Nightcap - Hour 2: LeBron’s best teammate, Popovich out for remainder of season, Jokic Taco Bell

Summary

Club Shay Shay - Episode: Nightcap - Hour 2: LeBron’s Best Teammate, Popovich Out for Remainder of Season, Jokic Taco Bell

Release Date: March 1, 2025

In this engaging episode of Club Shay Shay, hosts delve deep into the current NBA landscape, focusing on pivotal topics such as LeBron James' ideal teammates, Greg Popovich's health struggles, and a humorous take on Nikola Jokić's association with Taco Bell. The conversation, primarily led by sports analyst Ocho, offers insightful analysis, personal anecdotes, and spirited debates that resonate with both casual fans and hardcore basketball enthusiasts.

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LeBron James' Ideal Teammate

The discussion kicks off with an animated debate about who complements LeBron James best on the court. Ocho emphasizes the versatility LeBron brings to any lineup, stating:

"LeBron is like a Lego piece; you could plug him anywhere, and he's going to fit because LeBron is that great. He can adjust his game depending on who he's playing with." [05:43]

Ocho weighs in on potential partners, considering players like Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade, and the emerging Luka Dončić. The analyst highlights Luka's ability to run the offense and create shots, suggesting that pairing him with LeBron could lead to a dynamic and efficient duo:

"Luka can handle the ball, run the offense, get his own shot, and involve everybody else, giving you 40, 15, and 12." [07:23]

However, Ocho also cautions against solely relying on individual brilliance, drawing parallels to musical duos:

"You might not get the beautiful harmony like Barry White and Lisa Stansfield. LeBron and Luka might need more pieces to complete the puzzle." [09:00]

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Greg Popovich's Health and Spurs' Season Outlook

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Greg Popovich's unexpected exit for the remainder of the season due to a mild stroke suffered in November. Ocho expresses concern over Popovich's absence and its impact on the San Antonio Spurs:

"When somebody else has a procedure, it's always mild. It's never minor surgery when it's on you, man. I'm about to have surgery, oh, it's major." [26:05]

The conversation shifts to Joel Embiid's ongoing knee issues and the 76ers' disappointing performance this season. Ocho draws parallels between Embiid's situation and that of NFL player Adrian Peterson, emphasizing the importance of mindset and determination in overcoming injuries:

"Adrian Peterson came back after tearing his ACL and dominated again. Embiid can come back too if he's serious about putting in the work." [11:05]

Despite high expectations, the 76ers find themselves struggling with a 20-36 record, leading Ocho to argue that it might be time for Embiid to consider sitting out to prevent further injury:

"At this point, you're not going to win a title even if Joel Embiid comes back healthy. Go ahead and shut him down to protect himself and the team." [22:17]

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Intangibles and Player Potential Beyond Measurables

Ocho passionately discusses the significance of intangible qualities in athletes, arguing that attributes like hunger, determination, and resilience often outweigh measurable statistics like speed and vertical jump. He cites legends like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan as exemplars who possessed an unquenchable desire to excel:

"Greatness is what you can't measure. It's what's inside an individual—the burning desire to be great, to find another summit to scale." [35:02]

The analyst criticizes the overemphasis on combine metrics in drafts, using Nikola Jokić's surprising success as a second-round pick to illustrate that scouts often overlook true potential:

"He had a 3-inch vertical and was out of shape, but you can't measure everything. What makes a guy tick? That's the difference." [31:09]

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Nikola Jokić and the Taco Bell Commercial Anecdote

Injecting humor into the conversation, Ocho recounts Nikola Jokić's unexpected association with Taco Bell during his draft:

"Nikola Jokić, who was famously drafted in the middle of a Taco Bell Quesarito commercial, admitted he's never actually had Taco Bell because of that." [30:13]

This light-hearted segment serves to humanize the players and add a relatable twist to the otherwise intense discussions.

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NBA Team Performances and Future Projections

Wrapping up the episode, Ocho evaluates the current standings of NBA teams, highlighting the struggles of the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He speculates on the future moves the 76ers might make, such as potential trades or relying on young talents like Giannis Antetokounmpo (referred to humorously as "Alien 74"):

"They have something special brewing now. They just need Pac to come back, get Wimy healthy, and let's see what this looks like in the next two to three years." [29:35]

Ocho remains cautiously optimistic about player recoveries and team dynamics, encouraging fans to stay tuned as the season progresses.

