Nightcap Hour 1: VINTAGE LeBron DOMINATES the Mavs + Nikola Topic makes NBA DEBUT after Testicular Cancer + Super Bowl CHAMPION Ernest Jones IV joins NIGHTCAP + NBA FINES Jazz & Pacers + Jaylen Brown SNEAK DISS Jayson Tatum?

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It's good to be right.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for staying up late with us tonight for another episode of Nightcap. As you watch the Los Angeles Lakers win by the score of one twenty four to one on four over the Dallas Mavericks. They go into the All Star break with a win. Lebron James, the oldest player to record a triple double twenty eight points, twelve assis, ten rebounds. Y'all know who I am? I am your favorite unk.

What's haddening?

What's Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and do us a favorite. Go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from. Thank you, guys for staying up Layton Jorinans again as you have so many times before, but thank you for your eyes, ears and your word of mouth. Thanks to you, the Nightcap has become the success that has become and because of you we'll continue

Man?

He looked great tonight, Ocho. He got off to a great start. You know that first quarter. He had sixteen in the first quarter, o Cho, I said, oh, yeah, he gotta go. He he when he started hitting you with that little walk out there, look out, yeah, yeah, you know what time it is. You know what time it is. So I knew he was gonna be in for a great night. And I think he understands the

Twelve assists and ten rebounds, along with twenty eight points ten or twenty from the floor. He didn't shoot the three ball well. Although he got off to a great starter of shooting the three ball. He missed his last I think he missed his last five attempts on the three ball.

But I thought he played well.

He knows, like you said, Joe, he knows Luca's out and Austin Reeves is on the minutes restriction, so he had to play well. I thought Ruy played really well. Also hit some big shots. They swung the ball like some nice catching shoots. But he also was able to put the ball on the floor. Now he'll get to put the ball on the floor and get to that mid range and pull up from there.

But I thought the overall they played well.

Look, the Mavericks are very under man They've traded Ad Cooper Flag is out with a mid foot spring and so clearly they're rebuilding. They're gonna center everything around Cooper Flag moving for and it says you know what, you know, they played hard. I mean I wish, I wish the Lakers could have kept Max Christy. I really like Max Christy, but hey, it is what it is. But this team right now, they're not gonna really compete. They might as well, you know, don't do that. Don't do what Utah is doing.

Oh, Joe, you see Lebron do what he does, and Joe, you know the problem.

The thing is is that when you've been great as Lebron has, people don't factor in that the man is forty one. We just oh, Joe, you know this with Tom? This how I work with Tom. I don't care he forty two. I don't care he's forty three. He's Tom Brady. And I want to see four hundred four touchdowns and no interceptions. And when you great, this is the level of expectations that people have for you. It's kind of

Damn fang so but this was this look middle to it.

I mean, Joe, they don't they don't have they're gonna this. I think this team Maverick is gonna look very different next year.

I really do. Oh yeah, yeah, they're gonna look different.

I mean, listen, we just it's unfortunate because we never seen you know, obviously what Nico Harrison was trying to put together there in Dallas, and that was Kyrie and a d playing together Cooper fo Yeah, with Cooper Flag. You know, it's just without Kyrie, man, I'm gonna keep it real. No, none of this work, you know what I mean, You just you just you just need him at the helm, you know, controlling things obviously him being a prolific score that he is.

But they just they missed so much. Bro.

It's just Yes, it's a tough time now for Dallas, so I expect that, you know, the Lakers to kind of blow this thing up to night.

Yeah.

When you look at you look at Kyrie. He's a guy that can get his own shot. He's a three level scorer. He's the best under six foot of wil with all of us, He's the best finisher at his sides in NBA here.

Street nobody can fins. Now.

I'm not saying he is above the rim, but the english that he can put on the ball right left, and people don't realize Kyrie does everything with his left hand except you the basketball with that being saved.

I mean he's phenomenal. I mean, you can get the three ball off.

We saw that in the NBA Final when he hit the biggest shot of his career in the NBA Finals.

We know he can get to the mid range.

And when it comes to putting the ball on the floor and pat in the rock and finishing at the rim, he's.

Second to none.

And he doesn't take a back seat to anybody. So he's special in that aspect. And I think him and Cooper flag in the pick and roll. I would have loved to see Cooper flag, Ad and Kyrie, but unfortunately we never got an opportunity to see that materialized. We didn't get a whole lot of opportunity to see Kyrie and Ad because as soon as as soon as Ad got there growing and then shortly after that, Kyrie ends

You want to now I was gonna say, I really enjoyed a nice game, obviously the Lakers playing against a depleted as depleted MAVs team. But it's also talked to the greatness of Lebron James, that he doesn't get enough credit.

No, hey, look, Joe, we can't help it. They on the schedule.

This is where they got playing this a a hey, hey, we ain't got nothing to do with it. He look, ain't nothing better than that when you go into a team. Oh yeah, they got about four five people here. Oh yeah, we gotta get us all to night, Joe.

So so, even as a player, knowing that their team is depleted the way it is, do you still count that as a win, knowing that everybody's hurt.

Yeah, yeah, we're gonna kick you when you're down, man, We're trying to get it done.

Broncos didn't have bow knicks. Uh huh.

You think the patients felt sorry for the Broncos didn't have bow knicks. No, exactly.

Yeah, didn't feel sorry for y'all.

When Carson went down in the first the first drive of the game, they didn't like, Oh man, you know what, man, hey Carson out of the game. Man, come on, mant fist bumping like you No, no, yeah.

I mean I understand, but you know, just ay.

O, Joe, when you see that on the schedule, you see you see they depleted the way like the MAVs are. If you the Lakers, you penciled, you.

