Nightcap - Hour 1: Jamal Crawford, Mark Jackson, Luka’s Lakers debut

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I'm good? Old Nation got big all right.

The trade that happened last night, Luca a superstar, beyond superstar, a global superstar in this absolute He's not even here his prime yet, Jamal.

He's twenty five years of age.

He's a five time first team All NBA player, and they traded him for Anthony Davis and a first round pick and I think twenty twenty nine and Max Christi and in return, the Lakers get Luca, they gets Max Kleeber, and they get Mark Kif Marris who was already he was on the twenty twenty Laker team that won the championship. So Lakers received Luca, Maxi, Kleber, Markif Marris. The MAVs get Anthony Davis, Max Christi, and a twenty twenty nine

Jamal, when you heard this trade, I thought it was bull jive.

I thought somebody had had because it ain't no way the Maths to trade Luca. But lloy and behold, it is absolutely true. Luca dantic If on the move, Anthony Davis going to the Mavericks. What is your assessment of the trade. Why do you think this trade happened?

I'm with you.

I thought it was I thought it was a little guys at first two. It ain't no way Luke's being traded, like you said, all the exactly the way.

He ain't staring.

And if i'll be young NBA star, I'm not comfortable anywhere if Lukens can be traded at this fad where exactly where he was going. Anybody be traded better. I said last year on Shock's podcast, I said, if I'm Laker, I'm looking at trade every day, and people thought I was trading. I said, Lebron is still the best player right now. You got to have better pieces company. Yes, they wanted to bubble. Yes, the Lebron is still ain't looking like he's Lebron. So with that being said, I

Know, you know I also, I mean, I'm curious. I'm thinking. I'm thinking of the head a little bit.

I'm thinking ahead little bit. Obviously it had to be something internally for them to trade such a great prayer like that, like like both of you said, it's not even in his prime. So I'm looking forward to obviously the future because Kyrie can opt out in the summer, and what are the chances Kyrie actually joining Lebron again. I'm assuming Lebron comes back next year as well, and you have Luca, Kyrie and Lebron.

So for me, I think, I honest see that could have been an election, but Kile God would have some type of play like you know what, I could have easily been loving, Like I'm saying, my contracts up next year. They chose to stick with me and Megal Jason Pierre speaks about Card He's always sneaking glory. He does everything you want. He playing with ad act be a ky another win cash back to be a point guard. He's still this fun who's still doing nothing. He still makes

Okay, yeah, I'm looking at it, and I've said this. Everybody knows this is not right now. I called I gave Luca the name baby Bird because I thought he was that special. He was the closest white player I had ever seen the lad Bird. Everybody knew lad Bird was my favorite, but I always questioned. I said, he looked like he's out of shape. I said, he looks

Their coaching means and something beyond scenes that he's not happeny with. And like we all know that the one question in all the sports and in life period you entertaining, bit are you gathering your problem? And Linda is gathering his problem. So that's why I'm shocking's happened. Even with all that going on, he's swooning too. He can't learn them mature and you can learn over and see Cayley whoever the professional guard. JA don want the best point

A spine or whatever. He's still not even in the spine. And so I was fit. And that's why I look at second Shop guys like that.

They don't be training and you're gonna be when this until he figures now we can come back, because he's exactly good. In fact, he's twenty two, all the big to the front of us always probably already find the.

Follow sorry the fact he's twenty still for that too, So that's great.

But here's the thing, Jamal, and I tell you this all the time and we talk about it. They'll tolerant until they can replace you once they got a deal that says, you know what we.

Can win right now. I like Kyrie and Ad in the pick and roll.

AD has never really had a guy this dynamic in the pick and roll Rondo, and you remember when he had Rondo in New Orleans, the numbers that Ad put up where Kyrie is a very simile guard point guard in the pick and roll, but for them to trail a twenty five year old that's five times first Team All NBA.

It tells me everything I need to know. I don't need to hear nothing else. They can say this, so they can say that.

But you know it had to be bad, Jamar, because everything that you said is absolutely true, because you say, you know what, his production is better than his problems, but they say, no, hell, it ain't.

His problems supersede his production.

I have a question. You know, both of you could probably answer it better than I can. Obviously, I don't really understand how or the intricacy on why he's not edgible for the five year through forty five super he got traded just so simply because he got treated us in the contract. Letting you know, once you get traded somewhere else you longer.

You only get a four year dollars because he was almost like a bird, almost a bird situation.

That was the team that drafted him. He had been this many times the first team All the NBA player.

So therefore a lad Jason Tatum, a JB so guys that have been there for particularly what if it what if it like five like what five six years are Jamal, and then you're a first team All nb you have to be a first team you have to be one of the All NBA selections. Uh.

Yes, So he's done that. So he was eligible five years three forty five.

So think about that, he would have been eligible to get another contract that was probably gonna be north of four hundred million at the age of thirty.

I think he answered right there.

I think that was aha on. I think that's gonna be it.

I think they were more still if they gave him that money and then they couldn't do that to water them at that point.

He runs an organization.

Totally versus right now, like you know what, let's call lost since we've seen where it's boring, and I think that might be for all of.

Them, and they've because here's the thing, Jamal.

They believe that a lot of these injuries, the knickknack injury, is because of his condition. It's because of its training, is because of his diet, It's because of a lot of things behind the scenes.

We say this with Joel Embiid, we say this with Zaion Williamson.

Not to say injuries don't happen, but I believe the Mavericks believed a lot of these injuries are self induced. You're not taking care of your body. It's being reported at one pointy way two seventy two sixty five. Whatever the case may be. But Jamal, you know this.

You played this game.

Damn near two that you played it two decades. When somebody moves a player like this, we've never seen it. That'll been like they've moved Magic Johnson in his prime, been moving Larry Bird, Michael Jorge ended their pride twenty five year old. Don't get moved unless the behavior is so egregious, they say, we just can't control it.

We see what.

Okay, Ma, your eyes and your ears are still even if you're not playing, your eyes and ears are still with the NBA. Do you know have you heard anything what the issue might be where this where it came to a head where they just had to get.