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Final Thoughts

Throughout the episode, Ocho underscores the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and the often-overlooked psychological factors that influence player performance and team success. By blending statistical analysis with personal insights and anecdotes, the episode offers a comprehensive and captivating exploration of contemporary NBA narratives.

Listeners are left with a deeper understanding of the complexities within team dynamics, player health, and the elusive nature of basketball greatness.

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Notable Quotes:

• "LeBron is like a Lego piece; you could plug him anywhere, and he's going to fit." [05:43]
• "Adrian Peterson came back after tearing his ACL and dominated again." [11:05]
• "Greatness is what you can't measure. It's what's inside an individual—the burning desire to be great." [35:02]
• "Lithuanian Jokić was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial and yet became one of the greatest players." [30:13]

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This episode of Club Shay Shay masterfully navigates through the highs and lows of the NBA season, offering fans both entertainment and enlightenment on the game's intricate workings.

Transcript

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I mean, it could be Kyrie it could be. It could be D. Wade, it could be Luca, obviously. Listen, goddamn LeBron is like a late. God, dog it, man.

Sorry.

My bad. LeBron is a Lego piece, huh? You could. You could plug him. You could plug him anywhere, and he gonna fit it. Plug him anywhere. You can put it with anybody, and it's going to fit because LeBron is that. He just. That great. LeBron is really that great where he can adjust his game depending. Depending on who he's playing with. Yeah, he can play off the ball. He could dominate the ball. He could bring the ball up. He could play point. I mean, he can do everything. So I understand. I understand what he's saying, but it's almost. It's almost like diminishing LeBron's greatness in saying that. It doesn't matter who he's playing with. He can adjust to the people that he's playing with. It doesn't matter. When he showed that he did it with Kyrie, he did it with D. Wade, he won. He's going to win with Luka. Obviously, there's some more pieces that need to be added to that puzzle before they get to that point to where they're. You know, they're back to their winning ways. But there's only so much time. Time is ticking, you know, over there. Which is why. Which is why I like. I like my idea of Embiid. We ain't got nothing to lose because you need a pee.

But then he's. But here's the thing. You get Embiid, and then you got to give him the rock. Luka needs the rock. Luka is going to have the ball more because Luka, as I said last night, Luka is better on the ball than he is off the ball. LeBron James needs the ball, but LeBron can play off the ball. You're going to see a lot of lobs. You see LeBron coming through like Batman with those lobs. You see LeBron getting out on the floor. He has somebody that he can trust wholeheartedly to run the offense and not ever have to come get the ball and say, I got it from here. Luka can do that.

Yeah. Cause he can create his own shot, too. Huh?

Luka can get. Luka can create. He's the best. Luka. What Luka can do as opposed to what. Luka can handle the ball, run the offense, get his own shot, get everybody else involved, and give you 40, 15, and 12.

But it's efficient. But think about this. I'm going to go back to the B thing one more time, think about Luka being able to run the offense. Think about LeBron. Think about the offense, the way the offense is being run. Think about the spacing that is created because what they have offensively and what that would do for Embiid, right? Not very many double teams, right? Allowing you to sit in the paint to do what you do best. And if you have to go mid range and go three, you could bag. He doesn't have to do much, much running outside of going up and down in transition and playing defense.

Well, see, you got to be careful, Ojo, because a lot two things can be true. Luka might be the better player individually, but that don't mean that he's the best player with LeBron as a duo, right? Because you take one person that can sing over here, another person that can sing over there and bring them together, and you might not get that beautiful. You might not get Tina Marie and Rick James. You might not get Stephanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass. You see what I'm saying, don't. You might not get Barry White and Lisa Stanfield. Now, Lisa Stanfield's not the best singer ever. Barry is Barry. But when you put them together, been around the world and not yai ya, y'all know what I'm talking about.

As good as LeBron and Luka are, at least you don't get people. Bryson and Roberto Flack, come on now. Just because of who they are and based on the resume and the great ones that LeBron has played with regards to who's better and who's that, they're still going to win because the duo, especially when you put them together, you know what you're getting.

