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For twenty dollars off your first purchase. Again, download the game Time app and use the code Bullyball for twenty dollars off. Download the game time app today, Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Welcome to Bullyball presented by DraftKings. I'm Rachel Nichols, as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins, and we have to talk about a loss. We've had boogie, a death
in the family. Sorry to bring up something so serious, but your plant behind you is gone, and I'm feeling very very alone right now.
I don't know what to say.
It's been a mainstay of my mondays for quite some time now, and now you've got some artwork behind you.
I don't need culture. I need the plant.
Man. The plant needed a day off, you know, is still in rotation.
Oh now the plant's resting now. The plants load managing low manishment.
Absolutely, NEA plan to be back soon off vacations like that.
All right, Kate gave me a scare this morning. I'm not gonna lie, not gonna lie.
All right.
We gotta talk about the big weekend here in La. The Lakers getting two big wins over the weekend. Beat the Bucks, beat the Wolves. This was considered a huge test for them. The winner of the Bucks was of course, without Lebron, Dilo exploded forty four points, and then when Lebron came back on Sunday, he had a twenty nine to eighty nine line and nobody even noticed because Anthony Davis was ridiculous. He had literally a historic night, including
seven steals versus the Wolves. Now, to me, the Bucks victory was actually more impressive because the team did it without Lebron, and when they won and when Ad had that amazing night, well he did it without Cat or go Bear in the lineup. In fact, they had four regular players missing due to injuries. So I'm giving the Bucks win a little more credit, but I still think it was a big deal for them this week weekend.
What do you think the Lakers are learning about themselves as they rack these wins up.
I think I think the Lakers already know that they are team good enough and capable of beating any of the top teams, basically any team in the NBA. But from what I've seen in it from this Lakers team, is there to put it in a nutshell, this is a good, inconsistent team. And what I mean by that is obviously they can win on any given night and they can lose on any given night. If I was a gambler, I would I would definitely be very very stressed out dealing with the Lakers, because you never know
what team you're getting. But you know, for me, it's you know, I go back to the beginning of the year, in the off season, when we started talking about this Lakers team, and it was all praise, you know what I mean, it was you know, they put an incredible roster together, they have all the talent, you know, all of these things, and and we're now at this point in the season. They're there tenth in the West. They beat some some very very good teams this season, and
they've lost the horrible teams this season. So I think the excuses are done for this Lakers team. In a nutshell, they're a very inconsistent team. These are the results of an inconsistent team, and I don't think they'll find the success that they're looking for until they find a way to be consistent. And that's the difference between good teams
and bad teams. So if I'm a playoff team and you know, seasons coming to that point where you know we end up playing the playing team, I'm I'm scared shitless because Like I said, you don't know what team you're getting, and that's nerve wrecking for either side. You know the opponent or being a Laker, you don't know
what teams showing up. So I feel like as long as you have you know that type of issue in that locker room or with this team, these are the same results you're going to get over and over and over.
No, that's a great point, especially in the playoffs where things just get so much tighter during a seven game series.
You can't just have one great night. All that's true.
I did think that the win over Milwaukee. Of course we said, oh, it gave the other players confidence they can win without Lebron, and that's great. But to me, what was most important is it gave Lebron confidence.
Right.
You have seen him not trust his teammates at times over this season, and then sometimes he's had very good reason to feel that way, and that win showed him, Hey, I can trust these guys if I have to sit out, if I have to take a break during a game, if it's a big moment, I can make the pass that I'm conditioned and want to make. Like, I think that that was a big deal to the overall what they learned about themselves or team chemistry thing, But I
don't know. I heard Anthony Davis say again after the game that the game on Sunday, that we can beat anyone. We just got to get in that sort of thing. We've heard him say a version of that before. I still would put my money on Denver in a seven game series that it is just how I feel about how good Nikola Jokich is, and then if they were somehow able to get past Demver, I would put my money on. If it's the Celtics and they play the way we've been seeing them play, I put my money
on them. That doesn't mean the Lakers can't win the title. It just means it would be an upset. And I think that inconsistency bog is the reason why for sure I want to talk about the flip side of the Wolves, though, because that Town's injury definitely impacting the Timberwolves. They've lost two in a row. They've now fallen down into the three spot. Remember they were sitting at one for a lot of this big chunk of the season. They're only
one game up on the Clippers. The strength of schedules fifteenth so right in the middle of the league, Kat has that knee injury. It's a meniscus tear, having surgery on it. He's going to be reevaluated a month. They hope that he's back toward the beginning of the playoffs. I don't know there's an argument that they shouldn't be fighting to stay in that three or get up to the two, because if you said these playing teams could be pretty dangerous.
