Nightcap Hour 1: Knicks KNOCK OFF Celtics in THRILLER + Rocket BEAT INJURED Sixers + Kayden McDonald JOINS Nightcap + Joel Embiid INJURIES +Anthony Davis’ MVP RANKINGS

Summary

Nightcap Hour 1: Knicks Knock Off Celtics in Thriller + Rockets Beat Injured Sixers + Kayden McDonald Joins + Embiid Injuries & MVP Rankings (April 10, 2026)

Main Theme Overview

In this lively episode of Nightcap, hosts Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and Joe Johnson dive headfirst into the biggest basketball headlines of the night, breaking down the Knicks’ clutch victory over the Celtics, the Rockets’ continued hot streak against shorthanded Philly, and the continual playoff health woes of Joel Embiid. They’re also joined by projected first-round NFL pick Kaden McDonald, who brings insight and personality to the set. The episode wraps up with a discussion of Anthony Davis’ MVP rankings and playful debates about NBA and NFL mindsets, routines, and careers.

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Knicks vs. Celtics: The Eastern Conference Showdown

Segment Begins: [04:13]

• The Knicks defeat the Celtics 112-106, staying alive in the East's race for the 2-seed.
  • Jason Tatum returns to MSG, where he tore his Achilles last year.
  • Josh Hart is the hero, scoring 15 of his 26 in the fourth, drilling clutch threes.
  • Jalen Brunson tallies 25 points and 10 assists.
  • Celtics are missing Jaylen Brown but get a spark from the bench.

Key Insights:

• Joe Johnson highlights Boston's depth and Eastern Conference dominance when healthy:

  "Boston...when they fully healthy, Ocho, they can be anybody in the East...They could potentially come out of the East." [06:54]

• Josh Hart's breakout:

  "If it wasn't for Josh Hart, [the Knicks] wouldn't have won that game tonight." —Joe [07:46]

• Shannon Sharpe on defensive tactics:

  "They got the ball out of Jalen Brunson hand. If somebody else beat me, guys, I can live." [07:48]

• Ochocinco's take:

  "Game of basketball...is a game of runs...Josh Hart stepped up...The Celtics did a good job getting the ball out of Brunson's hands." [08:25]

• Debate on whether Boston is truly "unbeatable" when at full strength. Joe and Shannon agree:

  "If everybody plays their A game in the Eastern Conference...Boston's the best team in the Eastern Conference." —Shannon [13:17]

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Celtics Depth and Playoff Matchups

Segment Begins: [10:07]

• Boston’s bench shines (53 points, including standout performances from Scheidemann and Pritchard).
• Discussion of how Derrick White’s production is key alongside stars JB (Jaylen Brown) and JT (Jason Tatum).
• Playoff defenses, coverage schemes, and historical analogies (Bulls, Lakers) are debated at length.

Memorable Quotes:

• Shannon Sharpe:

  "When you have someone that's like, okay, they got defenders over there...That's the luxury that the Celtics have that very few teams have." [18:01]

• Joe Johnson on JB’s role:

  "He gonna pick [Harden] up full court...JB understands his road to the [win]...He's also gonna make it hell on one of your toughest offensive players." [17:17]

---

Rockets Beat the Embiid-less Sixers

Segment Begins: [23:07]

• Rockets win their 8th straight (113-102) as the Sixers are hit hard with Joel Embiid’s appendectomy.
• Philly now tied with Charlotte for the 8th seed; Embiid’s playoff availability in jeopardy.

Panel’s Perspective:

• Shannon Sharpe:

  "Every time...this time of year, it's something [with Embiid]...He’s had issues with his stomach before. Appendicitis...it's just one thing after another." [24:16]

• Joe Johnson on Philly’s offensive stagnation with Embiid:

  "Embiid is a ball stopper...Because he's so ball dominant, when the ball gets in his hands, it stops. It don't move." [27:38]

• Prognosis: Consensus is that Philly will be a likely first-round exit without a healthy Embiid.

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Jokic vs. Embiid: The Superstar Center Debate

Segment Begins: [28:32]

• Critique of Embiid’s MVP season compared to Jokic’s holistic impact.
• Jokic’s game lauded for versatility and team enhancement.
• Memorable quote:

  "Jokic’s IQ for the game is basically like LeBron." — Ochocinco [29:34]

• Shannon:

  "[Jokic] about to lead the league in rebounding and assist. And you might not ever see it again…" [30:52]

---

Special Guest: Kaden McDonald, Projected NFL 1st Rounder

Segment Begins: [31:33]

Introduction & Background

• Kaden McDonald joins from Ohio State, brings Arkansas pride, and playful banter with the crew.
• Shares on growing up, playing football since age 4, and treat-every-play mindset:

  "Every play, I treated like opportunity...it’s that mentality, I'm on the field, you know, I got the black face going." [33:59]

Candid Insights:

• The draft process has been a dream come true; family and faith are central.
• Superstitions: Always reads a Bible passage before games for strength and guidance.
• Emphasizes own unique style:

  "My game is special...I had 65 tackles from the head up nose position. Ain’t nobody doing that, so...Trying to make my own mark..." [36:15]

• Motivation:

  "I just felt like the underdog...all the work I put in, all the sacrifices...that's my motivation." [43:40]

Fun Segment: Food & Routine

• Shares his meal routine ("big in that seafood," but Big Macs before games).
• Banter about the virtues of eating McDonald's as a pro athlete (Ocho’s influence).

Advice and Encouragement

• Joe:

  "Keep that dog mentality, even when you get drafted...[in] the NFL, bro, don’t let up." [44:36]

• Shannon:

  "This is not the destination. This is the journey. Your destination is once you’re done with your career." [44:45]

• NFL teams discussed: Bears, Vikings, Buffalo, Houston, Pittsburgh.

Light Moments:

• Pancake making skills boasted.
• "If you’d been a running back, you’d be 'Big Mac.'" [41:55]
• On being a chef, dating, cooking for a lady (“Salmon, green beans, rice—keep it healthy.”)

Closing:

• Kaden departs to rest up, with crew promising to reconnect after the draft.

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Embiid’s Injury-Plagued Playoff History

Segment Begins: [54:30]

• Shannon runs through Joel Embiid’s disastrous playoff injury record:
  • Nearly every year in the pros, Embiid’s entered the playoffs hurt.
• Discussion of how injury timing has historically doomed the Sixers' postseason hopes:

  "If you limp into a league, you limp out of it..." —Shannon [56:41]

• Emphasis on how relentless NBA schedule makes rehab nearly impossible.

---

Anthony Davis’ MVP Rankings & MVP Race Discourse

Segment Begins: [58:29]

• Anthony Davis’ MVP order: 1. Wemby 2. Jokic 3. Jalen Brown 4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 5. Luka Doncic.
• Crew questions putting Wemby over Shai, highlighting OKC’s consistency and Shay’s impact:

  "They ain't going nowhere without Shay, bro." —Joe [59:48] "Winning means a lot. And I say the same thing on...why the hell they keep score? If it ain’t everything?" —Shannon [60:21]

---

Money, Mindset & Real Life

Segment Begins: [61:04]

• Short segment on the importance of money and freedom:

  "Money isn’t everything, but everything you need requires money...That’s what money buys you. Freedom." —Shannon [61:19]

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Shannon on the Celtics' ceiling: "If everybody plays their A game in the Eastern Conference, I think Boston’s the best team." [13:17]
• Ocho on dreams & motivation: "I just felt like the underdog...there’s kids back at home looking up to me, so I gotta make that happen." —Kaden McDonald [43:40]
• Joe on team mindset: "Keep that dog mentality, even when you get drafted. Never let your foot up." [44:36]
• Shannon’s signature humor: “If you limp into a league, you limp out of it.” [56:41]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Knicks-Celtics Breakdown: [04:13] – [22:53]
• Rockets vs. Sixers Breakdown / Embiid's Health: [23:07] – [30:52]
• Jokic vs. Embiid, NBA Bigs: [28:32] – [31:33]
• Kaden McDonald Interview: [31:33] – [54:16]
• Embiid’s Playoff Injuries Recap: [54:30] – [57:32]
• MVP Rankings and Debate: [58:29] – [60:21]
• Money/Mindset & Wrap-ups: [61:04] – [61:38]

---

Summary

This edition of Nightcap is a dynamic, basketball-heavy episode with a real-time feel, elevated by insightful breakdowns and the honest, unscripted chemistry between three sports legends. Game analysis is deeply informed and never short on strong takes, with abundant respect for playoff experience, toughness, and fundamental basketball wisdom. The episode stands out with the engaging Kaden McDonald interview, whose authenticity and drive connect seamlessly with the Nightcap ethos. For sports fans looking to catch up on a pivotal night, this episode delivers both the analysis and the behind-the-scenes energy that makes Nightcap a must-listen after the games go final.

Transcript

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[Joe Johnson]

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Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

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[Joe Johnson]

So I can breathe. Why do you need to breathe?

[Ocho]

So I can think. If I can breathe if I can

[Joe Johnson]

breathe I can think. I can think if I can think

[Ocho]

if I can think then I can

[Joe Johnson]

win the Beast Rigid R now playing

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[Joe Johnson]

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[Uncle Joe]

That's how we starting the show off.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey. Huh? Hey, Joe. Feeling good tonight. He got his own.

[Uncle Joe]

Listen.

