I don't see brown going out in that first round.
You know what my body told me when I was forded, when I turned for it on my Forday's birthday.
Mm hmm, don't you start tripping.
Welcome back to Unplugged, our weekly go around, Jackie, fresh out the dinnist chair. You got them pearly whites.
Pearlin. Yeah, they hurting no right now, so I ain't a little sore now.
But when we on all the smoke that show, you're gonna see they're gonna be shining.
They hurt the shining.
You got them by you got them by Cuspets, taking care of by cuspots. Jack Today we got a good one. Our brother DeMarcus Cousins will be joining us. But before we get to boogie, we got an announcement. We got in a big bouncement coming on Thursday. We listen to y'all, where does this tour need to start? We've picked two cities. Okay, We're coming to two cities near you this summer. We will announce on Thursday what those two cities are.
And it's just the beginning.
So if we didn't mention your city on Thursday, we're still gonna get and see y'all. But Jack definitely excited. It's not just a podcast taping. We're gonna have music, We're gonna have drink, we're gonna have something to smoke on, we're gonna have merch, We're gonna have a good time. It's gonna be an experience, man. So stay tuned Thursday, we'll let you guys know what two cities were coming to. And again, if it wasn't your city this time, doesn't
mean it won't be next time. So you know, keep the comments coming, keep throwing your city up there, and we're gonna try to come see you. So Jack, finally live tour. Jack, you know, I've been on this ship for about three years now. I've been trying to get us on the live tour for like three years and now we finally doing our own thing and we can do it now. Shout out our squad and we're gonna be on the road.
Bro.
What you think about that? Stay locked in?
It could be your city, could be your city, you knows. But we're trying to pop up everywhere, man. So a lot of our fans have been next for this. It was finally put together by a teen and everybody, so We're super excited because there's a lot of people that we want to go out there and touch. You know, we always been those guys that like to interact with people and and untouchable, So this is gonna be exciting.
Man.
I'm ready cool.
Y'all stay locked in Thursday to a see where we will be this summer. Hey man, we want to welcome back one of our brothers, a friend of the program.
Little big Brother.
Yeah, man, Buggie, we appreciate you hopping on with us today. You actually on your way out right, You're on your wedd to Taiwan, right.
Yeah, I fly out a little later today. I mean a fan about to take this twelve hour flight to time. So yeah, we got an adventure in front of us.
Sam prass'all for you, go Broha Travels, show yourself, do your thing. You just came off of three on three House of Highlights Championship. We saw some of the matchups on the internet. Uh, tougher matchup for you, Cam Newton or Big Paul Pierce.
Was starting this ship this morning.
Yeah, you Paul the booth, Piers, He's not the truth, He's the booth. He's the booth.
Now, no, shout out to Paul Man, but Cam Cam Newton was definitely a better matchup, a tougher matchup. Man, I didn't I didn't realize how like big that motherfucker was. Bro Like, so I've seen Cam in person before, but like to actually like see him being the athlete. Like I'm I was thoroughly impressed. But you know I'm sizing him up. I'm like, damn, bro, like, how much do you wait? He was like, bro to be honest. No, he was like, bro, to be honest, Bro, to be honest.
In the Super Bowl, I weighed to eighty.
Damn he cares. We guessed it.
It's not an area on this dude. Bro with speed to two eighty at quarterback. Brother, So now I was.
I was thoroughly impressed, and you know him, he actually, you know, really really try to compete and I can feel the strength his size definitely worked on his on his behalf.
But yeah, it just wasn't enough.
They said you was out there like shack with a three point ball. I shot a.
Lot of jumpers.
Bro.
You know, I ain't want to go too hard because you know, it's it's levels to this ship. So I wanted to keep it, you know, entertaining. I want everybody to have fun. But yeah, you know what happens when it's time of it's time.
Yeah, you only what thirty two, thirty three held, are you?
I'm thirty three?
Bro Oh, he's still a baby. Still a baby.
You know what's crazy though, is like me and Paul started playing again. We you know, we trained together and we started playing. But shit, I'm seven, I'm seven years from move I Paul's probably are you nasty? Maybe I'm actually starting to warm up a little bit. I was nasty the first couple of times. I was really just out there on some cardio ball, just running up and down.
Even if we lost, I'm on the side running just to run.
But it's crazy because Boogie is still in real bast caball shape, you know what I mean. So there's a big difference between Hey, I used to play and I'm still kind of I'm still in it.
It's night and day.
I think I think that's what kind of caught Paul off, because I like coming in. I think Paul thought in his mind like this, this is gonna be easy. I'm playing against you know, these young guys. And then Paul realized how these dudes was running around and I think he just kind of got shocked in the moment.
Yeah, we caught we cood, bro.
He was stuck in the mud.
Bro.
It was it was crazy.
It's crazy.
Yeah, shout out p Square before we get to some ANBA topics, boogie. Obviously your former alma mater. A lot of transpired since we last talked to you. Coach Cal is out. Former captain of the nineteen ninety six Untouchable National Championship team, Mark Pope is in. I was actually read an article last night about some political infiltration in the Kentucky system and how they wanted Cal to get on that political training.
He wasn't happening now of it.
So, uh, buggy talk to us Cals in Arkansas now, Mark Pope is in.
What are your thoughts? Man?
You kind of hit it on the head with that matter.
It is a lot of you know, political behind us, seeing things going on that you know, the average fan will never know about, and uh, you know, for the most part, players won't really know about unless you know, they're able to get that information from the horse's mouth.
But it's a lot of things that happened.
