You're listening to the Hottest the Hottest podcast out here. I said what I said.
It's the Heat Check, The Heat Check, Heat Check. It's just a critic on this episode of The Heat Check Today, amidst training can't beginning in the wake of all of the media days, we talk about four teams in various stages of chaos, beginning with Phoenix, who has some serious issues to deal with uh with in the wake of owner Robert Sarver being forced to sell the team. It wasn't really forced, but it kind of was forced. You know,
it was his own decision, but it wasn't. We then move on to Boston, where the fallout from ema Udoka getting suspended continues. We move on to the Nets, who are in the midst of probably one of the most dysfunctional family reunions NBA history, and then my favorite Los Angeles Lakers, as per usual, continue to be an absolute dumpster fire despite them telling us that everything is fine, we are all best friends when we know that shit
is not true at all. Plus, we also do a little around the league stuff, including the beginning of gas Light Season, which is a training camp. The NBA is officially back, and so is the heat check. So do me a favor and drop that beat. A girl can't go on vacation, can't choose like I've been. I've been trying to get away for months. I was like, can't get away post Summer League because Kevin Durant still hasn't been traded. Then Kevin Durant decides he's staying in Brooklyn,
and it's like, all right, well everything's done. The season has come, the off season. Really, all the news has come to a conclusion, right, No, I go on one little trippy trip. I leave my phone in my drawer, I turn all, I delete Twitter, I delete Instagram. Yeah, little me time, Little Tree Tree time, and maybe the biggest scandal upon scandal. I had to come back and
figure out what was going on with Adam Levine. I had to come back and figure out what was going on with Harry Styles and why he spit on Chris Pine emy Udoka suspended for the year, hold up what? I had to read TMZ and figure out what Neil Long is saying. I'm deep into Reddit. Not exactly the vacation that I was hoping for. I was hoping for the most dead time on Earth. Two weeks before training camp to just get away. But we are here and we are now processing. And oh yeah, by the way,
Robert Sarver decides to sell the team. That happened while I was on vacation as well. And now we have training camp, which you know what that means. I've been thinking about training camp a lot, which is where every bit of the future is ahead of us. So what does that mean? That means gaslight season. That means the teams will lie to us about their goals. It means teams will lie to us about their relationships with one another.
It means teams will lie to us about what happened in the off season, and what that means going forward. It is now fully the machine, the propaganda machine is now fully on humb mode. It is fully humming alone, generating all sorts of nonsense designed to hype up the fan base to sell ticket they get excitement for the upcoming season. I am wise to it, and I am here to peel back the onion on what is true and what is not true, except for which I actually
fucking respect people who are not immersed in the propaganda machine. Phoenix, Boston to some degree, Brooklyn, and let me be honest, LA, They're trying real hard, but they know it's a thinly veiled propaganda machine for them. We'll get into all that in due time, but let's look at some news that's popping from around the league. So we begin with a really sad day in Chicago, And by sad, I mean just like legit really awful. I loved watching Lonzo ball
at UCLA. He's one of the most unique playmakers. I think Magic Johnson drafted him for a reason because he had some of those characteristics that Magic saw in himself. And he now undergoes another knee surgery, and let's be honest, like, if he sees the court at all this year, it will be a celebration, because there were troubling reports that the dude may never recover and may never play another game of basketball in his life. This is what he told Clutch Sports quote. I really can't run. I can't
run or jump. There's like a range from like thirty degrees to like sixty degrees. Trying to do the angles with my hands right now, I don't know what thirty degrees is pretty small, thirty degrees to sixty degrees when my knee is bent, I have no force and I can't catch myself. Wait, wobble, wobble. He's wobbling when he's standing up and his knees are bent. Fortunately, though, Sham's reported today that the second knee surgery has repaired the
things that they missed or fucked up on. I believe it was a botched surgery where things were still loading inside the kneecap, and there is a chance that he can come back this year. Really good news. Lonzo not just a good guy, but I think he was a major piece of what the Bulls decided to do last offseason, and they were not the same after he came back. And when it got injured last year, right their whole
identity spiraled into an abyss. It was him, and then it was Caruso, and then it was Levine, just like I predicted. I mean, I don't want to take a victory lap on someone's grave, but it was a proper and correct prediction. Lots of speculation online about whether he was misdiagnosed, whether the surgery didn't go as planned, or they messed up the surgery. He went to rehab, the rehab did not work. The bottom line is that he's finally back on track, hopefully getting on court in the future.
