Nightcap Hour 1: Thunder LOOK UNSTOPPABLE vs Lakers + Austin Reaves CRAHES OUT on Refs + Cade DOMINATES Game 2 vs Cavs

Summary

Club Shay Shay - Nightcap Hour 1

Date: May 8, 2026
Host: Shannon “Uncle Ocho” Sharpe
Guests/Co-hosts: Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Joe “Iso Joe” Johnson

---

Episode Overview

This explosive episode of Nightcap dives into the NBA Playoffs, unpacking how the Oklahoma City Thunder look “unstoppable” with a dominant win over the Lakers, detailing Austin Reaves’ high-profile confrontation with game officials, and spotlighting Cade Cunningham’s penchant for taking over as Detroit goes up 2-0 on Cleveland. Unfiltered and unscripted, the trio of Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson, and Joe Johnson deliver incisive analysis, inside-the-locker-room stories, and passionate reactions—especially to controversial officiating and player performances.

---

Main Discussion Points

1. OKC Thunder Dominate Lakers Again

(Start ~05:30 through ~28:30)

• Thunder Depth Overwhelms Lakers

  • OKC wins 125-107, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
  • Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Shea) in foul trouble and limited to 20 points, OKC’s bench (Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jerry McCain, Kason Wallace) all step up for double-digit contributions.
  • “Every time Shea goes out...not with this Thunder team. They’re able to expand the lead.” – Uncle Ocho [09:50]
  • Joe and Ocho compare OKC’s bench dominance to the best runs of the Golden State Warriors.
  • “They got too many guys who can beat you...they’re so poised and patient...hell, Lakers just ain’t got enough.” – Joe Johnson [11:23]
  • “OKC is still the most dangerous team in the postseason. They got a plethora of guys willing to step up.” – Joe Johnson [12:18]

• Lakers’ Struggles: Roster & Execution Problems

  • LeBron criticized for lack of aggression (“Wasn’t aggressive at all…we needed that assertiveness in the third quarter.” – Uncle Ocho [12:37])
  • Lakers unable to capitalize when Shea sits; instead, OKC’s reserves widen the gap.
  • Starters log heavy minutes, but bench is unreliable (“JJ can’t trust nobody coming off that bench for real, outside of Luke Kennard.” – Joe Johnson [27:53])
  • Marcus Smart called out for turnovers and Jackson Hayes for repeated moving screens (“He gets one every game. I’m like, bro, you been in the league far too long.” – Uncle Ocho [15:35])

• System vs. Star Power

  • OKC praised for playing “by committee”—everyone contributes, and team doesn’t fall apart if the star is out.
  • Lakers lack the same depth, especially without Luka (“You’re missing a pivotal piece to your team, and it’s showing in this round.” – Joe Johnson [45:12])
  • Lakers’ hope: play near-perfect basketball and hope OKC has an off night.

---

2. Referee Controversy: Austin Reaves/Venting & a Bad Whistle Night

(28:30 – 55:00)

• Lakers' Frustrations with Officiating

  • Lakers felt refs called the game tightly, especially affecting key players (multiple with 5 fouls).
  • “Tonight was some ticky-tack stuff. … You barely bump Shea…they calling it.” – Uncle Ocho [31:16]
  • “Refs control the game. They can control the outcome.” – Joe Johnson [34:00]
  • Both player insight and exasperation about inconsistent enforcement: “You want the ref to kind of swallow the whistle…This is the playoffs, bro! It’s aggressive down here!” – Joe Johnson [34:32]

• Austin Reaves’ Confrontations

  • After the game, Austin Reaves gathers with Lakers at halfcourt to voice frustration to the refs. Unusual postgame meeting: “I’ve never seen it. … Understanding the circumstances and Lakers playing against OKC…damn, let us play!” – Joe Johnson [35:14]
  • Reaves’ own explanation (quoted): “I felt like I was respectful to all of them all night…He turns around, yells in my face. I thought it was disrespectful…If I did that to him, I would have gotten a tech.” [51:30]
  • Potential for league fines discussed—some sympathy toward Reaves from the panel.

• Memorable Moments: Classic Ref Tales

  • Group recalls notorious NBA refs (Tony Brothers, Scott Foster, Joey Crawford).
  • “If I was an official, I’d be like…if I bring them together, it’s gonna be trouble!” – Uncle Ocho (Joking about volatile ref-player interactions) [54:00]
  • Discussion on how refs’ personalities and human element affect the game—“It gets a little personal sometimes.” [56:00]

---

3. Assessment of Key Players & Strategies

(Throughout, esp. 39:00–49:00, 55:00–87:00)

• LeBron’s Burden

  • LeBron must do (nearly) everything: score high, play extended minutes, make plays (“It’s just hard to take LeBron off the damn court. Every time he goes to the bench, it’s not a lot of good stuff that happens.” – Joe Johnson [41:21])
  • In his 40s, physical limitations show: “I just don’t know if Bron at this ripe old age of 41 can still do it.” – Uncle Ocho [40:58]

• Austin Reaves’ Performance

  • Could go for a huge night, but needs support.
  • Lakers collectively lack the firepower and defensive toughness to keep up with OKC.

• OKC’s Culture

  • Team celebrates, plays loose, and any bench player can get hot; coaches clearly instill confidence.
  • “You can see the way they play — they’re not even bothered if I take this shot and miss it. … As opposed to guys on the Lakers bench…” – Uncle Ocho [43:59]

---

4. Cade Cunningham’s Domination: Pistons vs. Cavaliers

(57:46 – 79:47)

• Cade Cunningham’s Two-Way Brilliance

  • Pistons beat Cavs 107–97, up 2–0 in the series.
  • Cade notches 25 points, 10 assists — “doing it on both ends, guarding the best player and orchestrating the offense at a high level” [59:00+].
  • “There haven’t been a whole lot of guys that says, OK, I need you to playmake, give me 25 AND make sure that guy doesn’t get a rhythm. It’s a rarity…” – Uncle Ocho [76:25]
  • Panel compares Cade to LeBron and, briefly, to Kawhi/point-forwards of the past.

• Cavs’ Issues:

  • James Harden struggles again (“another game with more turnovers than made field goals” – Uncle Ocho [62:55]).
  • Evan Mobley slammed for lack of aggression: “How you 7 foot tall, play 36 minutes and give me one rebound?” – Uncle Ocho [66:50]
  • Detroit’s defense praised for taking Harden and Mitchell out of rhythm.

---

5. NOTABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• Joe Johnson on OKC’s Team Depth:

  “OKC is still the most dangerous team in the postseason, bro. … They got a plethora of guys willing to step up to the challenge.” [12:18]

• Uncle Ocho on Lakers’ Hopes:

  “They got to play as close to perfect or damn near perfect… and still hope OKC is off that night.” [37:12]

• On Referee Influence:

  “Refs control the game. They can control the outcome.” – Joe Johnson [34:00]

• Austin Reaves on the Ref Incident:

  “If I did that to him, I would have gotten a tech. I feel like the only reason I didn’t get a tech was because he knew he was in the wrong and I felt disrespected.” [51:30]

• On Cade Cunningham’s Role:

  “There haven’t been a lot of guys…asked to do what Cade Cunningham is doing. … It’s a rarity to have a guy that’s capable of doing that.” – Uncle Ocho [76:25]

• On Work Ethic and Greatness:

  “Hard work doesn’t guarantee you anything. … But without it, you don’t got a chance.” – Uncle Ocho [88:07]

---

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------| | 05:30 | Thunder defeat Lakers: series breakdown begins | | 09:50 | Thunder’s bench and Warriors comparison | | 12:37 | Criticism of LeBron’s passiveness | | 15:23 | Lakers’ turnover and bench issues | | 28:30 | Discussion shifts to ref controversy | | 31:16 | Complaints about “ticky-tack” fouls | | 34:00 | Refs’ power over game flow & outcome | | 35:14 | Reaves/Lakers meeting refs post-game | | 39:41 | LeBron’s age and Lakers’ offensive needs | | 51:30 | Reaves explains his perspective with refs | | 57:46 | Pistons-Cavs: Cade Cunningham praise begins | | 66:50 | Critique of Evan Mobley’s rebounding | | 76:25 | Rarity of Cade’s two-way play discussed | | 88:07 | Life lesson: hard work & talent |

---

Final Takeaways

• OKC’s System Wins: Their collective depth, youth, and execution trump the Lakers’ star-power-and-straggle approach. Even Shea’s off nights or foul trouble can’t derail them. Lakers lack the bodies, the trust in the bench, and the energy to contend without their full arsenal (especially missing Luka).
• Referees Matter: Whistle-happy games sap rhythm, increase frustration, and may even become a storyline if the Lakers get bounced or fined (due to the Austin Reaves incident).
• Cade Cunningham Ascends: The Pistons’ young star is displaying a rare blend of offensive responsibility and defensive leadership; Cleveland has no clear answer for him and Detroit’s swarming D.
• Player Psychology and Culture: Both teams’ fortunes shaped as much by coaching, trust, and system as by stars.

---

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

You’ll get:

• A full breakdown of why OKC’s roster and culture make them favorites.
• Behind-the-scenes tales about star frustrations, why the Lakers can’t keep up, and the impact of bench depth (or lack thereof).
• Colorful, candid banter about the egos, attitudes, and quirks of NBA referees—plus what Austin Reaves’ postgame confrontation really means.
• Insight into Cade Cunningham’s all-around, two-way stardom and how Detroit stifled Harden and the Cavs.
• Woven throughout: Authentic player wisdom about talent vs. hard work, how trust is built (or lost) in playoff rotations, and what separates winners from losers in critical moments.

Missed the game? This is the inside scoop and the locker-room talk you need.

Transcript

[Uncle Ocho]

Onplus nicotine pouches present comfort chronicles at 10 o' clock tee time. How comfortable you show up in stretchy shorts, a breathable tee and maybe no socks. Let the dogs breathe while other sweat and pleated khakis. You're in your comfort zone. Bombing drives and in your pocket. Onplus Nicotine Pouches the softest pouch on the planet. Buy a [e-mail] Products for tobacco consumers 21 years of age or older Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical and everyone

[Public Investing Announcer]

deserves to be connected T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Our networks are coming together bringing more T Mobile coverage all over the country. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com Switch and now T Mobile is available in the US Cellular Store in Pasco. Bigger network the combination of T Mobile and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the costs of options, benefits, plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third free line free via monthly bill credits Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors LLC SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures when

[Orderly Meds Announcer]

people turn to telehealth for weight loss, they're looking for real support. That's why more people are choosing orderlymeds.com Orderly Meds connects you with real doctors and access to proven GLP1 medications like semaglutide and Tirzeptatide. No guessing, just a more supportive experience and all shipped directly to your door in discreet packaging. Do your research, ask questions, then visit orderlymeds.com podcast for an exclusive offer. That's orderlymeds.com podcast. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice eligibility required. C site for details.