You know that you know I'm not happy with but uh, at the end of the day, I think it's best for both sides. Obviously, once the politics get involved, it's going to become a really really messy situation and everybody in the situation becomes a losive.
So real quick, not to cut you off book real quick, but because when we say politics normally there's politics to college basketball policy.
We're talking real politics, real politics, like we're talking real like.
They wanted they wanted Cal to jump on this this Trump train and and and support someone who's in his cabinet who was running for governor. So there was a lot of hands in the pot. And to me, from what I read, Cal wanted to protect his players at all costs. He wouldn't allow his players to be involved in it, and he don't want himself involved in it.
And once they kind of put his foot down with that, as powerful as he's outside, NTS are as great as Cal is, that was almost kind of like the sign of Okay, something, something's got to change here.
I mean, yeah, you're definitely, you're definitely on the right path when it comes to, you know, the behind the scenes actions, and you know, I'm not really comfortable speaking on it too much because I don't even want to get involved.
With that type of respect shit like respect.
You know, I'm not a guy that's in the politics. I don't want to be. Politics always messy, it's always a loser on politics. So, like I said, I don't want nothing to do with that shit. But and I really don't want to speak on it. But I do know the truth. I do know the ugliness of what happened behind the scenes. And like I said, at the end of the day, everybody loses in this situation. So them going their separate ways was the best way to move in a positive direction.
I think. I think Kyle is gonna, you know, go off and be Kyle.
I don't think that has ever changed Kyle's impact on basketball, this young generation, these young kids' lives, it'll never change.
That's just who Kyle is.
That's that's his calling, that's that's what makes him the legend and the icon that he is. And when it comes to UK, it's the same thing. It's a legendary spot, it's a legendary university. I don't know much about Mark Pope, you know, nineteen ninety six, I was six years old, so I'm gonna keep it a buck. I don't know much about him, but I do know he's UK family, and I'm always support family.
You know what I mean.
I wish him the best. I wish him nothing but success. I wish the university success. But when you really think about the situation and the guys that are kind of stuck in between it, it's almost like a child in.
A nasty divorce. He loves both parents.
He loves both his parents, you know what I mean, And at the end of the day, the child is the one that kind of ends up getting the bad end of the stick. So it's a tough situation and I'm definitely like stuck in the middle because, like I love for both sides, but you know, I wish both sides success, and I just hope everything can now move in a positive direction.
One thing I do know about Mark Pope is he was on that team when I was at Okay and we scrimmaged the UK when I was a senior.
We beat them niggas, So I do remember that.
Of course, you gotta bring that up.
One thing that's fresh off the press is, you know five star recruit k J. Wagner has jumped in the transfer portal. It's gonna be interesting for me boogie on the outside looking in, because obviously UCLA has had kind of had a coaching marathon where they haven't been able to get the kids they should be able to get. I think it's gonna take UK a minute to recover from this. I don't think kids are just gonna jump to Kentucky because to me, obviously you always want to
think the university is bigger than the coach. But this particular instance is many great players he's turned out. Kyl was Kentucky. You know, coach Kyl was Kentucky. So I think it's gonna take them a minute to kind of find their right way and find the money you need to get these kids, because you know that Arkansas is that they already said the Tyson family is doing what five million dollars towards nil, so you know they're gonna
be able to get some of the top kids. And I think Col's gonna fit in seamless over there.
I just I just I don't think, you know, as a basketball fan, and you know Kentucky's legendary all the way back, you know, to the thirty So it's a tradition there where you know what I'm saying, The name on the front of the jersey is what you know it's all about. But that's from a standard of back in the day. Like you, kids just don't care about that anymore. Kids are literally going wherever they can get the money, wherever it's the coolest, wherever it's the hot.
It's just it's a different era of basketball. These kids that are growing up don't have the same standards and and and ambition and goal and drive as we did when we were younger coming up. It's just a different time and life evolves, the game evolves, everything evolves, and you have to evolve with time or you're going to get left out. I've made comments about it before and it's kind of been taken as you know, I'm disrespecting the university.
That's not my purpose and.
That's not my intentions, and that's not what I mean by it. I'm only speaking on the current time and how times have changed. And if you're not aware of that, or you're not going to embrace the change, then you're gonna get left behind. And as simple as that, it's no knocks in the universe. It's legendary. If it stopped today, it's still going to be a legendary university. But at the end of the day, if you want to continue to find success in this program, you want to continue
to you know, strive for greatness and more banners. You have to evolve with time and you have to embrace the evolution of time and in the game. And that's all my comments were really about. So, you know, a lot of people took it as disrespect when I said Kentucky won't be on TV. Look, man, I understand both sides of this shit. It can be a fan and I understand the business. I understand the business of basketball. I understand the business of media.
The only way.
I don't think it's a right. I just don't think it'll ever be the same when it comes to the hype.
The media and the push.
You know, being a nationally televised team. Will they find success? I absolutely think so. It's done over there. The one that done air is over with and.
I think they're okay with that.
I think they want a different college understanding, they want a different change. But all I'm saying is you have to be up to date with what's going on in the now I think.
You you hit the key bug. And it's not only Kentucky. It's all these major university that have a historical tradition such as UCLA, that think the kids care about the four letters across the chest or the Kentucky across the chest or these big pro The kids don't care about that shit at all. Kids don't, even with all due respect, don't even know what John Wooden meant to you say.
They don't even know who John Wooden is, thank you.
