Nightcap - Hour 1: Shai scores 51 as Thunder beat Rockets, Kyrie hurts knee & Bengals Franchise Tee Higgins again

Summary

Club Shay Shay: Nightcap - Hour 1 Summary

Episode Overview In this episode of Club Shay Shay, host Shannon Sharpe delves into a riveting discussion with his guest, an NBA analyst, covering a spectrum of hot topics in the sports world. From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's phenomenal 51-point game to the complexities of franchise tagging in the NFL, the conversation offers deep insights into player performances, team dynamics, and the business side of sports.

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I. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Stellar Performance

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 51-Point Game The episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) scoring 51 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed over the Houston Rockets.

• Host Insight: Shannon Sharpe emphasizes SGA's consistency, noting, "It is his MVP to lose. As great as Jokic is playing and he's playing unbelievable. SGA is the MVP. He's playing outstanding. He's controlling the pace of the game." ([08:15])

• Supporting Players: The discussion highlights the Thunder's depth, mentioning key contributors like Jalen Williams, Kayson, Isaiah Joe, and Lou Dort, all of whom played pivotal roles alongside SGA.

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II. MVP Race: SGA vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic

SGA's MVP Credentials Shannon and the NBA analyst delve into why SGA is a front-runner for the NBA MVP award this season.

• Statistical Dominance: Sharpe references a Nielsen report, stating, "This year he has the most 50-point games with four. He has the most 40-point games with nine. He has the most 30-point games, 38. He has the most 20-point games, 59." ([10:19])

• Efficiency and Team Success: The conversation underscores SGA's efficiency and his ability to elevate his teammates' performances. The analyst remarks, "He's not secluded, he's not secluding the other his teammates around him. He's the type of player... he makes those around him better."

• Comparison with Peers: While acknowledging the exceptional performances of Giannis and Jokic, Sharpe argues, "I don't see it happening. He's too consistent night and the night out to lose MVP this year."

Notable Quote:

"Shay is Shay, if he's a unanimous MVP, Ocho, as well as Jokic playing as well as Giannis is playing, I'm not going to hold you, I'm not going to be mad at you." – Shannon Sharpe ([10:46])

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III. Team Dynamics and Future Prospects

Thunder vs. Rockets Performance The Thunder's victory over the Rockets is dissected, focusing on shooting percentages and defensive strategies.

• Shooting Efficiency: "The Rockets didn't play bad. Ocho, you know, they shot 49% from the floor, 46% from the three, 82% from the free throw line." ([08:57])

• Defensive Challenges: The Thunder's ability to limit the Rockets' scoring despite their shooting prowess is highlighted, pointing out, "They gave up 63 at the half and then they give up a 39 piece and then they give up a 35." ([09:11])

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IV. Impact of Kyrie Irving's Knee Injury

Kyrie's Injury and Team Implications A significant portion of the discussion centers around Kyrie Irving's knee injury and its repercussions for his team.

• Injury Details: Shannon describes the incident, "I didn't see it on Joke... he stepped on his foot and his knee kind of buckled a little bit." ([31:14])

• Team Strategy Without Kyrie: The analyst explains, "When you say it's a lot, it's a lot to ask of him to do... Hope they can get AD Back at some point in time." ([32:37])

• Potential Season Impact: The duo debates the likelihood of the team making the playoffs without key players, with Sharpe asserting, "They need to figure this thing out... You put them on the foul line, they shoot a bunch of free for a team." ([32:37])

Notable Quote:

"I wish Kyrie a speedy recovery. Hopefully it's nothing serious." – Shannon Sharpe ([32:37])

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V. Bengals' Tee Higgins Franchise Tag Debate

Franchise Tag Repetition Shannon shifts focus to the NFL, specifically discussing Tee Higgins being franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals for the second consecutive year.

• Franchise Tag Mechanics: The conversation sheds light on what the franchise tag entails, "Cincinnati has until July 15th to reach a new multi-year deal with Higgins or he'll make a fully guaranteed 26.2 million." ([57:00])

• Team's Strategic Moves: The analyst and Sharpe debate whether the Bengals intend to sign Higgins long-term or leverage him for potential trades, considering his rising market value.

• Fan Sentiment vs. Team Strategy: Sharpe voices frustration from fans, highlighting the disconnect between fan expectations and team management decisions.

Notable Quote:

"You know that means they're betting against you." – Shannon Sharpe ([64:21])

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VI. Player Contracts and Team Management

Franchise Tag Implications The hosts delve into the broader implications of the franchise tag on both players and team finances.

• Economic Impact: Shannon compares player contracts to investments, emphasizing the need for forward-thinking in team management. "It's those numbers next year. Guess what, that third year, the contract, now there's a chance he goes out and has another year." ([68:03])

• Health and Longevity: The discussion extends to player health benefits, with Sharpe passionately advocating for better long-term support. "I need long-term guaranteed money... Lifetime health benefits or we got to do away with the franchise tax." ([80:33])

Notable Quote:

"There's nothing to realize. You know what they do because the film, the film don't lie." – NBA Analyst ([68:56])

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VII. Personal Anecdotes on Injuries and Player Sacrifices

Sharpe's Injury Stories Adding a personal touch, Shannon shares his own experiences with injuries, highlighting the physical toll of professional sports.

• Injury Management: He recounts dealing with recurring ankle issues, "I get my knee drained about three hours before the game. I would ice it, try to keep the swelling down." ([55:43])

• Sacrifices for the Game: Shannon underscores the relentless nature of sports, "I'll take my black ass right back out there. No regrets." ([56:16])

Notable Quote:

"When you play this game long enough, there are going to be times that you like, man, I don't know how." – Shannon Sharpe ([56:21])

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VIII. Closing Thoughts on Team Strategies and Player Value

Final Insights As the episode winds down, Shannon and the analyst reflect on the importance of superstars in driving team success and fan engagement.

• Superstars as Cornerstones: "In the NBA, it's all about a superstar. That's why the Lakers try to move heaven and earth to try to keep them." ([38:42])

• Economic Considerations: Shannon emphasizes the balance between ticket pricing and team performance, "The price is rising... another season, they expect to pay 750." ([36:14])

Notable Quote:

"I mean, you can't get away from that... But Shay is Shay, if he's a unanimous MVP..." – Shannon Sharpe ([10:46])

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Conclusion This episode of Club Shay Shay offers a comprehensive exploration of current sports narratives, blending statistical analysis with heartfelt personal stories. Shannon Sharpe and his NBA analyst guest provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of player performance, contractual negotiations, and the intricate dance between team management and fan expectations. Whether you're a die-hard sports enthusiast or a casual follower, this discussion illuminates the multifaceted world of professional athletics.

Transcript

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Please make sure you hit that like button and go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from. Thank you for your continued and loyal support. Check out Shade by laportier. We have it in stock. What better way to celebrate a joyous occasion than with a bottle of Shade by laportier. Now, if you cannot find it any city or state near you, trust me, we will be coming in the coming weeks and months. Order it online. We'll ship it directly to your door. Please drink responsibly and stay safe. Go follow my media company page on all of his platforms. That's Shay Shay Media and my clothing company, eighty four. With eighty four being spelled out, everything is restocked. We just dropped our super bowl show shirt and hat. The link is pinned at the top of the chat. Supplies are limited. Once they're gone, they're gone. So please make sure you order yours now. Ocho The Thunder beat the Rockets. Shay 51 SGA, his fourth 50 piece this year. And they all come in like the last six weeks. January 22nd he had 54. The 29th he had 52. February 5th he had 50. And tonight he had 51. It is his MVP to lose. As great as Jokic is playing and he's playing unbelievable. SGA is the mvp. He's playing outstanding. He's controlling the pace of the game. Now you look at them, they're deep. Jalen Williams, they got Kayson coming off the bench. They got Isaiah Joe coming off the bench that can defend at a high level. They got Caruso, another defender that can defend at a high level, coming off the bench. We know what Lou Dort is, a tremendous wing defender, but they got scoring at the yin yang. But shade tonight, 51 on 18 or 35 and nine for three. Perfect from the free throw line. Jalen Williams eight of 16, four or five from the three point line, four, six from the free throw line. He had 21, he had 24. Holmgren had 11, Lou Dort had 11, Hartenstein had eight. And then you had Wallace with 14. Wiggins didn't shoot the ball well tonight, but we know it's just a matter of time. Yeah, the Rockets didn't play bad. Ocho, you know, they shot 49% from the floor, 46% from the three, 82% from the free throw line. But you allowed OKC to shoot 50% from the floor, 46% from the three and they shot 89% from the free throw line and they shot what, 10 more free throws than what you shot. Yeah, but you know, I, I, you know, I joke a lot about the Lakers, but man, I understand what OKC is. I'm not, I'm not foolish enough to like, you know, I joke with them, but you don't get to the record that they have Ocho, and not be a good ball club. They're a very, very good ball club. They're very well coached and they starting to, they believe that they're this good.