[Redfin Announcer]

You're listening to a podcast, so you're doing something else too. Like maybe scrolling home listings on Redfin Saving places you like without thinking you'll get them. Because that's what house hunting has become. But Redfin isn't built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home. Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents, which means when you find a place you love, you've got a real shot at getting it. Redfin helps turn saved listings into real addresses. Get [e-mail] own the dream the regular

[Uncle Ocho]

season is a wrap. The NBA playoffs are finally here and there's no better way to cash in on the high flying hoops action than Prize Picks, a preferred partner of the NBA. Every bucket, every dime, every win means more when you're playing on prize picks. So don't pass up the next shot with prize picks and get $50 instantly in lineups when you play your first $5. Do it live in the 2026 NBA Final sweepstakes. Pick live squares during the NBA playoffs and you could win a trip for two to the NBA Finals. To enter, just make a $5 lineup with at least one live NBA player pick during any part of the 2026 NBA playoffs. Live player picks are picks made after the game is already in progress. Prize picks is simple to play. You know the playoff season. I'm all in on LA as always. OKC baby LeBron is going to light you up. More, more more. Get on in the action that Prize Picks is now available in all four 50 states, including California, Texas, Florida and Georgia. Download the Prize Pick app today. Use Code Shannon to get 50 in lineups after you play your first five dollar lineup. That's code SHANNON to get 50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks a preferred partner of the NBA. Man, have you ever watched the game and think ain't no way I'm the only one seeing this. I'm yelling at the TV refs, missing calls and I already know Reddit is going crazy right now. See my group chat.

[Reynolds Kitchens Announcer]

Cool.

[Uncle Ocho]

But it can't keep up. I'm bouncing on Reddit. One minute, R slash. NBA breaking down, last second plays. Next minute, I'm in R CFB talking rankings. Then I slide over to something random just for a laugh. It's everything in one spot. That's why I rock with it. You're getting real fans just like you. Passionate, loud, sometimes wrong, but always entertaining. You get reactions right when it happens. Trade talk, rumors, means, and all of it. And it don't stop when the season ends. Draft talk, off season moves. Somebody always got something to say. Me, I stay on R mba. That's my spot. But whenever your team, whatever your sport, it's a community for that. Reddit is where real fans hang out. Download the Reddit app and dive into your favorite subreddit for hot takes, fresh memes, and group chat that never stops. Download the Reddit app today. What's up, y'?

[Joe Johnson]

All?

[Uncle Ocho]

It's your favorite unc here. Proud partner of Rose Sparks. You ever had one of those nights? The energy is hitting just right? Maybe you're watching a movie, you're laughing. She scoops in a little closer on the couch, and boom, it's on. Now, in these moments, you can't get caught slipping. You got to be ready to perform like it's the big game. You hear me? And that's where roll sparks come in. These bad boys desire right under your tongue. No waiting, no water, no worries. And here's the kicker. That dual action formula stays active up to 36 hours. Now, you won't be a wreck for 36 hours, but when the moment hits, you'll be ready to go again. And again and again and again and again. If necessary, you're ready to rise to the occasion. Rosemarked, you get harder, you're more in control, and everybody leaves the room with a smile. That's what I call a win. Ro connects guys with a medical provider 100% online. If approved, treatment ships directly to your door if prescribed. New sexual health patients get $15 up their first order of rose sparks on a reoccurring plan connects ro connects you with a provider at ro co nightcap to find out if prescription row Sparks are right for you. That's Ro Co nightcap for 15 off your first order. Rose Sparks is a compounded drug product. Compounded drugs are permitted to be prescribed under federal law but are not FDA approved and do not undergo FDA safety effectiveness or manufacturer reviews. For full safety info, go to RO Co safetyinfo. Say, fellas, stay confident, stay ready, and let them Sparks fly when the moment is just right. Thank you guys for joining us for another episode of Nightcap. As you watch the OKC Thunder go up 2 0, as did the Detroit Pistons. The Thunder win 125 to 107 and even though Shea was kept in check, Chet Holmgren and the other guys chipped in really well. Ajay Mitchell, Jerry McCain came off the bench. Kayson Wallace, it was just too much for the Lakers to handle as they win 125 to 107. Thank you guys again for joining us. Y' all know who I am. I'm your favorite unc and that is my partner and co host, the Liberty City legend, the Bingo Ring of Fame honoree, the Matting ratings adjuster, a former Pro Bowler and an All Pro, he's Chad Ocho, Cinco Johnson. And the third member of the Big Three is a Big three mvp, a seven time NBA All Star from the Atlanta Hawks, University of Arkansas alum that is ISO Joe Johnson. Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from. Thank you guys for your support and your continued support because none of this is possible without you. All the things that we've been able to accomplish thus far, all the things that we'll continue to be able to accomplish is all because of your eyes, ears and your word of mouth and we at Nightcap cannot thank you enough. So again, thank you for your support and your continued support. Those looking to purchase a bottle of Shea by La Portier, head over to laportiercognac.com if it's currently unavailable in a state or city near you. Remember, it is a premium VSOP cognac that drinks like an exo, but it's the smoothest, best tasting VSOP on the market. Don't take my word for it. Try it and compare it against other cognacs. We do have it in two sizes. The OG which is the 750, but now we have a Junior which is the 375. Same great quality, same great taste, same smoothness. Please, please drink responsibly and stay safe. Safe? Well, it's hard to beat a 558 on 5 Joe, but the refs did show their ugly heads tonight. But we'll get into that a little later. But the Thunder beat the Lakers 125 to 107. They had what, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 six guys in double figures. Hardenstein was per was 5 or 6 from the floor. He had 10 Chet was 22.7 of 11. Shay was 7 to 13, was in file trouble. And Jay Mitchell played unbelievable ball tonight. He had 20 points. Case and Wallace had 12. Jerry McClain had 18. And it was just too much for the Lakers to overcome. And I knew once the Lakers they had a lead when Shea went to the bench. And I say if y' all don't increase this lead, it's going to get ugly when he comes back into the ball game in the fourth quarter. And that is exactly what happened. And that's what happened the last time, Joe. Every time Shea goes out, most of the time when teams lose their best player, be his his rest time or he gets in foul trouble, the other team claws into the league. But not with this Thunder team. They're able to expand the lead. And it's kind of like what we saw with the warriors when they were in their prime. Their backup unit would come in and whatever lead the unit the starters had, they would expand on it. And if they didn't have the lead, they would claw into it. And they would have the lead once the starters came back in the game. But The Thunder win 125 to 107. Take a commanding 2o Lee. Joe, what is it that the OK thunders. What the Thunders are doing and how do the Lakers at some point in time late in the fourth quarter make this series competitive? Joe, you muted. I don't know, but I. I think the thing is, Ojo. While Joe gets his mic straightened out.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Is that they've done an unbelievable job in the first two games. Shay is averaging basically 20 points a game.

[Joe Johnson]

Right.

[Uncle Ocho]

He normally averages 31 points a game shooting at a very high efficiency. Now he. He did a lot. He got what, seven of his 22 points? Free throw line. Good game.

[Joe Johnson]

Me.

[Uncle Ocho]

Go ahead. Go ahead, Joe.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, my bad, my bad. I don't know what it. I don't know what the Lakers can do. I just think OKC is just way too disciplined. Uncle. Oo yo, think about it. Hell, Kason Wallace played more minutes than Shay tonight.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

You know what I mean? I. I just think, you know, they got too many guys who can beat you that they're so poise and patience and what. And what they do collectively as a team. And if we just keeping it 100, fellas, the Lakers just ain't got enough. I mean, hell, Without Luca, that's 33 points a night. Look, you probably could get away with that in the Houston series, but not against the defending champs. Fellas, you need somebody who can go out here and help now? AR played great tonight. I thought Braun has been solid. Hell, Ruchi Ru is playing great, but you just need another guy, too, bro. They just got too many. Look, Jerry McCain came in here. He don't. They don't miss a beat when they sub okc. You know, they got guys coming off the bench, bro, who get right to it, and they're not afraid of the moment. I think OKC is still the most dangerous team in the postseason, bro. They just. They got a plethora of guys who they can go to or who asserts themselves and are willing to step up to the challenge.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah, I was disappointed in LeBron's play tonight, Joe. He wasn't aggressive at all. He was very content to just stand in the corner and then try to get the ball at the nail and then try to do something that's not gonna cut it. The guy stole the ball from the head of guy on his backside. He let Lou Dort come over the top. That's unacceptable. And the little flurry that he had in the fourth quarter, that's not enough. We needed that. We need that assertiveness in the third quarter. When Shay gets to the A, call the guys up, say, look, this is where we try to get some separation. This is where we try to put some distance between us and them. Their best player is gone, and what do they do? Politely, the team goes on A what, a 13 14, two run?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

I'm like, are you kidding me? Yeah, are you kidding me? Nobody has the wherewithal. Everybody getting beat off the dribble. Then you come help. They kicking wide open threes now. You go small. You can't keep Chet off the glass. But I was just disappointed. LeBron. And again, two rebounds. Remember last night, Joe, he had no rebounds.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, none.

[Uncle Ocho]

With about two minutes left in the third quarter. Yeah, he got one, and then one hit the floor and he just picked it up. That ain't gonna get it done. Yeah, that ain't gonna get done. We gonna look at this and say, well, he's shooting 50, 50% from the floor. That's not good enough because. Okay, when are those points coming? We needed those points. A lot of. We needed those points in the third quarter. Yeah, that's when you. Because this is the closest the Lakers have really been to them. And then all of a sudden, Shay goes to the bench. They step on the gas with basically their backups and don't look back. End up a tail light.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, go ahead.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

But hey, Joe, you got to think about It.

[Uncle Ocho]

Right.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

I mean, this is what we expected. This is what we've seen from OKC all season long, regards to who their opponent was, regards to who they were playing. We've seen Shay go out.

[Joe Johnson]

Huh?

[ISO Joe Johnson]

We've seen Shay not playing. And we've seen that, that, that, that that team still be afloat because of what they have. That the way that team is run, the way that team is constructed, is by committee. So even if Shay does go down, they still have enough ballers in Shett and some of these other young fellas, Hartenstein and, and Lou Dor. I mean, not, not Lou Dort, but Mitchell. I mean, Caruso. They all come in and contribute and do what they're supposed to do, whether the goddamn Thunder chose to go big or small. And the. The Lakers really never had the firepower to be able to be able to hang with them. And they can't go score for score. You mentioned when, when Shay went out, it's time for the Lakers to take advantage of those situations and kind of close the gap or try to close the gap to maybe, maybe close the lead, but they still don't have enough. And then you try and you ask for LeBron to be able to. Sums it up. But again, LeBron is still that 41 year old that you always talk about, right? So he can't.

[Uncle Ocho]

I. I think the thing. And plus too many turnovers. Marcus Smart has been really careless with the ball. How many. Let me ask you, think about this, Joe. How many illegal picks? There's not a game that's gone by that Jackson Hayes hadn't got a moving screen call.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

He just won every game.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

You have to be still.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And he gets one every game. Sometimes he gets two a game. I'm like, bro, you've been in the league far too long. And then you look at the ref like he's telling you, you're moving, you have to be stationary.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Lazy passes. And I'm like, are you kidding me? But I don't believe, I don't believe. But I'm saying all you can hope for is to get the game late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win. But when you down, you down 16 with three minutes to go against that team, you're not coming back.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

You know, but think about this coming back.

[Uncle Ocho]

And if somebody would have told me, say, hey, guess what? Shane's gonna be only averaging 20 points in game two. He's gonna go out, be out a large part of the game with foul trouble. I was like, well, Lakers Got a great chance. At no point in time in the fourth quarter, did you think the Lakers had a chance to beat this team?

