Best of NBA News Part 1: MORE DEALS between Kawhi Leonard and Clippers REVEALED + Monta Ellis on SAME LEVEL as Steph Curry

Summary

Nightcap — Best of NBA News Part 1: MORE DEALS Between Kawhi Leonard and Clippers REVEALED + Monta Ellis on Same Level as Steph Curry

Date: August 12, 2026
Hosts: Shannon Sharpe (“Unc”), Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson (“Ocho”), Joe
Podcast: Nightcap (Shay Shay Media & Playmaker)

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Overview

This lively episode of Nightcap dives deep into recent blockbuster NBA news and hot debates, centering on explosive new allegations about the LA Clippers’ recruitment of Kawhi Leonard and the controversial claim from Monta Ellis about his hypothetical switch with Steph Curry on the Warriors. Shannon Sharpe, Ochocinco, and Joe, with their trademark banter and unfiltered perspectives, analyze the ramifications for franchises, break down basketball legacies, and connect it all to broader sports culture.

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Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Kawhi Leonard & the LA Clippers — Salary Cap Allegations

[02:52 - 15:00]

• Rundown of the Alleged Cap Circumvention

  • Joe introduces reporting by Pablo Torre: the Clippers and Daktronics (Intuit Dome Halo board company) funneled "multimillion dollar" payments to Kawhi, allegedly to bypass the NBA salary cap.
    • Notable Quote:
      • “If this can be proven… Adam Silver is going to hammer [the Clippers]. He has no choice.” — Joe [03:09]
  • The report claims Kawhi acted as “official spokesman” for the company in a deal described as "1000% a way to circumvent the salary cap."

• How Wide & Deep Does It Go?

  • Unc, Ocho, and Joe discuss whether just the Clippers (or also Kawhi) would be punished—and how severely.
    • Ocho: “I hate to say it, but I kinda think it’s some truth to this… I felt like that probably could’ve been a dealbreaker of him not going to LA.” [05:16]
    • Potential punishments: suspensions (“about 20 games”), loss of draft picks, fines (but max is around $2 million per NBA rules).
    • Comparison to the historic Joe Smith–Timberwolves penalty, where multiple draft picks were stripped.

• Culture of Under-the-Table NBA Deals

  • Jokes about how secrets never stay hidden in pro sports:
    • “Three people can keep a secret, but two or three gotta be dead.” — Joe [11:47]
  • The group suggests other team owners might quietly want this exposed, since they could have been doing the same thing.

• The Clippers’ Desperation & Kawhi’s Appeal

  • Joe: Explores how Steve Ballmer’s aggressive spending transformed the Clippers, but questions how far he’d go.
    • “You gotta think about how he get the team. He paid basically four or five times more than anybody ever paid for an NBA franchise. That's how bad he wanted it.” [08:32]

• Possibility of a League Cover-Up

  • Unc floats the idea:
    • “The powers that be that run the show can make this go away.” [09:36]

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2. Monta Ellis: "I Could've Won Like Steph Curry" Debate

[19:43 - 29:21]

• Monta’s Claim

  • Joe paraphrases Monta: “If you switch me and Steph out [on the Warriors’ championship teams], it’d be the same thing.” [20:02]
    • Ocho laughs it off: “Negative. Negative… You actually downplaying Steph Curry greatness.” [20:09]

• In-Depth Breakdown: Monta vs. Steph

  • The crew breaks down differences:
    • Steph’s “transcendent” game-changing shooting, ability to play off the ball, and impact on team offense versus Monta’s style as a slashing scorer.
    • Ocho: “He was a downhill, get to the bucket kind of guy. You couldn't keep him out the paint... But he wasn't no damn three-point shooter like that.” [22:45]
    • Joe: “Once you start picking them up out there, they start setting the pick out higher… Now you got your big trying to deal with [Steph] in all that space.” [23:39]

• Why the Warriors Needed to Let Monta Go

  • Explains how Monta’s departure and the addition of Klay Thompson set the foundation for the Warriors’ dynasty.
    • “They got rid of him…so Steph could flourish.” — Ocho [27:22]

• Hypotheticals and Legacy

  • Joe: “Steph is not a generational player…Steph Curry is a transcendent player... historically great.” [26:34]
    • If Monta had really replaced Steph, consensus is LeBron would have “about four championships, maybe seven by now.” [29:21]

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3. Stadium Design Fail: Viral Buffalo Bills Seats

[30:32 - 36:34]

• Joe shows viral images of “obstructed view” seats at the new Highmark Stadium. The group banters over whether it’s poor design or misleading social media.
  • Unc thinks social media is “standing on the stairway and taking a picture purposely to make it look like you can’t see.” [32:53]
  • Ocho is skeptical: “That’s some bull.” [31:36]
• Discussion expands into Bills Mafia, tailgating, and how Buffalo fans are “pure class.” [35:07]

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4. Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown — The Championship Partnership That Wasn't

[37:19 - 47:36]

• Jalen Brown Opens Up about Tatum Relationship

  • Ocho plays Brown’s press conference where he’s asked about Tatum post-trade:
    • Quote:
      • “On my end, it’s nothing but respect… Besides when he plays the Sixers, you know, I hope he does well.” — Jalen Brown [37:40]
    • Brown confirms: no, they really haven’t talked. [38:15]

• Are They Actually Friends?

  • Ocho: They “on two different pages…living two different lives.” [38:30]
  • Joe: “You go to work… you ain’t friends with everybody at your own job.” [41:07]

• Legacy and Resentment

  • No matter what Brown achieves, most see Tatum as the better player—even after Brown's Finals MVP season.
  • Joe: “I don’t know what I can do for people to see me.” [42:21]

• Olympic Team Snub and Ego in Sports

  • Brown’s frustration at being overlooked for Team USA, despite outperforming the "other two guys" who made the roster.
    • “You done brought me way over here… now you got me sitting on the bench like I’m the level 12th man...” — Joe [44:49]

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5. Luka Doncic vs. Jayson Tatum: Who’s Under More Pressure?

[48:07 - 50:47]

• Ocho: Luka has more to prove in L.A.; “He has to stay healthy for a whole 82 and have an MVP-type season.”
• Joe: The Lakers have tailor-made a roster to Luka’s specifications; Tatum’s Celtics are less catered to him.