We only got four games. Let's hold off before we say Luka and LeBron is the best. All the other duos, he won two championships with D. Wade, he won a championship with Kyrie. He won a championship with Adam. You know, let's wait more than a game or four game before we decide, okay? We good? The 76 Joel Embiid is exploring options for his knee. The spade. The 76ers and Joel Embiid are consulting doctors and considering alternative options, such as surgery for his injured left knee. Both sides have hoped for progress in Embiid's condition, but his determination to play and current treatments, including regular injections, sources said, have not led to anything improvable. Embiid has publicly and privately said in recent weeks that he might eventually need surgery or an extended rest period for his knee to heal. But he has been Determined to find ways to continue playing and be available for the 76ers. Ocho. Yeah. Did Joel Embiid shut it down?

I think obviously it's hampering him. It's hampering his play. It's affecting his ability to dominate the way he once did. Because of his ailing knee, he's not able to dominate the game as he always has when he is healthy. My suggestion to Embiid, I'm thinking about players, whether it be NBA or football, that have had knee troubles and have come back successful and been able to dominate at the respective craft and respective positions. And the only thing that I can think of, only person I can think of is Adrian Peterson was able to do after having a tearingist acl.

Acl? Yep.

I don't know what Dr. Lord have mercy. I don't know what doctor Adrian Peterson went to, but whatever he did, whatever procedures, whatever rehab he did, Embiid needs to follow suit. I know there's a difference in height and weight and everything, but if Adrian Peterson come back and not skip a beat or not miss a beat and come back and do what he did and still play at an elite level after completely tearing his acl, Embiid can come back, too, as well, if he's serious about putting in the work to get back to his dominating ways.

Think about what AP was before he got injured. So he approached it, huh?

You don't think Embiid was his physical condition?

Did we ever have any doubts about AP Adrian Peterson conditioning? I see. Did we have any doubt, any questions about his desire and what football meant to him?

I see what you mean.

Okay.

I see where you're going.

So now he's going to. So everybody's like, man, AD is not going to be what he once was. His mindset, I'm going to be better than what I once was. And he attacked it. Right. You said there's a difference. There's a difference between being 6 foot 61 and 220, as opposed to being 71 and 3, 43, 20. You see the difference? Yeah. And is it young people grow up to be injured old people? You don't get healthier as you age.

Right.

Normally, when you have issues as a. As an adolescent, juvenile. What happens? You carry those illnesses into adulthood.

Okay.

There have been times that may. Sometimes you get out of it. I mean, you have allergies or you have migraines or things of that nature, and sometimes you can overcome them. But a lot of times, if you are injured or you have illnesses or Ailments as a youngster, you know, that normally follow you into your adulthood. Go ahead.

I got a good question, Chad. Y'all could answer this too. Ap. Obviously he had the mindset. Everything is mindset when it comes to. To getting injured, regardless of how much money if you made. Do you think Embiid's mindset can change at this stage of his career? Despite already being rich, despite already being paid, Is it possible to. For. For that hunger to still be there? Is it possible that that hunger to want to dominate and get back to where he once was when he is healthy, when he was available on the court? You think. You think it's still there because that's the hard thing for people, especially players, especially. Once you make a certain amount of money, you kind of get. I don't want to say you got comfortable. I'm not saying he's comfortable. Yeah, that same urge and want to and desire. Oh, you know what? I got to. I got miles of feed. You know, I got bills to pay. When you already got two, you sitting on 200, $250 million already. I mean, what's the desire to come back and want to play or at least get back healthy to your dominating ways?

You saw, we have a conversation and we talk about this a lot, is that when someone has everything, when they have fame, they have adulation, they have praise, they've made money and they still play and they still train as if they're broke. Yeah, you look at a LeBron, you look at a Brady, you look at a Kobe, you look at a Jordan, you look at some of these guys now that's currently in the league. Yes, sir. Ocho, it's hard when you live in an ivory tower and you got mink pajamas. It's a different. It's different, Ocho.

It's different. What kind of pajamas?

Mink.

They got mink pajamas. For real.

