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Hey there, welcome in for the first time in a while. What's right with Nick? Great episode two forty seven. Few programming notes, Uh, little intermittent last week. We were out because of the World Series of Poker fourth of July this week, so I think we give everybody off. I haven't discussed that. I don't think we have a show for the j The next week family vacation, so we're gonna hit you hard with a bunch of NBA free agency, and then post family vacation will be back, kind of
turning the page to all things NFL. But I had a great week in Vegas, and we will discuss that on the show. There was also a lot of a lot of the Internet thinks that Tom Haberstrow's article unmasking Michael Jordan's fraudulent defensive Player of the Year award. It was a Tom Habershrow and Nick Wright article. And while I appreciate the credit, and I think Tom did a
great job, he deserves all the credit. I just did a little bit of media consultation about how to kind of position that in the marketplace as best as it could be. But turns out my media consulting on that was useless because the network other than mine acted like that article didn't exist. You know, shows that will spend thirty forty minutes on a single Lebron James Tweet decided not to dedicate a single word to you know, you know, was one of the pillars of Michael Jordan's goat case
built on a lie. Struck me as odd, it struck me as interesting. But again, the as much as I love getting credit for other people's work, that was Tom Haberstrow's Blood, Sweat and Tears, And I'm gonna go ahead. I was thinking about this, but I'm gonna go ahead and do this real quick. I was thinking about this when I was in Vegas, and I didn't know if I was gonna do it or not. And we'll bring
de Mon's an in a moment. But I just want to get this out there now and feel free bad actors on the internet to clip this and distribute it however you want. This is a verbal contract, because folks then took Tom's article and they were like, what about this game from Lebron? Okay, here is not even a wager a free role for any one person out there.
If anyone out there can find a mutually agreed upon respected statistician to look at the Lebron James statistical record and find anything as statistically outlandish as what Tom found about Jordan's nineteen eighty eight season and are able to draw the similar line to this specific award Lebron won was based in this level of statistical anomaly or Malfe's if there is a again, you guys can pick them as long whoever wants to do it, as long as they are credentials pass muster to me. Let them do
their study. If you can find that person to do that study and come back and be like, hey, this award has as much of an asterisk on it as Jordan's nineteen eighty eight Defensive Player of the ar award. I'll give you ten thousand dollars. So that is a challenge to the internet, an open challenge to the Internet. Anyone can apply. I just laid out the parameters, hand over heart ten thousand dollars guarantee replay. Exactly what the parameters were. They're very very clear. But until you and
by the way, there's no risk. It's not a bet. If you can't, you owe me zero. So that that is now out there in the ether for as long as people want it, and it's available for as long as people want it. My guess is no one's going to take it because it's not going to be doable because Lebron's entire career has been in the high definition mostly streaming League pass era and it's not being relied upon legend the way kind of some of that eighties
Jordan stuff is. But it's out there. Ten grand's a real amount of money, so go try to do it. The real question is, right now, while I'm talking, is Demanse thinking could I am I eligible? Could I find the statistician. That would be a hell of us plot twist. I knew you were thinking. Demanse's like, hold on a second, I might know some people that would love to do this.
How are you doing, Pal, I'm doing pretty good. How are we doing? How are we doing?
I'm doing good. Glad to be back. Today's an interesting thing on the TV show because we have the nether Romania game on FS one at noon Eastern, and the moment that game ends, we're live on the air, which means two things. One is we should have a million plus people watching at the beginning of the show. The other is the show might start an hour early. The show could start at two pm. If that thing goes right in regulation doesn't go extra time, then we're starting
at two and rolling till four thirty. So we got a lot to do, a lot to catch up on NBA Free Agency and Demond's e It seems like, you know, we missed quite a bit in this week. I was gone, So why don't you tell us what we're doing here before we get.
So A lot of events if unfolded while we've taken our break for your World Series of Poker and this other stuff.
So the producers put a list.
Of stuff that happened over that time, and you can just pick a couple of what you want to hit on.
So okay, so break Brandon Ayuk. It's a whole list. If you're watching YouTube. Brendan aug seems to not want to be with the Niners anymore, so they don't want to pay him. But it looks like he's gonna stay with the Niners, so that's nothing. Summer TV heating up again. This is there's podcast for that US men's national team eliminated from Copa America. Put a pin in that we'll get to it. Uh. This kid, that NBA draft pick, Jared McCain. People seem to not like his tiktoks or
gen z nish of him. Fact of the matter is, I've got the I've got teenage kids, so or a teenage kid, and I already had a teenage kid. Demanda's not full on gen Z. My daughter is full on gen Z and I'm around her people, so I'm not I'm nonplussed by this. The w NBA's record setting weekend. We will discuss that the USA track legends and gymnastics legends heading to Paris. We'll get into that when the
Olympics actually starting in July. Don't really care again about the Travis Kelsey Taylor Swift relatedtionship other than I think it's going to extend his career because I think she loves going to the games. And the Jaguars are building the Prince of Castle, befitting his royal name, a new stadium. So two things in that I want to get to. One is the WNBA. The other is the US men's national team. So the WNBA, this is what I'm gonna say. These two rookies, Caitlyn and Angel had so much hype
and they're exceeding it. Caitlyn this weekend was one rebound away from the first rookie triple double in the history of the WNBA, and did it in the Pardon Me, in the midst of beating Diana Tarazi in that and the Phoenix Mercury. It was a great game. I watched the whole fourth quarter of it. Caitlin continues to answer the bell. The turnovers are a lot, but go.