Is there an argument that.
They actually want to let the Clippers over to take them and they go to the four or five.
With the way the West is this year is it doesn't really matter what team you your face, you're gonna have a very very tough matchup. So you know, in the past, it's situations where you know, the West might not have been in strong or the standards weren't in strong, and you know, teams can kind of flirt with all right, maybe if we lose the next two, we could play this and guarante play this team first round, guarantee us
in the second round. You know, management in the top of an organization, they get to save their job, they look good in front of the owner. You know, the bullshit that comes with the business. But yeah, when it comes to this season and the way it's going there, there is no easy route out. You know, they slipped to Minnesota, slips to fourth, and they face New Orleans like that isn't a pushover series. Like New Orleans is a very, very good team. They've been good for most
of the year. They had, you know, some things they had to figure out, you know, in that locker room, you know, dealing with Zion earlier in the year. He wasn't happy. Those things aren't are the issues at hand Now this team has passed that. They've been playing well for most of the year, and you know, their stars are being stars. So that's not an easy matchup either.
So I think when it comes to the Wolves, they just need to play this thing out the way it's gonna play out, allow guys to step up, gain their confidence. You really don't know how this injury is gonna go with Karl Anthony Towns. You can't bank on him coming back playing the same way he was playing before. This isn't a finger injury, This isn't a roll the ankle
or anything like that. This is a serious injury. It's gonna take some time going on top of that This isn't like a guard where you can throw them out there and they can you know, dribble up a few times and find that rhythm. This is a big man, so it's a different type rhythm when it comes to a big coming back to the game anyway. So it's a lot of things at state, you know, for this
Minnesota team. So I think with them, you continue to build confidence with you know, the guys behind Karl Anthony Towns. You have a very, very talented guy in Najree who could easily step in and not beat Karl Anthony Towns, but be the best version of himself. He's that good of a player to do so. One of the more underrated bigs in the league. And it's not because you know, he's not getting the credit of recognition you deserve. It's just the fact that he's playing under a more season
big with Karl Anthony Towns. But him alone, the talent is through the roof. He has all the capabilities of being a starter in this league and actually producing at a high rate. So you feel him in that void while he's missing, and you build his confidence. You know, whatever happens from that, it could you know, move on to the playoffs, and you never know what that guy can become from that confidence he gained in regular season in the playoffs. He could be the X factor that
helping y'all reach the finals, you know what I mean. So, like I said, I feel like you just continue to play this thing out, you know, build your guy's confidence up, and once Towns is ready to go, you try to bring him in with the group and you know, keep things moving forward. So as far as trying to you know, pick and choose where to go on the stand is I don't think this is the season to do that because the West is so strong and so talented this season.
I think it's a great point.
And also about the Pelicans, by the way, they have been playing fire basketball for this last you know, three weeks or so. I don't know why more people paying aren't paying attention to them, but I think that they are going to if they stay this hot, they are going to be something to contend with when the playoffs come around. And your point about Nasriti is so good too, because the Wolves, if they can get their rhythm back, and it hasn't been the best road trip for them,
of course, but you know, it's understandable. They you know, they're adjusting. Carl anythink Towns was such a big part of that team, and I think they're still adjusting to how that chemistry's working on the floor, how everything's going to go. I still wouldn't want to face them early, especially the thing about some of the teams in the West that are still very strong, they're smaller, and I just think we're seeing right now. You know, the game
keeps evolving in one way. It's a guards league, it's a big man's league, goes back and forth. But we are seeing that in the West this season, the teams with more length tend to beat the teams with us. I mean, that's just sort of what's happened. Oklahoma City has had a bunch of great wins. They're obviously a smaller team, but when it comes to the big time matchups like we saw with the Lakers last week, the length bothers them.
So I just think the Wolves are still in it.
But to your point, you know they don't want to see the Pelicans either, and I don't I don't know. I mean, there's no good matchup, right, There's no there's no like, oh, we want to avoid this to get that there is.
It's a challenge on a nightly basis in the West.
Yeah, for sure.