[Joe Johnson]

No, sir.

[Uncle Ocho]

In game one or two?

[Joe Johnson]

No, sir. Hey, hey. They climbed back in it when they was down early by double, by double digits. Hey, I, I agree with you. I think out of the 20 turnovers that the Lakers had, 15 of them came from your starters. Yes, and, and, and that's a recipe for disaster on the road, fellas. It's hard to beat a great team, especially a championship caliber team with 20 turnovers. You just can't do it. And then another thing. If. If Braun is going to be kind of average like this, then he needs Aiden to play well, you know, he ain't got to be great. Aiden ain't got to be great. Right there. He gonna need. He gonna need to get you at least 15 points, you know, eight to 10 rebounds, just for y' all to stay in the game and compete. It's just too much. Cause you don't get nothing from your bench. Luke Canard came in and gave you a little something. But for the most part, you relying so much on your starters, bro, that it's.

[Uncle Ocho]

It.

[Joe Johnson]

It weighs heavy on them. And then once you do get in that fourth quarter and it's a tight game, man, y' all know OKC got another run in them. They got another run in them because they still fresh. One of the youngest teams and they ain't bogging. Not one person down with a bunch of damn minutes. You know what I'm saying? You look at Chick, they ain't got no. They don't got no answer for Chick, Uncle Ocho. No, they don't. And I, I think the more and more he becomes aggressive and asserts himself, the better off they gonna be. He plays great off Shay understanding that. Damn. Every time Shea is in a pick and roll or whatnot, they trying to double team and keep the ball out of his hands. Hey, look, you can tell OKC practices, they goes over it because when that ball comes out, those other guys are ready to shoot or make a play. They just too deep, man. They. They too deep. Hey, listen, I. I know we want to see the Lakers get a game or two. I don't even. I don't even know if they can do that, to be honest.

[Uncle Ocho]

I thought this was a great game. Especially late in the third quarter. I was like, oh, man, Shay gone. Yeah. If I'm not mistaken, Joe, they had like a three or four, maybe a four point lead when Shay left. I say, okay, you expand that. Let's get to the fourth quarter. You got a lead going into the fourth quarter. You look up, they down 10.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, you look at that damn Case and Wallace and that damn Jerry McCain. Yeah, man. I mean, you talking about two pivotal players and what OKC does, bro, as far as getting things done. Oh, Shay, you. You gotta take a break. Oh, don't worry, I got you. I got you. We're gonna pick up the slack and they do it every game. This is. This is carbon copy of how they've been great throughout the whole season, bro. And yes, Shay is awesome. He's the mvp. The reigning mvp. But bro, they got. Hell if Shay sit out, they probably can still win the game. Yeah, I'm just keeping real. They got guys who get to it. Fellas.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

And uncle and Joe, you got to understand, right? FGA missed time during the season and they didn't miss a beat. They didn't miss a beat. Even though Shay's not scoring 30 in this series, he's scoring 20. They still haven't missed a beat when he goes out. They still haven't missed the beat. If they. They continue to float. If a. I think if you take the Lakers, right, And you say they played perfect basketball. They didn't have any turnovers. They played well in transitional offense and on defense, they still wouldn't win this game because they not getting enough from everybody else. Achieve. Murray played well. LeBron did enough. Austin smart looks like himself. Austin smart. Austin Reeves looked like himself again. Yeah, but it's just not enough. DeAndre. Aiden, you got to come to the party.

[Uncle Ocho]

Three points. Gotta you.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

You have an invitation to come to the party. He's up and down.

[Uncle Ocho]

You don't know what you're gonna get from it. Right there at the rim. Why not dunk it? Why? He tried to lay the ball up, bro. I'm like, bro, you right there, you7 football tall and you trying to lay the ball up. That's y let y lay the ball up. You dunk it. Yeah, he lays it up, he misses it, gets it back again and misses it again.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. You can't.

[Uncle Ocho]

When you turn the ball, first of all, the last thing you can do if you don't have. It's kind of like Ocho, when you don't have a high powered offensive football, the last thing you can do is turn the ball because you don't have the weaponry to get back into the ball game.

[Joe Johnson]

Yes, sir.

[Uncle Ocho]

That is the Lakers problem because they don't have the offensive firepower. The last thing that you can do is turn the ball over. Yes. First of all you can't turn it over. You don't have the firepower and you're not a good defensive team.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

So you got the three things that you could ill afford to be and that's what you are. They can't stop anybody. I still don't understand a J a job. Mitchell, he's a left handed guy. He gonna get to his left. I be damn if they not playing on the damn right on his right shoulder. Why he not right handed? He's left handed. Yeah. Hey if you notice people play James Harden, they get on his left shoulder. Yeah, I'm gonna let you. I'm gonna make you beat me with your non dominant hand. Don't let him get to the Support

[Public Investing Announcer]

for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures lost support

[CVS Announcer]

through telehealth, but it feels overwhelming and rushed. Check out orderlymeds.com now. Orderlymeds.com was built to be different. Here you connect with real doctors who take the time to understand your goals, review your eligibility, and guide you through a plan that's right for you. Orderly Meds provides access to proven GLP1 medications like semaglutide and Tirzepatide, including both name brand options and personalized compound versions when appropriate. So you have choices backed by clinical oversight, not guesswork. It's a simpler, more supportive telehealth experience designed around people who want clarity, care and confidence in their weight loss journey. And your medication is delivered directly to your home in discreet packaging so your experience stays private from start to finish. Do your research, ask the right questions, then visit orderlymeds.com podcast for an exclusive offer. Again, that's orderlymed. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice. Eligibility required. See CITE for details.

[Redfin Announcer]

Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin f flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it? That's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2200 agents with local expertise, and Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to to wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning.

[Reynolds Kitchens Announcer]

That's redfin.com Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret. When prepping for cooking and baking, get ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Just lightly wet the counter so the paper grips. Lay it down and drips and spills stay on the paper, not on your counter. Cleanup is as simple as lifting it away to reveal clean counters. Effortless it is thanks to Reynolds Kitchens Countertop Prep paper. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Available in the Reynolds Wrap aisle at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco, this Mother's

[Pandora Jewelry Announcer]

Day celebrate all the women who make life brighter with a gift from Pandora Jewelry. Choose jewelry that reflects what she means to you, and the moments you share. Make it even more meaningful by personalizing your piece with an engraving in your own handwriting. Something no one else has either a date, a name, or something unique to you. Because the best Mother's Day gift says more than I love you. It says I appreciate you. It says, I see you. Find the perfect Mother's Day gift at your local Pandora store or [e-mail]

[Uncle Ocho]

because most lefty players are more lefty dominant than right handed players are right dominant. Yeah, you look at the guys that's been left handed in this league. You look at Zach Randolph, you look at Manu, you look at Marceloness, you look at James Harden, you look at guys that have been left, they really, really, really left handed, dominant.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And I don't know why the Lakers still don't. And, and Aiden got the guy. Got the guy. And guess what? He does let him size up and go to the left and lay the ball up. I was like, I'll be damn.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. They, hey, they come at you in waves, bro. It seemed like, it's times where it seemed like the Lakers kind of got it even if they got a two point lead, four point lead, man, you got, you got your starters playing so many minutes, Uncle Ocho, that when it does come in the fourth quarter, seven minutes, under seven minutes, they start making these bonehead plays, bro, just lackluster turnovers. I'm like, damn.

[Uncle Ocho]

And I know my parents took him to school. There ain't no way he caught the bus on his own. I know his parents dropped up after school every day.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey. And it seemed like one turnover, it kind of starts to compound into another. Next thing you know, hell, now you're back down 10. It's like. So it's hard for them to keep overcoming these huge leads because we one, one thing we do know, obviously without Luka, they're not that high power offensively. Yes, they got guys who can score.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

But to, to keep pulling yourself out of these deficits, bro, it causes too much wear and tear on you. Then in the fourth quarter, you start to see all these boneheaded turnovers that you like, bro. What are you doing? Hell, they, they did all time.

[Uncle Ocho]

You know why, Joe? If you look at Jalen Williams playing 15 minutes, Caruso played 22 minutes. Case and Wallace played 31 minutes, McCain played 18 minutes. The reason why JJ can't play his bench that, that many minutes is because they blow up. You don't trust if they're down five and they come in there. By the time, I mean, JJ got to call the timeout and put the starters back in because now they're down 15 and the game is about to get out of hand. He can't play anybody for extended stretches because they, they, they just, they don't know what to do. They start turning the ball over. There's like, and I'm sure JJ and the staff has gone over this stuff, but he's constantly like, I, I can see him like, what are we doing? I don't know. Yeah, I don't think they know either.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, you know what? I. I think they know what the game plan is. I just don't think. Jj, he don't trust nobody coming off that bench for real. Outside of Luke Canard, who plays great off Braun.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes, they are.

[Joe Johnson]

He don't trust a single soul coming off that bench for real. You know, he'll give him a couple minutes here and there, but, hell, in them couple minutes, if you ain't made no splash and come sit next to me because it just ain't got time.

[Uncle Ocho]

Because the thing is, Joe, is that I can't trust you. When you get in there, you turn the ball over and you pretend like. And guess what? We gonna switch everything. And guess what happens? They stay with the guy. The guy don't get switched off. And he hit a wide open three.

[Joe Johnson]

Yep.

[Uncle Ocho]

And he says, I thought we said we were switching everything. And then they looking at him. I thought, no, I thought you. And he said, no, no, no, don't worry about it. Hey, because, see, I put. It's like. This is a football joke. They're only gonna put your ass in the game so many times, and you f up before they say. They either, hey, they're gonna cut you or they're gonna put your ass on the bench.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

You know what? Make it worse, too. And not only do you have the players on the bench that don't really have the wherewithal to know what to do once they get in the game, it's the fact that they playing the goddamn OKC Thunder, it makes it look worse.

[Uncle Ocho]

You're right.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Even worse. You know, when they do get in the game and you don't know what the hell you doing.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Because they. Because their pressure is just too much felt. The pressure causes these guys to turn the ball over. And we know you turn the ball over against okc, it's probably going to lead into some damn points.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

Every time. I mean, they're just. They're just too much of a juggernaut for the Lakers to have any of these guys to play pedestrian. You damn near need. If Braun don't go off for 35, 40, or AR go off of 35, man, you're gonna have to have everybody play right at a medium to where y' all can just stay close in the game. And I thought they done that until, like, the fourth quarter, for the most part. Okay, Ocho. They stayed within reach.

[Uncle Ocho]

I thought there was. I thought. I thought if we can get to the fourth quarter, Joe, because they were down in the fourth quarter, they came back, made a run. I think they got it to within five.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

But the third quarter, they were up like five or six.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And the next thing you know, Shay goes to the bench and they take off. I'm like, I thought this was supposed to be your opportunity where you take off. You don't allow them to take off. You supposed to be in the driver's seat, right? This is the mark of a very good basketball team. Let's not deny that they're a very good basketball team. But they do entirely too much flopping.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, yeah, they, they, they, they gonna.

[Uncle Ocho]

I mean, man, D ain't touched Chad. He fought. Oh, Lord have mercy.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

I thought the holy ghost hit him.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, every. Everybody got a case of them flops on every. Every game. Everybody. Everybody got a case of them damn flops. Trying to.