---

6. Can a Slimmer Joel Embiid Lead Philly to a Title?

[50:58 - 55:38]

• Noting viral pics of Embiid’s slim, fit physique.
• Ocho: “If he can keep this up, he’s virtually unguardable.” [52:14]
• Healthy Embiid with LeBron, Maxey, and Brown means the Sixers are title contenders (“plus 900” odds, they joke). [52:32]
• Unc: But it’s about “getting up and down”—not just how you look in pictures, but grinding through an NBA season. [54:44]
• Joke about NBA life: “When you don’t have a chef… you eating pizza and French fries and then finna go right to sleep…” [55:14]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Banter

• “If this can be proven… Adam Silver is going to hammer [the Clippers]. He has no choice.” — Joe [03:09]
• “I hate to say it, but I kinda think it’s some truth to this... 'cause I felt like that probably could’ve been a dealbreaker of him not going to LA.” — Ocho [05:16]
• “Three people can keep a secret, but two or three gotta be dead.” — Joe [11:47]
• “Monta [Ellis] was great. But he wasn’t Steph.” — Joe [23:39]
• “Steph Curry is a transcendent player... historically great.” — Joe [26:34]

---

Key Timestamps

• 02:52 — Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention allegations
• 05:16 — Hosts debate possible punishments
• 10:50 — Timberwolves–Joe Smith historical context
• 20:02 — Monta Ellis’ “switch with Steph” comments introduced
• 22:45 — Deep dive: Monta vs. Steph’s play styles
• 27:22 — Why Warriors moved off Monta for Steph and Klay
• 30:32 — Viral Buffalo Bills’ obstructed view seats
• 37:19 — Jalen Brown on his relationship with Jayson Tatum
• 38:30 — Are Tatum & Brown even friends?
• 41:04 — Work relationships, role on the team, and resentment
• 48:07 — Luka Doncic vs. Jayson Tatum: pressure to perform
• 50:58 — Is Joel Embiid ready to anchor a Philly title run?
• 52:32 — Sports betting banter over 76ers’ odds

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Final Thoughts

Nightcap’s “Best of NBA News” episode delivers a candid, sometimes hilarious, always insightful look at league controversies, player legacies, and sports culture. The strength of the episode shines in the hosts’ ability to move fluidly between sharp NBA analysis, barbershop arguments, and real-life sports business, always maintaining electric chemistry and authenticity.
If you missed the episode, this summary should give you the nuance, context, and standout moments the pod is known for.

Transcript

[Joe]

On August 21st. What's your plan?

[Carrie Brownstein]

The world?

[Ocho]

Vengeance.

[Joe]

No one does action movies. You got a problem on the ship like Jason Statham? Well, you'll need all the help you can get.

[Ocho]

Mutiny.

[Joe]

Rated R. August 21st.

[Uncle]

I'm Nick Turturro. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the Longest Yard, or Spike Lee's Blackkklansman. And on my new podcast, Delivering Happiness with Nick Turturro, I deliver pizza to a new guest. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing with my belt? To Bill Burr. I don't think I' never met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Turturro. It's called Happiness, Delivering Happiness and many, many more. Open your free iHeartradio app search delivering Happiness with Nick Turturro and listen now.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Hey, Portlandia fans Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

[Uncle]

The dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form.

[Carrie Brownstein]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches deep on our iconic characters and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Uncle]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised not just words, but a song about.

[Joe]

Well, I thought you were all going

[Carrie Brownstein]

to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia Aao Rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joe]

On Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. Your duolingo is not going to come back to you when a man is inside of you. Oh, no. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the iHeartRadio app,

[Carrie Brownstein]

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joe]

Hey, this is Hayes Davenport and Sean Clements.

[Ocho]

We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook every episode.

[Joe]

We're trying to help our guests improve their careers by mainly focusing on how

[Ocho]

they can help us improve our careers.

[Uncle]

The show's famously super accessible, so you can easily jump into any of our

[Joe]

650 episodes and understand what's going on. We recommend some of our recent episodes

[Ocho]

with Ben Stiller, Danny McBride, Riz Ahmed, and Mary Steenburgen.

[Uncle]

Listen to Hollywood handbook on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joe]

Hey, guys, it's your favorite unc here. Go ahead and click that subscribe button below so you don't miss a single episode of Nightcap. That button right here. Come for the sports. Stay for the stories.

[Ocho]

Wow.

[Joe]

According to Pablo Torre, Kawhi Leonard allegedly allegedly had an undisclosed multimillion dollar deal with Daktronics, the company that built the Intuit Dome Halo board. Clipper officials openly discussed this as a way to bypass the salary cap. Money was funneled to Kawhi through Daktronics. If I F is the biggest word in the English language, I, capital I, capital F, asterisk. If this can be proven, if this is true, these allegations, Adam Silver is going to hammer. He has no choice.

[Ocho]

The Clippers.

[Joe]

He has no choice. Kawhi. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

[Uncle]

Wait, hold on. It wasn't Kawhi idea to try to find a way to fuck.

[Joe]

Actually, if we are to believe what was reported originally is that his uncle Dennis went to Toronto and tried to get things that would have been illegal, which would get a salary cap violation. When he went and talked to the Lakers, allegedly what was reported is that he tried to get things. A source in Torres report claimed that Leonard served as the official spokesman of a company that a deal openly joked about being 1000% way to circumvent the salary cap.

[Ocho]

Now, listen.

[Uncle]

So the Clippers. The Clippers get. No, get. No, no, no.

[Joe]

The Clippers go. The Clipper. If this is true, the NBA don't want it to be true. But let me tell you who does want to be true. The other 29.

[Uncle]

They can make it go away because

[Joe]

the other 29 on and say, we could have done this.

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah. There's repercussions.

[Joe]

Go ahead. So what do you. What do you. What do you think the punishment should be, Joe, if this is proven? If they. If there is. If there is. Right now there's a lot of circumstantial evidence, but if they were to find a smoking gun, what do you think the punishment should be for the Clippers and what should the punishment be for Kawhi?

[Ocho]

Hey, hey. I'm not sure what the punishment should be, Uncle Ocho, but it's gonna be egregious because when this first came about, man, y' all remember me? I was like, man, you know, I hate to say it, but I kind of think it's some truth to this, you know, because I felt like that probably could have been a deal breaker of him not going to LA and coming to the Clippers. You feel what I'm saying? So obviously I hate that it's kind of, you know, came to this point, this came to the forefront and we. We really don't really know if it's really true, but. Yeah, man, they gonna punish. They gonna punish Kawhi and the Clippers. I'm talking about draft picks. Oh, they gonna. It's gonna be bad, man.

[Joe]

They do that.

[Uncle]

When you, when you listen, can I. I got a question too, Joe. Now, when you say it's gonna be bad when it comes to punishing someone like Kawhi that has played a very long time, that's made a lot of money, what kind of punishment do you think? Are we talking about suspension or just taking.

[Ocho]

Yeah, suspension.

[Uncle]

But for the whole season or just a few?

[Ocho]

I ain't gonna say the whole season. It's gonna hit him. Yeah, it's gonna. It's gonna be some M's that he gonna miss behind this.

[Uncle]

Okay, so about 20 games. That's enough.

[Joe]

I think the thing is that when you look at it, we heard rumblings and everybody said, well, when they. When this, this, this is. Was talked about when he signed with the Clippers and everybody said is sour grapes because you didn't get an opportunity to sign them. It was reported Toronto said, no, we can't do this. This circumvents the salary cap. Would get in trouble. It was reported that Jeannie Bus said, we can't do this. We can't give you a condo. We can't give you this. We can't do that. That's what was reported at the time. Everybody said it was because everybody's saying this now because he signed with the Clippers. One organization is the Lakers. The other organization you just won a championship with and you go to an organization that's been doormat dormant for years and years and years, and people couldn't. Understood. Couldn't. Couldn't understand why money's comparable. Give people a choice. So they was like, that's why people had a hard time believing it. I don't know. I think they're doing their due diligence. They don't want to jump the gun. They don't want to overreact. But man, when you worth $170 billion. O Joe. Hey, I mean, and the money. Let's just say it was $30 million? Let's just say it was the extra 15 to $30 million he was getting. Man. You think that man missing that?