[Joe Johnson]

You saw that? You see that?

[Uncle Joe]

Y' all know now, I ain't gonna tell no lie to you. Cause it sound fly to you. Listen,

[Joe Johnson]

I don't care who telling. No joke a lot. Okay?

[Uncle Joe]

About that, though.

[Ocho]

I did my research.

[Joe Johnson]

Made me get proof. I had to go get proof from the Georgia Basketball association to show this man. I scored 52 points in the game.

[Uncle Joe]

Okay?

[Joe Johnson]

You ain't know that now.

[Uncle Joe]

You score 52 in the game in high school.

[Ocho]

Hey, Joe, Joe, it wasn't no competition out there.

[Uncle Joe]

My people chat. Whoever in the chat, from Arkansas, from Little Rock, y' all know, man. Hey, I need y' all to get in the chat, man, and vouch for y' all know what's wrong with these boys, man.

[Ocho]

Wait, hold on. Vouch, Vouch. We need to see article. We need to see proof. I mean, just don't do it, Joe.

[Uncle Joe]

Y' all need to see proof. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey. Don't go. Don't go pull out your kid trophies either. What's up, baby? How was your day?

[Joe Johnson]

So far so good, man. Good. Had a great taping down here while I'm in Miami. You know I'm in Miami, but it's been raining. What'd I say?

[Ocho]

You hear?

[Joe Johnson]

And they tell me you don't see it. Yeah, we. No, we can't see that. You ain't got no zoom on your camera. But we're gonna take your word for it.

[Ocho]

Hold on. Time out, Time out, Time out. Time out. Hey, hey, Joe, man, it. Man. Unc down here in Miami didn't even tell me.

[Uncle Joe]

Ocho, man, you could, boy.

[Joe Johnson]

I didn't tape. I done taped two episodes of Club Shay Shake and I'm doing Nightcap.

[Kaden McDonald]

Hold on.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey, hey, check me out. Hey, let's go. Let's go get. Let's go with lunch tomorrow.

[Joe Johnson]

I'm up out of here tomorrow.

[Ocho]

Nah, change us. Hey, change your flight.

[Joe Johnson]

No, I gotta be, bro. I got three episodes in Atlanta.

[Ocho]

Hold on. So you mean to tell me you came to Miami and you and you focus on work instead of seeing your.

[Joe Johnson]

Your.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, man, you got a bad rep. Oh so damn.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, hey Joe, let's get through this intro.

[Ocho]

God damn.

[Joe Johnson]

Make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from. Each one of us, the Big three would like to personally thank you for your support and your continued support. Because everything that we've been able to accomplish, all the awards we've won, the praise, the adulation, the being able to go different places and do different things, it is all because of you. Nothing, none of this is possible without you. So I, Ocho and Joe would like to personally thank you for your support and your continued support. Those looking to purchase a bottle of Shea by La Portier head over to laportiercognac.com to purchase you a bottle if it's currently unavailable in a state or city near you. Remember, it is a premium VSOP Cognac, the smoothest, best tasting VSOP cognac on the market. But don't take my word for it. Compare it against others and if you watch Club Shae Sha, you see everybody talks about how smooth it is. Yes, we gave Brad Williams, he took a bottle home. He took, he drank half a bottle and, and then he, we gave him a full bottle to take home. Everybody thoroughly enjoys it that comes on the show, but you should try it for yourself. Don't take their word for it. Try it for yourself and you'll see it is the best tasting, smoothest cognac on the market. Please, please drink responsibly and stay safe. The Knicks stay alive in the race for the number two seed in the east by beating the Celtics 112 to 106. Jason Tatum returned to Madison Square Garden where last year during the playoffs he tore his Achilles. Josh Hart scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, hit two dagger three point shots to give the Boston a six point win. Jalen Brunson 25 points, 10 assists JT Jason Tatum finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. The Knicks pull within two games of the Celtics with two games to play for both teams. The Knicks on the tiebreaker because they beat the Celtics head to head three to one and it'll be the number two seeds with two wins and two Boston losses. So Boston wins one game. They got they host New Orleans on Friday and Orlando on Sunday. So if they win one of these final two games, they are the number two seed. The Knicks, I believe will be the number three seed if they win out. The Knicks host Toronto On Friday and close out against Charlotte on Sunday. Joe, watching this game, look, the Knicks were ahead comfortably. They were head by 12 points at one point in time. And the next thing you know, Boston ended up having a six point lead. Charming got hot from three. Jt hit a couple threes. Pritchard hit a couple of threes. But Joe, what did you like about what you saw from the Knicks having the lead, giving up the lead, and then finding a way to win this?

[Uncle Joe]

Well, they, they knew that, you know, with, with Boston being without jb, Jalen Brown. Okay, Ocho, you got to take advantage of that, bro. Now, I, I know you ain't. You ain't looking at this, the scout report and saying Schenheimer gonna go 7 for 8 from the field, 6 for 7, 3. You know what I mean? But, boy, hey, he caught fire. I like, I like how Tatum played. Obviously, you know, he was ultra aggressive. You look at Peyton Pritchard and them guys coming off the bench, man, they. They gonna be.

[Joe Johnson]

Oof.

[Uncle Joe]

Boston gonna be something else in the postseason. Man, when they fully healthy Argan, Ocho, they go.

[Joe Johnson]

They.

[Uncle Joe]

They can be anybody in the East. Matter of fact, they might. They could potentially come out of the East. You know, I'm talking about a team that's tested. Tatum getting more.

[Joe Johnson]

Been there, done that.

[Uncle Joe]

Tatum getting more comfortable, you know, in his ability to get back to where he, where he was playing championship caliber basketball. Man, it was fun to watch. But New York, New York, man, they made some runs. I thought Brunson played great. Towns picked it up. If it wasn't for Josh Hart, they wouldn't have won that game tonight.

[Joe Johnson]

He hit two big threes, and look if that means. And, oh, well, you see what they did? They got the ball out of Jalen Brunson hand. If somebody else beat me, guys, I can live. So I'm gonna live with that. I just know. I just know Jalen Brunson ain't gonna hit those shots. Hey, hey, if Josh Hart hits those and he hits two, I mean, he stepped up. Now, the first one he hit, the clock was kind of running back down. But that last one that he hit, he shot down confidence. He said, come here, I got you. Last time I'm getting. And he held it up there. Hey, so I, I like what I saw also. Ocho, what you think. What you think about the Celtics tonight?

[Ocho]

Listen, nobody really like my basketball take, but I'm gonna give you one anyway.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, we like it. Hey, we like, we like your basketball take. It's okay.

[Ocho]

Hey, I, I I appreciate it, Joe, but obviously, listen, the game of basketball, what I've come to learn in my short time of learning the game, it's a game of runs, Joe and Uncle, you know, just like, just like football, it's all about momentum. Obviously in this game, the Celtics went on runs and obviously Knicks went on runs. And I think for the Knicks sake, they're sake with JB not playing, they really needed this game. And Josh Hart stepped up. If I'm not mistaken, the last game he played, he only had what, two, maybe three points. Yeah, something like that. For the fact that he was able to step up and hit those big shots when they needed it most. And I think that the Celtics did a good job getting the ball out of Brunson's hands. And like un said, if other players, the sporting cast for the knickers and gonna hit those shots, you just gonna have to be able to live.

[Uncle Joe]

Hey, but when y', all, when you look at it, Uncle. Oo Boston didn't really shoot the ball great outside of, outside of. What's his name? Shiner.

[Ocho]

Sh.

[Uncle Joe]

Coming. Shireman coming off the bench, you know, he was ultra. He, he, he was unconscious. And Peyton Pritchard shot 50%, but Tatum 7 for 22. And when you look at the Knicks, man, they were, I mean, they shot the COVID off the ball. Brunson shot it with 54. Yeah. So, you know, not. It ain't gonna be many games that Josh Hart gonna lead them Knicks in scoring. Matter of fact, hell, this might be the only game he done it all season. If we just keep it 100, you know what I mean? So, yeah, Boston, Boston is in a good spot, man. They in a good spot. They, they ain't worried about nothing. They sitting comfortable, they comfortably. And when they get healthy going into the postseason, they. Hey, you don't want to see them, boy.

[Joe Johnson]

Man, I think when you look at the bench points they got, they got 53 points from the bench. Austin. Then you look at shman, he had 20. He's seven of eight from the floor, six or seven from three. You look at Pritchard, 10 of 20 from the floor, three or eight from three. Buich, four or seven from the floor, two or four from three. I think they're going to need a little bit more from Derrick White the last couple of games. Joe, he's kind of been hit or miss when he's in double figures years because you know what JB and JT gonna give you on a daily basis. You know, Pritchard, what he's Gonna give you. He's averaging 16 point, basically 17 points a game. Whether he's in the starting lineup or he's coming off the bench. So I, I'm penciling in him somewhere between 15 and 20 points. That's what I'm penciling for. If he gives me more than that, I love it. I'm not counting on him giving me less than 15, but if he gives me more than 20, I'll graciously accept it. But somewhere in that 15 to 20 ballpark, that's normally what he does. Now my big guns, I'm gonna need those guys to go off on a, a consistent basis, one or the other. I love to have both of them do it. Yeah, but Howser didn't shoot the ball well tonight. Like you said, I'm not counting on shot, but he can let it go. Now I don't know how many games you watched him, but that left handed joker can let the ball go.