[Uncle Ocho]

Trying to get a call, Joe.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Huh?

[Uncle Ocho]

It's getting out of hand now.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah, it is a little bit. Hey, you know what? It ain't also for the Lakers. What? Ain't making it too easy. They had to play against the rest tonight as well. I'm not sure what the rest were doing tonight now. And listen, I want to say anything. I'm not going to blame that on the reason why. You know, the Thunder won, but they didn't make it any easier for the goddamn Lakers tonight.

[Uncle Ocho]

Man, ain't nobody come to see you, Otis. Ain't nobody come to see you. I've never heard. I'm trying. You know what? I've never heard anybody say. You know what, man? I'm gonna go see Tony. Brothers. I want to see Brothers. I want to see Capers or I want to see. Hey, I want to. I've never heard anybody say that.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, you're right. You're right.

[Uncle Ocho]

So. So why do you feel like you need to insert yourself? The best games in which you don't insert yourself. I understand guys are going to file, but y' all be. Tonight was some ticky tack stuff. And I'm like, hold on. You go by the. You. You barely bump. Check Shay. They calling it.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

On the other end, Jalen Williams run dead in the Braun. Knock him on the ground. And they don't do nothing. They talk about play on.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

On the other end, Canard barely touched Shay.

[Joe Johnson]

I agree.

[Uncle Ocho]

And I get. I get it. I get it. It gets frustrating when you think all the calls going against you, Joe. You've been in that situation. You know, it gets frustrating. Ocho, it seemed like we. Hey, all we getting the holding calls we getting unnecessary rough. This or the, or the ticky tack penalty. And you're like, hey, bro, we not the only ones out here now.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. Hey, look, listen, think about it. I, I don't even really think the Lakers played bad outside of the turnovers. I mean, you look at their field goal percentage, they shot 50. But, hell, if you let a team shoot 55 against you, that's a recipe for disaster. You probably gonna lose that game, fellas. You know, you, you gotta tighten that up. I think JJ is gonna have to, you know, hope somebody come off this bench, bro, and give you a spark. I mean, I, I know it don't look great, but, hell, when you. You going home, Ocho, somebody gonna have to come in, man, and get. Hey, look, maybe they come in and give you 15, 16. Who you, who least. Who you least expected from? Right? Right. But in order to beat this OKC team to hell just to get a game, bro, you gonna have to play pretty damn perfect almost just to win one game.

[Uncle Ocho]

Absolutely. Joe, did you see what happened after the game? Did you see Austin Reeves talking to the official at half court?

[Joe Johnson]

No, I didn't see what happened.

[Uncle Ocho]

I don't know. He was just talking to him, and they were all looking around, listening, and he was like, point, like, you know, I, I don't know, and I don't want to paraphrase. So hopefully we'll get more context and we'll get an opportunity to talk about it. So hopefully they'll have the press conference at some point in time. We'll be able to talk about what he actually said to him. But I, I, he had five file. Marcus Smart had five files, Shea had four. But, no, I mean, Hartenstein, two. Chat, three, two, two. Nobody else really went file trouble but Shea.

[Joe Johnson]

They got a bad whistle tonight. Bad whistle?

[Uncle Ocho]

Hell, they had tough.

[Joe Johnson]

They had three guys with five fouls. Jackson Hayes had five. Yeah, yeah. It's hard. And you, you know what? You want the ref to kind of swallow the whistle a little bit, man. Let these guys play. You can't. You can't just. You, you. That's why they say, russ, control the game, bro. Believe it or not, in basketball, refs control the game. They can control the outcome. They can control the outcome. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Joe, you said something very interesting. You say they control the outcome because they determine how. How aggressive you can play. Right? You might want to come into the game like, okay, we gonna body them up. We gonna play physical. And the ref say, nah, we're not gonna let you play physical tonight. Yeah, and so now you're gonna. You got in your mind where you practice in the game film, you don't say, look, we're gonna body this up. We're gonna play physical X, Y and Z. But when the officials come out early and they set the tone, we're not gonna allow you to play physical. That changes your whole mindset.

[Joe Johnson]

It does, bro, it does. It takes your aggressiveness away. If they continue, if they calling these ticket tag files on you. This the playoffs, bro. Yeah, it's gonna be aggressive. You know what I mean? They're gonna be borderline fouls. But, man, we don't expect you to be blowing your damn whistle every trip down the court. You can't get in no rhythm like that. No.

[Uncle Ocho]

They saying Austin Reeves and the Lakers had a meeting with the refs after the game to share their frustrations. Joe, have you ever seen this? Have you ever seen a team, I mean, have you in, in your 17 years of playing in the NBA, have you, your team or any other team that you. You saw had the officials at half court after the game talking about the frustration that they just had in the game?

[Joe Johnson]

No, I, I've never seen it. I've never seen it. But understanding the circumstances and Lakers playing against okc. Yup. They know they the defending champs, but damn, come on, man, let us play. You know, don't, don't, don't come out here and dictate the games. Y' all know what the fans want to see. They didn't come to see y' all ass blowing your whistle every two, three trip down the court, you know? Right. It's bad for the game, bro. So, hey, look, I don't blame them, you know, when you, when you lose them, bro, you know, you'll find any little thing or you'll find any type of way to, you know, try to change the outcome. And if it's talking to the ref versus going in the media and, and slandering them and you getting, you know, you getting fined 50, 000. The guys don't want to do that, so they, maybe they're trying to alleviate that problem, but, you know, I guess. I guess we'll kind of see. Man, I can understand their frustration, though. It's just too many guys with too many files, and it just don't make sense.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah, you know what? That, that might help a little bit, uncle and Joe, but I still don't think that's even enough. Let's say you take the, you take the rest out the equation in this game. You still have to be able to play. You still got to be able to make shots. You still got to stop turning the ball over. You still have to be able to stop Shay and stop shit and stop Hardenstein and, and the rest of those boys. So I think even. Let's say you take the refs out the equation. I still think they don't have a chance. Maybe the game is a little closer, but you still need contributions from goddamn deandre Ayton. You know, you still got to stop turning the ball over. There's so many other factors that go into it outside of the refs where, okay, you don't, you don't lose by as much as you did, but you still don't win the game.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. I mean you're not wrong. I mean, yeah, we know the Lakers are up against it. This is the best team in basketball over the last couple of years. I think the last couple years they've had one of the best. They, they've had the best working in the rest in the Western Conference. I think they've had what, two, two back to back 60 win seasons. I don't know if that third season, the one that, that Luke and them knocked them out, I don't know if they had the best record then. But they were really high up there.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And they got, and, and, and, and, and for them to. The Lakers got their work cut out for them. They got to play. They've got to play as close to perfect or damn near perfect or perfect and still. And then still hope a case. Oh, Casey, OKC is off that night.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

So let that sink in. Think about how hard that'll be. You got to play damn near perfect. Next to perfect. Perfect. And the team that you're playing against still needs to be off somewhat in order for you to beat them.

[Joe Johnson]

And that's probably not gonna happen. They too good at home, fellas. They too good at home. They take care of home court. I'm sure they one of the best teams when it comes to playing at home.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. They. Not really.

[Joe Johnson]

You not. It's hard to go on OKC and get a win, man. You know. So the Lakers got their hands full now. I expect for the Lakers to, you know, be somewhat better going back home. They'll dig in, but they'll dig in at home.

[Uncle Ocho]

But here's the thing. You gotta. You know how the LA crowd is now.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Not. They're not like okc. They're getting glammed up.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh yeah. You know how it is.

[Uncle Ocho]

They Pull it up in Bugattis, they pull up in Spiders, they pulling up in Ferraris and Lambos, Bentleys and Rolls. That front row a a, they ain't got no paint on and they ain't going crazy. It's different. And the thing is, what happens if you get down 10 early?

[ISO Joe Johnson]

You get down 15, hey, Aiden Boober is gonna come out, huh?

[Uncle Ocho]

You're absolutely right.

[Joe Johnson]

I think at home though, I mean. Cause what, look, check this out. One thing they've shown us is that they can compete with okc. They just have one of those lows in the fourth quarter. Mainly toward the end.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

Where, you know, the separation kind of comes to where, okay, OKC just pulls away from them. But I do expect them to be a lot better at home, fellas.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes. I think the thing, look, I'm trying to think AR or LeBron needs to go get as close to 40 as they possibly can. And the neck and the other guy, if the one guy gets close to 40, other guy got to be 28, 29, maybe even 30 with another guy in the low 20s, achi. So either that's Marcus, Mark, that's Hachi, that's Luke Canard. Luke Canard was shooting the ball extremely well tonight. I wish he could have got more minutes, but. I understand. But see the thing, it's hard to play him, Joe, because he can't defeat, he can't guard anybody.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

No. The hell the people on the court can't guard nobody either.

[Uncle Ocho]

They're taught, look, if, if, if it's AR, if it's anybody go at you, we're attacking. They're not going to attack, Marcus. Smart. Because what they doing, they're trapping. They're trapping Shade to get the ball out of his hand, right?

[Joe Johnson]

Absolutely.

[Uncle Ocho]

But everybody else, if they get a one on one, oh, they're trying to get downhill.

[Joe Johnson]

Yes, sir, Immediately.

[Uncle Ocho]

It ain't, no, it ain't no dancing and like, hey, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm getting out of here.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And it don't matter who it is. It could, it could be Shay, it could be Mitchell. Hell, it could be Isaiah. Joe, it don't, it could.

[Uncle Ocho]

Wallace and Caruso, McCain, they just, they

[Joe Johnson]

just got too many guys, bro, who, who play great in that system that, that OKC has, bro. I, I and the, in the system that they got. I mean, they, they, it's just gonna be tough, man. I mean, like, like we always say, OKC is a college town. You know, they have fanatics as fans, so it's hard to win. In there with that six. Man, that crowd get into it. It's just too much. Lakers gotta go home and find a way to get a win, period, point blank.

[Uncle Ocho]

It's gonna have to. Ooh. We've seen Austin Reeves have these type of. Now we know Austin Reeves can go. He can go get 40.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Oh, yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

We just don't know if Bron at this rifle age of 41 can still. Because in order to get that level of point, Jay, Joe and Ocho, you got to sustain a fitness level. He's 41. You got to be able to sustain that. Guess what? You're gonna have to attack. You have to get some foul shots. 3 ball gonna have to get going down. And you know what happens when you get tired? That ball start hitting the front of the rim.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And. And it's just hard to take LeBron off the damn court. It seemed like every time he go to the bench, bro, it's. It's not a lot of good stuff that happens, you know, when he's out there because of his IQ for the game, not only is he continuously putting pressure on the rim, but he's getting other guys involved, making plays, getting guys wide open shots, and that's what you need. I think AR gotta some way somehow stay aggressive and be efficient like he was tonight. I'm saying for them to win and you gotta have Marcus smart, obviously he plays decent defensively, but he. They need some good offensive output from him. You know, it's because if you bogging down your starters with all these minutes, damn you. You gotta hope they play great. And then again, Braun playing 37 minutes, probably averaging. What are you probably averaging minutes this year, this series? Probably.