Ahead about the turnovers.
But I saw a video or like a montage saying, look at the turnovers that Caitlin Clark is getting in like on half of them, there passes that our teammates could catch, and it seems like they're just selling her down the river.
So I don't so I think half is an overstatement. I do think there's you know, usually I saw that montage as well, but the volume is so high. Some of that is it's a rookie woes being asked to do, you know, everything, And right now she leads the WNBA and assists and leads the WNBA in three pointers. The
turnovers will need to get. Yes, her teammates could help out a little bit more, but it's also she was a high turnover player at Iowa, and at some point the job is know what passes your teammates can catch. But I'm not here. I'm not trying to knock her. My point is that's the only real Yeah. But about the resume and then the flip side, Angel Reese, it damn Dennis Rodman out there just to double double every game.
Not Dennis wasn't double double, but as far as the rebounding, and she just set the record for ten straight double doubles in WNBA rookie record. So those two rookies whose teams are neck and neck in the standings for the final playoff spot. Who's individually are neck and neck in the Rookie of the Year standings. It has been spectacular
to watch and it's great for the league. And then we get to the US men's national team, which I am not going to act as if I am a full blown US men's national team expert, but I know a team that is underachieving and needs a change when I see one. And the performance in Copa America by the US men's national team Greg Berholter on down is the type of performance that in a serious organization would
to the manager his job. And for Burholter to now be if you were against top fifteen opponents, if you remove Mexico zero wins, five losses, five draws, to be hosting Copa America and not get out of the group stage, and to have that performance last night, Yeah, the officiating was terrible. I don't care. You were putting this position because you couldn't handle your business against Panama, so you
have to beat Uruguay. You have seemingly no real scoring chances until it's too late at the end, and then this might not be popular. Don't care. Polisic, buddy, you doing the whole of the ref Oh go Celegrabrate with Uruguay, give me a break, man. You guys, the the level of underachieving by this alleged golden generation of the US men's national team is unfathomable. And the World Cup is here on our soil in two years and they look as far away from contending for anything as at any
point in my lifetime. I don't know if you can fix it in two years, but I know that at a minimum you must make a managerial change, and then holistically, US soccer needs to decide, Hey, guys, our country produces the best athletes in the world. We have three hundred and fifty million people. Are we going to actually try to figure out why we can't get our arms around twenty awesome American soccer players when, by the way, the
money for these guys is there. It's not like, oh, well, the best athletes don't want to play it because you make more money as an elite soccer player than you do anything other than NBA. And you might be like, oh, well, no, you actually make more than the NBA. Well, Messi and Ronaldo do, but the NBA guys still make absurd money.
But you make more as an elite soccer player than you do an NFL player, then you do a baseball player for the vast majority of these guys, and to not be able to develop the pipeline of talent is a long term issue. Not getting embarrassed in the World Cup in two years after being embarrassed Coopa last night in this past week is a short term issue. I don't see how they don't fire the manager. All right, demonse, Let's get to the actual show.
Yeah, So teams are trying to get it together over there in the East to combat the Celtics. You got the seventy six ers. They just signed Paul George the big Fisher free agency, and they re signed Maxie. The Knicks reunited that twenty sixteen NCAA championship Lenova.
Team and they held onto og.
Milwaukee should be finally getting healthy, but Boston already has everybody locked up. So who do you think did the best job of closing that gap on the Celtics in the East?
What's your end? I mean, so Milwaukee didn't do anything, so they're not really elmtible for Miami. He hasn't done anything. And I know you're you feel Boston is still probably heading shoulders above. But who do you think right now the Knicks or the Sixers have the best claim for biggest contender for Boston.
Between those two, I'd give it to the Knicks. I don't really have too much faith in the seventy six Ers. That Paul George thing doesn't really move me that much. I don't know if Joel Evan bid is gonna be healthy come like next postseason.
I just.
