans, the idea that they could basically buy their way into a championship contender, it's a time honors Laker tradition. Free agents want to come to Los Angeles.

The Lakers are one of the sterling brands. You could have a whole new team in June, and there is something to be said for if there's a great deal out there the deadline, take it. But if there isn't, it's going to be a long it's here. If they take that route, which which makes the most sense, though it's painful, you don't want to obviously, you don't want to waste seving Bron's in year twenty. You don't want to race any of his time. You know that he's

continued to bless us with his greatness. But that makes the most sense because, like you said, you know, you're hearing rumors that maybe a Terry Rosier or you know, things that can come to the team. But people really think that Russ is the main and there's something there's not a very good roster. They don't play. There's so many other issues outside of Russ, but Russ is the

escape goat. One thing I wanted to touch on Rachel, which I think you made a great point about, is Russ's game aging that he hasn't you know, kind of come to his head about, you know. And a perfect example to me is is someone like CP who has been able to modify his games to his age and being able to slow down and change the speeds and what made Russ so great. Now it's kind of harming him because that's the only way he knows how to go.

There's never really been a change of speed, but he hasn't had to change speed because this speed was confunct with his speed. But now that it's slowing down and it's you know, and I think people are in his head as far ashoot. I mean, Russ has been you know, a pretty consistent when he was going a mid range shooter, you know what I mean, And now like it's hard

when people just at ship. I'm not guarding that that ship is hard to make a shot with people you know they're a you're at the three point line of people just turned their head and walked to the rebound. That ship gets in your head. So I would love to see Russ find it. I don't know what to find it looks like at this age, but I just know there's just a lot of noise in l A around this team, and I don't know if they can

they can straighten it out. So on the Radar presented you by Draft Kings, we have our odds on favorite to win m v P this year. I'm gonna go through maybe the top eight uh. Luca plus four fifty. Joannice is number two with plus six fifty. Jaw made a nice jump. He's at plus seven fifty uh m B plus eight hundred, Jason Tatum plus eight hundred, Katie

plus twelve hundred uh. Steph Curry is on their plus two thousand games at plus um Zion snuck on their um thoughts on m v P. Although you know we're three or four games and it doesn't really mean anything right now, but who on that list has really impressed you? So far. Jack Uh, there's obvious to go with two guys, John Mara and Jackson title. The way they're starting off, I think those guys have a great chance of actually

winning this award, not just being up here. You know, the early season picks, they really have a shot at winning m VP right well, look right now, but the odds Luca's up top and then Janice I flip those personally, just because I don't know how many games the Mavericks are gonna win, and as someone who's voted on a lot of these awards, you do take that into account. The Bucks, we know they're going to be right, if not the top, around the top of the Eastern Conference.

And he's just Janice is thirty to cut you off, thirty two and a half a game, twelve and a half rebounds, five and a half with the number one defense in the league, right, and that he is a huge part of right. So I just I still got to give it to him as a favorite going in here and what that would mean in terms of the history of the game having him win it for a third time. But I just I think that Luca could be right up there because when Sprounson left Luke is

gonna like pick up more numbers. I just don't know how many wins. Doubts gonna get jaw Jaws on the mission. I think Jaws on the mission to lead the league and scoring their teams exciting. This is the new NBA. These dudes celebrate their party. They dance after games, they do selfies like, I love this new energy. Uh. They got stars at their game in Memphis. They're dancing on the court like. I love what. They've embraced him. He's

their leader. They've they've thrown the grindhouse mantra out. They have their own I don't know what they're called now, but whatever it's called, that needs to be dope. But I love what he's doing, what this organization and team is doing, and I would love to see him go up there and grab that this year. But again it's early and Steph Curry still around um Man and closing thoughts, Adida's decides to terminate the Kanye West contract, along with

several other brands that have kind of left his side. Rachel, what's your thoughts on this? They had to I'm wearing these today because I'm in support of their decision. You can't have someone saying that. And by the way, it's not just these most recent comments. We're talking about this before the show for a minute. The stuff he has been saying over the past few years, as great as an artist as he is, as much as he has given us sort of you know over over this time.