[Ocho]

No. Oh, no, no. He ain't missing that.

[Joe]

That ain't even a percent. That ain't 1% of his net worth. And it. Because he gave the Clippers hope. That was the first time the people that really started thinking that the Clippers really had a chance now, they. They thought like when they had Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, they had a nice little team there. But for the most part, until Kawhi. Kawhi gave them hope.

[Ocho]

Bomber said he gonna debo the pot. Yeah, I'm a debo the pot. Yeah.

[Joe]

You gotta think about how he get the team. He paid basically four or five times more than anybody had ever paid for an NBA franchise. That's how bad he wanted it. So how much do you believe he would be willing to pay to get a superstar of that magnitude?

[Ocho]

Hey, a little 20p, 25p's? Yeah, they ain't. They ain't anything.

[Uncle]

It ain't nothing, huh?

[Ocho]

No, we create a little. Yeah, I mean, the little funnel through there like that. That there.

[Joe]

Somebody could fun of me. A little something. Something a little, you know.

[Ocho]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Uncle]

Hey, don't. Hey, hold on, hold on. That man up there cooking.

[Joe]

I'll let him cooking.

[Uncle]

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Unc, Let him cook. Now, I tell you one thing my grandma always told me.

[Ocho]

Now, what's that?

[Uncle]

He don't show up when you want him, but he always.

[Ocho]

He always on time.

[Uncle]

Every time.

[Ocho]

Hello.

[Uncle]

Every time. It's coming, okay? It's coming. Hey, I'm. I'm. I'm trying to think, you know? Hey, they might make this go away too, now, huh? You heard me?

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Uncle]

You know, the powers that be, Joe, the powers that. The power that be that run the show can make this go away.

[Ocho]

Yeah,

[Joe]

you think so?

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Uncle]

What? Come on, now.

[Ocho]

Oh, no, Ocho. I think all these other owners, bro, they gonna. That's the thing. They gonna get involved. They gonna. They gonna take a deep dive into this, boy.

[Uncle]

Hold on. All the owners don't get along.

[Ocho]

No, not when you cheating here.

[Joe]

No, they don't get along. They just get along when they're going against the players. No, I don't know.

[Uncle]

Hey, that's a good one.

[Joe]

So I just don't know because I'm. I ain't admitting to nothing, right? I don't give a damn if you got. I don't care if you got my dad. I'M not admitting to that. Well, I mean, what about. I mean, Barbara's like, wouldn't you give me the death sentence? You give me the death penalty, you gonna take all my draft picks? Well, first of all, you ain't got no draft picks anytime, anytime soon anyway. But then you gonna have a will to find probably 50 mil.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Damn.

[Joe]

Oh, yeah. Well, I don't think they can't punish him like that. What's the most they can find? I think the most they can find is probably $2 million.

[Ocho]

Man, it gonna be like. It's gonna be like you going out there giving a homeless man 50 Cent. Hell true.

[Joe]

There has to be a limit. Can you look up right quick? What's. What would be the penalty? What's the most they can find an owner. He's not gonna admit to that.

[Ocho]

Kawhi.

[Joe]

3.5 was what they find the Timberwolves. But they took like three, four first round draft picks from the Timberwolves. That's what killed the Timberwolves.

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah. You can't.

[Uncle]

But they did wrong.

[Joe]

They had a. They had a handshake deal under the table deal with Joe Smith.

[Uncle]

Well, how'd it get out?

[Joe]

Dude got fired and told the same way it always gets out.

[Uncle]

Oh, so say, man, they'd be.

[Joe]

Three people can keep a secret, but two or three gotta be dead. That's the only way it's gonna work. The more people that know something, the greater the chance it's going to get out.

[Ocho]

Yes.

[Uncle]

See, that's why I say. Hey, remember when we talked about the ripping?

[Joe]

Yeah, I already know. Joe and I had already said what we had to do to you.

[Uncle]

Yeah. I'm just saying that's why I had to get rid of YouTube. Because I'm keeping all the money.

[Ocho]

Boy. Hey, hey. You a day late in the dollar store. I'm gonna put one of your. I'll put one of your domes.

[Joe]

So quick.

[Ocho]

Yeah, he out of here.

[Joe]

Look quick like a little hog. We go do a little bullet.

[Ocho]

Yeah. I don't want you to suffer. I don't want you to suffer. I want you go take the long one. Yeah, yeah.

[Joe]

Like Red Claw. See, I hope. Hey, go to sleep. And I hope it's the long one. Yeah, yeah, but I mean, Pablo is a very. He's a very, very good investigative reporter. He's done his homework on this. Now, somebody been coughing up these documents? Yeah, somebody been coughing up these documents. I don't know who it is, Ocho, but somebody been coughing up some documents.

[Uncle]

Well, you know, whoever's coughing it up. Either they don't like Kawhi, or they don't like Mr. Balmer, or they don't like both of them. Kawhi is so quiet. I don't. I mean, he. I heard him talk maybe, what, three, four times?

[Joe]

A whole lot of talking.

[Uncle]

So you would. You would think he was someone that's likable. Well, they would. They would kind of, you know. Well, listen, we really never had any problems out of Kawhi. Let's see what we can do to get this going. Because he's not a problem child. He's not one that. That is always in the news or always in the media for. For doing wrong, you know, for doing, you know, things wrong. Let's see if we can sweep this one under the rug. But I guess.

[Ocho]

No, man, Kawhi ain't got no Instagram. I mean, Kawhi ain't studying. Hey, Bowman, they know. They know Balma. They know Bama pockets his. His pocket long, bro. So they got to check up on him. Yeah.

[Uncle]

So, hey, what you say, Joe? You say he got no Instagrams?

[Ocho]

That man ain't got no ig, bro. He ain't study. Y' all out here. That man living his best life.

[Joe]

Yeah. And so you know this. And it seems like he hadn't been signed because the last thing I want to do if I'm Toronto is to sign him, and then he gets suspended.

[Ocho]

Yeah. So I don't think. I don't think that trade gonna. I don't think that trade gonna go through Uncle Ocho, and. And I don't think the Clippers. I don't think they gonna mind having them back, neither. Damn.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Uncle]

That's crazy.

[Ocho]

That's got to be.

[Joe]

That's got to be a.

[Ocho]

That's got to be a messed up feeling to have.

[Joe]

Can't go where you want to go. I got to go back home.

[Ocho]

Yeah. I mean. I mean, because think about it. They already traded you already in your head. You know what I'm saying? Now you gotta take all that back. Like, damn.

[Joe]

Cause that's what happens, man. That's the bad look.

[Ocho]

He thought he was gonna get up out of there, sky freezing with yo. No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Joe]

You don't let me. You don't. I hate you, you black. You know what? You mofo kiss my. You know what? That's why your mama ain't itch. That's why she all of a sudden. Oh, boy. He go to his. He go back to his old lady, and now she try to come back to you.

[Ocho]

Hello?

[Joe]

Nah, I'm good. I'm good. So. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I can't get past you was good. You called me a black mofo and told me I was no good for nothing. But the moment you brought my mama into it. By my mama gotta let it go.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Once you talk about mama, I gotta let you go. I cannot. Good car. Just know that you talked about my mama like that. I'll be as sorry as you want me to. You sorry, B. I'll be a hundred of them, right? Yeah, you ain't no good mama.