And you know the Warriors are a big question mark still right now too. You know, I always say any game Steph Curry is in, I feel like they've got a shot. So if they're in a play in situation and they got to play one game against another team, even if it's the Lakers, with the way they've been rolling, I think Steph Curry always has a chance to take over and win a game.
But he's not there right now.
He has his sprain right ankle going to be reevaluated on Tuesday. The MRI results didn't show anything major, which is great, but still definitely just something to sort of keep in mind. They're five games ahead of Houston for the final playing spot, so I'm not that worried that they're going to fall out of the plan, but I know they would like to advance right and they had the eight easiest schedule, so I think they were looking
to climb their way up in the West. I don't know which injury do you think is a bigger deal, the Curry injury or the town's injury.
I would say the town's injury. And the reason is, you know, his is a tear. His does require surgery. And you know, when it comes to Steph and his injury, it's an ankle injury or roll to ankle. That's one of the more common injuries in this game. Something that easily bounce back from. It's not as effective on your body or your performance returning back, and the timetables are
just way different. Obviously, Steph's injury would be a shorter length of time when it comes to returning and calling it any towns, we're talking a month plus a month is at best, you know what I mean in a month, right, And usually when they tell you, you know, six to eight months, it's usually around eight to nine months before you're actually healed and ready to go. So, you know, I think the Timberwolves definitely have an issue on their hands.
I don't think it's the worst situation, but it's an issue that they have to deal with and figure out. And as far as the Warriors, I mean, they're in tenth place. Uh, you know, they may or may not make the plan.
I think they'll make the plan that they're pretty out of Houston, but but yeah, I don't know.
I don't know they're getting out of it.
This hasn't been This team just hasn't been the Warriors of old. And that's okay. They've dominated for a decade. Father time is real, uh, you know, injuries, age, it's a mix of things. This Warriors team just isn't the same Warriors team. So this Minnesota team is full of youth, full of potential. So I'm leaning with Minnesota for sure.
Well, look, the Warriors had a lot of unexpected There are a lot of transitions to make this season, right, like the sort of older players making room for these younger players that have come up and really played well. Clay sort of, you know, really struggling for the first half of the season and it's accepting Aventu role and actually thriving in it.
Draymond, as we know, had a.
Bunch of issues that got him off the court, suspension stuff, so that was something that they had to navigate around.
So I just don't think we've seen the Warriors be the Warriors, and there's been reasons for that.
And maybe, you know, if they can keep it solid and Curry comes back soon for the next month, they'll be great. But I agree with you, I think it's been a rocky thing and it's hard to go back to consistency. It's hard to build it when you haven't had it all season. Is there a matchup in this West?
We're looking at the standings right now. Is there a matchup in the West where you're just like, man, that's that's what I want to see, whether the way they're their position now or if someone you know shifts a place or two.
I think it's gonna be a complete gauntlet and this some conference series, uh made the best team win. I'm just excited for good basketball, good competitive basketball, and I think we're gonna get that with this playoffs this year, there is no guarantee to come out the West. I mean, obviously you could say Denver because they are the defending champs, but everybody's gotten so much better this year. Like I don't think Denver necessarily got better after they won a championship.
They are still a very very good team. They they have all the chance in the world to you know, repeat, But as far as just making roster moves and getting better on paper, I don't think they did that this past offseason. But like I said, everybody in the West did so it's gonna be a gauntlet this this this playoff series, and I'm excited for good basketball.
Yeah, I mean, I still you get for me a bunch.
I still think that Denver is the team to be in the West, but it doesn't mean that someone can't be them. And to your point, a bunch of these teams got better. So I think any first second round matchup in the West is going to be fire. I think it's going to be really, really good. So I'm excited for that. The East, we got to wait a round or two, but still then they'll be there. The Bucks are going to be a very interesting playoff team
in the East. They needed that road wind Sunday they got over the Clippers, Giannis and Dame combining for sixty nine points twenty one assists. I should mention though Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were not playing in that game. Still, the Bucks, they've won seven out of ten. They're in the number two spot with the Calves in the East, and I just think that they are shaking out as this number two team. Donovan Mitchell is out now again for a while and all that stuff. So I guess
the bigger question about the Bucks. The question that has been at the forefront since they made the trade is is the damianis combo finally clicking the way you expected it to. I mean, there's certainly more pick and rolls with the two of them than there were under agent Griffin.
