Edward So: The Truth About Why Steph Deserves That #5 Spot | DSH #1569

Summary

Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour — Edward So: The Truth About Why Steph Deserves That #5 Spot

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Edward So
Episode: DSH #1569
Date: October 14, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly sits down with content creator and streamer Edward So for a lively, candid conversation. The episode centers on Edward's personal journey from competitive basketball to content creation, his takes on NBA GOAT rankings (with a bold case for Steph Curry at #5), reflections on sneaker culture, Korean American identity, food hot takes, and more. Edward's trademark humor and honesty illuminate topics ranging from hoops and gambling to the importance of pronunciation in Korean cuisine.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gaming, Gambling, and Addictive Personalities

• Edward shares he's not easily addicted, especially to gambling. He recaps his first poker tournament, describing both beginner's luck and quick defeat.
  • “Honestly, it was my first time. So I was learning as I was playing, actually. But … I ran out of luck, bro. I ran out of luck.” — Edward (00:34)
• He explains his attitude: “Even with gambling, I could just cut it off. I’d be like, nah, I took an L here. I’m done, bro.” (00:00, 01:12)

2. Sneakerhead Life: Quality over Quantity

• Ed identifies as a sneaker enthusiast but prioritizes selectivity over sheer volume.
  • “Maybe like, 30, 40 pairs of shoes … I want to claim myself a sneaker head with 34.” — Edward (01:27)
  • Sean jokes: “I would picture 100 plus.” (01:42)

3. Passions & Pastimes: NBA and Anime

• Edward alternates between watching NBA games and anime, with NBA highlights becoming his go-to for practicality.
  • “During the regular season, it’s just highlights here and there.” — Edward (02:39)

4. GOAT Debate: Edward So’s Top 5 NBA Players

• Edward’s personal top five:
  1. LeBron James
  2. Michael Jordan
  3. Kobe Bryant
  4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  5. Steph Curry (“might be a hot take”)
• Edward doubles down on LeBron as the GOAT, citing longevity and overall achievement:
  • “LeBron’s my goat. … He’s the goat. I don’t give … what anybody says, but LeBron’s the goat, bro.” (03:00)
  • On LeBron’s finals record: “The fact that the man even went to the finals that many times … is already record breaking.” (03:16)
• Edward’s rationale for Steph Curry at #5:
  • “I hate Steph, but I respect his game, honestly.” (04:27)
  • “There was like a basketball time, whatever. And like, the kids were just, like, pulling up, doing threes because of Steph. … The cultural impact and also, like, his accolades speak for itself.” (04:37)

5. Streaming, Hooping, and Competitive Spirit

• Edward misses playing basketball; injury cut his competitive career short. He hopes to do more basketball-related streams.
  • “Growing up, I was playing travel basketball … but my junior year, I had an injury on my ankle and heel, actually. So, that’s when I had to stop playing basketball.” (06:03)
• Jokingly says he could beat fellow streamers one-on-one:
  • “I’m cooking [Neon’s] ass, bro. … Nah, I’m beating him one on one.” (05:26)
  • “I’m beating Aiden Ross too. … The only hoops he does is 2k.” (05:44)

6. Reflections on Growth & Korean American Identity

• Edward discusses his surprising height, upbringing, and family background:
  • “My parents are actually both five-five. … I’m five, ten and a half.” (07:02)
  • He attributes his growth to good food and sports, “a lot of steak and chicken bulgogi.” (07:47)
• He also gently corrects Korean food pronunciation, embodying cultural pride:
  • “It's bulgogi. … If you’re in a table full of them, … you gotta do better, dude.” (08:01)

7. Food Hot Takes: Cookies, KBBQ vs. Hot Pot

• Hot take: Edward denounces Crumbl Cookies as overrated, even refusing hypothetical sponsorships:
  • “Crumble cookie. They could come to me with 10, 20, 30, 40,000. … I’m not taking that sponsorship, dude. I don’t like crumble cookie. That’s the most overrated cookie in the world.” (11:09)
• Favors Levain Bakery and Beverly Hills Cookie as his top picks instead.
• When comparing hot pot and Korean BBQ:
  • “Hot pot’s cool. It’s probably healthier, but I like the … char from the kbbq. So if I had to pick, I’m going kbbq.” (08:58)

8. Adventures in South Korea & UFC Encounters

• Edward recounts recent travels to South Korea and a (humbling) run-in with UFC legend “Korean Zombie”:
  • “I watched a couple UFC fights. I’m thinking I could do it. He’s retired, bro. No, he kicked my ass. … He put me in the Twister. Oh, my gosh.” (09:57)
  • “It felt like a chiropractor session … that’s when I tapped out. … He got it, bro.” (10:25)