Already got it checked off.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

If I like Broun, say, going into the break, you see how he came out.

He came out with it on your mind. He wasn't playing.

Yeah, he got straight the team like that that you just make sure you make sure you don't let off the gas and let them nip you. Because that that's that's the frustrating point part part excuse me, is that you know they're they're nicked up, they're banged up, and then you take them lightly. No, you killing that with a sledgehammer. You make sure so you do what you're

For sure.

But show that's say, look, that's what guys be thinking. Man when you going to games and you see the injury report or you see that this team being nicked up for a while. Oh yeah, we got the maths in the night. Yeah, we got to go and get them up out of Joe. It's not like Rebember he called somebody this at the beginning. Is that they would literally try to get your best player out the game, which is the quarterback will knock your lass out the game.

We greatly increase our chances to win it.

So right, I had damn man, I feel bad for y'all quarterback.

I just said that, bro, I don't right.

And but looking basketball in BASKETBALLO, you know, sometime it can backfire you too, because they got guys that's playing and then they start having these out of body experiences. You're like, he wasn't even on the scot report. I mean you look up, this man got twenty seven. Yeah, so it can backfiure you at times too.

Now, yeah, I think the thing is when you look at Lebron sometimes Joe that's a blessing and a curse is that he get off to that hot start and then he'll fall in love with the three. Because you remember he hit that first three and then he came back down he checked it, and I was like damn in transitional blessing and a curse because he will he will. I got to see if I got it to night, so I gotta take at least one to two more from about twenty eight to twenty nine, just to see

But I thought overall they played, they played pretty well.

Marcus mart could not buy basket the night he was four fourteen, but he but he normally plays really well. I mean, his defense is what he's known for. He's the four defensive player of the Year. But he just couldn't. He just couldn't make a shot tonight. Joe, Nah, he normally you know what it is oo. He normally a game change.

I know he's been starting lately, but normally when he comes off the bench, he's good at gauging what the game needs, right, like if they're down, he know how to muck it up a little bit, make the game a little ugly, and you know what I mean, some way, somehow trying, you know, get the Lakers the momentum to kind of get things going. But he's been shooting the three ball all well. I think tonight, you know, it was just one of these nights, one for nine from three.

Best team's wing player, hopefully normally if that's a point, is not, you know, even though he try to guard KD. I mean, they don't have a whole lot of great defenders. I mean, when you really look at this team, the Lakers, they got smart and they got a listen, Vando, that's it. Jackson Hayes is a rem protector. He's not a great on ball defender, and you know, yeah, he can help weak size. He's not a king, he's not big Wallace, He's not but tumbo guys like that that can defend

He can defend for a possession or two.

But to ask a forty one year old to still be able to defend at the level that he could in his twenties, you're asking a bit much. Hey, Luca, it just it is what it is. He gonna give you thirty to forty, but his guy might have twenty five to thirty. Austin reeves, Hey, he tries, but hey, it is what it And yeah, I don't even want to talk about d A.

I just man, listen, look yo, cho in basketball, man, if you cannot guard that first dribble, if you getting beat off the first dribble to first move, we can't get help there fast enough because every play we're gonna be in the huckle Buck. They're gonna be penetrating the paint, kickout for three throwing lives, So we're gonna have to pick our poison.

That's when I.

See what the Lakers bro. They getting beaten off the first dribble. You can't do nothing about that. The whole defense weaken. Yeah, it kills you. It breaks your whole defense down because now you let penetration in the teeth of your defense, and now you're exposed because you got layups, you got lobs, you got kickout for.

Threes, ay Joe.

And that's the same conversation we've been having over the years when it comes to the Lakers obviously has obviously having so much offensive power, but being a liability defensively. Yes, I mean, at some point it all come down and you got to hustle. You got to want to at least a pick and choose, pick and choose your times

Yeah you hey, look, that's why in the playoffs, an Ojo, the Lakers don't need to see the timber Wolves or the Thunder. They don't need to see them type of teams you need, I don't know how, Like you probably rather play against Denver, but you don't want you don't want them teams that got them dudes that go off the bounce like that.

It just can't. It's too much costs too much, Bro, They give up too many points.

Even though the Lakers, if you look at their record and clutch time right now, Joe, they're probably one of your better teams than clutch time. By the game within five points the last five minutes of the ball game, that's what clutch means.

They're probably one of the better teams.

But come postseason, when you get beat off the dribble like that in clutch situation, guys are gonna get getting white layups. They don't get wide open shots. And you can because you want to make it as difficult as you possibly can. Well, if you can't guard anybody off the first dribble and I got to come help.

Now, I've weakened my defense.

And so that's the problem that they have is that, Yeah, like I said, the regular season is one thing. The postseason is something entirely, entirely different. So they have success in the regular season and think that carries over it, but no team's weekend.

And that's what OKAC. They were great in the clutch situation.

Yeah, because their game plan for OKC is to weigh you down. Okay, yeah, you may get a couple appetizing shots, but we want this tempo and we know Ojo at the end of the game, under five minutes in crunch time, we know you're gonna be dead. Leg got that, man, you ain't gonna be able to get too much. We're gonna be still like we in the first quarter.

Yeah.

And when one of your three best players is Lebron at forty one, played the second most game, the most minutes in NBA history, he can't get up and down like he once could. That's not Austin Reeves, and and and and and and and uh Luca. They're not speed merchants. So the one thing that you don't want to get get into it with these teams is attract meet. You're a distance runner and you're trying to sprint. Now, it ain't gonna work.

Bro.