[Uncle]

Enjoy the line at mama boy on August 21st.

[Joe]

What's your plan? I want vengeance. No one does action movies. You got a problem on the ship like Jason Statham? Well, you'll need all the help you can get. Mutiny. Rated R Aug. 21.

[Carrie Brownstein]

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[Carrie Brownstein]

hey, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music with people so much that my podcast called Playing along is back. I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Every episode's a little different, but it all involves music and conversation with some of my favorite musicians. Over the past two seasons, I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Leve Mavis Staples, Remy Wolf, Jeff Tweedy. Really too many to name. And this season I've sat down with Joshua Hamee, Sarah McLachlan, John Legend, and more. Check out my new episode with Finneas.

[Joe]

So I went home and I asked

[Ocho]

Billie if she wanted to sing it. She immediately made it her own thing. No fair.

[Uncle]

You really know how to make me cry when you give me those oceans.

[Carrie Brownstein]

So come hang out with us in the studio and listen to Playing along on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joe]

Didn't catch the latest Roland Martin unfiltered podcast. Here's what you missed, and the argument

[Uncle]

is, do you want to win?

[Joe]

If you don't win, you have no power. It's real.

[Uncle]

Those are the very people who I always say Vote against their own economic interests, and they complain about the very theme to receive.

[Ocho]

It's raw.

[Uncle]

I knew that the issue of transgender

[Joe]

athletes was not going well with a lot of black men. Roland Martin Unfiltered. I went off, I said, this is

[Uncle]

exactly what I'm talking about. Y' all gonna scream at Chanel, but you don't want to see a black luxury company.

[Joe]

In the same vein, catch Roland Martin's daily commentary on the Black Information Network. 12 seats. Those are moving south. So if you Democrats, you don't wait till 2030, you better be hitting the ground going hard in the south now. And download Roland Martin unfiltered on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ocho]

I'm Mangesha together and I'm back with a new season of the podcast Skyline Drive. This time I'm diving into a rabbit hole of peptides, organoids, blood boys, blue zones, and brain replacement to try to understand why what this longevity obsession is

[Joe]

all about and what it really means

[Ocho]

to live forever for all of us. I learned about some rad science.

[Carrie Brownstein]

I can make a brain for you. And then we can test what drug

[Joe]

is the best for your brain as opposed to his brain.

[Ocho]

Here are some hard truths.

[Joe]

I would expect Indians to age faster, but I did not expect it to be almost a four to five year acceleration or and get myself into a world of trouble. I'd say probably start bone smashing.

[Uncle]

That doesn't work.

[Joe]

Make it look more defined. They say it works. I don't know.

[Ocho]

Listen to Skyline Drive how to live Forever on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joe]

So. All right, Joe, I wanna know what you think about this one. Monte Ella says Warriors would have had the same success if he had replaced Steph Curry on their championship teams. If you switch me and Steph out with the team that won the championship, it'd be the same thing.

[Uncle]

Oh, and I'm gonna use the bathroom on that one. Joe. Joe know that one better than me.

[Joe]

Go ahead, Joe.

[Ocho]

Negative. Negative. Huh? Hey, Monte Ellis was a hell of a player. You talking about as far as a. A bucket getter he get. He can do that with the best, but to replace him and Steph, the. The. The role that Steph played. No, sir. No, sir. You couldn't.

[Joe]

You.

[Ocho]

You can't swap that and say they gonna have the same success. I beg to differ on that. I. I think. I think you. You actually downplaying Steph Curry greatness.

[Joe]

Yes. Yeah, absolutely is.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. You downplaying his greatness and how great he was. No championship runs, bro. He was virtually unstoppable.

[Joe]

You would need to. If this man was a top 75 player.

[Ocho]

Maybe I was like, okay, well, maybe.

[Joe]

But how you gonna replace a guy a top 75 guy? By all estimation, he's the first or second greatest point guard. I don't really look at him as a part guard, point guard. But I'm saying, is he a Magic Johnson? That's in the conversation. With that being said, really all the years, I don't believe. Because let me tell you why. Let me tell you why. I don't think so. Because he needs the ball.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe]

If you look at the way the success that Steph had and KD had when they played together, neither one of those guys needed the ball.

[Ocho]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Joe]

I just. I just don't know why. Guy, it's okay. It is okay for you not to be Steph Curry. Cause guess what? No one else is either.

[Ocho]

Nah. Yeah. I think his greatness gets.

[Joe]

This man actually said they would have had the same success. If you take Steph out and put him in.

[Uncle]

I have a question.

[Ocho]

What's the question?

[Uncle]

I never had the opportunity to watch Monta Ellis play. Right. I'm assuming he's telling. I'm assuming he talk about the team that was assembled with Kevin Durant and Clay.

[Joe]

They went to two championships before kd.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe]

And KD would have never came there because he was bald. He needed the ball. KD wanted to go because they don't. Nobody dominated the ball there. So you're not going to get kd.

[Uncle]

Monte Ellis was the point guard, I'm assuming, right?

[Joe]

Yeah, more like a.

[Ocho]

More like a two masquerading as a two.

[Joe]

Okay.

[Ocho]

Masquerading as a point.

[Uncle]

Well, Steph. Steph is the greatest. The greatest shooter of all time behind the arc. How close? How close? Because I never watched Montiel Ellis play. Obviously I didn't watch basketball back then. How close was Monte Ellis from the arc or just efficient, efficiently from the three?

[Ocho]

He was like. He was a downhill, get to the bucket kind of guy. You couldn't keep him out the paint, Ocho. Like he was athletic and he played fearless. Like as far as getting ISO. Get by his man. Getting a bucket. He was held or stop.

[Uncle]

So he was Russell Westbrook.

[Ocho]

Yeah, similar, similar, similar. He played with that type of force.

[Joe]

He could shoot.

[Ocho]

He could shoot, but he wasn't. He wasn't no damn three point shooter like that. Like mid range. He was a mid range Assassin. And Steph, not only was he a great three point shooter, but you talking about two, three, four steps behind the damn three pointer, man. You had to guard this, man. Come across half court, bro.

[Uncle]

Half court.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

So that. That extends your defense, which allows guys like Steph Curry, if he runs a lot of pick and rolls, to be able to operate in so much space, man. Nah, I mean, don't get me wrong, man. Monte was great, bro. He was great.

[Joe]

He wasn't stiff. What happens is, is that once you start picking them up out there, they start setting the pick out higher.

[Ocho]

Yep.

[Joe]

Now you ask grass.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Now you got your big trying to deal. Now you got your big trying to deal with him in all that space. Steph gonna get right on down the hill. Yeah.

[Ocho]

Yeah. It's hard. It's hard to game plan for Seth Uncan Ocho. Not only was he such a great shooter, but he's probably the guy on the court who was in the most shape. He was in the best shape, you know what I mean? Because he understood that was going to be his defensive mechanism, meaning if I can run your ass out to death on offense, that may even save me a little bit on defense. And I just think it opened up his game a lot more, especially when you got guys that buy in like Draymond. You look at his deficiencies offensively, he's not a scorer, he's not a shooter, but he a hell of a playmaker. His IQ for the game is high as I don't know what. So he used Steph to his advantage. And I think when you got players like that, like, I don't think. I couldn't really see.