Rid of them.

I mean, let's just let's just take a step back and think about when they want the phone, right, Lucas had a celebrations being Mike Thumberg, I got so quick, So you can't speculate that they having stepped behind them seeing that was excited. You know what, he's not changing what we want to be and if we get in this contract and maybe worse at this point. So sometimes the best one to see if funks is not. Look, look they're gonna be on their best behavior. So sometimes

But but here's the thing, this is what we know. Young athletes that hurt become old athletes to get hurt. And the worst thing you can have is an old guy that's got you owned two hundred million, you owned three hundred million. Because I just read a thing the other day when it said Jolan beiid he's made one hundred and twenty five million for the games that he's missed. You want that on Luca, You want that, you want Lucas salary three hundred and forty five million, and here

Look?

So now you hear culture, you hear you see a guy that has no interest in playing any level of defense, not at all.

Uh oh lit some some.

Go some got to give away. You know, everybody's gonna have flaws when you think about NBA players, hell, even NFL players. Everybody has their strengths. His strengths and his identity is on the offensive side of the ball, so you know what, you don't get from the defensive side of the end. But he's so great a which done offensively?

Head on you you got you got, you got to take that.

So how do you like this?

You are selective posts anybody probably, I just don't.

But here's the thing.

Lebron is at the age he can't play consistent defense. Luca doesn't play any defense. You traded your two bless defenders, your wing defenders, Max Christy on ball, uh and ad your help defend it on ball, can defend one through five, is tremendous in the picker roll. He's great at weak side of help. Look, you got guys that can score, but who can they stop? Look, I understand, I understand. This is what the Lakers and I and I've studied the Lakers, and I know the Bakers. This is what

You gotta have them.

You cannot get over it. You cannot survive at the Lakers without superstars. So they go get they go get Willed, and then they follow that over Kareem and they go get shot, and they go get Lebron and now they go get and they go get Luca. You gotta have that if you're gonna be la if you're gonna be the Lakers. You look at the Dodgers. That's what they do. You see show, Hey, you see Mookie. That's what they do in order for you to survive out here. That's

And say, we don't like the pro.

We love the professional because he's given us twenty nine, thirty two, thirty four, ninety nine. We know what he can do, but that pro eventually will catch up with us. His behavior and the way he does things that say, nah, we got to nip this in the bug. We got the break he's played at twenty five because he's gonna become unk.

Bro.

We let him get two years into sixty and seventy million dollar contract. Hey, that joking back coming Hey. He might come into the game drinking a beer. He might come to the hey smoking on hookah. Because we know Luca loving Huka, not Jbaul. He loveth hookah. And when you sit back and look at it, Rick Carlyle left, he refused the contract extension he had Luca at twenty two twenty three. What can't you know would walk away from Lebron? Walk away from a hit of Magic Johnson,

Are Lebron a magic a Bird?

They don't come So if I get one, I gonna keep this joke as long as I can, as long as they'll have me our state.

Yeah, and that's why it's like we have never ever seen this, and it's so open ended, and it was so shocking all we can doing speculator Rember Wish snucking down nobody. But you gotta figure it out, right, like that's your job. But figure it out and people or getting a little bit of insight. And while this happened, who knows if it's you know, how they thought this body will be like all that stuff played the part.

I also think I think now he just lost one hundred and seventeen million dollars on show basically one year.

It cost him one hundred and seven it cost him one hundred and seventeen million.

Now, if that don't get your attention, it should have your undivided attention. Now, I don't know where y'all who makes one hundred and seventeen million dollars a year. Maybe some CEOs, maybe a Christiano Ronaldo, maybe in Bape.

Maybe something of them.

But the ain't a whole ain't a whole lot of players making see a one hundred and seventeen million in salary of jamorrow, anybody, I'm gonna attack you. Now you got just thinking about you could have been. You could have been and that in Texas no state income tax, it's thirteen and a half percent. In Californi you I don't know if you notice anything. So forty million, they gonna take thirteen and a half percent.

That's ten.

So they gonna take four million to nother three. So they gonna take by six million from you, right there, O Joe on forty.

Hey, listen, let's say he missed that on one seventeen, right whereever you missed out. What let's say he gets this yet together, hisself together, gets on the right track. It's possibility he can recoup that money on the back end and the next deal.

It all depends.

Hold up, he's a big enough superstar that he can have he can have deals outside because he projects. That's one thing he projects globally. So yeah, he can make that much. But you can't make up what you miss. It's kind of like time because yeah, let's just say for the sake of market, Ohoe, he signs this deal with the Lakers, So one seventeen minus three forty five, so he gets two twenty eight, twenty eight, twenty eight coup, honey, but.

Just say save a uh uh, Jamal.

You remember when Boogie Boogiet missed out on what two hundred million by getting traded to UH, by getting traded to UH the Pelicans, and then it gets injured.

Never saw pay their aguinion. See that's the thing, oh Joe.

You see, we we're under the assumption and we hope we knock on wood that nothing happens. But when you continuously overweight, you put stress on your body. Your body ain't used to that. Your body ain't used to being trying to go up and down that corner on the nightly basis, Jamal. You know at least two nights a week, sometime three nights a week when you meant to be two twenty. All of a sudden, you trying to play in two sixties. Something got a give, o Joe, something

Basically, Oh Joe, talk hold on.

You got to understand I was going five for one eighty on McDonald's and cheeseburgers and fries and the coke so you know, having a deal with you at my age with the skill set would never happen any injuries. That's easy work.

See he was doing it at twenty five.

S ag ain't number, but the number they the man created that, I know, aj whenever you ready, I'm here. That's all they got to see that fool work this.

Time working on me. Let me, let me let me ask you a questions, Jamal, who do you think won the trade?

I think Dallas is on the immediate future, that immediate cornly, I think the life is going the future Parker.

And the reason being is he w let's help you. But and as you know, like we've seen sometimes or Staff and his thought and he steading games on the last yet but he's gonna have a different walk mode man, you like you said, he's gonna be involving picking alls a lot.

Uh lukall.