The Okay, So here's the here's the reason my answer would be the Sixers. I get what the Knicks are doing, and I love what they've done, adding Bridges, going all in on chemistry, trying to have a legitimate five person, five man starting lineup where everyone is a threat a lah what the Celtics did being excellent defensively, Having Og and McHale Bridges as your wing defenders is going to put teams in hell. Okay, So I really like what
the Knicks have done. However, it feels a bit to me like, all right, I get it, you are duplicating what the Celtics did, but you're doing it with just slightly worse players. That to me is not a great path. Now, Jalen Brunson might be the best player on either team. Might be. I'm not saying he's definitively better than Brown and Tatum, but he might be. But oh, if you just go through the rest of it. The Celtics, when Chris STAPs comes back from the surgery, he's at center,
and the Knicks now of Mitchell Robinson. Your wings are McHale and og their wings are Tatum and Brown. You know your backcourt again, give it to Brunson, but against Drew if that's what you want to do. But then Derek White against Josh Harder Dante goes to the Celtics. That to me is not the cleanest path, but I
love what the Knicks have done. The Sixers, on the other hand, are going more traditional in the know kind of modern NBA, which is three stars and importantly three stars who have very distinct roles athletic point guard, do it all, wing, dominant big. It's not three stars where there's a ton of redundancy to it. It's a point guard, a wing, and a big. And Daryl will be able to fill out the rest of the roster. So my
answer would be Philly. But my answer, yes, of course, if Embiid's hurt again, then it all goes by the wayside. The hope is twofold demands. A one is with Paul George. There when Embiid suffers his inevitable regular season ding, you can give him more time to recover and the team doesn't fall off a cliff because you have Maxi and Paul George. That's first point. Second point is this, and this is where I want your take on it. Maxie
thirty a game in the playoffs this year. I think in order for the Sixers to reach their full postseason potential, Maxi's gotta be the postseason closer. I think that Maxy has to be the guy. The ball is in his hands. He's out there making the decisions. Because Paul George is gonna float and knock down threes, play good defense. Embiid is gonna have some monster knights, but then also some nights where he looks a little shaken. Maxy is not scared.
So I think for the Sixers it's actually about Maxie getting to that level we saw him scratching the surface of in the postseason. That's why I like them this year. Your thoughts on that before I say one other Embiid thing.
Yeah, I'd say that's I'd say that's fair.
I don't want to say, like the torches Maxi's because it's obviously got to share the ball, But I do trust the ball and Maxi's hand at the end of games the most. Yeah, No, that's that's that's true.
I'm gonna so and I'm gonna add one other thing about Embiid. Embiid shouldn't be playing in the Olympics. I it's he's right now, the plane is he's going to I think that is foolish. I think if there's anybody who needs less wear and terror and more recovery time, it's Embiid. And if I were the Sixers, I would just be holding my breath the entire Olympic run. If Embiid is in fact playing, all right, what are some follow ups?
Do you see any other teams in the East climbing climbing up to that top.
Tier right now? I mean, listen, I don't think we can discount the Bucks. I think the Bucks have to be included in that tier. Because of Giannis and Doc Rivers, this kind of got under I don't want to say he went under the radar because he said it Bill Simmons podcast, and Bill's got the biggest sports podcast in the world, but it didn't get a ton of pickup. Doc said, And I don't by the way, I don't think Doc should have said this. I thought it was
kind of shy. But Doc said that when he got to Milwaukee, Dame told him that he was the most out of shape he had ever been coming into a year because Dame was afraid to get injured while working out waiting for the trade. Okay, so I don't think that was very nice to Dame to share publicly with that said, that is oddly the reason for optimism for the Bucks, which is because Dame didn't look like the
same player. The hope is, oh, Dame was just out of shape and Dame never was, you know, and that there is a bit of a Dame revenge season component, plus Jannis trying to remind everyone who he is, and in fairness to honest, back to back postseasons when Yannis hasn't been healthy. Uh so, to me, they're on that top tier as well. But no, Miami's not doing anything. Cleveland, they just re signed Donovan Mitchell. By the way, I kind of have a feeling on how that's gonna go.
Donovan got his money from Cleveland, three year, one hundred and fifty million dollar extension. It's like, okay, he's not going to demand a trade. Well maybe in a year go. That's the new NBA free agency is get your contract extension and then demand a trade in a year. Anyway, I could see that happening and the Magic. While I do like the addition of KCP, the magic or not to me of that caliber at the moment. All right, last follow up here before he gets to Klay Thompson.
Do you think that Paul George made a mistake going from one injured co star to another.
Well, I just don't think he had a lot of options. I get the you know, Kawhy is never healthy and now you have Embiid to deal with, But as far as team's cap space, contending teams that could give him the max, it was just Philly and so it's a risk. But it's a risk that to me if I were him, I think they're in better shape than the Clippers for sure, So it made sense. All right.
Next, all right, so Klay Thompson's heading over to Dallas to play with your large Slovenian son the Warriors. No, so Klay Thompson even got a deal from the Lakers that he turned down. I was pretty surprising.
What does that say the most about the Mavericks, the Warriors of the Lakers.
All right, so we'll talk more about the Lakers in a moment. It is being reported the Lakers offered Clay four for eighty That's impossible. They literally did not have the capability to offer him that. Now, maybe they were like, oh, we'll be able to make these moves, we'll do these things, but they were not in a position where they were able to slide across a contract to Klay Thompson saying sign and it's ready for it. Even though Lebron was willing to take a pay cut. The Lakers total inability
to land their guy. It's just it's historic and all of us and folks are like, oh the state taxes.
All right.