So all these older schools that have decision makers who are a little bit ripe, a little bit older, that don't understand the kids do not care about history. They don't care about tradition. All they care about is where can I get a lot of money? Yet, what coach is going to prepare me to get in and out of this program in a year or two at most?
And what play most and dope gear?
Dope gear? We got some dope gear. While I'm gonna be here a year or two, I'm gonna get some bread. A coach is going to get me in and out of this program. So again to your point, Boogie, they do want that change. They don't because if I'm not mistaken. I couldn't mistake it. I think if you give a kid a scholarship and he leaves after one year, that money is still gone for four If I'm not mistaken, someone maybe in our background produce it.
But I know colleges do not like that.
Cal made that acceptable and okay, and and and you know won a championship with it and turned a lot of NBA pros out, But schools don't necessarily like that. So I do think again, I think you'll get back on their feet, but it's going to take a while. But I think the realationship you said is kids don't care about history or tradition anymore.
Period.
Just don't. That's the that's that's the facts behind it. They just don't. Yep.
Moving on, transitioning to the end. This regular season is over play and start tomorrow. Really excited about this, but we're gonna touch on something we all know was a part of the game when we were coming up.
The Calves bench their.
Starters, I think in the fourth quarter last night against the Hornets to intentionally get out of that second seed. So now that they're gonna put them in the four seed, they'll play Orlando instead of playing the winner of Miami Philly. Thoughts, People don't know this ship's been going on for a long time. I mean, I'm jack, I remember, are we
believe team? I think Dallas tried to dodge us. Remember they didn't play their starters at the end, and it ended up coming back and biting them in the ass. And you know, it's a long line of teams that have kind of been able to strategically see themselves for their first round matchups. Thoughts on this and thoughts on what you know what the Calves did to avoid Miami or Philly.
I mean you just, I mean basically just avoided Miami Philly to have somebody else beat you.
In the round. That's all you did.
Yeah, it ain't like you you trying to play somebody in different.
That you know you can beat to advance. You gonna lose anyway. I don't. I don't like to losing mentality. I don't mean you already in the playoffs.
That's going into the playoffs with a bad feeling, the bad mentality with just saying I'm arrest my guys so we can play certain guys and what that's saying about your coach. I ain't confident against you, I ain't confident with y'all playing against these motherfuckers. See, I don't like that. It says a lot of things. People can say, it's strategic and you got to do this, and not that.
I never was a guy that appreciated tanking. If we're gonna have a bad season, we're gonna go out on our We're gonna go out on our shield having a bad season, not just laying down. That's how I always been, and I've been on bad teams. But what people can say about when I'm on bad teams, I'm still playing one hundred ten percent like I'm on the championship team.
So I can never respect that Madden book. I can never respect that.
I agree with Stack.
It's definitely a soft mentality, especially going into the playoffs. Going into the playoffs, you want your confidt is how you want, you want your ego in front, you want, you want all these things showing that I'm ready for this moment. I'm here to dominate. So that's definitely not what you know. This type of move definitely doesn't show that. It's showing that there is a fear that we're not good enough, which is a horrible mentality, and I.
Don't know, it's just a bad look.
But in a way, you can sit here and say it's strategic because when you look at these standards, Miami is Miami will always be longest, Jimmy Butler and Bam it's on that squad. Miami will always be the most dangerous team once it comes to the playoffs. That's just the facts simple. So I know every team in the East is ship. I believe every team in the East
is thinking this way. Maybe outside of Boston especially absolutely, but I think every team in the East is thinking that way because Miami this is their time of year, and we all know what they do once it comes to you know, Philly and and and then MB I think the Calves, No, it's no with that. Then you know front court they have and I don't think they have the confidence and are we able to contain or even really go to battle with Embiid and Post.
I don't think they have that type of mentality or that type of confidence.
So I think it's shown and you know, I think they like that chances better against Orlando, but I don't necessarily feel that Orlando beat. Yeah, they're not sweet, but it's two young teams trying to find their way. I think this is actually going to be a really, really good fucking series. So I'm still excited about it. Two teams, two young teams trying to figure it out, trying to get to that next step, make that next jump, and you know, becoming a championship caliber team. So it will
be an exciting series. But I'm with Stack. I just can't agree with that mindset or mentality going into the playoffs.
So while we're on Cleveland, I mean, obviously it's about who's hot at the right time. Cleveland heading into the playoffs is four and six in their last ten and then Orlando five and five, so they're playing similar basketball. But when I think about Cleveland, I think there's there's going to be a move this summer. If they don't make a move, if they don't make a run, I think they're kind of stuck in the Damian Lillard, CJ McCullum.
Can these small guards work together. They haven't been able to. Although Garland's been hurt a lot, these guys just haven't been able to put it together. So I think if they don't make a move, which I mean if they don't make a run, which I don't really think they will.
I think Donovan Mitchell's gone.
I think the Riotings are already on the wall that he's out of there. Also another thing I wanted to touch on real quick too. Both these shit Phillies won eight straight, eight and two in their last ten and then Miami's seven and three in their last hand. So both these lower seeds are hungry and going to be scary, particularly you know that second seed. But then also you look at Milwaukee and I just read something this morning that Giannis is doing everything he can to rehab his calf.
But calves are tricky, especially just like the season, the calf are really as as as as much as he used his stride and his athleticism and his length. If Jannis isn't healthy, they're gone in the first round.
And it can all that calf strain can always lead to worse, if you know what I mean. So so you have fortunately have to be have to protect that very sensitive he is injured. Bro, this isn't something you can just rush back from. Kevin Durantz, calf strain turned.