[Joe]

I could.

[Ocho]

I couldn't really see Draymond and, and. And Monta Ellis being a great fit. You know, the games really don't complement each other. If you just want to keep it 100, you know? You know what I mean?

[Joe]

You know what? Maybe if Dame Lillard had said something like that, I was like, okay, because he can shoot the ball. He can handle the ball. He can catch and shoot. He's tremendous off of pick and roll. He. He moves without the ball. Okay, I might can look at that. I look at my. What do you think about Monte Ellis and Stephon Marbury? Would you say their games are similar? Guys that get down here want to get downhill. I think Stefan might be a little bit more explosive.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey. Steph has.

[Joe]

But Monte Ellis, man, Monte Ellis was a bucket. Now he could score now.

[Ocho]

He came out of high school. Uncle O.J.

[Joe]

yes.

[Ocho]

Monte Ellis Came out of high school to the pros at 6:3.

[Uncle]

Oh, yeah.

[Ocho]

You know what I mean? Like you got, you got, you got to be like that, bro.

[Uncle]

Yeah.

[Joe]

What are you from Mississippi or something?

[Ocho]

From me, from like Mississippi. Yeah.

[Joe]

Okay. I think to go back and look at that high school game with him and latero Green getting buckets against each other.

[Ocho]

Oh, yeah. Nah, nah, nah.

[Uncle]

Hey, Joe, you know, now that give me a better understanding why he has the confidence to say what he said. We talk about a player that made it to the NBA coming right out of high school. Yeah, he has to think like that. Okay, I got it now.

[Ocho]

He explosive. He was explosive though.

[Joe]

Yeah, he was. He was a good player. Now, Joe and I, we're not saying he's not a good player. We're saying we just don't believe based on his body of work. Steph body of work. With that office, the way it was, the free flowing, nobody dominated the ball. I just don't see it now. And that's not to say that he's not a good player because he was a good player. But Steph is a. Steph is not a generational player, Stephen. I mean, Steph Curry is a transcendent player.

[Ocho]

Hello.

[Joe]

He's historically great. There's a difference. A generation is 20, 20, 25 years. Steph Curry is transcendent. Yeah, as the word skill would say, transcendental. He's historically great. So when we say historically, we're talking about the history of the game.

[Ocho]

Yeah,

[Joe]

we talk about that. That's what we're talking about. We talk about Steph Curry, Stefan Wardell Curry.

[Ocho]

Yeah, he's special, bro. He's special.

[Joe]

Hey, but you know what?

[Ocho]

When you think about it, the only

[Joe]

thing they got in common is complexion. But you know, Step, that's the only thing they got in common.

[Ocho]

You know, you know, they played together. I think Monte had Steph when he was a rookie. And they end up having to get rid of Monte.

[Joe]

And why is that? So Steph could flourish.

[Ocho]

Hello. There you go. There you go. Yeah, exactly why they did it.

[Joe]

No secret.

[Uncle]

Hey, what Monte.

[Joe]

And guess what they did. They got rid of him. And guess, and guess what they got they drafted. Who? The guy out of Washington State. Y' all know him, another light skinned fella, Clay Thompson. That move without the ball. They didn't need the ball to be good. Hey, and Katie says, you know what? I can play with them guys because they got guys over there to play the game, play the game the right way. They don't. Nobody need to dominate the ball.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Yeah. That's why they fit so seamlessly, them two beige brothers. Boy, they something else.

[Uncle]

Boy, splash, bro.

[Joe]

Get bad the credit man. Yeah. Hey, now, I just, man, but it's like, not like Steph. I mean, he, they about the same height, Steph, like six, two, six three, maybe. Yeah, I give him, I mean, I Stephen Steph and I like, I think Steph, like 62, but yeah, they two

[Ocho]

totally different players, though. Totally, totally different.

[Joe]

Steph is more trying to dominate the ball. Steph gonna get off the ball.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Cause he can shoot that thing.

[Joe]

He gonna get off the ball and take off running. He gonna run for one baseline.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Hey, somebody gonna be setting the pick at the baseline. If there was a big Kavon Looney or for cheap shot or, or, or, or what's the other guy? Andrew Bogut. Somebody gonna be able to set a pick for him. He will come off that pin down or he will come off a flare and go, let it go.

[Ocho]

You already know it. Hey. And it's gonna be cash money. Yeah, cash money. Best to do it.

[Joe]

But no, I, I just don't see it. Monte, we, I think you're a, you're a tremendous player. You had a great, had a great career. But I, I, I don't see it. I sure, well, you know what? We'll never know. But I sure wish you were there instead of Steph Curry, because LeBron would have had two championships. I know for damn sure. He, he, he, he, well, he, well, he got what, that 2015, he got that with two. And he got more because guess what? KD wasn't going there.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Joe]

So LeBron had about four championships, so that he had about seven now.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Damn.

[Joe]

So he'd had those four in Cleveland. He got two. And who knows? He might have stayed. Kyrie might have want to stay. Might not have been made more enticing for Dan Gilbert to let Kyrie have some, some of the perks that he gave old goat James and not just shut it down. Damn. Let the baby have something. But no, I don't, I don't, I don't see that. I, I just don't. I wish, I wish I could agree with you, Monte, but I can't.

[Ocho]

Yeah, me neither.

[Joe]

A Bills fan went viral, proposed showing awful obstructed seats at the new High Mark Stadium. Look at this. Oh, look at this. Can you see this?

[Uncle]

Yeah, I can see it a little bit. They don't like the seats.

[Joe]

Have to be part of the view. You can't see the Other end. Look at that.

[Uncle]

Hey, most of the time, if it's constructed like that, they have an enormous Jumbotron.

[Joe]

That ain't no jumbotron.

[Uncle]

Oh, it ain't.

[Joe]

The Jumbotron is normally high above, so it ain't nobody view. That's a wall. That's a concrete barrier that's blocking view.

[Uncle]

Yeah. Matter of fact, in those seats too, Uncle Joe. Those seats, I'm assuming those tickets will be very, very, very inexpensive to be able to sit high up.

[Joe]

You do realize that's a psl I play. I gotta pay. I gotta pay to own those seats, and then I gotta pay for the tickets.

[Ocho]

Damn right. Hey, this is a new. This ain't no new stadium.

[Joe]

That's a brand new stadium. They just built it. They going into it this year.

[Ocho]

Damn.

[Joe]

I don't know who designed this, but that's some bull. J.

[Uncle]

They. They probably. They probably one thing, right? I think you got. You got to look at the blueprint, man. I understand that, man.

[Joe]

Bro. I mean, so how. So how the people that sitting right there. Oh. How they supposed to see the other half of the field? And then the other. The other one is even worse than that.

[Uncle]

That's crazy.

[Joe]

Look at o. Look how much of the field is blocked.

[Uncle]

Hold on. And. And hey, uncle, we got to be careful. We got to be careful too. With this actual picture, I would need to be at the stadium to make sure this ain't being exaggerated. And that's not really a seat. I'm just saying that look pretty high up and don't look like no seats right there. I could be wrong. I could be wrong. But a stadium.