A couple things. First, of all, NBA players pay tax per game. So this idea of all these Texas teams have such a massive edge, well for half of their games, yeah, which is a real amount of money. I understand, But when you play a game in California, you're paying taxes, California taxes when you play a game in Dallas playing Texas Texas. I get that part of it. But the other part of that media narrative that's so maddening is
Texas didn't just change their state tax law. It's been like that and the Mavericks have been striking out on free agents for a decade. The Lakers front office targeted Danny Hurley, couldn't get the job done. The Lakers' front office, who's fought, targeted Klay Thompson, whose dad is a franchise legend and works for the team and he loves being on the water and he lives from southern California, and
Lebron recruited him, and they couldn't get it done. It's almost like the Lakers' front office doesn't have a god forsake and clue what they're doing. Now for the MAVs side of it, I like this a lot. Listen, you're gonna take a slight step back defensively? What demands They go?
Yeah, No, definitely, like you you hit it on the nose.
The slightest step back defensively definitely isn't gonna help with the perimeter defense. But they could have used a shooter in that series for sure.
Right.
And like they have now added uh, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes. You saw that they.
Got your yeah.
And Clay. So Quinton will defend, Quentin will defend and hit threes. Clay is just gonna hit spot up threes all day and and Luca is gonna spoon feed them those spot up threes. So I yes, I do think they take a slight step back defensively, no doubt about it. But to lose Derek Jones Junior and Tim Hardaway and to add Naji Marshall Quinton Grimes, who again I'm partial too because he and Demonsee were teammates in for basketball university in Houston, and that team to was on in
Houston had eight guys go d one. Quinton was the youngest by two years, and do you think it was fair to say he was the best then the best when he was fifteen and the rest of you guys were seventeen, he was the best, uh and so he and so again I'm partial to it because I've watched him since he was a kid, watched him play with
demonse and he's such a nice kid. So I'm really like he's in a good basketball spot for him, and so I like this for Clay a lot I also find and now we'll get to the Warriors piece of it, Demonse, three for fifty is not a lot. It's not And I mean Malik Monk just got four for seventy eight from the Kings. So this tell the fact that the Warriors and Clay it'd be one thing of a team gave him, you know, four for one twenty that it's like,
all right, this doesn't make sense for us. But the fact that the Warriors couldn't find a way to bridge the gap tells me they were ready to move on, and maybe Clay was ready to move on in this regard. Tell me if you buy this, I think that for Clay to fully accept he's in a different place in his career, he might literally need to be in a
different place in his career. Does that make sense? Like that, as long as he's with Stephen dre and wearing that uniform, it's going to be more painful for him that he's not what he once was.
I guarantee, if he's on a different team, he's probably not throwing up the force on the sideline. I think that was like a weird psychological thing with him.
I think you're exactly right. I think that is exactly right. So I'm happy for Clay. Now, what does this mean for the Warriors? I am going to keep so what it means for them this year? In the short term, with or without Clay, they're not contenders. They will be lucky to make the playoffs. Okay, that's just where they're at. What does it mean for Steph? And what does it mean for Steph's ability to contend with what's left of the end of his prime and be a lifelong Warrior?
Because I think those two things are now contradictory, and I think that, but it had the Warriors a year ago when they re signed Raymond also resigned Clay, that to me would have guaranteed that Steph chose loyalty over contention, because it's like, all right, we came in together, we're all going to retire together. But the Warriors organization broke the band up. So don't then be upset if the lead singer says I want to go elsewhere. The label broke up the band. You can't then ask the front
man to stay loyal to the label. Well, what about my partner, Well, what about my splash brother? So it's not a story right now, but a bubbling NBA story, in my opinion, is when the Warriors this year missed the play in entirely and Steph has another very good year this offseason, does Steph say, hmm hmmm. Do I want to spend the end of my career playing basketball with a part time player, full time podcaster, a bunch of kids, and not playing in games that matter? I
don't know. I think that is a I think that is a real question and something to monitor. All right, let's get to the Lakers side of it to.
Mort stuck with you.
All right, Yeah, so the Lakers may not have landed Clay, but they did land JJ Reddick, and they got they drafted Bronnie. I didn't think they were going to do that, but they ended up doing it. Lebron even opted out of some open to open up some money for a I think it was about twenty million to make a move, and it doesn't seem like they've made that move yet.
So, oh, we have a phone. Oh that's Zach Morris.
Finn, it's Janie Buss calling, and she wants you to give an honest State of the Lakers report.
Oh okay, why is it still ringing? Guys? That's not Demands's fault, the tech side. The tech side had it still ring after Demansia answered it the honest take. Thank you, Demanse Genie can listen on the on the YouTube stream. Uh. The Lakers are just a good brand, that's it. They're not well run. They they have so many built in advantages and they consistently squander them. Whether it's because of ownership, frugality,
or front office incompetence, I don't really care. The fact of the matter is that the only thing standing between the Los Angeles Lakers and fifteen years in the Wilderness is the fact that Lebron James decided, you know what, I want to play for that franchise and I have the juice to get Anthony Davis to come along. What significant? Wow, What a move move have they made since Paulenka's been there that was not done by either Lebron picking them
or Lebron and Rich helping them get Anthony Davis. There is none. Now, I did like the kid they drafted, Dalton Connect. I do like that pick, and I will give credit for that pick. But you openly target Danny Hurley, you can't land him. You openly target Klay Thompson, you can't land him. They're going to Lebron says, I'll take a pay cut if you can land any of these guys. They're gonna whiff on all of those guys, and Lebron's gonna end up being taking the max, would be my guess.
