Nightcap - Hour 1: LeBron’s historical night, Embiid load management, Giannis drops 59

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Hello, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us for another edition of Nightcap. I am your favorite unc Johanny Sharp, that's your favorite, eighty five Liberty Cities own Bengal Ring of Fame, Honoree pro Bola Allpro. That's Chad Ocho Cinko Johnson. But you can call him just you can just call him Ojo. Please please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit that like button and go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your

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Another guy had nine points.

They are very no they had seven guys in the double figure Excuse me, they're a very strappy team. You know what you're gonna get when you played at Grizzlies, You're gonna get a lot of effort even without two of their best players. John obviously is their best player, but Jaren Jackson had a superior had a great game. Twenty nine points, seven rebounds. Zach Edy had nine points. Zach Edy No, Zach Edy had twelve point excuse me had twelve points. Ada Lama had what fifteen. Scotty Pippen Jr.

And I think they had him before it. Maybe they had d Low also.

That was just too many guys handling point, and so he wasn't gona get an opportunity to handle the ball. Ojo, but I thought the Lakers really needed this game. They had to dig deep. I don't know if they took him for granted, because Bain and Job was going to be out. But I had a twelve point lead, built the lead all the way to fifteen. I think the Griz cut it the one then outscore them in the

When you watch the game on what you think.

I mean, I enjoyed it up and down the field out without John morons it. They played very well in transition on both sides. On both sides of the court. Defensively they did the best that they could, but offensively in transition they played extremely well.

Outside of that.

For for me, knowing that you know how much I've really just started watching the game of basketball, I would have liked to see the difference with Baine and John Moran playing the night and see if that would have made a difference in the game. The fact that the Grids were able to keep it somewhat close.

Keep it somewhat close.

Because of the way they played, because of how you just spoke on and how scrappy they were. I would have liked that a little better. Outside of that was a good game. You did mention that Ad was in trouble, in trouble and he really couldn't get int the rythm early, but he did find his rhythm later on in the game.

He was huge.

Yeah, yeah, he had quarter threes.

Yeah, to kind of extend that lead a little bit more. Outside that, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. And one of the things that would I would I would want and ask from you, being that the season is really just starting, and as I continue to learn the game of basketball, I think we need to sit courtside. I think we need to we need to sit courtside so you can teach me the game better. And I think I'm a visual learner. It'd be perfect. So you take me to all the games court sides.

Probably I can put your touch with the guy that got that can get you the tickets to sit court side.

Oh no, no, no, I want to talk. No, guys, I'm gonna talk to you. I need you sit next to me.

So I know what them court side ticket costs, bro, and.

I know you got it. That ain't nothing to a player like you. That ain't none to it.

Just like I'll sit court side if there's not a game on. But for me, I like watching all the games. It's hard for you to sit court side and watch the games when you got to be critiquing and analyzing all the games and come back and have a conversation

I was like, Nah, I'm not.

When I look at the game on Joe, you look at the Lakers, they shot and they're not the greatest three point shooting team. They can get their streaky don't connect. Obviously their best three point shooter they made. They shot forty eight percent, almost forty. They shot basically forty nine percent from the three. But the turnover, that's what to

You was terrible from the free throw line. You was twenty two or thirty two.

You got to be from Lebron was five of eight, cam Reddis was one of four. Austin Reeve was five or seven. You got to be better in a closer game. You're gonna need to make those free throws. You need to be twenty eight of thirty two something like that. Twenty nine and thirty two. There's no reason for you to miss that many free throws. But you know, other than that, connect play good coming off the bench. Uh Co Loco played good off the bench. D Low struggling

Hey do you do you think d Loo coming off the bench? Do you think that bothers him? You think it bothers him not being able to get a rhythm, well, not not having that, I don't know the word to use, not not confidence. But usually when the player is coming off the bench that is normally a starter, it's harder than to catch rhythm and a little bit a little hesitant, you know, when they decided to pull the trigger out there on the court.

Yeah, I think you know he's been a starter basically his whole career. So you have to revamp your game. You know lou You see, Lou Will was a starter. Then all of a sudden they brought him off the bench. What's the guy named Jamal Crawford. Guys that I mean, you have to you know, basically you have to just like but you do have the green light. Normally, guys that come up the bench, you understand they're gonna have they have the green light. A elite monk was the

Whatever is it?