I'm sorry that stuff incites violence. We have seen a one to one of violence coming from the things he said. And when you are saying and doing things that physically are hurting innocent people, there's sorry. The KKK hijacked this movement. I think that was kind of the final step with the people that were on the freeway this past week and you know, throwing up the white power signs and Kanye's right. Jack thoughts on the situation, It's just it's

it first, is this hard. It's hard to It hurts your heart, especially as a black man, to see somebody like Kanye, who we look up to, say so many hurtful things, not just only to other to other races, but to his own race, you know what I mean. And for me, it just hurts the things he said about George Floyd, you know what I mean, Because now his daughter asked coming off from school, asking why people

bringing that up again? Right? And I went through a tough time doing that whole you know what I'm saying, in the whole George Floyd stuff, to try to have to relive it again, you know what I mean. So I just think that it just it just hurt from somebody we always we listened to and somebody would look

up to to say these things. And uh, you hate to see the things happen to him, But you say, stupid ship you get stud I'm hurt too from a standpoint of what he's been able to mean for the culture when he was on the right path, and what he's been able to build for itself. If you think of what what he's been able to build for himself as far as music and fashion and culture, like he

was up there, he was icon status. And you know, I don't mind the ignorant stuff he says, because to me, that's freedom of speech, and you're not always going to agree with what people say. I just obviously have a problem with the hate, you know. And and and as we were talking off Fair, he was saying a lot of hateful stuff for a while. But you know, he spoke on the Jewish slavery you can't say that. I'm sorry, you can't. You can just there's a lot of stuff

you can't say when it comes to hate. And like the end, he's been you know, kind of stabbing at all racist when it comes to that. But you know, he spoke on the Jewish community and almost taunting him like you can't, I can do this, you can't, and you know, unfortunately just I mean, that's just something you

don't want to test. But again, and I overall, man, I just pray for him, you know, because I know he just needs some help, some hugs, some you know, you know, he spoke on his mental health issues and and and you know that probably needs to be addressed,

but you never want to use that an excuse. But at the same time, man, I just you hate to see it because he's a father too, you know what I mean, and you know his kids and he's gone, you know, he's had a you know, a situation with this girl, and whenever there's kids involved, it's just hard because his kids are old enough now to hear and you don't never want to hear nothing bad about your mom or they all got phones. Though they all got phones,

they want to hear stuff. About your mom and dad and when it when it comes to this negative stuff. So you know, obviously planning for everybody involved, and you know, I mean I just hope he you know, gets some help that he needs and and and can get hisself together. Um. Another sad situation of Brittany Grinder latest, Um, her appeal was denied today. Yeah, right, was denied today. Um upheld that they're giving her time served, so they say at

this point she still owes another eight years. Um. This is just sick to me and and all over. They're obviously trying to make any example but a little cartridge, Um, Jack, anything you want to say to her, uh, in case we can get that out to her on b G. You know we love you, uh men you've always been cool. We bought it to each other a couple a few times, but you know, we ride for you. Um. We know you've been doing wrong and anything we can do, we're trying to do it. But you have our support and

hopefully we'll see you home soon. Right tel anythings support for b Well, I mean it's every time I see when she's up against I mean, my just heart drops. It just seems it's barbaric. I mean, there's no other word for what she's going through. I do have a question for you, guys, and I don't know the answer,

so I'm just legitimately asking. She is one of the faces of the w n B A right, if this was one of the faces of the NBA who had been in this position, what do you think would be different in terms of what our government might do to help her out or the common public opinion. I think if it was a male star, he would be out when talking about this right now, have been out. No, we wouldn't be talking about that. And I think obviously

that's all guests, but it's a pretty solid guess. Like if if one of our stars, and I'm even throwing on his name, but if one of our bigger stars, faces of the NBA happen to get caught with some treat overseas and this kind of ship happened, I just have a feeling that he wouldn't still be sitting there.

It just keeps every time I see it. I'm just like, you know what this happened with and I don't know, maybe it w I mean, with the relationship between Russia and America right now is not good, and I think if it was a male started NBA, we would not be talking about this right now because we wouldn't be in there. But anyway, b G, we're sending the prayers out to you, your family, your loved ones, everyone involved in this situation. Keep your head up, um and you know,

hopefully something will cry down to right. Hopefully cut someone come down for the pipeline and uh, you know, get you up out of there. But you, guys, thank you for your time today. That's a rap. What's burning? You can catch us on Showtime Basketball YouTube and on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok Show Basketball before we go. I saw the gleam in in in the smiling your face when you were up and going to state. How good was

it to get back on the saddle. It was you guys know you're up there recently, but even more so, you guys are family to that organization. There's no better place to be on a night like that. Ring ceremony. I'm all in for a ring ceremony. Ring ceremony anytime in any sport. It's fantastic. And then you know you've got like first ballot Hall of famers everywhere you look there. It is just so much fun and great to reconnect and talk to those guys, and I'm excited about what

they're gonna be this season. They're fun to watch. I was happy for you because I just a couple of times to camera caught you and you were just smiling. She was back in her elements. I love this game, you know that. Whenever anyway, man, We'll see you guys next week. Jeez,