Maybe they get Tomarto Rosen, but I doubt it. Also, there's not a lot of basketball consistency to we want to add spot up three point shooter Klay Thompson, Oh, we missed him. Let's add pull up two point shooter Demarta Rosen. They are very drastically different players. Luckily, I'm sure JJ Reddick has a plan for all of this. So I find the whole thing to be an embarrassing way to run a franchise. I've talked about this plenty, and I wish Lebron would leave, but he's not going to.
All right, let's talk Celtics before we move on.
So fresh off the title, my Celtics are looking to sell the team. I got to play for those players somehow, So first the Mavericks and now this with the expansion on the horizon and owners being paid money for doing nothing. Why would they be backing out and trying to sell the team at this point?
So I think this listen. Chris Mannix tweeted that he thinks there's a lot of concern amongst NBA ownership about the future of RSN deals, the Regional Sports network money. I also think if you're the like, if you're the Celtics, the Clippers go for two billion, then Jordan sells the Hornets for three billion, allegedly as he got short squeezed in game stop and needed the cash. But god knows, Michael Jordan never make a bad, you know, multi billion
dollar bet. And then what team just sold for four? The Sun's just sold for four? So what are the Celtics worth six? You know? So I understand it. The other piece of it that I find fascinating is this demanse. The Nuggets won the title and then because of all the punitive luxury tax stuff started losing guys. Jeff Green gone, okay, you'll do with it. Bruce Brown gone, oh that hurts, but we should be okay, Actually no, you weren't, and
then cacp out the door. The Celtics win the title, re sign everyone, but then are gonna leave the bill with somebody else the owners. It was like, no, no, no, We're not gonna lose everybody, but we're actually not gonna have to pay this check either someone else's. The the the the refusal to pay, not refusal, but the hesitancy to pay, the luxury tax in the new NBA and the second Apron stuff is going to make keeping some
of these teams long term together so incredibly expensive. Bobby Martz wrote that not this coming year, but the year after this, the Celtics are slated to have a two hundred and twenty five million dollar payroll with an additional two hundred and twenty five million dollar tax bill, so four hundred and fifty million dollars to field a roster, which the previous record was three to eighty by the
Warriors a few years ago. Yeah, so I think that I do find it fascinating though, Cuban selling, now the Celtics selling. The guy who was owned the Timbrels was trying to sell them, trying.
To back out, says the Hornets were sold for like three billion, The Commanders sold for six billion. So could you see the Celtics or an NBA team going higher than in ANFL team.
Well, I think, listen, if the Suns are worth four what are the Celtics worth? I mean, I feel like I'm just basing it on that, like the new TV deal, Like what who the Lakers, Nicks, Warriors, Celtics, those are your foremost valuable franchises. If the Suns are worth four billion, is there a team worth fifty percent more than Phoenix? I think. Now some of this has to do like do you own your own arena and stuff that admittedly I don't understand, but the Celtics are, without a doubt
one of the foremost valuable brands in the league. And that was before they just won this title. Also, by the way, don't forget oh go ahead de monse.
No.
I mean, so with all the money stuff with Boston, Tatum is now the highest played NBA player, do you think that he will get a boost and you know, his stats or whatever want to play harder like Jalen Brown did when he got his highest played player.
So I think it'll be less about the money and more about that he now has the monkey off his back of being a champion and now that didn't. It went the other way for Anthony Davis. A lot of people thought that would happen with Ad and the best AD's ever played was on that title run and he hasn't really recaptured that. For Tatum, it's like, I think maybe it's the best of both worlds, which is he is the monkey office back of being a champion, but he also at the same time has something to prove
because he wasn't Finals MVP. All right, reminder for the live audience, you can ask your questions in the chat. I spent last week playing poker. We'll discuss that and play a game of writings. That's all next. What's Right? All right? Welcome back in What's Right? With Nick Wright? All right, Demon's so I was off last week. We had some shows off of TV because of the Euros, and I went out to Vegas. So go ahead and set us up and we'll get into all of it.
Yeah, so you were in Vegas last week for the World Series of Poker and you stop by the Poker Go booth apparently, and you made some new fans. Well, we spent a lot of time talking about football and basketball. We know you're not about both of those your nerdiness for poker might take the cake. So you want to tell us about your week in Vegas?
Sure? And do we have a SoundBite we want to play? Tell me my ear, Daniel, we got a SoundBite we can play? All right, So let's play this. This is me calling the final table of the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars buy in World Series of Poker event. Will play this and then I'll explain my week.
Go ahead.