[Uncle Ocho]

He was around 33. 33. 33 and a half.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And I think with limited risk, fellas, it's just tough, man.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. Because they didn't know two days now.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

No, you don't got your big rest days before game one. So now it's every other day. You're back at it. They back at it again on Saturday. Yeah. And they back at it again on Monday.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

So you being able to get that level of rest, the thing is that big Austin and Marcus got to do a better job of taking care of the basketball early because the spot he's spotting, they are spotting. Okay. Seed in points. They're gonna get. They're gonna get that. Don't give them no easy buckets. Don't give them an opportunity. And that's what they're doing right now. Because I thought Austin made some and the thing is, they get out and run. They get. They. They get. Hey, they getting in transition quick.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Because they young. Yeah, they young, and they're very unselfish team. And they. You watch them guys, the way they celebrating. I like Jerry McCain. I thought he was. Well. I thought he played well with the Sixers. But I understand the sixth situation. When they got Maxi and they got Edgecomb, it's like, bro, we really.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Ain't got no room.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah, he got the room. And Paul. You know, Paul George is really a two. So there's like. We really don't have any room. But I thought he was shooting the ball well before he had that injury last year.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, he was. He playing great. He gave him great minutes. I didn't even see that coming from him. I was surprised. But so. So for OKC to make that. To make that move and get him over there, I mean, man, he fits seamlessly coming off that bench, playing in that system. He looked damn near unstoppable tonight.

[Uncle Ocho]

And they. I don't know what it is, Joe. He 4 or 503, but he. They come in. They come in there. Like, the coaches instill so much confidence in him. He's like, son, if as long as you play it hard, there's not a shot that I would allow you to take.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, right.

[Uncle Ocho]

And you can see. You can see the way they play, that they're. They're not even bothered if I take this shot and miss it. As opposed to. As opposed to guys on the Lakers bench, but the guys on the Laker bench, Laravia, he coming in there, and he's like, bro, I'm like, laravia, I get it. You playing hard, son. You really. He really trying, Joe.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, he is.

[Uncle Ocho]

But the mistake that you're making, you can't keep making those mistakes. And that's what irks a coach, is that you keep making the same mistakes.

[Joe Johnson]

Yep.

[Uncle Ocho]

Cause either either you have a problem processing it, or we're having a problem teaching it to you. One of the two now, which is it?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And that's why the lease gonna be short. Lease gonna be short.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

You know, like I say, man, when you take your best play off the floor and everything just starts to unravel on you, it's like, damn, okay. He'd have been sitting over here two, three minutes. We got to get you back in that big fella. You know, that's just what it is. Because they don't have playmakers like that, bro. Like, it's so glaring that they're Missing Luca in this series because you need a guy who can score. You need a guy who can playmate for everybody. I mean, that's 33 damn points, man, that they missing. So we can't sit here.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

We can't sit here and play crazy now and act like, you know, we surprised how OKC is treating the Lakers right now. I mean, they're missing a big pivotal piece to their team. I mean, and it's showing in this round.

[Uncle Ocho]

And the thing is, also, Joe, you can take LeBron off and you got Luca and AR. Yeah, you can take Ar off, and

[Joe Johnson]

you got Luke and Braun.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah, you can take Luca off, and you got AR and Braun. So there's always a combination. And you got two great ball handlers.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And plus you got Marcus Smart. And you can take some of the ball handling off of Marcus. Smart play. He can make some plays. But all things being equal, I'd rather have the ball in Luca, LeBron or AR's hand.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

I would like him to focus on defense. You're asking an awful lot of him. I need you to make plays, initiate the offense, but I also need you to keep Shay up under control. That's an awful lot.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

That's an awful lot. And then playing that type of game, mentally, you know, you got. I mean, you can't have a letdown because you have a letdown. The guys going by you.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And think about as great as they're playing Shay, trapping him in all these pick and rolls, making them get a ball up. Hell, Uncle Ocho, he still went 7 for 13 from the field, 53 from the field. You know what I mean? So he's still efficient. He doing his job. Hey, look, as a score, as the main guy, if. If you're in a position to where they're trapping you every time you got the ball, just string the trap along like he does. Hey, at the end of the day, I've done my job. I got two on the ball. Now when I get it, when I swing it up out of here, now y' all gotta go make a damn play. I done my job, Uncle Ocho.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yep.

[Joe Johnson]

You know, I got two guys on me. I ain't gonna beat the double team every time. Now, there will be times that I will be aggressive and try and kind of force the issue a little bit, but for the most part, man, I'm gonna take the double team. Boom. Get off of it. And hopefully we can get a great shot. We can get to the bucket, get a free throw, get A wide open three or just make plays. And I think OKC does that better than anybody because those guys play great off of Shay, bro, I'm telling you, in a film session, you know, they going over that. Listen, boom. Once they trap, hey, check you show, make yourself big. Make yourself a present. We hit you. Hey, man, you got to go make a play. Whether you get all the way to the rack, shoot your midi, spray out the three. I just think they, they, they have so many guys who can play that role. I like Hardenstein in that role. I like Chick in that role. And then when you get, when you, when you get these other young guys going, like Mitchell and Caruso and Wallace, hell, things just started to unravel, man, because they're all defensive minded guys.

[Uncle Ocho]

We got a cell phone video of Austin Reeves getting animated talking to the refs after the game. Let's take a look. Look at what we. So all the refs. Andy, I think I thought alternate also is in that scrum with the Lakers players.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Hey, hold up. Check this out, Joe. The rule states at the end of each game, the coaches and the players are to leave the court and go directly to the dressing room without pause or delay. There's absolutely no talking to game officials. Hey, listen, it's gonna be a big ass fine.

[Joe Johnson]

You think that's gonna be a fine? Hold on, hold on, hold on. No, no, that's gonna be a fine. It ain't like we were shoulder to shoulder. And I'm, you know, I'm demonstrative toward him, right? Listen, bro, I have a. I have a problem and I'm just coming to you correct as a man. Now, if I go to the media and when they go to asking me questions, I say, oh, man, the rest was some tonight. Yeah, I'm gonna get fired. I. I didn't see really see nothing wrong with the way he went by tonight, actually. I mean, I, I thought it was. I mean, I thought it was pretty fair, if y' all ask me, man, versus going to the media because you know you're gonna get fired. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

The rules state there is absolutely no talking to game officials this out. Okay? We got another video where he's talking to the refs late in the ball game. And let's see if we can read some lips and see what he's saying.

[Joe Johnson]

He said, that's some. You don't talk to me like that. Yeah. Hey, hey, let me tell y' all something. There's some refs out here with some slick miles. Now, you know they only could Take so much. They still human too now. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Oh no. You got to be at no bus stop it it.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And you. And look, you stay on their ass all game. You want to. They get frustrated too, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

Absolutely.

[Joe Johnson]

They get frustrated too. And I've heard refs, I've seen refs call guys at their names, you know what I mean? It's. Hey, look. And in the heat of the moment, you're already at your highest pissedivity. Yeah. So things, things may get a little overblown a little bit.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. So what. What in NFL. I mean, they found my homeboy one time because he said something. I think he got fined as a suspended a couple of games cuz he said something to Big Trent and. But if it can be confirmed. Yeah, I mean they're probably fine. I don't know if suspension, but there's a chance that they're. Lakers gonna get fined for this.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, that. That's two L, that's two L's then, huh? They make, they make it worse on their self. Not only you losing end game, you losing to the refs. I mean that's two losses in one.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, you got to take it if you the Lakers. I mean, if you got three guys with five fouls. Uncle Ocho. Yeah. I mean, damn, we finna go home. Let me go and put this bug in their ear now. That way we get home. Hell, maybe they swallow that whistle a little bit and give us a chance.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. Or maybe we get. Maybe we get a little cooking. Maybe we get some. I'll cook it. Maybe we. Yeah, I don't, I don't know who, I don't know who's gonna be the officials. I mean, maybe Sean Wright, maybe Courtney Kirkland, maybe James Williams, maybe Capers. I don't know.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, maybe you might need to go to the game for a little good luck.

[Uncle Ocho]

Check this out. Austin Reeves on the interaction with the ref. I felt like I was respectful to all of them all night. A million times in the past I've had a way worse stuff. And when. And when we're doing the whole tip ball and they're switching spots, I wanted to get to the other side because I had the guy on the other side. I was just trying to keep an advantage and he turns around and yelled in my face. I thought it was disrespectful the whole time I was going over there and I don't think I said too much to them. I know Ben Taylor stepped in and said something, but at the end of the day, we're grown men. And I just didn't feel like he needed to yell in my face like that. And I told him that I wasn't disrespectful. I told him that he didn't need to do. Do that. I did that to him first. I would have gotten a tech. I feel like the only reason I didn't get attacked was because he knew he was in the wrong and I felt disrespected.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, that happens. Look, the refs, they give some guys passes, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Some guys, they'll take your ass right away with. With the quickness they don't want to hear, you know what I mean? Some. Some players, they feel like, you know, you don't even got no right to even be speaking to me.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

The rest be like that. Oh, yeah. So.

[Uncle Ocho]

Cause you got a sub of the guy, Joe, They've been in this thing 15, 20 years, bro. You just got here yesterday. And how you feel? First of all, why you walking up to me? Are you just because you see those vets walk up to me and we have a conversation? I ain't talking to your punk ass. Yeah, I talk to him, but not you.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, hey, Joe. My favorite clips, Uncle Joe, is to see Chris Paul with his funny mannerisms.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, yeah, when you see Chris Paul

[ISO Joe Johnson]

get ticked up, it'd be. It'd be so fun.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Hey, hey, and that's Tony brothers. Tony brothers be like that. He don't take a lot from. No, he don't care, bro.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah, he don't. He don't.

[Uncle Ocho]

Hey, I mean, you know, because I know, you know, Zach and some of them guys. I know a lot of them.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

So I've been to enough games, and so, you know, obviously, you know Sean Wright. I used to work out with Sean Wright.

[Joe Johnson]

But Tony brothers will cuss you out

[Uncle Ocho]

with her, man.

[Joe Johnson]

What? And tell you, hey, man, what. What. What you want to do? I'm telling you, bro, he. That. I seen it. I'm telling you.

[Uncle Ocho]

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Joe. Hey, if I was a fish, I'm like, yeah, don't make me bring it together now. If I bring them together, gonna be trouble. Trying to tell you, get out, get up. Hey, if. Hey, if I put your hands together, it's gonna be trouble.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. They act like that sometime, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

You get.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, look, that's why I can't remember the ref name. Who CP hate when he rips his game.

[Uncle Ocho]

Scott Foster.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, Scott Foster.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, hey, boy, them two going at it so funny, boy.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, yeah, CP got a bunch of antics against him, bro. But I seen it up close in person, man. You know, and when you watch it, when you really know what's going on and you watch it, you start to be like, damn, they might do have a little something between them, you know what I mean? Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Because they human, bro. And look, they ain't no. Look, there's no love lost between Scott Foster and Chris Paul at some point in time. And you can say it's nothing X, Y and Z, but it is because I. Look, I know how you feel about me, and this ain't no one way street, bro.

[Joe Johnson]

No, sir.

[Uncle Ocho]

Both of you. Hey, both. Hey, it ain't one way. What goes both ways? This two lane traffic going both ways. Yeah, I don't like your ass either. Hey, listen, but at the end of the day, you can't do that. I don't want to. Got the whistle.

[Joe Johnson]

Hello. Hey. Yeah. And I'm really right.

