Welcome to the Best of the Week for What's Right with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this week on the show. Enjoy for Kyrie, Obviously, you feel sick for him. I think Kyrie has handled the last couple of years about as well as any player could have. And I've been so impressed by him, and as far as on a dime, remaking his leader reputation and maturity reputation and kind of sage wisdom and all of that, I've never seen him like it. Like him going from a guy who's like, well, great player, but you're gonna have to deal with a bunch of other stuff to a guy where the other stuff is a huge part of his greatness. And it seemingly happened on the trade to the Maps, and so you give him massive credit. You feel sick for him. I also he's a pending free agent. How this impacts the contract he will or won't get For a guy who turns thirty three in a few weeks. Maybe it's craven to talk about that immediately, but you think about that, and it concerns you. And the other thing you think about is this, since they traded Lukadncic he was playing way too many minutes because they didn't have another ball handler. And this is a and they left themselves with one creator, one ball handler. And now I mean the minutes he has played since the start of February. Let's go there, right, Luca was traded on what February first, Okay, so perfect since the Luca trade forty two, forty forty two, forty four, forty thirty seven, thirty two in a blowout, forty thirty eight thirty eight, and then last night, I it was now he was playing big minutes prior to that as well, actually since Luca's injury, he was playing big minutes. But Luca was coming back, and Luca would have obviously would have been back, you know, well earlier than that.

Welcome to the Best of the Week for What's Right with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this week on the show. Enjoy for Kyrie, Obviously, you feel sick for him. I think Kyrie has handled the last couple of years about as well as any player could have. And I've been so impressed by him, and as far as on a dime, remaking his leader reputation and maturity reputation and kind of sage wisdom and all of that, I've never seen him like it. Like him going from a guy who's like, well, great player, but you're gonna have to deal with a bunch of other stuff to a guy where the other stuff is a huge part of his greatness. And it seemingly happened on the trade to the Maps, and so you give him massive credit. You feel sick for him. I also he's a pending free agent. How this impacts the contract he will or won't get For a guy who turns thirty three in a few weeks. Maybe it's craven to talk about that immediately, but you think about that, and it concerns you. And the other thing you think about is this, since they traded Lukadncic he was playing way too many minutes because they didn't have another ball handler. And this is a and they left themselves with one creator, one ball handler. And now I mean the minutes he has played since the start of February. Let's go there, right, Luca was traded on what February first, Okay, so perfect since the Luca trade forty two, forty forty two, forty four, forty thirty seven, thirty two in a blowout, forty thirty eight thirty eight, and then last night, I it was now he was playing big minutes prior to that as well, actually since Luca's injury, he was playing big minutes. But Luca was coming back, and Luca would have obviously would have been back, you know, well earlier than that.

And the maps the topic right now.

And the maps the topic right now.

Yeah, we do it right now, like we might as well just get to it the because we have the breaking news on it, and so I I don't there's a lot of pieces to this demon's that are inextricably tied to the Luca trade.

Yeah, we do it right now, like we might as well just get to it the because we have the breaking news on it, and so I I don't there's a lot of pieces to this demon's that are inextricably tied to the Luca trade.

And yeah, with the not having the extra ball handler, but even the guy that they traded for was hurt since he got there, he played in what a half of a game, and I think with Nico Collins, with Anthony Davis being a known hurt player, that's something that you have to take into account and like you're seeing that firsthand, and I just it was it was obviously a bad decision. It was like it was Anthony Davis getting hurt or Luca donc Is just completely flaming out and being a hinentrance to your team.

And yeah, with the not having the extra ball handler, but even the guy that they traded for was hurt since he got there, he played in what a half of a game, and I think with Nico Collins, with Anthony Davis being a known hurt player, that's something that you have to take into account and like you're seeing that firsthand, and I just it was it was obviously a bad decision. It was like it was Anthony Davis getting hurt or Luca donc Is just completely flaming out and being a hinentrance to your team.

Well so that so there were a million reasons the Luca trade made no sense, uh, even if all of your skepticism was correct about him. One was you were worried about his body, and so you trade for a guy who's six years older and Anthony Davis who has real worries about his body. Another one was you actually already had depth at center. What you didn't have depth that was shot creator. You trade a shot creator for the best shot creator arguably in basketball, and Luca for another big Another reason it was risky was your window with Luca was a decade. You then go Nico Harrison. You said, Nico Collins the receiver for the Texans, but I knew him. It the You then go on TV and say your windows three to four years, Well, this year is done now done, and next year's in jeopardy, like are you and also are you going to re sign Kyrie Irving? Do you still have to? If you don't, what are you doing? There was a lot of, you know, kind of back burner rumors, demons that this could be a Kevin Durant destination next year, that Katie get back with Kyrie. You have Anthony Davis. From basketball standpoint, it would fit great. Okay, Well, now that's massively in question, Like, I don't know, you tear your acl in March if you're Kyrie, do you just miss all of next year? And shout out to Kyrie for shooting those free throws? You know, he obviously is as big of a Kobe fan as any active player. Kobe famous famously shot his free throws after he tore his achilles. You really really hope that Kyrie's career doesn't follow that same trajectory as far as Kobe was just never the same guy after that torn achilles. But I also think Kobe Kobe was thirty four when he tore his achilles. Kyrie is thirty two about to be thirty three. Was was Kobe? I'm looking up when so Kobe tore his Achilles in April of thirteen. Kobe was born in August of Uh. Yes, we was thirty four August seventy eight. So I I just will the MAVs make There's so many tentacles to this and I'm reacting in real time. Will the MAVs make the play in they're three and a half clear of Phoenix. Phoenix would be a at this point a more interesting team, uh because of the Kadim Booker factor, even though that seems to just be ready for the season to end. But now that whoever gets that ten seed is dead on arrival, the MAVs have no who on the MAVs can create a shot, honest to god, Like last night after Kyrie went down, it's Dante Exum you you know who you also? I mean Kai Jones. Shout out to Kai Jones, by the way, who had some real personal demons and issues or action demons is too strong. I don't know that he he had a It seemed like he might have had a drug problem, you know, and seems to have gotten himself clean and is you know, resuming his NBA career. So you root for young people like that, Like that was going down the wrong track. He ended up playing big minutes yesterday, right they signed him. He goes nine to ten from the field. But I mean Clayton Thompson signs there thinking I can catch and shoot. Well, who's who you're catching it from?

