Well, well, well, the Mavericks and Grizzlies have each one nine of ten. Don't look now, but my sixers are five and five over the last ten, h tied for the tenth season the lost column. Let's go, you know. We'll also have to check in with the Lakers and more with the Great Kerry Champion on today's episode. I'm Jack O'Brien.
And I'm producer Ja Borian from my house and this is my milch.
Jerry got mad, Musty's chick story.
Guy Luka Dotch hits tenny k there you God.
Driving spinning Katie number eight, Gene.
That's good. Secure the Celtics or NBA champions over the double team. I be honest with the time, Kerry Champion, what is going on?
Why is it sometimes Jabari? Why can't he just be all the time? Jabbari?
Hey, you are doing the Lord's work right from the start. I appreciate that.
Yeah, we can't keep him off, you know, but uh, now, Jabari is always here in spirit. He's always like dropping in. Uh you know, we you people hear his words every episode, but sometimes likes to, you know, keep it in the chat.
Uh.
And then sometimes we get to hear his voice, hear his wisdom firsthand. Yeah, thank you, Carrie.
Heany You're welcome. You paid me to say that. Let me just text him now, Okay, got your yes please Champion number two to my number two.
But how are you doing? It's so great to have you. Uh we we of course know you're from ESPN, Amazon, Prime, TNT and now most importantly on I Heart. Yeah, fellow, I heeart podcaster the host of Naked Sports with Carrie Champion. Can you tell us a little bit about that show?
Oh see, So what's so good is that I did four we did. This is our fourth season. So the first few seasons we started a pandemic, and so we were very much a zoom family, as we all are. Just you know, it was like, let's talk about anything. The idea was like, let's just talk about anything, anything that made us excited, anything we were excited about. Then
this past season, I wanted to do something different. I was like, you know what, why since I since I really believe and I think you guys know this too. Sports lives at all intersections. It lives at culture, it lives at policy, it lives in the world of art everywhere, and I really wanted to make it more focused and more niche and cliche. So we started off this season making sure we wanted it to have that emphasis of sports every single guest we had, and we did this
really great. I think it was great, this docu series about Caitlin Clark and the Angel Reese. And I know we're still like on and not necessarily on, uh, but the w NBA is in a really special place and I think it needed to be documented. So that's how we kicked it off, and we we we haven't stopped, and we've had guests on like Darren Waller, who's very open and on his former NFL player talking about his
drug addiction. He went viral with Ashland Harris talking about her breakup with Ali Kreeger, although she talked about so much more, but that was the thing that went viral.
The mess, yeah of it all? Yeah, all right, so let's just say some messy stuff here. Let's go, let's get to the mess. Uh no, let's let's get into it though. Let's get into the NBA a little bit. And maybe this is an opportunity to get some mess right in because I do want to ask everybody, what
are your biggest surprises of the season so far. Is it the Calves being as great as they've been, or is it, uh, you know, someone like I don't know the Pelicans, and I think I can safely take the seventy six ers out of my mouth on the at this point, even though they might still be the most surprising. But Pelicans being five and twenty, so Calves twenty one and four, Pelicans five and twenty Which one are you more surprised by?
I think the Calves for me, I think, but although the surprise is not as huge, they've been coming for a while. I just don't think anybody ever really. I think everyone said, well, maybe perhaps kind of look for the big names. We have to have them slap us in the face before we pay attention to them really meaning business. And I think it's good for the lead because they're going to need a superstar they need a superstar team in the sense that they need somebody to
pay that gives us that surprise. I wasn't expecting that, you know, just like you find twenty dollars in your pocket, you're like, well, I got twenty dollars in my pocket. I didn't know that. What I'm gonna do with that twenty dollars, and that to me was a surprise because it's nice to give somebody else attention. And by the way, I'm a diehard Layers fan, Jabari, that's where we bond here we are.
Oh wait, Jabari, you're a Lakers man.
You would never guess that, would you.
That's wild being on an NBA podcast produced by you. I have never this. You never heard of the hearing of this, that's wild.
Yeah. Well it's a compassion for me too. Many people don't know that about me as well. So I've been I've been very closeted about it. And so yeah, you have to be right, you have to be because no one loves the Lakers. You guys are all jealous. Delly.
That's the truth. I mean, you know, truth to power.
Yeah, that is the most honest answer we've gotten on the Caves. By the way, everybody else we've had has been like, yeah, I saw cold. I basically knew, like maybe I would have thought they'd be like twenty and five instead of twenty one and four. But like, that's it. That's that's how hard it is to surprise me.
Yeah, right, not even not even clothing it was like I'm calling for the Caves. I was in Cleveland probably too, like just kind of season opener, and I remember, this is so bizarre. I remember checking into this hotel and the clerk was like, listen, this is our year, watch my words. And I was like, she's the only person I think knew.