9. Body Image and Creator Lifestyle

• Edward admits to increased body fat from content creator lifestyle and constant snacking:
  • “Too much content. And what happened was, like, the body fat percentage started going up.” (10:35)
  • “Body fat … at its prime … like 12, … recently … it just went up to 17.” (10:48)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “LeBron’s my goat. … He’s the goat. I don’t give … what anybody says, but LeBron’s the goat, bro.” — Edward (03:00)
• “I hate Steph, but I respect his game, honestly.” — Edward (04:27)
• “Crumble cookie. … That’s the most overrated cookie in the world. I don’t care, bro. I’m gonna say it right now.” — Edward (11:09)
• “Honestly, what I’m trying to do is get my body right, bro. Honestly. … The body fat percentage started going up.” — Edward (10:35)
• “If you’re in a table full of [Koreans], … you gotta do better, dude. You’re half Asian. Exactly, bro.” — Edward (08:28)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Addictive personality & gambling: 00:00 – 01:12
• Sneakerhead talk & collecting: 01:21 – 01:53
• Anime and NBA viewing: 01:56 – 02:39
• NBA GOAT debate (LeBron/Jordan/Curry): 02:48 – 04:56
• Basketball origins & streamer hoops: 05:14 – 06:34
• Korean upbringing & food: 07:00 – 08:32
• KBBQ, hot pot, and food preferences: 08:50 – 09:47
• South Korea trip & UFC story: 09:53 – 10:34
• Lifestyle, body fat & Crumbl cookie hot take: 10:35 – 12:18

---

Tone & Style

The conversation is playful, fast-paced, and full of banter, with Edward’s energy driving much of the humor and honesty. Hot takes abound, from sports debates to food opinions, all delivered with a casual confidence and self-deprecating edge. There’s a continual interplay between cultural pride and internet-savvy irreverence.

---

Summary

If you want unfiltered thoughts about the NBA’s biggest stars, genuine insight into the content creator lifestyle, and sides of Korean American food culture you may never have considered, this episode is essential listening. Edward So delivers strong opinions and memorable laughs, making his case for Steph Curry in the top five with an authenticity true to Digital Social Hour’s brand.

Transcript

[A]

Actually, I don't have an addictive personality. So that's why, even with gambling, I could just cut it off. I'd be like, nah, I took an L here. I'm done, bro. I'm not gonna try to fight it back, bro. I like to watch NBA or I'm watching anime. The thing with me is, like, I did play competitive, dude. Growing up, I was playing travel basketball. I played for my high school freshman team, junior varsity team. My junior year, I had an injury on my ankle and heel, actually. So that's when I had to stop playing basketball. Honestly, what I'm trying to do is get my body right, bro. Honestly? Yeah, too much content. And what happened was, like, the body fat percentage started going up.

[B]

Okay, guys, we got Edward. So here today at celebrity poker tournament, what happened, man?

[A]

Damn, bro. Today was actually my first time ever playing poker. Holy shit. Honestly, it was my first time. So I was learning as I was playing, actually. But in the beginning, I think I had beginner's luck. I did good. And then you know what? I ran out of luck, bro. I ran out of luck. Yeah.

[B]

What'd you go all in with? What hand?

[A]

To be honest, I gotta look at my wallpaper again. I don't even know what hand I had, bro. I had it on my screensaver. Saved up all the different combinations and stuff.

[B]

So you're not big on gambling?

[A]

Nah, I don't gamble, bro. I don't really gamble. The last time I gambled was actually the. The super bowl, but that was like, after a long break of not gambling ever. I like to stay away because I feel like it's a bad rabbit hole. I feel that.

[B]

Yeah. Do you have an addictive personality?

[A]

No, actually, I don't have an addictive personality. So that's why, you know, even with gambling, I could just cut it off. I'd be like, nah, I took a L here. I'm done, bro. I'm not gonna try to fight it back, bro. So, yeah, damn.

[B]

You don't have, like. Because you collect sneakers, right?

[A]

I do like shoes. Yes. Yes, yes.

[B]

How many pairs you got?

[A]

See, I don't even think I have that many shoes for a sneakerhead. You know, off the top of my head, maybe like, 30, 40 pairs of shoes.

[B]

That's not bad.

[A]

Yeah, it's okay. Maybe. Maybe to some people, that's a lot. Maybe to some, that's a little. I think that's okay. You know, I want to claim myself a sneaker head with 34.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Sneaker hat.

[B]

I would picture 100 plus.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not, it's nowhere near that. No, no, no. 100 is crazy.