He's young too. If he was to cut his career short based on a bot surgery, Oh boy, oh boy. That's good news, though, Need them, need them, need them, need them. Down in Miami, there is lots of news popping on as well, not just subtle jabs about Jimmy Butler's non extension extensions. I mean, I don't know what he was thinking to try to pedal again. Gaslight season
is fully here. When Jimmy Butler tells you that his hair grew faster than like like uh, like faster than I don't even know what, faster than a thirteen year old in a gross spurt on a summer he said, those were not extensions. If you have not seen Jimmy Butler's haircut right now, I don't It's not even a haircut, it's more of a hairstyle. The man has extensions. He
shaved his face. I don't even want to say the things that go through my head all the like the worst parts of me that come out when you're workshopping joke Like, I don't need to workshop jokes on this because I just might get canceled. But listen, we don't judge Jimmy for whatever he's going through right now. We don't judge Jimmy for whatever experimentation he's up to in the midst of this career. That jump shot, that misjump shot, must have really started to make him start to think
about some new alternative decisions. Kyle Lowry's apparently in shape. I doubt it. Like I've seen him from the clavical up. I don't know what he looks like. Really, we'll see what he gets on the court. I don't mean to be mean. I got back from a monastery. I'm trying to be nice. I really am. I'm trying to not they told me. I asked him. I said, hey, do you think I'll lose my light if I get more enlightened? And they said, well, I said, you know, I don't
want to lose my sense of humor. And they said, well, do you make fun of a lot of people? And I said, I decline a comment. I decline to comment anyway. Tyler Hero here comes. Tyler Hero wants his extension after not getting traded in this very weird offseason where they thought Donovan Mitchell might go to Miami. Whether you think he deserves the extension or not, that's a different question.
What isn't is that he is an All Star and the Ranning sixth Man of the Year whose absence due to injury in the Eastern Conference Finals hurt the Heat in a big way. I think without him they were barbecue chicken. If he's healthy, maybe they go to the finals. This is what he said on media day. Very interesting. There are players across the league that have gotten paid this offseason who I know I'm better than, So it's gotta be the right number for me to sign it.
Who is he talking about, you might order I did a little digging, did a little go to a spoke track see some of these extent some of these new deals. Jalen Brunson almost certainly who he's talking about getting paid over one hundred million dollars for four years, Zach Clovine getting paid forty something, and change Man's got one knee, one usable knee, Anthony Simon's he's had a moment like he's had one moment Dame got shut down. He shot fifty times a game, and of course his stats look good.
The man had the usage rate of a professional in Las Vegas. You know what I'm saying, high usage guard. If you're Tyler Hero, you're wondering when that payday and what that payday looks like when it is coming. Doesn't seem any reason to trade him Now that Kevin Durant is staying there, Donovan Mitchell is now in Cleveland, which still is baffling to the mind. So we will see, we will see if we will call him Historically frugal.
Pat Riley very quick to cut ties with players who are either not worth the value that they think they are or their body starts to break down. Except for you Donnis Haslam, So who knows he's MAX eligible for five years one hundred and eighty eight million dollars. Little quick tidbit pat Riley sees himself in Tyler Hero. Both went to Kentucky. Both sort of skinny, how would I put it? Sharp jaw lines, slick back, pretty boys. Moving
on though, Moving on. News from the Pelicans camp probably the complete opposite of what it was this time last year. Remember when we came to Media Day, Well I didn't actually go, but someone went to Media Day and David Griffin got to the podium. He's like, Hey, we're so excited about this season. Also just want to quickly. I don't even think he really put his stamp on it like that. He was just like, Yeah, we're looking forward to the season. Everything's good. Excited to have Willy Green here.
Zion Williamson had a foot surgery in the middle of the off season, so we're not sure when he's gonna be back. Also really looking forward to Herb Jones. He's like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait wait, Zion had foot surgery. You're just gonna like sort of like squeeze that in there between Willie Green's announcement and the excitement of Herb Jones. Yes he did. He tried to. He tried to fool us this year.
None of that. Zion looks great after one of the great Houdini acts of all time last year because they were dead. Let's be honest, the Pelicans looked like they could be the worst team in all of the NBA. They were what three and eighteen. Something crazy ended with the Pels, team that actually took Phoenix to the brink in the first round, started incredibly bad, riding the ship, putting a scare in the number one seed Suns. If you're Willie Green, you gotta be feeling like pat yourself
on the back a little bit. There early reports on Zion one healthy, two thin, as Zion can be back like cow back, very back. Here are the words from various sources, and we'll call them unbiased sources, not people inside the team, to describe Zion's first practice lean. I liked that that was the first word lean, fast, in shape, dominating, an all star, a bully, a wrecking ball. This is one scrimmage. I have to remind you, very skeptical media
jumping on the Zion bandwagon kind of rare. A scrimmage where Zion apparently did not miss one shot, not one. Larry Nat said this about Zion.
I gotta be honest with you. I didn't know how much we were letting go. But yeah, dude, look, I mean again, yeah, I would say dominate is a good word. Dominated is a good word. I you know, he didn't even realize it, but in the locker room, you know, talking about it afterwards, I was like, did you know, like, you didn't miss a shot? And you know it was the first time. He didn't realize it until I pointed out.
But now he he didn't miss a shot. He looks like the same wrecking ball we all know and love, so very pleased to say the least.