That's a great transition to me as a preacherre Shi star whenever the brown side.

He's having that because you gotta have them roll.

So I think Bolts have won it. It was just so so weird, the weirdness of even deverything, because I just go hold a guess, could you imagine doing some track. Yeah, well he tell or being between Joker and just is shocking. That's why I said, what don't tell you something else. I think there's gonna be one that love. I think it's gonna be a shocking break that happened. Oh this next time I period that plumba sheet, I'll think something smoke.

And if you look at what Minnesota gave up to get Rudy Gobert, yeah dollars, it won't but one first round pick, I'll think, give me twenty seven, give me twenty nine.

I want to pick, swap in tween and and hit me what you gave me.

Yeah, yes, that's all you gotta be because this dude is generation lous so good at fallatain ball, Luke will put you out and dare it won't tell me that when he's playing at the time he now he playing again, she was gonna get your coach, King Joko got that quality in the ground as well. You know this, I got you on that och Okay, I'm I'm expose him over there like he's one of those meeting the games he've always Suddenly it looks like I got here coo.

Though, Like you listen to Sha Bassall he saw it, peace, wouldn't Benner? That is crazy but bad think always can you don't see it?

I can't wait to see it three times six Man of the Year of the oldest man in NBA history to have a fifty point game, the only man in NBA history to have fifty at least fifty with four different franchises, the one, the only. Jamal Crawford, good luck next year and calling games on NBC. Jamal, congratulations, John, well done. Hey, really appreciate your stopping by the drop offer some insight into this big trade.

Appreciate Thank you'all. Even shout out to my guys and John Saonlorady to be a healthy Yeah, thank you all right us all.

Now we're joined by a former NBA Rookie of the Year All Star, former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson.

Mark, talk to it, bro. How you doing? Everybody's great? Bro?

We cannot we cannot complain. Huh huh, Hey, churin your camera on Mark got to pull a shut of sharp Aldio only how do I do that? Uh?

Here you go? Here you are, coach? What's what's up? What's up?

And happy problem for y'all.

Appreciate it, Mark mar Let's get into this trade, bro It came out of nowhere. Normally trades like this it had to be a special type of relationship because you had to send on it because prior to it dropping, there was no win Ad getting traded, nothing about Luca getting traded, and then boom, you're trading a twenty five year old five time first team All the NBA player that haven't even reached his prime yet, or Anthony Davis a first round pick and Max Christie. Talk to us

But we don't know the truth of everything. That's first and foremost. Uh, this is an incredible deal that was pulled off by Dallas maverickan in Los Angeles Lakers, primarily Nico Harrison and Rob Polinka. It is in my time of playing basketball, following basketball, coaching basketball, it is the most shocking trade pulled off without anybody leaking it, not anybody knowing anything about it. And then everybody that got

Hey coach, listen for someone who played the game for a long time, for someone who coached the game as well as a coach, and you think about that. Just want you to put your g M had on for a quick minute.

What can a player do.

To the magnitude? And whereas that egregious to you trade somebody that young, that's that spectacular and brings that much to a team, especially from my office, to standpoint, you got to talk to me. Just just give me some give me some type of better context or context on what could a player do behind the scenes that could warrant.

Such a trade for someone.

Such What makes it shocking to me? And I think that's a great question. And what I don't like is all of a sudden stuff come out that didn't come out all along. So let's let's be fat in him. But at the end of the day, right the things we know about it can be a better conditioned athlete, He can be better committed on a defensive vand you can have a better competitive fight and spirit defensively, not

What about go ahead, O Joe, hold on, hold on, I'm confused.

Now.

You think about what Luca is able to do from the office standpoint right, and one of the gripes. One of the issues that he may have is his lack of ability to play defense. But if he is a little bit better on defense, coach, wouldn't that takeaway from his offensive Sounds like.

A receiver that didn't want to block, but it wasn't his.

Get it just he thought, you're not going to you on this play. Doesn't it give you a license to chill? You still have the responsibility.

And my job as a coach is who you're accountable to that because it's not about you, it's about us, and other guys are watching them. If I allow you to do that, and because they're rolling one day, I allow them to do that. I'm not saying I'm holding you to the same standard. I like that in the idea were we all have kids, and that's not how it works. But I'm gonna hold you to a standard. But I will not accept and and and losing. I'm not gonna but I will not accept the winning. I'm

I heard it. I heard because guys are watching.

I can't. I can't now yell at you because no, I've been doing this for twenty twenty. I've been doing this for five years now.

You got a problem with it.

See you never accepted it. Hey, you never accepted anything in the wind. You wouldn't a lost it. But here's the thing, okay, Jack, you said, is your job to hold them accountable for a little bit more for the defensive being. Are you holding yourself accountable for his unconditioned, his training.

His eating.

Absolutely. Guess what I gotta I got to go see him in the off season. I gotta take a flight and go spend some time with him. I gotta send one of my assistants, I'm my player development coaches, go spend some time with him. I gotta go. I gotta send a chef with him. I'm gonna put you in position to be successful. I don't want you to just chase down being a five time All NBA team player or generational talent. I want you to have the jewelry

Right, you can't.

I tell my kids this, I can't want something from you more than you want it for yourself. And you got kids, and you know they've gotta want it for themselves as much as you want it for them. If Luca doesn't want what you want for him is not gonna work.

It's just won't.

It just won't.

That's true. But he is so special and so great. You can't convince me he don't want it. You just can't. He's so special and so great. You average a forty point triple double in the playoffs. You are the best player in the Eastern Conference, I mean the Western Conference finals. You're the best player on the He is a special, special talent. I'm not asking him to and I'm gonna tell him. I'm gonna push the right a button. I'm not asking you something that I believe you can't do.

Listen, Cole one more, one more question, one more question. I'm thinking about the mental part of it, right, the mental part. As far as lucas concerned, How's he going to react? How is he going to Is the trade this is a wake up call?

Is he gonna fold?

Now?