I mean, I would say it is it sounds crazy to say, yeah, they're now clicking, like they haven't been a top three team the entire year. Like, I just don't understand this narrative over this Bucks team. Like we know when Griffin got let go, they were a playoff team. They were top three in these So it's not like it was a firing to where you know, they weren't playing at a high level or tour expectations. They actually been playing good basketball all year. Has it been the
prettiest basketball between their stars. No, But that's what happens when you bring in a major piece like a Damian Lillard to fit with another major piece in Gianni's So it's gonna take time for those guys to build chemistry and figure out their flow. And there's been a lot of ups and downs with this Bucks team. Not only did they bring in two they're trying to mesh two star pieces you did a coach fron mid midway through the year. That's a huge adjustment for any team. So
you know they're finding their flow once again. I gotta give credit to Pat Bev. I'm sure he's in there holding guys accountable, using his voice, bringing that you know, that that great energy into the team, all the stuff. Yes, So I think everything is just coming together for this team, not only you know, before playoffs, but just at the right time. It's still giving you time before playoffs to continue to build this chemistry and flow. So they're on
the right path. They're obviously one of the top duos in the league. We can easily say they're the top five duo, maybe top three.
They have everything. Who's who's your top duo?
I mean the best team in the NBA, it's the Boston Celtics. You gotta look at Tatum and Jaylen Brown, like, you can't overlook those young guys.
You put them over Lebron and a d Yo. Get your Murray.
They have they have the best team. They have the best recording team in the NBA. You have you have to like, you can't overlook those guys, no matter if the numbers are good enough for you or not. That duo and what they're doing on a nightly basis it shows. So I think Dame and Gianni's are top five, top three duo and like I said, they're just clicking at the right time, and I'm ready to see what they can do in the playoffs.
Yeah, well it'll be interesting. You know.
Certainly, Damian Yannis feel more comfortable with each other when you're when you're around them, And I just think Doc has unlocked some basic I mean basic stuff. And that's not an insult to Adrian Griffin. It's just first time head coach with the team that was not a bunch of young guys, and so you had veteran guys who are used to veteran coaches who sort of accept the basics and know how to handle all that stuff. And Griff was still learning them as was expected his first year,
but it just wasn't the right fit. And and you've seen Doc just make things a little bit simpler in terms of taking advantage.
Of that duo.
I think their defense one hundred percent. I think their defense is still looking really good. That's going to be very important, especially against Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum, and you know, we'll see if they can give the Celtics a little run here in the East. Will be pretty interesting.
I don't know.
All right, buggy, it's time for my newly favorite segment of the pod.
Here two truths and a lie.
We have three stats I want to know if you can pick them out.
Here we go.
You ready, We're going to do better than last We're gonna do better than I have. By the way, I have not talked to the producers about this at all, So I am looking at these as you are, and I predict we will do better as a duo than we do last week.
So here we go.
Number One, Nikola Jokic has the second most triple doubles this season. Stat Number two, Grayson Allen leads the league in three point percentage. Number three, the Nuggets lead the league in assists per game.
What do you got?
What's the lie of those three?
I know Nicola Jokic has the most, second because Sabonis has the most this year. H okay, And I'm gonna go with the Nuggets lead the league in assists per game. As another truth, Okay, Grayson Allen is the lie.
Okay, So again, I haven't spoken to anyone.
But I will say this, I learned the other day that Grayson Allen in fact leads the league in three point percentage because his shooting coach, that guy Lethal Shooter.
On Instagram.
By the way, DC kids love that, he was bragging about Grayson his client, being the three point shooter. So I would have said the exact same thing. But I just met his shooting coach the other day, so I knew that was I'd say, the Nuggets is a lie?
Is that right, Nate? Yes, wow, Wow, there you go.
Okay, yeah, I know we gotta give Grayson his pops.
I did not like la.
Yeah, I like yeah, So there you go. We still did better than we did last week. I'm just saying, all right, I'll take that bet presented by DraftKings.
I want to look at.
Some of the team's odds to be in the plan right, so make it stay in it whatever to be in the play in And it's really all over the board. The Warriors are the odds are minus twenty five hundred, the Lakers minus eleven hundred because, by the way, this also takes into account if they jump up right, it's not just falling out of the plan.
It's that if they jump up.
And they're not in the plan, the Suns only at minus two hundred, MAVs minus three sixty, Kings plus one point fifteen, Pelicans plus two oh five, and the Timberwolves plus eighteen hundred to end up in.