By the way, Larry Nance, you don't know Zion like that. Zion wasn't playing basketball when we Portland Trailbasers traded your ass with CJ. McCollums. So he's not the same Zion that we know in love. Like this version of Zion I don't even think we collectively have seen yet. Coach Willie Green said z looked amazing his strength, his speed, He dominated the scrimmage pretty much, and then he did a good job looking for his teammates. What stood out
the most was his force. More than anything, force on hardwood. Just want to say, makes me a tiny bit worried. Listen, I don't think that there's any team I'm more excited to see than the New Orleans Pelicans. I think that they are quite easily the most intriguing team in the NBA. Yes, we're excited to see all of the depth and versatility and health of Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers. For sure.
We want to see that. Of course, we want to be the Rubbernecker people watching the train wrecks that are the Boston Celtics, the LA Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, of course, but in terms of Wow, this team could be really good, they could make a jump. I think it's between them and the Minnesota Timberwolves in terms of what this team can be. If they're fully jelled, if Zion is healthy and in shape and committed to playing defense, Oh my goodness,
they could be the Memphis Grizzlies this year. They could be a legit two seed in the West. That is no joke. That is absolutely no joke. Like this, this team could come out of nowhere. They are twenty to one to come out of the West right now. Might sprinkle little Pepperoni money on it now, I'm just saying. Finally. Also moving forward down to OKC, the rookie that everyone wanted to see. Chet Holmgren, like I said before, hurt himself in the Pro Am, will miss his entire rookie
year list Frank surgery very tragic stuff. He was amazing in Summer League and would have been mussy TV for OKAC. I think they would have become a league pass Mussy Team of the Year. Obviously, career or not, and it's not a career ending injury players like Joel Embiid have missed a rookie year. Ben Simmons has missed his rookie year. A lot of Philadelphia Sixers missing their rookie year. I'm not just saying uh, and they come back without missing
a step. I expect the same for Chet as well. However, a lot of people wanted to know what about these pro ams? Should they be doing this? Should they not? People are pointing fingers at the Drew League, pointing finger at the Seattle proram they have exploded on the scene. This is what Chet had to say and weighed in on the situation. There's freedom of speech. Pause, he just goes right there. For freedom of speech, there's freedom of
speech and criticism that comes along with anything basketball. Players are going to play basketball. You have to feed the love of the game. I don't want an injury like this to take away from that. Yes, too many of these players are playing basketball and the love and the joy get sucked out of their soul because it's a business.
So when you go playing these programs and you play in front of people who have never seen maybe an NBA game up close in their lifeh that just maybe injects a little life back into You could not love this more from Chet. The truth of the matter is these NBA players are playing regardless. They're gonna play in the offseason at Lifetime Fitness and whatever little open runs at UCLA that they play without cameras. So the fact that they're playing in front of people means nothing. Prorams.
Like I've said a million times, I will say it again, they serve a very important role in growing the game and providing a product to underserved communities who cannot afford tickets to the game. Could you imagine being an eight year old boy and seeing Polo ban Carrol up close an eight year old boy in some outskirt of Seattle. They have no NBA team, You've got no process. You got to go and see dogshit Portland. If you want to see a game. I'm not gonna call him dogshit.
We'll move forward. Last year they were bad. That's what they would have to do. So for him to say he doesn't want his injury to impact the pro am circuit, huge move. I think that could have swayed how we felt about it if he said, yeah, I kind of regret playing in it. Chet another check mark that he's
for the culture. Probably no bigger news in an off season that saw Kevin Durant, with four years left on his entire contract, tell the entire front office for the Nets to fuck right off and to provide an ultimatum to Josi, the owner of the Nets, to say it's either me or pretty much everybody below you. And then that standoff, and that standoff not be the biggest thing. The biggest news, by far was not Kevin Durant, was
not Kyrie was not the Lakers. Boston Celtics suspending head coach Eme Udoka for the entire season for things we are not really clear about yet. To say that this news came out of nowhere would be an understatement. I saw Emi Udoka at summer League, asked him to come on the pod. He agreed to come on the pod in July mid July, midway through this investigation, and no one knew he was walking around there, Freeman. No one knew what was going on. I saw Damon Stodamer, no
hint anything was going on. I saw his assistant, Aaron Miles, no hint anything was going on. I met with multiple people from the Boston TV cast. Nothing. That was two months ago. It was a beautiful September, full of tranquility. Boston looked great. They had added pieces Daniella Gallinari, Malcolm Broggen, and they've got their entire rest of their team that they love coming back. Ema Udoka reinvigorated. And then this
is the bomb. This is the sound of the Wojes bomb, and it's just like that, he was gone, Just like that, it's over. You saw the report. You saw the Boston Celtics come out with some random news conferences about how mad they were that random women were being accused of being a part of this salacious scandal. And there are many details that have come out and rumors that I will not get into because I have no clue. I have done a little digging, but I don't know. I
have no idea. I have like three people who have kind of clued me in on the general sort of scope and framework of how this went down, why it went down, why now. But I don't care to comment on that because it's a sad situation. And truthfully, I ride for my people from Portland and I am not here to spread any dirty rumors about Emi Udoka because truthfully, their second third hand and I don't know what is true.