[B]

So you focus on quality over quantity.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm very picky. I'm not going to just buy a shoe just to like, I don't know. I'm very particular now. Yeah.

[B]

What are you spending a majority of your time on? You watching a lot of anime these days?

[A]

What the. Yes, actually my research. What the fuck? Yes, yes, yes. Actually, yeah, anytime I have free time, you know.

[B]

The Trilite from Therasol is no joke. Medical grade red and near infrared light with three frequencies per light. Deep healing, real results and totally portable. It's legit photo biomodulation tech in a flexible on body panel. This is the Trilite from Therasage and it's next level red light therapy. It's got 118 high powered polychromatic lights, each delivering three healing frequencies, red and near infrared from 580 to 980 nanometers. It's sleek, portable and honestly I don't go anywhere without it.

[A]

I like to watch, you know, NBA or I'm watching anime. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

I watch NBA highlights. I don't have the attention span to watch the whole game.

[A]

Yeah, no, recently it's actually been highlights for me too. But like during the finals that's when I like tuned in more here and there. But yeah, during the regular season it's just highlights here and there.

[B]

Let's get into some NBA takes on. Okay, who's your team?

[A]

Any team. LeBron James is on, bro.

[B]

You're LeBron.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dude, honestly, dude. Yeah, I'm sorry bro. Yeah, anytime.

[B]

The goat.

[A]

LeBron's my goat. Yeah, he's the goat. He's the goat. He's the go. I don't give, I don't give a what anybody says, but Leron's the goat, bro. The longevity, bro, of his career, like what he's done. Most points scored, he can do it all. You know, people can say I'm, I'm the glazing right now. I don't give a. Bro, he's the goat.

[B]

Yeah, what about his finals record?

[A]

Oh, his finals record. Look, the fact that the man even went to the finals that many times in itself is already record breaking. So you know what? It doesn't matter, bro. He took his team there, bro. He took his team there.

[B]

You hold your ground.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

You got MJ number two then you know what?

[A]

Some people might crucify me for that. But I will say mj, number two. Yes. But I still respect mj. Yeah, a lot of respect. Yeah.

[B]

Round out the top five. Who you got out? Kobe?

[A]

Off the top of my head. OK. You know, LeBron won MJ2. This is what we're doing. Like, personal favorites or just like, who I think is, like, the greatest in general?

[B]

Who do you think the greatest five players ever in basketball are in history?

[A]

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. The greatest. So, yeah. Okay. I'm gonna just continue from where I left off. Number three, let's put Kobe.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Number four, put Kareem. And then number five. This might be a hot take. Maybe not. I want to put Shaq, but you know what? I'm going to say. Steph, bro, you know, I hate Steph, but I've grown to respect Steph a lot for what he's done for the game, dude.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hate Steph, but I respect his game, honestly.

[B]

I mean, you can't deny he changed the game.

[A]

Yeah, bro, Like. Like, I'll say this. Like, four years ago, you know, I was working at a summer camp.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

With kids, right? And then, like, you know, there was like a basketball time, whatever. And like, the kids were just, like, pulling up, doing threes because of Steph. Like, I realized, like, you know, just the cultural impact and also, like, his accolades speak for itself. You know, I think, you know, people could argue, you know, the five spot for him. So I put him up there. Greatest shooter.

[B]

Yeah, he's the greatest shooter of all time.

[A]

All time. So, you know, I feel like you.

[B]

Hooping a lot these days.

[A]

These days? Nah, bro. Too many cookies, you know, Too much stream. Nah, not hooping. I'm doing the quite opposite, actually. Yeah, it's not looking good, bro.

[B]

Irl streams.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, I would like to hoop more, but lately I haven't had that much time for hooping, bro. But that's my favorite stream the hoops.

[B]

Then you can make it a win. Win.

[A]

Oh, honestly, I. I could do that, actually.

[B]

Neon does that.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've actually played against Neon, actually, before.

[B]

I was just gonna ask if you could play him one on one, who would win?

[A]

Oh, against Neon?

[B]

Yeah, bro.

[A]

I'm cooking his ass, bro. What the fuck? I don't give a. He's got a jump shot, dude. I've met him in person, bro. The dude. Look, bro, he's not. He's not stopping me one on one. I'm sorry. Like, you know, respect. He probably does have a better jump shot than me, actually. I didn't. I did see him shoot a couple times, but nah, I'm beating him one on one.

[B]

What about you and Aiden Ross one on one?

[A]

Oh, bro, I'm beating Aiden Ross too. I don't give a fuck, bro. I'm beating Aiden too. All bro, I don't think Aiden even hoops. I don't think he does. The only hoops he does is 2k in real life. He's not beating me.