[NBA Analyst]

You know, not only are they be a world coach, not only are they a good ball club. When you have a player like sga, he's not secluded, he's not secluding the other his teammates around him. He's the type of player, when you think about a Kobe, he makes those around him better. Everybody's scoring. You gotta think he done got 50, he done got 50 or 51 tonight. And we not talking about him being selfish, you know, how efficient you gotta Be where everybody else can still contribute to the scorecard. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then you still got 50. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

And you still dropped 51. 50. Man, this is fourth one out of this year.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Fourth one in the last five weeks. Six weeks.

[NBA Analyst]

Listen, Young Bull, SJ is different. And like you said, it's his, his award to lose. But I don't see it happening. He's too consistent night and the night out to lose MVP this year. I'm. Listen, at this point they might as well give it to him. I'm not. How many more weeks we got left?

[Shannon Sharpe]

One, three, four? A month. They got 60. They got 21 games. Let's see, they played 61 games. They got 21 games left. So they got 82. They did. They're 50 and 11. So they got 21 games left, Ocho.

[NBA Analyst]

You might as well just go ahead and give it to them now.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

And then, I mean, I mean no disrespect to what Joker is doing. They might as well give it to him now.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, look, he's playing unbelievable, Ojo. I mean you can't. I mean, look at his record. Okay, what are you basing it on? Team record. The number one in the Western Conference. Okay. What does his stat looks like? He. I think, if I'm not mistaken, I think he's second. He might be leading the league in scoring. Not currently. Right. So he might be leading the league in scoring. Their offensive rating is out to yin yang. He doesn't turn the ball over. He facilitates. As you mentioned, he gets everybody else involved. There's nothing not to like about this kid. And it just goes to show you, Ocho, you look at him for where he was as a rookie and you look at how much better he's gotten from the time he was a rookie until now. That's why I say it's hard for me to believe. I'm not saying that everybody's going to take a meteoric jump like him, but it's hard for me to believe that you can do something and you practice at it. That you won't get incrementally better.

[NBA Analyst]

Better. You have to. And you know, we haven't talked. We talk about it, how good he is on the offensive side of the ball, you know, in his offensive prowess, his ability to score, putting the ball on the floor, stuff like that. Oh, we forgot to mention his defense. We forgot to mention his defense. He's also playing defense.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, he's out there in steals. He does lead the league, Ojo. This year he has the most 50 point games with four. He has the most 40 point games with nine. He has the most 30 point games. 38. He has the most 20 point games. 59. So he scored at least 20 points in all but two of their games. He leads the NBA in scoring by over 300 points. So he's going to lead the league in scoring. Now look, I think he, Giannis and Yoke will be unanimous mvp. Excuse me, Unanimous all NBA selections and rightfully so. But Shay, right now, Shay is Shay, if he's a unanimous mvp, Ocho, as well as Jokic playing as well as Giannis is playing, I'm not going to hold you, I'm not going to be mad at you. Say you named this man mvp because that's how well he's playing, that's how well his team is playing. And so if you go back and look at it, look at when Steph won unanimous MVP, they were, oh, that was the year they went 73 and nine. So with that being said, yeah, it was an unbelievable game. And like I said, Houston didn't play bad. Now they did not have Sungoon, they did not have Van Fleet. What's the. Dylan Brooks didn't play. They were without a lot of their key guys. Those are three starters right there. But maybe it's a closer game. I mean they gave up 137. I mean you gave up, they gave up 63 at the half and then they give up a 39 piece and then they give up a 35. So you're not gonna win very many games if you give up 30 a quarter. And that's what they gave up. They gave up, they gave up 30 a quarter. And you're not gonna win a whole lot of games. You put them on the foul line, they shoot a bunch of free for a team. They get to the foul line, OKC gets to the foul line. They shot 27 and made 24. And you, you would think like hold on, they shooting 30 plus threes and they still get into the free throw line. Yeah, Cache does Cache gonna get to the line 10 to 15.

[NBA Analyst]

He's aggressive, he's a girl from any mid range. But hey, I'm. Have you ever, you watch his game when he get the ball in his hands, he coming and coming up court. There's no wasting time. There's no playing with the ball. There's no at times running plays and you know, setting screens. But outside of that, when it's one on one, he's at, you make a.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Move and go, yep, he's, he's, he's he's taller than you think. Yeah, he's a big guard. He's like. He likes six'four so he's a big point.

[NBA Analyst]

Six four is short in the NBA. You know that, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Not for a point, it ain't.

[NBA Analyst]

You don't think so?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No.

[NBA Analyst]

You got point guard, six seven, and six eight. Bring the ball.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You talk about Luca. You talk about Luca. Kyrie ain't that tall. Steph ain't that tall. Van Fleet ain't that tall. You go and go. Jamal Murray's not that tall, dear. And Fox isn't that tall, right? Oh, he's six six. My bad. I shorted the man two inches.

[NBA Analyst]

He's six six.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He's six six. And so when you look. And the thing is, Ocho, the way the pace at which he plays, he can post you. He got mid range now. He's got the three ball that falls, he can get to the rim. So really offensively, he doesn't have any weaknesses. And guess what? You gonna put him on the foul line. He gonna get to the foul line. So now either you file him or you let he makes it. Now, the only thing that you hope when the ball go because he's in a zone right now. Yeah. All you hope is that the rim don't like it and spit it out. That's you just hoping Ocho. Like, damn, I hope the rim don't like this shot.

[NBA Analyst]

You got to have hope and a prayer for that. Especially when somebody locked in like that week, night out and night. Listen, the chances you spend. It's only a week left. I mean, not the chart. A week. Only got about 3, 4 weeks left before the season's over.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, but.

[NBA Analyst]

And they might as well chalk it up. He not. He's not gonna lay down. Not with that mentality.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nah, nah, not with that kind of mentality. Because at the end of the day, you still want to. You still want to make like all things being equal. I kind of want to, like, have home court. So they're fighting with the Cavs on the other side to see who have home court throughout. Because if it comes down to a situation and they both make. Makes it out of their respective conferences, I want you to come to me. I want game seven, if necessary, to be an okay. Excuse me, to be an okc.

[NBA Analyst]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But Shay is playing unbelievable. He's. He's. From start to finish. I think he felt jilted last year that they. That Jokic won it. I didn't have a problem with Yoke winning it when you look at the numbers and what you put up. Yeah, I think they felt bad. Maybe the voters felt bad because they gave it to Joel Embiid the year before. Cause he easily could have won it that year. And he's going to be. He's kind of like LeBron and Jordan. He's always going to be in that top three.

[NBA Analyst]

He's gonna win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It'll be the top three because of the numbers that he puts up. He's averaging 28, 28, 13, and 10. He's a center. Yes. And so. But Shay leading the league in scoring. He's up there in steals. The best team in the Western Conference. They're playing extremely well. I don't see how anybody else other than him wins that mvp. And that's not a knock on yo. I don't think Giannis has a chance to win it because his team record isn't what it needs to be. Now, if you want to throw JT in that mix, do you like Jayson Tatum enough to put him in that mix? Considering how well the Celtics are playing, they're the number two seed in the East. But see, I think the thing for me is that. I think the thing that works against Jayson Tatum and Chad, y'all let me know what y'all think. Are we sure Jayson Tatum is the best player on that team?