[Uncle Joe]

Man, he looked good tonight. Fell I'm talking about, I mean he

[Joe Johnson]

was, hey, hey, Joe, he was letting that thing go. Hey, hey, turn around to the crowd.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah. Hey, hey, look, look. You know playing in New York, that' in la, like people, we like guys get up for those games, you know what I'm saying? Like they, they look, it brings the best out of you. And you could tell tonight he got it going and he started talking to the crowd, he really started feeling himself. And it was fun, it was fun to watch him, you know, get on the heater like that. And I'm like, man, listen, if he can get him some consistency like this, I ain't saying he gonna go 6 for 7 from the field and be that efficient. But man, if, if you can be a reliable guy, we can go to when JB or JT getting double team, you know, down the stretch or just throughout the game, I think he can definitely be beneficial for the Celtics.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, he, but that's the thing. Their bench is outstanding because normally you'll probably, I mean house or somebody's going to be coming off the bench. You know, Pritchard is coming off the bench. You know, Shireman's coming off the bench and you know both of these guys can get on heaters. Preacher can do it all. Preacher drive the ball. He got a nice medic. Hey, he'll put the shoulder into your bump. He can snatch, he can shoot the three ball. He's, he's great in all aspects. Shiren is looking to shoot ball. How is looking to shoot the three ball. Although how's we Saw how the other night he put the ball on the floor and got to the city.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Letting it go. But when those big two. I believe if, if everybody plays their best basketball in the Eastern Conference, if everybody plays to their capabilities, I don't believe a team can beat the Boston Celtics. That's just me, Joe. You might think Detroit can do it. You might think the Knicks can do it. You think the Cavaliers. Now, I don't think there are no unbeatables in the Eastern Conference. I don't think Boston's unbeatable. I don't think Detroit's unbeatable. I don't think the Cavs are unbeatable. I don't think the Knicks are unbeatable.

[Ocho]

Okay, I, I just. I just want you to clarify that. You said nobody can beat the Boston Celtics when they're on full. Out of the east, you meant. Yes, out of the East. Okay.

[Joe Johnson]

I think if everybody plays their A game in the Eastern Conference, right. I think Boston's the best team in the Eastern Conference. That's just me. Joe, what do you think? I totally agree with you.

[Uncle Joe]

Now, if Tatum wasn't back, I wouldn't, I wouldn't say that. But since Tatum has came back and obviously it was question marks because we didn't know how he was going to look coming back, you know, in such a short time and it's such a short stint. Go ahead, Ocho. What you got.

[Ocho]

Hold on, hold on, Uncle Joe. You heard what y' all just said. What y' all said if Tayden didn't come back, y' all wouldn't steal the faint. Still feel the same way about the, the Celtics?

[Uncle Joe]

No, I wouldn't.

[Joe Johnson]

No, because, because everybody else got two guys that can go off, okay? Everybody and Cat can go off. You got Harden and you got Donovan Mitchell can go off. You got Cade Cunningham and you got Duran can go off, Okay? I. I know those are guys that have been all Stars, that have been all NBA selection players. With Jason Tatum back Now, you got JB and JT. Both guys have been Eastern Conference MVPs. JB has been an MVP of the Finals. And, and you have guys, those role players. Now, I believe the Boston Celtics have the deepest bench. Oh, no, Quack. When you look at what they have, they got Pritchard, they got Charman, and they got other guys. I think they have the best bench. And those two proven guys, JB and JT are the most proven come playoff time based on what they've done, getting to NBA Finals and winning an NBA Finals, okay?

[Ocho]

But, but I have a question though, Uncle Joe. Listen, before J.T. came back, let's look at what the Celtics were with just Jaylen Brown at the helm, holding the ship, steering the ship, keeping that ship afloat. Before Jason Tatum came back, the goddamn CEL was still seconded.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Yes.

[Ocho]

So you still, you still don't, you still don't have confidence in them still being able to do come out the east if they were already second and Jason Tatum wasn't.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, I saw, I saw them last year. They were number one seed and got what, and got. What happened with JB and JT and what happened. They was Luther. And people look at like, well, JT went down, they was getting smoked before he got put down. The Knicks was kicking the ass.

[Uncle Joe]

And, and when you look at it, Ocho, it's. If you just got JB out there by himself with no Tatum, man, you can kind of, you can kind of. Yeah, you can load up and control the game, double him on picking rolls, double him when he cross half court and make these other guys beat you. Now when you got two guys who could go for 40, 50 points on any given night, now you got your hands full, you know what I mean? He got plenty of help. And you know JB a two way player, bro. So he gonna expand a lot of energy on both ends of the court.

[Kaden McDonald]

Energy.

[Uncle Joe]

So yeah, yeah, he ain't gonna. His game ain't just predicated off making shots, you know what I'm saying? He gonna be disruptive defensively. He gonna, he gonna be in a passing lane, he gonna get steals, he gonna pick you up full court. But he can only do all of that if he has another counterpart who he know he can, he can rely

[Joe Johnson]

on, which is Jason T. Somebody that can help carry the load on offense.

[Uncle Joe]

There you go.

[Ocho]

Right?

[Joe Johnson]

Because you got to realize if they're playing, if they're playing Cleveland, he's going to have to take James Harden to Donna Mitchell, Derrick White's going to take the other. But he's got to take one of those. I think he's probably going to have to. Do they put, the question is, do they put him on Cade or do they put JB on Cade?

[Uncle Joe]

I think they, I, I mean, they're

[Joe Johnson]

White, so he's gonna have to, he's gonna have to do something with one of those. And so when you're dealing with and Bronson, you to probably put Derek White on Brunson to try to tire him down, but you probably have to miss, you know, run, you know, do some different things. Because I think the thing, once you get to this level, those guys, you can't give a guy a steady diet of anything.

[Uncle Joe]

Right?

[Joe Johnson]

The ability, it's like medicine. If you continuously take a dose of medicine, you'll build up a resistance to it. And you got to take stronger and stronger doses of it. If you throw these great players the continuous same look and have a guard, God, guard them the same way. These guys too good. That's just like a guy would line up like the Ray we played the Raiders. Raiders or Kansas City, you already know what they're gonna do, what they gonna do.

[Ocho]

Ocho, right here in your face, man to man. They ain't going nowhere.

[Joe Johnson]

You go into the huddle, they telling you the defense they like, nah, I got you. And he got him. They play you man football, Joe. You got that, man.

[Uncle Joe]

Hey, look, but you know that's how JB gonna play if they play against Cleveland. He gonna guard James Harden, he gonna pick him up full court, kind of like he did Luca in the finals that year and kind of wear him down. Yes. You know what I mean? JB understands, he understands his road to the T, bro. He know offensively, you know, he gonna give you anywhere from 22, 35 a night. That's just, I know that's a big gap, but anywhere from 22 to 35 a night. But he's also gonna make it hell on one of your toughest offensive players, you know, Meaning picking him up full court the whole game. And then by the fourth quarter, hopefully he didn't die down a little bit. You didn't wore him out. So.

[Joe Johnson]

Right.

[Uncle Joe]

Boston got a good strategy, bro. I, I like Boston. Would Tatum back looking, looking the way he's looking you. You.

[Joe Johnson]

But that's, that's the luxury of having Joe two guys. Because if you go back and look at the Bulls, what did they have? They had a 6 foot 7 long arm defender that could guard anybody from Magic to Isaiah to Gary Payton to Kevin Johnson, it did not matter. And so Clyde Drexler, so Jordan could take somewhat of a break on defense. Kobe, who did he have? He had B. Shaw, he had Rick Fox, he had Meta LeBron, he had Shane Battier, or he had original Jefferson or he had Junior. So when you, when you have someone that's like, okay, they got defenders over there. Now there have been times that look, he just had to deal with kd. He had to deal. He had, at some point in time in the fourth quarter, he got a deal with KD or some point in time, in the fourth quarter, he got to deal with Kawhi. That's just the way it is when the rubber needs to meet the road. Hey, I. I appreciate what y' all been doing. Thank you very much. But I'm gonna take it from here.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

And. And I think that's the luxury that the Celtics have that very few teams have. They. I mean, they got. They got guys that can score, but you got a Derrick White and you got a JB that. That has no problem taking the tough defensive assignment because they understand, let me put. Do all we can. And they'll trade off. Hey, you'll see Derrick White try to deal with Harden. You'll see JB try to deal. Try to slow down Mitch and vice versa to keep them giving them different looks. Hey, guess what? We're traveling. We'll blish it. We want to get the ball out. Hey, we're going to make some. Make it, swing it. But it's gonna be a great. It's gonna be a great matchup to see what. I'm gonna see how this thing shakes out when it's all said and done, because we. We kind of know, like the top four. We'll see what Orlando can do, we'll see what Toronto can do and see how this thing plays out at the bottom. I think this year I would have a little bit more confidence had Von Carroll played a little bit better and they had Wagner then throughout the entirety of the season. But they haven't. They kind of been up and down all year long. Toronto's kind of been the same. Toronto's gone on a stretch where they've won six, seven games in a row, and then all of a sudden, they fall by the wayside. But they still got bi. They got Scotty Barnes. They got guys that can, you know, that can. That can do a little something. But I'm still. I still say if everybody plays their A game, I think Boston is the best.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, you're right. I mean, even. Even if you look back on those Bulls teams, especially in 91, when is that when they played the Lakers. Magic now. And the Finals.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. You look if.