Well so that so there were a million reasons the Luca trade made no sense, uh, even if all of your skepticism was correct about him. One was you were worried about his body, and so you trade for a guy who's six years older and Anthony Davis who has real worries about his body. Another one was you actually already had depth at center. What you didn't have depth that was shot creator. You trade a shot creator for the best shot creator arguably in basketball, and Luca for another big Another reason it was risky was your window with Luca was a decade. You then go Nico Harrison. You said, Nico Collins the receiver for the Texans, but I knew him. It the You then go on TV and say your windows three to four years, Well, this year is done now done, and next year's in jeopardy, like are you and also are you going to re sign Kyrie Irving? Do you still have to? If you don't, what are you doing? There was a lot of, you know, kind of back burner rumors, demons that this could be a Kevin Durant destination next year, that Katie get back with Kyrie. You have Anthony Davis. From basketball standpoint, it would fit great. Okay, Well, now that's massively in question, Like, I don't know, you tear your acl in March if you're Kyrie, do you just miss all of next year? And shout out to Kyrie for shooting those free throws? You know, he obviously is as big of a Kobe fan as any active player. Kobe famous famously shot his free throws after he tore his achilles. You really really hope that Kyrie's career doesn't follow that same trajectory as far as Kobe was just never the same guy after that torn achilles. But I also think Kobe Kobe was thirty four when he tore his achilles. Kyrie is thirty two about to be thirty three. Was was Kobe? I'm looking up when so Kobe tore his Achilles in April of thirteen. Kobe was born in August of Uh. Yes, we was thirty four August seventy eight. So I I just will the MAVs make There's so many tentacles to this and I'm reacting in real time. Will the MAVs make the play in they're three and a half clear of Phoenix. Phoenix would be a at this point a more interesting team, uh because of the Kadim Booker factor, even though that seems to just be ready for the season to end. But now that whoever gets that ten seed is dead on arrival, the MAVs have no who on the MAVs can create a shot, honest to god, Like last night after Kyrie went down, it's Dante Exum you you know who you also? I mean Kai Jones. Shout out to Kai Jones, by the way, who had some real personal demons and issues or action demons is too strong. I don't know that he he had a It seemed like he might have had a drug problem, you know, and seems to have gotten himself clean and is you know, resuming his NBA career. So you root for young people like that, Like that was going down the wrong track. He ended up playing big minutes yesterday, right they signed him. He goes nine to ten from the field. But I mean Clayton Thompson signs there thinking I can catch and shoot. Well, who's who you're catching it from?

Now?

Now?

This isn't I think, you know what. I think I did a bad job in my initial reaction to this. This is a.

This isn't I think, you know what. I think I did a bad job in my initial reaction to this. This is a.

Again like the Luca ad trade.

Again like the Luca ad trade.

No, the Kyrie injury some in the last ten minutes, because this is just an unmitigated disaster of historic proportions. And you can say the injury is just bad luck, but that's only if you think that if Kyrie's workload was different, if his responsibility was different, if his ability to rest games, if need be was different, He's still would have torn his ACL. I don't think that. And the MAVs, who are the defending Western Conference champions, decided without the player forcing them or even asking them to, decided, I am going to blow this entire thing up and take a risk that's unprecedented in NBA history. And within a month of the trade, the piece you traded for who was injured when you made the trade got hurt again. And the guard in this league that maybe at this point, honestly has more responsibility to his team than any other guard in the league because of how the rosters construct did post Luca. You use him in a potentially reckless manner and his historically shaky knees get one of them gives out on him, and now you're just cooked. And you're a team that does not have your own draft pick for twenty seven through thirty. So that's the other like they MAVs future draft picks. I talked about this the other day, so I kind of know it already. But here's what it is, outgoing draft picks. In twenty twenty seven, it goes to Charlotte. In twenty twenty eight, Okse can swap with them. In twenty twenty nine, it goes to Houston or Phoenix. In twenty thirty, I think the Spurs can swap with them. But twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, and thirty you do not have your own pick, and two of those years, yeah you will have someone's pick. But okay, in twenty seven it just goes to Charlotte. In twenty eight, Oka Se can swap with you. In twenty nine, Houston can swap with you, and in thirty. The Spurs can swap with you, so if you bottom out, it doesn't do you any good. I I don't know. The only reason Demonse. I think Nico Harrison survives this is because Patrick Dumont, the owner, came out and did his own press conference where he was like, two thumbs up to the trade. You gotta be a grinder like Shaquille O'Neill and Larry Bird were never drank, never party and just all ball and and I'm yeah, of course, and I am just sick for Kyrie man. This sucks and it's it's a lot of money. And I know nobody cares about the money part of this with pro athletes, but Kyrie had cost himself a lot of money the previous few years and left money on the table, and then because of his own excellent play and the desperation of the MAVs post, Luca was in a spot where he was going to get that macal and now I don't know what it means for him. This is devastating. Oh god, so oh hold on, So that's interesting. So that's probably what he'll do. Well, I don't know. I mean, he has a player option, but I don't know that I so he could pick up the player option for forty four million, but I think it's more likely he opts out and still gets a new deal. I just don't think it will be a four year max like so it's if it were a career ending injury, which it's not, then you just opt into your player option. I don't think that's what's gonna happen. But I'm just devastating for Kyrie. I'm not listening, and I'm devastating for MAVs fans. Thirty days and your entire basketball world is just you went from having one of the brightest futures of any team in the league too its as dark as it gets, and all of a sudden, Anthony Davis is back on the Pelicans.