That?

No more than that is, yeah, because there's forty five more days, three sixty five, so yeah, three hundred fourteen days, So there's forty six more days. I'd like to say, guys, there's forty six more days before his birth of his birthday. But I mean, what do you say, thirty five points, twelve rebounds fourteen or sis?

He shot great?

I mean officially efficiency was off the chart thirteen or twenty two four to seven from the three. Like I said, Ad was in foul trouble. He missed some easy shot. Lebron missed a couple of easy shots. But in the fourth quarter when they needed both of their big guns to step up. Ad has played great all year long. I got no qualms, but Ad tonight it was a relatively quiet night for him. Twenty one point fourteen rebounds, six and sixteen from the floor. He was shooting fifty

I don't know what it is. And it does not matter who's the coach.

If you go back and look at the Lakers being Vogel, be It, Luke, Walton, be at Darren Ham and now JJ, that third quarter for some reason they sleepwalk.

Hey, listen when it comes to the game of basketball, whether it be the Lakers or not, regards to who's coaching a basketball team.

What I've come to learn in my short tenure is being a basketball.

Savant, is that the game of basketball is about runs. It's a game of runs. No matter how much you extend to lead. For some reason, no matter what, that lead always shrinks significantly when another team gets in rhythm, gets in rhythm and they have their run. Then at some point in the third, maybe the fourth quarter, then the game becomes a game where the games are somewhat

Yeah, I mean, I mean, the Lakers got up forty one, the Grizzlies got up thirty three. The Celtics shoot forty fifties,

Yeah, and it's just like that.

So yeah, normally, teams, I mean, look, they were all they've always been big comebacks things of that nature. But it seems to me now with the way these teams can shoot the basketball, that a twenty point lead in the first quarter.

I mean I saw the.

Oh just the other night, the Spurs had like a twenty something point leading the first quarter on the Clippers, and by the third quarter the Clippers had done called him and had a ten point lead and ended up winning the game. So, yeah, it is. It's always been a game of runs. But now with that three point shot and team's ability to have multiple guys on the court that can shoot, Yeah, there's there's really no lead

D every time he shot the ball it seemed like it was going in on end.

Yeah.

Now all of a sudden he was all six from the floor, all four from from the three, got thirteen.

Minutes of cardio. In listening, bright lights and bright light's different.

Now, I know Miami is Miami, but the bright light's different over there in Hollywood.

Expectations are different.

Oh yeah, most definitely. You're playing alongside Lebron.

The ball is still weigh the same, the rim is still the depth, reception is absolutely the same. It's just a different level of expectations and you're playing alongside a historically great player.

And people.

It does matter.

You know, you know who's the ball, you know what's expected. But the Lakers hold on to win the ball game to one twenty three to remain undefeated at home and moved to seven and four on the regular season. The Lakers have this that Bronnie James will play in the G League home games, but will not travel with the team during the road games. Browny will be with the Lakers during road games. Brian Winhorse doesn't think that's a good idea. I'm going to apply the brakes on everything.

Now.

I know he was getting so much special treatment and nepotism, and that's fine, Honestly, I don't care. Like I said, it's normal. Now, I think it's actually detrimental to him. I don't know whose idea was obviously with the Lakers are fine with it. They're doing it. On this particular instance, I think you've gone too far. I don't think it benefits Bronnie. I don't think it benefits South Bay Lakers.

O Joe, what you think?

I think whoever had the idea and using Bronnie the way he is for its development, I think they would know a little bit more than whoever.

Else has anything to say about it.

They understand what Bronni needs to do to get bring himself along, to be a contributor and to get better at his game so he can play, you know, at the highest level.

Everyone is going to have their opinion on the matter.

But I think those who have been doing it for a long time, that actually played the game and that or actually played.

Listen. This is something lebron has probably signed off on. This is something probably.

Bronnie and and other advisors that are in positions of power have thought was the best thing for him to do, you know, to play, to play in the home games, not to fly with the Lakers on the road, and that's how they saw it fit.

I'm not sure why that would be an issue with anyone else.