I'm just saying, when you got mink slippers and silk pajamas and you can live in an ivory tower and everything is marble and hardwood and you got. And you got. He just signed an extension. Three years, 193 million. Now, he still had two years left. This year, another year. And then the 193 kicks in and to adopt the mindset, I'm flat ass broke. That was the mindset I had. I wasn't making a whole lot of money. But even when I made money, I wanted them to say, man, we underpaying them. We got a bargain. Okay. Everybody doesn't think like that, Ocho. And so it Takes a special type of person to get money and still work as if they're broke, destitute. So that they got to be my.

Then you already. You know it. And it's a funny thing when you say that that's already in you, huh?

Yes.

It doesn't just happen. Once you get it. You know what? I'm gonna pretend like I ain't got no money. I'm gonna continue to train and approach my craft and my game as if I ain't got it. So it wasn't in you before you got the money. It definitely ain't gonna be no light switch to kick on once you make it.

Nope. And so that's why you look at Floyd Mayweather. After all those titles, that big money he's still going after to get it. You look at some of the boxers. Look at Buster Douglas. He knocked out Mike Tyson, got in great shape to beat Mike Tyson, get 25, 35 million dollars to fight Holyfield. Boom. So you can see that's why I have a great appreciation. You should have a great appreciation also, being a former athlete and knowing. Coming from the trenches, getting it out the mud, that's getting it out of the concrete jungle. I did you have a greater appreciation for guys. LeBron has got that. Look at what LeBron has accomplished now. He's currently playing, and he's worth 1.2, 1.3 billion. But everybody talks about what he puts in. He gets to the arena five hours earlier. He does all this stuff. He gets his shoot around, he gets in the cold tub, he gets stretched, he gets his lift in. He's still doing this 22 years in the league. Remember I said greatness is monotonous, is boring. What's great about that. He. He owned the bus. He in the hotels. Boom, boom, boom. Mike Macias doing all this. That's what I tell people. People think. I wish you could have a conversation, because I did have a conversation with Jeff Bezos. I met him a couple of times, and to hear. Hear him talk that not one. At one point in time did he mention any part. Now, maybe now you're worth 230 billion. But at no point in time when he was building, this wasn't glamorous, because it was a grind, because it was monotonous, because it was boring. Yeah, listen, listen. Who is that? Larry Ellison. Look at Bill Gates. Look at Warren Buffett. Look at these guys. Mark Zuckerberg. Look at these guys that have built things of a. Now, look, guys, if y'all just want a nine. If I'm not. I'm not talking about. I'm not talking about, you know, I'm just saying I'm looking at it from a standpoint of being great. And I think Joel Embiid wanted to be great, and he had an opportunity. I don't know if he'll ever. I don't want to say ever, but it's so hard. Ocho, he's getting older, right? His body is failing him more because at once upon a time, you know, when we first started Ultra, you'd never been injured. But I could bounce back. I get a nick. I could bounce back. At the end of the week, I'm ready to go. Then all of a sudden, an injury that would have me bounce back at the end of a week. Now all of a sudden I miss a game, and then all of a sudden, I missed four games. Next thing you know, I missed a whole season. As I got older, my body couldn't recover. I remember, hey, we could play when you. Young Ocho, your first two, three years. Hey, play Sunday, play Thursday. Play good. Hey, you want to bring me play another. I'm going to play another game on Monday night. Let's rock and roll. Then all of a sudden, I got to get in the cold tub before practice. Got to get in the cold tub again after practice. Come in early in the morning, get in the cold tub. It's just I. You know, he's played just 39 games. He played 39 games last season after tearing the meniscus in his knee. This season, the lingering knee issues combined with a foot sprain have caused him to play just 19 of 56 gain. Because what happens, Ocho, if you get a flat tire and you continuously drive that car on that flat tire, it just don't mess up the rim and the rotor on that side. It F's up your alignment.

Yeah.

Because you're trying to compensate every. The body is meant to work in unison, in sequence, just like your body. You start having knee issues, before long, you're going to have hip problems, you're going to have back problems, you'll have feet. Foot problems. That's just the way it is. And because you're dealing with a man his size with knee problems.

Yeah, that's bad. So listen, what were the expectations for the Sixers coming into the season?