No, the Kyrie injury some in the last ten minutes, because this is just an unmitigated disaster of historic proportions. And you can say the injury is just bad luck, but that's only if you think that if Kyrie's workload was different, if his responsibility was different, if his ability to rest games, if need be was different, He's still would have torn his ACL. I don't think that. And the MAVs, who are the defending Western Conference champions, decided without the player forcing them or even asking them to, decided, I am going to blow this entire thing up and take a risk that's unprecedented in NBA history. And within a month of the trade, the piece you traded for who was injured when you made the trade got hurt again. And the guard in this league that maybe at this point, honestly has more responsibility to his team than any other guard in the league because of how the rosters construct did post Luca. You use him in a potentially reckless manner and his historically shaky knees get one of them gives out on him, and now you're just cooked. And you're a team that does not have your own draft pick for twenty seven through thirty. So that's the other like they MAVs future draft picks. I talked about this the other day, so I kind of know it already. But here's what it is, outgoing draft picks. In twenty twenty seven, it goes to Charlotte. In twenty twenty eight, Okse can swap with them. In twenty twenty nine, it goes to Houston or Phoenix. In twenty thirty, I think the Spurs can swap with them. But twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, and thirty you do not have your own pick, and two of those years, yeah you will have someone's pick. But okay, in twenty seven it just goes to Charlotte. In twenty eight, Oka Se can swap with you. In twenty nine, Houston can swap with you, and in thirty. The Spurs can swap with you, so if you bottom out, it doesn't do you any good. I I don't know. The only reason Demonse. I think Nico Harrison survives this is because Patrick Dumont, the owner, came out and did his own press conference where he was like, two thumbs up to the trade. You gotta be a grinder like Shaquille O'Neill and Larry Bird were never drank, never party and just all ball and and I'm yeah, of course, and I am just sick for Kyrie man. This sucks and it's it's a lot of money. And I know nobody cares about the money part of this with pro athletes, but Kyrie had cost himself a lot of money the previous few years and left money on the table, and then because of his own excellent play and the desperation of the MAVs post, Luca was in a spot where he was going to get that macal and now I don't know what it means for him. This is devastating. Oh god, so oh hold on, So that's interesting. So that's probably what he'll do. Well, I don't know. I mean, he has a player option, but I don't know that I so he could pick up the player option for forty four million, but I think it's more likely he opts out and still gets a new deal. I just don't think it will be a four year max like so it's if it were a career ending injury, which it's not, then you just opt into your player option. I don't think that's what's gonna happen. But I'm just devastating for Kyrie. I'm not listening, and I'm devastating for MAVs fans. Thirty days and your entire basketball world is just you went from having one of the brightest futures of any team in the league too its as dark as it gets, and all of a sudden, Anthony Davis is back on the Pelicans.

And they're raising the prices in the stadium for particular.

And they're raising the prices in the stadium for particular.

Well, that's another thing I saw that story. It's just a tone deaf timing of the announcement. I don't understand that piece of it at all. But just joining us, Kyrie irving torn acl that was the fear last night. I am amazed by the way quick sidebar. I am constantly amazed at how accurate those sports medicine folks on Twitter are by watching the video of something and saying what injury the guy suffered. I think those guys that I follow on Twitter bat like eight hundred. I think four out five they nail just by watching one video. And it's listen. I do know know nothing about science or medicine, but it's always impressive to me.

Well, that's another thing I saw that story. It's just a tone deaf timing of the announcement. I don't understand that piece of it at all. But just joining us, Kyrie irving torn acl that was the fear last night. I am amazed by the way quick sidebar. I am constantly amazed at how accurate those sports medicine folks on Twitter are by watching the video of something and saying what injury the guy suffered. I think those guys that I follow on Twitter bat like eight hundred. I think four out five they nail just by watching one video. And it's listen. I do know know nothing about science or medicine, but it's always impressive to me.

So Shack said that Steph deserves to be in the goat conversation.

So Shack said that Steph deserves to be in the goat conversation.

Do you think that's a right take to have?

Do you think that's a right take to have?

Sadly no, So let's talk best point guard ever. We've done this before. I'll do it again just quickly. Here. Magic Johnson, I believe this in my bones, is the greatest point guard in NBA history. And Magic Johnson. It's not only that as a rookie one Finals MVP, now we should of Kareem should have won it, but had one of the single greatest finals games ever playing center at just being utterly dominant to win a championship as a rookie right after winning a championship in college. If people don't know what I'm talking about, the Kareem was out so magic jump center as a rookie against Doctor J and the Sixers and dropped forty two, fifteen and seven to win a championship in the finals. That almost gets talked about too much. And what doesn't get talked about enough, in my opinion, is this demanse. In year three, Magic Johnson was second team All NBA, and then after that he played nine more seasons before the HIV diagnosis and was first team All NBA all nine seasons. Those nine seasons after year three, his MVP finishes were third, second, hold on sorry, third, third, second, third, first, third, first, first, second, So again years four to twelve for Magic nine consecutive first team All NBA's nine consecutive top three MVP finishes, three league MVPs, went to nine finals, won five championships. He's the greatest point guard ever. With that said, every time I'm putting together my all time starting five steps the better option at point guard than Magic. So I know that sounds weird, but whenever it's like, Okay, create the greatest team you can possibly create, I'm like, all right, So the two the only two locks, even with respect to Kareem, the only two locks are Michael and Lebron. Those guys are the locks. And now we're figuring out the rest of the squad, and so I go all right, so Lebron's there, he can bring the ball up. You know, Michael couldn't shoot a three to save his life, so I probably need some more shooting defensively. I'm going to be a monster anyway, so I'll put Steph in in place of Magic. So that's where the best point guard conversation. You know, gets off to a rough start, or not a rough start, but it gets complicated. This episode of What's Right is brought to you by DAYA Pizza featuring dairy free cheese made with their new DAYA oat Cream blend. Dairy free cheese come a long way, and DEAA is leading the charge. Their pizza's off for the melt and stretch of traditional cheese without any dairy. Each day of Pizza starts with a perfectly crisp trust, layered with savory, satisfying toppings, and finished with cheese that melts and stretches beautifully. The DAYA oat Cream blend delivers a creamy, cheesy texture that's indistinguishable from dairy based options. Every pizza crafted to be dairy free, making it a great choice for anyone seeking more inclusive meal options without compromising on taste. Data takes the concept of dairy free to a new level, eliminating faux MoU. It's not the fear of cows, that is the fear of missing dairy. These pizzas delivered delicious tastes and texture, making them perfect for any occasion, from casual dinners to game day spreads. Enjoy a faux move free pizza night with data. Visit dayafoods dot com for more information, or find DAYA Pizza at retailers like Whole Foods, Kroger, and Walmart. Coming soon to select publics and sprouts. Follow DAYA on Instagram and TikTok for more updates and recipes. But as far as best PLA player of all time, there's a I mean, I just told you. Magic has nine first Team All NBAS. The guys who are actually in the discussion for greatest player of all time, Lebron, Michael, and Kareem they have as far as first team All NBAS thirteen for Lebron, ten for Kareem, ten for Michael. Some people throw Kobe in there. I don't think that's legit, but that's fine. He has eleven. Steph has four, so he doesn't have the the great season after great season after great season all these other guys did. Here's the other thing that he doesn't have. And again I'm not tearing him down, but this if everyone who is actually in the goat debate, which I think is only three people, but other people might want to expand it to a couple others. And even if you expand it to them, if you include Magic, if you include Wilt or Russell, like pick whomever, they all had an extended period where they were unequivocally, undeniably the best player in the league. Steph doesn't have one. Steph doesn't have one season. Now that's again it's like, well, that's his whole career is during Lebron's career. I get it. But that so you just so you can't be in the goat conversation when and you can be like, what about the Yearie won unanimous MVP. Yeah, he was going to be considered the best player in the league, and then the finals happened, and so like, there has just not been so a spot. I'm not tearing him down. You guys know how highly I think of him as a player.