Because how did you get better fitting on the bench at Laker games? He needs to play, You said he's playing. You said players don't get better sitting on the bench. So why is Briannie getting better sitting on the bench based on what you said?

He just they just said he's playing in the South Bay Lakers home games.

But they played road games, so when he so so when they go on the road, he doesn't. He gets nothing out of there. So you just go sit on the bench and watch watch the Lakers at home.

Listen that that's That wasn't my decision.

I'm just I'm just basing.

He's playing the home game.

You said players don't get better sitting on the bench, being basketball or football, I'm asking you, now, how does Bronie get better when he's only playing part time.

And the other half the time he's sitting on the bench.

You really can't do the comparison when you talk about football and basketball because he's still playing. When you get Benson football, you're not touching the field at all.

No no, no, no, no, no practice. But you're practicing right right.

But again, he's playing in the home games for the South Bay Lakers.

He's not being you would know better than me. I'm not a.

Don't do that.

Don't do that cop out on me telling about I would know better? Does a guy get better played? So let me ask you a question. So if a football player he only played home games but he didn't play on the road, he's getting better.

Hunh.

Come on, you can't know now you know you can't compare him. God damn sports. Now come on that. Don't do me like that.

You get playing. I thought you'd get better by playing. We just had the conversation about Scotty fifth and Jr. Look at what he's doing. He was fitting on the bench. Look at him now when he's getting an opportunity to play, to play, versus him fitting on the bench coming in spot.

I like what you just said, But the keywords you said about Scotty Vivinjia on the reason why he wasn't playing where he was because other people needed to handle the ball.

What difference does it make it?

Why Fish he had to be in a place where he could touched the ball and be a part of the team.

So so what is Briddy? So what about Briddy? Doesn't he need to be a place to play.

Right, So you would want it to be somewhere else.

And so yeah, I want him to be a play I don't get the benefit of him playing part time and the other time sitting on the bench.

That makes no sense to me.

You get better, You get better at doing something by doing something right, not doing it part time. What occupation allows you to do something part time and you become great at it?

That's that's that's a good question. That's a good question.

But the fact that he is playing, the fact that he is very very young, the fact that they think he's not come along far enough where he can be a part of the active roster when the Lakers play and go on and play at home and play on the road games, allowing him develop in this way that they that they see fit. You know, I have somebody agree with it, some don't. The fact that he is playing. They're trying to bring him along slow. That's the only thing I can think of.

Yeah, I mean, but look, there're I mean, I didn't have a whole lot of expectations. He's not a frot top ten pit. But I just think him in the fifty fifth pick in the draft, I'll just think that playing at and getting and handling the ball and going up against competition and working on your craft. I don't know how you work on your craft part time and become great at it.

Now.

I'm not saying that he can't, but I'm just saying I don't understand how.

M Yeah, I understand what you mean. I totally understand what you mean. I don't understand. I kind of get where they may be coming from on their end. But listen, people, people, folks had to sign off on this.

Oh yeah, we know they did. Oh yeah, for sure, I mean.

To sign up on this, and they don't. They don't want him playing, playing full time. Why they don't, I don't know. I don't know what they're I don't know what the blueprint. I don't know what the idea is behind it. But it's something that many many obviously probably wouldn't agree with. This is something that doesn't normally happen though, right, No, So it's either you play for the home team or you play for the g A.

Lot of times they put you on a two way contract. That means you're down there and you're playing. You know you're playing, and sometimes they need you to call you up, right, but it's it's a situation you played the G league games and if somebody gets it, they'll call you up. Yeah, it's like baseball. I mean I think it would be odd like minor league games. Baseball player. Okay, you play the home game, but when when they travel, you don't play.

You think maybe maybe maybe listen, I could be reaching it. Do you think maybe they're protecting him from something games?

No, he needs he just needs to play. I mean you protect him by me, you're not I don't I me personally. I don't think you're helping him by having him sit on the bench. I don't really know how much you can. I mean, look, I get it, but in that situation, I think you're in basketball. You definitely need to have the ball in your hands. You need to be doing things on the court. You need to be playing. I don't know the benefit of you because

Two guards are on the list.