I'm so numb to meeting athletes. But I was walking through the lobby and I saw Brian Rast and I was like, oh my god. I was like, oh my god, this is amazing. I walked over to Rin Lynn and I and I was like, why are you playing Halem when everyone knows you're the world's greatest Rast? I am such a poker nerd, and so yeah, this is thrilling to me. So all right, So here's the deal. The actual tournaments, I didn't play well, well, that's not fair to myself. I played very poorly in one. I played
in three tournaments. I didn't cash any of them. I played very poorly in one of them. One of them, I it was just the old the old cl classic poker flip ace king versus queens for heaps of chips, and I was on the wrong side of it. And the other one the Omaha eighth Stud eight Tournament mixed game.
I actually think I played really well. I was really happy with how I played and made Day two and thought, I again thought I played really well, but kind of got unlucky a couple of times cold decked a bit and didn't cash. But that is not really the story here. To me. The story is twofold. One is about what's happening at the World Series of Poker right now, and the other is the broadcasting stuff. So let's start with
what's having the World Series of Poker. So that tweet we showed you was Daniel Nogranu shouting me out for the commentary in the booth. Granu shortly after sending this tweet. One, in my opinion, and I think many people's opinion, the most prestigious bracelet at the World Series two thousand dollars buy in Poker Players Championship, and it's called that because it's nine separate variants of poker that you play in a rotation. The setup is to minimize luck as much
as possible. It is real. It is the crowning jewel of the world series. And for Daniel, who's been either the biggest, second or third biggest face in poker, Ham Ivy and Helm Youth obviously are the three kind of royalties of poker, along with my dear departed friend Doyle Brunton, that would be the poker mount Rushmore. From a fame and notoriety standpoint, Daniel hadn't won a bracelet in a decade. And again, if you're not a poker person, give me
another five minutes here. If you're listening to it on the pod, you can skip forward like five minutes because I'm not going to explain this is for poker people. I understand people like want to bracelet different variants. I'm just I'm talking to the poker audience right now. So for Daniel to win and get that monkey off his back was exceptional, absolutely exceptional, and it goes in line with what has been arguably the greatest world series of
poker up to this point. Ever so, in no particular order, Scott sever who has a legitimate claim as one not just a legitimate claim, he definitively is one of the best all around players in the world. Some would argue he is the best all around player in the world. Scott sever said before this year's World Series of Poker, I'm calling my shot. I'm doing bracelet bets on the side.
I'm basically gonna go run this tournament. He just became the second or the first person in nearly twenty years to win not one, not two, but three bracelets in one World Series of Poker. And I was up to one in the morning a couple of nights ago watching his deuced to seven single draw final table, and even for poker folks, now we're getting really in the weeds. But he made two of the most brilliant plays one can possibly make in that game to win this tournament.
He removed any luck one can remove from the the event and just made great play after great play to win his third bracelet. So that is happening. Phil Ivy, playing a full series, seemingly for the first time in forever, is back. Bubbled the final table of the two hundred and fifty K that I was supposed to call, or that I did call, but I was supposed to call his performance there, but he had already won a different bracelet. My good friend Nick Showman, who I do think is
the best all around player in the world. He want to break Chris Honiken won the hundred k and then came in third in the two hundred and fifty k. That this has been just a historic world series. Oh, Jeremy Austmas has I think final tabled six events. He has a seventh, a fifth, a fifth, a fourth, a third, a second, and Severs probably run away with the Player of the Year because of his third bracelet. But we'll
see if someone else can run him down. And so it has just been an all and I'm leaving people out. I'm sure an all time world series of poker. The only downside now I will tell an embarrassing anecdote. So the cool thing for me is these guys know me because so many of them bet sports and are into sports. So like Scott sever I'm not gonna yeah, I'll reveal this. I guess Scott Sever DMed me, uh, I DMed him
congratulations about his third bracelet. He DM me like, hey, I saw you at the eight table and I didn't want to bother you, and I was like, oh man, I wrote him back. I was like, man, I saw you at the other eight table. I didn't want to bother you. So it's really cool to me that these guys who are the best in the world, that I'm able to have like a relationship with them. And Ivy is kind of in this world by himself. He's almost a mythical figure in that everyone acknowledges he's the greatest
ever do it. He took some time away, he's back now, and he still just carries himself with this this historic presence. And I when I was doing some research getting ready for the two hundred and fifty K, when it looked like he was going to be on the final table, I realized I'm like, oh, oh my god, phil Ivy follows me on Twitter. I'm like, so, phil Ivy Demanse knows me, and this is this is as thrilling as it gets. I'm like, oh my god, he follows me
on Twitter, Like we're gonna like he knows me. So if I get to see him, like, it's not gonna be like, oh, I'm like some fan, Like we're gonna have some commonality. Two days later, I'm walking into the tournament area and walking right next to me is phil and I'm like, oh, this is perfect. So I turned him like, hey, Phil, how's it going? Stick my hand out man? When I tell you he Stone did not know me. For anyone, I would be under selling it. And I was so thrown off and tilted by Demanse
that I started like spitting my resume at him. I was like, oh, Phil, I broadcast the two hundred fifty K last night, Like no, like no, We're supposed to be friends. It was so embarrassing and.
Around No.