Sadly no, So let's talk best point guard ever. We've done this before. I'll do it again just quickly. Here. Magic Johnson, I believe this in my bones, is the greatest point guard in NBA history. And Magic Johnson. It's not only that as a rookie one Finals MVP, now we should of Kareem should have won it, but had one of the single greatest finals games ever playing center at just being utterly dominant to win a championship as a rookie right after winning a championship in college. If people don't know what I'm talking about, the Kareem was out so magic jump center as a rookie against Doctor J and the Sixers and dropped forty two, fifteen and seven to win a championship in the finals. That almost gets talked about too much. And what doesn't get talked about enough, in my opinion, is this demanse. In year three, Magic Johnson was second team All NBA, and then after that he played nine more seasons before the HIV diagnosis and was first team All NBA all nine seasons. Those nine seasons after year three, his MVP finishes were third, second, hold on sorry, third, third, second, third, first, third, first, first, second, So again years four to twelve for Magic nine consecutive first team All NBA's nine consecutive top three MVP finishes, three league MVPs, went to nine finals, won five championships. He's the greatest point guard ever. With that said, every time I'm putting together my all time starting five steps the better option at point guard than Magic. So I know that sounds weird, but whenever it's like, Okay, create the greatest team you can possibly create, I'm like, all right, So the two the only two locks, even with respect to Kareem, the only two locks are Michael and Lebron. Those guys are the locks. And now we're figuring out the rest of the squad, and so I go all right, so Lebron's there, he can bring the ball up. You know, Michael couldn't shoot a three to save his life, so I probably need some more shooting defensively. I'm going to be a monster anyway, so I'll put Steph in in place of Magic. So that's where the best point guard conversation. You know, gets off to a rough start, or not a rough start, but it gets complicated. This episode of What's Right is brought to you by DAYA Pizza featuring dairy free cheese made with their new DAYA oat Cream blend. Dairy free cheese come a long way, and DEAA is leading the charge. Their pizza's off for the melt and stretch of traditional cheese without any dairy. Each day of Pizza starts with a perfectly crisp trust, layered with savory, satisfying toppings, and finished with cheese that melts and stretches beautifully. The DAYA oat Cream blend delivers a creamy, cheesy texture that's indistinguishable from dairy based options. Every pizza crafted to be dairy free, making it a great choice for anyone seeking more inclusive meal options without compromising on taste. Data takes the concept of dairy free to a new level, eliminating faux MoU. It's not the fear of cows, that is the fear of missing dairy. These pizzas delivered delicious tastes and texture, making them perfect for any occasion, from casual dinners to game day spreads. Enjoy a faux move free pizza night with data. Visit dayafoods dot com for more information, or find DAYA Pizza at retailers like Whole Foods, Kroger, and Walmart. Coming soon to select publics and sprouts. Follow DAYA on Instagram and TikTok for more updates and recipes. But as far as best PLA player of all time, there's a I mean, I just told you. Magic has nine first Team All NBAS. The guys who are actually in the discussion for greatest player of all time, Lebron, Michael, and Kareem they have as far as first team All NBAS thirteen for Lebron, ten for Kareem, ten for Michael. Some people throw Kobe in there. I don't think that's legit, but that's fine. He has eleven. Steph has four, so he doesn't have the the great season after great season after great season all these other guys did. Here's the other thing that he doesn't have. And again I'm not tearing him down, but this if everyone who is actually in the goat debate, which I think is only three people, but other people might want to expand it to a couple others. And even if you expand it to them, if you include Magic, if you include Wilt or Russell, like pick whomever, they all had an extended period where they were unequivocally, undeniably the best player in the league. Steph doesn't have one. Steph doesn't have one season. Now that's again it's like, well, that's his whole career is during Lebron's career. I get it. But that so you just so you can't be in the goat conversation when and you can be like, what about the Yearie won unanimous MVP. Yeah, he was going to be considered the best player in the league, and then the finals happened, and so like, there has just not been so a spot. I'm not tearing him down. You guys know how highly I think of him as a player.

He is greatest shooter, arguably.

He is greatest shooter, arguably.

The greatest shooter ever. He might be the greatest ball handler ever. He's one of the greatest teammates ever.

The greatest shooter ever. He might be the greatest ball handler ever. He's one of the greatest teammates ever.

But he is offball players.

But he is offball players.

I know that's not like exactly the best, the best, probably probably one of the best off ball players.

I know that's not like exactly the best, the best, probably probably one of the best off ball players.

In NBA history, I imagine.

In NBA history, I imagine.