Nobody's surprised that Will Chamblain I could have told you how to be like any time to have something to do with fifties? Will take Will right, anything you got to do with sixties? Take Will anything he got something to do with seventies. Take Will anything he got anything to do with forties. Take Will you want to anything when he comes to score? Take Will and you're probably You're probably gonna be right. But tonight Janni's Ato had a fifty ten game. If I'm not mistaken, I was

O, Joey, can he get some help though we can help?

Yanna Dame was out tonight. And maybe it's just me, but I've watched these games. I've watched them play. Janni's plays better when Dame's not in the lineup. Dame plays better when Jannis is not in the lineup. But that's not a good thing because they need to play great together in order for them to reach their ultimate destination. And people like well, they only been together for a little while. Janni's is not going to wait a round

Well, actually, they've already had a full season. The develop chemistry, the chemistry, the honeymoon phase is over. Yeah, they should know each other very well. He should be opening the car door, man, don't get me started. The chemistry should already be there.

It's the game.

That's the game of basketball. It's only five people on the goddamn court. It ain't eleven, ain't It should be a well oiled machine. After all this time, he had a training camp, you had a mini camp. I don't know how many god damn camps they probably go through. And you've already had a full season. So at this

They should be able to mesh well together.

Not okay, you not playing tonight and you go off for whatever whatever points it may be, okay, Johannis not playing it tonight and Dame goes crazy like you just got you guys, gon say I have to be on the same page on the same night and be just as deficient.

Yeah, I don't understand why one would play better when the other isn't playing. That makes no sense to me.

Yeah, it's two superstar players. You would think they would be really really great in the pick and roll. Well, they're okay in to pick and roll because Giannis is not a picking pop player.

It's not like he got a mid range game. He doesn't.

Wait, his mid range has gotten a lot better than.

He doesn't have a mid range game. Basically, Jannie is getting the ball and he's trying to go down the hill. He's gonna be back you out, and he's gonna try to find a way to euro step here and get down the hill. He doesn't he doesn't like to play with his back to the basket. He doesn't like to shoot the mid range shot. He doesn't like to fall away. He's trying to get to the basket. He's gonna try to up and under you, he's gonna try to dunk on you, or he's trying to go over the wall

That's not what Joanna see.

Yeah, he can have a hot stretch here or there where he making the mid range shot, but that's really not what he wants to do. But tonight he was twenty one and forty four. He was one of two on threes. He shot seventeen free throws. He was sixteen or seventeen from the free throw line. He had a fourteen rebound, seven or sists, two steals, three blocks, only

Hey, I ain't even I can be honest with you. I can be honest with you. I ain't know Drew Holliday was that damn good and valuable? Oh yeah, And you never understand how good a player is until they leave a certain situation and they play with somebody else. Now you understand their true value and the struggles on why the Bucks are struggling in a certain.

Sometimes Ojo, we just look at the stat what a guy is a twenty and ten guy, or the guy does this or that. But Drew Holliday does so many other things. He's normally taken the best player from the opposing team, especially if he's probably a three, a three to two or point. He's taking them. And now you got Derek White, who's also an elite defender. You got a big al who can protect the paint. You got prezingers who can protect the paint. And now you got JT.

Okay, we need to go to a Bucks game too, then you get Corseites.

John has made every basket for the Milwaukee in the first quarter, hit his seven to ten field goal attempts and all three of his free throws. He had twenty two of the team's twenty four points. Oh jo The Calves continue the undefeated season. They beat the Sixers one fourteen to one O six no Joel Ebid no PG sat out due to load management. Damn Joel Ebid just

Have a question. Do you personally have a problem with embiid taking nights off?

Understanding his situation, his injury history, the fact, his size, his weight.

I'm just curious, how do you how do you feel thatah?

I mean, and they just gave him a three year, one hundred and ninety three million dollar extension.

Okay, so that means you do have a problem.

I got a problem with a guy not playing absolutely, Yeah. The fans have a problem with it too.

Right, right, even with understanding of why he has to have load management based on you know what.

It shouldn't been. Shouldn't they be able to lose manager check? I mean, I mean damn, I mean.

It got down.

The guy missed the first nine games of the season, he comes back playing the game, and now he's out again.

Damn, that was a good one. I I.

Just I look, look, this is this is this is the problem that you're gonna have with him.

He had.