Yeah, the people of Cleveland were certainly up on it. But yeah, that's amazing that he's like, hey, I got a hot tip for you.
Yeah, He's like, just so, and then, you know, being snarky in the media. I was like, thanks.
The real question is does he say that every year? Because I'm one of them. I'm one of those guys admittedly like this is our year, this one. I grew up a Raiders fan, so I'm accustomed to saying this, this is going to be our year, and it's just it never has been.
But same I say about the Lakers every year and you can't even tell me. I'm like, it's ony games. We've got plenty of time, guys, plenty of time.
Yeah, and then you go to Salt Lake City to check in and they're like, hey, I've got a little information for you. This is our year.
Cool.
Yeah, all right.
I also want to say I don't really want to talk trash about the Pelicans, like nobody wants this, nobody, you know, Like I didn't want to see them do this badly. I want to see everybody healthy and play well. They're fun when they're healthy. I am a little surprised at like how badly it's gone so far. But let's talk about the magic instead. Unless does anybody have anything do you have the diagnosis of what ails the Pelicans besides just like bad health.
I will say this, I sometimes I root for them for a few reasons. It's various reasons that really have nothing to do with what's happening on the court. Sometimes, have you ever just like we're home, Like you're a Homer, you love the Sixers, we love the Lakers. Sometimes I root for them because of what that what they're trying to do, and you just want people to get out of their own way, Like I really Sometimes when he's healthy, he's great, I'm like, yeah, remember when he was it?
He was everything. That has to be such a mental tragedy for him, because I do not know if I had all that fan fare, how to live up to that one. That's why it's always hard, and that's why I love Lebron And when people give him such trash, I'm like, it's hard to live up to what everyone says you're supposed to be. Hey, when you go and you play so free, when you're doing a job, you come in with no expectations and you just serve in everybody.
It is so much easier to capitalize off of that than the whole world thing, and you're going to be the best. So I always want something for him. I root for CJ in general because he's just a good guy and I don't want him to have his career like this, but that seems to be what it'll be. You do never want the grace to go out or the people who you consider good to lead season or have to be on a team like that. That just
has to be difficult. I don't want that for any of the people that I sort of grew up with. If you will now, you know, it's just unfortunate, but you know, no one wants it.
And I had it rolling like at the end of the season last season and then like got hurt right at the key pivotal moment.
Correct and silencing the haters. Everyone's just like here he comes, You're just like here it's about to happen. And I'm like, oh, hey, good for you, good for you, good for you. And then you're like, no, now, I don't know how you recover. I'm not, you know, professional athlete, but how do you recover from that? He has had up. The mental strength has to be beyond and we want so many people we on our hands, so many people in the NBA have that mental toughness.
Yeah, And to be honest with you, that was the reason why I put him on there, Jack, I so in full disclosure. Normally I'm the one that just looks, you know, to the trash of the team because it's just fun but reality. But the reality is I am most surprised by that because I had it. I anticipated this being like, you know, Zion is going to put it together and you know they got you know, they got to Jenta Murray and like that's gonna be a
good fit and any breaks his hand in game one. Like, to be honest with you, like that that's kind of the answer. Like they went in. If everybody were healthy, it might have been interesting. But you know, you lose Ion early on. You know, you lose you know, your your point guard that you bring in to kind of write the ship early on. Uh b I has you know, it's been in and out of the lineup, but you
know he's been back and been strong. But they it just seems like because of all of the injuries, they've never been able to get on the same page and never been able to actually build upon anything. And that's just unfortunately.
It's unfortunate because we want it. We're not anti. We want it for the lead.
It makes it better, yeah, makes it more fun. The Magic still a three seed, even though Paolo has only played in a handful of games and they lost Franz, Like that's one that, like the Calves, It's like, Okay, I didn't see it coming. I would have laughed at that hotel clerk. But now that I've seen it, I'm like, oh, yeah, like they've got something going. The Magic. I'm still like, I don't what what is happening?
How?
How is that? It is like seeing a Magic treate. I'm like, I don't. I don't believe what I'm seeing necessarily how they're winning with all these injuries, well just with the injury, like just with the like Plo being out as much as he's been out and then Franz being out now for It's just wild what they've had to do, like what they've had going against them, and that they're still playing as well as they are is just like night to night. I'm always surprised, Like the Calves.
Now I check the box score and I'm like, Yop did it again. The Magic I'm like, wow, they did it again. You know, Like I'm not I'm not hating at all. I just think I'm impressed that they're Yeah, they just like have an amazing ability to uh kind of defy the laws of gravity as I know them in the in the NBA. So I mean I'm impressed. What what do you see there? I mean, so we did talk in last year's playoffs that their defense did seem to be like one of the most unique weapons
that we'd seen, like in in the NBA. It was just like the way they defend is more aggressive and like just more different than any other NBA team we'd seen in a while. So, I mean that is obviously part of it. But what else do you feel like they've figured out this year?