Every once in a while you might have a guy, I mean, you had a guy that could run the mile or the half mile. He was on your mile relay team, but he was really really special. That ain't what the Laga have. Lega got a lot of distance runners, so they getting last. You're just putting them out there with you to get some points. Hey, that's how I coach, Coach, all get out there, coach, I ain't even ran, I ain't ran the eight hundred dollars year. Don't worry about it.

WHOA, wow, what you mean? I was you already do? But that's a point, right man.

Nicola Nicolas Topic made his NBA debut four months after battling testicular cancer. The Serbian garb was the twelfth pick in the twenty twenty four NBA draft. He missed all of last season with a torn a c L he suffered before the draft, and then he received testicular cancer diagnosis during the preseason. He had a procedure in October, then underwent chemo and worked his way back into shape. He entered Thursday night game against the Milwaukee Bucks late

Everything, every everything, they find everything. They find out.

If you got diabetes, they find out you got cancer, they find out you have you know, you know, certain certain ailments that pro probably probably a lot of times the general population, it goes undetective until it's too late.

So congratulations to the young man that he got treated.

I mean, he's had had a tough time of it, tears his acl he battles his way back from that, and then coming back into the preseason.

Oh yeah, by the way, you have testicular cancer.

I've seen that too, man. I've seen him getting the game. I seen him give them standing ovation.

Man. That was dope to see on cho.

I don't know about y'all, but you know, my mother passed away twenty nineteen from cancer.

Yeah, so you know that's that's a you know, that's a tough battle. Bro.

I watched her take this battle for probably over a decade, you know what I mean, just going in and out of remission. But you know, when I when I hear about stories like this, bro, it was good to see that young man back out jail. Glad he pulled through.

My father died. My father died from it at thirty nine from cancer. He had two brothers that barely made it. One of them didn't make it the fifty and the other one was fifty. So me and my brother has outlived my dad and my uncle's tenfold. Now we do have the oldest one, Richard is uh, I think ninety one ninety two. But so I'm on the other side, Joe, I go get a Oh, yeah, I met the de duct. But let me go what I need doctor?

Yeah, I get everything, yeah, every yeah, well you know, we don't think.

Yeah, I think there's something I need to worry about. So go, hey, go and send me to a specialist. It's covered.

Yeah.

So hey, they're like, well, you know, there's an abnormality going on. I said, what does that entail? They said, well, we can numb, we can numb your penis up and put a thing. I said, no, y'all cann put me to sleep. But y'all still put that don and let me see what's going on.

Yeah, yeah, hey, uncle Joe. That's one thing about it.

There ain't no money in the cure, the money in the treatment. If I cure you, how do I get more money from you?

If I cure you.

Yeah, I need to treat you. Listen, I didn't I don't want to say that part.

You know.

The the funny thing about it, Joe is funny and is we can find a way to do everything else we can help. We can find a way to get to the goddamn moon. We have card Joe that can drive themselves without us. And when it when it comes to some of the some of some of the simple formalities, when it comes to to to us as humans, I mean, what do you mean we can't. We don't, we don't have I mean, really, yeah, we do. We mean you listen, we.

Wiped out polio, we wipened out smallpox.

Come on, now, you know, I know, if if they really, if.

They really, but to your point, oh Joe, Yeah, people that look like your men, that look like you would me, you and Joe. Because normally God had to come to the foot of the bed. Oh you know, I saw God last night. Let me go.

Let me go to the doctor. Yes, sorry, that was that was when we absolutely had to go.

But we didn't have health care and my grandfather in my you know, before us, they didn't want to hurting uhing with those bills.

Yeah.

So but you know what, hey, let me go ahead and get let this go ahead and take me because I can't leave my family in debt for forever and forever and forever.

So it was a situation.

No, they weren't going to the doctors and considering they weren't trusting the doctors, like like they're like, oh no, I get sick of when I go to the doctor. It's what it seemed like. Yeah, can they keep waking your ass up every ten minutes? And I say, damn if I can sleep, if I could get better and get the hell up out of here, but y'all keep waking me up.

Mister Sharp, you gotta check your but my blood is fine and morning right now?

Yeah, can y'all woke me up? I need to tell more than that you finally dom cause here. So I'm trying to block that out as soon as I get to sleep. Sharp wa yeah, right right, Hey, I know exactly what you mean. Well, I swear man, it's like, uh so, But I'm glad the young man. I'm glad the young man got it.

It was.

Got diagnosed because I think early early detection is one of the best formers treatment. Yes, you're catching into initial stages. Now they can treat it. Say nothing about you. I'm saying, treat it and get you on the road to recovery. So congratulations to Nikolai Topic made his NBA debut four months after battling testicular cancer A year after he suffered

So congratulations, say a live man. Yeah, that's that's all right, guys.

We got a very very special guest joining it. You know, he'll a love of nightcap. He started to Seattle Seahawks parade yesterday, y'all knowing E J the fourth, Ernest Jones the fourth. Congratulations, man, Hey, you say that I'll be back.

I'll be bad.

Wasn't all the sports Maga terminator shut? I'll be back and you're gonna be carrying hard with with your congratulations. Jay, you you was on the Rams when they won this

What is there difference? I mean, do you can you uh compare or contrans the two if you could?

Yeah, I mean the biggest thing, man I won that I want in la my rookie years. So I thought it was sweet, man. I thought that's what I thought, that's what you do every year.

Man.

You know, it took me, you know, three four years to get back to this point, and to do it with this group man, the way we love each other, the way we we fight for each other each and every day. Man, it definitely was different because I, you know, I understand the you know, the the struggle and how hard it takes to get back to that point.

Yeah, O Jo Joe, Hey, look, you won a Super Bowl, you know, with two different teams. Bro, tell me, tell us what's like, what's the mindset in preparation that separates you know, championship teams from you know, I probably would say just regularly.