Two things can happen. Most of the time, you think your player, you're sitting on top of the world. You feel you feel like you're invincible. You know you're making good money, you're one of the best players in the NBA, and all of a sudden, you get that call, Oh yeah, you've been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, what Luca are we gonna get from this point going forward? Are we getting a pissed off Luca? Are we getting a Luca that's gonna fold under the pressure.

We don't know that Luca that you're talking about holding under pressure All he's done in six years is be great, be a generational talent. He's been special.

What what just happen?

You got late.

Exactly?

Now getting traded can do something to your mental now something I'm talking about the different kind of pressure, pressure plan and being comfortable in Dallas knowing you that guy.

I agree with you with certain dudes because I don't care where you put Tom Brady. He's Tom Brady in New England. He's Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Luca doncons We're not gonna cheat his talent and his level of great He's a special talent. I believe it will elevate him conditionally wise and yes, and and fight, you know, to fight defensively because he's got a guy in the locker room that that's a hero of him that he

That's one thing Lebron James will bring to the table without a doubt. But you know what, Jack, I had a guy to tell me one time. He say, they'll tolerate you until they can replace you profession lucas a professional basketball player. It seems to me Nico Nico Harrison had a problem with him being a pro, which was how he conducted himself in being a professional basketball player.

You're right, that twenty five year old generational talent, we've never seen him before. Unless he asked to be trained, that's a different ballgame. This guy didn't ask to be tracked. He says he's to find his life as a Dallas Magic. So there is clearly something that made them pulled the trigger and make the training and pick up the phone and call Los Angeles. I don't know what it is and that don't come out. At some point it's.

Gonna come out. But but if it don't come out, to watch it to come out in the rents. Yeah, he's too great of a player that you just decide him pick up the phone. No, I can't handle the think about it when it's likely he fencing intensity for forty eight minutes and it's not conditioning.

Overall, the dude was still a five time first team All NBA player and six years yep. So I'm gonna live with I'm gonna live with some of that and try to make him better. I'm not just gonna pick up the phone on a random day and call the Los Angeles leter. So it's something that pushed the button to make them make this call.

But Jack my not intil the raised with Rick Carlile wouldn't sign the contract extension. You know how hard it is to get a generational player. They don't fall on trees, and a lot of coaches never get an opportunity to coach a generational talent. Rick Carlyle didn't accept the contract extension, and he had a twenty two to twenty three year old Luca that should have raised the intenda, but really raised mine tenda when I heard Nico Harrison say culture.

They believe. I believe it is my estimation and I'm just looking at this from a distance.

I believe the Mavericks believe that Luca's condition or lack thereof his training, his eating habits play a role in those injuries. And I got to give you seventy million dollars this summer for the for next summer.

For five years. Oh no, Jack, I can't do that.

Oh I could do it. I can't do it. And you would do it too. The guy in the top five player in the world, no question about his ability. The thing I got a problem with is you can pat him. Joel Embiid and Zion Wimson. You guys that have a tough time standing on the floor. That's not Luca's issue. He plays hurt, he plays hobble, doesn't take care of his body the best condition physically, doesn't come in shape, can't and can't. But he plays. He loves

We don't know that story.

I'll give you an example. Jimmy Butler, report come out. Jimmy Butler had the plane waiting for hour of everybody wait to him. Are you kidding me?

That's not on Jimmy Butler. That's all I'm not waiting an hour from nobody. That's what happened.

Reporting the plane is taking off. We're leaving Jimmy Butler wait for Jimmy Butler, and you're setting yourself up a disaster if you're setting yourself up for a culture that allows that.

No, we're gonna set the tone right away. We need this down. And if he shows up to the game, he shows the game we're handling. Then, but I got a president.

Are you sitting with Luca when you know he's out of shape where you know he's not conditioning properly.

When you know he's not training properly, the dude is averaging thirty and nine. He's the best player on the floor every now. So you gotta find other other ways to push the button to get him to respond. You got to you gotta pull him in the office by yourself and talk to him. You gotta pull him in office with kyrier. You gotta pull him in the office with the gym. You gotta pull him in office with ownership,

I'm not like this.

This guy's you have get talked up to be great. When he walked into this, he was great, you know, don't. You don't have to hype him up and talk him up. He's great day one. So now let's get you into that special room. And it's just something that you deserve and you're cheating yourself. Forget about me. You're cheating yourself if you don't put yourself in the best possible position to get that. Does he want to be in that room? You want him in that room? Does he want to be in there?

Because if he wanted to be in that Jack all the grace that you mentioned that if the handful of guys, did any coach had to hold their hand Jordan Covid, lebron Bird Magic, kareem give me some more, Elijah Wan the guy, the handful of guy that's in that room, did they have to be had with spoon fed?

I don't know, Hey, do you think a Jack you think the culture and where he comes from is a little bit different as opposed to all the guys that I'm just named and their approach to the game of basketball.

Maybe that might be the issue, might.

Have something to do it. But the dude was a pro at thirteen years old. He's been a pro since he's been thirteen years old. He's a special talent. And I agree with you with those guys that you named. But there's some guys and I don't have him at the top of my head because somebody had to be pushed to long some guys, some guys didn't love basketball and they're in that special role. Jim Dunlan didn't touch the basketball until he got into high school. I believe

Short long term who you believe one the trade short long term. I love I love ad to the mav Kyrie and the pick and roll. Great help defender, can defend one through five, tremenducing the pick and roll can help with weak side defense. The Lakers got a little last on defense. Lebron can't sit in the cherry anymore. At forty Luca we talked about that doesn't really want to play. Austur reeves people attack him because they can't.

Uh.

The Lakers got substantially weaker on the defensive en They set themselves up for the next ten years.

Though you can't. You can't take that take that away from them. I think both teams are in position to win a championship. You're the Lakers. Your next movie is your best move. They gotta find a big to clean up some of the mess and protect the weakness that they have on the defensive side of the floor, protecting round, play the pick and roll, hold the fort down a little bit as German penetration of affection, and I like

But let me ask your question. Let's just say and now I'm hoping, Hey, you know I root for the Lakers. I'm hoping Luca like man, I just caused myself one hundred and seventeen million dollars.