Maybe maybe the maybe the best. Yes, no, all those things really matter. I find to me, Uh, nobody wants to have this debate. But an interesting one is him versus Duncan. Like it is, it's hard to do, Like putting up Steph's career versus Duncan, and Steph's career versus Kobe, and Steph's versus Shack are all really interesting because those are four so different players, just you know, so such drastically different players, different styles, different career arcs like those to me are real debates. But Steph versus Lebron, Michael and Kream are not wh she is not and that's fine, Like that's not a It was also weird timing to have this discussion, Like Steph was having a down year and the Warriors were twenty five and twenty five and they traded for Jimmy and they're you know, on the uptick, and Steph is playing some of his best basketball of the year. But this isn't like some magical Steph Curry season. He's not. He has no shot of being first team All NBA this year. He is. I remember when they traded for Jimmy he had as many games with fifteen or fewer points as he had thirty plus points. Like, he's averaging the fewest points he's averaged in a season since his first MVP is so in a decade, and he's averaging below forty from three for just the second time of his career. So again, I'm not he's all. All that's true, While it's also true is he's having the greatest old little guy season ever. So all those things can be true at the same time. But goat conversation now we're now we're getting a little cuckoo. Where we have to start today is with what Lebron James said, what was said about what he said, and how we got here. So first a level set of what happened. Anthony Edwards was asked about being face of the league and he was like, I don't really have an interest in it, I just want a ball. Lebron was then asked about that as the face of the league, and Lebron said, yeah, I don't blame him. Why would you want to be when all the people who talk about our league and it seemed like he was about to say former players, but and media, but instead it was just a catch all, just shit on the players. And then as Bomani Jones would say, hit dog gone holler. And then all the guys who Lebron was talking about doth protested too much. So the first one was stephen A, who did a five minute rant in response to Lebron that and I'm not I am not exaggerating when I say this. In the first ninety seconds of stephen A responding to Lebron saying that the biggest voices in the media just go after you repeatedly, particularly if you're the face of the league. In the first ninety seconds of a response to that, stephen A blamed Lebron James for the following the downfall of the Slam Dunk Contest, the lockout in twenty eleven, and the Chris Paul Laker trade being mixed. He put it all Lebron's feet, all of it. He's like ruin the dunk contest because you wouldn't participate, and then said the decision was what led to the owners locking the players out and changing the collective bargaining agreement, and then threw the CP three trade in h as kind of a little dessert after a delicious entree and didn't really, to my ear, address any of what Lebron actually said. And then and I couldn't believe this. And let me say this as well. I have a really good relationship with Steven A. I actually texted with him this morning. But he is so I don't want people to think that this is there's like media beef. But he knows this. We both have strong opinions. We disagree. I disagree with a lot of what he says. He's a big boy, grown man. He understands none of that's personal. And so I'm not I'm not trying to start something. This guy's a friend of mine. I just think he's out of his mind on some of this stuff. And then on his podcast and this I won't put on him. And you know, appreciate those producers of that podcast because they put us on their you know, friendly relationships. But and Demon's ay, this will blow your mind again. In addressing Lebron, James saying that if you're the face of the league, you get extra criticism, get shit on. When Steven A brought that up on his podcast, you know what video played alongside it, like the soundless what we call b roll highlights. Hand to god, it was Bronnie's bad minutes against the Sixers. That's true. Go look, go watch so like again, I don't think that's stephen A's call, but it doesn't exactly dispel the narrative that, well, yeah, you there might be a little, a little unfairness here, and so that was his part of it. Bill Simmons, who is as loud and as respected and as important of an NBA voice as there is, who is an unabashed, obvious, diehard Celtic fan who has never really been what you'd call a Lebron guy, and Lebron's never been a Simmons guy. Simmons sent out the following tweets. Celts Cavs is a wonderful NBA game between two excellent teams that's included some terrific individual performances. This next game will be splendid too. We're so lucky to be able to watch great players like Luka Ancic, Lebron James and James Harden battling it out tonight, just basically making fun. It's being like, this is ridiculous. Oh, everyone's got to be so positive. And then Bill went on a long history lesson on his pod this week where he was like, this is how it's always been, and then explained how we went after guys who either hadn't won or until they won, or very specific postseason failures in the moment, which is not at all what Lebron's talking about. Lebron was talking about the general conversation surrounding the league being constantly negative. And you know who totally agrees with Lebron that that's a problem, Bill Simmons. You know how I know that because on December thirty first, Bill Simmons did an NBA pod with the great Kirk Goldsbery that is titled The All Positive NBA Show with Kurk Goldsbury that he says at the beginning, he's doing because the conversation surrounding the league has gotten too negative. So for some of these guys, even when Lebron says something they agree with, because it's Lebron saying it, they can't agree with it. And then Wilbond on the Greatest Sports TV Show that's ever existed. Pardon the interruption. Did you know did what he always does, which is whether it is while he's on the broadcast, when Lebron happens to past Magic Johnson for career assists, or when he's addressing Lebron's comments. Can't help himself but make it clear, no matter how great these guys are, they're not quite as great as the guys that happen to be playing during my personal heyday covering league. It's crazy how that works out. And we're yet to see what the Chuckster's going to say, but we'll find out here very soon, and my guess is it'll be more of the same. So now that I've set the table on what happened, oh yeah, and then Lebron responded with tweets, it would appear this first tweet as a response to stephen A, where I wrote, exactly made my point. But anyways, happy this convo has started. It ain't about face of the game, and it ain't about one person or one show. It's about the culture of basketball. The most beautiful game in the world. Our game has never been better. Incredible young stars from all over the world and some older ones too, laughing emojis. Steph Curry should be all we're talking about today. This after he scored fifty six. Let's discuss how great, okay, seeing the cav have been this season in two complete different styles of breakdown why and how they have been. Of course, if players don't perform, when I need to discuss that too and break that down. Even that can be discussed in a way, and this is the important piece of it. Even that can be discussed in a way that's not to bring finality to that player's game, but to leave room to see how that player responds, and let's watch the journey of that player. This ain't about me either. This is where I disagree with Lebron, and I'll get to that in a second. This ain't about me either. At this point, I don't really care what's said about me. It's always something. This is about the impact the negativity is having on our beautiful game and our fans. I know I speak for a lot of the players. More importantly, a hell of a lot of great fans that truly love and celebrate this sport around the world. Hashtag mind the game than a cloud emoji, a brain emoji, and of course a crown emoji, because what would a Lebron tweet be without the crown emoji? All right? He then went on with my pal Scott Van Pelt made a similar point after the Laker game, and now everyone's caught up. So to me, the question should be, is Lebron right that the coverage of the league, particularly for the super duper stars face of the league caliber guys too negative? And if he's right, how did we get here? So I do think he is correct, and I do think I have been a part of the problem at times. I'll explain how in a moment, and I think so where I disagree with him, where he says this isn't about him, it actually is almost entirely about him and one other person, because so much about how we currently cover the league has to do with how we covered Lebron James, because how he was covered has impacted how every