I feel like, well, one I have this I think that you know, Apollo I just I always one of two things, have to be careful what I say about about him, because he loled me in a in a sarcastic way when I was on the Breakfast Club about a couple of months ago, and I said something to the effect, this is why I like to see him.
And I know he's out, but still I still think he takes everything very personally, and I think that that's great because he plays like that but very free still, and I think that's going to make him even better as he gets more as he grows in this league. But I had I said that there were very few rookies that came into the league like Lebron, Like, I don't remember a rookie having that much fan fair and
living up to the fan fair like. I couldn't think of any other rookie in recent memory, not even Kobe, because you know, straight out out of high school, I could everyone thought he was great, but Kobe had made so many mistakes. I just don't remember it being as intense as it was with Broun. And then all the things that Bron has been able to do, and he and he was like not true, like he kind of he didn't say those exact words, but he took offense
like well, what are we like? And it felt very like it was a personal attack against him, and I was like, good for you, like you let everybody know that you think you are it and I am, and don't forget about me and you because I'm in Orlando and we don't have this history. This is not Penny
hard Away. I'm still the man like you know, like he had all of this and you know, this is back when Dwight Howard was the man like he just had a lot of attitude and I respected it because he was like, it's a young man's game now and I'm here, so I'm not surprised by them. I think I think, I think they're good and I and I'm looking forward to I mean all of these teams that are not the usual suspects, that are really giving us something to pay attention to and watch and giving us
the storylines because we love a storyline like it. I'm with it.
Suggs just put up twenty six and they beat the Sons for their tenth straight win at home. That's like where they're they're just finding finding ways to get enough points to do it well.
And that's what that matters. I just need a w and see where I go. Yeah.
I truly love and appreciate the confidence of like the supreme athletes, you know what I mean. To the point that you just said, and you even referenced Kobe, it reminded me when he first came into the league. One of his teammates told him they don't look Mike in the eye, you know when we get on the court. And was like, I'm that uh you know, and obviously you know Polo has the same type of vibe and I'm here for that.
That's wild because I have that same rule for people who work on this show. Don't look me in the eye. You're not allowed to look me in the eye. Yeah.
Yeah, should tell anybody about it was our agreement.
Those stories right here that are hilarious. You're like, well, where am I supposed to look?
Just look at the ground, I'm walking.
You're talking to me, No way again.
You look at your own shoes. Uh? Yeah, that's that is a good sign for uh, I think only NBA success. It's like that mentally, that's I think most people would call that a pathology, but it's also like what drives people to do the greatest players or ship. He's got that Michael Jordan's uh where it's like and I took that personally. They weren't even talking about me, but in a way they were talking about it.
They were talking about you, and I.
Need talking around me.
Yeah, yeah, you're not including me in this equation and I am it. Like you may not think so, but watch and see, and I'm okay with all of that. Like I like that. I don't want any friends. I want you to let me have it. I deserve it. If you're mad at me, so be it. I'll take it.
The detail the story that I always bring up about Lebron though, is that he basically grew up in Truman Show, Like he went to high school in the Truman Show. Nike and Adidas were putting up billboards in his hometown aimed only at him, like they had an intended audience of him. Like the whole world literally revolved around him as a sophomore in high school, and he managed to like not let that drive him crazy. So I do.
I do think what he's been able to accomplish is like on another level from I think anything I've seen, like anywhere, you know, he.
Could be so, and who knows, right, maybe the story is still being written, but I could I could imagine many more instances with that type of scrutiny where he would not end up that way. I can think of you can name all of them that went through that fire and they and they came out visibly bruised, like you think of, I love the great I can name all the grades. But you like, okay, you this is the result of being under that type of scrutiny. Bron
is for them. And look, I'm not a psychologist, but for the most part, like I'm thinking, he's the most accessible superstar that we have in the league. It was Kobe, wasn't. It wasn't on Twitter talking to people or whatever. He just he didn't have an approachable style about him. He liked who he liked, and we found that out after he passed away. But it wasn't Lebron could be so much more than I think we give him. He's very
charitable in a lot of ways. In a lot of ways and then and also the ways he's not, but you earn that.
Yeah, he's also kind of a dork. I feel like that's the one. That's the one thing we learned from that. Yes, I mean we've been learning it for years. But like that, but he's he's will exactly.
A lot of these athletes are like, I'm just too cool. I'm cool for all that. I don't do that. You are really just silly. All of us are.
Exactly like you truly can't tell me anything. I am going to say all my favorite lines from Beetlejuice and dressed up like Beetle Juice, and that's just what it's going to be. Let's take a quick break and we'll come back, and uh, I guess we'll talk about the Lakers.
Maybe I don't know Los Angeles.