Everybody believes I could be special. I am special.

Let me do what it takes in order to be in that room that Mark Jackson keeps talking around. There's only a handful of guys in there. There are only a handful of guys that deserve to be mentioned of being in there. There are I mean, some guys can peep in the room, but there's some guys that's sitting at the table in the room. Let me, let me, let me get on my conditioning, let me hire me

Mark.

Some guys drink, some guys can do that. But the one thing you know about about MJ. He came into shape, Lebron, loves his wife and a car, gets a cigar. But you know he don't cheat the process. And the one thing about those guys that are in that room, they didn't cheat the process.

You're right.

Tim Duncan didn't play basketball until high school, but Park he was coachable. Park got on him to coach everybody else. Tim Duncan when he stepped on that floor, you know what you're gonna get. But you also knew he was a pro off the court. He was gonna come in in shape, he was gonna be conditioned, and he's gonna be ready to go. And he didn't have no ticket tack injuries.

It points the finger directed to the player. They gotta want it, And I believe that he's gonna be in that room because his talent tells me that he's gonna be in that room. I believe he wants it. I believe the situation will enhance his desire team to prove people wrong. And I believe that if you are a general manager, ownership or coach or superstar player playing alongside of him. You also have the responsibility to hold him an accountable and to deliver the message to him when

Let's talk about the other trade that happened today.

De Aaron Fox going to the San Antonio Spirst, Zach Levin going to the Sacramento King. It seems now it seems not guys will sign that first extension, get that guaranteed money, and then after that, Yeah, they're on the hood. You see Defox, he's on his way to San Antonio. He wants to play with Wimby nice squad. There you see Zach Levine that has been the report that Zach Levine has wanted to get out of Chicago for an extended period of time.

He's reunited with DeMar de Rozan and Sacramento.

You have to like Sacramento with Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Zach Levine, Demontes Sabonis.

They got a nice squad, Keegan Murray, they got a nice squad.

What I like about Sacramento is the Aaron Fox obviously displayed his willingness to be traded. He let his feelings be known, and uh, they made a trade, but they didn't surrender the season. They hadn't got a guy that can help them immediately. Think a twenty five point score on Zach Levine that's proven, that's comfortable playing alongside of Demand de ros So. They have crimental play, great versatility, great youth, incredible fan base. Then you have some bonus

Yes, get your money and then find the right situation.

Don't leave it on it. Don't leave money on the team. I play for the guy that gave back five hundred thousand dollars in order to be a free agent at the end of the year.

Never recoup.

And that was that was back in nineteen eighty nine, nineteen ninety Never got back that five hundred thousand dollars.

You can't make it back.

We talking about now two three hundred million dollars.

Are you kidding me? Get your paper, young fella. I will, and I don't want to understate this because fortunately I don't know a lot about this, and and shining you don't know enough a lot about this. But my guy chat Olt, your signal knows enough about it.

That's news.

It can be frustrating at times. At times. I watch about Jack. I watched it, and I've seen the frustration I seen. I've seen it running routes and playing for you know, it was tough at time, and I was thrilled and happy. And you got a chance to win and be on the right in the right situation. You deserved it. So it can be frustrating and wanting to accellent at times. But get your money. One thing about my guy Olter, he gets it. He got his money

We see these things about Zion, and then Zion has had and they even worded his contract that he has to be a certain way, he has to have his body percent is down and we've never seen it. Look, he reminds you of a more explosive Charles Barkley, and bark like he had malone. He had those other guys, and he said, mos of malone. Rest his soul, said Charles you fat and you lazy. You got two things you young, you're fat and you're lazy. You got two

Ebid when you get a guy in Bad's size and people don't realize this. The bigger you are, the bigger that.

Frame is the wrong way that can hold jack you seven foot two, oh, you can easily be four hundred, maybe even five.

And when you get hurt during the season, now you can't condition, and so guess what.

You're still eating, but you're not practicing, you're not playing, and so guess what you might be two ninety five, three hundred. Next thing you know, you're three ten, you're three twenty, you're three thirty, you're three forty, you're three fifty. Now you go back out there three fifty and you try to run up and down that court, and you jump up your need go out your feet, your ankles, your hips, what do you say to that?

Jack?

Part of it. I blame organizations that allowed him to be this way coming in. So I'm trying to be your friend and your boy and all love e W when you come in instead of saying, okay, these are the problems that we foresee. Is what we have to do to put your position to succeed from day one. I don't care what your bone structure is with your body, fats,

I still never understand Rudy Gobert got traded for four first round picks. Luka Dante got traded for Anthony Davis in one first round pick. I don't know who did. Hey, Nico Collins Buss knows something we don't. But Nico has excuse me, Rob Poliker says, thank you. Just imagine that you sitting at home and got a call you're interested in Luca. Heck yeah, tell YEWN. So you don't even have to work. You can win Executive of the Year just because you've picked up the phone. Right, Hey, what

You want for Luca?

I tell you whatever you need, Hey, Jack, whatever you need, what you need we're talking about We talking about the guy thats just after Lebron. He's gonna still be playing. I don't get I don't care how much time you get Lebron. Luca Doctors will still be your franchise player when Lebron asks the building. And that's what you need. If you're a Lake, if you're a Lakers, you gotta have franchise players. They started with Will, with Kareem Shaq, Lebron,

We'll see you down the road. I appreciate you, Bro, thanks for having me. Legend Oh Joe Luka.

Doncic made his debut for the Lakers, has not played since he injured that calf muscle. On Christmas Day, the Lakers defeating the Jazz one thirty two, one thirteen. Luca was warming up. Excuse me, Lebron was warming up with Lucas T shirt. They placed the seventy seven T shirt on all the chairs within the stadium and the pregame, Lebron told Luca, Luca be your f himself. Don't fit in, fit the f out the Lakers, who won sixth straight

The Lakers.

The last game before the All Star Break is Wednesday against this very Utah Jazz team. They defeated tonight up in Utah before the All Star break. Let's continue right quick, O Joe. According to Scham, the Hornets exploring disputing the Lakers failed physical on Williams. The Charlotte Harmon's horners have been in contact with the NBA as they explore options to dispute the Lakers failed physical acceptsment oh Mark Williams.