Into an ad calf strain turned into an achilles and and like I said, Giannis is one of these guys that needs to be fully healthy on his lower half to to get going. So you look at that that that uh that Indie Milwaukee, uh and and and and Indie's playing good basketball right now.
These young guys are hungry.
Pascal and these boys and and Halliburtons, So it's gonna be interesting. One thing Mike Greenberg said too, as we switched to the Western coronfheence is that the Lakers should rest Lebron James and Anthony Davis to tank. First the Pelicans the winner that place Denver, and then they figured the Lakers would win.
Between that.
They think the Lakers are going to beat Sacramento Golden State to get that eight seed and play Oklahoma City. So again, strategic scared thoughts. What do you guys think about that? How is that even an option to even think about?
When you're talking about you have the so say, best player of all time and you're gonna tank with him like that?
It don't even sound.
Right like the people who some people just shut up, bro, that's just frustrating.
Tell him, are you mad Son?
But on the flip side, Jack, can the Laker? I mean, if I'm trying to make a run. They know bronze windows closed, and we all know bronze windows closing. If I'm trying to make a run, I'm definitely not trying to see Denver in the first round. I would rather see one of them other two young teams in the first round if I possibly could.
We didn't want to see Dallas in the first round either, but we did, no, I thought we did want to see Dallas. I'm just saying, like, nobody wants to play the one seed, bro nobody.
Now, somebody's different, different in this in this okay, see is the one seed. People aren't tripping off the one seed, off the two seed.
But my point is, regardless who the team one or two you're playing, dever, it don't matter. This is the playoffs you gotta go through. You gotta play three rounds regardless. You know what I'm saying, and trying to try to pick your team, and I just don't like that suit up whoever whoever won and two I mean one in eight y'all play. I don't give a who it is. If we got a chance to get in the playoffs, that's what we need to be worrying about, not who
were playing. Once we get in, let's get in first, then we worry about that ship.
That's the attitude. That's how it should be.
I feel you on that stack.
But at the same time, I feel like you're only viewing it from a player's perspective.
That's all I am. I can never beat them cornballs.
I understand when you think about these coaches, I don't think.
I don't. I don't think every coach is a cornball.
We got some formal players that's actually been through the trenches and now in that position, so I can't say every coach is Darvingham.
I don't feel like it's a cornball.
He's He's not a cornball.
You want it out, you know what I mean.
So it is, But when you think about it from their perspective, it's a big difference between having a first round exit and say second or third round exit, you know what I mean.
So what's the difference.
A couple of dollars ship an extension.
Darvinham get his ass sent out in the first round and he's on the chopping block. He make it to the third or second round, it's more chance for him, a little more life with the with the Lakers, organization.
So I think it's I think it's championship or bus at l a man.
Well ship. The closer you all, the better, in my opinion.
I agree, I agree, So I.
Think about it from that standpoint too. I think once, I think, once you know, you start seeing teams do these strategic moves to you know, let's lose here or make sure we win here so we can play this team. I don't think that's necessarily a player's mindset, you know what I'm saying. I think, and we all know how
this shit go. We don't make the decisions. We just got to go out and point at the end of the day, though the coach pulled Cleveland starting five, not the players didn't say they wanted to come out.
The coach didn't that.
So at the end of the day, some things are in control for us and some are not. And I think this is an instance where it's not. I think every player, for the most part, has that mindset, or at least wants to have that mindset going into the playoffs. We topped all we confident this fucking we ain't worry about who in front of him.
We running through a wall on these motherfuckers. I think that's two of the.
Best players in the league.
And oh, I'm pretty sure that bron don't give a fuck COOLi fact, Brun has seen every type monster in this league since he stopped putting this shit. I don't think he gives a fuck about Denver bro But at the end of the day, Rob Polinka, do Darvin Ham does Jeanie Bust?
They care? They care shit. I want to make it look like we had a successful season.
Hey, let's avoid them for the first round.
Slider to the second. Possibly see him in the conference.
It makes think it till you make it go on fake absolutely absolutely, but.
We gotta make it.
Another team that's playing really good basketball right now. Shout out Grayson Allen and his new deal just came across the wire, shouting for just got a four year, seventy million dollar deal, could be seventy nine with incentives. Had a career year, shot the shit out of the ball from the three point line and has been an integral part for this Phoenix team who's kind of been up and down with Bradley Beal not really playing a lot,
you know, in and out. But Phoenix over their last ten and seven and three they had the hardest remaining schedule in the league to close out the season, and they beat the Wolves twice. They beat Denver, they beat the Clippers, they beat the Kings. Phoenix will play Minnesota in this first round. They've dominated over the last two seasons six and one first Minnesota. Are we buying that Phoenix can get hot at the right time and make a run in this Western Conference playoffs?
Only way you're not buying that is if you ain't got no money so.
You're writing so you don't you think they have the depth Jack and and you know obviously they got the star power up top.
You think they have the depth to make a run in the Western Conference.
Man, when you got KD and Booker and Bill and a team like that, dog, I like my chances going to the playoffs against anybody.
They can get high.
You see they getting high right now, they're getting hurt at the right time. You want to play like this going into the playoffs, right you just gave or bought the money.
Now you got another player on the team happy.
I'm telling you, bro, if you want to worry about any tam in the playoffs, like were talking about Miami, you better worry about KD.
And Booker.
Bookie, you agree, I do.
On paper, I think they got the talent. They obviously had the person there. They got legendary players on the team, uh you know, one solid Hall of Famer and KD two guys potentially I think book would be one Bill will see what happens, potentially another Hall of Famer. So on paper, they got that. But uh, you know, this has been a very inconsistent team all year. They just
now kind of found their stride. You know, I've heard rumblings where it's not as you know, peachy and clean over there as you think, and for the most part, the big three that they have aren't really on the same page. So I've gotten that information. But you know, maybe they played good basketball down the stretch. Maybe they have found that chemistry. Maybe they have, you know, finally sat down and got on the same page. And I think it would be the right time going into the playoffs. So,
like I said, this team has been very inconsistent. Minnesota ain't no hole. Kat will be returning for the playoffs, so that's that's a plus for Minnesota. And I think that young team is hungy. I'm a huge fan of Anthony Edwards. He got that dogmin tyler that you know Stack has spoke about, Matt, you play with myself. He's that old school style type of player, which which I enjoy to watch. So I don't think you know, Minnesota is a pushover a hole, So this would be a great series.
I love the J McDaniels KD matchup.
Sixt eleven offensive force of it's a sixty eleven defensive dynamite. So this is gonna be great for TV, great for the sport. I think these guys gonna really go out there in battle. You got a ship, a big ship talking and Edwards you got a big ship talking and Devin Booker. Katie can get in that mode as well. So shit, the last game they got a little chippy between Bill and Edwards. So I think this is gonna
be a good series. It's gonna be a lot of fireworks, and I think at the end of the day, the best team will win.
Matt.
Let me ask you a question, Matt, do you think when they asked Katie doing the season what his future looked like in Phoenix, he said, I'm not sure you think that started up some ship.
It could It couldn't have.
I mean, you look at his track record, he's not He's someone who's not scared to make a move. So I think, you know, I think him and Lebron are very Strachichi as far as not you know, promising the world. I'm not guaranteeing shit and.
See what happens.
But I think at the end of the day, you know, they've had success against Minnesota. Minuneso is one of these younger teams still trying to find their identity. But regardless, second round, you're gonna see them boys from Colorado. So I could see. I could definitely see this being a great series. As you said, book, I can see Phoenix coming out of it. But the bus could stop in that second round because you know, I just think this
Denver team has been playing their role. They haven't been too high, they haven't been too low, they haven't been really worried about their seed, and they found themselves with the first tied for the first best record in the Western Conference, so they've kind of they're saving everything for now,
so they ordered the fifthy champs. So you know, I love this first round matchup of Minnesota and Phoenix for everything you said, Boogie, but I think the train is going to stop for both these teams in the second round. Moving on, we want to hand out some flowers first and foremost to our brother Russell Rustbrook, just for what he's been able to do man someone of his caliber.
And it's not easy, you know, Boogie, you're a superstar to humble yourself and buy into something at the end of a Hall of Fame career, when everyone said this dude is stubborn. He can't do this, he can't do that. You know, Steven A. Smith said, this is the beginning of the end. I think that fat that fat fuck. What's his name? Jason Whitlock called eight. Yeah, Jason Shitlock called him. Called Russ the ab of the of the NBA, the Antonio Brown of the NBA. So just a lot
of disrespect has gone out to Russ. But all he's done is made the Clippers better. They're forty five and twenty three when he's on the court, six and eight without him. Although he has career lows and in statistical categories, I think that's obviously just just due to opportunity him buying in and then the minutes. You know, he's also got career low in minutes, but you know, still explosives, still a double digit score, someone that can explode in
the playoffs, he always plays well. So thoughts on just Russ and and and the way he's been able to kind of buy in and recreated self and and still be very effective coming off the bench for the Clippers.
Well, for me, I think Russ's impact on any team is way bigger than you know, just what he does on the floor. It has been well documented that Russ is one of the best leaders to be in the league and actually lead teams. We saw what he did when you know, Kevin Durant left, Okay, See, we saw how he led that organization to and they still found ways to find success. We saw how he reacted to that with the MVP season. So this is who Russ is. He's a natural born leader. He's he's a positive energy
on any team. And I think that energy that that he brings to the team is just contagious. It puts batteries in everybody's back. So, and it's evident with how you know the clip. Once once Russ went down the Clippers, they started struggling. They start they could, they became very inconsistent. So I think Russ just his presence alone uplifts any team and you know that's just credit to him. That's like I said, that's the sign of a natural born leader, and he's shown it time and time again.
And before real quick Jack, I want to say too, I just don't think he's eleven five and five. The numbers don't represent his full impact. As you said, Buck, it's a leadership, it's a mentorship, it's stuff he gives people the juice that I think sometimes they don't have that they need from Russ, because you know, Russ is a ball of energy and we all know that energy is contagious. You know, I just think having him around this big. But Jack thoughts. I know you're a big
fan of Rush. You've been actually in contact with him trying to get him on the show. But give him his flowers, bro.
Man, you know I'm a big time Rush fan, And just think about that. You add five, you give him two more minutes a game. That's fifteen five and five. That's six man at a year, you know what I'm saying, Like, you just just think about that. Fifteen five and five off the bench, Bro, that's crazy. That's not nothing that every bench player is doing. You got bench players that.
Come off the bench and finished games.
Matt played the whole full quarters and they don't finish with fifteen five and five.
So as an average off the bench, that's the pressed to me.
But just but not not only what you talking about Matt, the fact that he could just switch it to becoming coming off the bench and still be a professional, but just knowing that you have more on the tank, just knowing that you're over there watching guys that you better than, just knowing that you're going to the Hall of Fame for something.
You might not be the player.
That you was when you came to the league, but you can still go out there and be a better player than eighty percent of the guys in the league right now.
Just knowing that and still be able to go out there and and and and and and put.
Your pride aside and go out there when you're a player like Russell Westbrook all time triple double leader, like it's crazy to be that person and and to put yourself all of a sudden as a bench player coming off the bench not being respected. I was never that athlete. I was never Russell Westbrook, not even close. But I couldn't get I didn't want to come out the game and being disrespected because I felt like I was better
than the niggas out there. So for Russman, I give him all the flowers in the world, all the respect in the world. And I guarantee you, Matt, and I say this with confidence of the people that play basketball in the NBA are in the NBA respect russ the same way we do. They just might not say.
It, no question. I agree one and really happy for him. Again.
The Clippers have kind of been my pick at the very beginning of the season and I'm still kind of hanging my hat on them. If they can get hot at the right time. I would love to see Russ and and and James and Kawhi and PG and the boys, t Lou the homie you know, see them, see them through.
So hey, hey, hey, one more thing to give Russell's flowers. Ay, I couldn't do it.
Yeah, facts, he couldn't. He couldn't coming off the bench wasn't for I couldn't do it. I respect it, and I respect it. But that first round matchup of Boogie, that first round matchup with the members in Dallas, Kyrie, Kyrie and Luka are on the right page at the right time.
Getting hot, the wrong players are playing.
Well, this is going to be.
This is going to be.
It's gonna be live, Baby, don't be live. I'm looking forward to it.
One last.
This is more kind of just on the mental side, you know, salute young fellow Kai Jones, who you know, went through some you know, some mental health issues. Was cut by the Hornets two years after being the nineteenth overall pick. You know, we kind of saw him lose it online and you know, I reached out to him.
We went back and forth a little bit on the DMS, but happy to see that the Clippers picked him up, signed him to a multi year deal, and he was very thankful of the MVPA to reaching out, helping him off the court and kind of getting his ducks in order. He was able to get into therapy twice a week
and kind of clear his head. I got a chance to see him playing the summer and although you don't really judge talent in the summer league, you could or you don't judge numbers in the summer league, some of the shit this kid was doing, man, it was in super freak athlete.
It's definitely going to.
Be able to help the Clippers, and I just think more than anything, fucked the basketball sign. I'm glad he was able to get back on track as a young man and you know, continuing this journey because you know that that this NBA is a blessing to be able to play in and you know, once it's gone, it's gone. So I was glad he was able to, you know, get back on his feeding and get back in the league.
Shout out to the MVP A man for helping him out too, because I've seen so many situations where guys go through a little submit.
It ain't no help there, you know what I'm saying.
The media portrayal kids a certain way, then people feel like they just back up because they've already downplayed him. But shout out to the NBPA for not letting this kid fall to the waistside being and not waste his talent.
Salute to them. Mm hmm.
I'm actually a bit confused as to how this outside of him, you know, having you know, his health, his mental health issues. What exactly did he do to get cut? Was it because he was on social media? I never should understood this situation, the situation like what exactly was the crime he did to get to the point where he just got released and cut.
I think I think the things he was talking about as far as the team and uh, like, I don't think it was worth of him to get cut. They could have suspended him for a game or find things he was saying about the team, Yeah, the meaning of the team.
But you right, book, it was not worth of being cut.
Yeah, I never understood. I'm like, like, what did he fail a drug test? Or like, what was it that you know what we're done with him? Like it's too much And I never really understood.
But let's be honest, man, getting getting cut by Charlotte could be a blessing in disguise because you know, ain't no action going on out there, so he's out of here.
And it doesn't make sense for Charlotte. Do you already struggle to get talent? Like you know what I mean? Why not help him go through that hard time. He's a talented young kid's full of potential. Why not help him get through that time so you can keep drafted at home?
Like y'all, y'all, y'all helped, y'all help y'all, y'all stood by the other kid that had the trouble brought him back.
Bridges. Bridges, y'all stood by.
Him and his was way more severe.
I mean, not even in the same classroom.
Yeah, so I I agree that didn't That never really made sense for me.
Yeah, Well, glad he's back on track, and best of luck for him moving forward. Moving on to one of our brothers from another mother, chet holgrin Man for you know, being a top pick lad two years ago, missing his whole first year and then coming back this year and playing eighty two games.
Eighty two games. Obviously he had a great run.
It's been overshadowed by Winby's greatness, and I'm sure everyone is in agreeance that Winby will win Rookie of the Year. But you know, for Honger and to come back his first year and put up sixteen to seven two and a half blocks a game, one of only four rookies since two thousand to have those numbers. Winby being the
other Embiid and Palgosola the other two. But you know, this guy is an integral part of that team, one of the main reasons why they're sitting up in that one seed, and just really happy for them and a little piece of history. Okay, see is the youngest number one one seed in NBA history. Do you guys see, as great as the season's been, they got their feet wet now.
You know.
Obviously Sga is in the MVP conversation. I don't know if he'll get it, but he very well should win it. He Barry Belle should win it.
Can you see them making noise in this Western Conference?
The only reason I can mad because the game slow down in the playoffs, And I think when the game slow down, that benefits the shit out of Shy. You already can't speed him up, you know what I'm saying, the game slow down. I think I think he's one of the smartest basketball players at taking advantage of each possession when he got the ball.
So I think that's gonna benefit them.
They definitely can make some noise being at home all the playoffs, their young teams will being at home is gonna benefit them. Uh, and then you're more confident at home being in your first playoffs, So I love it. I think I think they can make some noise. Not saying they gonna win it, but they got a good chance.