Yeah, I think the biggest thing. I think it's the mindset. Like, man, we went into that game, like, you know, we weren't gonna be denied. We were coming out of that game with something and it had it was something we were coming out there would win. And mentality on you know, all sides of the ball was just that. And I think that's what separates you know, the teams that you know get the job done versus those that you know don't make it all the way.

Right, Yeah, ej.

After watching that game and the way you guys dominated defense, obviously having a Moniker for your defense now called the Dark Side that is reminiscent of that of the Legion of Boom. Did you know you would dominate the game in this way, in fashion the way you guys did.

Uh?

Yeah, man, I mean we we we were watching it, you know, watching the film for the you know, two weeks.

Man.

We were like, man, ain't no way you give Mike McDonald two weeks. But not only that, we're watching the film and we're like, man, we've seen it all. What is this team gonna do against us? And you can tell from on film that we're we're a different group, but when we get in front of you is much different. It's real life at that point. So I knew we would come out there and dominate.

A j You must have been on the port here yesterday because you all be the other day because you were feeling good.

Man. I was like, what I wish I had some of that.

I wish, nah, Man, that was a little bit of that done then.

But you get that T shirt, bro, I had it made on the spot. I had I had it.

I had been seeing it online, like I seen the pictures of it floating around, and I'm like, man, I've been saying if you and about my quarterback all years, So let me go ahead and get this shirt when you.

When you answer what's upthing? You mention your first super Bowl, your rookie.

So you're coming in and you got Jay Rams, you got Aaron Donald, you got you got veteran players, you got obj, you got Stafford, you got von Miller, you got Leonard Floyd, you got veteran guys on that team.

Now you're in a different role. You're a leader now, and so now guys are looking to you because even though you were a rookie on that team, they're looking to you. Okay, EJ, what do we need to do? Okay, we win the championship game?

What do we need to do between the time we win the championship game leading up to the to the Super Bowl to the actual Super Bowl game?

So what type of advice were you able to give them? Man?

Honestly, for me, you know it was it was a lot different being in LA because our super Bowl was home. Everything we did, you know, was at home. Media Day, you know, everything was at home. So I just told him, you know, get ready to enjoy the experience. But ultimately, man, when it comes down to when it's time for us to go go to practice or go to meetings, Man, let's be locked in. We came here ultimately to win the you know, win this game, win us a super Bowl,

What do you do now?

You got the trophy, you got the ring, coming all seasons here? Obviously your all season is starting a little bit later than others that didn't make it to the playoffs. So what does what does EJ do now that the season is over?

Man, I'm about to go get away, you know, me and me and my family. We love going to Hawaii, So we're gonna get away here for a little bit. Yeah, and then you know, at some point I get back into live and get ready to go, you.

Know, do this thing again.

Yep. You from Georgia, j Yeah, South Georgia. What part way across Georgia. Yeah. See that's what I'm saying.

You didn't even you just finding this out.

I don't know you from Wait Cross? Yeah, man, I'm right there. Man. We used to catch chicken over a way Cross and Baxlet Backsley. Yes, sir, hey check this out.

That ring you guys kind of started a joy normous one of those big I'm talking about this thing, this big around you trying to you trying to top that with the Seahawks.

Most definitely got to They got I'm hoping and praying they let me design this thing and you know, let me, you know, get a few ideas out there.

Man, the Seahawks. He might be a real instead of the head, he might be the whole sea off.

But on a more serious note, John Snyder smoke at the ceremony of your presentation about how you, Jake Bobo, Drew Locke, and Charles Cross all lost.

Your father's this year.

Talk about that special kind of bond that you guys had going through loss but still having the main focus because you know, the football season doesn't stop even though there might be a loss or tragedy that that someone in the family might have faced.

Man, it was definitely tough when we all had those conversations together. You know, I think I lost my father first, and then right around the time that I was losing mind, you know, Charles had started going through you know, the complications were his. So it was tough man, you know, speaking to him and you know, not having all the answers myself because I'm still trying to deal with it. But we got a great support system there. They that team. I tell you, they look out for you. They really

But they let us.

They let us grieve, they let us have our moments. They let us come back and be around our boys and you know, do this thing that we love. So it honestly, you know, made it easier being around the guys because.

It takes a special typic compartmentalization because you realize, like you know what I am. I am grieving, but I know my dad would want me, would want X, Y and Z, And I know the level of expectation because you know, a lot of times sports is sports is not like a regular job. In a regular job, they might give you bereathing a time and you might get able to take a to that ain't how professional sports working. Now,

Man. Basically, you go to the pay so you go into a funeral when you when you think you'll be back, Yes, for sure.

And that's what I say, like for you know, for most most teams, and and I can't speak for every team, but I know that you know, they wouldn't be willing to let their start middle lineback and leave too much and miss that much of time during training, camping and things before. And they didn't stress me out about it at all. They let us, you know, do what we had to do. So I really appreciate them for that.

Yeah, it's it's funny, especially when it comes to losing loved ones. I think teams understand that the owners of gms, obviously the head coaches. We've all dealt with loss. Sometimes it happened during the season and end season. I lost my father. I lost my father when I was with the Patriots. He passed away from pancreatic cancer as well.

Better, Oh for sure, definitely.

But the thing is the best thing about that with you, Aj, is that you're a vested player because a lot of times, I remember my great grandmother passed, I was afraid to ask.

I was like, I ain't ask.

Then when my grandmother, my grandmother, my dad's mom passed, we ended up like we're gonna have to have this thing on a Monday, because if you don't have it on the Monday, I'm not gonna be able.

To make it.