[Uncle Ocho]

Number three, take it to the showers

[Joe Johnson]

anytime. Me taking too much, boy.

[Uncle Ocho]

Hey, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Hey. And you know, hey, hey. They didn't play with Joy Crawford. Hugh Hollands. Now Dick Bavetta was a little league Dick Rivetta. He got along with everybody. Yeah, but, but shoe Holland and Joy

[Joe Johnson]

Crawford, one plan, man.

[Uncle Ocho]

You remember. Hey, Joy Crawford said Timmy to the locker room. Hey.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

He called a tech on him. He was on the laughing.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Tipping looked right like me.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

I think, I think David Stern suspended him for a game too, though.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Because it seemed like, it seemed like it gets a little personal.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

You know, for them revs, bro. And it ain't never supposed to be personal with them.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Nah.

[Joe Johnson]

But you know, as a player, you can kind of, you, you can kind of sense that you can feel that energy. You know what I mean? Especially in the game. It's like, damn, you letting them be extra aggressive with me today.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. Hey, I'm feeling some type of way, right?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Look, you normally the superstars always got calls. Jordan got them, Magic got him. Especially guys that drove the basketball. Kobe, Mike, LeBron in his prime. I mean, guys like LeBron and Shaq really never got officiated because they so damn big. It's like how we. We literally just called again. I mean, the game be five hour long if we officiated Shaq properly. Yeah, the guy beat the hell out of him.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

I don't think when Dr. Naismith invented the game of basketball, I don't think he envisioned having a Guy Sell more than 325.

[Joe Johnson]

Hell no.

[Uncle Ocho]

Play in the game.

[Joe Johnson]

Hell no. And then so.

[Uncle Ocho]

So what do you do? Is it because when he clear when Shaq does this, them bowling pins, everybody going down.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. You got to call that, man. You leave with them elbows. They calling that bro. Cause you hit, you hitting above the shoulder, that's in the neck, chin, the back of the head like they calling that.

[Uncle Ocho]

And what about Dikembe, rest his soul, with his sharp ass elbows. He got cutting people up.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, but. And then you know when they came out with the verticality where you could

[Uncle Ocho]

just go straight up. Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

And you can hit somebody body to body as long as you vertical.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

I think that changed the game too, Ankin Ocho, because a lot of that contact and it may be initiated by the offensive guy. But they not calling. They don't call it often.

[Uncle Ocho]

No.

[Joe Johnson]

Right. You know what I'm saying?

[Uncle Ocho]

And I think that's what they try to get. They try to get D A and they try to get Jackson. Hey, hey, just go vertical. Don't come long as you don't come forward with it, you're going to be fine. Just elevate K. Cunningham has 25 points, 10 assists to lift the Pistons past the Cavaliers 107 and 97 and take a 2o lead. The top seeded Pistons have won five straight games since the Orlando put them on the brink of elimination. Man, I thought Cade Cunningham. Look, the two best players in this series have been Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris.

[Joe Johnson]

Yes. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And down the street, support for the

[Public Investing Announcer]

show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any ideas idea into an investable index. With AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities. Completely customizable and based on your thesis, not. Not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment, recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures Are you

[CVS Announcer]

trying to get weight loss support through telehealth? But it feels overwhelming and rushed? Check out orderlymeds.com now. Orderlymeds.com was built to be different. Different. Here you connect with real doctors who take the time to understand your goals, review your eligibility, and guide you through a plan that's right for you. Orderly Meds provides access to proven GLP1 medications like semaglutide and Tirzepatide, including both name brand options and personalized compound versions when appropriate. So you have choices backed by clinical oversight, not guesswork. It's a simpler, more supportive telehealth experience designed around people who want clarity, care and confidence in their weight loss journey. And your medication is delivered directly to your home in discreet packaging so your experience stays private from start to finish. Do your research, ask the right questions, then visit orderlymeds.com podcast for an exclusive offer. Again, that's orderlymeds.com podcast. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice, eligibility required. See cite for details.

[Redfin Announcer]

Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right scrolling listings at night dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script with listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it? That's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2200 agents with local expertise, and Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win. Not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com this is Martha Stewart from

[Reynolds Kitchens Announcer]

the Martha Stewart Podcast. Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret. When prepping for cooking and baking, get ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens. Countertop prep paper. Just lightly wet the counter so the paper grips. Lay it down and drips and spills stay on the paper, not on your counter. Cleanup is as simple as lifting it away to reveal clean counters. Effortless it is thanks To Reynolds Kitchen's countertop. Prep paper. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Available in the Reynolds wrap aisle at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco.

[Pandora Jewelry Announcer]

This Mother's Day celebrate all the women who make life brighter with a gift from Pandora Jewelry. Choose jewelry that reflects what she means to you and the moments you share. Make it even more meaningful by personalizing your piece with an engraving in your own handwriting, something no one else has, either a date, a name, or something unique to you. Because the best Mother's Day gift says more than I love you. It says I appreciate you. It says, I see you. Find the perfect Mother's Day gift at your local Pandora store or [e-mail] when they needed.

[Uncle Ocho]

When they needed buckets. Tobias Harris and Katie Cunningham. Kaden Cunningham hit big three after big three after big drive after big drive. Tobias was sensational tonight. James Harden again, Joe.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, I don't know what's wrong with him.

[Uncle Ocho]

Another game, Joe, where he has more turnovers than he had male made field goals.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yes, sir.

[Uncle Ocho]

It is what it is. I mean, we, I, I don't really know. And they, they picked him again. Clean. K picked him clean.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

He just said yesterday, Joe, you know what? That's on me. I got to protect the ball better. I got to do better. That's what I mean. He comes out the, the following game, not only do he turn the ball over, but they get points on every goddamn turnover. Every goddamn turnover. I mean, this, this is not the J. I understand you're a top player, one of the, one of the best ISO scorers of all time. We know what you did in Houston. We know what you did in Brooklyn. We know what you've done to some of those other places. But this is the time to shine and show the James Harden we're used to talking about. Every time young Bull gets to the playoffs, I don't know what happens. It can't be stage fright because you're used to being in the playoffs. You, you've been in the playoffs damn near damn near all your career. Yeah, but every time you get to it, I mean, it's almost, it's like, it's like it's a no show.

[Joe Johnson]

Damn near amen. Let me tell you, K, as great as he is offensively, you know, playing at this high efficiency rate that he played at the day, he is unbelievable defensively. Uncle Ocho, he is incredible. I'm talking about, Look, I ain't even just talking about keeping the ball in front. I'm talking about blocking shots. I'm talking about Just making it difficult for you. It's hard. It's hard, bro, to compete with a dude who's he playing? 41, 40, 42 minutes a night. It's hard, man, because he gets everybody involved. He had a double. Double 25 and 10. Yeah. Seven for 14 from the field. And then Tobias Harris playing that, you know, that Robin Road where he's.

[Uncle Ocho]

He.

[Joe Johnson]

I mean, hell, he's been, you know, pitching in since the last series. I mean, he's been ultra effective. You know, they just got a lot of guys. And then when I think it comes to James Harden and his turnovers and his low field goal percentage, man, I'm telling y', all, man, they picking that man up. They wearing his ass down, bro. They ain't giving him nothing easy. Everything that he got to get them, they come from the free throw line.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yep.

[Joe Johnson]

You know what I mean? It's just. It's a lot to ask, man. It's a lot to ask. Just a young man's game. And obviously, Detroit has hung their hat on defense this whole entire season, and this is how they play. If they can keep your ass under 100 points, they got a great chance of winning, and that's how they've been playing all year.

[Uncle Ocho]

I need somebody to tell me what every Mobley doing. That man played 36 minutes and gave you one rebound at seven foot tall.

[Joe Johnson]

Damn.

[Uncle Ocho]

One rebound. Ocho and Joe, last he saw. Hey, I need somebody to offer me an explanation.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

You only had nine points, too, man.

[Uncle Ocho]

Hey, look, I thought Jared Allen was super aggressive tonight. Go ahead, Joe.

[Joe Johnson]

He was, but. And when I look at Mobley, offensively, we want to be. We want him to be demonstrative and demand the ball and go at his man Uncle Ojo day in his game, bro, we got to come to the realization that ain't his game. He had big games in that last series against Toronto. Yeah, but, man, Detroit got some girth down there. They got some guys who play hard as. And if he ain't asserting himself, it's going to be hard for him to be effective. Cleveland cannot win if he don't play well. I'm sorry, Joe.

[Uncle Ocho]

He got to buy his ass on him. That man's seven foot tall,

[Joe Johnson]

Tobias fighting his ass on. He fighting him.

[Uncle Ocho]

We'll fight it back. You gonna let the man beat you up? Hey, you should see the. Hey, hit it back.

[Joe Johnson]

Right, right.

[Uncle Ocho]

Baddest man. Hit my hand, wop. Hit it back.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, he just.

[Uncle Ocho]

How you 7 foot tall, you play 36 minutes and you give me one rebound one, Joe.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, I see it. I don't know.

[Uncle Ocho]

Even on the box side, the ball hit the floor. You ought to be able to get me, get me more, get me too. Yeah, and they're making everybody. They're making Everybody. Evan Mobley, 410. James Harden, three or 13. Donovan Mitchell, 11 or 24. I give you 31 points on 24 shots. Sure will.

[Joe Johnson]

And when you look at it, every.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Everybody else got to be playing well though. You think about it.

[Uncle Ocho]

One for six. Truce, three for seven. Tatum one for one. Keon Ellis.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Everybody got to wash everybody out, Uncle Joe. Especially for the goddamn Cavs to have a chance. If goddamn, if Cunningham go off, then I need Mitchell to wash him out. They got damn Duncan Robinson go off and play and play well. I need goddamn James Harden to show up and wash him out. Everything has to match, so somebody else is gonna have to step up. Evanobley can't have a nine point game. Hell, you can't have a goddamn game where you got them had one goddamn rebound. Jared. Goddamn Jared Allen. Jared Allen played goddamn well tonight. He had 22. He was seven for nine. But in order for the Cav to come back and even have a chance in this series, because if they go down 3 0, you might be able to get the goddamn brooms out.

[Joe Johnson]

I can't see them really even making a series. They may win a game in Cleveland, but bro, when you don't get no contribution from your bench, it's hard to win in the postseason, man, when you just relying on your stars, when you just relying on Donovan, Mitchell and James Harden to kind of get it going. And they ain't really got no rhythm like that because the game plan is to take those guys out, for those guys to be less effective, you know what I mean? And I think Detroit is doing a great job. And Detroit, they got some pretty good contribution from their bench tonight. Jenkins. I, I thought it was good tonight. Yeah, I think Caris LeVert came in and gave him a nice, gave him some great minutes. They got multiple guys who could beat you, but they, but their wins aren't predicated off them playing great offensive. Hell, look at Duran. He still ain't really playing no hell of a basketball. I mean, he, he playing, he playing pedestrian. Okay, Ocho, but hell, it's good enough for him to get a win. Cause guess what? They locking down defensively, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Hey, hey, Joe, when you think about it too, and the way both of these teams are constructed, when you talk about going to your bench and wanting to get points for your bench. I mean, they not. They not like the Spurs. They ain't like the Thunder, where you can go to your bench, you don't miss a goddamn beat. You know, you got. I mean, the Cavs got Schrode here. Come in. He didn't have a really good game today, I think. I think it was one for five. I forgot how many points he had. But. It is your starters. Your starters, they had. They have to show up. Each player has to watch each play out in order. In order. In order for you to even have a chance. And then somebody has to come along, keep the game close. Them last five, six minutes, shoot. You got to come to the party. James Harden got to step up, though, Joe. And all.