Yeah, yeah, from Los Angeles. That's where they are now. I remember them from Minneapolis. But yeah, quick break, we'll be right back, and we're back, and I don't know, it seems like like things have not been going great. We Uh, there's a lot of hope on the podcast, and I feel like anybody who's only following the NBA via this podcast is just hearing a steady decline in the Laker hope. But it's jabbar. You think it's Perimeter D. That's what you're seeing. The project.
They can't there are Turnstiles, and that has been the situation for the last few years. You know, no disrespect to anybody because you know, obviously, you know, I love my guys, but they can't stop anybody on the perimeter. They can't really get back. You'll get you, you know, stop fast breaking. You know, teams that are pushing the pace, they're overly reliant on Lebron. I mean, stop me if you heard this before, overly reliant upon Lebron and Anthony Davis.
And quite frankly, you know, when they went into the year, you know that I was less optimistic than I had been. And this is why, because the reality is, you yes, it's great to have Anthony Davis and play through him and have them play well. It's great to have Lebron when he's you know, when he's right. Obviously, it's still incredible to have Lebron, But the reality is to expect it every night or a majority of an eighty two game season is just unrealistic.
Do we think the way that the so, the Lakers, the Suns, the Warriors all kicked off the season looking good and since then they've kind of fallen off a little bit. Kdi got hurt his game hasn't fallen off, but like both Steph and Lebron have started, you know, showing signs of age. Do we think the Olympics was less a sign of things to come and more like the NBA equivalent of Space Cowboys where it was like one last great hurrah for like the greats and now
we're like kind of seeing it. It's like, all right, that was that was something, but like, we can't that's not going to keep happening like that was. That was the last one. That was That was the last job that they pull you in for.
You know, wait, what are you saying? Are you saying this was?
That was?
That was Lebron's last chip that he got in Is over or is.
It heading in that direction? Was that like Steph, KD Lebron going out on top?
You're saying none of them getting any more chips? That's a rap for them.
That's a rap for them. Is that what we're seeing or is this me overreacting to them just going through a rough patch in the middle of the first half of the season.
I think that's not an overreaction. Take that's that's a logical from what we've seen to take someone could say that. I just don't any of them, Stefan and Lebron specifically, I just don't put anything past them. I just can't. I can't discount them and just put them in and say it's a rap. Like there's just no way I can say that with one hundred percent confidence. I can say, I know why you're thinking that, and that's a very fair question to ask. In fact, it's a great question
to ask. I'm sure that there are people who feel that way because someone's always hungrier, someone's always ready to take it from you. Yeah, but experience in this league is so invaluable. So I see everybody get ahead of themselves and think they're at the head of the class, and then they learn when they're playing with the big boys, You're like, oh, okay, this is a you just see it. You see that, you see them change overnight. So I
don't know. I can't. I can't say that, but it's not a bad question to ask, it's a fair question to ask. I just can't say that with one hundred percent confidence because I feel like the Lakers might still try to have some tricks of their sleeves. I feel like lebron Is has been able to do some things
behind the scenes that we don't know. I think that's another reason why people get mad at him because he has so much power, and right players that we've ever seen in real time have his power displayed in real time, like we haven't. That's that whole thing. I'm sure Jordan was doing it, just in different ways, but we didn't have social media and we weren't really aware of it. It was just a special thing that we thought he was.
But I have never I've never seen the way somebody can move the game pieces the way that Lebron does, So I don't know. I don't know.
By the way, like in the broad Sweep of History, if like that was their last great hurrah, it was like a really cool like it makes it like an even cooler story. They're like, yeah, they just like pulled it together and like won the gold medal, like despite the fact that they were at a point in their career that nobody wanted to admit at the time they were and they were like, we're just going to defy that and.
Say, no matter what, you can't you can't put anything. After we just watched that, You're like, wait, so they just did that. Can we actually say it's a wrap for them because they surely don't believe it, Like the Magic'll be like put on my small shorts, I can still get.
Do you remember when Jordan when it was when they were celebrating the seventy fifth and as soon as Magic walked in the room, Jordan said, you right there, I got to do you know, let's go one on on right now. Yeah, they never stopped thinking that.
Magic to this day says that that that they that the Golden State Warriors imitated the Lakers. They were built off the showtime Lakers. He was like, I would still take them. Now, let's see because we did it like they I'm like, okay, listen, I'm I'm not mad. You can't that they didn't do it. So yeah, no, I
I don't know. I think that's a fair. That would be great if that was their last who were off and story when we write this, when we look back on this, when the movie is done, when whatever thirty for thirty is done and Lebron is sipping Lobos tequila and telling his version of the story and they're like to say that, He's like, sure, we.
Can't do you I'm sorry, do you not know that I'm Lebron James, Sure.
Did you see?
And then then the cigar of course, like emulating everything Jordan did.