So, you know, fortunate enough, like you said, you're a vested player, and you know they gave you that kind of time because they, like I said, we understand that this says they say this, This is what they say oh, you know, the family is the most important, man, stop it.

It's football important too.

Exactly, man EJ. Congratulations, man, We're proud of your Thanks for coming on during the season and talking o Jo n a nightcap. Congratulations. Two time Super Bowl champ now in the same division, one with the Rams, now with the Seahawks. Been a livebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. Great defense, had an unbelievable game. But before we get you out of here, what did you guys see on tape? Because

What did you guys see that? Say? You know what that make that? Coach Max said, you know what, Spoon you got home? We got him play him next year.

But I will say this, I will say this, the the way coach Mike seen.

It is how it worked. So in other words, they had a tail, they had they had a little tail and okay, and we had to do what we had to. Yeah, well that's awesome man.

Congratulations man, and joy at get away with your family for a couple of weeks.

It's either being the hunting. Yeah, a lot of hunt though we still what I'm talking about.

All right, Man, congratulations your time off and uh we'll see you down the road.

Thank you the board. Super Bowl champ of the Seattle Seahawks.

Man, Man, they got to be a great feeling, Uncle Joe Man, And obviously you experienced it just winning Super Bowls. Man, just winning Super Bowls, just being in the winning environment and that they got to be one of the greatest feelings, one of the greatest feelings I've never been able to experience. And sometimes I'm in awe of players when when when they I don't want to call it lucky. You just have the opportunities to be on certain teams where they're

It is it is, O Joe. It's an unbelievable feeling. I mean, I can just imagine coming there as a rookie. I came in the Broncos after they had gotten their eyes beat out fifty five to ten by the the forty nine ers.

But winning that first Super Bowl.

Look, and I was very fortunate, like you said, went back to back ninety seven, ninety eight, and then went to the Ravens in two thousand and one again.

But ain't nothing like that first one. Ain't nothing like it. Ain't nothing like it the second one, O yoe. You know, I don't even think I go into the parade. I ain't go to the ceremony Baltimore, same thing.

It's it's something about the first your first love first, you know, your first time.

You don't say your first time first Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah yeah.

Ain't nothing like it, I mean, And I was very fortunate that it meant so much to me. I gave my first ring to my brother because me, Yeah, I was a part of the journey. And his career got cut short, like two years after he ended a year after he.

Ended up retiring.

They go to the Super Bowl and win it, so and he retired, you know, his last year, ohho eighteen touchdowns ninety four catches and never played another snap.

He was twenty nine years of age. So I was like, you know what, man, And I told him.

I remember doing the interview with NBC, It's like, bro, we went to superow, I'm gonna give you, I'm gonna give you the ring.

And you know what I thought about too.

What you think? You see? You see?

You see how the rings look? You know when during when Jerry Rice played, Yeah, yeah, they was how small the rings?

Yeah? I do.

Do you think would it be possible for players to be able to upgrade those rings?

No?

Have him looking No, I'm just saying, have him look like today's rings, but still have the date, the dates from back then.

It won't it won't have it won't have the same meaning.

Well, it don't look like no meaning when you compare it to any guy.

Damn.

Yeah, I mean I guess I don't know. I guess you'd have to look at it like a class ring or something like that. You know the rings, I mean, ain't nobody have no no fifteen twenty carre. I mean they're like a handful of people that have big diamond rings, not everybody. Everybody in the NFL. White got a big ass diamond ring, so for me, But I mean, you know what I mean though, right, Yeah, it's I think.

What it what it means. The size doesn't doesn't add more meaning to it.

I won the super Bowl. They could have gave it to me at a cracker a crackerjack box. I'm a super Bowl. I'm super Bowl thirty two, thirty three champ, and I get it.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm looking at my ring and I've seen.

Guys like god, yeah, hey, did you see you saw the Philadelphia Eagles ring last year? Yeah?

I saw that. I saw that.

I mean, yeah, I see what Jason of Beverly Hill, I've got a couple of pieces from him, have all the rings that he's basically designed. Yeah, since then Tampa and the Eagles, and and and the the Rams, yes, the Patriots, the Patriots, yea, the Chiefs. So he's kind of I think he did the Chiefs, but I know he's done the Rams. I know he did the Eagles. He did someone else's too. And you're right, oh, I mean you look at you like God Lee, Yeah, but

Yeah, I mean, I mean, I don't know, it's like an upgrade. I mean, Joe, sometimes, you know, it's always good the upgrade things. Sometimes the upgrade things to make him look look a little better. You know, as as time involved.

You have to get a whole new ring. You can't. You can't. You can't.

That's it is what it is. That's not that's not like a house that you could add on to. You have to get a whole new rings. I give it an example, Joe. It's kind of what we did with the Hall of Fame rings. Yes, we had one company that was doing the rings and they were small, and then I think K came in.

And they they're they're big now and so and so they like.

Gradually gradually gradually, and they just like ended up and guys got got bigger rings. But I think also guys started wearing them on the index finger, they started wearing them on their mingle middle fingers, and they.

Started putting them on their thumb.

We wear yours.

If I wear it, I wear it on my on my right ring finger right I.

Mean if I, Joe, if so happened, if I was ever ever able to win one, I would I would have I would have had mind him a pinky. Why don't you, because I mean that's I mean, I wear every everything on my pinky.

They say that, they say it's like some pimpstyle.

I don't know about that. Joe live that lifestyle, Joe.

I just now I'm just asking. I'm saying when you went in pinkerreing like, no, no.

It just it just it's always been me. It's always been me. You know, I have I have garage.

You're gonna get on the rick because you want it big. You already talking about the size. It ain't gonna be the same size on your piker and it would or your middle finger.