He had an injury history when you drafted him. He's twenty one. He had injury history at twenty. Right, what happens as he starts to age? Do you think do you think people get lighter? Do athletes get lighter as the age or do they get heavier and then compound the injury history.

That they already have. Mm hmm, you're right.

Because if you look at it, Uh, I'm trying to other than Pop.

What team is load managed and won the title?

Hey?

Matter of fact, speaking of Pop, right, Spurs won the title? Who was the player that was being loaded managed in at that time?

But then you do it all the time, Tim Duncan, that would send and Tony Parker and Manu and then you know Kawhi came in and they did the same well Kawhi, but then you know they thought Kawhi was faking his injury and he wasn't. And so you know that thing, that's why he ended up being out of Uh, that's why he ended up getting traded out of San Antonio.

It's just.

It's just I think the thing is the questions. You were always going to have this question, even when his career is over, what if? Because we seen Joel and b when he when he's playing, ain't nothing like him.

He he's seven five, three point thirty, can shoot the three.

We've never seen a man his size his weight can shoot the three ball, put the ball on the floor, mid range, can finish, go and put it on the floor, get all the way to the ring. You could run anything with him. You can run dribble, drive, dribble, hand aff picking pop ain't know. I mean offensively, he has no weakness and he's a damn good defender, right, just can't get healthy. He just a big ass. He's a he's a big ass man that had injuries as a as a as a young man.

Yeah, that's exacerbated as he started the age.

Yeah, I mean, I wish y'all could give you a best and I'm trying to tell y'all, I mean, god, normally big young guys have problem as big men.

Zion. He's hurt again. Ham string.

He got, he gotta lose. He gotta lose some of some of that weight on.

My thing is is that when you try to tell people that, oh, y'all picking on him. He played, he'd been that side of his whole life.

He has.

He been playing NBA basketball his whole life. Different the type of energy you have to exert the highest. Yeah, he's always been the best. He's always been the best player. When high school he was the best player. In college, he was the best player. He steps on the court every night. He is not the best player. All those guys are really good. All those guys, you know, there are a lot of guys that he played against high

So much better than everybody else. In college, he was better than everybody else. Nah, Bro it takes. It takes a lot. And that's what you know, your chip y. Even if you don't like Broun, you don't like that he made the decision, you don't like anything about it, you gotta take your damn head off.

The man's played twenty two.

Years and and most and give it and.

Get and give it and get and give you the performances that he's given you time and time again.

Jordan, you know he wasn't gonna teat you, Kobe. There wasn't gonna cheach you.

Hey, Like, that's like I said, I think now oo, I've already come to the conclusion we're not gonna see the guys in today's game. For whatever reason. Play eighty two games is not a badge of honor for them. It used to be bad eighty two. I got me eighty two of these things. I played every single game. It's just like baseball baseball to days, and we seeing these pictures pitch like, you know, five man rotations mm hmm, right, because basically they go everybody's going five minutes. Maybe you

You gonna.

That's where it is now.

The days that you're seeing the Nolan rise and you're seeing those guys, you know, Randy Johnson sad, it ain't.

Happening no more.

If not, it's not and know and and the thing is I because I when you when you when you see a talent like Joel and B, all you wanted to do is maximize that talent because you realize what you're watching, You understand just how great it is. But unfortunately I'm not I'm we're not gonna be able to see Joel and B at his best because the injuries won't allow it.

We won't see it. We won't see it consistently. We've seen it. Oh, we know, we know what it can be.

Yeah, you said consistently. Okay, I see what you mean.

Night in and night out, night in and night out.

I mean, has it?

Has there ever been a big man of that size that can do the things that he does on the court.

No, that's why Kareem was able to play as long as he did. Seek.

What did he do? Kareem stretched, Kareem managed his wait.

Kareem probably damning the same size as he was when he played as a seventy four, seventy five year old man.

You got it different. He had a different frame though, frame, So.

What should it?

Oh, Joe, if you're a big kid, you're gonna be a big ass man.

What's the likelihood?

And you coming into the league at a three hundred pound man in the NBA, you go out in the.

League of a three hundred pounds man.

Now you a Lebron invests in his body.

He made a decision that you know, I want to play as long as I possibly can, and these are the steps I need to take. Tom Brady says, I want to play as long as Like Tom Brady said way back when he wanted to play until he was fifty, we thought.