[B]

Damn. So you nice?

[A]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm not nice. They just trap. Yeah, I'm not nice, bro. Yeah.

[B]

Did you play, like, competitive ever? Like high school, college or.

[A]

Ah, the thing with me is, like, you know, I did, I did play competitive. Dude. Growing up, I was playing travel basketball, you know, circuit a little bit of a. You just a little bit, you know, I played for my high school freshman team. Varsity team. Junior varsity team, actually. Yeah. But varsity wise, you know, I, you know, my. My junior year, you know, I had a injury on my ankle and heel actually. So that's when I had to stop playing basketball. But if it had not been for that, I would have been playing, you know, varsity all four years.

[B]

Yeah, you roll it really bad or.

[A]

There was like a crack in my heel. Some shit happened, bro. Yeah, dude. So I had to step away from the game. You know, the varsity coach actually took me to the side one day and was like, we need you because of your, like, leadership and grit and everything. But I was like, you know, coach, I have to make a tough, tough decision here. And as an agent, I think I got to lock in with the academics, the heel. I can't do anything about it, you know. And the growth spurt started, you know, the growth spurt, it hit its peak. So, you know, I had to have a reevaluation moment. Yeah.

[B]

High school.

[A]

Yeah. Peaked.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't think I'm, you know, I picked the high school now, high wise. High wise. Yeah, I did, you know, you know, the trajectory. I was growing actually, like in the seventh, eighth grade, I was like, so my parents are actually both five, five. Okay. So then, you know, I'm five, ten and a half. But like in like the seventh, eighth grade, I was already like five, nine, five ten. So I was like, yo, at the seventh, eighth grade, like, at this rate, I might be as tall as Yao Ming at this trajectory. Yeah, I was really ambitious, you know, I was like, yo, I might make it to the league, you know. But then the junior year hit me and then I kept that like half an inch. More like five, ten and a half. So then at that moment, that's when I had to reevaluate.

[B]

Yeah, I think that for Korean, though. Five, ten and a half.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, I'm blessed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm telling you, dude, my parents are both 5 5. I'm blessed, so I can't complain. I really can't.

[B]

What were they feeding you?

[A]

A lot of steak and chicken bulgogi. You know, the crane shit here and there, you know. But, hey, that mixed in with the. The sports and stuff like, that really helped.

[B]

I fuck with Korean food.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's in my top five.

[A]

What's your favorite type of Korean food, though?

[B]

Bulgogi. Bulgogi? Yeah.

[A]

Hold on. Let me correct you right there, bro. It's bulgogi. Yeah. If you're in a table full of them, what's your ethnicity?

[B]

I'm half Chinese, half Irish.

[A]

Okay, never mind. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

[B]

Why?

[A]

Huh? What?

[B]

Chinese people?

[A]

No, no, no. I love the Chinese. I just thought you were full Caucasian for a second. I. I had a hunch that you. You might be mixed wian. Maybe. But, you know, I was thinking also, you know, he might be Caucasian, so I'm gonna let the bull go. Cheese. You know, slide a little bit, you know?

[B]

So even though Asian, it doesn't slide.

[A]

Yeah, it doesn't slide, bro. Come on, bro. You gotta do better, dude. You're half Asian. Exactly, bro.

[B]

Well, Korean barbecues are fire.

[A]

Yeah. No, it's great.

[B]

That's my jam.

[A]

Yeah. Kylie is my favorite.

[B]

That's how you say it. Kaibi, Kalbi Kaibi.

[A]

Yeah, but, you know, sometimes around, you know, if I go out and get KBQ with my Caucasian friends, they say the galbi that, you know. See, when Koreans hear that, you know, we let it slide depending on, you know, who's saying it. But it's. The correct pronunciation is kalbi.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah, bro. It's actually with the K but spelled the G, so, you know, a lot of Americans, they mispronounce it.

[B]

Okay, Okay. I go to hot pot at once a week. Hot pot, Korean hot pot.

[A]

Really? Yeah.

[B]

My girlfriend with it.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, hot pot. To me, honestly, hot pot's cool. It's probably healthier, but I like the. The char from the. The kbbq. So if I had to pick, I'm going kbbq.

[B]

Yeah. If I had to pick, I go kbbq.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Hot pot's not bad, man. You're a little sick. You walk in there you live in that place without a runny nose.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, true. But at that point, then wouldn't you just get, like, pho or something like that?

[B]

You like pho over hot pot?

[A]

Nah, hot pot's good. Hot pot's good. But, you know, I feel like when you're sick, pho just helps better, no? Or is it hot pot?

[B]

Yeah, Pho and chicken noodle soup. Or what's the matzo ball soup? The Jewish one?