[Uncle Joe]

If you go back Ocho, and you watch The Bulls in 91, when they played the Lakers in the Finals, Watch how Jordan.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Yes, sir.

[Uncle Joe]

And Scottie Pippen guarded Magic Johnson, bro. They picked him up full court and they made. They wore him down, bro. And that's the same. Yeah, same thing that. That Boston has right now with Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. You know what I'm saying? They they understand. They roll. They understand. They both pack a punch offensively, but defensively is where they got to hang their head and were ultimately, you know, they're gonna be able to win ball games. Because If I'm scoring 30 and I'm giving up 30, hell, that's a wash. You know what I mean?

[Joe Johnson]

That ain't what they want.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, that ain't what they want.

[Joe Johnson]

Well, if you remember, Joe, in game one, Jordan tried to guard Magic. They won. They won game one. The Lakers won game one. Yeah. Then put Magic.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Pippin on Magic. Imagine Pippin picked him up full court. Because now we got somebody that's six foot seven, that's long limbs.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

See, if athletic is. Jordan is. You got to realize magic's still 6, 9, and magic had to be. At that point in time, Magic had developed that baby. So now he gets you down on the block. Yeah. You had his mercy, and they still had big game James Worthy. So it was. It was. And. And it's like, you know what? Hey, Scotty. Because Scotty didn't realize that he wasn't going to have. Have to handle the offensive load. You're asking Jordan to exert a lot of. To take their best player on one end while still giving you the same production on the other end.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, that's. That's a. That's. That's an awful.

[Kaden McDonald]

It is.

[Uncle Joe]

It is. Those guys were determined back then, man, they was gonna make it happen. They was gonna do whatever they had to for sure.

[Joe Johnson]

And then. And then, you know, you. You had Ron. No, Ron was in the second one, but you had no Grant, so you had another defender. And so that's what normally the really good teams do. They have multiple defenders. That's what makes OKC so good. Yeah, they've got three, four, five wing defenders that they can throw at you. They just keep running them. They just keep running them at you. Hey, eventually you're gonna wear down. Ain't no way you're gonna be the same.

[Uncle Joe]

No, sir. You're right. Okay. See, that's. That's definitely how they play. That's how they played over the past, I would probably say three years,

[Joe Johnson]

they've

[Uncle Joe]

been consistent with that. Although those guys can score the ball, they know in order for them to win, man, they got to sit in that chair and guard that ball, you know? And they do it. They do it with the best of

[Joe Johnson]

them taking a 10.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Why are we trying so hard?

[Joe Johnson]

So I can breathe. Why do you need to breathe? So I can think if I can breathe.

[Ocho]

If I can breathe, I can think, I can think. If I can think, if I can think, then I can win.

[Joe Johnson]

League Luckiest Rated R now playing in theaters.

[T-Mobile Customer]

We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.

[T-Mobile Store Employee]

Well, you're gonna take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.

[T-Mobile Customer]

How is there signal out here?

[T-Mobile Store Employee]

T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.

[T-Mobile Customer]

Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?

[T-Mobile Representative]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out plus our five year price guarantee. And now T Mobile is available at US Cellular stores in hermiston Best Mobile Network Based on analysis by Ooklo spetest intelligence data second half of 2025 bigger network the combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

Snoring Gasping during sleep? Feeling fatigued? Wake up to Zepbound Tirzepatide, the first and only FDA approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Zepbound is an injectable prescription medicine that may help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity to improve their osa. Zebound should be used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Zebbound is approved as a 2, 0.8.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 or 15mg injection. Zetbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other Tirzepatide containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Do not share needles or pins or reuse needles. Don't take Zeb bound if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes, depression or suicidal thoughts before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing pregnant, plan to be or taking birth control pills. Taking zepbound with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor, call 1-800-545-5979 or visit zepbound.lilly.com Zepbound and its delivery device base and Quickpin are registered trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly Co. Its subsidiaries or affiliates the thing about AI for business?

[IBM Representative]

It may not automatically fit the way your business works. At IBM, we've seen this firsthand. But by embedding AI across hr, IT and procurement processes, we've reduced costs by millions, slashed repetitive tasks and freed thousands of hours for strategic work. Now we're helping companies get smarter by putting AI where it actually pays off, deep in the work that moves the business. Let's create smarter business IBM Happy Earth Month.

[Garnier Representative]

Garnier is proudly partnering with the National park foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Garnier's support of the National Park Foundation's Service Corps program is enabling young adults and veterans to help care for and enhance the national parks that we all love. The National park foundation and Garnier are proud to support these individuals as they explore future careers, gain practical field skills, develop confidence as leaders and help address priority projects across our national parks. Together, Garnier and the National park foundation are committed to a shared vision of preserving and protecting our most treasured places for future generations. Want to lend a hand? Explore Garnier's partnership with the National park foundation and learn how you can help support support our national [e-mail] NPF

[Joe Johnson]

Kevin Durant scored 29 points as the Rockets beat the 76ers 113 to 102 for the eighth straight win. Philly was missing Joel Embiid after he had an appendectomy, and the 76ers, who's fighting for a playoff spot, will be without Embiid indefinitely. He had surgery in Houston on Thursday after being stricken with appendicitis overnight. The Sixers have lost three straight and dropped into a tie with Charlotte for the eighth seed in the East. Joel Beat is just like, you know what? He might as well just call him Slip Rock. I don't know if Y' all remember the cartoon slip rock with. Every time he come around, bad stuff just start happening.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey, that. That appendectomy. That. That's not.

[Joe Johnson]

That's not.

[Ocho]

You're not out that long with that, though, huh?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. You want to be there for a minute, boy, they got to go inside and get them things up. Damn. That's your appendix. Yeah. They open you up, O. Joe.

[Ocho]

Yeah, I know they open you up, but I'm just saying, the time that he has to miss, obviously, he'll be. He'll be back. It's not.

[Joe Johnson]

I mean, not probably a week.

[Ocho]

Okay. That's not bad. That's not bad. That's not bad. Long as it's not a significant amount of time, especially with him, you know, getting ready for the playoffs.

[Joe Johnson]

I think the thing is, though, Ocho, is that Joe, is that. Seem like every time. This time of year is something. Yeah. You remember last year, it was his knee, and it's been his knee, and it's been his back, and it's been his ankle. And like I said, I've never seen anybody with the only per. The only people that I've seen with more stomach issues than Joel and beat his babies. I ain't never seen nobody have issues like him. It's. It's something. I don't know. I don't know what's going on. And I. You know, I'm saying that tongue in cheek. But he's had issues with his stomach before. Appendicitis. There's nothing you can do, right? I heard it's very painful from people that have had it. It's like, oh, bro, they got you a. If they have you doubled up and clearly you. You do emergency surgery. But it's just like. It's one thing after another. I don't know. I'm trying to think that the time maybe once in his career that he's entered the postseason and he's been healthy in his career, and he's been in the league 10. 10 years. One time of all those years. Cause we see what he. Boy, when he's healthy, the regular season.

[Ocho]

Well, he had. He had to deal with.

[Joe Johnson]

Wait, that joke alone.

[Ocho]

Hey, hold on, Uncle. Has there been a season. If he's been in the league 10 years, I'm not sure how many years he's been in the league. Has he had a complete season where he's been able to play 80, 82 game season, or is he two games

[Joe Johnson]

and he ain't gonna never play 82 games? There was a couple of seasons. Ocho, where. And Joe, when you remember that he was having MVP caliber year, he ended up winning one, that he was playing probably 68, 70 games.

[Ocho]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Joe Johnson]

But. But then come playoff time knee. Because remember last year he was like, what was it last year or two years ago that he was like, barely get. That might have been. Was that last year might have been. Last year might have been two years ago that he was like 30, looked like he's about 40. Yeah, yeah, but when he's. But when. Look when he's healthy and that's a big win. And that's probably why, you know, they haven't enjoyed the success that they love that they, that they wanted to have even when Harden was there because he couldn't stay healthy. And then when they had Ben Simmons, he had some issues. And then Ben had the issue with the Hawks and they had the issue with the Hawks and they ended up losing to the Hawks in seven games. And I said it, that they're never going to be the same. It's over for them. They're going to break that team up. I said, Joel, I said, ben Simicon, for Doc to say what he said. For Joel to say what he said. I said it. I said, oh, man, you don't know what you're talking about. I said, okay. And then Philly, Philly, you may. You know, you know how Internet is. Ojo and Joe, man, they had a trash can going down this flooded and there was a trash can and people talking about this Ben Simmons. I said, oh, yeah. So it's definitely over now. The baby.

[Ocho]

And you got. You gotta try.

[Uncle Joe]

You gotta trust the process over with. Hell you talking that process. Hey, listen, and this is what I'm talking. This is what I'm talking about. This is what I'm talking about, though. When. When MB don't play, you look at Max and Edgecomb numbers, they be totally different, bro. You know.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

Embiid is a ball stopper, Uncle Ocho, meaning there is not a lot of movement. He, yeah, he gonna get you 25, 35 points a night. But the rest of these dudes around him, they ain't gonna really be doing a whole lot, you know what I mean? Because he's so stagnant offensively and there's no rhythm, there's no flow. So, you know, you got a rookie like Edgecomb who thrives in transition, you ain't gonna get many transition buckets, bro. You know what I mean?