I mean there was one other guy walking with him that I couldn't I couldn't tell if that guy who's like security or another player doesn't matter. But someone else saw it and it was mortified. So but everything else went great. Now. I will say one other thing, the Poker Hall of Fame as of right now in ducks one person a year, one player a year, and you're
not eligible until you're forty a year from now. They have a problem on their hands, which yours that arguably in their prime right now that you could make the argument the two best all around poker players in the world right now are Nick Shulman and Scott sever I mentioned them both as far as what they've done this World Series. They both won bracelet Scott's one three. Nick keeps crushing. They both turn forty this year, and they
both are first time eligible next year. It would be shameful for either one of them to have to wait and if the the Poker Hall of Fame has a year to prepare for what they need to do. But both of them must be first ballot guys, both of those players, it would be disrespectful to either one of them for them not to get in on the first ballot. They are two of the all time greatest who right now appear to both be at the peaks of their powers. Nick has the added bonus of he is the best
poker broadcaster in the world. Scott has the added bone he's in the midst of maybe the greatest World Series run, maybe of all time, certainly of the last fifteen years. They both must be first ballot a year from now, and the Poker Hall of Fame is a year to figure it out, all right, Demanse, you can ask me a follow up and then we'll move on to right ends.
Uh so, Yeah, where is poker commentator on your list of dream jobs?
Oh? I don't this is gonna make you laugh. I don't look at it as a dream job. It's it's just gonna be a job that I have. I'm going to do that. It's it won't be my full time job, but I'm going to do it like. That's not a that's a non negotiable thing for me. There are certain things like I would like to be the third guy in an NFL booth, like the way they have the the referee expert come in the like fourth down analytics expert. That's like a fuzzy dream. Like dreams might be too strong.
But I don't know if I will be able to land that plane. Poker commentator I can do. I've done it. I've had a lot of how do I put this properly? I've had opportunities to do it more consistently. I will continue that. My problem right now is it's hard to get to and from Vegas, New York to Vegas, you know what I mean, And you want to be on the ground there to do it. But I'm going to find a way to have that be a bigger part of what I do because I love it so much.
I get so much enjoyment out of it, and there is a part of my brain that is just activated in thinking about poker and games and the strategy of it that it's like an itch that has to be scratched. So that's why I like playing, because of the competition of it. But I also like watching the best in the world play to think about what they were thinking about and why moves are made. And so yeah, so I'm going to do it, and I'll do it more.
And shout out to Brent Hanks and Jeff Platt for allowing me, giving me the platform to share with them for the two hundred and fifty K, which was just a remarkable final table to watch and the whole thing was great. All right, let's play the game. Let's play right INDs.
So yeah, So the Spurs made some noise and they finally got wmba point guard he's a little outside of his prime, and Chris Paul. They also drafted Stefan Castle at number four. The reports are that they are interested in Laurie markten, but are they ready to compete.
The Spurs ceiling is.
Now, oh, be a five hundred team this year. Now if they get marketing, maybe a touch higher. I like marking in a ton, but their ceiling is be a five hundred team. Compete for the playoffs in year three. I didn't love the Chris Paul to the Spurs thing. I didn't totally understand. Brew then mentioned kind of being a mentor to Castle, which made a lot of sense. But be a five hundred team, all right.
Next, Donovan Mitchell agreed to an extension with the Cast for three years, one hundred and fifty million. However, that doesn't mean he can't ask out in a year. Like you just said, Donovan Mitchell will be in Cleveland for a blank more years.
I think one more year. I listen, Calves fans might be mad at me. I don't want that to happen. I understand if they're frustrated. It's like, man, he just re signed, and you guys are already you're you're already talking about when he could leave. But to me, it just felt like a grab the money and worry about the rest later. So I so I think one more year is probably what makes the most sense, all right.
Next, The Thunder have been busy this offseason.
First they traded for Alix Cruso, and now they've signed Isaiah Hartenstein to shore up their biggest weakness, the Thunder's title chances.
Are now blank percent.
Oh well, gosh, I don't know what are they one in five, twenty percent? Like the Thunder in real good shape, man. I think Hartenstein feels a real need for them. Shay's excellent. They have a smart coach, well built roster. They also still have all those draft picks in store, so they can make a trade at the deadline more easily than most teams. So I think the Thunder, if you were to come to me and be like the Thunder of the favorites in the West, I got at least listen
to it. Dallas obviously right there, Denver. I think the KCP loss is significant. Minnesota can't be forgotten. I'm just listing the top four teams. I know that's kind of silly, but OKC is positioned incredibly well.
All right, next, Yeah, it wasn't the most stacked NBA draft ever, but that doesn't mean the excitement was lacking.
Your favorite pick in the NBA draft this year was.
Well, the excitement actually was lacking. I did really listen. I was. I think I said it on this show a couple months ago, how much I like Dalton Connect For him to fall to seventeen to the Lakers. That is a really good pick. I give the front office credit where it's due. They had something fall into their lap and they were smart enough to pick it up. But so I guess that. But I'm interested to see Castle with Wimby over the years, and I didn't Red
Shepherd's really good. But I don't know much about the foreign guys. I'm just not gonna lie to you about the number one pick. And sorry, I wasn't scouring that film.