We'll talk about that a little later, Oh Joe.

I liked what I saw. I don't know if you like what you saw with Luca and not. Look, it's only one game. That's a very very small sample size. I like what they Obviously, Luca's gonna start kind of staggering because you want one of those guys to be on the court pretty much at all time. But even if you don't have them on the court, you still have a private ball handled in Austin Reeves. So obviously Lebron can handle the ball, Luca cann't handle the ball.

So when Luca goes off the court, Lebron is on.

Lebron's off the court, Luca's on, or if both of those guys are off the court, off the court, as I said, Austin.

Reeves is on. But I like the way they move the ball. And if you know Luca, Luca can.

Get hot and give you twenty twenty five points on the corner, but he doesn't have to worry about facilitating because a lot of times when Luca was on the court before he got Kyrie, if Luca went on the hot streak, he still had to worry about getting other people involved. You don't have to worry about that. He has Lebron, he has Austin Reeves. But I like what I saw. And Hayes Jackson Hayes isn't the happiest guy because all he's gonna is getting lobbed dunks.

Now, it ain't gonna work, but definitely did anyway.

But he's gonna average probably about fourteen points a game, getting six or seven lob dunks again, So I like what I saw early on.

Although it's a very very small sample size.

That listen, Even though it's a small samblicide, you can tell that the future is gonna be very bright for the Lakers.

Now.

I know people don't want to you don't want to get too happy they are playing the Utah Jazz. But obviously you understand how dynamic you know, Bron and Luca are playing together. Even though the simple sizes is small, especially with the IQ that Luca has, especially the IQ with the IQ that Lebron Lebron as as well. The spacing obviously with Luca and Brown in the court was awesome. You can tell that Reason is gonna be able to eat as long as as well as everybody else.

So I'm listen.

I'm excited for the Lakers. I don't think I still don't think it's enough to be able to compete and contend for a title. I still think they need another piece. I could be wrong. You gonna you could tell me you would know bet better than I can. I still think there would be you would need another piece to add to them, to that puzzle to be able to challenge out there in the way.

Bitty the big.

The only the only big that have is Jackson Hayes, and I don't think that's enough. You only want to play Jackson Hayes somewhere between, you know, fourteen twenty minutes a night. He's not a guy that you're gonna run out there and play twenty five thirty minutes, thirty five minutes a night.

That's not what he is.

That's not He's not been that player in his NBA career. So you probably need another big. That's why they tried to change for the Williams kid. But as I was reading earlier, O Joe, he failed a physical go ahead, And.

Now I have a question when it comes when it comes to feeling on physical is it du pass injuries or does he actually have an injury right now to where he couldn't pass it?

Well, you know what that works? Oh sure, you know what happened.

When they bring you in there, they test you out, They start pulling on your joints and your shoulders, and you need and twist. Oh right, Uh, it's you. Okay, They give you MRI, they give you all, you know, all that other stuff. But here's a guy that's been you know he kind of has a injury yestory. Okay, so I don't know what why y'all so anxious to get up up If he's so good, y'all welcome been by, right right, clear.

Clearly there's more than what's going on.

It's like, hey, we thought we had another shooter, uh, because we know what Dalvin was he had.

He's kind of cooled off a lot early on. He was he was really letting it fly.

Had some big games shooting the three ball for the Lakers, can put the ball on the floor, can finish at the rim. I know the Lakers really like him, but sometimes you have to give up something to get something, and they realized they needed a big Luca likes playing with ver athletic bigs because he can get into the paint. He can dish it, dish it a lot of lob dunks. Look go look at Lily, Go look at Daniel Gaffer.

He's really herky jerky.

But right now, I think that's the thing that they're missing they're getting better at shooting the ball from outside. Gabe Vinson is getting better at shooting the three ball. He's finally getting his legs back. Last year was a wash year for him, and he's finally starting to shoot like the Gabe Vincent that we saw his last year in Miami when he really let the ball fly, help that team get to the NBA Finals, end up losing to the Nuggets. Austin Reeves has been on a tear lately.

Would I be.

Surprised eventually if he's not an All Star? I can see it happening.

Now.

It's gonna be hard because he has Luca and he has Lebron on his team. But here's the thing, O Joe, he's gonna be getting the third best defender. You've got to give one of your best defenders, especially with the wing. He's gotta guard Luca, he's gotta guard Lebron. So now it's kind of like that third receiver if you got two dogs outside that third receiver, like bag, Hey.

Y'all give me the third or fourth corner. Oh, I'm definitely gonna eat now you're gonna eatna eat Ruey.

There's another guy that's gonna get big because both Lebron, because they're big guards can see over the defense, so they can penetrate, skip pass, hammer, pass over the top.

It really doesn't matter to them. And we know they both can score.

Luca has the highest the third highest scoring average in NBA history at almost twenty nine points a game, behind Jordan, behind Will. When it comes to the playoffs, he has the second highest scoring average, behind only Michael Jordan. So that just lets you know what a proficion guy he is at scoring the basketball. And so you look at a guy that's average and basically twenty nine to eight to eight, which is crazy, and he won't be twenty

Two to three years, right, you know what you're saying that we talk about, you know, Luca taking some of the pressure off Lebron obviously Luca and some of the pressures taking off him as even he is as efficient as he is, he had to squad around him that where he doesn't have to do all.

The work he has he has.

Hella athletes a lot of players around with length, and I think he's going to be going to be a great addition. I think they just need a big They need it big, and if they get it big, now, I'm not sure how many how many viable options out there that can come in and and you can plug and play and make a difference.

Right now, now they're not a whole where you can't trade for anybody, So anybody's going to be basically streaked free agents or maybe somebody get cut and you're able to bring the man like that.

But I know they were looking at back.

If they're getting cut, there's there's not much they can do for you.