All I know is that Nei Long is very messy, going on TMZ saying that she was absolutely shocked and stunned and whatever other adjectives, going on and doing full on one on one interviews with TMZ in the middle of your husband or no, your fiance of seven years getting suspended for the year, probably his career getting just absolutely obliterated. So the whole situation is messy, but particularly Neolong getting involved very messy as well. What we do
know though, is this Boston Celtics. I don't know that that many people are framing it like this, but they are on their third coach in three years. They become the first coach the first team since the Showtime Lakers who fired Jack McKinney after going to the finals when he had his bike accident, and then Paul Westead got It was bad back then to not have the head coach that took them to the finals there to start
the next season. Add that, and you add that to the fact Rob Williams, who probably would have won Defensive Player of the Year last year if he was completely healthy, He's now out three months at the very least before he can return to basketball activities. Rob had another knee surgery on the same knee that kept him out of some of the playoffs. He didn't like the way that his knee felt. Had to get another knee surgery, just like a couple of weeks ago. I think maybe last week.
Add that to Danela Gallinari, one of their pickups who they were very excited about, He's out for the entire season. Acl taar just like that, add insult to injury. So Brad Stevens he gets asked to come back and coach, which would have been an absolute disaster, by the way, unmitigated disaster. I hear Jason Tatum asden to come back and he was like, mmm, no. Tries to get laren Naga, Jay Larenega to come back. This is how toxic things
are being perceived. Brad Stevens personally reaches out to Jay Larenega, the former assistant who is the runner up to get Udoka's job, to come in be the interim head coach. I would imagine ask them, hey, would you leave the Clippers to be the interim head coach and return back to Boston to settle some of the shit down and his answer, I quote, I prefer to stay in La Nah.
I'm good. That's like when it really reminds me, because I would prefer to stay in La is about as classy as of an answer as you're gonna get, as gentle and like, you know, I would prefer means that there's some sort of ambiguity about whether you have control of your decision. Right. It's like when the TSA agent I've got my little dog in her carrier and they want to see whether there's enough space inside the carrier for her. And they see her and they're like, she's
growling at the TSA agent. She's snapping at the actual at her through the material and she's like, hey, could you open up the zipper and let her out so I could see her. I'm like, bitch, she will bite your face off. And I'm like, you know, I really prefer not to. I'd rather not. I'd honestly rather not, And for you, I think you should rather not too,
Like that's the kind of I'd rather not. That was at another telling detail, interim head coach to take e May Spot Joe Missoula A Brad Steven hold Over, one of the only ones left from his regime, not Damon Stodomayer, not Aaron Miles, not any of Udokah's asistants that he's known his entire life who has come over to help him build a championship caliber team in two seconds flat, No, no, both were passed up in favor of a Brad Stevens holdover.
That about tells you everything, folks, that you need to know about what's about to happen to emy Udoka and the rest of his fucking crew. And I hate to say that, I don't want to make light of it. I mean, these are my guys. I am fucking heartsick over it. Just when we get some good things in Portland, just like twelve months, I could only get one season of Portland Pride. I was gonna get some Boston Celtics gear.
Good thing I didn't. Good thing I didn't. Rumors are that obviously Emay Udoka's done done coaching, probably for a long time. Missoula has promised to keep the schematic stuff the same, to try to instill some level of consistency for a team that was one of the best defensive groups in the league. Jalen Brown said this after his first practice with Missoula. I think from day one, Joe
has set a standard. All of our guys are setting the standard, taking care of the ball, getting to our spots, playing the right way, just setting an expectation level that we've got to be accountable every single day. Truth is, the Celtics still need to add a coach and are scouring the woods for an experienced assistant to help take the burden off this brand new, I don't know thirty four year old head coach. I mean he's he's literally younger than Al Horford. This guy, I mean, Al Horford's
fucking old, but he's very young too. All a work in progress, and still with all of this drama, the Celtics are the odds on favorite to win the title. Can you believe that? Plus five hundred? Do they not know all this stuff? All the players were shocked. They heard the news when we did on social media. So to recap, a top center out for the out for half the season, a guy who is critical for the defensive identity of this team, another key rotation player out
for the year. A new point guard who has a history of always being injured and kind of feeling like if he hurts a toenail, he's going to sit out a few games. A starting power forward who's just shy of forty so a lack of depth hurts him quite a bit. A scandal and controversy looming over a franchise over a head coach having a sexual relationship with a member of the team who has gone for at least
the entire year, but probably more. And a new head coach interim who has his own little stuff that isn't great. Sounds right to me plus five hundred. Yeah, willing to put my money on this team to win it all, folks, I would totally do that. That makes all the sense in the world. Is it not Start getting ring sizes for Rob Williams, Like figure it out, Malcolm Brogden, get your banner, get your championship party entourage ready. In all seriousness, I think it's gonna take a while for this team
to get things together. I think that's saying a lot that they will get things together. Things couldn't have gone much worse than last year towards the until the All Star break when they were one game shy of five hundred in January, But boy, is there gonna be tumult and a lot of questions, and as more news reports come out, who knows what kind of shit continues to brew.