Next there's no there's no time for a full soccer corner today, but catch us up on the Euros in Copa America and make your predictions. The Euros in Copo America champions will be.
Oh listen, Spain's got a brutal quarterfinal match against Germany, but I like Spain in that spot, and so I'm gonna go with Spain. Is I think they've been the best team thus far this tournament. So I'll go with Spain in the Euros and in Copa I'm just gonna go with Chalk and I'll just go with Argentina. You guys know, I tend to always root for Brazil, but I think it's going to be Argentina. And I know that there right now is a fourth of July and
Joey Chestnut question. However, I just don't you know, I'm not feeling the last twenty four hours or so quite as patriotic as I normally do on the fourth of July. So we're gonna skip that one. Quick break right back, What's right? Welcome back in What's right with Nick? Right? Demanse, Let's get some listener questions where we move on.
Austin Tapp asked, what were the better experience? What was the better experience beating fell Helme Youth and poker on TV or Chief Super Bowl party?
Oh, listen, winning that sit and go tournament where ended up being me and Helm Youth heads up and then winning is like that, I actually did that the Chief super Bowl. While I'm an unofficial member of the team, I don't actually get to really claim much credit for that. So it's the Helme Youth thing definitely.
Next, Jacob Bim said, Nick, if you had to bet the Warriors or Spurs to make the playoffs, who do you take?
Oh? I would take the Warriors. I mean, the Warriors won forty six games last year. The Spurs won twenty two. I understand Whimby will be better. I get that, I might. I don't think either will make it, but the better bet is definitely the Warriors.
Next, uh a Vetus Bodakian asked Nick, where do you think Wimby will rank by the end of the season.
Twelve thirteen? Somewhere like that all NBA level but not not MVP level, like not yet. But he was way way better offensively last year than I thought he'd be as a rookie. The defense I think everybody saw coming. Offensively, he was more refined, So I think twelve thirteenth is a legitimate landing spot for him.
Next, Tyler asked Nick, who is your Wimbledon pick?
Oh? That's a great So what are the I'm gonna look at the odds real quick, just to oh my god, I have a major announcement. Did I? I forgot to tell you guys this hold on producers. Do you guys know what I'm about to tell you here?
Have I?
Yeah? Okay, so I I did share it in the group chat. All right. In a couple of weeks, I am going to be auditioning to be an official US Open ball boy. That's happening. I this is this is my buddy Mark Carmon, who this is his lifelong dream, is flying in from Chicago to Allsoul audition. They're gonna put me through all the drills, all of it. I'm gonna be wearing the whole outfit. I'm a little old, I will admit, but I I well, that's the that's
the concern, I'll be honest. The concern is you know that we're gonna be the father son Popped Achilles duo. I'm not gonna lie that is that. That's that's the concern. But I yeah, so, I I'm so. I might be a ball boy at the US Open. I'm gonna be wearing the full polo regalia out there, crushing. I was just checking to see if there were any crazy odds but for the win for Wimbledon real quick. But it's Center is the slight favorite, which is interesting. He's two
to one. Alcarez plus two, ten, Joker plus three twenty, nobody else better than fifteen to one. I told you guys, I'm gonna pick Alcaz to win every major for probably the next five years, and I'll be right more often than I'm wrong. It's just I'm just gonna pick Alcarez every time he's healthy, and I'll be right more often than I'm wrong.
Uh, quickly back here, your ball boy, at your ball boy antics will you be Will you be doing any training between now and then to get into shape or you're just gonna no, no wing it.
I'm a natural athlete the and for short bursts like and so I'm not worried about that. Uh and so no, yeah, I'm just gonna wing it. I mean I watched Wimbledon and maybe try to pick up on, you know, some tendencies of the ball boys. But no, I'm not going to train. All right, Demonse, Let's go to Curtis Matthew's question is the last question.
Curtis Matthews said, question for Demonse, will you be picking up the n C Double A football game in July? Yeah, I'll probably get it.
But you've never played the n C Double A.
For Hey, don't. I've been alive for long enough. I played.
I definitely I played NCAA football game like a long long time ago, long.
Decade ago. Maybe no, but I just my point was I wasn't taking a shot. My point was like, as an adult, the game hasn't for you. The game hasn't existed.
I have not played it recently at all. It's been like years and years, but I've played it.
But it was when I was your age man, like you and like you know me, like seven buddies would have an online dynasty, all trying to recruit the same kids, scheduled games like it was. The NCAA thing. Is a question for Demon's a question for Nick. Yes, I'll be playing it, and I might. I might try to set up a invite only sports media league with publicly posted results where everybody picks the school, we're all recruiting the kids,
and then we play a full season. I've already talked with Kevin Clark about the potential viability of setting this up.
So, uh, that's not locked.
Sports media, of course, But you can't listen the problem with these these these leagues is people. It's like, Hey, our game is scheduled Tuesday at eight pm. You better be there. You can't have everybody waiting. But yeah, I'm gonna try to set that up. All right, Uh, great show. I gotta get to work because we got it potentially an early show, maybe a two o'clock start for first things first, and I'll see you guys there, what's right? Hey,
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