other superstar, true super duperstar is covered. So this is a point I used to make about Prime Klay Thompson. The better example right now might be like Devin Booker, where I think those guys who are in the Jalen Brown Devin Booker tier of players like ten to twenty if you were ranking them, might be in the actual sweet spot because they get the same max contract as the superstar as the super duperstars. But it is not a daily legacy referendum. When they play great in big spots, they're lauded. When they play poorly in big spots, it we usually look to instead the best player on their team, and why didn't he do more? And that's I think what ants comments are referring to. While he wants to be this player on the team, obviously he sees man heavy is the head that wears the crown, and so that the reason I say this is about Lebron and one other person is the Lebron of it all? Is this? How many times have you been watching sports TV and heard a version of this? Sometimes by me? That's why I'll say, hand up, I'm part of it. Well, after a guy misses a big shot, or plays poorly in a big spot, or doesn't carry his team far enough or whatever it is, how many times have you heard this, Well, if we're leb Yron, we'd be killing him. Well if Lebron did that, and so the way Lebron was covered set a template to where it's how then Durant and Steph and Embiide and Giannis and Jokic, those MVP guys, Well, fair's fair did it to Lebron? So then we get to this question why did we cover Lebron that way? And that then gets to the other person in this story, the only name in all of NBA history bigger than Lebron's, and that's Michael Jordan. Because so much of our basketball, and at this point it's not just basketball, it's overall sports commentary has been twisted is probably too strong of a word, but adjusted, tweaked, manicured to serve the legend of Michael Jordan. You hell. You saw it in some of the reaction to the Super Bowl and Mahomes getting a loss in the biggest game. It's like, oh boy, we all know those super Bowl losses count different than divisional round losses. That's a Michael Jordan argument. And when you look back at how we have covered this league for forty years, there's only one guy, one guy who at EA each and every turn, has benefited from it, and it's Michael. Let's go back to how we talk about the nineteen eighties as a decade. Who was the face of the League in the nineteen eighties. Oh, there wasn't a face. It was two guys. We've turned two guys into one person, bird Magic. So why why was it not magic and bird or bird and magic separately. Well, in part is it because when we turn bird Magic into one person and don't give Larry Bird his kind of individual standing. Folks right now, big enough NBA fans to care about this, to be watching this pod to or to be watching this clip, probably don't know that Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, their team's played in six playoff games against each other, and Larry Bird was six and up, not in series in games disease, you know, bird magic in the eighties. What we have totally erased one person's legacy from the If you ask die hard NBA fans, give me your top twenty five, twenty five players of all time, the vast majority are going to have every single guy that was the best player on multiple championships with one glaring omission, and it'll be the same omission Isaiah Thomas. Why because part of part he is just he has been turned into a bit player in the story of Michael Jordan. We've partially erased a Keeam's legend while his championships came, you know, when Michael wasn't playing. Even though one of those championships came in a year Michael Jordan got MVP votes. We've glossed over when people talk about Shaquille O'Neill. Shaquille O'Neill, does anyone have you ever heard someone make this point about his greatness? At twenty three years old, he outplayed he was the best player on the court in a playoff series with Michael Jordan and beat him. No, we just pretend it didn't happen. And then the pia stay resistance of all that is the guy who was his wingman for the whole thing, Scotty. We we act like he was a just a nineties run our test and that included in Michael's die. So why am I explaining that in relation to this, Because it's not only that the guy that today's face of the league or the potential faces of the league have to deal with a constant teardown of what they have or haven't accomplished. It's that the last, the previous guy, the all time face of the league, got the exact opposite treatment. And it is again if you really look at it. We did. There's so much of how we consume today's NBA that is colored by how we have discussed and talked about these two players, Michael Jordan and Lebron James. When it comes to Michael, we elevate lesser players like Reggie Miller, who was a nice player. He was eighteen three and three for his career. He made zero first or second All team NBAS That's who he was into a guy with almost legendary status. Why he had that great one series against Michael. You hear more about Craig Elo who Jordan hit the shotover than Sidney Moncrief, who beat him in the playoffs, was one of the best defensive players ever. Why we talk about the nineties Knicks who had one All Star on their entire team for a decade like this legendary opponent. Why to build up the legend of the face of the league? Juxtaposed that to how Lebron when he was rolling through the East the way Michael was in the nineties. We didn't build up the sixty win Hawks, or the Paul George Pacers or the DeRozan Lowry Raptors into something bigger than they were No, we went the opposite. That's the Yeah, yes, you made eight straight finals, but in that conference against those teams. What is it again, It's it's not that it's always been this way. It's not that it slowly became like this. It's that it did a one to eighty. There are just certain things that, again in service of one guy at the expense of the other. We've just decided, like someone in some bible, some sports bible somewhere decided coincidentally right or around the time that this guy Lebron was lapping the field in every category. Actually, you know what, longevity is not a factor in any of this. It's just you know what. And when it comes to how great a player is, how long he was great, nobody cares about that since when that was that was literally never a part of any logical sports discussion until again, so much of how we talk about today's league has to do with these two players. And then we get to the media piece of it, because one bill talked about this. Yes, Michael was criticized until he won, and then once he won, he was deified to a level an athlete in this country has never been deified. And so the guys, this current generation, not this generation, the old guys of this generation Lebron Katie, those guys who watched that growing up thought, man, I'm gonna get that same treatment once I win and I'm great and I'm the face of the league, universal praise and adoration. And then the guys who gave that to Michael, like Wilbond, now say we're not on your payroll? Were you on Michaels because that's what he got people. It's all projection. People. People say to me and Shannon that, uh, you guys, they make up in their minds this tight relationship with Lebron that we must have while denying the reality of the pretend relationship that you're acting like that we have with Lebron a moderate Shad actually had with Michael, my main man, Michael Jordan, the sideline reporter for the finals, was his dear friend and golf buddy. We we then act like people are being honest arbiters of this skip. God love him. Built a huge portion of his career on a singular take, which was this guy will never be Michael Jordan, and nothing that he can do can ever change my mind on it. He could never move off that it was the only through line other than his Cowboys fandom for his TV career. And in Woje, who at a point in time was not only a great reporter the best columnist in the in basketball media, got iced out by Lebron's camp and just eviscerated him for years and years and years. Simmons, who crushed Lebron's family during back when he was doing running diaries about the draft, and then Lebron never had a real relationship with him, and then Lebron annihilated Simmons. Celtics has always been a begrudging appreciator of what he has or hasn't done. And then there's like, there's other guys who's so much of their career is tied into Michael, whether it's Wilbon or why does Barkley get a pass for not winning while he ran into Michael Jordan. All of this so you have a whole media machine, and then folks have the audacity, the absolute audacity to act like it's shocking that that it's shocking that Lebron might occasionally push back or might say, you guys changed the rules mid game and this isn't how you've treated guys previously, and so that's what they're talking about, and I think it's reasonable. I don't know if there's a fix for it. I thing, maybe the fix for it is for when Lebron retires, this whole thing resets, but honestly, maybe not