Still dressing like it was thirty years ago, wearing boot cut jeans for some reason.
Boy, is that is that not in anymore?
No, they were just so high.
You're like, yeah, they were really high, were doing yeah to shut I think, you know, to each of your points to be like, you see what we saw in the Olympics, And that's what that's what makes them so tempting.
That's what makes their teams think, I mean, can we string it out over the course of eighty two just to get them to the to the sixteen tournament? Because like, if you're asking me, do I have faith in this Lakers team over the course of eighty two versus do I have faith in them over the course of sixteen, it's a completely different answer. But they're not they're not built for the long haul. But if you get you know, if there's a sprint, hey, you know what, I'll take my chances.
When Lebron at x X years old, when they went to the Western Conference finals, I thought to myself, it was horrid. It was horrid. But when they beat the gold and says, I was like, oh, this is uh like to see that to me? Uh And he still wasn't at his best, but it was still something unbelievable. It almost felt the Western Conference finals for me felt like the NBA finals Like that felt like the finals for me in terms of watching those two teams, how great they were. Now he did what he could do.
He got jump, they got jump, they gotta beat down. They met him in alley with bats. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do You can only do what you can do enough. But it was still to me, you know, when we look back on it, I think we will say, no, he really was chosen one. Like nobody else could really pull that off. I could. And the way Steph is and how what and Steth being a superstar and stuff is so humble, so so amazing, it's like and he's
just like even but ready. So it makes it hard for people not to think they can't be a superstar and be like Steph, Like I think Steph could. I really think Steph has some stuff left in a tank. He really does, I hope.
So I agree. All right, how about the Grizzlies now a two seed? This was a lot of people's sleeper pick coming in to the season, got off to like a not rocky start, but you know, they were like a few games over five hundred, and then they've reeled off a bunch in a row and just have had a really nice run. Now, now the two seed Triple J's averaging twenty two six two blocks, one point four steals, shooting a career high fifty one point seven from the floor.
Seven guys are averaging double figures, and another two are just are like smart is at nine point six, Hut at nine point four. So it's base like nine guys averaging double figures, which like most people don't have like a nine man rotation. Like that's that's wild.
Well that's a difference from last year, right, because didn't they have the least points last year? Didn't they average the least points last year? I think they were. I was reading that they were averaged that entire team had like maybe one hundred and nine per game. I think they they've turned it around. I don't That's what I was reading an athletic earlier. Yeah, I've always liked the Grizzlies sans Dylan and he sands now, but I've always
liked the Grizzlies. I've always thought they were special. I always think that the regular season a twenty one games in, and this is like twenty twenty one game that I just I'm going to say, I'm excited about everything that I'm seeing, but when it matters, it matters, right, we're coming back. All Star breaks does have the same conversation after All Star break, let's see where we are, Like, that's when you know who came to play, because if there are all sorts of things that happen, like I
think that they are going to do well. I think Ja has a lot to prove. I think a lot of media nonsense that he had to deal with and answers and questions and whatever he was dealing with. He's quiet. I don't know if he's figured it out, but he's quiet, and that's all that matters. And the attention is on the court, and I feel like he's leading in a way that is like we just killed a ball. He said backwards dunk the other day. I do that all the time.
Yeah, I do it.
Yeah, So I want to talk about that backwards dunt. First of all, he said last week he wasn't trying to dunk as much anymore, okay, and then proceeded to pull off one of my favorite dunks I've ever seen him do. A lot of people were comparing it to Vince Carter. So he went up and then basically it was a double pump. But the double pump is usually a stylistic flourish, but he was doing it to literally
fake people out. Like again, it reminded me of the I think I spent twenty minutes talking about that game where he had those two reverse three sixty layups earlier this season, and neither of them were like to be fancy. It was he was moving his body in a way to functionally like give himself the best chance of making it like and that's what this feels like. He went up, everybody jumped with him, and then he just like ducked under them and dunked it over his head because he
can fly, I think, is what. Yeah. Yeah, And it was on the Celtics, which makes me happy.
Makes you even more happy. He's he's sick. There is that to watch him, but he's You're just like, wait, how does that happen? Who does that? And the instinct, his instinct I would be okay, So I'm going to go to what I arguably the most athletic player that we have in the league right now. Like they used to say that about in football. They would say that
about Aaron Rodgers when he was in his heyday. He's the most athletic quarterback you've ever seen, just the moves that he does, just his instinct how he moves and he turns. And I feel that same way about joh like watching him and before Joah there was Russell. Russell
was so athletic, like he could just do stuff. I remember Jordan here comes to my official brag telling me at All Star we year at the Jordan party that he would pay money out of his pocket to watch for so Wilson, excuse me, Westbrook, I always do that. Wesn He was like because he's so athletic, and that was just one of the things that he was so
impressed by. His athleticism. John is unbelievable. That literally the duck and then the go up and then it was just like a light He really wasn't trying to dunk. I agree with him. It's just like a just a light littleish. It's something to do.