The play in, which I guess is a good value bet.
But they would really have to struggle over the next month for that to happen. I'm not even sure the math is. I guess it's possible draft Kings would not stereos wrong, but I think that's that's tough. But you which bet would you take at what childs?
What do you think?
You know?
Where? Rach? The way this West is going, Like, it's hard to bet on anything because nothing has been consistent in the West. Like it's just been a dog fight all year, the rankings flip all year. I'm not even confident in saying the Lakers will be a playing team because, like I said, they're so inconsistent, they might actually just start playing great basketball down the stretch and end up being a fifth or sixth seed. And the same thing can go for the Warriors if you know Steph returns
from injury. This really sucks Okay, let's lock in.
You cannot bet. You can pick now to bet this week.
You know what, I think, I'm gonna take the safe route and sit this one out rage. I don't want to take anybody's money. I don't want anything to me and actually go do this shit and lose money.
It's just too it's just too hard.
But the way these teams are like half a game, half a game, half a game, I don't know. We got to hit doom scroll real quick, because this is interesting. The NCAA Men's nil million dollar Tournament is coming this fall, yet another thing boogie.
You did not have when you played.
It is the first of its kind men's college basketball tournament. It will offer more than two million in name, image and likeness deals to participating teams, and teams get a million dollars just for participating, and another million is awarded to the winner. The tournament's called the Player's Era. It's going to have eight teams this fall. It's going to eventually get up to sixteen teams.
I don't know.
It's going to be played in Vegas, where you live. What do you make of all this? They're playing for money?
Literally, man, if the if the players and the team is you know, getting a million and the winner of it gets two million. It just makes my mind wonder what the n C Double A gets. I feel like this is you know, I think it's it's good for you know, the game. Obviously it was the simple size we got from the NBA with their n season tournament. It was great. It worked out well for the fans, it worked that well for the players, and most importantly,
it worked out well for the sport. We got the good, you know, competitive nature that we wanted, you know, early on in the season. So I'm not against any N season tournament. So I understand, and I can admit in the beginning I thought it was you know, I thought it was bullshit, but uh, it worked out well. I was totally wrong, and I'm okay with that. So I can see why, you know, college is now trying to
bring that to it. But uh, you know, at the end of the day, I think this is more so for you know, the n C Double A to find other ways of making more money off of these kids and.
At least something.
Yeah, I mean million.
One to two million, that that should easily be five ten, like to the school man, to the players, like it because, like I said, if they're offering one to two million in the tournament, I means yeah, yeah, we don't even know what the numbers really are when it comes to what's being brought in. So off rip the initial you know, offers one to two million, that's they're easily making one
hundred two hundred million off this tournament. So that's more so what my issue is, if you know, if it's really about you know, giving these kids the money that they deserve, and you're not trying to you know, slave them out and find other ways of making more money off these college kids, to find the other ways to exploit them. Let's raise let's raise that product, because any person that's done business is the first initial offers one
to two million, that's bullshit. Let's let's let's push that number up, buddy. I think it's dope. I think the fans enjoy it. I think the kids will enjoy playing the game. But let's just get that business part right. I'm all for the business, but let's make sure business is business for everybody.
Yeah, I totally agree. I think you're right about the amount of money and who's getting what. I do think the fact that it will have tangible stakes makes this an interesting tournament, right the fact that sort of we see what these kids are playing for. You know, I think for some college kids, a piece of a million dollars is still a big deal. A piece of two million dollars is still a big deal. So not the players that are earning the top top nil deals, but
some of the other players. So I think it'll be interesting. And by the way, that that's in the fall. I got to get to March Badness a little bit first because on the women's side, did you see what happened over the weekend with.
In the sec.
LSU and South Carolina? Things got nasty. We had a bench clear, brawl, suspensions all over the place.
What did you make of all of that? And how to get you fired up for the next month or so?
Well, first of all, I just want to say shout out to women's basketball in general. Y'all are you know, beating the narrative. Y'all are going against the odds. Women's basketball is at an all time high right now, and I love that for them. I actually, and it's it's sick to say, I actually get more of an enjoyment watching these women compete compared to the men, because I.
Don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think it's a more entertaining products right now.