If anyone rivals the Celtics for off season drama and organizational dysfunction, probably the Phoenix Suns, right, they set a record in the off season for a most amount of tweets by their fan base that just sent gifts of flaming dumpster fire at them. Let's face it, like you look up dumpster fire in the dictionary and Robert Sarver's
photo will be staring right at you. The NBA suspends Phoenix Son's owner Robert Sarver one year after he gets accused by dozens of employees and former employees for every ism under the sun, every racial slur, every bit of sexual misconduct, every bit about hey, how about you see my Michael Pennox junior. And he gets the same level of suspension as e may Udoka. Does that feel weird to anyone? Because it does. Every ism under the sun under the sun's get it? And I don't know. My
first thought is shit, that's that's wild. That is not gonna fly though, folks in today's day and age, Adam Silver, what you doing, baby, what you're doing? I reached out to some friends, like, hey, uh, what's going on in Phoenix? You heard anything about this Sarver suspension? How are people taking it? Had some very trusted media members, and they said, oh, and they live in Phoenix. Oh no, this is not
the end. There's not even close to the end. And and yet and they said, oh, yeah, Sarvar's not gonna survive this. And I'm like, really, it feels like he's got this audacity to stay put, even after Braun came out against him, even after Chris Paul came after again out against him, even Draymond Green, who had an amazing soliloquy about forcing the owners to take a vote. Hey, y'all, let's see where you guys are at on it. Let's take a vote, see how you guys feel about Robert
Sarver continuing to be an owner of this league. But then sponsors start pulling their dollars. Then other owners of the Suns start coming forward. Then you've got the head, the new head of the NBPA, the union saying I speak for all players that this man cannot stay around this league, and in a few short days could put Robert Sarver capitulates and he announces he's selling the team since it's pr season. Here is Robert Sarver's statement, and
we'll decide whether it gets any comment. As a man of faith, oh God, let me just let's start again. As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner's one year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love. Really, but in our current unforgiving climate, oh it's cancel culture, it has
become painfully clear that that is no longer possible. That for whatever good I have done, Oh baby, Oh you think this is like a like a balance sheet, like, oh, I'd have done, so we'll continue. Whatever good I have done or could still do is outweighed by the things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the sun Sons and Mercury. This is a man who seems riddled with contrition, doesn't he? He seems broken up about the
whole thing. He seems ready to do the work, doesn't he? He seem like he was ready to take the next year to really peel back the layers of why he's so racist, why he feels he can speak to women however he wants. But he's not gonna do that now. He's just gonna sell the team. So it's us that lose. It's us that lose because we try to cancel Robert Sarver and instead he will not be canceled. He's not gonna do the work. He's just gonna sell the team. By the way, he's gonna sell a team for like
three billion dollars, so he'll be fine. Sure, he'll put all those dollars to work on himself and bettering the communities that he has harmed. This is the third team in the last eight years, by the way, due to some sort of racial issues, have had to be sold. It's almost like there's a it's like the problem, like there's a systemic thing. It feels like maybe we should start peeling back the onion, start lifting up the hood on the rest of these guys. See if anything else
shakes out, See if any rats come open. If you pick up those two by fours and see what starts scurrying out. I think it's the best thing for everyone. Honestly, you cannot tell me that this investigation didn't have a cloud over the Suns. I don't care that they were the number one seed. They started out slow, they went out with a bang to this Dallas Mavericks the beginning of their season had that cloud of Baxter Homes this article looming over them and his problematic behavior of Robert Sarver.
So turns out Sarver also still reaping the benefits or we are still reaping the benefits of him and DeAndre Ayton. Apparently Robert Sarver is the reason that DeAndre Ayton didn't get his MAX deal. Remember, the Suns did everything but kick eight and out out the door until just snatching him back by matching the extension sheet by the NBA and Pacers eight, and of course was outraged, as you
might imagine. A report dropped though today from Mark Spears and Ramona Shelburne that said the following I was told that it was Robert Sarver who didn't want to give him that fifth year. He wanted to save money. Oh baby. My understanding from talking to people close to DeAndre is he thinks that this was Robert Sarver's decision, as well the whole bizarre situation rounding the team's treatment of Aton. It feels like it's starting to make a little more
sense now. Cheap owner who's probably gonna be forced to sell the team, doesn't want to make any big moves, so they decide we'll just see what everybody else wants to pay him. Add this to the fact that Ayton has not, according to him, spoken to Monty Williams, the head coach, since Game seven. If you don't think that's weird, and I know people are trying to tell us this is the part of the gas lighting that exists. Like people are trying to tell us that's not weird. Oh yeah,
it's like totally normal. As soon as you end the season, we just never speak again, not like hey buddy, how you hold it up? How is your summer going? I don't know, like when summer league is happening, Hey, you want to grab dinner? None of that. They're trying to tell us that's not weird. That I have to tell you. If that's normal, then the entire league is a little weird. Here's what Ayton said. You can just hear it for yourself. How you and Monni has kind of been able to
have spoken. Mom Oh boss, have you and MONI been able to move? Cuts him off. I haven't spoke to MONI looks at him dead in his face. Nope, continue you, No, I haven't spoken it all ever.
Since the game.