Dunking apparently hurts, Like that's what that's also from that Netflix series. Anthony AMers was like, yeah, I don't like to dunk. It hurts, but it's also like people, It gets people up. It gets you guys excited, So I'll keep doing it.
Yeah, and I can't say Vince. Vince is sick as you will know, like Vince was. Remember he was posting dunking at forty plus years old, still does every now and again.
Yeah, yeah that was funny. Vin. What was Vince saying the other day? He came on the show, Vince Vince is a friend, and yeah, yeah, we love Vince on this show. All right. Dallas has one seven straight nine out of ten. I don't know what it is about me that I'm just like, never excited when Dallas is doing well, no good reason. People of Dallas don't get mad at me because I have no good reason. I think it goes back to the Kennedy assassination. I just
don't like your city. But no, that's not fair. It's also I don't get excited about Luca for no good reason. I just don't. But seventh straight nine of ten, Lucas putting up twenty nine to eight and eight, Kyrie twenty four to five and five. Kyrie is still one of the most exciting people to watch with a basketball in his hand. And then Clay has been like, you know, he has his quiet nights here and there, but thirteen and four, steady off the bench? Or is he is he starting?
No, he's starting?
Yeah, Okay, steady not off the bench. And then they're fourth and offensive efficiency and eighth and defensive efficiency. So they're they're just solid. They're going to be there.
That's exactly what they are. They're solid. They're like, I'm not that exciting. That is exactly how you feel about them. But I wouldn't be surprised if they really put it all together and made it to really became like last man standing, Like, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised by that. That wouldn't surprise me. I think just because like the history of that team, they know how to do it. Luca probably doesn't excite you. He gets it done. Okay and Joke remind me of each other, but Jokich more so.
I don't want to switch topics. But the way they play the game is very different from how I grew up watching the gameplay, so it takes a little bit of that lesser away and the excitement. So that is probably why it feels very demure. It feels very laid back.
Yeah, your is in this season. It's like the websterere word at the year. Maybe we should be happy that they play so demurely. Yeah. I also, you know what, I'm also you know, as a as somebody who roots against the Celtics more than I root for any team. I'm also I think I have like it in my memory that they just like didn't look like the head
of realistic shot against the Celtics. So I don't want them to be who the Celtics face in the finals necessarily because I don't feel like they've changed enough to provide a serious challenge. But I could be wrong. Maybe maybe it's just another year.
Yeah, and I'm I'm inherently the Celtics. So we get bashed Boston all day on this podcast.
I love that. That's what we do here.
That's the alternative name for the show.
Yes. Also yeah, so I just and I will say this, I wouldn't when they and they'll probably go and win it. It's hard to create a dynasty. It's hard to win. Back to back. It's hard to win back to back to back like what we have seen the Celtics do and yesteryear, the Lakers, or even the Warriors for that matter. It's just not common. I just don't. I don't. I'm not. I'm not a believer yet so a hater. So you take that for you want to take it.
I love it.
It's fair.
I mean, maybe the Calves have the best chance of knocking them off is just like not even letting them get.
To the That's that's right. I mean, look, the Sixers, what do we are?
Oh? Really good? H So I don't know if you saw, but they, uh they're five and five and I am bragging they're five and five are the last time and I'm bragging about that. I don't know. I could see them like start putting some wins together now that em beat his back and you know he put up thirty one last night. It's again, it's been like the same way that I was saying Orlando, I check, and it's like they won again like that. That is not what I expected, like given who is healthy, like they they
keep winning the Sixers the exact opposite. I'm just like again to the Pistons, like you know, like it's.
It's okay, this is it enough?
Right? Yeah? But I mean they've they've had a couple of wins to some teams that they should have beat, and it does feel like they'll eventually start playing better, like all their individual parts have had good games at this point. They just need to. And I would be surprised if Nick Nurse just like suddenly was a bad coach, like, uh, you know, I don't think he had a great playoffs
last year. But like I I think they'll be probably all right, and they'll be in the mix at not like for the top of the East, but I think they'll probably I think they'll be in the mix.
I don't know because I was I was trusting, so I don't know I could. That is an enigma that team in itself. Yet again I'm waiting for the deep, deep secret story to be told, like in itself, like it's you're like, wait, what happened? There was this meme going around and I'm sorry because I'm going to say it. There was this meme going around. It was a picture of Joel Embiid and it said, if we get in an argument and I send you this it means I'm not getting involved.
That's about right. I'm that is about.
Right crying and I was just like, I'm not getting involved at all, and it was so accurate, but I was I don't know what's going on. I have no concept, and I don't know why there's always so much going on out off the court. I just it just seems fascinating to me. And I'm like, why do we should know this? This is too much for me to know. It's not my business.