Boy, they supposed to be. They supposed. They supposed to challenge the Celtics. You got Jordan B. You got Tyrese Maxey, and you just gave Paul George a max contract. So you got three guys. Maxi was an allstar. We know what Joel Embiid, a former mvp, finished run up to Nicola Jokic, led the league in scoring twice. Paul George, we know. Hey, he was supposed to be that third and missing piece, right? So the expectations were through the roof. It was supposed to be Boston, the Cavs, the Knicks and the. And the Sixers. Those were supposed to be the team that's duking it out for an opportunity to.

Are they. Are they even in contention? Is it.

No, no.

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They. Hey, they might go ahead and. Go ahead and tank for Cooper Flag or that kid from Auburn or something. It's over for them.

But then at that point, then I think it is okay for Embiid to shut it down. Yeah, I think it's. I think it's okay, especially at this point if you're only hurting yourself. If anything, you know, you just. You just tore your meniscus. You're coming back now. You have a foot sprain. That's. That's injury on top of injury. So all you're going to do is make it worse. Yes, all you're going to do. It's like. It's like getting the flat tire. You put air back in it, and instead of getting a new tire, you just plug it. At some point, it's gonna go flat again.

Walk around with a rock in your shoe. Put a little Rocky. Put a little rock in your shoe and walk around with it.

Now that's aggravating.

Guess what, Ocho? You ain't gonna put no pressure on that thing. Cause you don't want to feel that thing. Now watch your hip on the other side. Watching what it do. Watch what your knee and your back do because you're overcompensating. Because the body's gonna compensate. That's what the body does. And then guess. And so, like, hey, at some point in time, be like, you know what? You won't stop and get this rock out. I'm gonna sit you down. Yeah, that's what's gonna happen. So you're looking at right now, the Washington. The Wizards are 9 and 47. The Pelicans are 14 and 43. Utah, 14 and 42. Charlotte, 14 and 41. Toronto, 18 and 39. The 76ers have the sixth worst record at 20 and 36. They've lost seven straight. And last nine games, they're 1 and 9. Excuse me. The last 10 games, they're 1 and 9.

Well, God damn. He should have been. Set it down or shut it down. He should have shut it down at the All Star break.

So right now they should theoretically but you know how the lottery is. I mean, just because you got the sixth worst record, that don't mean you're going to get the sixth pick in the draft. Right, right. Get the number one pick they could get. They could be at the bottom of a lot of riches, like 14 or 15. Don't know. But I just think the thing is at this point in time, you're not going to win a title. Even if Joel Embiid comes back healthy, which he's not, just go ahead and shut him down. Just go ahead and shut it down and give him. So now he has March, April, May, June, July, August, September to have this procedure and try and get back healthy for next year and says okay, but at the rate it's going, I don't really see a scenario when Joel Embiid finishes a career in 76ers and you.

Know what's going to happen. It's just the way life works, just the way sports works. Sometimes I think they gonna make them. I'm not gonna call it a mistake. They're going to remove themselves from having to deal with Embiid and injuries and injury history in general. He gonna go somewhere else. Ain't gonna be gonna be all world, he gonna be all right, he gonna be healthy, he gonna be fine. I guarantee you it happens all the time. I've seen it happen multiple times. You know, a player was on a specific team, he was very good at what he does, but due to injuries, it didn't allow him to reach his full potential with that specific team. He goes somewhere else. After getting surgery in an offseason, having enough time to get healthy and plays lights out and reaches the potential that he should have at a whole nother team. I guarantee going to happen.

I hope that's the case.

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[Sports Analyst]

San Antonio head coach hall of Famer Greg Popovich is not expected to return this season and his future is uncertain as he recovers from a mild stroke suffered in November. Shams added during the appearance on the ESPN NBA Countdown that Pop is getting stronger and stronger in his rehab. The news came two days after spurs announced that Wemby would be would be shut down for the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a DVT deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Everybody you notice on Joe Every when somebody else has a procedure, it's always mild. A mild stroke. You notice it's never mild. It's never minor surgery. When it's on you, man, I'm about to have surgery. Oh, you getting scoped, boy. A is minor. Everything is minor or mild. As long as it's on somebody. Yeah. When it's on you, it's major. Major.