Nope, haven't spoke to him at all ever since that game. So not even no hope that gang. You're very good.
I'm here.
Are you hoping that that changes? I'm here?
You happy to Yeah, I'm all right. I'm living between those lines.
And now I just works. You know, I'm not playing for myself. You know I'm a hoganization across my chest.
I need't go back a half a minute. You just hear it work.
I'm just here to work. And this sounds like a guy who's like, listen, I've got generational wealth come in my way. Life's not that bad. I grew up in Phoenix, but I can't stand these motherfuckers truthfully. And I know in January, when I get to choose whether I want to be traded or not, I can ask them to get me the fuck out of here if I want to. We'll see if Chris Paul wants to grind me. Down to dust between now and January, maybe I get my
dipset ass out of here. You know what, I get that Sometimes you work for someplace and you get paid well, and you're like, they're so lucky. I get paid well because I can't stand it here. I can't stand my teammates. I can't stand my bosses. I can't stand being having them on top of me all day long. Yeah, I mean run down the full video. Look on Ayton's face. It just comes off so much worse. His body language, his facial expressions, his energy. In other words, the season
could not have started worse for the Phoenix Suns. Lots of teams with talent have had their seasons go down like the Titanic due to chemistry issues and with the locker room overflowing with frustration about the cyber situation, an unhappy big man. And now you've got Jay Crowder, the glue of this team, sitting out of training camp until he is traded because his starting role was in jeopardy. Safe to say there is a ton of murkiness about how good this Phoenix team can actually be the season,
especially early on in said season. So now we have two playoff teams with serious dysfunction and serious ambiguity about what happens next. Have you ever known a couple maybe they got married a little too early, you know, right out of college, and you kind of knew when they were together, like, I'm not sure how long this is gonna last. And you start finding out hearing whispers right that they're on the verge of divorce and maybe even one of them moved out. You're like, oh, yeah, Cheryl's
living with her sister right now. Oh yeah, what's John doing? I think eating a lot of potato chips, just kind of just kind of hanging out, building this fantasy team, just on the waiver wire. He seems okay, but he doesn't look okay. And then so it's like done right, You're just like done. And then, for some reason, some unforeseened circumstance dance, they get back together and they declare on social media everything's fine. They've got they're holding hands,
they're making posts. They're kissy, kissy. But when you look and you zoom in, because I'm a zoom in girl, like you take the photo, you screen capet. This is what you do, screen capet, and then you zoom right in, zoom into their eyes. See what's going on back there, the eyes of the windows to the soul. And you look and you're like, Cheryl's still hurting. She's not happy. John looks like he's ready to cry. This is bad. He's gray, He's gained ten pounds. This is not gonna
work out. That's Katie and Nash right now. That's who that is. Here's what Nash said when literally everyone was like, Hey, how are you dealing with the aftermath of a star player, the one that can his Yoda not only asking out to not be with you anymore, but the only way that he would stay is if you were fired, like actually fired. You had to go in order for him to be happy. He said, We're good. Yeah, there's nothing's changed. Yeh. I have a long history with Kevin. I love the guy.
Families have issues. We had a moment and it's behind us. That's what happens. It's a common situation in the league. Pause is it is that a common situation in the league is I don't recall many instances of this occurring in this manner. I can't remember another player saying he would only stay the duration of his brand new contract if his head coach was fired. Not only his head coach was fired, but his GM was fired. Which do
not make any mistake about it. Is what Kevin Durant said to Josi when they had a meeting in Paris or London or wherever that meeting occurred. Nash must go, Sean Marks must go. These dudes are chaos and I'm not trying to have all that. Of course, though the unforeseen circumstances take place. Trader Danny does Trader Danny things.
He quote unquote fleeces the Minnesota Timberwolves in the deal for Rudy Gobert, making it impossible to get back anything reasonable because no team is going to give you what Rudy Gobert commanded. And that's for Kevin Durant. These are crazy prices. So if Rudy Gobert gets five first round picks, what's Kevin get ten? We're not giving you. We don't even think the CBA allows ten first round picks. So it blew up the trade market, and then it made
Katy impossible to trade make the best things. So like these divorces, it's always money. It's always money. So Cheryl and John they reunite and now we get to see their asses on Twitter and social media, trying to tell us and convince us that everything is fine. Durant said he wanted out because of a quote uncertainty around last year's team and all the drama surrounding Kyrie Irving and James Harden caused the situation where we were quote all hurt.