Yeah, well, speaking of crying, let's take a quick break. I'm going to do that, and then we're going to come back and finish out by talking about Jokic and picking a game of the week and doing the rapid fire round of question and we'll be right. And we're back and I'm actually kind of dehydrated. I just cried so hard. I was usually like, yeah, I feel like I just ran five miles.
Like that's who I hate when it happens.
It was good though, It feels good, you know. Just need to replenish, need some gatorade. All right, we want to talk about Jokic. The team not as good as years past, he is maybe better than years past. After winning three or four MVP awards. He recently dropped forty eight, fourteen and eight assists on the Hawks. Let me just
go through. He is averaging thirty two point three points, career high, second in the league, thirteen point six rebounds second best of his career, first in the league, ten point two assists career high, second in the league, and shooting fifty percent from three with four point four attempts, which are both career highs. This is.
What that's a great question. This is what?
What? Like, he's almost he's almost leading the league in scoring, and then he's like, was last time we had somebody to lead the league in all three categories?
Has anybody will did?
They will lead the league and assists one of the seasons he.
Definitely led the league in assists one season. But I don't know if he also like as a bit right, let's see, he was like this would be funny, right, basically yeah, he basically said like, Okay, I'll do it.
Let's just assume it hasn't been done. And for somebody to be doing it at a time when there's more talent in the league, there's more better players in the league than we've ever seen, is just completely unfathomable. So we were talking about this and then Jabbari said, they'll be there in the end. They'll be like a top three in the West by the end of the year. Sure, I don't think that.
Oh what do you think.
I think they're going to be like six through ten in the West level. I don't think they have enough, even with him playing this out of his mind. Like remember how they were a few years back when like Jamal Murray was injured all the time like that. That's kind of how they feel again to me, Like, I feel like that's where they're gonna end up again.
I like to preface every statement before I because I speak with a little bit of bitterness. The way they beat down my leg. You're so bad.
Yeah, nobody liked that. Nobody liked that.
I want to say, I agree with you. But there's something about and I don't know if it's contagious, but we'll see. It is so hard, got it so hard so early to make predictions. But the way he plays basketball, to me, it's a job. He plays it, of course, it's a job. What do you mean, Carrie. He plays like he is painting a house, Like I have to the house must be painted by the end of the day, and it has to get done otherwise I won't get paid.
And for him to be leading in all of those categories is just that everyday blue collar worker mentality of this is what I have to do to get this win. This is what I have to do because this is my job. And there's something so very admirable about that. Remember when he was like, there's a parade, I got to get back home.
He's so like his whole body like saying like serious. He saw his shoulders drop when they told him he had to be at the championship parade.
Anything like talking to like one of the coaches or somebody's like when when is it serious? But we just did it. We won, we did we did it, we celebrated, we had the champagne. So I almost feel like that's a little contagious and people can't can't help but respect that, especially when he gets down to time to get down to it.
But we'll see, yeah, yeah, that's fair. I don't think he's gone anywhere. I just I don't know that the team is yeah.
You hear to say that or the other day. I don't know if it was today or the other day he said, he said, where I come from, when you don't play well, your patient looks the same. Yeah, let's just start doing that. Could you imagine players not getting that same check that they're used to getting if they don't play well the anarchy? That what happened, But it might work. Who knows they need to Maybe they need to make some new rules. I don't know.
I think Boumani had the best response to that with he just quotes we did and said, this is America, Jack, We're not doing that. We're not going for that over here.
We don't do that here. What we are spoiled and privileged? What do you say?
What happening? But quickly on that I was mentioning I was talking about it with Jack before the show, and I said, there just feels to be like an inevitability about him where and that I think that lends himself to the point that you just made where it may not look flashy, it may not be as esthetically pleasing as other players, but he's gonna get the job done. And for whatever reason, you just feel like no, at the end, he's gonna finish.
That's it and and so and that's what it's gonna be and if you like it, you like it, and if you don't, you don't like Sorry, what else to tell you?
It's like being chased by Michael Myers and a Halloween movie.
I am going to get you, are not going to or I'm still going to survive even if I don't get you. I trust me. It's going to be a part four, five, six, and seven. But we'll see. I mean, gosh, so early, so.
Early, all right, Uh, I think it's time for the rabbit Fire Round of questioning. Carry this is the fastest segment in podcasting. We're gonna ask you a series of questions. You're just gonna give us the first thought that crosses your mind. Sometimes I'm known to dawdle, dilly and dally a bit, and you just have to ignore that and you know, push through as as we ask you these questions. Brian, Brian, would you start the clock?
Please wait a second? Or why are we breaking tradition here?
Brian start the clock. That's the tradition that we're breaking.