But it's just women. They play the game the right way, they complete, they compete the right way. I'm all for having emotions in the game. I think it makes emotion and passion in the game. It makes the game that much more entertaining. It makes it to where I want
to watch it that much more. And I think you know from you know, from Angel Rees, Caitlyn Clark, Juju even on at the professional level when it comes to the A and you know, just being as timinated as they are, having a charisma and personalities they have on that team. Even it's one thing they enjoy watching them play, but just to see them interact with one another on a daily basis or in the locker room or you know, just their team Carider in general, it's it's great for
the sport and it's it's great for fans. So I think these women are doing an incredible job with pushing their their leagues and their sports. And like I said, I think women's sports is at all time high and I'm definitely a huge fan. And uh, you know, I think when it comes to March madness and and what we're receiving right now and just in conference play, it's going to be electric March. So I'm excited for this. And uh, this is great for women's sports.
Absolutely, yeah, totally.
And look, it's the playing style which is really entertaining. It's the fact that these women stay in school for longer. They're not one and out and one and done and typically and I think that's because there's more money frankly in college basketball now than there is in the pro level for a lot of these women in the top
top stars. But that creates feelings like you had over the weekend with you know, in the SEC tournament, because Kim Olke has not beaten don Staley since she got to LSU, and that is something that these teams feel. Angel Rees feels it, the players on the teams feel it.
And that only happens when you have consistent players being involved in this rivalry over to three years, I mean four years, like this is this is a big deal, So you get those emotions and I actually I'm not trying to condone violence here, but well just a little bit.
But I loved it.
I love seeing it come out the way it did, a little bit coming out the way it did, because look, I just think that that fieriness, that grittiness, that team's trying to win at all costs, that is something that we love about professional sports. And it took women a long ass time to convince society that they deserve to be able to have those feelings too. We want to feel what it feels like to fight for every inch and all of that stuff and get down in the
mud and play hard. And I think that it took a long time for women to even be allowed to have those kinds of feelings and win those kinds of games, and we are still fighting with a segment of society. Women's sports, as you say, is an all time high, and I think educated sports fans knows just how entertaining
it is to watch the women's college game. You still have a segment of society, though, who just kind of pictures them, you know, skipping up and down the court Ladi da Kumbaya, hitting long jumpers and not really getting into it. And I love that this sticks in those people's faces too, that that's not what is happening here. There are real stakes, there are real emotions. These teams are fighting, they're two of the top teams in the country. They made very well, they could square off for the
title in the NCAA tournament. So I just I love to see it. I thought, no, no one, Fortunately no one got seriously hurt, it would be different. And I understand that line is thin, but I just love that those those women got to experience those emotions and that people got to see those emotions and just know how weal this is and how feisty the tournament's going to be.
Absolutely I agree. I think passion and emotions are a huge part of any sport. I think that helps you get the best out of the competitor, the athlete, all of the above. So I just I've obviously we know how I played in my career. I played with a lot of emotion, a lot of passion, and you know, it's something that's slowly trying to be pushed out of the game. And then we complain about not having that
competitive edge. Well, when you allow humans to be humans, when you're and obviously we're not trying to take it overboard. We don't want any you know, you know Indiana Pistons type situation where it gets out of hand. Obviously we don't want that. But at the end of the day, we want, you know, the product on the floor to be at its best, competing at the highest level and actually showing that they care every possession in every game and allowing these emotions and passion in the game. I
think those are the results that you get. And just to kind of speak a little more, onto know the LSU South Carolina situation. When it comes to the young girl, Flaja and her family and the things that happened when it came to coming out of the stands, it's just like, well, one, you got to understand, you know, the severity that comes with that. Like I get it, Like you know, that's family. I'm big on protecting family, so I understand that part
of it. But also when it comes to protecting family, you got to protect the long term part of it well, and in that moment you could have easily destroy her long term, you know what I mean. So it's not just about protecting her your family in the physical way.
You got to protect them in every way possible. So, like I said, I get it, I understand the reaction, and you can't tell anybody how to react in the moment, but uh, when it comes to protecting your family, bro, like, protect her future as well, protect her long term as well, because that situation could have easily got out of hand and not only embarrass you, but harm your family member
in that same moment. And it's just kind of a weird thing to see, to see a man jump out there with you know, women kind of being in that situation and in the first artist like, well, where were you going to do? You know what I mean? Women? Yeah, like it's not okay, and it's and hey, I would have been and thank god he didn't. Like I'm glad he was restrained enough. You know, they got.
Him pretty quickly. The brother it was, it was, it.