[Uncle Ocho]

They just care basketball. You look at. You look at Cleveland. They take. They get a rebound. Allen tries to pass the ball to James Harden. Duncan Robinson steps in front of him, uncorks a three. I'm like, james Harden got the ball. He dibbling, died there in the front. The guy just reached right down there. Let me get this off you.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah. Hey, man, you guys watching film, bro? They know you think he hurt.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Who you think Harden hurt?

[Joe Johnson]

Hell no. Hell no.

[Uncle Ocho]

Listen, how you gonna be hurt, Ocho? And this is a pattern. So he's been hurt every playoff series because he's a hot turnover guy.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And Detroit, they. They know his tendencies, bro. Yes, they know his tendencies. They know his. Dudes don't. They know what he like and what he don't like, and they crowding the. Out of him, just making it tough for him. He had the. The highest plus minus today. He had a minus 15. You.

[Uncle Ocho]

If you.

[Joe Johnson]

Cleveland, there's no way you gonna win a game if Donovan is inefficient and James Harden don't play well. I don't care how y' all cut it, man. I think the rest of them dudes can be pedestrian, but if you can get both of those guys at least 25 plus efficiently, which is. Which is going to be tough because they hadn't really played like that this whole postseason, it's going to be hard for them to win a game.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

You say one game, Joe.

[Joe Johnson]

It's going to be hard to win a game, bro. They may get close in Cleveland, Ocho, but it's, man. I mean, Detroit, their game is predicated off the defense. Like, you know, they gonna play great defensively. And then you got Cade, who's just a game changer.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes, sir.

[Joe Johnson]

You know what I mean?

[Uncle Ocho]

They ain't really.

[Joe Johnson]

I mean, hell, I Don't think they making it tough on K. Uncle Ocho. If y' all really got nobody to

[Uncle Ocho]

make it tough on him, you put Wade on the way. He's not a defender. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell is out of a defender. So what you. Jared Allen is your best defender. Mobley. But they win. They big. They can't defend him.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

So who can you put on him? It's not like. Think about what they got. They got Cade, who could defend. They got Thompson, who can defend. Even Tobias Harris, when he puts his mind to it, can defend. They don't have nobody like that on Cleveland.

[Joe Johnson]

Nah, they don't. So look, so what you need to do is adjust your damn coverages, stop giving him them damn switches and one on one looks and cage him in a trap and make him get a damn ball up. Yes, you got to, you got. See the playoffs are about adjustments and matchups. Here you got Cleveland got a bad matchup right now. So what they have to do is try to alleviate cage productivity. Take get the ball out his damn hands when he run the pick and roll, bro. You got to make these other dudes make some decisions. Because if you look at it during hadn't played great, hell, hey, let's put the ball in his damn hands. Let's see what he can do.

[Uncle Ocho]

Joe, you took the words right out of my mouth. If ever it's possible, I'm gonna make the ball end up enduring. Because if you go back and think about it, he's played good in one game in the playoffs. That's game seven.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And while I'm watching him today, I think he kind of understands that too, Uncle Oo. That he hasn't been playing great. And you can tell he's trying to pick it up, but him picking it up is. Is him trying to do more offensively. It's just not his damn game. And it don't even look. It don't even look natural. You know what I mean? So they got to find a way. Meaning Cleveland has to find a way to put Detroit under distress to where they're not comfortable, bro. They just too comfortable out there for me.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. Unless, like I said, unless Evan Mobley comes in and give you the 20 plus that he's capable of giving, James Harden is going to have to be. I'm not saying he's. He needs to be, you know, 58, 60%. But you can't be 3 or 13 and you can't, you can't have, you can't lead the team internal with them to every Game, Game. I think about it, another game in which he has more turnovers than made field goals. That's. I mean, he's got 45 and 182 games. He's got 45 or 46 in which he has equal two or more turnovers than field goals. That is crazy.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. Hey, if you. Detroit bro James is a rhythm player. That's why when you always see him play, Uncle Ocho is tween, tween behind the back. That's a rhythm that he's trying to get into.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

And Detroit is great at disrupting that rhythm. They not letting him get into no damn rhythm. You know what I mean? That's why you see every time he drive to the goal, he's seeking for the. He's seeking for a foul. He trying to get a foul because he know that's the only way he gonna really be effective.

[Uncle Ocho]

He needs to, he needs to see the ball go in, Joe. And right now they're not letting him see the ball going until really, really late in the ball game. And by that time he's not in the rhythm. You let him hit his first couple of shots, you let him get a driver, you let him get a layup or you let him hit a step back three, you let him get to the little mini. You know, a lot of times he'll try to get all the way to the basket and you pull a snatch and pull up and hit it. But he's. Think about it, most importantly, probably get to the free throw line. He's out of rhythm. He knows it. He knows he's not playing well. He knows what's being said. He. When he, when he get that sheet, Joe. And he look at it like, damn, three made field goals, five turnovers. Damn.

[Joe Johnson]

Again. Hey, hey. That damn Kate Cunningham and that Thompson. Hey.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

Them boys some dogs on their defense. End man. K. Hey, look, K. Showing me a lot. I mean, I'm talking about. I can see why he was in the MVP discussion. Okay? Yeah. And if he wouldn't have. And if he wouldn't have got hurt, we. We don't know because you know, at the time when he went out, I think they had the best. They had the best record in the league.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yep. But they were right there, they was right there with. Okay, okay, see?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. So he's showing me that, man, look, I can be a hell of a two way player. Cause he doing it on a night to night basis, fellas.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes. Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

And I'm talking about at an elite and high level. Like, it's. It's. Man, he gotten two of the best scores to play this game. Right.

[Uncle Ocho]

It hadn't been a whole lot of players that have been asked to do what he does offensively, score, get others involved and take the assignment on the other end. You know, Jordan had Pippin to do that.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

A Ron Harper or Dennis Rodman.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

There haven't been a whole lot of guys that says, okay, I need you to playmate. I also need you to give me 25. But I also need to make sure that guy doesn't gain. Get a rhythm.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

It's a rarity to have a guy that's capable of doing that.

[Joe Johnson]

I agree.

[Uncle Ocho]

And Kate Cunningham is doing it. Kate Cunningham is doing it at. Because if you think about it, when Kawhi. When they had Tim Duncan, Kawhi was never asked to be the leader of the offense. When Kawhi got. When they started asking Kawhi to be the leader of his offense, his defense did this. Did the Joe.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

When he had to all of a sudden score and try to initiate plays for everybody else, he wasn't the same defensive player.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right.

[Uncle Ocho]

So to ask K to get K to do what he's doing, and he's doing that on a nightly basis.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, take me out.

[Uncle Ocho]

Up to you, young man.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And it's gonna happen. I've watched a lot of basketball. I don't. I don't recall a guy being asked. You got that from LeBron when he was in Cleveland. You got it from him a little bit in Miami and when he went back to Cleveland. But a guy that says, okay, are you their best player? I got you.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, that takes a lot, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yeah. And he. He played 42 minutes.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

He ain't playing no 30 minutes. He playing 42. They ain't but 48 in the game.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And the one thing I, I noticed. I know K knows is that, yeah, we may not be high power offensively, but damn it, we got some guys who can sit in that chair and gonna make a hell on you out here.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

And that's how they play, bro. I mean, I enjoy watching them play. You know, I know they had a little hiccup in the. In their magic series, but you can tell they've learned from that. And, man, they're playing great basketball against two elite scorers. And Bruh, they giving them everything they can ask for. So he. Hey, if he was Jordan and Thompson is the Pippin, if Thompson find any way to continue to Beat to.

[Uncle Ocho]

To be the office again.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, my God.

[Uncle Ocho]

Oh my goodness.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

That would. That wouldn't be fair, man.

[Uncle Ocho]

Guys, guys, are y' all listening? Y'? All? Y' all see y' all in the chat? I said, did they ask, if you think about it, who. How many times did they. Pippen was the guy was the point forward.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

He initiated a lot of the offense, Colby. Derek Fisher ran the offense. That is. What's the most assist Kobe had averaged in the season?

[Joe Johnson]

The most assist, probably the highest is probably maybe six.

[Uncle Ocho]

Five and a half. Six?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. If I had to guess, that's it.

[Uncle Ocho]

I know Jordan had one season where the average 8. 30. I think he would average 37. 8 and 8.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

What's the most assist Kobe average of the season? 6.3. What's Kate averaging? Kate average nine.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

What he averaging is mostly in Kobe's most assist in the season. LeBron averages more of that for a 23 year career. So y' all trying to say that Kobe was asked to initiate a run the offense like LeBron did?

[Joe Johnson]

No, sir.

[Uncle Ocho]

Kate average 10. Listen, it doesn't diminish Kobe because he wasn't asked to do what they're asking Cade and LeBron. It doesn't diminish. Y' all gotta stop this notion. If somebody doesn't put Kate, don't put Kobe in a thing. It's okay. It doesn't diminish him.

[Joe Johnson]

No.

[Uncle Ocho]

He's a five time champ. He's a two time finals mvp. He's an mvp. It doesn't diminish him. But Derek Fisher ran the offense and y' all know it. Kobe was asked to score and defend and he did those two things at an elite level. That's why he's a many, many time all defensive player and a many, many times all NBA selection.

[Joe Johnson]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Uncle Ocho]

But he was not asked to run the offense like Cade Cunningham. He was not asked to run the offense like LeBron James. Y' all know that. Y' all know that. That's why LeBron James averages over seven assists a game. Kobe's greatest season is only one time. Only time LeBron James has ever averaged less than five or six assists. The game was his rookie season.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

So in other words, he has 22 seasons in which he's averaged more assists in a game than Kobe did in his best season. And y' all want to say he was asked to do the same thing as LeBron when y' all know you're being disingenuous.

[Joe Johnson]

Yep.

[Uncle Ocho]

It's okay, guys. It's okay. Pippin was a point. How you think people got the name of the point forward if Jordan ran the offense?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, you're right.

[Uncle Ocho]

See, y' all just look at a guy and see the guy scoring points. There are a lot of guys that can score points but can't run an offense. But when you run an offense, look at Luca. Luca got a hot. You think they asked Luca to play defense? James Harden. James Harden scored 30 average 10, led the league in assist four or five times. How's his defense? Look at Luca. How's his defense? So for Cade to do that, they've only been a handful of guys that I can remember, and I remember basketball. I go back to about 77. There haven't been a whole lot of guys. There ain't been a whole lot of guys. Like, they've been guys, but not like Cade. Not what they asked LeBron to do. Up until last year, LeBron James had never not led his team in assist. Last year was the first time he didn't lead his team two years. So for 21 straight years, LeBron James led his team in assist, let that sink in. 21 seasons, and it took a younger version of himself, which is Luca on the offensive end because Luca can score, he can rebound, and he damn sure can playmate.

[Joe Johnson]

Yep.