[NBA Analyst]

Wait, you know what? I asked you. I asked you that last season.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All I know is that when it comes to the awards.

[NBA Analyst]

When it came to the playoffs, right? Jason Tatum, Jason this, Jason Tatum this, Jason Tatum that. When I watched the game, obviously, you know, for me, the game of basketball, I wasn't on top of it like I should be, you know, so obviously, I'm locking in with you watching the game so I can be able to talk about a playoff. And I'm watching the game, and all I'm hearing is Jason Tatum's name. But when I watch the game, all I'm saying, seeing in Jaylen Brown.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

So I'm thinking to myself in my head, well, wait a minute. Based on what I'm seeing on tv, it's different than what everybody else is telling me, Right? So I asked you last year, are you sure? You know, Jason Tatum is, for one, one that can be in a position to be the face of the league, but, hell, he can't be the face of the league.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you're questioning whether or not he's the best player on his own team, that's got to be definitive. That's got to be undeniable. There Is no ifs and buts about it. If there's anything he can't. So how you gonna be the face, supposedly the face of the league and you're not the best player on your own team? Because what we saw is one guy win finals mvp. We saw another, the same guy, win Eastern Conference mvp. We see that guy a lot of times, takes the toughest matchups. He took Luka and still gave you the production that he gave you. Normally, if a guy, if you're asking a guy to give you that kind of production offensively, he needs to take a risk defensively. But that's not what Jaylen Brown did. He hounded him and then, yes, he could turn it over. Hey, Holiday, you take him. Okay, Derrick White. But initially I'm going to start on him. And that's not a knock on Jason Tatum. I think he's a phenomenal player. He's won three first team all NBA selections for a reason. He's a two time Olympic gold medal winning player for a reason. This is not a knock. But at the face of the league, Jason Tatum is a comparable play. Excuse me, Jaylen Brown is a comparable player.

[NBA Analyst]

I got a question too, and this is for the chat as well. Y'all tell me what you think. Let's say you take Jason, I mean, excuse me, let's say you take Jaylen Brown out the equation and he's not on the Celtics and you have someone else in that spot. Jayson Tatum's still there putting up the numbers he's putting up this year. So is it easier for Jayson Tatum being the MVP this year? Enough? Is he still doing enough?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, he's not going to MVP this year. He can't do enough to overtake SGA and Yoke. No, it's going to be, first of all, you're going to have to have a season for a guy to win the MVP over Jokic because his numbers are going to be this. He's going to be somewhere around 27 points. He's going to be somewhere around 10 to 13 rebounds. He's going to be somewhere Around 9 to 11 assists. So in order for you to win it, you're going to have to be like SGA, averaging 32, 33, your team success. You're going to have to be, you know, 10 games above everybody else. That's, you know, the Lakers in second, the Nuggets are in third percentage points. So you're 10, 11 games ahead of them. So in order for you to win the MVP over Yoke, because he's gonna be somewhere around second or third. He might get the first seed, but his numbers are gonna be so good. Kinda like when Jordan, his numbers were so good. It took Karl Malone then winning 60 plus games, him averaging 27 and 12 to overtake Jordan 30 and 6 and they had a slightly better record. But they work well together. I love the fact because a lot of times people would try to like they need to get rid of one of them, the other. They both are kind of similar, but they figured it out. They found a way to play together and realized it was mutually beneficial for the both of them to remain together as opposed to split them apart. Because we see that so many times.

[NBA Analyst]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's robbed some teams of potential championships because one guy wanted to be the lead dog and I don't wanna, I don't wanna be, I wanna be the lead dog. I don't wanna be both of us in the harness together side by side. I need to be the lead dog and I love that. JT and jb, they praise each other, they compliment each other. Yeah, I'm sure JB was upset that he like, hold on, bro, hold on. I'm Eastern Conference mvp. I'm finals mvp. And you take two of my teammates. I understand, I understand JT because he was on the previous team and he's been a three time first team all NBA selection since then, bro. Y'all take two of my teammates. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

You know that, you know that was personal. Huh? And something, you know that was personal. I'm leave that down.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So I'm glad they were able to. I'm glad they're able to work this together because they should be for the next five years. They probably should get a couple of championships because both guys are under the age of 30. A young team. It all depends. I think Porzingis is up after this year. Isn't Brzingas a free agent? You got Derrick White signed to a long term deal. You got Holiday signed to a long term deal. Peyton Pritchard, who was the heartbeat off the bench, he might get him a little contrary. Somebody might break him off like, hey, come on over here. You doing that for Boston. He has one more year. They'll probably look to extend him, but good game tonight. OKC moved to 50 and 11 with a 137, 128 victory over the Houston Rockets. The Rockets dropped to 37 and 24. They were playing without Alfred Sanguine. There was Dylan Brooks and Van Fleet who's been out for an extended period of time. Dylan Brooks did get although he didn't play. He was dressed but he didn't play.

[NBA Analyst]

Nah.

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ashley Kineti]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Ocho Kyrie was helped to the locker room after an apparent leg injury. He stayed in the game and drained two free throws before leaving the court with Kyrie. The question is, Ocho, you want to put that the Mavericks game up? Kyrie playing this kind of. And he has to. Ad's out and you traded and you traded Luca. So now and you out lively and you're without Daniel Gafford. So he's having a long minute. Try to keep them afloat until AD comes back. But you're putting a lot of. You putting a lot of. He's got to do an awful lot. Yeah, he's got to facilitate. He's got to score. That's a lot.

[NBA Analyst]

When you think about what he has to do with ADB out. A player like Kyrie of his caliber that can run the offense, that can set things up, that can facilitate, that can get hot on any night, especially when he has to score, when the onus is on him to lead the way. Kyrie can do that. So when you say it's a lot, it's a lot to ask of him to do. Hey, he's the type of player, he's one of the ones that left Cleveland because he wanted to be the head dog. Right, right, right. So listen, this is your chance. This is the chance to score what you can do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But he's finding out there's a lot more going into it. Ocho. There's a lot more going into it than being the lead dog now. Yeah, you gonna score a bunch of points. Yeah. But at the end of the Day, people are gonna be looking at you like, bro, what's going on? Oh, okay.

[NBA Analyst]

I see what you. I see what you're going with.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What about that team? I mean, he's averaging the third most minutes per game in his career, and he's doing it as he's starting to get older. Normally, the minutes decrease. You play, if you go back and look at Kobe, you look at LeBron, you look at Jordan, they're playing 39, 40. I think one year, LeBron played 42 minutes a night. Jordan was up there, Kobe was up there. But as you start getting 30 now, you start coming back.

[NBA Analyst]

Whoa, whoa.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I need to be around somewhere between 35 and 37. What's he averaging now? He might be averaging 35, 37, 30 minutes. 37, 37, 30, 36 for. That's a lot of minutes. Because the things. There's a difference between playing 36 minutes and you got Luca running shotgun with you playing 36 minutes, and you got A.D. 36 minutes, and you got K.D. harden 36 minutes, and you got LeBron, right? Cause you can be out there on the court for 36 minutes, and you can coast. KD gonna get buckets. Harden gonna get me buckets. Luca will get me buckets. LeBron, ad bro, when you out there with you, you got to work. You know, sometimes you show up at the job. Hey, you just show up. You just there. I ain't doing no work today. I'm talking to everybody, cuz, hey, I know everybody else gonna do their job. It ain't like that right now with Kyrie, Dallas, and they're trying to do everything they can to kind of stay in the sixth spot. Don't have to do the play in. You know, if you're in the sixth spot, you avoid the play in. And so they're hopefully. I'm sure they're hoping they can get AD Back at some point in time. Probably have him reevaluated in the next seven to 10 days and see where that goes. But I wish Kyrie a speedy recovery. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

[NBA Analyst]

Was it. Was. Did he hyper extend it or did he step on somebody's foot and twist his ankle? Which one was it?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I didn't see it on Joke.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah. Even on the replay, I still couldn't tell, but he could put any weight on that foot. It was his right foot, to be exact. I'm thinking with them, the way they helped him off the court, it wasn't a hyper extension. I think he twisted his ankle a little bit, and I'm not even going to talk about my remedy to fix that to get him back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, he stepped on the guy's ankle and his knee kind of buckled a little bit. Okay, that's Valanchunis. I think it wasn't that Valentinus he stepped on. Yeah, yeah, he stepped. He stepped on it. He stepped on his foot.