Yeah, totally looked weird there. Yeah middle finger sometime.

No, no, no, no, it's it's fit to my ring finger.

Okay, okay, this one, yes, okay, okay, okay, yes.

Yeah, Hey, look, I know it feels I'm sure it feels good to you know, win a championship, win a super Bowl, But can you imagine making it that far and losing?

No, I take that. You gotta take that into the summer, Like, no, I can't imagine because I know I'm a sore loser.

My whole family is a sore loser. My sister was all My sister had a headache because she was so worried. She showed up and it seemed like there was so many Green Bay Packer fans.

Uh.

And she was so worded because they got the ball and would go straight down the field. Oh your eighty yard for a touch down, and she's like, Lord, have mercy, here we go.

So she was. She was a nervous wreck.

I don't think my my sisters, I don't think in the pros. I don't think she saw we lost little Every game that she's come to, we won. Yeah, m but unfortunately she didn't like coming to the games. But I suposed to get that one game the normally the first game of the year, if it was home.

She would be to that. My supter say, if y'all go to the super Bowl, I see y'all there. If not, that's it for me. Yeah.

Now my mom would come come, you know, she would have to go get to get Sometimes she would get the kids and bring them out. So that was right up for atlet But yeah, no, I couldn't. I can't that dare that to lose that game. And you see how Drake Maye was trying to find Sam Donald and then everybody just like disappeared. They had done roped it off and confetti falling and everything they ushered it okay, moving moving along, moving along.

Hey, they got Hey, they got to be the worst feeling man when they scoot your ass off the field.

Yeah, Joe, Hey, imagine how san Antonio felt in game six, they already got the court. They all brought the champagne out, and then reality hit that shot and now they got the guy and they pushed the champagne back in the locker room and.

Sorry, I'm sorry.

Hey, hey, listen, and you get to see that as players though, because I'd have been in a few close out games. Uh And the one that I can really remember is when I was playing in Phoenix two thousand and four, Uncle Ojo. We was playing against the Spurs.

They was up on us.

They was up on US three one, and we was playing. Uh no, they was up on US three zero and we was playing at the house for game four. Soon as we come into the arena to go warm up, Uncle Oyo I'm talking about Man, they got Confederate stuff.

I already pinned up. They got champagne. I went in a room. It was ship.

I said, oh, man, they finished trying to celebrate on our yea tonight and we can't look. I went back and to say, hey, man, I'm for ready to celebrate anything.

Anyway. We end up winning the game. But man, yeah, when you see that, yeah, it'll make you It'll make you look again.

That's crazy.

Joe oh chose NBA find Utah Jazz five hundred k for the what leagues call conduct detrimental to the league, and Indiana Pacers will find one hundred k for violating the league's player participation policy. In addition, Adam Silver said in an NBA news release that the league is seeking to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct. Overt behavior like this prioritized draft position over winning, undermines the foundation of the NBA competition and will respond accordingly

Joe?

Let me tell ya something, Joe. Uh, I'm I'm with Adam on this as far as finding these teams. But if i'm these teams, I'm gonna take that little fine, because look, let me tell you it's talented. It's this draft class. It's gonna be. It can put you, it can put your head fifteen twenty years. Oh yo, you you get the right you pick the right one. You know it's there's some it's gonna be some stars in this draft class.

Bro. And if you got un.

I really believe even if you got a top five, top seven pick, you're still gonna get great value.

Bro. It's deep.

This is this is this is this is a good one. This is a good this is a good draft class. I'm gonna take the fine too. If I'm the NBA team, Yeah, I'm gonna take that fine too.

The problem that Utah have, Ojoe, if their pick is eight or down, they have to turn that pick over to Okay, see, so they want to make they want to try to get as many ping pong ball as they possibly can. Right, just stay one through seven, so we get to kill right, because the last thing you want to have is a top ten pick. That's eight somewhere eight of young below and I be damn, we got to turn this thing.

Over to them. They already got abundance of wealth and now we gotta.

Yeah, that sucks. That sucks for the players that's playing, that's playing on the jazz thttle Joe. So it's it's like, I mean, we were going out here playing and I know management they're trying to tank. They taking us out the game, they taking away our men were out here, you know, got a job to do, and yeah, that ain't part of our job trying to worry about will be drafting that.

Hey, look Ojo, you're absolutely right. And as a player, you ain't finna go out there points shaven. You're trying to get to the money. Look, you want your numbers to look good too at the end of the year when you're trying to go up there and negotiate your contract. I don't care that.

That's why they have to sit those guys out because if they don't they know the marketing and JJ they try to win. Hold on, you're messing up.

Yeah, hold hold on, Hey, hey, Joe, And like, how do the players feel about this, knowing knowing what the team is doing.

Man, players go play bro like they may like obviously with those guys, they sending them guys out in the fourth quarter. He probably already told them. But man, ain't no guys going out there lolly gaging, Ojo. Guys, really because they got they got some nice pieces over there.

That's having pretty good like given George, George, George. They just gave up a boatload of pigs to get triple j Yeah, you know, fired Tylerue. That's trying to take Tyler is like I ain't trying to take. I'm playing my guys. I'm playing my best player.

He got to go there, bro, Hey Joe, I wouldn't be that type. You know, if I'm wanting if I'm one of the ballers on the jazz, honestly, I mean, knowing me and my mentality, I ain't. I don't care about what you're trying to draft, and you definitely ain't take me out no game And I'm.

Just my time five for conduct detrimental. See how that worked? What absolutely they gonna because I don't want to come out the game. Yes, that's contract detrimental to the team.