Yeah.

We know what Greg Popovich is. We know who he is. We know what he is. He's one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Some says based on what he's been able to do and the time in which he wasn't able to do it, he might be one or two. We know Coach Auerbach, what he was able to do with the Celtics in the 60s. Phil Jackson has 11 titles. And pop, same team, same system. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu, basically. And then at the tail end, they got Kawhi, but it's sad. Speedy recovery. Coach, I need you back on the sideline. Mean, mugging the reporters, asking them why. They asking you them questions. You watching the game, right? Oh, man.

Damn.

But hopefully, like I said, I. I didn't expect him to return. Ocho, right? Mild stroke doesn't matter. That's something serious. My grandmother suffered from one of those. And, you know, you gotta learn, obviously, to degree how severe it is. But, you know, she had to learn how to, you know, walk again and move, you know, because normally one side of the brain affects the opposite side of the body. So you have to relearn all that stuff again. And now I'm saying she's getting. Coach Pop, I can assure you, is getting the best PT possible, right? He's probably getting PT multiple times a day, but, Coach. Get well soon. Yes, sir. You and Wimby, y'all got something special growing down there with Stephen Castle. They got a. They got a nice little squad brewing down there, Ocho.

[Rocket Mortgage Representative]

They really do.

[Sports Analyst]

I like Vass. Huh? Oh, yeah. They got. They got D Fox now. They're in Fox. They got Castle, they got Vassal. They got Keldon Johnson coming off the bench. CP is.

[Rocket Mortgage Representative]

Is.

[Sports Analyst]

You know, gives him great leadership. And then, you know, they got Wimy. They got that. That alien 74 can shoot the three, put the ball on the floor, can post up. He can do a lot of different things. Me, personally, I think he shoots a little bit too many threes. He's one of the great. He's already one of the great defenders in NBA history. So they got something special brewing now. They just need Pac to come back, get Wimy healthy, and let's See what this thing looks like in the next two to three years. Nikola Jokic, who was famously drafted in the middle of a Taco Bell Quesarita commercial, he finally spoke about that. He admitted, I've never had Taco Bell just because of that.

Wait, he never had Taco Bell because he was drafted.

They was in commercial when he was drafted. So he was, he was in the second round. He was the 60th pick. Once you get, basically once you get past one through 15, you know, people all of a sudden they go into the bathroom going to get beer. They, you know, if they have draft parties or what, whatever the case may be. So you know damn well it's not like the NBA, ojo. I mean the NFL where you know, you got good picks, you know, second round, third round. Some guys are all Americans and going into the second and third round. So you kind of tuned in a little bit more than basketball. Once you get past that one through 15. He was 60th, so he's in the second round. Hey, they go to show you they was their commercial.

60Th hunt.

Yes. Three time league MVP, finals MVP. One of the great players in NBA history was a second round pick.

Can I ask what was wrong with his footage? Was it that bad?

He was out of shape. He was. Hey, he, like I said, if you look at him, here's the thing, you judge. They judged the book by its cover. He had a 3 inch vertical. You know what I'm saying? He was a little out of shape. As a matter of fact, they took Yusef Nurkic in the first round. Cause he was drafted. He was drafted by the Nuggets. So was Yusef Nurkic. Nurkic win in the first round if I'm not mistaken.

But I'm sure he can shoot the ball. As efficient as he is right now, Even with a 3 inch vertical, I'm sure he could shoot the ball before he even got drafted. They had to see the potential. If they didn't see the potential.

He's 41st pick. What, what was, what was Drake in that same draft? Right, right. What was, what was Yoke? 41st or 60th? He was the 60th pick. Chat Else L O S O T. He was not 41st. They said 41st. 31st. Ash Ashby gave me some wrong information. He was the 41st pick in the draft. I mean, which is 11 picks after the first round. After the first round because there's 30 teams. So one through 30 is the first round. So he went 11 picks into the second round. Draymond Green was a sec two a second day pick.

But is that. Is that a bad thing? It's not a bad thing. Especially once you. Once you blossom into what you should be, right?

But it just goes to show, Ocho, some things you just can't see. Everything is measurable. How high can you jump? How fast can you run? How can you do this? There are certain things. He's never going to win anything with his T shirt off and jumping and dunking and doing all that, he ain't going to do nothing.

Right? Right.

He's not. But put a ball in his hand.

Oh, yeah, he come to play.

Now, there are certain guys in the NFL. We've all seen it. We've seen guys go to the combine, jump through the roof, touch the ceiling, the RCA dome. We've seen guys run four, two, run four, three. We've seen guys bench press 35, 40 times.

You put them in that structured environment, they're a no show.

Couldn't play dead in a horror movie, look like Torvin, play like James. You don't know no rhyme or reason, Ocho, because something you can measure. You can't measure everything. What's inside of it. What makes him tick?

Oh, yeah.

What makes him. What makes a guy tick? Where did he come from? How did he grow up? Is he hungry now? Because there are a lot of guys hungry that just refuse to eat. But I need a guy hungry. I'm talking about starving.

That's.

Why would you pick up this. If I don't get this, guess what, Ocho? If I don't get this, my mom ain't gonna eat. If I don't get this, my granny ain't gonna eat. If I don't get this, my kids. I got a choice. Your grandma, my grandma, my grandma gonna eat. Your mom, my mom, my mom gonna eat. Your kids or my kids, my kids gonna. My kids gonna eat. That's the way I look at it, Ocho. That's the way I approach it.

See, now, you see, now you talking about my kind of mentality right there. You hear me? That's my kind of. That's my mentality. Now, you understand? A lot of people call me crazy now. Now, so think about this, right? Chad, y'all stay with me for a second. Think about this, right? Think about your kids behind you. All your kids right behind you, right?

Yeah.

Your mom, your grandma, right in. And you in front of your kids and your grandma, your mama, and let's say James Harrison is right there trying to get to your family. What's Gonna happen.

Run, y'all. Run.

See? Come on.

See, that's.

That's my mentality. You. You understand me? Huh? My kids behind me, all 50 left, and I'm in front of them. And James trying to get to my kids. That means I got to protect my family. So it's that mindset. I'm going into fighting him with great understanding that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Okay?

And that's what's going to happen. And I'm just wanting to use that analogy. I didn't mean to go off topic, but I'm just giving you a list.

Guys, y'all making my point. See, that's right. It's intangibles. Intangibles is what you can't measure. They're measuring his height. They're measuring his speed. They're measuring how high he can jump. That's the point. Thank you. What is it that you cannot see? What is it that you cannot measure which is what's inside of an individual?

You can't.

That's the difference. Yes, we know. But when you have a guy that have all those measurables and he has a burning desire that's inside of him. Ta da. You get LeBron James, you get a Michael Jordan, you get a Kobe, you get a Deion Sanders, you get a Lawrence Taylor, you get those guys, guys that are supremely gifted and have a burning desire to be great, an unquenchable desire. And even when they climb to the top, they don't admire the view from the top. They find another thing. They find another summit to scale. See, it wasn't good enough for Michael Jordan to win record of the year. I got to do more. It wasn't good enough for him to be an mvp. I need to do more. I need to win finals mvp. I need to win the title. Same thing with Brian. I need to be a defensive player of the year. I need to be a. I need to be an all NBA player. I need to be universally regarded as the best, the de facto. That's what these guys got. You see Tom. Tom Brady ain't got no. Got no measurables.

[Lenovo Representative]

He can't.

[Sports Analyst]

Man, you dude ran the worst 40, had the worst looking body. But what was in here and what's up in there, undeniable. And it wasn't like he got a 50. Orion Fitzpatrick, I think Pat McElli might have got the highest score. I think Pat McElli got like a 49 or 50. Ryan Fitzpatrick got like a 48, 49. On the Wonder League out of the 50? Yeah.

I got a lot of guys, but guess what?

Nah. Jerry ran 4 6. Jerry didn't run no 4. 4, 5. He ran a 4 or 5 when he had the ball in his hand. But that's not what he read in the combine. Yeah, Pat Mc. Yeah. And both guys played in Cincinnati. Y'all get some smart ones. I don't know what happened once they get there. The man got a 50. If I'm not mistaken, I think Pat McInella might be the only guy that's ever gotten 50.