[NBA Analyst]

Hey, that's one of the worst things you could do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You ain't gotta tell me nothing.

[NBA Analyst]

You're a Hooper when you step on somebody ankle and your eyes are looking up, so you're not, you're not, you're not ready for it. And the foot is already relaxed too. So you're getting all that man feeling. But that's not.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hopefully it's nothing major. Hopefully it's just a little. A simple little tweak, couple of days, red, some ice and Kyrie will be able to come back because Without Kyrie, they're 32 and 30 right now. Where are they now? They're 10th. They're in the 10th spot. That's the play. That's the last spot for the play in. Yeah, it's not looking good.

[NBA Analyst]

Nah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Which would be even worse for Nico Harris if they. If. Because at one point they were where they were. I think they were in the fifth or the sixth spot. And now all of a sudden, AD comes in, have so much promise, he goes out and now you slide and you miss the playoffs. And Luka and them are in the playoffs. They go from seventh to two. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

And Nico Harris gonna look crazy after that, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. Really, he looking crazy as it is. But you have. So we'll find it. Check this out. Let me know what you think.

[NBA Analyst]

Yes, sir.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The Dallas Mavericks raised ticket prices, site investments. The Dallas Mavericks revealed that they're raising the season ticket price next season. I think about average of 8 little. Almost 9%. Just weeks after dealing Luka to the Lakers, the Mavericks says season tickets will go up by 8.61%, which is about 9%. And the increase is due to ongoing investments in the team and fan engagements. One fan tweeted. Thirty days ago, the Dallas Mavericks traded away their homegrown superstar. Called him fat and laughed in the fan's face about it. Today they decided to almost double the prices of my season tickets from the past couple of years. The new ownership is disgustingly out of touch.

[NBA Analyst]

Hold on. Not only are they out of touch, can you give me a better reason? What team, what business actually raises prices mid season?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, this is next season.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, they say. Oh, okay, okay, okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Don't be Getting your head up, let you say you like my granny used to say, boy, save your pennies up so you can get it.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, they let you know ahead of time. Okay, okay, okay, okay. I would get ready to say, well, that's slightly disrespectful.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I. I don't. And look, if they had kept Luka and said, we're going to raise ticket prices, I don't think fans would have had anything to. Had nothing bad to say about that decision. Ocho, because it's Luca, because normally you want to keep your home going. Homegrown guys, most definitely. Especially if they want to stay, because a lot of times they get. You know, you see Zion, he wanted to leave AD wanted to leave LeBron, ended up leaving KD, ended up leaving Russ, left Harden, left Reggie Jackson. I mean, so. So forth. And so the list goes on and on about you getting these guys and then them leaving. Luca, from all. From everything that I've read and people that was close to him, that knows him, he didn't want to leave Dallas. Nah, the fans didn't want him to leave Dallas. Now, if you ask Philly fans, they might not be so disappointed if you trade your El Embiid, considering his injury history and he's missing as many games as he's played. I don't think the fans was disappointed when they traded Ben Simmons, considering the regression that they had started to see in his play. Luka, we saw no regression. We only saw ascension in his play, and they traded him. And after you trade him, you have the unmitigated gall, you have the audacity to bring your ass in here and talk about you raising prices.

[NBA Analyst]

No, listen. And you know what? You know what? Also, when Nico Harris makes a move like that, one thing that you can stand on is hoping that whoever you trade for replaces the product that actually left. And it makes the fans forget about the trade based on your production and what you do. But he's been out. And then to say what you say, what's going to happen next year, which you're raising prices. Well, here, how about y'all fix. How about you fix this either first, fix the product on the court this season. Because we thought about we wouldn't have a problem paying for next season if what we wanted and we were getting was on point this year.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, ain't no fixing this year. This is your team moving forward. The question is, how soon does AD Comes back and what's the severity of Kyrie's injury? Because if both is down for a substantial amount of time. This season is over. This season is over. You're not going to be without four of your top six, seven guys and think you're going to be make the playoffs. That ain't happening. They're a good team. They're not that good. No team can overcome being without, say, a Kyrie ad, a gaffer, a lively. That ain't happening. So the only thing they can hope is hope and pray that within the next seven to 10 days, they can come back and they can go on a little run. Cause they're not. It's not like they got a whole lot of game. It's not two months left in the season, Ojo. It's one month left in the regular season and they need to figure this thing out. But it's bro, when first of all, fans like, we already being pinched. We already being pinched. You see they cutting jobs and inflation and eggs and gas and milk. And these prices are rising. The cost of race, the cost of a family is rising. And, bro, y'all just traded the person that I wouldn't mind paying $500 a game to come see. Y'all traded him, and now y'all asking me to pay 750. Mm, no. Hell no.

[NBA Analyst]

You think about. You think about. You look at the landscape of the NBA and you think about prices on how much tickets cost. There are two or three players on every team. On every team. I don't care how you look at it. Where fans that put butts in the seats, there's about two or three players that actually put butts in the seats, regardless of what the price of the tickets are. They make you forget about it. They make you forget about the economy. Because I know what I'm getting once I go watch these boys play.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, and you need superstars because in the NBA, look, it's all about a superstar. That's why the Lakers try to move heaven and earth to try to keep them. And for the longest time, they've always had them. They had. I mean, when they was in Minneapolis, they had George Micah, and then when they come to la, they had Baylor and they had Jerry west, and then they make the trade, then they get Wilt, and then a couple of years later, they get Kareem, and then they drafted Magic and they get Bob McAdoo and they draft James Worthy, and then they make the. They get Shaq, and then they make the trade for Kobe, and then they get LeBron to come. That's what the Lakers do. You have to have superstars. People want to see superstars the best of the best or what they'll do. You'll sell the building out when those superstars come. So when Steph Curry is on coming to your town, it's going to sell out. When LeBron come, it's going to sell out.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, when Jordan was in the league, people, team, you already knew Jordan going to be a sellout. Kobe and Shaq going to be a sellout. LeBron was going to be a sellout. You knew that, bro. I want to sell out my. I want my home game to sell out regardless. Cause we playing. Not that y'all coming. Not that y'all coming. Y'all coming to see somebody else, right?

[NBA Analyst]

Hey, can you imagine what the price of tickets were courtside when Kobe and Shaq were together?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, my gosh.

[NBA Analyst]

Can you imagine what the price. And I know the price is probably extensive now, and I'm sure it's going up since then, but can you imagine what it was?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. Well, especially come playoffs or big game, they play San Antonio or they play, you know, they. Who else was a rival of theirs? Oh, Sacramento was a rival of there when they had Chris Webb and they had Jay Will. The cell. The Suns. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, but now, boy, Luca. Luca. First game.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah. Which is when Corsi was. Huh? Just. Just matter of fact, when you give me the price of Corsair right now for a Lakers game, use the NFL players number currently. Right now, don't tell me the number, just give me your NFL player jersey number for better context because I don't want to hear the price because it's going to make me mad. You don't?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, you're going to be mad. First of all, they got Luka and LeBron, so the tickets are already going to be high. Giraffe Hoo Hawk to begin with. Okay, now think about when his first game he played Dallas.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now it's his old team.

[NBA Analyst]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Everybody wanted to see that. So probably you're probably looking at about closer you go to center court, the more expensive the tickets. You probably was looking at about 25. Probably 25 ticket for center court.