[Joe]

But listen, that one on the left, that one right over here. Ocho. You don't see them seats backed up to that wall? What the hell you looking at? Put the hand over the good eye. Maybe you see better than the bad eye.

[Uncle]

Hey, listen, you see the yelling?

[Ocho]

Yeah. Yes.

[Uncle]

It wouldn't be. No, ain't. That's stairs right there. Somebody standing with the stairs at the seats go all the way up and you sit. You got to sit down. They. It look like they standing on the stairway and taking a picture purposely to make it look like you can't see that. That's just me.

[Joe]

Are you looking at this one?

[Uncle]

Yeah, I'm looking at the one right there On. On the screen. It looked like they see that. I guarantee you. I guarantee you I'm right. And somebody. I think they did that on purpose to make it seem like you can't see, but I guarantee you that's a stairway to walk up and go further out either go to concession stand, into the bathroom. That's not exactly where the seats are in 2026. There's no way a brand new stadium has a view like that. Blocking from one end where you can't see when the team is on the opposite side.

[Joe]

I'm gonna take the word for it, Ocho. Well, if somebody else. If somebody else gives them. But it looked like I could see some seats right there.

[Uncle]

Yes, sir.

[Joe]

So we. We go. We go see. Oh, yeah. I mean, other than that, look like it's a pretty nice stadium.

[Uncle]

Oh, yeah. I gotta go check it out.

[Joe]

The Rich stadium. Go ahead. What'd you say? No show?

[Uncle]

I said I'm gonna. I'm gonna go check it out. I'm gonna go. Hey, hold on, let me see.

[Ocho]

We.

[Uncle]

You know.

[Joe]

All right, don't go there. If they slam your ass on the table and suplex you on the table,

[Uncle]

hey, that'll be fun. Hey, that'd be fun. We should go do that.

[Joe]

No, ain't no we you.

[Uncle]

Hey, Joe, you want to go to the Buffalo game, Joe and like and jump off the table and jump off the thing like wrestling?

[Ocho]

Nah, I go to the game, but I ain't doing no damn jumping off no on them tables.

[Joe]

They be setting the tables. Oh, fire. Joe and B.

[Uncle]

Hey, hey, I'm doing that. Hey, Buffalo fans. Hey, I'm going to come to a game. I want to jump on the table with the fire and stuff.

[Joe]

One thing.

[Uncle]

That'd be dope. That'd be fun, Joe.

[Joe]

Hey, they support. Hey. Charity. Your charity. Something wrong, you get injured. Hey, man, that's one thing about the bill fans. They show up for.

[Uncle]

Hey, hey, Joe, them Bills fans, that might be the best fan base. They got some great in all those sports. You think what when it comes to not only supporting their players, but supporting other team players, when something has happened or there's a charity going on, they all come together as one and don't. Oh, man. Hey, Buffalo sister. The top.

[Joe]

They said somebody. Who is that? Somebody had beat somebody and it knocked them out of the playoffs and Buffalo was able to get in. They sent the quarterback like 4, $500,000 to his favorite charity.

[Ocho]

Damn.

[Uncle]

Yeah, they don't play.

[Joe]

They love. They a a Buffalo fans.

[Uncle]

They've always been pure class, though. They've always been pure class. They had. They might have a lot a lot of fun in that tailgating, but they've always been classified.

[Joe]

Thurman and Patty, I know you guys watching and you live in Buffalo, and I know you guys. Hey, give me a picture. Hey. Telling me. No, for real. Thurm, text me and let me know if the stadium really like this. Patty, I know you probably been to the stadium. Text me and let me know. You and Thermal get on here and text me and let me know. Y' all probably. Y' all look, y' all ain't sleep. Thermal, maybe your last is asleep. Daddy, you not sleep, though. Patty Cadell know that's one thing because they. They go to a lot of the games. They still. They. As a matter of fact, they still live in Buffalo, so. But no, you know what, Ocho?

[Ocho]

What's that?

[Joe]

I'm looking and see. I. I don't know.

[Uncle]

I. I g. I guarantee you. I guarantee you somebody posted it on purpose, standing on the stairs where that railing is, just to make it seem like you can't see. I guarantee you I'm right.

[Joe]

Okay, I'm gonna take your word for it. Oo.

[Ocho]

We'll see.

[Joe]

Hey, guess what? Somebody we'll find. We're gonna find out in the next. So the next. The next couple of days, somebody gonna go. Go and be the. The regular. The preseason start, like, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So we gonna find out as soon as they play.

[Uncle]

Preseason start this Wednesday.

[Joe]

Well, it already. You know, they had a Hall of Fame game last.

[Uncle]

Yeah, I know that one. I'm talking about everybody else.

[Joe]

Everybody else starts playing.

[Uncle]

Yes, finally.

[Joe]

No, not Thursday. They start Thursday. Thursday.

[Uncle]

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Either way. Either way, I'm ready. I'm ready. Hey, Joe. When them Cowboys play? Joe?

[Ocho]

I gotta check. As far as preseason, we probably. We normally start off on the West Coast. Cause, you know, we typically be out there in San Diego somewhere. You know, we lay down la out,

[Joe]

LA, y', all, Oxnard. Where we. At Oxnard.

[Ocho]

Where is it?

[Uncle]

California North.

[Joe]

It's up. It's about, you know, probably about an hour outside.

[Ocho]

Yeah, they typically. That's typically where they start at, though. When we started. We started out. Yeah.

[Joe]

All right, hold on. Jalen Brown did not. Hold on. Hold back in the 76ers introductory press conference speaking openly about his lack of communication with Jason Tatum. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.

[Uncle]

Jalen, how would you describe.

[Ocho]

Characterize your relationship with Jason over the last year? Jason Tatum, and is that a partnership

[Joe]

you both wanted to continue before the trade? You know, we won a championship together, so anybody that you want a championship, you would think, like, that's what, you know, a brotherhood or a lifelong Legacy would entail. Obviously, there's ups and downs in any type of relationship for sure, but on my end, it's nothing but respect, you know, Besides when he plays the Sixers, you know, I hope he does well, you know, but other than that, you know, everything for me is just based in respect. Have you guys been able to talk?

[Ocho]

Not really,

[Joe]

Joe.

[Uncle]

Yeah, Joe, that's for you to answer. I don't understand. That's too cryptic for me.

[Joe]

Listen,

[Ocho]

I think they both on two different pages, man. Living two different lives, you know, JB ain't got no kids. Uncle Ocho?

[Joe]

Nope.

[Ocho]

Yeah, JT got key. Got two kids, you know, beautiful wife, wife, girlfriend, something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They living two totally different lives, bro. You know, and. And it's okay that they don't hang out outside?

[Joe]

Absolutely.

[Ocho]

They haven't really talked. Hey, man, this is a part of the journey, bro. It is. It hurts sometimes, you know, playing on teams and then you get traded. Obviously you leave behind guys who you've been playing with for eight, seven, nine years. You know what I mean? But at the same time, this our profession, bro. This is what we signed up for. This is part of it. You know what I mean? I think they make it. We all trying to make a big deal about Jayson Tatum and jb, but for me, man, I don't even really feel like there's no huge. I don't feel like there's no big deal. They were two great players to won a title together, and a lot of

[Joe]

times, don't be hanging out, and that's okay. I'm okay with that. Especially in basketball now. Basketball. Cause you guys are together a little bit more than we are, Joe. I mean, y' all on the road all the time, and y' all close knit so forth and so on, man. I ain't. I look, and we can be cordial, but that. But I don't mean we got. I mean, ain't like I'm over the hill, you know? I don't know if Michael and Scotty is coming to find out, they were not as together or as close or as mesh as people might have thought.