[Ocho]

Because you saying. And be taking up space.

[Uncle Joe]

I'm saying, because he's so ball dominant. When the ball gets in his hands, it stops. It don't move. You know, he ain't moving around, setting too many picks and rolling, you know what I mean? It's just not a lot of flow and rhythm in the game.

[Joe Johnson]

So it.

[Uncle Joe]

It hurts everybody else around him. Yeah, he can score in a half court set. You know, that's what he do. Yeah, but, you know, the glaring thing is he doesn't give you. He doesn't give you much defensively, you

[Joe Johnson]

know what I mean?

[Uncle Joe]

He's spending all. He expanding all this energy on the offensive end, you know, letting you know that, look, I can still get 30 at night, you know, and we know that, but defensively, right, you don't see a whole lot of shot blocking from. You don't see a whole lot of great defense. And that.

[Joe Johnson]

That, that.

[Uncle Joe]

That's kind of got Philly behind the eight ball. So I don't expect much from Philly. I'm gonna be honest with y'.

[Kaden McDonald]

All.

[Uncle Joe]

They gonna be a first round.

[Joe Johnson]

I mean, and.

[Ocho]

And what?

[Joe Johnson]

You know, because they're in the right now. They're in the play in. Go ahead, Ocho.

[Ocho]

Now I'm gonna say, why are we on the top again? B. Right. That year he won mvp. Who was the other person that went right behind? Who was run up if I'm not. If Yoko just run up, right? And think about Joe. Think about all the things you just said about everything becoming stagnant offensively when. When Embiid is playing, right? So when you look at. When you look at Joker when he plays, what's the difference in what Joker does and what Embiid does? Being that he's a defensive liability as well. But. But still put.

[Uncle Joe]

You don't see them. You see them assist number Joish got.

[Ocho]

He's obviously. He's not the passer. He's not the passer.

[Uncle Joe]

Jo is. Jokic is.

[Joe Johnson]

If.

[Uncle Joe]

If you ask me, he's a pass first center who can score.

[Joe Johnson]

He's a look and score.

[Uncle Joe]

Who can like, you know, okay, boom. He ain't open on the cut. Y' all ain't y' all playing me one on one.

[Joe Johnson]

Okay, cool.

[Uncle Joe]

I'm just gonna go for 50 tonight. Don't even worry about. You know what I mean?

[Kaden McDonald]

Right?

[Uncle Joe]

I think Yokish IQ for the game. Ocho is just look much better, man.

[Ocho]

Hey, hold on.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey.

[Ocho]

Yoga's IQ for the game is basically like LeBron.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, correct.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, yeah. Cause when you come with the double team, he knows where you come depending on who comes. He knows where he's supposed to be. Yeah. So his man is open. That's why he throws so many passes behind his head, because he knows the man came from the weak side.

[Kaden McDonald]

Right.

[Joe Johnson]

And so he knows that whoever's in the dunker spot, whether it's Chris with Kristen Brown or whether it's Gordon or whether Strother or whether it's Peyton Watson, he knows they're there. So I can go behind my back because I know somebody's feeling from the.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, and that's just.

[Joe Johnson]

He gets that ball at the nail, he knows you can't come double him. If you do come double him. You double somebody in the middle of the court.

[Uncle Joe]

Are you crazy? Yeah.

[Ocho]

Nah, you can't do that.

[Uncle Joe]

And giving both fights, and that's just. That's just. That's just having a great feel for the game, fellas. You know, knowing. Knowing exactly where your guys are supposed to be at at all time. That's what a point guard does. Your center. Your center never really. Who never really operates like that. This is why Yoko just so great. It ain't.

[Kaden McDonald]

It ain't.

[Uncle Joe]

You know, he gonna put up a triple double, it's because he gonna, you know, he gonna do what he can. I mean, he gonna score the ball if he had to score that night. If he need to get 20 assists, hell, he gonna do that. If you need to get 20 rebounds, he gonna do that.

[Ocho]

He.

[Uncle Joe]

He gonna do whatever it takes for them to win, and that's why they've

[Joe Johnson]

been successful, and that's what makes him so unique. He's about to lead the league in rebounding and assist, and you might not ever see it again, because normally if. When. When guys lead most. Most of the time, when guys obviously lead the league in assist, it's a guard to ask a guard to lead the league in rebounding. So think about it. Now you got a center that's leading the league in rebounding, and he's going to lead the league in assist.

[T-Mobile Customer]

We're lost, and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.

[T-Mobile Store Employee]

Well, you're gonna take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.

[T-Mobile Customer]

How is there signal out here?

[T-Mobile Store Employee]

T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together. So the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn actually, can you

[T-Mobile Customer]

pull up the way to a T Mobile store?

[T-Mobile Representative]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out plus our five year price guarantee and now T Mobile is available at US Cellular stores in hermiston Best Mobile Network based on analysis by Oklo spess intelligence data second half of 2025 bigger network the combination of T mobiles and US cellular's network network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee. On talk, text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

Snoring Gasping during sleep? Feeling fatigued? Wake up to zepbound Tirzepatide, the first and only FDA approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Zepbound is an injectable prescription medicine that may help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA and obesity to improve their osa. Zebound should be used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Zeb Bound is Approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 or 15mg injection. Zetbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other Tirzepatide containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zetbound is safe and effective for use in children. Do not share needles or pins or reuse needles. Don't take zetbound if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer, bladder or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes, depression or suicidal thoughts before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing pregnant, plan to be or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepbound with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar side effects and include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-5979 or visit zepbound.lilly.com Zepbound and its delivery device, Base and Quickpin are registered trademarks, owned or licensed by eli Lilly Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates.

[IBM Representative]

So there's a lot of noise about AI, but time's too tight for more promises. So let's talk about results. At IBM, we work with our employees to integrate technology right into the systems they need. Now a global workforce of 300,000 can use AI to fill their HR questions, resolving 94% of common questions, not noise Proof of how we can help companies get smarter by putting AI where it actually pays off. Deep in the work that moves the business. Let's create smarter business. IBM.

[Garnier Representative]

Happy Earth Month. Garnier is proudly partnering with the National park foundation, the official non profit partner of the National Park Service. Garnier's support of the National Park Foundation's Service Corps program is enabling young adults and veterans to help care for and enhance the national parks that we all love. The National park foundation and Garnier are proud to support these individuals as they explore future careers, gain practical field skills, develop confidence as leaders, and help address priority projects across our national parks. Together, Garnier and the National park foundation are committed to a shared vision of preserving and protecting our most treasured places for future generations. Want to lend a hand? Explore Garnier's partnership with the National park foundation and learn how you can help support our national [e-mail] NPF

[T-Mobile Customer]

There's a lot of noise in the business world today. Leaders like you need clear insights from professionals you can trust. That's why Truist securities created Navigating beyond the Expected, a podcast built for decision makers who want clarity in a changing market. Every month you'll get expert perspectives from corporate and investment bankers who are helping clients tackle important challenges. Hear how leaders across industries are adapting to new technologies, making smarter decisions, and strengthening their ability to grow and secure critical capital. It's practical advice that cuts through complexity for leaders who need to know what's coming next. [e-mail] Beyond Podcast. That's T R U I-S-T.com Beyond Podcast Copyright Truist Securities Incorporated Member Finra and

[Joe Johnson]

SIPC all right, we got a very special guest joining us. He's a 6 foot 2, 326 pound projected first round pick, a unanimous All American, a Big Ten defenses lineman of the year, Outland Trophy finalist, a first team all Big Ten, two time academic all Big Ten. Here he is, Kaden McDonald. Kate, what's going on man?

[Kaden McDonald]

What do you do?

[Uncle Joe]

What's happening man?

[Joe Johnson]

Thanks for joining us, bro.

[Ocho]

K.M. k.M.

[Uncle Joe]

What's good?

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, man. Ocho, man, the goat. Hey, Joe. Joe from Arkansas, man. I'm from Arkansas, too, man. Yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

What's happening, bro?

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, did you.

[Uncle Joe]

Didn't you come. Didn't you grow up here in Atlanta, though?

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kaden McDonald]

I was from Texark, Canada, though. I was born in Texarkana.

[Uncle Joe]

Okay.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

Okay, wait. Well, I knew something about you, boy. You good people as you, man. Oh, yeah?

[Kaden McDonald]

I got one question, Joe, man, Why I couldn't get an NBA championship, man.

[Joe Johnson]

What you mean, why?

[Kaden McDonald]

For the Hawks, man. I grew up a Hawks fan. I couldn't get one.

[Uncle Joe]

Oh, man, come on, come on, come on. Don't act like that now. Don't act like that. Hey, we go. Hey, hey. I'm gonna make sure they get one here soon, though. Don't even worry about that. Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

What. What high school did you go to?

[Kaden McDonald]

I went to North Gwinnett. You know, Sawanee. No, we. Gwinnett County. Gwinnett county got the best football. So all the dogs come out there.

[Uncle Joe]

Okay, yeah, they.

[Joe Johnson]

They. They have. Gwinnett county has really. They've really built up all those schools out there because they've really gotten. And now you got Buford out there. You got, you know, all those big time schools out there. Because it used to be. It used to be south. It used to be the Val Dawsons, the Tiff Counties, the Warner Robins. All those schools were big. Now y' all just done took Lyons County. Wait, you guys took over now?