But but no that, but Luca and Lebron can bring it out of them because everybody ain't got a Luca and Lebron, but you know they were looking at Valanchounis. They looked at Walker Kessler, who's on the Utah Jazz. But seemingly the Jazz wanted more than what the Lakers were willing to part ways with. The only guys are out there available. I think that Jabel McGee. I think Alex lenn Dwight Howard. I don't know what hold is. Dwight probably a year younger than Lebron because he was

Lebron, but you're only acting can you can?

And Dwhite keeps himself in great shape, The question is can he I believe he can give you twenty minutes a night? I and Jackson Hayes alternating, you know there's gonna be sometimes they go with a small lineup.

But the question is can those guys.

Between the two of them, can they give you twenty twenty four minutes a night. I believe they can, but they definitely need to remember big Jackson Haydes is not nearly enough. Like I said, you don't want to play him a ton of minutes. He's an energy guy. He's gonna block some shots, he'll challenge some stuff at the rim. But he's a good role player. And the thing is you don't have to run plays for him because you don't. You got enough scoring. You don't need the other guys

Kitchen, so who I do?

So stop looking at something, right, So you just have to basically hope that one of these guys that they're able to secure can give you valuable minutes because Luca and eight and Lebron is gonna give you plenty.

Now when now, I obviously don't know. I don't know how basketball works to the extend that you do during this during this break, during this All Star break. Isn't that the time you want to already have a big coming in at that point so you can hit the ground running when you come out of the All Star break and having a big you know, go to go with everybody else.

Yeah, I mean the question is is that Rob is probably scowling here and they're looking at But like I said, there's not.

A whole lot out there.

It's not like you got a cream of a crop work in a litter, so you only got a handful of guys out there. Javel McGee has familiarity with the little Lakers. D white House has familiarity with the Lakers. I don't believe anybody else is gonna be get cut or get on. Excuse I say cut a buy out, I see, I don't really see any bos happening. I think Alex Lynn is available. He's another big Like I said, you're not gonna get somebody that's a double double machine.

No you got if you don't.

If Lebron James, that averages twenty five, Luca, that's averaging twenty eight. Off the Reeves, that's averaging twenty he Ruin that's average sixteen. If that's not enough with today, okay considered, hope your bitch gave Vinson can continue to get better and better.

I like this good one kid that I saw good one Godwin. The kid that I saw tonight that came up the bench. He's a scorer.

You can tell what he gets the ball's ads. He's looking to get to the basket. He's looking to put the ball in the basket. So I like what I saw with him. I don't want to get too carried away. Like I said, Utah wasn't playing any defense tonight. But if you look at him, I followed him last couple of games. He can put the ball in the basket, and he can put the ball in the basket at an elite clip. Van Do's not gonna give you much on the offensive end, but he's a defensive guy. Phinny Smith.

Like I said, I love the way Alston Reeves has gotten better, better, better better. We know what Lebron is, we know what Luke is.

The question is can they add another piece, which I believe will be a big that can give them enough offense, which you don't need much. Can you give us eight points?

Again?

But what we need is defense. Can you rebound? Can you defend? Can you challenge? Can you clog the paint? And I believe if they get that, I think they'll be okay. But this, like I said, they tried to rescind this trade. I'm not sure. Look, the guy has it had, he's had some injuries, and I mean he's a big guy. Oh Joe, he give you sixteen points.

Know what, we'll go ahead, don't worried about it. Yes, he felt, we'll work with him. We'll let him take because here's the thing on Joe, I'm not trading for a guy that's gonna he injured. And I gotta wait, No, bro, I need I need, I need you to get I need you to go.

And I think that we happened with Anthony Davis because Anthony was a d was hurt and he was like okay, and he came maybe came back a little bit too soon, and so now he tweaked that a doctor and now he's gonna be out so extended time. And I just saw they lost Daniel Gaffer to night. So two of the three bigs they lost. Now, hey, go ahead.

You know, you know it's funny when I think about do you think Anthony davis injury history played a part in letting them go and not really, not really not I don't want to say not caring, but understanding that they could get Luca and had no problem letting Anthony Davis go simply because of his injury.

Cause, if Anthony Davis was one hundred percent healthy and played all the game like Ac Green, you're not passing up an opportunity to get Luca Dontec twenty five years of age, averaging twenty nine points.

A game, eight rebounds, nine assists.

You're not giving that up. There's never been a trade like this before, Oh Joe, There's never been a trade like this.

Not it. First of all, is there a trade comparable?

Is there a football trade comparable to the Anthony Luka Danti's trade or is nothing even closer?

No, because what happened if you go back and look at the trades.

If you say, what about Kareem, Kareem wanted to be out, He wanted to leave and come to LA Actually Kareem really wanted to go to New York, but he ended up going to the Lakers. With that being said, right, Luca is twenty five and he didn't ask to be traded. Anthony Davis asked to be traded. Guys have asked in their prime to be traded. Luca is twenty five, five times first team All NBA, led the league in scoring, Rookie of the Year.

They didn't ask and they moved in.

There's not a whole lot I don't if you really think about it, there's not a whole lot of guys that you're probably not gonna move in for. You're not gonna move in for the Yoke, You're not gonna move in for Shay. I don't know if they're moving for Jason Tatum because they like that that mesh. But other than that, if the Nico Collins would have took that to the Warriors and say give us.

Kd may or Steph Curtz. Step Scheff is not going anywhere, Oka Yef, He's not going anywhere.

No, Stephan is not going to there. Joe Lukimmer is not Joe Lekaim is not going doing that that deal. But but we talked about it. What the owners said is like, Okay, we put the pulled on miss power back. Y'all got too much y'all and where y'all want to go and who y'all want and yelling and knowing on this agreement that that a that's said shock wave, because do you hear all the players talking like, hey, let us know it.

Everybody is touchable, you.

Know it, lets us know everybody's touchable. But we still don't know exactly what happened. We still don't know exactly what happened. Where you're getting off a player that's been putting up the numbers, he's been putting up as consistently as he has, despite despite the injury and not playing

If you're that good, if that good, how do you let someone go like that? What is going on behind closed doors?

Where you let him go knowing that you're not going to be able to replace that type of productivity. You're not going to but you know, I mean, I mean you can get something for but it just is not the same.