[NBA Analyst]

Okay. Okay. I thought, I thought it been. I thought it would have been worse than that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now you go to the playoffs.

[NBA Analyst]

I thought it had been worse than that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No.

[NBA Analyst]

Okay, okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But. But come playoff time, you dealing with the Lakers. I mean, you like some tickets. Ocho, you go sit court side. 50 under $2,000. That ain't happening in no Laker game.

[NBA Analyst]

Nah. And it also depends on the city you go to.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. And the food. Now you get everything. I mean, you. All the food free, Right? But consider what you pay for that ticket.

[NBA Analyst]

It should be right, you know, access vip.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. Cause I. I had season tickets. And you made me miss all my games.

[NBA Analyst]

Who did?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ocho?

[NBA Analyst]

Wait, how did that make you miss all your games? You could have just took me to the games with you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because you started nightcap. Huh? Cause you started nightcap.

[NBA Analyst]

Listen, I started nightcap. But what you could have done is, is we could have been a part of a consistent routine of going to the legging game, sitting courtside. You could have sat there and taught me, you know, the intricacies of the game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How am I gonna sit. How we gonna sit courtside and we coming on after the game.

[NBA Analyst]

What are you talking about? I know Jenny Buss. She would have gave us a private room in the back. We could have set up our nightcaps up right there after the game in the stadium. Can you imagine? Nobody's doing nothing like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No.

[NBA Analyst]

But anyway, that's just an idea to throw at you next year.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, I'm good. I got to save my pennies.

[NBA Analyst]

What you saving for?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause I don't want to work myself. I don't want to do this for the next 10, 15 years.

[NBA Analyst]

I told you about saving the past two years. You talk about flying private jets and flying first class.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I ain't flying no private jet.

[NBA Analyst]

You flew private. Telling me you would. So you ain't fly private. And I told you it made that way. There's no need to waste that kind of money where you can get to the same place from point A to point B on another airline. You forgot about that. You forgot that conversation.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Sometimes. Sometimes, you know me, I want to enjoy myself.

[LifeLock Representative]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I want to enjoy myself.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, so now you done did a 180. Now it's about saving money.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I enjoy myself. So now I gotta save.

[NBA Analyst]

I like it. I like the growth. Now if we can get the growth in other areas and other facets of your life, we're gonna be all right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Luca changed his mind on long running Lakers fans conspiracy. A notable theory has sprung up that opponents are so determined to beat them that the injured players intentionally target Laker games for their returns. Just yesterday, for instance, Normal Powell returned from a five game absence to face the Lakers two games earlier. Dante DiVincenzo, who had missed the previous 19 games. Before that, Dwight Powell had missed 16 games. Mellow Ball played a total of 10 minutes in his last three games before the All Star game, but played 33 against the Lakers. Immediately after the newest Laker noted that even he has spotted a trend. Lucas laughingly said, I didn't believe it before, but they say if somebody's out for a long time and then they play against the Lakers. So I don't know what to believe. Believe at the time. But obviously it's the Lakers. So I think it's normal.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah, I think might be coincidence.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's the Lakers.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah. You think people just coming back simply because you playing the Lakers.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Lakers on tv. Lakers are big. What. Who you want to. What I know is that what game that I know everybody gonna watch. What game do I know is gonna make sports center 1000%.

[NBA Analyst]

Okay, okay, I got you. I got you. Listen, I'll get ready to say, but hey, you're on tv. Regardless. If you're not on tv, depending on how you play, you can be on tv. Lakers.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I know what for certain, okay, I'm gonna be on TV if I play the Lakers.

[NBA Analyst]

Okay, I got you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's the. Even though the Lakers are not the champs, you gear up to play them, right? That's the Lakers. That's LeBron. That's Luca. That was Kobe. That was Shaq. That was Magic and Kareem and Worthy. Yeah, we gonna gear up and play, y'all.

[NBA Analyst]

It's so funny how if you, you, you think about the trio that has this mystique and aura about them, right? No matter what goes on, whether. Whether they're winning, whether they're losing, they just have this historical feel and aura where everybody either wants to play against them or play with them. The Yankees. Yeah, the Lakers. Hold on. I. I almost missed it. I'm. Yankees. Lakers. There's one more. There's one more to that trio.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What? Baseball? Dodgers.

[NBA Analyst]

No, the Dodgers don't have that same. That same, like, historic feel where everybody wants to play for them at some point.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, you talking about the Cowboys, huh? Cowboys.

[NBA Analyst]

That's what I was thinking of. I didn't want to mention them. I'm sorry? I didn't want to mention them. I didn't want to bring them up. But again, now you understand. For better context and what I'm trying to say about historic franchise, you can.

[T-Mobile Representative]

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[Ashley Kineti]

This is Ashley Kinetic from the Ben and Ashley I Almost famous podcast. You probably know somebody who's on Ozempic or Semaglutide right now. These are really popular medications that people are using to lose weight. If it seems like all other options aren't working for them, go to. Try FH.com to find out if weight loss meds are right for you. Try FH.com Try FH.com Future Health is not a care services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health.

[Leah Palmieri]

Hi, I'm Leah Palmeri.

[DraftKings Representative]

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[Leah Palmieri]

I started my own small business this year, so I'm excited to learn about business taxes.

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[Matt Stillo]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, wow, a real person.

[Matt Stillo]

Yep. I'm here to help you with everything from selecting the perfect window treatments to.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I've got a complicated project.

[Matt Stillo]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

I didn't realize you did that.

[Matt Stillo]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow. I mean, I always thought I needed a designer to come to my home, but scheduling's always a nightmare.

[Matt Stillo]

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[NBA Analyst]

Hmm.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I just might have to do more. Ooh.

[Matt Stillo]

Okay, Whatever you need. How about you tell me what you had in mind?

[Ashley Kineti]

Okay then.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So the first.

[Ashley Kineti]

The first room we're looking at is.

[Shannon Sharpe]

For guests coming in.

[Matt Stillo]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Lamelo Ball is a name to watch on the trade market this summer following Luka Donches trade NBA executive around the Leafs. Has they expanded their Horizon on which potential stars could next to change teams. The availability of Hornets guard Lamelo Ball is one of the stars. Several executives who spoke with hoop hype will be monitoring on the trade market this summer. O.J. should teams be interested in trading for Lamelo with his injury history?

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, see, you know what? Now that part, now when you say that it made, it makes every part everybody pause. It makes everybody think.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Think.

[NBA Analyst]

You take away his injury history. Okay, okay, let's say you take away his injury history. Let's talk about what Lamello Ball does and gives you. When he's on the court, he's lights out, huh? He's box office. He's one of those individuals. You know what? Well, if the tickets are $800, you know what? I don't mind paying $800, because I know Lamelo Ball is on my team. He's on our team. I know what I get when I'm coming to watch him. I'm gonna get my money's worth. Now, once you factor in his injury history and what happens when he's out time to time, ah, you know, now you proceed with caution to the win. Now, that's the bad thing. But listen, anybody can get hurt. It happens. It's a game of basketball. It's not that much of a. As a violent sport as football, but it's very physical. Injuries are going to happen, especially. And, you know, Lamelo's small, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is his frame? I mean, he's what, six, seven, six, eight? Really thin frame. His ankles are fragile. I mean, he might have to go through that with Steph. Remember, Steph was the same way. Steph stayed injured. That's why he got that little man contract. And then he just was able to stay healthy. That might be a situation. He might need to reach out to Steph and say, steph, man, how did you like these ankle injuries? How did you eventually get over it? Cause, man, there ain't nothing to play with. You talking to a guy that had ankle injuries and hell, I thought I was gonna have to retire at 26, man, my stuff was bad. Ojo, you talking about step on somebody ankle. I could literally step on somebody ankle and it would blow up like a cantaloupe that big.

[NBA Analyst]

Ah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And the worst part was doing it on the road. Cause guess what? I gotta get on a plane and fly back home.

[NBA Analyst]

You know what happened when you get in there with that pressure swollen right up even more? Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, I wore those stockings. You know, I put those on both my legs to keep the swelling down. Because I swollen.

[NBA Analyst]

Huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Those white ones? No, those white ones. You know, those. Those stocks.

[NBA Analyst]

Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, man, I had those things on Ocho, man. Cause, man, look here. I get on that plane, man, my. My knees and ankles swell up. Yeah, man. Cause I remember I was in Baltimore my last year, Ocho. I got my knee drained every week.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, wait a minute.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Every.

[NBA Analyst]

Every week?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Every week, right?

[NBA Analyst]

Drain the needle, pull out Lucas blood.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The first. The first time I got. The first time I got both of them drained, Ocho, they got about 130ccs off both ankles. I mean, both knees.

[NBA Analyst]

130C. You know how much 130cc is?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah, I know how much it is.

[NBA Analyst]

How did you even practice with that moving around?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I didn't practice. That was the thing they gave it off. I take. Get the. I get my knee drained about three hours before the game. I would ice it, try to keep the swelling down. Then they would, you know, put hot packs, Ocho. So I get. Get some fl. Some mobility in there. Right, right. But I was getting. I was probably getting 30, 40 cc's. Drought drone again, man.

[NBA Analyst]

But listen, you know what? Let me. Listen, I thank God for being able to play for a long time with no injuries. You know, for as long as I played and as reckless as I played, I got hit really clean. One good time, one clean hit in 1112 years. Outside of that was. Everything was basically normal. Like, man, listen to some of your injury, your pain.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, I was a pin cushion. I get something done, they're like, I don't know, Shaw. I say if I shoot it up, could I be able to play right? Shoot it up. You get out there and go shoot it up. Both shoulders bad. I separated both shoulders, man. They put about three or four shots in. They put two shots in this one, two shots in that one. Man. I was doing jumping jack. Wait a minute.

[NBA Analyst]

How you separate both shoulders?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Rest your soul. Dave Dorsen. I caught a seven route safety.

[NBA Analyst]

Got to be the safety.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. Oh, Chicago. He was with the Bears. He wanted to Tzubo with the Bears. He was with the Cardinals at the time. Right. So he landed on me crack. I hit the ground, crack. Then he landed on top of me crack.

[NBA Analyst]

Wait, so you. You did both shoulders at the same time?

[Shannon Sharpe]

At the same time.

[NBA Analyst]

Well, if that ain't.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If that ain't that. I like this, Ocho. Hey, the whole week. Hey, they put that medicine in there. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

And you was good. Did you. Did you wet it? You wear the Hornet? You Wear the harness.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Let me tell you what I did, Ocho. So we played. We playing the Raiders. I'm feeling good, too, Ocho. I feel good, man. We ran a Tones crack. We had a force crack, right? And it was Ronnie. I think it was Ronnie. It might have been Ronnie. I push up the corner, retreat. Here comes the safety. Man, I hit that joke. I forgot. Oh, Joe, I forgot. Cause, you know, normally if you got something hurt, you hit it with the opposite one, opposite side. Well, both of mine messed up. So I just say, hey. So I just say, it is what it is. Why, Ocho? Tears just start coming down my face. Hey, boy, that thing, Ocho, I don't know if you ever had that pain, but it feel like electricity go through your body.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah, yeah, I know what you smell. It's like a pinched nerve. That pinched nerve. That pinched nerve. Feeling is not a good thing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Told you I did like this here. That's a Greek Abdullah.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, he was out after that?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes, man, he knocked all that medicine out them shoulders.

[NBA Analyst]

Damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I was done after that, man. So I understand. Having to deal with injury history. For three years straight, I shot up my ankle every week. Sometimes I had to shoot up both of them. It gotten so bad. Ask anybody that was in there. The skin started to come off my.

[NBA Analyst]

Ankles from getting it. From getting it shot up so much.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. And completely discolored it like I had Vinny Ligo. It was like as dark as I am, and it was just like pure yellow. Pure. I'm talking about, like white.

[NBA Analyst]

And that's funny, people. You talk about stuff like this and everybody look at the glistening glamour when it comes to athletes. And then you sit down and you're able to hear stories like this about the sacrifices.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

Injuries that you got to go through.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And we do it all over again. As broke down as I am, I'll do it all over again. I'll take my black ass right back out there.

[NBA Analyst]

No regrets. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely not. Oh, you. Look, if you play this game long enough, there are going to be times that you like, man, I don't know how. On Sunday or Monday, Tuesday, I'm like, man, I ain't no way in hell I'm going to be able to play. Right? But Greek and chess would always like a sharp. Just think positive. Hey, we don't have to play today. If we had to play today, you probably wouldn't be able to go. But let's see how you feel on tomorrow. Let's see how you Feel on Thursday. Let's see how they kept that positive. I was like, hey, Sharpie, how you feel, man? I feel better. I think, hey, I might turn the corner, you know what I'm saying? O joke. Because I wanted to play Ocho, man, I know, look, I ain't gotta have no 20 year, I ain't no doctor, no lawyer where I can have a 25, 30 year career. I got a finite period of time. I'm gonna try to maximize it. They let me know, all right, Shannon, you know, you shooting up, blah, blah, long term, I said, bro, bro, let me worry about that in 30 years. Right now I need to get out there. I got people depending on me, so I wouldn't. And that's what they know. I got to do what I got to do. Oh, Joe. The Bengals franchise tag team Higgins for the second consecutive year. The Bengals do not want to allow Higgins to hit the fridge of market and will not turn their attention to negotiating a long term deal. Cincinnati has until July 15th to reach a new multi year deal with Higgins or he'll make a fully guaranteed 26.2 million. Since the second time he will get tagged, he will make 120% of his 2024 salary, bringing him up to 26.2. Right. Is this a deal going to get done or are they making sure they get something back on an eventual trade? Do you believe, do you believe they're going to sign T to a long term deal or they're going to try to sign him and then trade him and get compensation?

[NBA Analyst]

You know, I'm not sure. I'm not sure even, even at this point. And understanding the value that, that, that T will get or what his value is right now on the, on the open market, I think the Bengals understand that. I think T understands that as well. Now also, on the, on the, on the, on the right side of things, as, as a Bengal fan myself, true die hard Bengal fan, I would love to see them keep, you know, keep the trio together. I would love to see them keep the band together. The salary cap went up, huh? The salary.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think it's like 279, right?

[NBA Analyst]

It's just 279. But when I think about it, Listen, Jamar Chase getting ready to be the highest paid and reset the quarterback market as far as contractually, so. I understand that. Then I'm not sure what they're going to do with Joe Burrow. Is he going to restructure in some sort of way to make wiggle room not only for just T. Higgins, but For Trey Henderson, for other needs that need to be met.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Henderson's gonna want 30. He see the market. He got 17 and a half sacks for the last two seasons. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

You ain't gotta tell me. I know, I know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So, boom.

[NBA Analyst]

What's going to happen? What's more important? Where are the needs that need to be met for us as a team? I know fans want to say, bring tea back. I love T. But I also understand what T can get. I understand his value on the open market.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

Now, obviously, the franchise tag, you did it. You did it to me one year. Now when you do it to me one year, basically you're telling me, listen, we don't really see the value in you and giving you a contract long term. So we're going to do is. Is we're going to tag you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know that means they're betting against you.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah. Talk to me, please.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because if you thought. If you thought I was what I. If you. If you think of me what I think of me, you give me the.

[NBA Analyst]

Deal, it wouldn't be no questions asked, huh? The deal would have got done last year and now double back come this year. Again, T. Higgins, great year. Big game, stepped up. Huge.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, he only played 12. I think he only played 12 games, Ocho, but he still had 10 touchdowns.

[NBA Analyst]

Yes, let's talk about that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He averaged like 75. He averaged like 75 yards a game, receiver. So if you extrapolate that over the full 17 games, we know what type of season he would have had, even with Chase doing what he did. And the problem that you run into Ocho when you keep pushing the cans down the road, okay, you push, you kick Jamar Chase can down the road.