[A]

Yeah. Oh, no, I never had. Wait, Masabella soup.

[B]

Matzo ball soup. You never had that?

[A]

No. This is my first time hearing about it.

[B]

Next time you're sick, get that.

[A]

Masabella Jewish deli.

[B]

Order it on Postmates.

[A]

Okay, I'm keep that in mind, Masabelli.

[B]

But pho's not bad if you're sick, you know?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, pho's great, bro. Even, like, after a hangover and stuff like that, fuzz, like the go to.

[B]

You know, I need to get out to South Korea. Sounds like a fun time.

[A]

You've never been?

[B]

Never been?

[A]

Really?

[B]

You were just there, right?

[A]

I was just there, actually, like, a few weeks ago. Yes.

[B]

I saw you fighting Korean Zombie.

[A]

Oh, yeah, bro. Yeah. You know, I watched a couple UFC fights. I'm thinking I could do it. He's retired, bro. No, he kicked my ass. Yeah. I got humbled, bro. I got humbled. He put me in the Twister. Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[B]

That sounds like Sean Strickland beating up. Yeah, what was it, Sneako?

[A]

Yeah, bro. Dude, ufc. UFC fighters, when they, like, you know, fight against, like, craters or just people, they don't hold back, bro.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, they actually, you know, got that killer instinct. Yeah. It's never off. It's never off, bro. So I learned my lesson, actually. Yeah.

[B]

You know, chokehold, dude, he put me.

[A]

In, like, the Twister. And honestly, it felt like a chiropractor session. Like, I. I heard a couple pops in my back. I'm like, hold on now. That's when I tapped out. I didn't give a. If I was on camera. I tapped out, bro. Yeah. I was like, yeah, he got it, bro.

[B]

Well, what's next for you, man?

[A]

What's next? I don't know, dude. I don't know. Maybe, you know, honestly, what I'm trying to do is get my body right, bro. Honestly. Yeah. Too much content. And what happened was, like, the. The body fat percentage started going up.

[B]

What's your body fat percent?

[A]

It used to be, like, 13. Maybe, like, at its prime, like 12, which is pretty good. Bro, it's not bad. Yeah, but, you know, recently, the cookies, bro, it just went up to 17, so.

[B]

Damn, you pushing 20%, my guy.

[A]

Yeah, I know, bro. I got mad at myself, dude. So I was like, you know, I gotta stop. But then again, bro, I just got more cookies. Deal day. So it's like. It doesn't stop, bro. It doesn't stop.

[B]

You eat out crumble cookies?

[A]

No. Oh, my God. Crumble, bro. Look, let me say this about crumble, bro. Crumble cookie. They could come to me with 10, 20, 30, 40,000, bro, I'm not taking that sponsorship, dude. I don't like crumble cookie. That's the most overrated cookie in the world. I don't care, bro. I'm gonna say it right now.

[B]

You're turning down.

[A]

Actually, if it's promoting the brown. If it's promoting the brownies, we could talk. If it's a different dish, like a tiramisu or brownie, we could talk. But if it's for the cookie. Yeah, get the cookie on my face, bro.

[B]

So what's your go to cookie spot, then?

[A]

My go to cookie spot. There's a spot called. There's two spots, actually. Off the top of my head I could think of there's a chain called Levain.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Maybe, you know, maybe not. They have, like, these, like, real. Like, it's a big cookie, and it has, like, a very crispy outer part. Right. Like, I think it started in New York, if I'm not mistaken. But Levaine Bakery is one. Maybe I'm wrong. And then two. I found one recently in California. It's like Beverly Hills Cookie. Some. Something like that. I think there's only one spot. But they make really good cookies, too. Yeah. But crumble cookie, bro. I'm so good on crumble cookie, dude. That, to me, is like the. You know, growing up, like, when it's a kid's birthday party or whatever, like, the mom brings in those little dough cookies, and that's what it takes. Like. But then they add, like, a 10x markup to it. Dude, I'm not paying the 10x market for this garbage, bro.

[B]

Yeah, it's like a thousand calories.

[A]

A thousand calories for this garbage, dude. I'm not wasting my cat. The calorie space for this garbage. Yeah.

[B]

Feel that, man. Well, have fun in Vegas, man. Don't get too dark tonight.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Appreciate it, bro. Thank you, man. Thanks for having me.

[B]

Yeah. Okay.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Wherever you guys are watching this show, I would truly appreciate it. If you follow or subscribe. It helps a lot with the algorithm. It helps us get bigger and better guests and it helps us grow the team. Truly means a lot. Thank you guys for supporting. And here's the episode.