He was crazy. Oh he meant that, but he did that.

The steps.

You can't wait till you get the year ten, like, oh man, I want to play. No, if you hadn't taken those steps, if you haven't watched what you eat, and you hadn't cleaned up your diet, you haven't done the thing physios and pets and all that stuff.

Hyperbag chain, but cold tubs ain't happening.

Hold on, hold on.

When you talk about the steps, you talk about the steps of people that are of normal size.

What steps can God damn Joel and b take that?

That can promise and guarantee that he can play in the eighty two games consistently.

Ain't no guarantee. But without a died in proper training, ain't no chance of it happening. You see, people think hard work guarantees you something. It doesn't guarantee you anything. But I can assure you this. Without it, you got no chance. Oh yeah, oh yeah, you got it, You got it. Oh Joe, you gotta realize that's a big man and you're asking him to run up and down the court, jump up and down, continuous, not in and

Don't do that right, Don't cut me short, don't cut off all my hallwork. I didn't been in the gym now, I didn't got myself. Goddamn to twenty seven.

You to twenty seven when you played. I'm saying, think about how you fell all that plant and cutting. Now, imagine before they had turf, when they had turf, and they didn't have grands so they didn't have this field turf.

What your knees felt like.

Now, imagine that I'm gonna put another hundred I would put no, you know what, I would put two one hundred and fifty pounds on you, on me, on you, and asked you.

To do that same thing.

Yeah, I'm not sure how that how that would have worked, But the fact that historically big men haven't fared well at that size in the NBA, I thought people would be a little bit more lenient with with Joel Joel Embiid and understanding why he's having a load's management instead of him actually playing night in and night out and then being out for the entirety of a season and missing more time again as opposed to being load managing his body understanding he can only do so much throughout

Well, if you know you're heavy, what must you do manage your Wait? Yeah, eat properly? So do you think you can he can eat whatever he wants?

Yeah, maybe he does. Maybe he has a nutritionist. Maybe he does some of the things we hear about him. You know, eat McDonald's liking burger.

Don't hear about it. You see it. He was probably camera.

I'm sure that he's changed at this point in his career. I guess. I'm sure it has.

I'm sure the other team of people know that that do everything they can around the clock to make sure he can be healthy and be on the court and be available.

Okay U prayers going for Greg. Papa Bitch Pop suffered what team called a milestroke on November second. The Spurs said Pop has started rehabilitation a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery. Damn yeah, man, that's tough. My grandmother had one of those, and I mean she got pet for like a couple of weeks. Like I said, see, physical therapy for a professional is something entirely different because he's going every day. He's going multiple times a day

You get twenty sessions. That's it.

Maybe they'll write you another script for another for another eight sessions, which is another four weeks.

That's it.

Damn, that's it. Pop probably getting it twice a day every day. That's why athletes here so so much quicker than the general population, not only because you know, the muscles and the things are stronger, but the therapy that we received versus what you guys received is something entirely different. Yeah, that's why I got like, damn, he's back already.

What you say, hit back? Yeah, yeah, mm hmm.

That's why you see Adrian Peterson able to come back in six seven months and do what he did. Rod Woodson had acl surgery and played in the Super Bowl.

People forget about that.

He might he must say have a full tear.

Huh full tear played in the Super Bowl. What the hell?

Okay? Vibranium Jared Rice.

Jared Rice tore his acl of the first game and played late in the season. Yeah coat two touchdowns and get r up, go look it up. That's crazy, but Pop, hey, man, Bro, we played. Praying for you, Thowton, prayers for the Nightcap family goes out to the San Antonio Spurs and Greg Papa Bitch and his family. Thought and prayers to all the the friends in San Antonio, all Greg Papovich family, friends and loved ones that loves and cares about Pop.

Hey.

The Nightcap crew over here were praying for you, Bro. Get well soon. Want to see you back on the court. Not talking to reporters. Victor wim Benyama big going a career high fifty points, including a career high eight three porters and a one thirty nine win over the Wizards. At twenty years, three hundred and fourteen days. Wim ben Yama is the fourth youngest player to score fifty points at seven foot four. He's also the tallest to do it, the youngest player to do it with Brandon Jennings. He

So a womby, but Wimby is special for sure. How many times?