What he didn't point out, though, much more important to me, is that the fact that Steve Nash played them, I don't know, forty five to forty eight minutes per game, just draining his batteries to the brink, to the point where in Game seven of the Milwaukee Bucks series he chucked up an air ball in overtime. You never seen that. Have you ever seen a wide open three air ball by Kevin Durant in a clutch moment? Not me, he
was absolutely gassed. Or the fact that Steve Nash had trouble figuring out what his lineups really were, who was on this roster, basically getting out coached multiple times in his very short career. He's basically, let's be honest, he's a Stepford coach. He says, all a little Teddy ruckspin doll. You just pull the string and all the right little things come out of I'm okay. I love Kevin kids like, no, are you a human being? Because there's no chance that
a real human being would feel like everything's fine. He's just programmed. He's just programmed with like little soundbites. We're not trading James Harden. We're committed to James. It's like, dude, you're a liar, you're lying to everyone. You're really good at it. Of course he's gonna say everything's all right moving forward. Ben Simmons. Steve Nash very high on him as well. He's coming into the camp in the best shape of his career, proclaiming he is happy to play
the what the center position? Yeah, Ben Simmons gonna play center for the Brooklyn Nets. One. I told the world he wasn't a point guard. He's so far from a point guard. He's actually a center. Folks, Like, that's how much of a point guard he's not, Like, you don't just go ahead and play center or point guard. That's not where we're at, and even in position in this basketball that's not where we're at right now. And of course, right now, Ben Simmons is being told by Teddy Ruckspin
aka Steve Nash. Hey, you don't have to shoot at all. You don't have to shoot. Not only do you have to shoot any threes, you don't have to shoot any jump shots at all, not one. Just be you just lean in to the things you do. Well, we're fine. And you know who else said that. Brett Brown said that right before he was fired. Brett Brown said that for the Philadelphia seventy six ers, and those chickens came
home to roost. Nash said on media he does not Media day, he does not give a flying fuck if Ben Simmons ever shoots a jumper, because I Ben Simmons' versatility is so unique. That's what makes Ben great. I don't care if he ever shoots a jump shot. He's welcome to, but that's not what makes him special, and that's not what we need. He's a great compliment to our team. Are you serious, Steve Nash, He's got to shoot jump shots. We've got fives like Brook Lopez out
here shooting threes. Yanna shoots threes. You're telling me he's not gonna shoot one jump shot if he's playing the four or the five. Okay, you can get away with not shooting many jumpers, I guess, but Nash says he could still also play the point guard position. Also, Kyrie quickly said he willingly gave up over one hundred million dollars to not be vaccinated. So congratulations to him for whatever that means in terms of whatever ethos that he's living by. I'm happy for Kyrie that he stood by
his guns. Also, TJ. Warren will not be out, will not be back until at least November. I don't know which franchise is the most dysfunctional. I can't tell it. Is it Phoenix, is it Boston? If you want to say Brooklyn's Number one, wouldn't blame you. I mean their former owner was a part of the fucking kremlin. I don't know. I won't argue with anyone dealer's choice. Choose
whoever you want. They all have their own little, unique, special wrinkles that make them some variation of completely dysfunctional. Lots of shit popping out in Lakerland. Number one really number one, just the first one on the list. Lebron
James is investing in professional pickleball leagues. Cool if I have to, If I have to start betting on pickleball or thinking about a new sport because it comes to this like boiling point, where the world somehow gives a shit about something we didn't care about a decade ago. I don't. I think that's it for me. I think I'm hanging up my shoes. I think I'm hanging up my microphone. I think that's it. Patrick Beverly is saying that he's as good as of a three point shooter
as Steph Curry. Let me say that again. Patrick Beverly is claiming he's as good of a catch and shoot three point shooter as Steph Curry. Check the stats, he says, and Kendrick Nunn seems to become the spokesperson for the entire team. My joke, I will continue to say until it becomes until Kendrick Dunn gets healthy. You can't really judge the Slaker team until Kendrick Nunn is fully healthy.
It's been twelve months. We still haven't seen it. Until he's fully integrated back in the line, we don't know what they could be. Who knows. Maybe they're a contender. And right now, though, there's two stories I want to highlight because the propaganda machine is fully humming in Lakerland. One Ad is trying to pitch us that he's gonna play eighty two games this year. They call him a paper skin and bones of glass. They call him a disney,
they call him street clothes. Anthony Davis eighty two games for someone who has a reputation of not playing any games is rich. Here's where I remind you that the last time Anthony Davis played anywhere close to eighty two games was his last year for the New Orleans Pelicans twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen. It's been five years. That's four major five major surgeries and injuries ago. This is what he said. I'm so excited. I've got goosebumps just thinking
about this year. Me too, Ad, I can't wait to watch this doves a fire. I can't wait. I'm looking forward to a healthy year and doing what I know we can do. I went into this summer focusing on strengthening my body. Pause. Remember in the offseason when he hadn't touched a basketball for like three and a half months, and then he got bullied by the internet to touch a basketball. Also, every summer, when you're as injury prone as you are, should be focusing on strengthening your body,
So this is a new one for him. I have to be on the court and be at my best to put us in position to be our best. I'm ready to do that just now. Huh, just after you miss the playoffs, he says. He says, I'm ready to do it now. I'm glad that, finally, five years later, you're committed to being healthy. I want him to be healthy, I really do, because I want to be able to say that the Lakers aren't good even when Anthony Davis is fully healthy. That's all I want. I want to
be able to say, point blank period. I have the data. Ad played sixty five games, bron played seventy five games, Russ was traded for who, I don't care, Buddy healed, and this team was still an eight seed. I still want to be able to do that because everybody's like, oh, we can't really can't really judge him, can't really fully know what Rob Plink was envisioning. Because injuries unforeseen. They're not unforeseen. They happen every year with street clothes. Anthony Davis.