[Kaden McDonald]

Hold on, hold on.

[Ocho]

Kaden said some dogs come out of there. I need to hear names of some of the dogs that came out of that school.

[Kaden McDonald]

Oh, this we got. See, we're gonna start. We're gonna go old school. We're gonna go C.J. ozuma, new school. We had Josh Downs, Barrett Carter.

[Ocho]

Okay, okay.

[Kaden McDonald]

Big bro, Jaden McDonald, man, all American.

[Ocho]

Wait, all them. All them from LA?

[Kaden McDonald]

Well, the whole Gwinnett County. We got Caleb Downs, Travis Hunter, Autumn boys.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, yeah. Okay.

[Ocho]

I ain't know that. I ain't know that. I like that. I like that.

[Kaden McDonald]

You know.

[Joe Johnson]

All right, what, what, what click for you this year? You. You're all American, obviously. 3, 6, 2, 326 pounds. You can do a lot. Get you twitchy, can collapse the pocket, can rush the quarterback, can stop the run. What clicked for you this year? What. What was it about this year? Do you say? You know what? I got all this. You put it together. So make a long story short. You put it together. What, click?

[Kaden McDonald]

And I'll just say, man, opportunity. I got a chance to know. Make something happen, you know, I had like 13 games. You know, like every play I treated like opportunity. You know, one day I want to be on that cover. So it just like, it's that mentality, you know, I'm on the field, you know, I got the black face going. You know, I'm on it.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kaden McDonald]

I'm all the way in it.

[Uncle Joe]

Locked in.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, for sure.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey, hey. So far, right, obviously having a great season this year with Ohio State. The process, obviously your childhood dream is wanting to make it to the NFL. How has the process been so far? Has it been everything you dreamed of to date that you thought it would be before you even made it?

[Kaden McDonald]

But I'll just say, yeah, for sure, man. You know, when you a kid, especially coming from Arkansas, ain't none but one gas station. You know, growing up, man, just. No, it's a dream come true, you know, we ain't. I ain't never dreamed about this when I was a kid. You know, he was just living.

[Ocho]

No, okay, okay.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know, growing up, man, it was just. We played ball. No, I've been playing since I was four, so. Man, this has been my life.

[Uncle Joe]

No, hey, hey, hey. Tell me something. What's your plans for the draft, man? You plan on going down to Pittsburgh for the draft?

[Kaden McDonald]

Like, hey, man, I'm gonna have that big Cuban on. I got my little one on right now, but double bracelet, popping it.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, put that thing on.

[Kaden McDonald]

Whole family gonna be there.

[Uncle Joe]

What kind of watch you gonna have on? What kind of watch you gonna be wearing?

[Joe Johnson]

2 tone apart.

[Ocho]

Listen, I got, I got one more question. I got one more question. Obviously there are certain players that you watch it the next level. I'm sure there's some players that you aspire to be like or that you look up to. Who do you compare your playing style to? And who are players in the NFL right now that you look up to and say, you know what? I want to make my mark or leave my mark like they did.

[Kaden McDonald]

So I like, I'll be like, you feel me? I like physical defensive tackles, man.

[Ocho]

Yes, sir.

[Kaden McDonald]

Like me, I don't really. I look at other NFL players, but no, my game is special. Like, you see me on the field making these plays, you know, I had 65 tackles from the head up nose position. Ain't nobody doing that. I'm trying to make my own mark, you feel me? Yeah. But I say like, man, Aaron Donald, Cam Hayward, you know, he came out of PC Ridge.

[Joe Johnson]

That's. That's who I was. Probably Cam Hayward, because he He's a guy that plays like he can play the. He can play the tilt, he can play the under. Most of the time he lines up, he's the, can be the three. I mean, the head up the nose, he can be the three, he can be the five, he can be the defensive end. He's multiple, but he's feeling.

[Kaden McDonald]

I got a question. Hey, I got a question for you. Hey, what's your superstition on like the game day? Like, what's one thing you got to do on the game day that you ain't tame?

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, man, I was very superstitious. And once I started this, even when I went to Baltimore, the trainers, I told the trainers, obviously I have my pad, you know, double sided tape on my pad that's in there in my locker. I need three packs of Big Red. I need probably like six.

[Kaden McDonald]

Oh my God, I need three.

[Joe Johnson]

I need three blueberry cake donuts. I need long. I need long lineman socks that I'm gonna get take out my locker and I'm gonna go give them back to the equipment guy and get running backs. I get taped, I get a regular routine tape job to go out there, and then I come back in and I get re taped again. But I get it taped to my skin. Yeah, I do the same thing, you know, I go stand on the road. Okay. I would go stand, I would press the elevator and I would go stand in front of the elevator door that I thought was gonna open. And I had to do that until I got it right. So if it's three, four elevators, I'm gonna press it and I'm gonna go stand in front of one that I think's gonna open. And once that door open that I'm standing in front of. Oh, we played in trouble.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, I already know what you was on.

[Joe Johnson]

Give him that work. Hey.

[Ocho]

Hey. Okay, you. You had superstitions, you had a routine that you followed?

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah. Oh, no, I just. No, my superstition, like now I was big in my faith. So like every before, before every game, no, I'll just open up the Bible, I'll pray first and like whatever scripture comes up and I'll just read it. And like. Yeah, it's like, it's a different, It's a different meaning, like to me when I read and I read in like just words and like, just words, like strength, you know, God got you things like that.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Kaden McDonald]

Like it always comes for tuition, like in real life. And like I just forever been doing it, you know?

[Ocho]

Yeah. It's so funny.

[Joe Johnson]

Why Ohio State. That's why. Ohio. What's up? You got Georgia. You got. Baby, you got all them schools and you go. You leave Georgia. I mean, you leave the eight and go way to Ohio, man.

[Kaden McDonald]

You know, this. Wait, this draft, man, we got five guys in the first round, man. Hold on. I got to give a special shout out to all the five, man. We got Caleb, man, here. If you ain't here, Carnell, Arvel, Sonny. Them boys, man, them boys some dogs, but they. We develop, man. It's a real development. Yeah, yeah, you know, prepare you every day. You train like a pro. No nutrition. You gotta be like a pro. You got to be accountable every day on and off the field.

[Joe Johnson]

I like them.

[Ocho]

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. You said. You said one word. You said. Well, I heard. I heard a word that I hear all the time. You said nutrition. Now, when it comes to nutrition, what your diet look like, what you eating? What they telling you to eat?

[Kaden McDonald]

Like I said, man, I'm big in that seafood, man. I'm a seafood secret, you know? Hey, shout out to man. Seafood secret, man. I'm a big salmon guy. I love me some salmon, okay? Especially, I'm superstitious, man. I eat the same thing the whole week, man. On a Tuesday, I go salmon Wednesday, Chipotle Thursday, we gotta go.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, we gotta go Big Mac.

[Kaden McDonald]

Shout out McDonald's.

[Ocho]

That's what I'm talking about. You know what? See, simple. Just because of that, I'm telling you right now. I'm telling you right now, boy, you're gonna be great. You're gonna be great for the simple fact. Hey, listen, you. You, not you. You eating healthy, but obviously you, you. You. You going. You going other places, too. Like, you know, McDonald's. Was me, I was. I wasn't superstitious, but I had McDonald's every game. I still eat it today, and I think that's the reason for my success. And you, you don't get hurt often. You know why you don't get hurt, hurt often? It ain't the salmon. It's not your nutritionist. It's the fact that you eat Big Macs. That's. I'm telling you, that's what it is.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

How much you weigh, bro?

[Garnier Representative]

Three.

[Kaden McDonald]

What, like, 325 right now. Solid.

[Ocho]

Oh, that's life.

[Uncle Joe]

That's life. When I watch you on the field, are you so nimble? So you carry that weight so well. How's your training regimen? Like, how you getting them? Like, is football the only sport you ever Played, bro.

[Kaden McDonald]

Man, you gotta. You gotta really look me up. You gotta do your research. Man. I've been hooping since I was five, man. Yeah, I wanted. I really wanted to become. I really wanted to become like you, man. I used to go to the game, I see Joe Johnson, you feel me? Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford. Yeah, man, yeah, all that. But nah, I played. I was a multi sport athlete. You know, in high school, I played running back. I had like 500 yards, 12 touchdowns, and I was a dog.

[Ocho]

Damn.

[Garnier Representative]

Okay.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, you told that pig, huh?

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, for sure.

[Joe Johnson]

But see, you see what happened, K, when you start eating the Big Macs, you grew out of running back position. See, if you gave up the Big Macs and kept eating salmon, you'd have been a running back. You'd have been Jamir Gibbs, but you'd have been dead.

[Kaden McDonald]

What would be my nickname if I was a running back?

[Uncle Joe]

They'll call you Big Mac. Big Mac? Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Because you've been running over people. Yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah. Your name be Big Mac.

[Joe Johnson]

You'd have been running. You'd have been running. Hey, so what position you playing? Basketball. When you the point, you the center. You. Hey, you too.

[Kaden McDonald]

I did it. Oh, man, I'm like point guard, man. I gotta facilitate the offense, man. Run through me.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, you have to run through me. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Could you dunk?

[Kaden McDonald]

No, I was. I was a floater. I'm floaters. There you go.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, you. Oh, you let the.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah,

[Kaden McDonald]

I like it.