[Ocho]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Joe]

I don't know.

[Uncle]

Hey. Hey, Uncle Joe. People got to remember now. You got to remember a lot of people in the chat, you know, y'. All. Y' all have jobs. You go to work. And you know what? You ain't friends with everybody at your own job. You know, you. You go in there, you with a job to do. It's the same thing with Sports. You're not gonna get along with everybody. If you happen to meet someone you know and y' all get along outside of your job and decide to hang out, that's cool. But I'm there to do one thing. Bring an NBA championship to Boston. Now, if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown happen to be friends and become friends outside of the game of basketball and their duties that they're supposed to do for the Celtics, then so be it. But everybody ain't finna be buddy, buddy.

[Joe]

I just think they're two different things.

[Uncle]

That's just the nature of the business in general.

[Joe]

I really do. Joe, Don't. Joe. I just think they're two different people. I don't really think that. Honestly. Honestly, other than basketball. Tell me what you think they two have in common.

[Ocho]

They probably don't. They probably don't have much in common.

[Joe]

I mean, you go to work, hey, Bob, how you doing? I hate your motherfucking ass.

[Uncle]

You do.

[Joe]

But. But, but then the question is, okay, the communication. What would the communication entail? What did the other expect from the other?

[Uncle]

What does that even talk about in general?

[Joe]

Hey, I'm trying to win. Hey, I'm trying to be the best I can be. You trying to be the best you can be. Hopefully we can come together and for one shining moment, they won a championship together.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe]

No matter what JB did, there were very few people that thought he was a better player than JT Even after he won Eastern Conference mvp. Even after he won Finals, mvp. Even after he took this team, he averaged What? He averaged 28 points a game. Even though he got this team to the number two seed, they got. They let Al Horford go. They let Holiday go. Jayson Tatum was gone except for the last 20 games. In his mind, me, this is. I'm just psychoanalyzing. I'm from the back, right?

[Ocho]

It was just hard.

[Joe]

Like, man, I don't know what I can do for people to see me. First of all, you take two. You take. First of all, it's three guys. I know for a fact, even if you say, I'm not better than J.T. i'm better than the other two guys that you put on the Olympic team.

[Ocho]

Right.

[Joe]

I just think they thought that. The question is the question. And I asked you this, Joe, about a month ago. I said, had the roles been reversed? JT goes there, and he's not getting DMPs. Does he handle it in the same MANNER in which J.T. handled it?

[Ocho]

No, sir.

[Uncle]

You don't think so, J.B. hold on, hold on, hold on. Uncle Joe. Now, the problem. The problem was not even going. Not even being selected, not even being thought of, or having two people that you felt you were better than going there before you. But you think not only if you do get selected, you're gonna have a problem with the dnps as well.

[Joe]

Why you brought your problem over here if you weren't gonna play me?

[Ocho]

Hello.

[Uncle]

Look who's in front of him.

[Joe]

Ain't nothing to do with it.

[Uncle]

Look who's in front of him. How are you gonna compete?

[Joe]

Let me ask you a question. When you went to the Pro bowl, you was. Okay. They said, well, look who in front of you. Ocho, you like?

[Ocho]

Hold up.

[Joe]

I'm Ocho.

[Uncle]

Yeah. Yeah. And that's why I was starting.

[Joe]

I'm gonna say it, but. So where's the. When he. That's how he looks at it, though. He like who? The finals mvp.

[Uncle]

Oh, okay, I see. I see what you.

[Ocho]

Who.

[Joe]

Who did that?

[Ocho]

Who?

[Joe]

The Eastern Conference mvp who did that?

[Uncle]

Hey, can. Hey, can I ask you something, though? Hey, Humble Joe, even. Even with the accolades, even as well as he played, right? Let's say he was selected, you know, to go play and represent the usa. Please tell me the player that he said that that's supposed to sit on the bench for him. I'm just curious who's sitting down to let.

[Joe]

See the way you see. You think it logical, but when you're a supreme athlete, you don't think logical.

[Uncle]

Well, even as a supreme athlete, I have to understand who's better than me.

[Joe]

In his mind, you don't think none of them better than him.

[Ocho]

Ocho, come on. Yeah. Cause think about it. Even though you do have Durant and LeBron playing that same position, I mean, you can't find three, four minutes for your boy. I can't get this.

[Uncle]

How many. Jones.

[Ocho]

Three, four minutes. I just want to touch the floor. Let me run a couple wind sprints. Come on, man.

[Joe]

You done brought me way over, way over here.

[Ocho]

You mean. Tell me you can. Come on, man. Come on, Joe.

[Joe]

Now you got me sitting on the bench like I'm the level 12th man in an NBA game. Hey, hey, hey, Joe. I see how y'. All how they be sitting. They be sitting down there like this here, like, damn, I hope I get in tonight. Hey. And the man say, hold on. Wait a damn minute.

[Uncle]

I like jb, man. I like jb.

[Ocho]

I do, too.

[Uncle]

Hey, he's very controversial without being controversial. It's just the way he conducts himself. The Way he talks, you know, his wording, his sentence structure, just. He is. He is the smartest one in the room. He is at times. If you listen to him talk.

[Joe]

Yeah, it's gonna be interesting. The question is, Do you believe JT could have done more to talk to Boston to keep jb?

[Ocho]

I don't think so. I think they were gonna part ways from him, Uncle Ocho, because, one, they didn't want to have to pay him all that damn money. They knew they were gonna have to pay him. Pay him. I mean, at the end of the day, that's what it basically came down to. You know what I mean? But all this rumbling behind it has kind of got stirred up. But at the end of the day, man, they. They got too much money tied up in the two guys.

[Joe]

Yeah, but that's what happened when you do a great job of drafting Ocho and Joe.

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, hell, and you got a championship.

[Uncle]

And you know what else, too? Jason Tatum might not. Might not have. Want to stand on the table for him anyway as well as he played when he was out.

[Joe]

Maybe. Maybe.

[Uncle]

I'm just saying, you know, And I don't think there's anything that JB could have done that could change the way people feel about him.

[Ocho]

Yeah, nothing.

[Joe]

He thought after the way he played this year that would ingratiate him more to the organization, because I think the fans. I think the fans appreciate him, and nobody ran. But he thought the way he played this year would ingratiate him more with the. With the organization, and it did this. The opposite.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Uncle]

It probably. It probably was worse. Probably even got worse because he played so well.

[Joe]

So who do you think?

[Ocho]

So, I. I think.

[Joe]

Go ahead, Joe.

[Ocho]

I. I think because, you know, he came out and made those statements and said that this was his best season. This. This. He had the most fun this season. So everybody kind of took that as like a little slap. And I think they've been giving him. They've been giving him, you know, some backlash behind that. But, hey, man, the young man gonna come ready to play.