Now I know why clutch sports hates me. I'm always saying he's hurt. It is what it is. He is a lot of people. Uh, this is what Ad says. He says the reason he played so poorly because I remember he couldn't shoot last year either when he was healthy. He was a bad jump shooter. So there's now a new reason that he was shooting poorly. This is what he has to say. A lot of people don't know this, but since January, I was battling a wrist injury. It was tough for me to shoot how I wanted to shoot.
So on top of all of the other injuries ankles, knees, lower extremity issues, we now have a wrist issue to start thinking about as a possible re injury as well. Is that what you're saying, Ad and Matt stopped you from shooting, which is probably one of the things that makes you very unique as a big man. Thanks for disclosing that eight months later. Appreciate that, of course. He says that injury is now fixed and Ad is looking forward to being the Lakers number one option. They said
this last year. I have this in my notes from last year. Ads willing to take the ball bull by the horns. AD's ready to be the number one option. Lebron James is saying, take the Reins take the reins. Don't call me a cynic, but I'll believe it when I see it. I believe it when I see it. Second Laker story really quickly relates with Russell Westbrook. Very
strange offseason with Russ. He fires Thad Bouchet, his agent, because Thad says, listen, you got to be able to do whatever you need to do, and Russ wants out and he's telling them, listen, you should just stay the course. You can't be switching teams and getting buyouts and taking the minimum because at that point you're now a minimum player. Right, everyone thinks he's getting traded. We're speculating all the places that Russell Westbrook could end up. Is it Indiana to
take a buyout, which would have been hilarious. Is it going to be a place like Oklahoma City where old stars come to be rejuvenated for multiple multiple picks. But no one has had their career and their skills besmirched more in the last year than Russell Westbrook, by the way, an MVP, And you could never hold it against him if people if he was salty when people basically said, hey, how do you feel about everyone thinking you're trash, but
this is what he did. He has been doing what Robert Starr should do, which is looking inward and fixing himself after Russell Westbrook has been i would say, very difficult to deal with from a media perspective. This is what he had to say when they asked him a very disrespectful but also relevant question. H Russ, you said you've bought it.
You're buying into the Lakers.
Do you think the Lakers are buying into you? Do you think the Lakers? Once you hear when you look at Russell Westbrook's eyes when he's looking at that media member, he's about to rip his head off, and then he realizes, Russ, everything you do right now is going to be evaluated and scrutinize. Chill the fuck out, don't kill him, go back into personal development mode.
I mean, whether that they want me here or not now, it doesn't really matter. Honestly. My job is to be a professional, show up to work like I've always done thus far, do my job the best way on know how to, and that's it. I mean, we all have jobs that sometimes people at our jobs don't like us so don't want us there as you guys probably can attest to in any other job across the world, and as a professional and as a working man, I have to do my job and do it the best way I know how.
Pr class what that? I can't believe that. I saw that and I was like, that's Russell Westbrook. Classy move. He's now said he's willing to come off the bench. He's willing to do whatever Darwnham wants from him. He's saying, I don't care whether you want me here or not. I'm making my forty something million dollars and you guys will like that and take it. And considering how he's been depicted I think as a very salty, sort of sharp,
prickly human, think that's pretty awesome. Whether things work out with him or l in La, it get's not. They're already Rob polink is already saying he's willing to We didn't even talk about the fact that that Lebron James basically forced the Lakers to trade those first round picks in order to sign his extension. It was a tit for tat move. If you don't get rid of those two first round picks, I'm not signing with you. And Rob Plinkett came out during media day and said, listen,
we're getting rid of it. We're trading those picks. We're trading them. Why why are we trading them now? Why are we committed? Because Lebron is committed to us and we owe that to him. So if those picks aren't getting Russell Westbrook out the door for some sort of peace,
I don't know what that is. I don't know what it is, but we'll have to see if he's happy living in the end of the bench making forty million dollars and they keep those two first round picks and they go out and get Kyrie Irving in free agency. I tell you what, as much as I hate the Lakers, they could get good real fast. They're just not gonna be good now. Somebody tried to say, oh, if the Lakers are fully healthy, are they a five seed? No,
they're not. They are a bad team. And I hope that Anthony Davis is healthy enough for us to find out. That's all the time that we afer the heat check. We will be back Monday with a new episode. For those who have missed it. We have three interviews with Jerry west all different, all interesting. I love the last one where he was basically Rainman just giving me player names, and I just give him player names and he just
gives me a full evaluation and breakdown. We also have an interview with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, which was very rare, very special. He doesn't do those a lot, so check that out. And if you haven't, please follow us, please subscribe, put us on your feed so you get notifications when new episodes come out and get you ready for this new season. Do not forget to download, subscribe.
Please tell your friends if they like the NBA, to follow this podcast to every single one of them, and please follow us on social at this heat check and at Trista Crick on TikTok. Thank you to my brand new producer, Nick Berlanski, the man with the master plan. We will see next week, sir