He got perfect, huh?

Yep.

Yeah, I was. Man, I was so close.

Hey, speaking of Mike Mamula, Boston College. Ocho got a 49 on the Wonderlic. Goes there like 260. Runs four or five. Border vertical. That's out of standing long jump, like 11ft. Very fame.

Could he play?

They said about the recess about five times a day. You still couldn't play. Another guy, Vernon ghosting had all those measurables. Hey, Ohio State. Go back and look it up. Look at it. Look like a Greek God.

Couldn'T play.

You don't. There is no rhyme or reason, ojo, that you look at somebody like, can't miss. He's a can't miss. Ain't no such thing as can't. There's no such thing as all or every. But, you know, you put this like, man, ain't no way, bro. I'm like, look like that, bro. You got to be able to do something.

They going by the ad test, and.

[Rocket Mortgage Representative]

And.

[Sports Analyst]

And it wasn't. Oh, Joe, he was amazing in college.

Yeah. Hey, college and the pros is completely different, whether people believe it or not. Completely different. Ball game.

The Celtics had a little bit of a run. Had a little fun with Jaylen Brown, quizzing him on musicians, new and old. He did not pass with flying colors. Ocho, let's take a look at this. See this?

Let me see this. Let me see this. This. Hey, I like. I like that. I like that. That's dope. That's dope. You'd be surprised how many. How many professional athletes don't know, you know, artists, you know, whether they're famous.

Or not and likewise.

Yeah, they're not really based on facial recognition, you know, unless you are one of the elites at. At what it is you do. I mean, there's a few people on there. I'm not even gonna lie. I didn't know who they were.

Yeah, I mean. Oh, I was at. I was there last night.

You saw people you ain't know.

Look I know more people than Jordan. You don't know nobody, and he don't know nobody.

Yeah.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, boss, that. Isn't that. Isn't that Madam vp? Yeah, George, you just saw it. I told her. Hold on.

I got a question. You know, being in something like the NAACP Awards, was there anybody you were excited to see or might have been a little starstruck that you hadn't had a chance to meet before?

For the most part? Ocho. I had pretty much met a lot of them.

Right.

I've met in Taraji before I was in. I, I, I. I've seen. I met Gabrielle, obviously, Kiki, and I, you know, not. Not really. Damon Wayans. I hadn't met him. I hadn't met Marlon. That's. That's about it. That's about it. That. That I was like, okay. Because it's always nice to be somewhere and finally put a name to a face. Like, okay. That's okay.

Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Cause sometimes you see them and they, like, they don't look like they look on television. And I'm like, they either they smaller, right? Shorter than you would think, or they're a little larger, a little taller than what you would think.

Right.

And so that's like. And so it's always. It's great to like, to see people and be in that environment.

That's dope.

That's going to the Oscars. I'm going to the Oscars.

Oh, you know, I was supposed. Never mind. Cause you ain't gonna believe me.

Yep. I met Adele. I've met Beyond. Met Beyonce and Hov, but that's about it.

I'm trying to. Anybody ask about me at the NAACP Awards?

No, they're. They.

[Rocket Mortgage Representative]

Yes.

[Sports Analyst]

Yes. They do. They. Man, where what yo at?

Yeah.

I say no telling. What. Ocho is crazy. I said tell me something that I don't know.

That's me. That's me. That's me.

But it's. Oh, it must be your food. You order some food. Oh, but no, I wouldn't. A lot of those. Like. Like Ocho, I did. I hosted the. The day. The Emmy Awards. Right, man. Even as much as I studied. Right, man. The people walking by. But, you know, that'd be. They'll. They're in your ear. That's such and such. That's such and such. Because if they didn't walk on by.

You'D have been lost, huh?

Yeah, for sure. Because that was. It was like, now you got all these shows on Netflix, and you got all these other shows on Amazon and you got all these shows. So it's just not like when you and I grew up the Emmys. Everybody was on ABC, CBS, NBC. That was it. Now you got like 12, like man, please. And then trying to pronounce that name. I said, no, you gonna hit that name? I'm good. I'm gonna do the talking. But you get that name. So yeah, it was fun. We had fun last night. O joke. We had a great time. The volume.

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