Was it's just like what was what was? What were you going to do? What were And it's one thing to jump down and start to escalating separating women, but even in that situation, it's like you're putting your hands on.
Women's not your job.
It's not your job, you're nonsecurity, it's not even your event or situation. So you know, I just hope, you know, moving forward like that doesn't happen again. And I just want to put that, you know, seed in mind. Like you want to protect your family long term and not just in the moment, you know what I mean.
So yeah, it's never okay. It just isn't. It's never okay. It's not your job. They'll be fine. You know.
Let Levern, who's in charge of making things safe, make it safe. I want to ask you book before March madness gets going for real, what's the thing that just reis sticks with you the most from that experience?
Oh man, just one of the excitement, the energy, the butterflies. Uh yeah, the fans support is unreal, like I've never seen anything like it. Every possession matters. I think college will always be electric, especially around this time of year because it is a one game elimination. So in sports that's always fun. It can go either way. You know, the teams that's supposed to win could easily lose because it could easily be a bad night. We were in
that situation in college, you know what I mean. So that's that's what makes you know, college sports so great, so exciting, and I mean, like I said, any given day, it could be a loss or win, so you have to leave it all on the floor. It's not really time to you know, be upset about one play, in particular, because the game continues to go, the next per second possession could be just as important as that previous one. So man, it's the game is it's like this, It's
it's moving fast. Everything is fast. It's fun. Man, it's a lot of fun, especially as an athlete. And like I said, this is one of the most exciting times of the year, and I can't wait for it. But my prediction Kentucky going all the way.
And I don't know, really, I'm shocked. I'm shocked to hear you say that.
I bet you.
Yeah.
You surprised me every day and now that's I don't even know what to think.
We gotta read, we gotta read Shepherd doing this thing. We got Robbed Dellingham doing this thing. DJ Wagner justin. We got an incredible squad this year. My young boys is doing anything. So I'm so super excited for and uh, shut a lot of people up. This year. We're gonna we're taking it home this year. I'm guaranteeed you heard it right.
Oh ooh, I want that piece of tape we're taking home this year. I'm guaranteed. All right, all right, Well, we're happen to have Coach Cal on the show soon. We'll play him that clip as well, so he knows you've got your support.
Oh no, I got this back forever and always man, forever and always.
Well, I know you got a Joe Miszula story right from back then.
I do, I do. Unfortunately, it's not one of my favorite stories to tell, but I gotta get Joe's credit. You know, we lost to his college team in the Elite eight, you know, my freshman year of college. Man, I just feel foolish. He's been saying this, but Joe Mazoula was actually guarding me in the back of the one three one.
He's smaller than you.
You know that, right, very very and you know their game plan work. We you know, I think we shot one for twenty behind it. It was something just awful, like we had an awful night behind the behind the arc and you know, fast forward till now come to find out Joe actually suggested this to Bob Huggins already, And it makes me even more sick to my stomach that.
Not only did he make it work, he came up with it.
But you know, that's that's credit to Joe. His mind obviously he was a head coach in the making, you know, goes to his legend even more. I think that's that's an incredible story. I never knew that part of it. So, you know, shout out to Mazoulu. You know, he had an incredible college career and now he's having an incredible professional career, So shout out to him. And uh, you know, I'm gonna forever hold that grush though when we see
each other in person, you're definitely getting the side. Uh. And I might even you know, make sure I had the sneakers on it so we can line it up right there, you know. All right, all right, right, I'm rolling the ball out. I want to see you get a stop right now, Joe. But I'll shout out to Joe Man and I wish you much more success, bro for sure. Yeah.
Yeah, I was actually one of the March Badness sideline reporters, uh during during their run and later and a little later, and uh, he was he was so much fun to talk to and and he just had a great mind even then.
He always came up with interesting stuff.
And when he became the Southist coach, I said, when I saw him for this time, He's.
Like, hell, Rachel, you remember us, you know those years ago.
I was like, oh, yeah, here you go. But he left such an impression, so I guess he left an impression on you too. We won't talk about that more, but you know, for ye forced impression. Hey, everyone out there, you can catch all the episodes of Bullyball on the DraftKings Network. We're also on the All product All the Smoke Productions YouTube channel. You can go back and see how all episodes there. If you want, you can list listen to us, of course, wherever you get your podcasts.
That's what I do is I listen to everyone in the car. So if you're saying listening to us in the car, we thank you. Please go rate and review us on your podcast network and we will catch you next week