O Jo, wet We already we already ain't won, but like sixteen games, ain't like we're gonna make no playing and no playoffs, like we we we need more ping pong balls so we can try to get one of these pheenoms.

That's coming out. Now the team ain't gonna come out and say that. But we we.

Get looking like the Spurs. They get David Robinson and then they get Kim Duncan.

How they get with me?

But look, how did they get Tim Duncan. That's because David Robinson them had set out pretty much that year.

I hurt. So they won.

They was one of the weakest teams in the league. They ain't up getting the number one pick. And you get Tim Duncan and David Robinson together. Now you got a dynasty. That's the start of it.

That was you len me. Yeah. Yeah.

So so it's all it takes, man, You one more piece that you tah can add to that puzz over there, and they could be one of the top teams.

In the West real quick. And you gotta get lucky. I mean you look at the Lakers.

The Lakers win the NBA Championship and guess what to get the number one open, they get James Worthy?

How the hell hold on.

And koreb We win the championship and guess what the number one overall pick University of North Carolina six foot eight James Worthy.

Ain't How did that happen. They never happened.

How you win the championship and get the number one pick, but you know early on Joe, uh, just before your time. But you could draft like the Celtics drafted Lard Bird his junior year and kept his rights, So you could draft the player and still have his rights.

Great, I'm not I'm not even gonna ask.

Oh, because used it used to be you drafted territorial right, so you drafted a player that was in that in that area.

Okay, so but you could draft them.

You could draft the player, draft the player, he go back to school, and you still maintained his rights.

Mm hmm.

So that's what happened with the Celtics, and the Celtics did a good thing. They ended up trading Joe Barren Carroll and guess what they traded Joe Barrakell They got Robert Parris and oh Lloyd Bole, Kevin McHale.

So now you got a Big three four.

And you trade you getting Nate Archibaal, You get rid of Nate Archiball and then guess what you get DJ who had just won the finals.

I think he was a finals MVP with Seattle.

Yeah, they had a whip they had a whilly now that Boston Cells the team was.

I mean, a lot of the rules back in the seem like in the free throw Joe used to get three to make two. You got three attempts to make two shots. There was a lot of like, damn a so you may you made one, you missed one at one more free throw. But uh, and I agree with you, Joe. I see what the Jazz are doing. It doesn't it doesn't look good. Uh that you tank, but they gonna tank. Ain't nothing you could do.

And now you're gonna have. You're gonna just eat that.

Fine at the end of the day, if we get the number one pick or even the number two pick, O Joe were back in business, baby, Yeah.

Hope hopefully those picks turn out.

Joe.

You say we got they got you gotta deep. You got a deep class this year.

Oh, Joe, them top I'm talking about for show them top four five picks. They're gonna be special. Orlando got shot and then guess what that's going on? They got the next year, Chris Webber. They traded Curtch Whoeber for Penny Hardaway.

Yeah, yeah, it worked out. You get the getting the right player all the dass won. Yeah, yeah, yes, that's it. It changing for.

Yeah, that was a smart move. I wonder I wonder why Orlando just didn't take Penny one. I think because Chris Webber was so he was so people don't realize how good. I see where it was before Ease.

Gave out.

Man, see where was a monster.

Well, coming out of college, he was a he was a beast Joe in college, but coming coming into the league, he just you can't, you can't look, you can't. You couldn't see him in shock on the same team, and then I couldn't.

Really it was perfect because you remember leading up Penny and Shaq was in blue chips.

You remember, Yeah, yeah, that's one of my favorite basketball Oh no, nothing about that.

I ain't see that, Joe, oh Man, what we might take your black card behind.

I'm sure you can go. I'm sure you can go see it on something like that. Yeah, Amazon, matter of fact, you do it.

I'm gonna watch that tonight because you know I slept. I slept another four hours before we started. Yeah, I was knocked out, Joe.

You see up there be seen right now. The top ten top ten prospects of Darren Peterson, sixty six guard freshman guard out of Kentucky, Cameron Booz, a sixty nine freshman, aj B Debonza, a six nine freshman, Kingston Flemings a six four freshman, Kaylen Williams a six to ten freshman, Keaton Wagler a six to sixth freshman, Michael Brown Junior, a six y five freshman, Nate i Met a six ten freshman, Lebron phil jon Is a six four sophomore, and Braylen Mullins is a six to six freshman.

They gotta have a little des a company. He leading the SEC and scoring and assists. Ain't no way he is?

He right? Yeah?

He getting money over there as a freshman. Oh Joe, he leading the SEC and scoring in the cists. Partner like that, Yeah yeah, Hey.

You know what at my daughter's school, I think he. I think he towards a c L last year. He was supposed to be from what I from. I heard the number one pick.

School.

He got you got got, you got the braids a little bit towards a c L last year.

I think I seen him. He playing.

I think he's I think he's playing. He was at Arizona State first. I think if I'm not mistaken.

Oh the big big fella. Yeah, they ain't. I mean, Kentucky doing all right, but they ain't like having no you know what I mean?

Hey, and uh, if Gil's son keep playing like this, he gonna throw his damn name in that. Yeah.

See, the thing is he talked like, uh, Joe about he about six, he's about six seven, He about six salm.

He got some nice living on him.

But the thing is for him because he you know, he kind of came out, you know, he's such a late bloomer to the party. But he'll go to like a good team and end up paying out. He can play, he can get money, he can play. I watched him. He's been getting to it out there. So Peterson, it's a deep draft, man. Hey, marsh Man, it's gonna be fun. Okay, Oh Joe, we're gonna have to do brackets. I know I'm gonna beat out in that. Now you're gonna do that, Joe? Yeah,

Do that, Joe.

No, that's definitely not gonna happen.