[NBA Analyst]

And you see what happened.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He gets the triple crown. Okay. You wouldn't do anything with Hendrickson. Now, he led the league in sacks back to back season, which he's had 17 and a half. Okay, you franchise tag T. Higgins. Now, he follows that up and he's like, y'all gotta pay me. Because I see Jalen Waddle with years left on his contract. Got 28. Y'all mean to tell me I'm at the end of my contract and y'all think Franchising me at 26 is good? No, I need guaranteed money. I need like 75 million fully guaranteed the first year. Now we can talk.

[NBA Analyst]

I'm curious. Normally, most of the time, teams use the franchise tag to their advantage. Not only does it lock a player up, but when you do it for a second year, I'm trying to buy Myself some time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I'm betting against you. I'm betting that you won't have another year like that, right? Because what good is it Ocho if he has another year like that? Maybe you want a Super bowl and say, well, we got a Super bowl lineup. We can let him go.

[NBA Analyst]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's. Cause at some point in time, if you're drafting the type of player that you believe you are, you're not going to be able to keep them all with your. It's just. It's just, it's impractical. You're not going to be able to keep Chase at 40. You're not going to keep Joe at 55. You're not going to be able to get Hendrickson, who he wants 30. T. Higgins want 30. Excuse me.

[NBA Analyst]

You go ahead. You go ahead.

[Shannon Sharpe]

At that number. Now they got a little bit more cap space. They waived Alex Kappa, the guard. I guess he had a bad year. I mean, looking at it, he gave up most sacks, most pressures, most hurries. So it was pretty bad. Jamar Chase posted this cryptic treat of Joe Burrow on Instagram. What T. Higgins, as you can see it on your screen, he like.

[NBA Analyst]

Listen, even the players as fans, as fans fans and Bengals fans, they always come to. They don't understand the difference in how the players feel from the business side of things as opposed to how the fans feel. The fans think, oh, it's so easy. The cap is going up. They're going to sign everybody. Listen, if you look at the reactions, you look at the reactions from T, you look at the reactions from Jamar Chase, it tells you that things aren't as sweet as you think on the outside looking in, regardless to how the cap numbers have gone up. Because you have to think the Bengals have a franchise to run. This ain't they not thinking about now. They're thinking about the foreseeable future, you know, when it comes to their books.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And how is it. I want long term guaranteed money.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah, well, listen, they got till July to get it done. They got till July to get it done. Now me, as much as I want T. The stage, I love Tee. I love my Bengals, I love the organization. Matter of fact, I love the fans that argue with me back and forth. Zim, who they. I know you're probably gonna see this. I love you, too and everybody else, but I just don't see it happening based on what T is deserving of and what Chase is going to be making.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Chase going north of 40.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, he is. He's resetting the market I'm. Yeah. For the simple fact. You made. You made me wait.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You dragged me, T. Said, I'll tell you what. Y'all like that? 26.2. Give me that in guarantee money. Give me 80 million fully guaranteed, and then y'all can put it however you want to. But I need to make. I need to make. I need to make 80 million in.

[NBA Analyst]

The first three years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I need to make 80 million in the first 3 years. Ocho.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah, we good. We could talk. We could talk. We could play like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I need to make 80 million. Hey, give me a 80. Give me $80 million signing bonus, and then I'll play. The first year I play for, like, 1.2, then I'll play for 5 million, and the next year I play for 10.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah, give me. Give me a nice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Since y'all say 26 million, everybody talk. Okay, just go ahead and give me that.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah. And give me a nice lump sum and signing bonus, too. Now give me all.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Give me. Give me. Give me. Give me 70 million signing bonus.

[NBA Analyst]

Give me some security. Now I need my nest egg in case something happens. Just in case I ain't going to lawyers of London.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, if I. If I'm Chase. Chase say y'all maybe take this $10 million insurance policy. I'm gonna factor that in when y'all negotiate. So y'all gonna give me that back on time if I have to take out another one at some point in time?

[NBA Analyst]

Hey, listen. The game is the game, Monk. This is the football. And this is why I wouldn't want. Why I wouldn't want to be owner. I wouldn't want to be a gm I wouldn't want to be in a position of Katie Blackburn, Mike Brown, Troy Blackburn, in a situation like this, with a team this great, with players this great, and it's time to pay. I just wouldn't want to be.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You have to be ahead of the curve. Do you believe T. Higgins? Let me ask you a question. Do you believe Chase, in the next three to five years, will not be a top three receiver? If you don't. If you believe he'll be a top three receiver. You signed him last year because you're paying him based on what you believe he's going to do moving forward, not what he's done in the past, because I've already paid you for that. So if I give you 35, $36 million, that's because I believe you're going to be a top three receiver, and in two years, this money will be obsolete. Now, I got you for another two years. Ocho at 36 million when the goal race from probably be 42, 43 million. See, that's what you have to do. You have to. Like a lot of times don't you have to buy something like, man, look here what people look, what if you were doing investments, People buy gold, people buy commodities based on believe they're going to go higher. So at this price, although it seems steep, I buy for a little when it moves up now I got it right. And that's how you have to look at these players. Michael park, do you. Okay, you saw Michael was defensive rookie of the year and he's been in the mv. The defensive player of your discussion.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why are we waiting till this man get all the way to the end of his contract before we think about doing a good, a long term deal. All you did was let the price keep going up, moving up higher. Yesterday's price is not today's price.

[NBA Analyst]

It definitely. It's definitely not. It's definitely not. And I listen, I want, I want them to get. I want them to work things out, but I also understand how the business side of things work. Yes. Everybody yelling about the cap, the cap going up, the cap being hot. Have the Bengals ever been wanting to spin all the way up to the cap?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hell no.

[NBA Analyst]

So let's start there. You know, we screaming, oh, the cap is going. Is this is that. I mean, listen, this is still a business that has to be run. Yes. This ain't Madden. This is real life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You see what Howie Roseman does? You see what he did? You see what he did with Devonta?

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You see what he did with aj?

[NBA Analyst]

Got him early.

[Shannon Sharpe]

See what he did with Hertz?

[NBA Analyst]

Got him early.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And what he did is that he's like, okay, Saquon, we'll give you this. If you get these incentives, not only will you get them for this year, it'll automatically go onto your contract next year. So that 1.5, 1.750. So now Saquon's gonna make almost $14 million. It's those numbers next year. Guess what? That third year, the contract, now there's a chance he goes out and has another year. I'm not saying he's Gonna go for 2000, but has another good year, Howie might say, you know what, to keep that cap number down, let's go ahead and get. Add a couple more years to it.

[NBA Analyst]

Give you nice signing bonus right up front.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So that's how you have to do it, Ojo. You have to have some forward thinking. Because if you wait till like, I don't know, I don't know, by the time you realize the guy's good, it's going to be cost prohibitive for you to sign your players.

[NBA Analyst]

Well, listen, the guys we talk about, there's nothing to realize. You know what they do because the film, the film don't lie. They did it in college, they got to the NFL and they kept on doing it. They didn't miss the beat. I'm talking about Chase. I'm not sure why he didn't pay him last year. There was nothing wrong with T understanding what you got, you know, for the foreseeable future. We talk about two top one, one top three player and we have another one that arguably could be in the top 10, you know, as what I like to call a one, B. I don't, I don't see T had no. 2. That's just me. Because anywhere else on any other team, Teagans would be a number one. But anyway, that's neither here nor there. I hope they get the. I hope they get the job done. I really.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So do I.