How many times have we seen somebody that young that can put the ball on the floor, create his own shot, run the pick and roll from distance at he got a three point shot, he got a mid rain.

But where the fuck is the weakness?

No, it's not it's not that his age, is his size.

We've never seen somebody that size seven foot four and a half. Yeah, that can put the ball on the floor, like you said, can shoot the three ball, plays outstanding defense. We've never seen anybody his size his skill in the history of the game.

Yeah, I mean most most guys.

When you think about people that that that tall, un

The way that they move is very god damn how do you say it?

Man? They move like Zach Edy, they move like rest and Sould Mark Eaton. They move like rest is Sould Sean Bradley Manu bowl guys like that? What's the bowball?

Yeah? You know what?

The best thing I can think about it People that height and that size are not twitty.

No, Thata Wemby is twitty.

Oh Joe, you can can face you up putting the ball on the floor, cross.

You up like goddamn ai and go to the basket at seven four?

Why would you want God to get the man everything? So you want God to make somebody seven foot five? Give him fast twitch fiber?

What day you got it?

Can got it.

Special?

I mean yeah he can? He can pass the ball? Yeah.

And I think the thing is that what I've been most impressed when I hear him talk is that he wants to be great and he takes this and he wants to take the steps necessary. Because a lot of people talk about being great, but do you understand the steps that it takes in order for you to be great? So you just don't roll out of bed one morning say you know what, I think, I'll be great, be great today. Now you live that every single day, every single day. What you do, how you approach the game.

What you hear about it?

Yeah, discipline, no shortcuts, no shortcuts.

Sometimes you know, people foe when they get that money.

Now oh yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

Sometimes people fold and they just going through the motions once they get that money.

That's what I didn't under That's what I understand is that.

Yeah.

My thing was when I got the big payday, I want to I wanted you to show within a year or two I was underpaid. I wanted to get to the I was like, well, y'all just gave me this man, please, I'm finish. Go I'm finish, Go get the next bag. And with basketball players think about it. Jason Tatum making three twenty three, thirty dude, Jason Tatum twenty six. His next contract gonna probably be four hundred million. That man's gonna make a billion dollars just in basketball.

No endorsement, just basketball, right, that's crazy.

So I never got Apple because I've seen it.

Guys get the bag and then they don't train, they don't do what they did in order to get that. Nah bro, you gotta be you gotta be hungry. I see they keeps it. I think I said. Mark Eaton is deceased, right, Sean Bradley, I think got paralyzed in an ad He got paralyzed in a bike accident. Mark Eaton got run over on a bike, correct, I know, Sean, I know Sean Bradley got paralyzed. I think he was riding the bicycle, got he got ran over the bike. Both of them, Mark got ran over the bike. Sickle

What's going on over there with the face.

Huh, bro, look at it. That's why I stopped riding. Unless you unless you on.

A trail bicycles, but you on the street right and you know people people don't take you know, look they they.

Damn pay attention.

No, and uh, you know, and it doesn't take much for you to go down on that bike. They hit that backyard. You're on the ground, you're up under the car. You don't see, you don't anticipate how fast that car is going, and it's upon you before you know it, boom. And like I said, that's why I stay. That's why I started riding on Joe. I started. I actually stopped riding my bike because I used to ride there. I would always try to get up early in the morning,

But in the streets like.

Like Atlanta, and I see people riding in la and Hell now especially now the way the traffic is in Atlanta. Nah, nah, you just you just asking for trouble. So I said, no, I'm good.

Oh.

Joe Carmelo anths says he wanted to leave the game because of basketball after a young player called him up. We're playing in Denver. This is the first time I played in Denmer in a long time. I go back. Michael Porter's guarded me. I catch it on him quick, right elbow, just like that catch it post quick, jabb go left lay up. He's like, damn, uh, I ain't know you still had that.

Hey man, Mellow, Mellow, Melotle, funny man.

I just did I think I think I just did a podcast of Mellow and Rudy Gay uh huh uh last week. I really enjoyed that hearing their stories, uh, some of their basketball stories, some of the things that they've been through to get, you know, get to the point and when they knew they were at the end, you know, of their of their career.

So man, that that was very very, very very enjoyable.

Man.

And uh, damn when it you think about it, if you watch when you watch watch Mellow highlights, Man Mellow one of the greatest scores of all time, one of the greatest players of all time.

And it was dope just to be in his presence.

And obviously Rudy Gay is Rudy Gay is very good at his craft as well. So just being in their presence and talking sports and and what it took, you know, for us to get where we got to, and how our past were all different, but the end goal was all the same.

Yeah, for sure, that was dope. That was dope.

The things that I noticed as I know my time was I just couldn't give it to you like I once could. Yeah, I could put the games together. When I was in my prime, I could give you games. I can give you one hundred and one hundred and one hundred and ninety and eighty. As I started to get older, my mind said, oh yeah, oh by right, right.

Right right, but the body can't do it.

I can have that one big game.

Hence In my thirteenth year, I broke the NFL record for most receiving yards in the game by tight end.

Yeah, what was it?

Fifteen or seventeen?

I was that was your That was your thirteen for me.

You know what I'm saying? How many the catch?

I had twelve for two fourteen?

Whoa but cooking?

Yeah, you cook it out. But and I ended up that was gonna be a special year because I felt ooh oh Joe, I had I man had got. I got with a speed coach I did. I started to train differently. My body looked different. I felt so good. I knew this was gonna be a special year. You was like to man, yeah, I felt good.

You grab your bett, you grabbed your light? Is that year?

I always know? The thing was, o Joe. My body was different. I always I always came into camp at two thirty two. That was my reporting weight. I always wanted to be thirty two. Even though as I started to get older, Mike was like, look, you can come in if you want to come into thirty five, thirty six.

I said no. I wanted the pressure to know I had to be at this weight.

Even as I got older, I still wanted that I still needed to focus. They're like, okay, you got to be at this waight and so but as I started to get older, oh Joe, I just I just couldn't give it to him back to back like that. And uh, I could have a big game and then I have one hundred and twenty and the next thing you know, I go thirty forty and a lot of that. You know, Rod had started to become Rod was the focal part of the offense.

That was cool too.

But I found myself as I watched myself and I go back and look at us, like yeah, because now all of a sudden, I didn't have that same I didn't have that same ability to run through tackles right the least looked I mean things the guy I would the guys like when I was in my prime, got hit my clip my foot, I would stumble and still go and still go get your first down, got hit my foot, I get two yards. I ain't have the same balance. But but but but I knew, oh yo,

Yeah you do? You know? If you on our team, you to know because I have told you.

And one thing about it when when it comes to us, we won't be honest with ourselves until we actually see it on film. And you never know until you see it on film, because your mind is telling you doing it right, but your body ain't doing it until you watch it.

Yes, you got to see a bad old y'all.

I remember one time I was watching myself in practice on practice tape and uh.

And I'm like, h I was like, damn, somebody moving real slowly.

Man.

That think that camera turned around? He had on eighty four.

Yeah, man, yeah, no, I said, yeah, I think it's about time.

Yeah, I guess it's about time for me to.

To the house.

But like I said, you know, hey, my second hold on. I think it was my.

Game thirteen fourteen fifty no game fourteen because we had two games left. I was offensive player of the week, went for three touchdowns, cost seven po Buco won.

Three tones against San Diego.

M hm.

We played Cleveland, we won that game. I think I had okay numbers. Green Bay we didn't play because we had everything already clinch So my last year old show, I had like seven hundred and seventy yards, eight touchdowns and you know porters ran for sixteen hundred yards, so we were a running team. So it's like, I'm like, I still could play, but I just like man and

But that's just what me. Oh Joe, right, yeah, I had to accept that.

Like, man, I'm.

Damn yeah, just don't look right, it ain't it ain't what you're used to. No, the coming coming to grips of reality and understanding your body can't do it anymore, but your mind can.

That's one of the worst.

Mind the mind willing the body you're unable. Hell, you know, hey, I mean by he.

In my mind, man, I'm more than enough man for a woman.

Oh yeah, but the body said, Shawny, you're not quite good enough for two though.

You gotta understand that, don't ya. Hey, I think I'm more.

Than enough for a woman, right right, I'm not nearly enough for two though.

Yeah, so, mabe, it's just that's going the volume