Man, Please, Yeah, we definitely gonna do that. But you're not winning Joe.

Jaylen Brown posted on IG twenty four to twenty five. The record was thirty ninety sixteen. They were the two seed going into the break. Now in twenty five twenty six they're thirty five and nineteen, two seed offensive rating, defensive they were number four in offensive rating. Now they're number two in offensive rating they were fifth, and defensive rating this time.

They're ninth and rating net rating they were third this year their third. Yeah, put them facts out there.

Hey, can your question joby said? He say one person tweet he say bro saying he better than JT.

Hey, Joe, Hey, now that we're at the halfway point, it's all Star break. Is what message is is JB trying to send? Outside of we've seen he's improved. You know, he's playing extremely well even with JT not being in. But is there is there a reason for doing this or is he trying to send a message to the Celtics.

Now he sending a message to I think the people. Yeah, I think for everybody who counted them out to start the season. Nobody had them coming out the East. Nobody had them at the top of the East, you know what I mean. And they've stayed afloat and honestly, oh Joe, he's in the MVP compisition and rightfully so, he's been balling.

Bro he's been balling.

But they've had other guys who stepped up, Peyton Bridge up this wells Houser.

Yeah, Hey, the Celtics counted him out. They're the one that sold all those pieces they the on wasn't that Let they all help Horford go? They traded Chris stap Persingers, they traded Holiday. What you talking about we the fan? No, y'all did that right?

Yeah, they didn't.

Think you were gonna be as good as you are. But JB, like you said, it's averaging twenty eight points a game. Peyton Pritchett has been Peyton pritchet Colehauser. Though they've had Derrick White's played phenomenal, they've had guys to step up. It's surprising that the Boston celf is considering all that JT went down, and he was not expecting that he may or may not come back this season.

Their praise And I don't have a problem with him doing that. Yeah, I don't either. I don't either.

But they've had other guys outside the guys that Uncle mentioned, they've had other guys come off the bench.

Oh Simon, you remember Simon's was playing well before they traded him. He contrastraates he that she was playing well. It's kind of like plug and play guys.

It's like a great system and guys just kind of go out there and do their thing, you know what I mean. Yeah, it's been fun to watch they've been competing. He's talk about the fab No, no, no, the bosson Celfic y'all did. They didn't think y'all was gonna be that. Because they thought y'all was gonna be that. They kept them pieces right, But J A. J. B letting the critics know. He letting everybody know who was like, oh yeah, Boston, they.

Gonna do X y Z.

Yeah, he let y'all know when you far off from where we was at last yet, like we really in the same sho when you got two guys making three hundred million, they damn sure better keep best.

That would go out. They better still float break this up?

Yeah, so they second in it. Look I'm gonna say they second in the east right now at the break right?

Yeah, far do you see him?

How far do you see him going? Especially with.

It's matching. I think it's matchups, me, I think, I think because if.

You get the wrong matchup in the first round home, you could be Yeah, you come serious, you could be. It's some teams. Look, I know we talk a lot of crap, and I don't know how long they can keep it up. But the Hornets prior to the loss against the Pistons other night and the little bron they

Toronto, Yeah, Toronto. The hey, them.

Teams gain confidence, Bro, It'd be hard to shut them, shut them off in the playoffs when they at there playing just having fun, not unreally understanding the man, just enjoying the game.

Since JB let that hair go, he ain't painted no more. He been Hey off to the races, free get a drop yeah, j Hey, j.

B looked good out there. Man.

I'm jump sure they gonna they gonna try to give

The East form a lottery pick all Rickey team selection Jeremy Showhand. So Hand has decided to side with the New York Knicks. He would join the Knicks once he clears waivers. He reached the bottle agreement with the Spurs on Wednesday. So Hand had entered from ten teams before deciding on the Knicks. Joe, how much did this siding help the Knicks?

Man?

I like him, I guess because the Spurs so deep that, you know, they had to give up something Uncle Oto. But he's a he's a great guy, like a twiner who can guard multiple positions, plays with high energy.

I like it. He gonna help the Knicks a lot.

As you can see the Knicks, you know they they they've made some key change a little Alvarado over.

There, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, see that's Sperado man. Yeah yah, picking people's pockets.

Alvarado balling man. Yeah he does, Hey, Joe, I don't mean to change the subject I roto remind me of the young dude. Man, I can't think. Was he Puerto Rican player? He was short but real high energy on both ends of the court. Man, I think he played for the MAVs.

Was it the MAVs? Oh you're talking about J J. Barrera? JJ bre what jj ad?

He don't play that vote.

I think he coaching still at the Maths.

John Joe, I don't know he can make your point that Joe.

I'm not sure.

But now he didn't he had like twenty year what twenty five the other night, Old Joe. That's a you know, Nicks trending in the right direction.

Man. Sometimes you just need to go to a team and you get an opportunity. See people pay all these guys, I mean in some of them.

But when you that size and you make an NBA roster, you can play like people look at Peyton Pritchett and people probably see him like, man, I cooked his white dude, boy that you will drop fifty on you.

Yeah, not for real in the summer Yeah, in the summer league. Yeah, he will drop fifty sixty points on you.

Yeah. Man, that boy be out there getting money. Man, That boy could play a t J. McConnell. There's another one you look at like Pouf of the cook Oh boy, oh yeah yeah. Hey hey Joe and the Cameral doing all this O O Joe.

Yeah, hey Joe. They have They had to show me Joe.

Oh they will.

They had to show me Joe.

They won't have no problem with that. He can. Don't you see what you call him? Peyton Pritcher get thirty in an NBA game. Yeah, he ain't playing out there. Ojo nice Yeah,