I think they got a great chance as well. I mean, that's it.
One thing that stands out to me the most about this young team is just the chemistry and the way they enjoy being teammates.
And they look like they really fuck with each other.
That can't go unnoiced, Bro, Like that type of chemistry can take you so fucking far in the playoffs.
Bro.
That closeness, that can togetherness can really, you know, elevate this team to a new height. And it kind of reminds me of that young OK team James Harden and Rush. They have that same type viob, you know what I mean. So uh, I think Chess is a big part of that.
Ship.
I can potentially, as of right now, you can say he's the third best player on the team. Long term, I could potentially see him being a one or two on that team, you know what I mean. I think he's got that much talent. And I still don't think he necessarily has found his game as of right now. He's fitting in. Yeah, I still don't think he's necessarily found his game.
Like he's wrong.
Absolutely. So I think that kid is full of potential. As great as Winby is. I think this kid can be just as great and it's.
Just a time.
I really like you, and I think obviously Wenby's greatness of what he's been able to do kind of overshadow what Chet's been doing.
But Chet's was neck and neck. It's been having a great year.
This young and I don't want to knock either of these, whether it be OKAC or Minnesota who both had great years.
I just have to see it.
I have to see it in the playoffs because these are young teams and we all know that veteran, veteran experience always kind of is the trump card when it comes to the playoffs. But yeah, I mean, okay, see behind Shay and this young crew. But sometimes on the flip side, being young and dumb, and I don't mean dumb in a bad way, you don't really know what you're supposed to do or not that you just start
going out there and playing hard basketball. So sometimes being young and work in your favorite because you're not worried about history, you're not worried about shit but getting out there and hooping. So I'm excited to see yeah, But also on the flip side, you think about it, fellas if it is they do play the Lakers or they
do play a Golden State in the first round. I think there's gonna be a lot of teams that, maybe not against Golden State, but I think if it's a one eight matchup with ok seeing the Lakers, it'll be
it's gonna be interesting. So I'm excited to see with this, you know, with these planes get started, but you know what comes out of it, because there's two of the top three teams in the Western Conference are young, very talented, but young, and the two teams that are trying to get to where they're at or experienced teams with Hall of Famers on them. So I think it's gonna be really interesting.
I don't care who the Lakers played in the first round. I don't see Braun getting to be about the first round. I don't give who they played that. I just can't see it. Not the first round. He ain't trying to deal with that. He ain't nah. I just don't see Braun letting himself go out the first round. I don't give fuck how old he is. He's still better than all the motherfuckers.
Fu fucker's burn.
As we you know, as you bring up bron we wanted to you know, year twenty one, I mean, we look back on the year that Lebron James has had twenty twenty five point seven points a game, eight point three assists a game, seven point three reb a game.
At ninety at how old is he fifty?
This dude is this dude is about to you know, is it about to be forty years old at the end of this year? If I'm not mistaken, h Man, just salute year twenty one. And I wish we had these comparisons because I saw him a few weeks back at guys in their twenty first year and what they averaged it was ugly. It wasn't even close. I think Lebron averages more than all them put together. So salute to the king what he's been able to do. He just had a monster triple double the other day. But
I agree with you, Jack. If the Lakers get in, which I think they will, I don't see Bron going out in that first round. I just don't unless they play Denver.
You know, you know, you know what my body told me when I was forwarded. When I turned forward it on my forded birthday.
Mm hmm.
Don't you start tripping, don't you?
Yeah, motherfucker?
You Oh years over, there is old right, his own nigga for everybody but him. Everybody was still doing it. Bro is still doing it at the highest level. Right, So, man, before we get out of here, hip hop is back.
Hip hop is back.
I feel like hip hop's been struggling for a while in this audue respect to the younger you know, these younger artists, but these old heads started making it competitive again. And and Drake versus everyone has kind of taken over our airwaves the past couple of weeks.
So Kendrick threw the first shot.
Cole threw a shot, said it was a lameing shit he ever did, and apologized. Drake came back versus everybody and did his thing. Obviously, Metro in Future did their thing. The Weekend jumped on, even John Morant jumped on because I guess they was fucking with the same.
Chick your ass down some what nobody want to hear No bars from you, Bro, sit down.
The best thing ever happened to you was Rianna stop it.
Sit Metro threw a beat back at him yesday. I don't know if you guys saw a Metro came back with a fire beat. That's really a Metro go do because he ain't gonna get on there and talk no shit.
But I liked Ross's ship. I'm not gonna lie to you.
Ross has a way of putting words together and melodies together and just making it, whether the dish track or not, making ship a great song. But I don't know, did you guys hear Kendricks this morning? Kendrick came back with some more shit this morning. I don't know if y'all heard. Oh, they said it was a I.
That they said Drake shit was AI too.
But this is my thing though, Matt, as a black man, when somebody call you a white boy.
It can't get no worse than that. It's tough out here for us. US have breeze. I've been called white boy before and I wanted to fight, So it'd be tough out here for us for us US US cross breeze out here, they be calling us white boys when when Ross did that shit. But you saw Drake, you know, Drake being as petty as Drake is. He shared his little ship with his mom, shared this story.
With his mom.
But I love whords at right now, and if it could just stay competitive and stay here, I think this ship is bringing life to the game. You got these guys with their competitive juices. They're back and forth at each other, and you could talk all the shit you want, enslave the second shit you want. But if it stays here, I think it's good for music here. If it spills over and and shit starts having because everyone always wants to prove how tough they are.