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[Shannon Sharpe]

The Eagles are going to release six time Pro bowl corner Darius Slay after five seasons with the teams. The Eagles initially acquired Slade via trade with Detroit in 2020, immediately signing the quarterback to a three year extension. Slade, 34, is coming off one of his best seasons of his career. He allowed a 42% completion rate, allowed 5.4 yards per target had 15 pass breakups are all his best marks since joining the Eagles. In 2024, the Eagles allowed a league low 174 yards passing per game, the lowest by franchise since the 2000. Since 2000. Who's that? Tennessee. At least 2000, I think Tennessee. I think they beat the Ravens that year because we. We allowed the. The Ravens allowed 60 like 60 something yards rushing, but I think they average like gave up 260 yard. Tennessee actually statistically had a better. Huh? Oh, oh, you talking about. That was the. What you call them, the Phil Eagles franchise. Oh, I thought he was talking about the lowest since 2000 by any franchise. Okay. Because I know Tennessee pass defense in 2000, they were. They only gave up 242 yards a game. Ocho. But he always said that if he didn't finish his career ended in Philly, he would love to go back to Detroit. Detroit was an original team. Obviously he has some issues with Matt Patricia, who's now the defensive coordinator at Ohio State. Hey, he goes to Philly, has a great, you know, go to two. He went to a bunch of Pro Bowls. They went to two Super Bowls. They won this past one. So could you see him going back to Detroit?

[NBA Analyst]

I think so. I think so. Why not? Especially with what happened from an injury standpoint to the Detroit Lions to on the back half of the season. I like it. I like it. And I'm also trying to think about why not running back with as well as he played last year with the Eagles. But I can't even talk about Jeffrey Lurie and Harry Robeson. And when it comes to their decision making Keon Mitchell, obviously, they're now passing the torch and the keys to him.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, he's on one side. They pass the keys to Cooper Dijon. Oh, see, rookie. Ooh, he's ready. He's ready to be a starter.

[NBA Analyst]

Now, listen, listen, honestly, he played well, right? He played very well, but he played well based on everything else going on around him. Is he actually ready after his rookie season, despite them winning the super bowl, to be in that spot like that where you got to see the number one receiver at times? You have to see maybe the number two receiver. Is he ready for that?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can't keep everybody, Ocho. I mean, what you gonna do with Bron? You gonna pay him? He gonna want a king's ransom. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst]

Oh, he was nice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay, what about. You got two D linemen that could potentially leave. You got Jalen Carter coming up now. Hey, he gonna want a king's ransom.

[NBA Analyst]

Hey, and, well, deserving of everything you got.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Mitchell gonna be coming down the pipeline O Joe. He gonna want a king's ransom. No, I. I understand. You know the chat saying they gonna keep Dejan at a nickel. Yeah. They gonna put him at corner. And then. And guess what? They gonna start him at corner, and then when they go 3 6, he gonna bump inside the knuckle.

[NBA Analyst]

But then who gonna be the other. Who's gonna be the other corner? Hey, listen, playing on the outside and playing the nickel. But that's a different ball game, baby. That's a. That's a different ball game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They drafted that man to play corner. They found out that he's really good at the nickel, and so guess what? They put him inside. They put him inside a situation, and they'll bring somebody else out. It'd be the same thing. You remember how. What's the guy's name? Ocho. He ended up going to Tennessee. He ended up going to Tennessee. From the Kansas City. Yep.

[NBA Analyst]

Ladarian Sneed.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Snead. What did they do? They drafted a corner. Yeah, Sneed was really good. They put him inside.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What did they do after the season? They ended up signing, trading him. And now you got Watson and you got McDuffie. Okay, see, y'all just look at. See, fans, y'all gotta stop looking. That's not how teams look at it. They draft the guy at corner, okay? Damn. And they got a slave's getting a little older. At 34 years of age, that's a little old for a corner, but he played extremely well. Now, maybe. Maybe it's a situation that, you know, they come back, I would go test the market now if I couldn't find something suitable. If I gotta play for 3 million, I'll play for 3 million in Philly. I ain't gonna play for 3 million. Cause I know we gonna win.

[NBA Analyst]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

But at least let me go kick the tire somewhere else, because somebody else might have some money for me. Ocho.

[NBA Analyst]

Hey, that's T. That's T, Unc. Do you understand? And I mean no disrespect to my fans in Cincinnati. I love you, every last one of you. Do you understand what T's gonna make if he get on the open market? Oh, come on, man. He deserving of that. He worked too hard. You hear me? Think about the sacrifices you just told me about that you went through to even touch the field. What, you think he got a story, too? All of us got a story.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, sure.

[NBA Analyst]

We want that sense of security. Allow him to see because you didn't believe in him here before. You know what? I want you to prove it to him. We gonna tag you. We gonna tag you because we don't value giving you a long term contract. We don't. Because if you did value me and you thought of what you think of how I think about myself as a player and as a receiver, there would have been no issue paying me. Now, you tag me again two years in a row, what does that tell me?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ocho, that's. But see, Ocho, that's the players association. You agreed to that.

[NBA Analyst]

Well, listen, you have to understand, when it comes to the franchise tag, you got 2,100 something players. Stick with me real quick now, Chad, y'all stay with me real quick. You got 2,100, maybe 2,200. When it comes to the franchise tag, we talk about, it only happens maybe to six, eight players. Six to eight. No more than eight. No more than eight. Now, actually going in the fight for something for such a small percentage of players, that is required, that's where it's used, you know, year in, year in and year out. Do you really want to fight for something like that? Because sometimes it's that advantage for the players and for the team as well. Sometimes buying you a little bit more time so we can get a deal done. Now, in this case, when it comes to T, I don't like the way they're taking advantage of him because if you didn't want, if you wanted to pay him, he would have done it the first time. Listen, don't do it to me again, Ocho. Don't do it to me twice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But that's, but see, that's where you have to be unselfish. Because a lot of time for the very reason. I remember when they first started talking about lifetime benefits, there were a lot of prominent guys, and I'm not going to call their name. Give me a million dollars and I'll buy my own health insurance. How'd that work out for him? The same thing you just said. There are so few guys that say, man, I'm never going to get the franchise tag until they get the franchise tag. And now look at you. At some point in time, Ocho, Kurt Flood, he never benefited from free agency, right? He lost, basically lost his career. So everybody else got free agency. Spencer Haywood, right. Sometimes you have to sacrifice. There are a lot of people that sacrifice for the greater good, even though they weren't there to rip, reap the benefits.

[NBA Analyst]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

A Dr. King, a Malcolm X, so many other Freedom fighters. A lot of people sacrifice that didn't get the benefit of the sacrifice. Right. That's what sacrifice means.

[NBA Analyst]

I like that. I like the way you put that. I like where you put that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So now, okay, I tell you what y'all want. 2 franchise tax. We want lifetime health benefits.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah. Oh, that's a good one. Because we don't have it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You get one franchise tag. Right. But you can't franchise me again. I got. I need. You know, I already gave you a bigger concession. Now you get a bigger piece of the pie. Owners, I got to claw something back.

[NBA Analyst]

Right, Right. It got to be beneficial for us.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Lifetime health benefits or we got to do away with the franchise tax.

[NBA Analyst]

One or the other.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. And even if we don't get lifetime, I need at least 10, 15 years. What is Ocho? If the average NFL career is three, Is three years.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So the average NFL player coming in at 22, 23.

[NBA Analyst]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So that means a vested player with three years, he's done at 25, 26. Ocho, he get five years of health benefits at 31. He's done.

[NBA Analyst]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He only. Hopefully the average life expectancy if someone is like 75 years. So he got another 40 plus years. But guys don't think like that. Ojo, that money coming in so good, and you like, hey, I will be able. But when you don't have money coming in and you have it going out and you get. If you get a serious injury, you get a form of cancer, you get a treatment, it'll wipe your savings out just like that.

[NBA Analyst]

Wake you up real quick too, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Just like that. And with the price, the surgeries and the price of the medicine, Some medicine costing you 10, 15, 20,000amonth.

[NBA Analyst]

Especially now. Especially now. Hey. Oh, my God. Just the thought of that, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[NBA Analyst]

How much do you say medicine cost? How much a month?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Some of it's like 10, 15, 20,000amonth. Some of them cancer drugs, My goodness. I mean, look at. I mean, insulin. Look at insulin. What's insulin cost you? And people need two, three injections a day.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

The volume.

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