[Joe Johnson]

I like it. So, I mean, obviously, as Ocho asked you to say, you know, this was a lifelong dream. You grew up, you know, playing in Texas, Arkana, and later moving to Atlanta and then playing the game of football you played at jv, Pop Warner, jv High school football, college football. Now everything that you had is right there. We're two weeks. We're basically. We're two weeks away. Yeah, we're two weeks away from the draft. Two weeks. And everything that you had hoped for and you dreamed about, you prayed about. You said you're a man of faith and it's about to happen. Have you thought about in that moment, are you going to get emotional? Are you going to think, you know, like, damn, mom, we did it, bro. So we. We here now. We.

[Kaden McDonald]

Man, I think about that every day. It's getting closer. We two weeks away. No, just. Just like the whole life, my whole life, man, I just. I felt like the underdog. And, you know, I finally get to celebrate with the people that's the closest to me, you know? Mama. No, mama. No, I got big bro, sister, auntie, all the fam from Arkansas coming.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Kaden McDonald]

So, yeah, my best friends from Georgia. No, it's going to be. It's going to be a good night. And just all the work I put in, it's a lot of sacrifices you got to make. I know as a kid, like, back at home, that's looking up to me. So, you know, I got to make that happen so they can do the same thing I'm doing. And that's my motivation.

[Uncle Joe]

That's what's up. Hey, hey, K, mate. One thing I'm gonna tell you, bro. I know you probably working your butt off right now because, you know, you. You about to, you know, approach a lifelong dream. The one thing I'm gonna tell you, bro, keep that dog mentality even. Even when you get drafted, even when you get that, like, never let your foot up. You know what I mean? Keep working hard, bro. And I always remember, you know, never lose that discipline that you have now. You know, the workouts that you got to go through, how you eat, man, when you get in the NFL, bro, don't let up, bro. Don't let up.

[Kaden McDonald]

For sure, you.

[Joe Johnson]

You sure hunger. Because a lot of times what happened is that they. Okay, my lifelong dream was get to the NFL. Well, now, because you. You. This is not. This is not the destination. This is the journey. Your destination is once you're done with your career. So that. That same drive and determination that you got up every. And trained for in high school and what you did in college, because the scouting report said you're a striker, which lets me know you great with your hands. And you'll feel. You're like, I'm physical. And the one thing I know about Matt Patricia, and he knows how to come up with the. The run game. You got to be great with your hand. You try to get up on the line, back a little bit. Oh, you're right here.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah. Coach Matt Patricia, you know, he. He put a lot on my back this year. And there's all. It's one thing he always be telling me he'd be strong in the middle, you know, that's where it starts, man. You know, that's where it's gonna. That's where it's gonna end.

[Ocho]

Everything.

[Kaden McDonald]

And I just took it personal each game, you know, now we here draft. So, man, it's a blessing, you know?

[Ocho]

Yeah, you. You go. You gonna be all right. You know, I know you're gonna be all right. Cause I asked you who you compare yourself to, who you is the people that, you know, you inspire to be like. And you said, nobody do it like you. You said, nobody do it like you. That let me know you going in with the right mentality, the right mindset, and you can make on your own name for yourself. So go in there, cause some goddamn havoc. Talk a little too. Don't be scared to talk no. Talk a little too. Let them know you here. You know, I've arrived, so. Man, I wish you nothing but success, young bull. And maybe, shoot, we might end up in Cincinnati.

[Joe Johnson]

Well, it looks like the Bears, the Vikings, Buffalo, Houston, and Pittsburgh have all been labeled possible land.

[Kaden McDonald]

Where you get that from?

[Joe Johnson]

Their preference are you just.

[Kaden McDonald]

Where you get that from?

[Joe Johnson]

My source, but don't worry about it. You say, do our homework, do our research.

[Ocho]

My source.

[Joe Johnson]

You tell us to do our homework, we do our homework.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah.

[Uncle Joe]

Hey.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, so. So you don't. You don't been to a few of these places?

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, I've been to a couple not. I met with pretty much every team, you know.

[Ocho]

Yeah, you met. You met with Cincinnati on Monday.

[Kaden McDonald]

I am.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

It's a beautiful. It's a beautiful place over there.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, I'm in Foxborough right now.

[Ocho]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Oh, okay.

[Ocho]

Okay, okay.

[Joe Johnson]

So let me. Let me ask you this, okay? They come in and they say, you know what? Hey, Matt, Big Mac, what type of player we get? Tell me what.

[Ocho]

I'm.

[Joe Johnson]

I'm a jerk. Hey, I'm the gym. I'm. I'm in charge of personnel, and I'm doing all the hiring, I'm doing all the draft. And I come in and sit down, I'm saying, hey, Tim, what type of player we get, bro?

[Kaden McDonald]

It's only like three words, man. Day one, impact. Day one impact.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, that's it.

[Kaden McDonald]

Yeah, they want to impact. That's all I. That's what I. That's what I really say to the gms. And they. They know for sure.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, cut the tape on.

[Ocho]

That's it.

[Joe Johnson]

That's another three words. Curtain tape on me. Tell me what you see. Tell me what you see when you see me. Tell me what you see.

[Kaden McDonald]

You know. You know, you got. You don't have to say too much. You don't got to tell them a story. They already know who you is. They already did their background check on you.

[Joe Johnson]

Right?

[Kaden McDonald]

So you can't lie to them. You just tell them straight. That's how I be, you know?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. They don't done the hard work. They know everything about you.

[Ocho]

They don't everything.

[Joe Johnson]

They know your favorite food. They Know where you like to hang out at. They know where you like to shop at. They know your. Your dessert. They know. They already know. Oh, yeah. Oh, you got your Nazi. You got your nice little car. You got your

[Kaden McDonald]

job right now, Joe, what you drive right now, man. I know you got some.

[Uncle Joe]

Man, I ain't. I ain't got. But I got a Range Rover, bro.

[Kaden McDonald]

Oh, that's smooth. What about you?

[Joe Johnson]

Man, you know, I'm old. I gotta. I got a 2012 Range Rover and a 20 and a 2. I got a. I got a 20, 20760 BMW. I got an electric BMW, and I got that Ghost Hellcat.

[Ocho]

Cyber truck. Tesla, McLaren 720P. Lamborghini. Yeah, yeah, my Smart Car. And shoot, that. That's. That's it.

[Joe Johnson]

I just owe me a limb. Any. Owe me a limb. Hunt a limb. A limb, K. And he got all them cars.

[Uncle Joe]

He don't pay no dead. Okay, man.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey, I just. I just bought my daughter. I just bought my daughter a Tesla two days ago. So she happy. She. She hype.

[Joe Johnson]

You know what I'm saying? He doing all this stuff. Hey, look, Cat, man, what you do? What you do? I mean, you. Have you ever lived somebody some money, and every time you see him, he got on fresh, he got a new chain, he got on a new. He got a new. He got a new crime, he got on some new kids, bro.

[Kaden McDonald]

I'd be saying, bro, that just be crazy to me. Like, dang, you owe me that honey, man. I just. I see you with some new pants. Like, come on, now.

[Joe Johnson]

Like, man, just give me my honey back.

[Ocho]

Nah. But, hey, K. Mac, K. Mac, this is what you don't understand, right? For. For unc's sake, I owe him 11,000, right? But that's for emergency purposes only, so if you need it, just. Just crack, hit the glass and then boom.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho]

Now, he good. He good. He good. He got about 70. He just named 17 cars. What do you need about 11,000 for?

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, hey, he buying chrome hearts. You know, chrome hearts ain't cheap. He buying chrome hearts. He buying lv. He got Burberry. He got all that stuff.

[Ocho]

Hey, see. Hey, K. Mac, this way. He don't understand. I go to the boosters down here in Miami. I don't pay full price for nothing. They said they come to the barbershop. They come to the car shop. They said, everything happened.

[Joe Johnson]

We'll boost my limb.

[Uncle Joe]

Hey, hey, hey, hey, K. Mac, look, on Nightcap, bro, we. We be looking for hidden talents. And I heard. I heard that you supposed to be five. You can make some five pancakes, boy, you put it down like that.

[Kaden McDonald]

I can put it down, man. Hey, man, I got that flick of that wrist, man.

[Joe Johnson]

What?

[Kaden McDonald]

Hey, for real.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey. So you was. You chef, too, man?

[Kaden McDonald]

I do it all, man. Whatever you need. What you need me to cook for you, man, when I come see you, man?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. Oh, you on that grill.

[Uncle Joe]

Hold on.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, Mac, you on the grill like that.

[Kaden McDonald]

What type of steak?

[Uncle Joe]

How you want it cooked, man, stop playing.

[Ocho]

Hey, you know. You know. You know. You know how to cook the. You know how to cook the wagon steak.

[Kaden McDonald]

Easy, easy.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, you know, Hey, I like.

[Kaden McDonald]

I ain't gonna lie. I like. I like going out there. I like mastros, man. What's y' all steakhouse? Y' all don't do the steakhouse. Y' all

[Joe Johnson]

buttercake every time that buttercake like that. So let me ask you this. You got a lady?

[Kaden McDonald]

I don't got no lady right now.

[Ocho]

Nah.

[Joe Johnson]

I was gonna say if you had if, because. Okay, let's just say you. You meet this lady, and you are. You kicking it, and you want to. You want to bring her over and you want to cook a meal for what you cooking. What you dropping on the table, man?