Now, if it gets to that, I'm not a fan of it.
But if it could stay here, if it stays on wax back and forth, I think it's good for the game.
Yeah.
Man, I'm somebody to make a song. I'm not tough, bro, I just want to rap. I think I make that. I'm not tough either, you know. People just want to make me get good music. I don't want to see none of them niggas fight. I don't want to see none of their cruise fight, but I do want to see them compete and rap.
I like it. I like it.
But it's always one dude that's not rapping, that don't have nothing to do with it. That's part of the click that want to make itself famous and do some dumb shit.
It's never the rappers, it's always the hang alongs.
That's true. That's true.
But I mean, I pickyback off both of you guys. I think I think it's great for hip hop. I mean, as a fan of hip hop, this is what I want to see. I think the fact that we got all the top dogs in the game outside of you know, Jay and Yay, we got the top dogs currently in the game right now, all in competition. Like that's great for the fans, it's great for music. And like you said, I hope it remains on Wax, you know what I mean, And I think it will because we're dealing with a
different caliber of rappers. These are guys that have been in the game a long time. They understand the ups and downs of the business. They understand competition. They understand how to turn a bad situation into a good one, which I think all these rappers are doing right now. They're gonna keep us entertained, they're gonna think, they're gonna
make us think they don't, you know, get along. But I think at the end of the day, they know they're all gonna benefit from this situation, which is, you know, a dope thing. So, like I said, keep it on Wax and keep this ship going. I want to hear more baars. I want to hear more dishes.
I want to keep going. I think it's dope.
It's good thing. It's a good thing. They all three of them got a lot to lose.
You ain't dealing You ain't dealing with a big name rapping somebody who coming in the game and try to make a name for usself. The best thing about it all these rappers at the top, So it should be just fast rap.
Yeah this this ain't drill music. This real music, So cool with it.
Who do you got? Do you guys have someone right now winning? Is anybody winning in your guys' eyes right now? Or just hip hop?
As a hole is winning?
I think as a hole, I ain't no none of them niggas squad. I ain't with not down none of them niggas. Like so, I ain't finna just jump on one of the nias. I'm not in that they all jam.
What I will say is benefit I got a lot of respect for because Drake is taking on all these niggas by yourself. Nobody ain't nobody on Drake's side. Drake is shooting at all the times by himself. So again, I like what Ross said that if Kendrick ship this morning was real. I like what Kendrick said both times, obviously fucking with what Drake said.
I don't know.
I'm a big fan of Future Metro, but I don't know. Future is them kind of like a beef, Like a beef type that just makes good music.
Now, I don't know if he's like a beef. Yeah, I the Future Future.
Future PUTU ain't finna jump out there like that.
Yeah, he gonna keep it playing as all.
Yeah, So again I agree.
I think it's good for hip hop, and I hope it stays competitive and keeps it over the airwaves and not in the streets. Before we get out of here, fellas, Hani Garcia, stack what you got for us?
Hey man?
Should I got my brother or her Boogey coming into the boxing space too, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. You got Ryan Garcia, a social media star, somebody that's shown he's willing to fight anybody, to take all the big fights.
And one thing you have to give Ryan props for.
You got guys like Devin Haney who is definitely top two, top three in his class, but Ryan is selling this fight and it's just the truth.
Ryan is the big star.
Ryan is selling his fight even though he's not the better box I see Ryan losing this fight, might get knocked out. He has a chance because you got because of those quick hands, and he's still a big boxer and he's always confident. But I just respect Ryan for taking the big fights and making the fights that we want to see. Devin Haney could be the best in his division, got the best job in his division.
He's like Floyd. He's locked in, don't don't drink, don't smoke.
You know, he's a Muslim, so he prays five times that he's super locked into his craft.
Is what I'm trying to say.
He's somebody that takes box real serious and he don't see anybody taking him off the path he going to right now.
And I agree with I agree with He looks good right now. I see it.
I see him beating Ryan. But it's gonna be a great fight. It's what we want to see. So, like I said, I salute both of these guys for making this fight what you got.
But I agree with you. Ran is definitely selling his fight. He is a social media star. He understands how to, you know, make guys engage, make fans engage with what's going on.
He's going a little off the wire with something that was my cut.
I mean, right at this point, I don't even know if the motherfucker is still acting. You know, it's a lot going on with Bro. It's something every day, but it is entertaining. It does, you know, make you want to keep up with the fight and what's going on. But when it comes to Devin Hainey, Bro, like, like you said, his discipline, his his work ethic, his dedication to the sport, his dedication to being great, that's something
you don't see a lot in any sport any anymore. Right, Like right, a young kid being dedicated to being great. So I don't think that can go unnoticed. And I got Hani simple. I think Haynes is just a better boxer all around. And you can't, like I said, you can't ignore that discipline and that work ethic.
So Hani, for sure, in honor of for twenty, our Thursday show will be none other than the legends cheaching Chong themselves, Sir, to make sure you guys tune in this Thursday in honor of for twenty Cheating Chong times, all the smoke, big shout, out to Ruth to Fight with jack We did the collect A collab with them and for a special Jackie Robinson commendery have dropped at my alma mater, UCLA. We got a chance to go back on campus talk to some people. We just dropped
that today. So again shout out to our brothers at Ruth to fight you guys, make sure you go check that out. You can catch this on all the Smoke Productions YouTube and the DraftKings Network.
Appreciate you.
Safe travels, Bookie.
We will see y'all next week.
M