Maybe maybe the maybe the best. Yes, no, all those things really matter. I find to me, Uh, nobody wants to have this debate. But an interesting one is him versus Duncan. Like it is, it's hard to do, Like putting up Steph's career versus Duncan, and Steph's career versus Kobe, and Steph's versus Shack are all really interesting because those are four so different players, just you know, so such drastically different players, different styles, different career arcs like those to me are real debates. But Steph versus Lebron, Michael and Kream are not wh she is not and that's fine, Like that's not a It was also weird timing to have this discussion, Like Steph was having a down year and the Warriors were twenty five and twenty five and they traded for Jimmy and they're you know, on the uptick, and Steph is playing some of his best basketball of the year. But this isn't like some magical Steph Curry season. He's not. He has no shot of being first team All NBA this year. He is. I remember when they traded for Jimmy he had as many games with fifteen or fewer points as he had thirty plus points. Like, he's averaging the fewest points he's averaged in a season since his first MVP is so in a decade, and he's averaging below forty from three for just the second time of his career. So again, I'm not he's all. All that's true, While it's also true is he's having the greatest old little guy season ever. So all those things can be true at the same time. But goat conversation now we're now we're getting a little cuckoo. Where we have to start today is with what Lebron James said, what was said about what he said, and how we got here. So first a level set of what happened. Anthony Edwards was asked about being face of the league and he was like, I don't really have an interest in it, I just want a ball. Lebron was then asked about that as the face of the league, and Lebron said, yeah, I don't blame him. Why would you want to be when all the people who talk about our league and it seemed like he was about to say former players, but and media, but instead it was just a catch all, just shit on the players. And then as Bomani Jones would say, hit dog gone holler. And then all the guys who Lebron was talking about doth protested too much. So the first one was stephen A, who did a five minute rant in response to Lebron that and I'm not I am not exaggerating when I say this. In the first ninety seconds of stephen A responding to Lebron saying that the biggest voices in the media just go after you repeatedly, particularly if you're the face of the league. In the first ninety seconds of a response to that, stephen A blamed Lebron James for the following the downfall of the Slam Dunk Contest, the lockout in twenty eleven, and the Chris Paul Laker trade being mixed. He put it all Lebron's feet, all of it. He's like ruin the dunk contest because you wouldn't participate, and then said the decision was what led to the owners locking the players out and changing the collective bargaining agreement, and then threw the CP three trade in h as kind of a little dessert after a delicious entree and didn't really, to my ear, address any of what Lebron actually said. And then and I couldn't believe this. And let me say this as well. I have a really good relationship with Steven A. I actually texted with him this morning. But he is so I don't want people to think that this is there's like media beef. But he knows this. We both have strong opinions. We disagree. I disagree with a lot of what he says. He's a big boy, grown man. He understands none of that's personal. And so I'm not I'm not trying to start something. This guy's a friend of mine. I just think he's out of his mind on some of this stuff. And then on his podcast and this I won't put on him. And you know, appreciate those producers of that podcast because they put us on their you know, friendly relationships. But and Demon's ay, this will blow your mind again. In addressing Lebron, James saying that if you're the face of the league, you get extra criticism, get shit on. When Steven A brought that up on his podcast, you know what video played alongside it, like the soundless what we call b roll highlights. Hand to god, it was Bronnie's bad minutes against the Sixers. That's true. Go look, go watch so like again, I don't think that's stephen A's call, but it doesn't exactly dispel the narrative that, well, yeah, you there might be a little, a little unfairness here, and so that was his part of it. Bill Simmons, who is as loud and as respected and as important of an NBA voice as there is, who is an unabashed, obvious, diehard Celtic fan who has never really been what you'd call a Lebron guy, and Lebron's never been a Simmons guy. Simmons sent out the following tweets. Celts Cavs is a wonderful NBA game between two excellent teams that's included some terrific individual performances. This next game will be splendid too. We're so lucky to be able to watch great players like Luka Ancic, Lebron James and James Harden battling it out tonight, just basically making fun. It's being like, this is ridiculous. Oh, everyone's got to be so positive. And then Bill went on a long history lesson on his pod this week where he was like, this is how it's always been, and then explained how we went after guys who either hadn't won or until they won, or very specific postseason failures in the moment, which is not at all what Lebron's talking about. Lebron was talking about the general conversation surrounding the league being constantly negative. And you know who totally agrees with Lebron that that's a problem, Bill Simmons. You know how I know that because on December thirty first, Bill Simmons did an NBA pod with the great Kirk Goldsbery that is titled The All Positive NBA Show with Kurk Goldsbury that he says at the beginning, he's doing because the conversation surrounding the league has gotten too negative. So for some of these guys, even when Lebron says something they agree with, because it's Lebron saying it, they can't agree with it. And then Wilbond on the Greatest Sports TV Show that's ever existed. Pardon the interruption. Did you know did what he always does, which is whether it is while he's on the broadcast, when Lebron happens to past Magic Johnson for career assists, or when he's addressing Lebron's comments. Can't help himself but make it clear, no matter how great these guys are, they're not quite as great as the guys that happen to be playing during my personal heyday covering league. It's crazy how that works out. And we're yet to see what the Chuckster's going to say, but we'll find out here very soon, and my guess is it'll be more of the same. So now that I've set the table on what happened, oh yeah, and then Lebron responded with tweets, it would appear this first tweet as a response to stephen A, where I wrote, exactly made my point. But anyways, happy this convo has started. It ain't about face of the game, and it ain't about one person or one show. It's about the culture of basketball. The most beautiful game in the world. Our game has never been better. Incredible young stars from all over the world and some older ones too, laughing emojis. Steph Curry should be all we're talking about today. This after he scored fifty six. Let's discuss how great, okay, seeing the cav have been this season in two complete different styles of breakdown why and how they have been. Of course, if players don't perform, when I need to discuss that too and break that down. Even that can be discussed in a way, and this is the important piece of it. Even that can be discussed in a way that's not to bring finality to that player's game, but to leave room to see how that player responds, and let's watch the journey of that player. This ain't about me either. This is where I disagree with Lebron, and I'll get to that in a second. This ain't about me either. At this point, I don't really care what's said about me. It's always something. This is about the impact the negativity is having on our beautiful game and our fans. I know I speak for a lot of the players. More importantly, a hell of a lot of great fans that truly love and celebrate this sport around the world. Hashtag mind the game than a cloud emoji, a brain emoji, and of course a crown emoji, because what would a Lebron tweet be without the crown emoji? All right? He then went on with my pal Scott Van Pelt made a similar point after the Laker game, and now everyone's caught up. So to me, the question should be, is Lebron right that the coverage of the league, particularly for the super duper stars face of the league caliber guys too negative? And if he's right, how did we get here? So I do think he is correct, and I do think I have been a part of the problem at times. I'll explain how in a moment, and I think so where I disagree with him, where he says this isn't about him, it actually is almost entirely about him and one other person, because so much about how we currently cover the league has to do with how we covered Lebron James, because how he was covered has impacted how every