I have to yell at Brian to get the rabbit Fire round question. Oh, thank you, Brian, I love you. All right, Jabari, I want you to start I got you.
So it's almost as though Carrie, you had a look at our doc uh briar to just about ten minutes ago you basically asked this question. So I will ask you now solely as an athlete and dunker. Pick one Jah Prime Russ. You know, just those suit Jah or Prime Russ, Oh, Crime Russ. Okay, wow, okay, there was there. There was a there was a force there that you just didn't see from a six to three guy.
And it was a story. Each didn't have a story. It was there was so much more behind us because he never talked, y'all. Remember he didn't say anything. He was just like he had to do. The only time we heard from when he was dunking and when he was being interviewed, it was just like yeah, no, okay, you know, and I'm like this and let him dunk then let it. So I was like, so I wanted to see I didn't need you to end in the dancing. So he needs two versions and I was like, okay,
I'm just gonna go prime Rus. I just have to.
Yeah. He was basically, hey, look I dunked for you, I dance for you. What more do you want?
What more do you need.
Exactly the amount of energy that was expended, like just on one trip up the court with him, was like like I feel like that was the highest amount of energy expended and he just had it, you know, he had it to go like he could do that. But I understand why he was not. He did not have energy for people's bad questions at the end of the game. All right, you can recommend one burger spot from La
to someone who's in town for a Lakers game. We go on in and out, we go on, fat Burger, we go on Tommy's what are we thinking, Michael, fatburger, fat Burger. I need to start with fatburger. Michelberger, absolutely due, what's the order of Fetberger?
I would just get the original, But if you're watching your way, you can get the original skinny and it's not as bad. But the reason why because there is something about just straight up some relish, some secret sauce, separate, not together, right because they mixed them together. Separate down together, mustard, ketchup, mail, pickles, onions, what all of it? Give it all?
I need a fat burger. I'm I'm see the trouble is I'm stuck here in Tucson about ninety nine miles from one right now, So yeah, here we are.
It's just like you shared a terminal diagnosis with Carrie Oh noon. Oh sorry, all love to the great city of Tucson.
But yeah, yeah, of course all of you can't get to Fatburger that was Maybe should build one.
Here we are, okay, Hey, they got them in Mexico, I'm told by Brian the editor, and you can eat.
I get crazy, but you did add chili to it. If that's her thing, you can get real slappy with it, like it just really is a hallmark. I love some in and out, in and out as quick as trendy lines are long, everybody. Don't get me wrong. Love love love loves in and out. But you want old school representation, you need you need a fat.
Burg there it is all right, one more for you. Your team as a final possession is down too in a Game seven of the finals, for which player from throughout your franchise history do you want with the ball in his hands?
You know I'm gonna say something and I'll probably regret it. Oh, there were moments, there's key moments that I will I shall never forget, and I'm not gonna say magic. I'm not gonna say Kobe, not even gonna say Kaream. But when we needed a three, Derek Fisher there.
Hey, you know what.
Wow.
I did not expect that answer.
And I know he's a controversial set on the plate, but for some not for me, d Use to get it done like he was. He was always clutch. Always we needed three, and he was there. We're down to three, game winner two.
Thousand and nine Finals against some magic you know, in that comeback at the end of that, I think it was game four who knocked down the big three. That was d Fish.
Thank shot Bob too. But I'm gonna go with you friend of show.
Yeah, my good friend Robert Dorry. All right, sorry, we're just double. We're just getting the score in from the judges. And yeah, that was one. You got every single one of those right, Those were the correct answers. Carrie Champion, thank you so much for joining Miles and Jack and sometimes Jabari got mat Boosti's where can people find you? Follow you all that good stuff.
Carrie Champion. My name on Instagram, not so much on Twitter anymore threads. You can also follow me on YouTube. Got a YouTube channel. It's all good. I put all my stuff up and follow me Instagram. I give you everything, all the things and my podcast. Of course, of course you gotta listen to it. So go to iHeart and listen where you get all your favorite podcasts and I'm there.
There you go.
Yeah, a really good one art basel athlete podcast with some athletes were that are into art. Now you know the world's intersect. So it's good.
All right, well amazing, Thank you so much for joining us. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter. I'm at Jack Underscore O'Brien and Jack ob One on Blue Sky, Miles of zat Miles of Gray on both and Jabari where can people find you?
Jabari A. Davis on Twitter? It is still Twitter forever going down with the ship. But also Blue Sky is where I do most of my actions now, so Jabari Davis ndia.
You can also follow hashtag mat Boosties for show links updates. Be sure to join the conversation on our discord, which you can also find the link for when you search hashtag Matt Boosties. And that is another one in the books. We did episode what was this jar? Episode episode three? They said we wouldn't make it and we really did it swish from Way Downtown. We'll be back next week with more Matt boosties. Woul kill them by five