[Joe]

Because the thing is, when you get in that position, they parse everything that you say.

[Ocho]

Yes, sir.

[Joe]

Been there. We know that. Ocho. We. And the little. The little business that we in, everything that we say, they pick apart.

[Uncle]

Yeah. Hey, you know. You know, what would JB remind me of a little bit? I think some people. Some people in the chat probably won't get it, you know, based on the age. Remember good times, huh?

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Uncle]

Remember how when Michael would be militant at Times.

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah.

[Uncle]

That's what JB remind me of a little bit.

[Joe]

You're right. Joe, who be militant. Go ahead, Joe. Joe, finish up.

[Uncle]

No, no, no. That's it, that's it. I just, just think about that.

[Joe]

Which superstar do you believe is under the most pressure? First you, Joe, and then Ocho. Jason Tatum or Luca?

[Ocho]

I got Luca, man. Luca. No, LeBron, man, he didn't carry. He carried a lot of weight over there, you know, over the past what, eight, nine years that he was in la. And we gonna have to see if Lucas, man can stay healthy for whole 82 and have like an MVP type season, obviously. Yeah, I mean, because he is tremendous throughout the regular season when he plays. He led the league in scoring. So he got. He. I think the most pressure is on him. And they in la, bro. Come on, man. What we talking about? They a lot. He in la. LA land. Come on, man.

[Uncle]

Ain't nothing going on down there.

[Ocho]

What you mean, man?

[Uncle]

Listen, man, Luke over there, they got a team constructed A K Pop, Backstreet Boys and NSync. He Talking about press, man.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Come on.

[Joe]

But that's. Look, they built that team. Ramona Shelbourne laid it out. She said, I mean what, what she reported is that they put thing together at Craig's. They went to Craig and they laid it out. They said, we're gonna have LeBron James money to come off the book and we'll be able to build this roster to your liking, to your specifications. You know, if you get a custom car, they'll build it to your specs. How fast do you want to go? What type of engine you want a V8, you want a V12, you want a twin turbo, you want electric, whatever you want to be, whatever. The interior Resto mod cut the doors. What is it that you want? So they built this team, this Lakers team is to Luka Doncic's specifications. The Celtics not built to Jason Tatum. They just got up off. They just got up off of jb. He wanted, he wanted a big that could do big in the pick and roll, roll. They get Walker Kessler. He said, I want AR back. AR is back on a 4 year, 140 something million dollar contract. Yep. I want shooters. What is about Rui? I mean they, they signed somebody that wasn't as good as Rui in the regular season or the postseason and gave more than what Rudy got. Rui got going to the Clippers. So I hope it works out for him. I'm. I, I'm a Luca. I'm not A big as Luca fan as I am a LeBron fan, obviously.

[Ocho]

But hey, so what, you a Philly fan now, huh?

[Carrie Brownstein]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Ain't no secret. Ain't no secret. The chat, though. A noticeably slimmer Joel Embiid is going viral. One executive bluntly stated they don't trust him at all when discussing Embiid's health and availability. Embiid has played just over 50% of the regular season games since entering the NBA in 2014. He's played 490 out of 965 possible games. Joe, with Bron, Max and JB around him, if Embiid can stay healthy, stay in this kind of shape, can they win the title?

[Ocho]

Hell yeah, they can win. I told you. I told you on Ocho, man. I said, listen, if I'm braun this before he committed, I said, man, I'm on the phone with him, B. Come to find out what happened, Uncle Ocho, Brian went and met with Embiid. Yeah. Because he's the catalyst to whatever it is that Philly's trying to do. Yep. Maxie gonna be great. Edgecombe gonna be great. JB gonna be great. LeBron gonna be great. But if this man right here, he look good. He look like he in great shape. I hope he can get up and down the court with this. But if he can keep this up, Uncle Ojo, he in great shape. And he's back to where he's virtually unguardable.

[Joe]

They looking at his left. They're looking at his left knee, Ojo, what you think?

[Ocho]

Hey, I'm gonna send you. I'm gonna send you about 50k, man. I need you to go. Go put it down on. On Philly. I think I'm gonna put them on Philly to win it

[Joe]

already. Plus 900. What?

[Ocho]

That'll pay me out.

[Joe]

Let me look it up right quick.

[Ocho]

Cause I don't know how everybody think these dude Philly gonna be slow. Boy, these boy finna cut, all right? They finna cut up O Joe.

[Uncle]

Listen, it looked good on paper. Everything looked good on paper until it's time to play, all right? Now we haven't. We haven't seen him play. We've seen teams constructed that we thought were gonna be all world. Hell, when I thought Kyrie and goddamn James Harden and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, I thought Brooklyn was going to win them a goddamn title, you know, based on the names. Now we got to see how them boys play. I'm sure at some point, you know it. You have training camp. Oh, yeah.

[Joe]

So you get. So you get 400, you get your. You get your 50 back and you get four and you win 450. So you'd be plus four.

[Uncle]

Hey, Joe, I'm gonna see you. I'm gonna send you 50, Joe.

[Ocho]

You gonna send me 50?

[Uncle]

Yeah. Yeah, play that for me, boy.

[Ocho]

What you sending it to me for? You need to send hug in Vegas. I'm sending mine to hug so he can go play it. Hey, I'm gonna break you off, though. We win, I'm gonna break you off. You know what I mean?

[Uncle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm give you something, too.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Uncle]

So we give him a hunt how

[Joe]

I get to be bookie? You gonna get.

[Ocho]

You gonna get? I'm gonna get.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

I'm gonna give you 150. I'm gonna give you 150.

[Uncle]

I win you in Vegas.

[Ocho]

Yeah, hook me up.

[Joe]

Lord have mercy.

[Uncle]

Yeah, well, hell, Joe, I'm saved my money. Just slide me something when you win.

[Ocho]

All right. Bet. I got JoJo. I got you.

[Uncle]

I don't need number. I need about. But just send me five.

[Joe]

So you have no concerns about his left knee? Because I think that's the knee that he wears the knee brace on also.

[Ocho]

Well, I gotta see him move, and I gotta see him getting up and down. I gotta see his gallop. I gotta see how he runs. Hey, I gotta see how. I gotta see how he transition from offense to defense. You know what I mean? Like a picture telling me one thing, but I gotta see some movement, man. I got to see. I got to see what them feet look like. You know what I mean?

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

So I guess, you know, when training camp come around, I'm sure the cameras will be on Philly. But he look good, though. He looks slim.

[Joe]

Yeah, he look definitely look good. He definitely looks better.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Got some nice definition to him, man.

[Joe]

But I never concerned myself with a guy working out the offseason because it's easy is to make those decisions. Can you make those same decisions when you don't have a chef that's traveling with you and you get into that city at 2 o' clock in the morning, Joe.

[Ocho]

Yep. And you gotta eat them Zuzus and win.

[Joe]

Win.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe]

You eating pizza. You eating fried chicken and pizza and French fries.

[Ocho]

Yeah. And then finna go right to sleep. You know how I go.

[Joe]

And if Chip said, yeah, I think I'll stay right here. Right here, right now. I ain't going nowhere.

[Ocho]

Yeah. Hey, you ate four. You ate four bags of chips. That 900 calories. Come on, man. Come on, man.

[Uncle]

Oh, man.