[Uncle Ocho]

He just could. I don't think he could guard me with this Obama knee right now, but y' all gotta stop this notion. Y' all think somebody don't mention Kobe? You did. No, you don't. Just because I say. Just because I say. Ocho was great. That doesn't mean to. I'm pooping on to. Yeah, Randy. Two things can be true. Kobe was great, but Kobe wasn't asked to do what Cade Cunningham is being asked to do. He wasn't asked to do what LeBron was asked to do. It's okay. Look at the numbers, y'.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

All.

[Uncle Ocho]

Watch it. Oh, Joe. Has it always been like this or this came along with social media now

[ISO Joe Johnson]

it's always been like this.

[Uncle Ocho]

Okay. Yeah, but we just. But we just couldn't see it because. Because there was no social media, so we really didn't know what. What Tom And. And Des Moines, Iowa, was actually saying. No, we didn't know what. What, What Paul in Brooklyn or somebody in Florida or up. We didn't know what they were saying.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

No, everybody. Everybody has a voice. Everybody has an opinion now. But that's. That's a good thing. I. I like it, that. That it. It creates for. It creates for healthy dialogue. It creates for healthy debates because Everybody's opinion is not going to be the same. You believe one thing, then somebody else is going to believe another. Now, regardless of what facts you bring about, whatever it is you believe in, they gonna debunk that based on their facts and their opinions.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

So it would be an ongoing debate forever. No matter what. Even if everything you just said is factual, someone will still counter that and say, nah, this is why it's not true. Because of A, B, C and D. That's what I love about social media, though. I love it. Just not when it comes to basketball, because I can't talk it the way y' all do.

[Uncle Ocho]

Well, considering LeBron James led this team in assists for 21 straight season, one would deduce from that he was asked to play make.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, right, right.

[Uncle Ocho]

And go back and look at the series when D rose. They lost the first one. What did the year D. Rose one. MVP. What did they do? Game two, Joe. And what happened? They put LeBron on him.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah. I think. I think Braun is a natural facilitator, though. Okay, he is. Now I'm telling. I'm talking about. Yeah, I think as great as he is scoring the ball, I think his probably his best attribute is facilitating and making guys around him better. That's just who Kobe was, a natural born killer, bro. Now I'm talking about. He trying to take.

[Uncle Ocho]

Yes.

[Joe Johnson]

He trying to give you fit the air game period, point blank. He ain't studying no damn assist. Yeah, he may get something here and now. He wasn't no damn assistance.

[Uncle Ocho]

Hey, I'll trust you. He said, I know what I put in to be great. I'm not so sure. You put that same energy and effort. I'm not so sure you take care of your body. I'm not so sure you watch film like I do, so I don't know if I can trust y'.

[Joe Johnson]

All. Right. Hey, he practiced with those dudes every day. He know they work ethics. That's how he was. Hey, look, Kobe was done there, bro. He took out the mj. It was a carbon copy of mj. He stole his moves, his walk, his style, every damn thing. The way he chewed his gum like he wanted to. He wanted to be mj, bro. And he was a. He was a modern day mj, I think, with a better handle and all that. So I think he is.

[Reynolds Kitchens Announcer]

He.

[Joe Johnson]

He became the player who he wanted to become. And he was nasty with it, bro. He. He didn't care if you liked him or not. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

No, he wasn't there to be like yeah. He came into the NBA with a sole purpose.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. To be the best, Period.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

That's it.

[Joe Johnson]

Period. And it's so rare that you get guys come out of high school at 17, 18 years old, bro. And to be able to think like that. Yeah. I wonder, did that come from, you know, his dad jelly bean, him being overseas. You know, he was raised overseas and what, Italy. Playing over there. Probably being a loner because he, you know, I. I wondered, did all that play a factor?

[Uncle Ocho]

I think early on, his favorite player was Jordan. He came out, and then he thought. I mean, you listen to him talk. He's like, I thought I was better than the guys that they were playing. They were playing me four, five minutes.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And he's like, I'm better than them.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

He got drafted where he got drafted. I'm better than these guys in the draft, and y' all put me way down here. But if you listen to people talk, he's always had that mentality. He's always been about basketball while other guys were looking to go out. And Iverson said, man, Kobe looking, man, I'm trying to get out. Kobe looking to go get some rest, go to the gym. That ain't what I was trying to do.

[Joe Johnson]

Right.

[Uncle Ocho]

When you got that kind of talent and you got that kind of work ethic, that's what made Jordan. Jordan. That man was that talented, and he was working that hard. You think about it. When you take the best talent and they're the hardest worker you get, and, And. And. And Tom is an anomaly because Tom is not the most immensely talented. He don't run fast, Ocho. He don't jump high. But what he has is this. That processor, that process at the speed of light.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

And his work ethic, when you get that, bro, it's hard. The hard work. And I tell people. This is what I used to tell kids when I used to speak to kids. I say, hard work doesn't guarantee you anything. Nope. I say, but without it, you don't got a chance.

[Joe Johnson]

Hello. Hello? But I, I.

[Uncle Ocho]

And you work hard, boy. That's a hell of a combination.

[Joe Johnson]

You're gonna be down there unstoppable, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

Damn near.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah. Cause you. Because. And I know if y' all seen this in. In football, too, because I've seen this so much in basketball. I'm talking about. Yeah. From playing Little League all the way up to the pros. Hey, bro, I know some talented dudes who never. Who would never sniff the damn NBA or college just because of their work ethic. Now, talent wise, they're some of the best people I've ever played against. But, bruh, when you. When you got. Hell of a. When you got a lot of talent and you got that work ethic to go with it, hey, man, you can't lose, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

No, can't lose. And that's what I tell guys. The guys. Y' all realize the NBA is everybody. The NBA has some level of talent now. There's levels to it, Ocho. You know, you got some beginner, you got some junior, and you go up and up and up, but everybody talent. How the F you think they got there?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

This ain't college. You don't get no legacy in the NFL. I don't give a damn what your brother did. I don't care what your dad did. Can they catch passes? Could they sack the quarterback? Can they block right now for you? Because that's what I got you for.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Congratulations. Your family produced some great athletes. Congratulations. But they help. How does that help us win?

[Joe Johnson]

Right?

[Uncle Ocho]

And when you get guys that are talent, like Kobe was immensely talented and he. It drove him crazy. But you know what you have to love most about him? Even though as he air ball shots in the playoff game and everybody laugh. Y' all gotta. Y' all got a 17 year old playing in the playoffs. Y' all must be crazy. He took all that.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

All he did was get his ass in the gym.

[Joe Johnson]

Yep.

[Uncle Ocho]

So I'm gonna show y'. All.

[Joe Johnson]

Yep. And that's what it takes, bro. That's what it takes when you fail at something. Gotta get your ass back up and get back to work.

[Uncle Ocho]

That's the greatest teacher.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

Because a lot of times when you succeed, all the time, you don't. What do you learn from that?

[Joe Johnson]

Nothing.

[Uncle Ocho]

Cause you started none.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, don't get me wrong. It feels good to win now, but them losses teach you way more than way more win could ever teach you.

[Uncle Ocho]

And that's what happens a lot of times, guys. When you win, you gloss over. Oh, we won. Your technique was bad. You didn't get your head around Ocho. Hey, you supposed to do X, Y and Z. You half assed it. But you still made the catch and you won. Developing good habits is just as easy, is to develop bad habits.

[Joe Johnson]

There you go.

[Uncle Ocho]

People think, oh, oh, man. How you do easy. Just like you developed the good ones.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Uncle Ocho]

It's just as easy for you to eat healthy as it is for you to eat bad. All it requires is a choice. Yep. Which one do you choose?

[Joe Johnson]

Mm.

[Uncle Ocho]

Is Your desire to be great greater than your desire not to be? Or will you succumb to the tail? I'm good for the day. I don't know.

[Joe Johnson]

It's tough, bro.

[Uncle Ocho]

It is. But. But I think the thing is that when you want something, OO had a great desire to get out of Liberty City. That man said, I ain't trying to live. I love it here. I was raised here. My grandparents did a great job for me, but I ain't trying to live here. I want to go. I know there's something outside of Liberty City. I want to go see what south beach kicking like, hello. I want to see what it really like out there.

[Joe Johnson]

Hello. Hey.

[Uncle Ocho]

Cause everything that I need Ain't here, ain't here in Liberty City.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, I. I agree with you on that. Because, boy, coming up in Little Rock, when I got stamped Uncle Ocho. Meaning, like, I. I would say, I. I've really seen the NBA in my future. When I was in 10th grade, bro, 10th grade. Like, you know, I. I seen how I was a lot more talented than guys. And at my height. Six, six, six, six, seven. Yeah, we don't grow them like that. And at my height at 6, 6, 6, 7, I was still a guard because I grew late. I grew 4 1/2, 5 inches going into my 10th grade year. Once I seen that, once I. Once I realized that, oh, yeah, I ain't messing this opportunity up. I'm gonna keep. Hey, hey, hey. I'm gonna stay out of trouble. I'm gonna do whatever it takes. Cause, look, it's just me and my mama. She working two, three jobs. She working at the state hospital with.

[Uncle Ocho]

With.

[Joe Johnson]

With. With these crazy patients. Like, listen, bro, I'm trying to give her a better life. So I understood that at an early age, man, you gotta work hard, man, you gotta work hard. So I was willing to put the work in. And everything else is history, bro. So once you see the light, you got to go for it.

[CVS Announcer]

At cvs, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit [e-mail] or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.

[Uncle Ocho]

Paramount plus is now the home of

[ISO Joe Johnson]

all your BET favorites.

[Orderly Meds Announcer]

What?

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Yes, with all new episodes of Tyler Perry's Divorce. Sisters liked a little drama, plus a whole new world of movies like Gladiator 2. Now I will control an Empire original series like the Shy.

[Uncle Ocho]

Just make sure we protect each other

[ISO Joe Johnson]

in live sports like ufc.

[Uncle Ocho]

Welcome to the history books.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

New home, same family. Your BET favorites are now on Paramount. Subscribe now.

[Orderly Meds Announcer]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

[Uncle Ocho]

The sound of a seatbelt it's one

[Public Investing Announcer]

of the most important sounds in our car.

[Uncle Ocho]

It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put on our seatbelts, the more natural it

[Orderly Meds Announcer]

is for them to put theirs on too.

[ISO Joe Johnson]

Make it a priority.

[Uncle Ocho]

Buckle up every time. Hear the sound.

[Orderly Meds Announcer]

Make it a habit Paid for by nhtsa when people turn to telehealth for weight loss, they're looking for real support. That's why more people are choosing orderlymeds.com orderly meds connects you with real doctors and access to proven GLP1 medications like semaglutide and Tirzeptatide. No guessing, just a more supportive experience. And all shipped directly to your door in discreet packaging. Do your research, ask questions, then visit orderlymeds.com podcast for an exclusive offer. That's orderlymeds.com podcast. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice. Eligibility required. C site for details

[Redfin Announcer]

this is Sophia Donner from OK Storytime this Summer. Find your next obsession on Prime Video and listen. We're not saying you need another obsession, but there could be a lot worse ones. Steamy romance, addictive love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice, so why not watch them a third time off campus? Elle, the Love Hypothesis and more Slow Burns, Second Chances chemistry you can feel through the screen and it makes you wish you were actually in that movie. We've got binge worthy series. Can't miss movies perfect for when you're ignoring your own problems or procrastinating as one does. Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime.