Batmen and Robin

On today's episode of This League, we talk about the difference between being a batman and a Robin in the NBA, why the East seems to be so suddenly stacked, and we break down why Yannis is the next James Harden? What is it about the league that makes NBA players subtweet like their love spurned teenagers. They're like using philosophical quotes, They're like putting music into their story that flows into what their grievances are. Sometimes they just come out and

Folks?

That was what I saw on my story when I looked into what was happening?

Did you see it?

Yeah?

On his story?

Yeah?

Yeah, no, I actually did you want me to read it?

Yeah?

Okay, he goes. We do all this.

Talking about uplifting the next African American male afthat, and some of these ex NBA players use National TV or their own social.

Media to do the opposite. I see it. I just stay to myself. The real never lose. My favorite part.

The Real never lose my favorite One of my favorite part is that if you were looking closely, he incorrectly spelled there. I'm not a grammatical nazi about things.

But that was funny to me.

A lot of polarization between some athletes about this Instagram story, Some very much agree, some very much disagree. But I wondered to myself who he might be talking about a few people, I think because there were very spicy takes when Harden left Houston, takes that I wouldn't say were inaccurate necessarily, but they were not nice. They were not friendly. Let's start with the TNT boys. Charles Barkley hit the tape, Ernie, you got.

The only one of those three guys who has proven to me he's not selfish and not a mean guy. It's it's KD. KD went to Golden State and he sacrificed. James Hard and Kyrier ever have never shown me like, no, I just want to win.

It's aggressive, that's the most important thing. Wow.

Okay, so let's move on earlier, Shack, I mean, that was a lot that wasn't necessarily untrue, but listen, James Harden's had to be the man for a long time now. Shack pointed out that Hard and claimed that he did everything in his power to win in Houston, but he really did.

Not have to say some things. And keep in mind on have G fourteen classifications.

I don't know what that is.

You asked for d white House, We gave him to you.

Facts didn't work out.

You asked for Chris Paul, We gave him to you. We asked for you asked for some shooters, We gave it to you. We asked for Westbrook, your homeboy from Little League. We gave him to you. It didn't work out. And when you say I gave you everything, I say, no, you didn't, because the last five games, when it comes to elimination, you're won and four bring from three uh thirty two assists, thirty two assists and twenty seven turnovers.

I used to be like James.

That's I mean, Shack's out here spitting stats and facts, saying what we all kind of know, which is in crunch time. James Harden was not the guy saying what. Even Kendrick hot bad take Perkins seems to also have the presence of mind to know, which to me is very stunning. If Kendrick Perkins gets the take right, it's the take.

Durant is going to be the batman. James Harden is going to be the riveman. Can Kyrie Irvin handle Ben Afford? And I don't know that? So this is an insurance plant.

These clips seem like news to you, Marty. You seem stunned.

I had not seen the Shack one. That was pretty funny.

This is actually my exact opinion too. I think Harden also knows truthfully, deep down in his heart. If you investigate and look between the lines, like inspector Gadget.

You'll see he knows.

He said it in his presser, the last presser when he was leaving Houston, and he also said more that gave me the same impression when he got to Brooklyn. He said in Houston, we are just not good enough. I have done all I can. This situation is unfixable. I can't do this alone. Basically, you can see that because he asked to be traded the teams that were not about to be contenders if he got there, but already projected to be contenders.

Folks.

He's like, I'm not trying to be the missing piece. I want a piece that I want to be a piece on a team that's already ready to win a chip. He also said in that next presser, my goal was securing my family's future. Now my entire focus is winning a ring. Basically, all of that to say, I am not Batman. I can't be the only one to do this alone, to try to win a championship. I wanted to be the man, because why the man gets paid.

I secured the bag.

I made a shitload of money in Houston, and now it is time to move on to new goals. To win a chip. I'm gonna be a willing passer. I'm gonna be Robin. I will defer, I will play make. That's what he said in his presser. All things that athletes say when they get to a new team. They are the most compliant that we've ever seen them. When they get to their introductory presser. They're nice to media. It's all like hearts and roses. But you know what, and I'm a skeptical fan.

I am right.

I don't believe most athletes when they say things to the media. I look at their actions, and oh boy, Marty, did you see James Harden's actions against the Magic I did?

He played pretty incredible. He almost threw up a quadruple doubles sort of. I mean he got to the line like fifteen times, twelve boards, fourteen assists, four steals.

I mean, what a game, what a debut.

Seemed like he was kind of ready to sacrifice a little bit.

Wonder if Charles Barkley.

Saw that game, what he thought about that game? Harden heard them and said, oh you don't you think I'm a me guy? Let me show you. Challenge accepted, my lord. Twelve rebounds, yeah, four steals, four steals. Let's not act folks like James Harden can't play some defense.

No, he totally can. That rumor has been put to bed for a little while. Now.

Is he elite?

No?

But I mean he was great against Okay, seeing the bubble that series that was really heated.

He when he wants can lock some fools down. He is a big body. He can move his feet. His footwork is unquestionable. It is hard, though, to be a lockdown defender when you are the focal point on offense every single possession. You need to average fifty in order for this team to be able to compete and go all the way, to be the one every night getting hit your body in the lane, beats bruises and then also be a lockdown defender.

Are you talking yourself into being a hardened fan by any chance?

All time pivot, last show, last show, I'm.

Banging on him two shows ago, banging on him, and I think I'm team Harden. The haters, the haters can say that Hardened self destructed, but me a team Hardened.

Person, I would like to say he's self reflected.

Critics would say that he's a fat man with a strip club fetish. But first of all, let let's not go against anyone's hobbies. We're not hobby judging here. Second, I would say that Harden is really a man who understands the purpose of work life balance, letting off some steam when it comes to working in a very stressful work environment. And for folks who say he's fat, you know that Harden is going to play himself in the game shape. He's already down like fifteen pounds in like

Maybe I'm not who I thought I was. Fuck, life was pretty good.

When I was playing with Kevin Durant being the sixth man coming off the bench. I was beloved and Okay, see, I think we should try that again. We were competing. Took him eight years, folks, I don't care how long it took him better late than ever. Some guys like Charles Barkley, they don't.

Get the immutable truth.

They just never quite figured out that winning as a robin is always better. All Right, there's another team that I had some thinking this weekend, and there's another team that's giving me MVP James Harden twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen Houston Rockets vibes out early in the playoffs, vibes freak player MVP caliber. Maybe not able to do it without another superstar?

Okay, are you talking about Yannis? The free comment made me think you're talking about.

Yanna's see, I dropped that bread crumb for you.

I dropped that break, sue me.

Yannis and the Milwaukee Bucks are the next iteration of the twenty seventeen twenty eighteen Houston Rockets MVP Conference Finals at the very ceiling, best player making the max locked up for five years. The problem is that player and the fan base expect with all of that comes a ring. And I promise you I would bet. People say I would bet my life savings on something. I would bet my life. I would bet the beating heart in my fucking chest, my last breath. Yannis will not win a

I mean, yeah, there's a whole lot there. I mean I think they're bench stinks. I mean I think Milwaukee Yeah, no, I agree completely. I don't think they're winning a title at all.

Right now, no shot did you see Here's here's where it all came together for me. Yeah, did you see the Bucks play the MAVs on Friday Night?

I did?

Yeah, it was It was a wild game.

That was the most disgusting game between two potential MVPs I think I've ever seen. You got two guys leading the MVP race, and it was that. Don't even get me started on Luca not being a bit man the way he played against the Bulls.

Can't even win against the Bulls.

Yeah, I mean, if Yanna shoots fifty from the foul line, they win that game.

They did win that game. They just didn't cover that game, right, That's why man cover.

Motherfuckers can't cover.

I know that's not what it takes to win a ring, but you dude, come on now, Yannis, we are assuming he can be a cornerstone of a championship team. That dude shoots one for ten from the free throw line. That was when I knew it. That was when I said it. I tweeted it. They're never gonna do it. They're the Milwaukee Bucks are never gonna win a ring. Eleven games in, we are eleven games in, and they looked like molasses. You had guys legit walking around screens, literally walk hitting.

Someone comes up sets the screen and they walk around.

It, just chucking up shots, checking out bricks early on in the shot clock.

What it was disgusting.

If it's hard to watch now eleven games in, how do you think it's gonna be forty games from now? You think they're gonna be more fresh, more energized, more pep in their fucking step. It's not like this team got bounced. This team went to the finals. The team got bounced early to the heat.

I don't care.

Everybody's gonna say, oh, Trista, they almost went to the finals two years ago.

What are you saying?

They were up three to one on the on the Toronto Raptors who won it all. Bitch, I don't care about the past. That was before the East was stacked, wasn't it now? If if some nuts were candies and nuts, it would be Christmas morning every day. They are not going back to the finals. That was the shot that they had, and it is now over. That window to me is now over. The East now is a death march. You've got Miami, You've got Brooklyn, you've got the seventy

I don't know if it's any of those.

Let's run it back in six months, see who see how we're feeling. And like I've said before, nothing gives me more pleasure than being right. When everyone tells me I'm wrong and it coming to fruition and I see it, I go, look, I told you, I told you. Dancing on their grave insufferable. I am so annoying as a winner. I'm gonna be screaming from the rooftops. And in four years, oh baby, oh baby, when Yannis forces himself out of Milwaukee, I promise you.

You're gonna hear it from me. And do you know why? This is how I know.

It's true.

Because Giannis is no batman.

He's a fucking amazing robin, maybe the number one Robin you could ever ask for. You put Yannis with Lebron, you put Jannis with KD, You put Yannis with Kawhi. Oh man, they're a buzzsaw. But does he make those around him better? Like Lebron or KD consistently does Marty no?

No seeing the playoffs?

Now?

Can he put a franchise on his shoulder and drag them to greatness. No, can he unquestionably be the man in a Game seven hitting the final shot when everyone knows he's about to hit the final shot and actually make it. No, and that's fine with me, but I promise it's not fine with Giannis, and it's not fine with ownership that just paid him an ungodly amount of money to win a ring for this little town.

The world believes he's a batman. He believes he's Batman. That's delusions of grandeur, folks.

And in fact, it is clear, abundantly clear, that there's only three batman in the entire NBA bron kd Kawhi, every other superstar that exists, Robin at fucking best who.

That's quite a statement.

I have to say, aren't you a pretty big Blazers fan?

You're gonna leave Dame out there?

It pains me, It pains me, it does. I love Damian Lillard. I love the Portland Trailblazers. There's the whole reason that I got in the basketball to begin with. Clyde to Glide. He is gonna be the best Blazer in history.

Yeah, he's a superstar. For sure. Can he win a series for us?

Hell?

Yeah, he can do it multiple times. I have fantasies of Dame being a Batman. I do.

I think about it late at night. He's not a two way player, Marty. He hits those series winners, but he can't carry this team to win a chip.

And that's the difference. That's the fact, man.

I mean, how can you say that?

How gonna say what? There's three Batman's facts.

You just look at these facts, cold hard, immutable facts.

Here they are.

Now, take a little pencil out.

This thing on all right, here we go.

In the last ten years in the end finals, every single finals has had at least one team with either Bron, Kadi or Kawhi playing on it. In six of those years, both of those teams had one of those three players on it. Sixteen out of the twenty teams that have played in the last ten NBA finals have had one of those players on it, either Kdie, Kawhi or Broun. That's how you know, folks, how who Batman is. There's

Yeah, I mean it seems like yesterday people were joking about him having to come out of a weak East. I mean, that was always the thing about him, And do you think people will say that about him coming out of the West now?

I mean, of course it's Lebron James.

Are you kidding me that people are actually saying with a straight face that there is an asterisk next to his championship coming out of the bubble? And that's true, there is an asterisk. It was one of the most physically, mentally emotionally taxing championships that you can say is in history other than the World War Two. And this season, of course, is gonna be worse because you have an entire season in a pandemic. But haters are gonna say

Houston was still stacked at that point. The West was stacked.

And now, somehow, mysteriously, somehow, people will say that the East is stacked. The East is fucking stacked. You've got the Celtics, you got the Heat, you got the Sixers, you got the Nets, you got the Bucks. Five out of the top seven teams probably in the East superstars since Lebron went West, superstars have either signed big deals, got traded left and free agency, and most of those either stayed East or went east. Kawhi Leonard was gonna stay in Toronto if he couldn't get Paul George. Why

All of them whin He's I mean, I could go through and probably come up with reasons for all of them. But the trend does definitely speak for itself.

I mean, come on, Mark, mass exit is East mass exod is the facts of this.

Guys.

Don't want to play Lebron James in the playoffs until it's the finals.

That is, That's the facts.

It is a lot easier inside of your heart of hearts to get to the finals and play a thirty six year old, beaten.

Down, mangled Lebron James after.

He went through the gauntlet. Gotta play the Clippers, get through them. Who knows, maybe you'll roll an ankle or something. Maybe we'll get lucky, tired, vulnerable. And the East is stacked filled with fucking badgers. I'd like to call them, but I would rather face a badger in a box than a fucking black bear. You might get fucked up by a badger, but you will not die. You have a chance to live. Nobody dies from a badger. No one, it won't be pretty. You will look like I mean,

Full three star teams.

We have James hard and Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on one team. Folks, do you think that that happens if they don't think that's what's necessary.

To win a ring? And who do you think that they want to beat?

Folks?

Look at the heat getting Jimmy Celtics with Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward teams assembling fucking Avenger like firepower.

Because why now onto something different?

I was watching this YouTube you and the jack Boys, Yeah, and you said that you had never been blown out before. Yeah, Patriots beat the Chargers forty five nothing a couple of weeks ago. So the question that I have is, if you're not playing in the game, does it really count? What if you're not playing in a game and your team gets blown out, have you then never still been blown out?

No?

No, no, no, no, we get blown out. I'm part of that. I'm part of all that. I may not be contributed right now, but no, that count on my l That count is my l two.

Because we win together, we lose together.

So now you can't ever say that anymore.

Yeah, I can't. I can't. I can't say that, Like, as crazy as it sounds, I can't. Like, Noah, we win together, we lose together. For sure.

Where did the name the jack Boys originate?

I think it originated it was before I had got here, But I think Julia dying, a couple of guys Kasey Hayward and a couple of old guys that used to be here, you know. I think just taking the ball away, getting the ball, getting turned over, and so I feel like if you jack something, you take it away.

I feel like that's what that's what a jack boy is.

So yeah, just straight jacking.

Yeah, just take it away. We need the ball, So you're after the ball.

But did anybody ever think like this sort of some what sounds a little sexual?

Nah?

I don't think. No, No, I don't think. I don't think nobody did it like that? What is that?

What about like the legion.

Of Jack Nah? No, I think because they already had the leads in the boom, you know what I mean?

So like you can't say the leading the jack That sounded like even more weird, you know what I mean?

So I think Jack boy.

Jacking one thing from another.

Yeah, yeah, that sound weird. I remember when.

We were talking pre draft, you were like the uh leading the movement of the drip.

Yeah, oh yeah, you know that. You know that, you know that?

So man, the drill, you know, I just wish I was out there showing a drill right now.

But it's coming soon twenty twenty one.

Man.

But I'm still carrying that same drill.

Even when I'm rehabing, doing what I'm doing to keep that same swagger about myself.

Do you think that your style is what inspired Drip Too Hard?

No? I think the boy. The boy was already saying that was dripping. It was already saying that, you know, it was.

I still would. I still thought was to be like, yeah, I was like a part of it.

Yeah see you that'll be called something called cathline. Like I can't, I can't get out there and like I originated that, I can't do that.

No, especially since you play a little baby. He would, he would get come on, he's gonna.

Be like, how you how you still in my style? You can't can't do that.

I remember because we talked I think a couple of days before and all the like news or whatever had you going I think seventh to.

Tampa, seventh to to Tampa.

Yeah, yeah, hour from where you grew up, right you were?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was a Buffs fan growing up. But you know, I'm happy it worked out the way it did. You know, I can't, like I said, I can't wait to get out there and make some more plays for my team.

But you know, I'm happy to wait. The Cars feel how they feel?

You think they were salty that you decline their invite for a solo dolo workout.

Uh yeah, I think they kind of was upset about that.

I think that kind of left a little bad taste in them off because uh, they end up had the GM and the head coach had came to my pro day and when they realized I wasn't working out fully participating in my prod, it.

Kind of upset on my I feel like I still feel like you could.

Tell in the moment that they were a little.

Yeah because because because in that moment I was. I remember that my pro day for the gym was out there. The head coaches like, oh man, you're not gonna work out. I'm like, nah, I feel like I did enough. I feel like my taste speech for itself. I feel like I did enough. So then I don't feel like they took that well.

But hey, what's crazy is vitaved did not also do a private workout.

Hey they had they guy. Man, they picked the guy.

Yeah, I got they got, we got our got they got the guy.

So yeah, so sad though, so called for.

Sure, for sure, for sure I love California.

Uh why mama think you wouldn't fit in Tampa?

My mom didn't want me there for sure because she's just my mom is just a mom, like she is too close to home. She she don't want people bugging me. She always want me safe. She always just she always just trying.

To be a mom. Look after her boy.

So she didn't really want me too close with all the distractions and just being able to just go home.

Yeah, no, doubt way too close, be able to like rip and run back to the neighbor.

Yeah.

Yeah, you're going back to your hometown constantly every year.

Yeah.

So it's you know what I mean, it's something she didn't want.

That's dope.

I thought she might have been like breaking down defensive schemes and stuff and was like, oh, Derwin's not fit.

Nah My mom don't care. She know I play any schemes.

She know, she knows that don't matter. She knows her baby's gonna play any scheme.

You still feel like working out for a team individually is an unnecessary ask?

What was that? Sorry? You kind of cut in and out?

Oh do you think it's still like an unnecessary ask for teams to ask people to uh to work out individually?

Uh?

I mean you could kind of take that both ways, you know. I feel like it depends on the guy. I honestly do feel like it depends on the guy. And I feel like some people feel like they have a lot to prove, and then some guys feel like they've done enough. They don't want to risk any injury or anything. So I feel like you could you could take that either way.

Yeah, I think I saw something like someone got really hurt in their pro day.

Yeah, a couple guys. I know a couple of guys that got hurt during pro day. I mean, but I mean, injury is kind of hard to predict. I mean, it's gonna happen when it's gonna happen. But I know a lot of guys that just rather or not, you know, put their body through that much stress and strain, you know, getting so close to the time, you know that their life can change.

Yeah, especially like you've got agents who are looking out for your best interest and your best health.

You put a ton of shit out on tape. It's kind of like, let me just chill.

You also said after the draft that there are guys who are fifth, sixth, seventh round guys, so it doesn't matter where you picked. That's cap, right, that's big time.

Cap what you said.

You said, it does not matter where you're picked. There's guys who are fifth, sixth, seventh rounders. It doesn't matter where you're drafted.

That's caph. No. No, that's why I said no. That's not cap I feel like, once.

You're here, once you're in the NFL, it don't matter where you're drafted at. You could be first round, second round, fifth round. I mean, Tom Brady, what round was he? Antonio Brown?

What around was he?

Like a lot of those guys, it don't matter what round you win, That's what That's what I meant on that.

Damn if you got drafted in the seventh round after you were supposed to go seven, there is no chance you'd have been like, oh, it doesn't matter where I was drafted today.

No.

I do feel like it's players like, man, I went in the sixth, but I supposed to be a lot better.

I supposed to win in the first.

Really, but then they go prove theirself like to be one of the best of all time.

I feel like you see that a lot film.

Fifty percent of the Pro bowlers this year went in the first round.

That's crazy, that's just what was the other fifty.

You also told a defeated my dream scenario is Casey Hayward. For my dream scenario for a secondary Casey Hayward, Jalen Ramsey, Landon Collins, Earl Thomas, no one could complete a pass as of today? Who would be your dream current secondary today?

I think I'm wrong with that same secondary. But I probably added my boy Booty Baker. He's been bawling balling my boy Boody Baker for sure. Shout out to him. He's been represented at the safety position.

I had him.

Man, I'll keep everybody else, but probably at him.

Earl Thomas is washed a little bit.

Noah, don't. I don't do that. He ain't even get to play this year. He ain't get to prove himself now.

Now that that's big cap, ain't that w He just need an opportunity.

He'll be back.

Just playing. What does it mean when a safety has good hips?

Oh?

That means you're you're able to go from left to right, change direct because I feel like if you go to point A point B at a fast pace, I feel like you're you're a great dB.

And that's what makes a great dB.

How do you get them?

Sometimes you're born with them.

Sometimes you gotta you gotta just work, work your technique, you gotta you feel me.

I can't really explain that too much. You need the guy or you don't.

You were born with good hips?

Yeah, yeah, blessed with it, blessed with.

You rode a bike. You rode a bike with two wheels at two years old.

Yeah, no training with That's what my mom told me.

I don't really remember that, but they told me I was wild like that, like my grandparents and all my parents. They told me I just to do like normal stuff that a kid shouldn't be able to do or do.

There are fantastical stories out there about you written you were hit by a car, the same car twice twice.

Yeah, the same guy hit me, and I think my mom.

My mom was like, did he hit him again?

Like my mom said, My mom said, I really need to stay at the screen.

The road and.

Stuff like a small neighborhood.

Now it was a big neighborhood. I mean I stayed. I stayed.

It was road track, it was everything, you can walk circles, it was it was everything, Sam, How.

Is that possible? I couldn't believe it.

When I ride the bike no breaks, Never ride to all the kids out there, don't don't have no bike with no breaks on it, And don't be trying to get home before the street lights come on, rushing home, staying out late, playing football, so and like some parent from.

A rival school knew that you were going to go to Florida State at like eight years old, when you were basically committed there, and they're like, let's take girling out.

No, No, they didn't want to do it like that.

They actually helped me, you know, go to the doctor and stuff after it was cool.

Uh, you and Dalvin obviously were teammates. What's your favorite Dalvin Cook story or moment?

Uh, it gotta be probably when we used to play on the rooftop at Florida State.

On the current.

We used to go where the little parking decks are for like you know, if you're going to class anything you need to park. We used to go all the way to the rooftop. It's like probably about fifteen twenty twenty flights stairs up and we just play on top of the roof. And I remember, like they never put me in Dalwin on the same team. It used to be me and him, Travis Rudolf, a couple of other guys and we used just we used to just go up there every day and just battle. And I remember

We was kids.

You played tackle football on the roof.

Yeah, no, we played tackle on the roof.

It was like sideline bus almost, but you know it was a good two hand tag like it was good. Like sometimes you may get a little extra shoulder or something, but like it was.

It was fun. We played.

We played on the sand also, so it was a lot of like battles that I remember.

For sure. We used to go at it playing. Man, Yeah, for sure, he's still fast in that sand too.

You were called decorious law, best running back to ever play where you grew up.

If he wouldn't have gotten hurt, how good you think he would have been?

Like I say, man, I definitely there's no doubt in my mind that he should be playing today. And I still can say that because I feel like that was one of the best athletes I ever seen, you know, with a football in his hand. On defense, he I mean, he does he did it all man, and no lie when.

I say he wanted the best athlete, he really was.

Do you think there'll be a possibility in any game where you'll work at where you'll play all positions of the defense.

In one game Man hopefully next year for sure, because I'm trying to play some football, so I don't care if they line me up at punter, deep, noseguard, cornerback, lineback.

I'm trying to play.

So I've just been in the house rehabbing, so I'm really excited. So it's about to be five months in probably about two weeks to be.

About five It's crazy how fast the body heals, though, Like when you tear something and then you look back and you're like five six months.

It's hard in the moment, like shit, yeah when you look up, because when I look at I'm like, damn, I really had surgery on September first, I'm like, damn listening to be January, you know what I mean.

So it's like I'm like, damn, time flying. But shit, I'm happy it's.

Doing it, no doubt.

Only positions you haven't played on defense or nose tackle in middle linebacker.

I feel like you couldn't play nose tackle though.

Yeah I think I can too, for sure. Yeah, I think I think I can. I think I can.

I hold my mom, Yeah, you're big enough.

Wait, hold on, I forgot about this, Rich Eisen. You sat on Rich Eisen's couch, and the first thing he told you was how surprisingly big you were. Is that weird to hear that from like another person, like another man's Like it's like the first thing is like, wow, when you're a really big guy.

I don't think God think about it like that. I wasn't going in there when he told me. I wasn't thinking like that. I just you know, I ain't taking it. I don't know if I want to say I took it as a company. I just kind of like listened to it and just you know, got.

Ready for the show.

You were like, I am kind of school right now.

Yeah.

I had just got out of weight room, like probably that day before you know, it was probably he caught me on a good day.

I was like, this is just such a weird thing to say. But I guess like women don't do.

That to him.

Yeah, That's why I say, like, y'all probably don't even think about doing stuff.

Like that, like oh, your legs look really skinny like in person.

You know, that would just never be something we do. When did you find out?

Do you have a story about when you found out Jalen was coming to La to join you. Obviously different teams, but like still same city vibesh.

At first, I didn't.

I didn't know until my agent had told me because I was trying to get him to come to.

The charges, but I knew it wasn't happening. So I knew.

Once he was coming to l A, I was like, man, that's gonna be cool. Just being able to be on the West coast. You know, we met up a couple of times out here when did a couple events together. So just having him out here, you know, we both he from Tennessee, I'm from Florida. We went to Florida State. So having that connection out here pretty cool.

Yeah, that's dope. Did you are you guys neighbors?

Now he's staying the big, the big, the birds. He you know, that's big money, hundred million get that's man, that's that's the difference.

Level was like, you know what I mean, he on that level.

I'm hearing five for like one oh five.

That's why we just want to play. That's it. We just I just want to play.

You got David m Getta.

David mull Getta gets his boys chips, He's getting Buddha chips, He's getting jailing chips.

You're getting chips going. It's fine.

I know you gotta deal with play the game. He's gonna deal with your contract. But you're gonna get chips. You're gonna have a big old house next to Jalen.

That's all good.

What uh? Why was Peyton better than Brady in Brady's prime?

I think it's the other way around.

Well, you you tweeted, hands down Peyton Manning best quarterback in the NFL?

Probably that year. What year was that?

So Peyton was balling?

Right?

It was uh yeah, I had to be. I had to be watching paint and Painton had to be in a moment. Probably the Broncos game.

It was August.

Yeah, yeah, I could say it had to be that year.

Yeah, it was that Take you.

Take a tome of Peyton? Yeah day, oh yeah, for sure, for sure. I probably on that day. You know, I was capping over capping a little bit. But you know, Payton great too. They both great, both of them, great quarterbacks. Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

Explain this tweet August seventh, twenty thirteen. The cold shower is the best shower.

Oh man, that's that shower.

After that worked out, relaxed, and then you just you ain't taking the hot shot. You just want to get your body cool down. Man, just turn the water on cold man from his best shout.

Funniest moment that didn't make hard knocks.

Funniest moment that didn't make hard knocks. Oh man, when was that?

Oh? Oh, probably when Justin Herbert got his hair cut by the screen coach.

Yeah, what were your thoughts on that?

Well, I said, Bro, don't ever let him cut your hair again. Bro, he cuts you your good locks out? I mean, just mess my man, Harold Man, John, I say, John, why would you do that? Man?

Was joke too?

Yeah, it was fire Bro. It looked good brother, the nice girl. I was like, Man, why would you do my boy? Heard him like that? Man, he had to wear the hat now like not only he take my watch it he.

Comes to the side like he put his hat straight on. He used to have his locks out. Man, it's a quarterback. Man can't do him like.

That, Sam, Why you get the strength and conditioning coach to do it in the first place.

But that's what type of guy Herbert is. Man, he just want to play football. He don't that asked like that doesn't even matter him? Like he kind of laughed about it, like he's not one of those guys and the pretty boy guys, whereas like, oh my hair matters.

He don't care, Like honestly, he didn't even care.

Like to be real, I went to school at Oregon and he's from just right outside of a call where he's from spring Tucky, Springfield spreing Tucky.

Yeah, cool, lay cool, A bad guy man for sure.

More pressure facing Keenan in the finals of a Madden tournament or throwing out the first pitch at a Dodger game.

Man that pitch for sure, man, because like, you want to get to that mound so bad.

You just don't want it to bounce, You don't want it to hap, and.

It's real fans out there, so you just trying to just prove a point that you can get the ball down there.

So I say, throwing that pitch for sure?

What happened the first time?

See my first time, I thought I had enough strength, you know, I didn't want to overthrow and go. I see some crazy videos before I went out. Dang on, I've seen some crazy videos of fifty cent and different guys throwing the ball crazy, So I say, that can't be me.

So I wanted to get my throat right. So the second time it was a little bit better.

It was, yeah, for sure, And that's I think that's it, because I was going to ask you about that Herbert haircut later, but you already.

Got to that.

Yeah, man, they yeah, I was in the safe man, I was. I was hot by that.

Yeah, all Oregon.

Man, they looked it looked good.

Man.

I was hot about that.

Man.

How early did you know he was special?

The first first day I seen him? First day, first day, literally the first week. I remember going home telling my mom, telling my dad, I'm like, man, we got a real quarterback and.

He's going to be very nice.

Because when I just see him just going against the second group and just making the throws he was making, I'm like, he's not. The ball not supposed to be whistling like that. I mean the ball was making like when he throws some of the throws like it makes the sound. The ball was making noise like man, and everything was accurate. Everything was on the money. He's he's

He's not staring down the receiver.

I'm talking about first week, So I'm like, man, this guy's gonna be really good. And he didn't have no OTAs or rookie minniicap. He just came straight in and did that. That's what's more impressive.

Yeah, he bowled right away.

Yeah, it's like, man, hey, you're starting, Okay, I'm gonna go play football. So it's like, that's what I liked about him. I mean, he he came right in. He didn't he didn't look shook or nothing.

So well, good luck.

I think you guys are gonna be I mean, you guys have all the pieces.

You're gonna be able to put it together.

And yeah, sliding in the d MS with some questions, some real inappropriate ones we did not put in here.

So let's hit ask me anythings, Marty.

Okay, we've got Did the Sixers get played by the Rockets and the James Harden trade talks?

I mean, what do you fucking think a little bit? I mean made me look pretty silly to.

Tillman, as I would call him salty for Tata obviously has a beef with Daryl Mory. Darryl Moury went and decided to get involved in some geopolitical issues, costing the NBA in the Rockets a shitload of money, and then decided, I would like to poach your greatest star.

And we all believed that was possible.

And obviously Tilman for Totta did not forget that Daryl Morray did all that and that he left.

Who knows was he fired? Did he leave on his own? Who knows? The relationship didn't end well?

So he decided, I'm going to use my relationship with Darryl Morray pretend it's all good, like Game.

Of Throne style. We're good. Let me try to get Ben Simmons, mattis Steibel, Matt.

Tyree's MAXI make it look like the Sixers were willing to give up the farm, and then the Nets gave up more. Do you think that that they didn't even call the Sixers back. The Sixers thought that they had a deal done, and then there was a new article that came out this weekend. It was like Sixers thought that there was a deal done and then the Rockets didn't call them back, and then the then shams was like hardened to the Nets. Yikes for Tata salty as fuck.

Nice.

Okay, we've got were we all a little too early on the Tray Young hype train?

Yeah? I mean, can you blame us? Though?

Like I love seeing electric players do things that we haven't seen in a while.

I like watching guys.

Get nutmegged, especially when they're new new.

Yeah, you're hoping for the next best thing, the next big thing. And you know, obviously the Luca trade with Trey, those two are now inextricably linked.

And then he's coming out ballin and everyone loves a bomber.

Everyone loves a guy that just chucks up shots, especially what he's making them. But you know who doesn't like him, You know who's not a fan of mad bombers.

Fucking John Collins.

He is like, yo, yo, yo, yo, Hey, we got to make some shots here, some high quality shots here. And I think he has a point because ever since Steve Nash said that when Trey Young was doing was not basketball, his production, I don't know what happened. Maybe it's a coincidence, but as soon as Steve Nash said what Treyong is doing is not basketball, Treyong fell off a cliff. He was averaging thirty three points a game in his first five points eighteen point three in his

Yeah, Okay, Next we have what has happened to the Raps? The Rap Tours.

He's referring to the raps. What happened to you? Raps? Yo? MTV Raps.

The Raptors actually are not as bad as you think. Actually, I don't know. They've lost only four games by five, two games by one point, so they've been competitive. It's tough losing Gasol and Ibaka. Those guys were cleaning up boards. They could do multiple things. They could play outside, they could play inside, they could switch everything.

They were obviously.

Former All Stars, cornerstone pieces on championship teams.

You lose two big men, Abaca hurts.

You see what Obaca's doing now on the Clippers, and you're like, god, damn, I bet the Raptors wish they had him.

Marcus al as much.

But the problem is also that Pascal Siakam seems to be not even a robin. That boy is regressing the least, the less pieces he has on his team, the less he steps up.

So his season hasn't been great.

I love Pascal Siakam's game, but it hasn't been it hasn't been consistent. On the plus side, I would say they've got Nick nurse and Masayu jury, so they're elite. They're gonna find new guys. They're gonna develop new guys. They like to find those gritty like undervalued players that are ready to compete now, like the Fred van Vlietz, the Kyle Lowry's guys who have chips on their shoulder. So I think they're gonna be fine, just doesn't appear

Okay, did kd ruin his legacy because if he went another chip, it's on an overly stacked team.

Again, why do people hate Katie so much? They hold him to a standard that only Lebron gets held to Batman Batman get held to the upper That's another way that you can decide who's a Batman and who's a robin if you need to. If people every time you win, people want to discount your win, Yeah, batman. They want you to literally have just Eric Snow on your team

Kobe was a Batman.

So I think it's possible that if Katie would not have left, Okay, see, they could have done it.

They obviously were up three to one on the Warriors.

The Warriors don't have Kdkd's on OKC. I think you've got a battle for multiple years to come, but ultimately obviously wanted to play a different style of basketball.

I don't.

I think his legacy is fine. I think it has now been proven, based on the earlier segment that you need multiple superstars to win a ring, have to.

So no, I think Kevin Durant's legacy is just fine.

Yep, Okay, this is interesting.

If you could build a team around one player right now, who would it be.

It's a tough question because there's a ton that goes into it. Is it a guy that you just want to create a team around for this year and win a ring that's obvious. Is it a guy that is to build for the future, some young, young, young guy. Is it a guy that you think has good leadership? If you had to create someone as a combination of all of those things, this guy flies way way under the radar. Buckets Jimmy Buckets as.

Your one player. Yeah wow, let.

Me say this hot take, clutch, culture, builder, leadership. I immediately choose Butler. He's thirty one, so he's not that old. He immediately adds fifteen to twenty wins to any roster he goes on. Sure, he can put a team on his back in a game seven. He makes all of his teammates better as long as they're willing to work. Sorry Karl Anthony Towns, Sorry Andrew Wiggins, you were not willing to work. Immediately came into Miami and made them

But Lebron is thirty six, Yeah.

Ad I guess, but he's also got coming off of multiple injuries. Liz Frank Achilles, Jimmy Buckets is a fucking iron man.

So that's that's my answer.

Okay, all right, this one's a little more disagree. I don't disagree at all.

I mean that run was absolutely incredible, and I bet against them, like every single series of that. I was like, Jimmy Butler is the best team on a as the best player on a team can't win a conference Like I was just adamant of that, and he proved me wrong. So I yeah, no, I can't disagree with you one bit there. Okay, who can beat the Lakers?

God, you must have lost a lot of money on that.

Oh yeah, I did. I did not have a good playoffs.

Who can beat the Lakers? I mean, I think this is a pretty good transition, isn't it. Miami Heat. I think the problem with the Heat last playoffs was that they just weren't healthy. You had bam Adebayo come in and out of that lineup. You had Dragas he was injured. I think Jimmy Buckets, I think he was injured. I think all of those guys, they was like whack them all. One guy would come in and another one would go down. I think they've got sharpshooters, They've got Jimmy, They've got

It might be.

It might be close. I like Nick Nurse a lot too, But I think Spoe is incredible.

Spo has done it with Scrubs. Yep, that Dwayne Wade Heat team. Ah, folks, I am all about this squad. I think if they can get stay healthy and they're already having problems, if they can stay healthy, this thing goes seven with the Lakers and then it's like.

A tass up?

Gotcha?

Uh?

Okay, moving on? Uh? We have does beal for Ben Simmons make both teams better?

You know what's crazy is uh, I was thinking about Bradley.

I was thinking about Uh sorry, let me start again.

You know what's crazy is I was thinking about Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook because that trade has been circulating.

Beal for for Simmons, and.

I think there may not be two players more comparable to one another than Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons. The only these are guys that are free cast athletes. They try hard on every possession. They can get rebounds, they can defend, they can get out on the.

Break and do insane things around the rim.

They are complete players except for one little thing Neither one of them can fucking shoot. The difference is the big key difference is that Russ is happy to shoot. He's happy to chuck up twenty five shots a game if he needs to. Ben Simmons will not shoot. So can you imagine can you imagine in your heart of hearts what a team would look like with Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook on it in Washington, DC?

I mean, that would be disgusting.

That would be maybe one of the most difficult teams to watch in the NBA.

It would make Philly for sure better.

Bradley Beal, Tyrese Maxey opening up the floor for Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris getting off. Yes, for sure, I do not see Washington pulling the trigger on this trade whatsoever.

It would be so much dribbling. Okay, who can the Bulls bring in to make them a contender?

I mean, this is a delusional fan that thinks that the Bulls will contend anytime soon. They don't even have one star. They don't even have half of a star. They have what they have.

Zach Lavine.

Who, oh my god, If you watch very closely, zach Lavine loses the Chicago Bulls quite a bunch of games. He's fun to watch, but he is He's not the one Wendell Carter getting just hidden there.

Who did they draft? They drafted?

I don't even remember Patrick Williams.

Yes, inexplicable.

This guy's averaging like ten points a game as the number four pick in the NBA.

Yeah.

I do think he's something, but he's not that thing yet something. He's not that thing yet he's something.

He is a lifelong journey man, is what he is. And no one saw it coming for a reason.

And this team and this city, no city has leaned on being a storied franchise quite like Chicago. Chicago Bears, eighty five Bears, Let's go, let's play the old commercials. Let's do this a Michael Jordan dude, that was the Michael Jordan's championship was in ninety eight, twenty two years ago. Eighty five Bears thirty five years ago. Almost no one on this Bulls team even remembers has any conception of the Bulls ever winning a ring. So I think they are a long way from being a contender.

I don't know. Go get Katie and Quiet, go see what you can do.

Yeah, they'll probably if they do that.

All right, So that's all the time that we have for this league podcast. Please like, please, rape, please subscribe. It means a ton. I think one third of our rankings go towards subscriptions. So if you've already subscribed, to me a little favorite, unsubscribed, resubscribe huge. Go to the barstool store. We have hoodies this League hoodies. They are NBA Jam inspired. We have ones that are Finals inspired. We have more merch coming. We will see you Friday