Now let's get to your calls before I get on out of here for the day. Let's go to Nikon. You're live with Steven A. Nikon out of California. What's up in Econ?
How are you hi?
Step?
I want to know when you have a great score like James Harden, and when you have a player like Dwayne Wade who won many rings, who do you think is better all time?
I got to give it to Dwayne Wade. Do you know why?
Why?
Because Dwayne Wade showed up winn he counted. See, if you're looking at the stats and you're looking at the one on one skill set, and you're looking at the prolific scoring prowess of a James Harden over several years of his career, particularly when he was in Houston, you have a point. The problem with James Harden's resume is that there has been too many occasions with the moment's
call from him. The game six close out game against San Antonio, a Game seven in Houston against Golden State, a game six and seven with the Philadelphia seventy six is against Boston, A Game seven just now against Dan with different teams, there have been several occasions where he has.
Not shown up.
And I'm not talking about just the lack of efficiency. I'm talking about a lack of aggression when he's attempted nine shots, eleven shots, ten shots, or whatever, acting like he didn't even want to be there in games where it was on the line. That has never happened to Dwayne Wade, who's a three time champion and an NBA Finals MVP and a Hall of Famer.
That ain't even a discussion. Appreciate the call. Let's go to Trey in Texas. You're live or steven A. What's up?
Trey? Hey, Steven Hand, this is Trey. First of all, I'm want to thank you for somening my book and for being an inspiration to me growing up. So my question to you is how do you get more involved in sports media at a twenty two year olds As a twenty two year old person.
We'll go to number one. Go to school, get education. Number two.
Edify yourself as much as possible, make sure you stay up on the issues or whatever, and practice repetition contributes to excellence. Do it over and over and over again. And don't be about the money, be about the substance, be about building something. You're twenty two years of age, and what behind the ears? You're young, You got your whole life ahead of you, a whole career ahead of you. You know, study the issues, study how to be on in front of the camera, Study how to speak in
front of that microphone. Pay attention to what makes a good subject matter approach and what makes a good subject matter to avoid, understand what the people want, what the public at large wants, what would have a sense of what's newsworthy and what resonates with an audience on a day to day basis. And when you do that, it'll go a long way towards assisting you and your aspirations.
Did I answer that question?
Yes, sir. I appreciate you. Man. Here to go, Man, thank you for being an inspirason to me all these years. Man, appreciate it.
Thank you Man. I appreciate it. Trey, appreciate you. Anthony in New York City, the last caller. What's going on?
Man?
How are you.
While you work on ESPN?
Thank you?
So I'm calling about these ice protests in Los Angeles and I want to get your pain on it. Honestly, I think it's disgusting. I think it's distasteful.
Hold what what's discussed?
Just for clarity, what's disgusting and what's distasteful for my audience, and we don't understand you what's disgusting and what's distasteful.
The way they're protesting is not peaceful. I see industry is burning things. Is not peaceful, okay, And I'm will who are people coming into this country? You know, a bit opportunity all that, but they gotta do it the right way, steven A. There's a process for that, and I don't know how I gavin do some and people stand support them being here the illegal way when they don't belong here, then the process you have to go
to court get asylum. They're not doing that. They're questing the border illegally and we certain states are just running that and I don't understand that, and that's what really drives my gears. I want to just your thoughts on that.
Well. A couple of things.
Number one, and don't hang up, because I want to hear your response to what I have to say. Number One, California is a sanctuary state, and when you look up the definition of the sanctuary state, it basically gives you a license to fight and fend off federal mandates that may come your way because you don't agree with them.
That's what our court system is for.
So even though it's a sanctuary state, it doesn't make the State of California illegal in their actions according to the courts. Now, after courts reach a ruling, particularly after Governor Newsom goes about the business of suing the Trump administration and the court rules in Trump's favor, and then Gavin Newsom in the State of California DeFi those courts,
now you're venturing into a legal status. But until that time comes, if you're labeled a sanctuary state or a sanctuary city, then you're not considered lawless.
That's number one. Number two.
Everybody out there approach testing ain't illegal, ain't undocumented. We have to keep that in mind. Some are, there's no doubt about that. Obviously, most if not all, of those protesters support illegal and undocumented immigrants, which is a different subject altogether, something close to what you're alluding to. But that doesn't mean every one of them is illegal and undocumented. There are legal citizens in the United States, there are people here on their visas. There are people here that
are documented and naturalized immigrants. And because that's the case, that doesn't mean that would make them legal. And under our laws, you do have the right to protest. Okay, Now, that doesn't mean you have the right to burn cars and businesses and steal like folks were stealing from Jordan's store in downtown LA. They showed footage of that taking place. No,
you don't have a right to engage in lawlessness. But sometimes the art of a protest is being as disruptive as you possibly can be, so you can garner the tension not just of the federal government and our elected officials, but the world, making sure the eye of the nation and the world is upon you so they could see what your vociferous protests are all about. That's what's transpiring here, and that's what we have to pay attention to.
So again, it's not ideal. We don't like it.
We see what's going on in the state of California in terms of their spending compared to the revenue that they're generating, the fact that they're approaching a deficit in the tens of billions of dollars.
We understand that. We understand that in a lot of people's eyes, illegal.
Immigration contributes to that because you got people using medicaid in the medical system as their form of health care, and it's costing tax.
Payer dollars a lot. We get all of that, and in somehow, some way it's got to be fixed.
But all those sorts and neggas said it best it could easily be fixed, that they were committed to doing it. But either side uses it as a tool to favor themselves when they're running for election, and as a result of that, it's in the politicians benefit to not resolve this issue. And that's what the problem is right now, and that's why all parties are to be blamed for this as opposed to just one party.
Anthony, all right, right, And I respect for you saying I understand all that. And I live in a sanctuary, so I'm from New York City, so I see it here too. And why don't like it when you speak about illegal immigration? People want to call you a racist or tell me you know got work. Oh, you don't care about these people, and so I don't care about people. This made me a racist. I wanted them to do it the right way, the legal way. That's what I'm saying, missus Stephen A.
Smith.
I told it to me, all right.
I appreciate it.
Good points to Anthony not going to sit up there and to cry that, no doubt about it.
And I thank you for the call.