other superstar, true super duperstar is covered. So this is a point I used to make about Prime Klay Thompson. The better example right now might be like Devin Booker, where I think those guys who are in the Jalen Brown Devin Booker tier of players like ten to twenty if you were ranking them, might be in the actual sweet spot because they get the same max contract as the superstar as the super duperstars. But it is not a daily legacy referendum. When they play great in big spots, they're lauded. When they play poorly in big spots, it we usually look to instead the best player on their team, and why didn't he do more? And that's I think what ants comments are referring to. While he wants to be this player on the team, obviously he sees man heavy is the head that wears the crown, and so that the reason I say this is about Lebron and one other person is the Lebron of it all? Is this? How many times have you been watching sports TV and heard a version of this? Sometimes by me? That's why I'll say, hand up, I'm part of it. Well, after a guy misses a big shot, or plays poorly in a big spot, or doesn't carry his team far enough or whatever it is, how many times have you heard this, Well, if we're leb Yron, we'd be killing him. Well if Lebron did that, and so the way Lebron was covered set a template to where it's how then Durant and Steph and Embiide and Giannis and Jokic, those MVP guys, Well, fair's fair did it to Lebron? So then we get to this question why did we cover Lebron that way? And that then gets to the other person in this story, the only name in all of NBA history bigger than Lebron's, and that's Michael Jordan. Because so much of our basketball, and at this point it's not just basketball, it's overall sports commentary has been twisted is probably too strong of a word, but adjusted, tweaked, manicured to serve the legend of Michael Jordan. You hell. You saw it in some of the reaction to the Super Bowl and Mahomes getting a loss in the biggest game. It's like, oh boy, we all know those super Bowl losses count different than divisional round losses. That's a Michael Jordan argument. And when you look back at how we have covered this league for forty years, there's only one guy, one guy who at EA each and every turn, has benefited from it, and it's Michael. Let's go back to how we talk about the nineteen eighties as a decade. Who was the face of the League in the nineteen eighties. Oh, there wasn't a face. It was two guys. We've turned two guys into one person, bird Magic. So why why was it not magic and bird or bird and magic separately. Well, in part is it because when we turn bird Magic into one person and don't give Larry Bird his kind of individual standing. Folks right now, big enough NBA fans to care about this, to be watching this pod to or to be watching this clip, probably don't know that Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, their team's played in six playoff games against each other, and Larry Bird was six and up, not in series in games disease, you know, bird magic in the eighties. What we have totally erased one person's legacy from the If you ask die hard NBA fans, give me your top twenty five, twenty five players of all time, the vast majority are going to have every single guy that was the best player on multiple championships with one glaring omission, and it'll be the same omission Isaiah Thomas. Why because part of part he is just he has been turned into a bit player in the story of Michael Jordan. We've partially erased a Keeam's legend while his championships came, you know, when Michael wasn't playing. Even though one of those championships came in a year Michael Jordan got MVP votes. We've glossed over when people talk about Shaquille O'Neill. Shaquille O'Neill, does anyone have you ever heard someone make this point about his greatness? At twenty three years old, he outplayed he was the best player on the court in a playoff series with Michael Jordan and beat him. No, we just pretend it didn't happen. And then the pia stay resistance of all that is the guy who was his wingman for the whole thing, Scotty. We we act like he was a just a nineties run our test and that included in Michael's die. So why am I explaining that in relation to this, Because it's not only that the guy that today's face of the league or the potential faces of the league have to deal with a constant teardown of what they have or haven't accomplished. It's that the last, the previous guy, the all time face of the league, got the exact opposite treatment. And it is again if you really look at it. We did. There's so much of how we consume today's NBA that is colored by how we have discussed and talked about these two players, Michael Jordan and Lebron James. When it comes to Michael, we elevate lesser players like Reggie Miller, who was a nice player. He was eighteen three and three for his career. He made zero first or second All team NBAS That's who he was into a guy with almost legendary status. Why he had that great one series against Michael. You hear more about Craig Elo who Jordan hit the shotover than Sidney Moncrief, who beat him in the playoffs, was one of the best defensive players ever. Why we talk about the nineties Knicks who had one All Star on their entire team for a decade like this legendary opponent. Why to build up the legend of the face of the league? Juxtaposed that to how Lebron when he was rolling through the East the way Michael was in the nineties. We didn't build up the sixty win Hawks, or the Paul George Pacers or the DeRozan Lowry Raptors into something bigger than they were No, we went the opposite. That's the Yeah, yes, you made eight straight finals, but in that conference against those teams. What is it again, It's it's not that it's always been this way. It's not that it slowly became like this. It's that it did a one to eighty. There are just certain things that, again in service of one guy at the expense of the other. We've just decided, like someone in some bible, some sports bible somewhere decided coincidentally right or around the time that this guy Lebron was lapping the field in every category. Actually, you know what, longevity is not a factor in any of this. It's just you know what. And when it comes to how great a player is, how long he was great, nobody cares about that since when that was that was literally never a part of any logical sports discussion until again, so much of how we talk about today's league has to do with these two players. And then we get to the media piece of it, because one bill talked about this. Yes, Michael was criticized until he won, and then once he won, he was deified to a level an athlete in this country has never been deified. And so the guys, this current generation, not this generation, the old guys of this generation Lebron Katie, those guys who watched that growing up thought, man, I'm gonna get that same treatment once I win and I'm great and I'm the face of the league, universal praise and adoration. And then the guys who gave that to Michael, like Wilbond, now say we're not on your payroll? Were you on Michaels because that's what he got people. It's all projection. People. People say to me and Shannon that, uh, you guys, they make up in their minds this tight relationship with Lebron that we must have while denying the reality of the pretend relationship that you're acting like that we have with Lebron a moderate Shad actually had with Michael, my main man, Michael Jordan, the sideline reporter for the finals, was his dear friend and golf buddy. We we then act like people are being honest arbiters of this skip. God love him. Built a huge portion of his career on a singular take, which was this guy will never be Michael Jordan, and nothing that he can do can ever change my mind on it. He could never move off that it was the only through line other than his Cowboys fandom for his TV career. And in Woje, who at a point in time was not only a great reporter the best columnist in the in basketball media, got iced out by Lebron's camp and just eviscerated him for years and years and years. Simmons, who crushed Lebron's family during back when he was doing running diaries about the draft, and then Lebron never had a real relationship with him, and then Lebron annihilated Simmons. Celtics has always been a begrudging appreciator of what he has or hasn't done. And then there's like, there's other guys who's so much of their career is tied into Michael, whether it's Wilbon or why does Barkley get a pass for not winning while he ran into Michael Jordan. All of this so you have a whole media machine, and then folks have the audacity, the absolute audacity to act like it's shocking that that it's shocking that Lebron might occasionally push back or might say, you guys changed the rules mid game and this isn't how you've treated guys previously, and so that's what they're talking about, and I think it's reasonable. I don't know if there's a fix for it. I thing, maybe the fix for it is for when Lebron retires, this whole thing resets, but honestly, maybe not