Luca doncis this summer's in line to get five years, three hundred and forty five, three hundred and fifty million dollars, that's seventy million dollars a year. Normally, if somebody's getting that kind of man. You don't want to have any questions. I don't want no injury history. I don't want a guy that I have to motivate to do what he

If I trade him, now I saved. Somebody else has to deal with that.

But still even if you saved, that means they still can't get the SuperMac when you once you get traded, because now that original team doesn't don't have the bird rights.

I haven't question if you think of a player that's that good, a player that's that dynamic. Now I'm not even speaking Lucas you know in this sense that's that great. Right with every great player, aren't there some type of issues internally?

Now? I don't think.

Think about some of the stories, think about some of the stories. As great as Kobe was, as the greatest Michael Jordan was, do you think everything was always perfect?

Well, there was no injury.

Boy, because I think that what was going on and the issues they had with with Luca, it had nothing to do with what he does on the right.

I think the thing was is that the one thing, no matter what you thought was they were too driven, they were too motivated, right, they came in shape and basketball was the end all be all right, And so if you're investing that kind of money, you need basketball to be the end all be all. Now, like I said, uh maybe, and plus o Joe, I need to wrestle some of this power back because Luca is so powerful in that organization.

If I give him this money, he's damn near the owner.

You don't get made it worse.

And so that seems to me. Excuse me, excuse me. I hate to cut you off.

Do you see the kind of money NBA players make. Yeah, for sure, even if he didn't get the super Max, he's still making fuck you money.

Yeah, my bad, My bad, God, dog, get my bad.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He's making a few money. Yes, you know, all the players you know in the NBA are making a few money. So now NBA owner trying to find a way to you know what, we're gonna pull and take some of this power back. Well it's too late now, it's too late. Based on the kind of money they're making. Everything is guaranteed. Yes, everything's guaranteed, because there's really nothing they can do.

But here's the thing, though, O Joe, the players gonna be on their best behavior because three fifty, now you go down to two twenty nine.

Don't do me like that.

I just said, that's what.

Nine. What is it that I can't do with two twenty nine that I can do with three?

Fit out?

I can do just about the same thing.

That's the same thing that you said with the NFL players. What can I do with seventy five million that I can do with fifty? That's a bit Think about it, and you leave Texas with no state income tax to go to New y go to California where there's a thirteen percent tax rate. Right, Luca is a global star and you gave him up and put him in the biggest market for the next decade. This is the Lakers. This is what they always do. This is what they've always done. Go back and look at the Lakers history.

This is what they do right, So.

People shouldn't be support The only thing that I think the only thing the NBA owners are upset about, Bro, you ain't open it up. Do you know what Luca would have commanded?

Or if everyone had a chance to get Ben went for four first round picks?

Four?

Do you know what Luca dutcha to twenty five year old global international superstar?

So that means that means Nico Collins and Rob Clinker had some where they were in cahoots, behind behind, behind closed doors, obviously not letting anybody know what they were gonna do, simply because it's the Lakers. Where else would you want to go but the Lakers, if they have to make a splash, they have to have a superstar. But the Laker ain't had the best I bet you, I guarantee you if they had to open this thing up, Lakers wouldn't have come close to.

The best package.

Oh absolutely what Rob Lincoln was Kobe's agent, Nico Kalin a Nike work with Kobe, with your work with Lebron you see with now Hopefully if people are understanding it's all about relationships, I can't.

Tell her, y'all. Oh, it ain't about this is about that. No, it's not Rob and Nico had a relationship. I like that. It's this.

I like this and say, you know, you know, it's funny.

You know what I do like.

I like also is we need to be a little bit more and I'm asking for this. I'm asking for this.

We need a little bit be a little bit.

More active on the basketball then, because now that football season's open. Look guess where I'm gonna be at watching the game court side. I'm not watching the game home. Want for the use some of this night cab money, but I'm going to sit court side.

I'm ready. I'm saving. I'm saving my money where you're going. I'm saving now you want to save.

I'm appreciing you about saving all that.

I ain't got no big change. I ain't got no big eighty four I want. I stopped on night Cap Live. I ain't got that five briefless, Wait a minute, hold on, hold on. I had to prepare myself for live shows.

We have a tour. We have a tour coming up. So that's my stuff presently for the tour.

Now I can put that.

I put that away and that's not coming out again until April when it's time to go on said tour. Now, listen, you have to understand now, pat Riley and I have a relationship. Mickey Rrison and I have a relationship. I have a relationship with banned by the Budio. I'm going to sit courtside next to the Lakers, next down, next to the Lakers, next to the heat bench. That's only fifteen hundred dollars. That's just I don't no disrespect to

Yeah, huh, all.

Right, give me, give me, give me three weeks.

Watch how it sound I am. But yeah, I mean I like what the Lakers have done.

I like Lebron, But like I said, I can see Lebron playing two or three years for the simple fact the work low that he won the question is his mind like you said, because he's Lebron James and he's been great since he stepped foot in the NBA, and if there's.

Any point in time that he can't be great, he'll walk away. Just like Tom Brady.

Tom realized Tom Tom Brady great. See people like, well Tom, look at Tom's numbers. But Tom, when you are a great player, you only get compared to a younger self. You don't get compared to the other players. Aaron Rodgers.

Right, when you look at Aaron Rodgers numbers, they weren't that bad, but you're comparing Aaron to the young Aaron. When he was throwing forty five touchdowns with four picks, he was thirty eight touchdowns with three picks.

He was this and that that MVP. When you're great, it's hard for you to be anything other than great, right, and now all the sudden people look at it like, damn, I'm a rig.

It's hard. It's hard.

It's just like when some people having a large sum of money and all of a sudden they don't have that no more, O Joe. They don't know how to behave Like I had all this money, I've had millions, hundreds of millions, billions, And now I just got you a billionaire.

And all of a sudden, all you got this two hundred million dollars. Who man, two hundred millions me and you are two hundred Be like, sign me up. Well that's where you've had billions. That's a whole difference

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