[Kaden McDonald]

First of all, like I said, I'm gonna just go. We're gonna go salmon to go. Salmon, salmon, green beans and rice, man, we had to keep it, you know, healthy. You got to. You don't want to do too much.

[Joe Johnson]

What you doing for dessert, though? That was up. That's what's up.

[Ocho]

But y' all shout out, man, ain't nobody even said nothing.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, because we know what's up.

[Kaden McDonald]

Hold on.

[Ocho]

Came back. It came back. Check me out, right? Listen, you know I'm down here in Miami, right? And you know, I know a lot. Whole lot of people, right?

[Kaden McDonald]

So if.

[Ocho]

If. If you need. If you need looking for, you know, a wife, a girlfriend or something, I got some eligible people.

[Uncle Joe]

Tone of vision, baby boy.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, I was waiting on you to say that, Joe.

[Uncle Joe]

We ain't said none of that Ocho talking about. Look here. Hey, man. Hey, man, we finna live the American dream.

[Joe Johnson]

You hear me?

[Uncle Joe]

They're here. Tunnel vision, that's what we got everything over here, man. Them just distractions, homie.

[Ocho]

Hey, K. Mac, I hear what he talking about, but listen. What's the American flag without the stars? Huh?

[Joe Johnson]

You hear me?

[Ocho]

What's the American flag without the stars? What's the American flag without the strikes? Now we talk about. He talking about the American dream. Ain't no American dream without someone stay

[Uncle Joe]

locked in, K, man. Trust me, bro.

[Joe Johnson]

And you know what they read when they did the original American flag, it only had 13 stars. They added some more, so you can add some girl. Once you get about three, four, five years in the league, you can ask.

[Kaden McDonald]

Hey, I'm listening to Joe right now, man. For sure. Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, congratulations on all the success, man. You got a great personality. You're going to be very successful in this league because you have what it takes. You know what it takes? You have that. That discipline, that physicality, that desire to be great. We're gonna be watching you at Nightcap. Hey, when you get drafted, call. Call us.

[Kaden McDonald]

What?

[Joe Johnson]

Back up. We want to talk to you.

[Uncle Joe]

One more thing. One more thing. Whenever you come back to Atlanta, whenever you come to Atlanta, come holl at your boy. We do some hot yoga. I make sure I keep you right. Keep you nimble.

[Joe Johnson]

Make sure you feel me.

[Uncle Joe]

All right.

[Kaden McDonald]

That's cool. That's cool.

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.

[Kaden McDonald]

That's cool.

[Joe Johnson]

No, hey, hey, hey. Hey, Matt, Mac, me and Joe get up. We'll get at you offline. We'll talk to you later. Yeah, yeah.

[Kaden McDonald]

I got y', all, man. Hey, man.

[Joe Johnson]

All right.

[Kaden McDonald]

Hey, man, I gotta get some rest, man. I gotta get up early, man.

[Joe Johnson]

Appreciate you stopping.

[Kaden McDonald]

We're gonna tap in already.

[Uncle Joe]

All right.

[Ocho]

All right. Twin. All right.

[Joe Johnson]

Hey, check this out, guys. And here's Joel Embiid's playoff injury history. A 2018, he had an orbital fracture and a concussion. 2019, he had an illness knee tendonitis. 2020, Kovid bubble. 2021, torn meniscus. 2022, orbital fracture, torn thumb ligament. 2023, knee sprain. 2024, Bell palsy. 2026 deciders, one week before the playoffs start. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, another 25. So basically, eight of the nine years he's had something going into the playoffs.

[Ocho]

Hey, hey. Who the hell is Bill Paulsey?

[Joe Johnson]

It's a. It's a. It's a debilitating day that caused. Sometimes you see it. The Miles Crook.

[Ocho]

Right?

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. You know?

[Uncle Joe]

Okay. Yeah.

[Ocho]

Okay.

[Joe Johnson]

I think it's a neurological.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Okay.

[Joe Johnson]

Stink had it. Mark's Laurel.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah, I think.

[Joe Johnson]

No, he has Gillian Beret. He had Gillian Beret. He didn't have Bell palsy. But sometimes you see guys and they. They mouth be crooked. It's almost like it's. It. It reminds people of a symptom, like a stroke, you know? Sometimes people have a stroke.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

Speech or they have hands or something. It's kind of like that. Okay. But I don't think anybody's had that joke, got buzzed, man.

[Uncle Joe]

It's unfortunate for him too, man, because, you know, it seemed like all this really, really started happening after that MVP year, too. You know what I mean? After this MVP year, it's like everything started going downhill for.

[Joe Johnson]

Nah, Joe, he was hurt before the MVP. Yeah, I got it. 2018, he had an orbital fracture and a concussion. 2019, he had an illness and knee tendonitis. 2020 was the bubble. 2021, he had a torn meniscus. 2022, he had another orbital fracture and a torn thumb knee ligament. 2023, he had a knee sprain. 2024, he had Bell's palsy. 2026, he had appendicitis.

[Kaden McDonald]

Damn.

[Joe Johnson]

So, I mean, he. If you think about it, Joe, think about coming out of college, what was it? He'd have been the first pick in the draft if it's back. If his injuries wasn't. Yeah. So normally when you come, if you limp into a league, you limp out of it.

[Ocho]

You limp out of.

[Joe Johnson]

You limp into the season, you live out of it. Cause, you know, Joe, being injured during the season, it's hard to get help.

[Uncle Joe]

It is, bro. It's hard because the games come too fast. You know what I mean? Especially in basketball, football, you know, you make it, nurture your injuries a little.

[Joe Johnson]

A little better.

[Uncle Joe]

But in basketball, hell, if I'm playing four games in five nights, hell, I'm probably gonna have to sit out one

[Joe Johnson]

or two of them games to get yourself back, right?

[Kaden McDonald]

Damn, that's crazy,

[Joe Johnson]

man. It's tough. I, I, look, I, I've dealt with injuries. I mean, I have. I mean, I played 14 years and, you know, had some success. But, Joe, I missed. And ocho, I missed 16. I missed. I missed 16 complete games.

[Uncle Joe]

That's a season.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah, that's a season.

[Uncle Joe]

Damn, man. That's unfortunate, man.

[Joe Johnson]

That, that, that hurts.

[Uncle Joe]

That hurts Philly a lot, bro, because, you know, MB will be great in the postseason, the playoffs, because. But without him, they definitely ain't got no chance.

[Joe Johnson]

Joe, you said something very interesting. You said, like, when Joel Embiid is out, you look at Massey, Max, and you look at bj. Yes, because he called the lane up. Maxi can take you off the dribble, but Joel Embiid is right there, is explosive and beat is right there. The difference is, if you, if you notice, they rarely. If you look at where Jokic is, Jokic post up at. He always Post up. He's either at the nail or at the top. Cause and even if he ever gets down on the block, he's looking to go across court. He looking. You better not bring no double team on.

[Uncle Joe]

You're looking to pass first. You're right. And the difference.

[Joe Johnson]

Anthony Davis gave his MVP rankings. He said Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brown, Shea Gilgis, in that order.

[Uncle Joe]

In that joke.

[Kaden McDonald]

Hold on.

[Joe Johnson]

That's what that.

[Ocho]

That's at number four.

[Joe Johnson]

At number four. Wait, who.

[Kaden McDonald]

Who was it?

[Ocho]

This was. This was Ant.

[Joe Johnson]

Wimby is at 1, Jokic is at 2. Jalen Brown is 3. Shea is 4, Luca is 5.

[Ocho]

Whose list was this on?

[Joe Johnson]

That's Anthony Davis, AD, I think 80.

[Uncle Joe]

He going off the fact that San Antonio has beat okc, what, three times this year? Yeah. And that. Cause I can't see how he got Wimby in front of Shay. I don't know how you can have anybody in front of Shay outside of Yokesh. You might put jokers up there because of the Gotty numbers that he's putting up.

[Joe Johnson]

The nump.

[Uncle Joe]

Yes, outside of that.

[Joe Johnson]

Yeah. And he did a lot of this with no Aaron Gord, and he had some of this without Jamal Murray.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

And so that's why I was like. I was like, man, maybe you. We should have Jalen Brown a little higher because he did the lion share of his work without jt.

[Uncle Joe]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

And if you go back and look at okc, they were still winning even without Shay. It ain't like they drop a. Like, they dropped, like, 10 games. So if it.

[Uncle Joe]

I think when you look at it, though, OKC has been the number one seed for the past three years, fellas. You know what I mean? So that. That's saying a lot. I. I know Shay has missed some time, and they still, you know, have put up wins, but, man, they ain't going nowhere without Shay, bro.

[Joe Johnson]

He.

[Uncle Joe]

He gonna get him over the hump. So I. I think I give a little edge to Shay because of the consistency that OKC has played with over the years and obviously still being dominant, you know, having the best record this season, that means a lot. When it means a lot.

[Joe Johnson]

Yes, and it should. That's the whole. Hey, man, winning ain't everything. Well, why the hell they keep score? Why the hell. Why they keep. If it ain't everything, Ocho, why they keep recording? You tell me something. They don't keep scoring. You give an earnest report, even in business, don't you get an earnest report? So they Keep in score. So that's why it's important. Everything is important. And I say the same thing about man. Race.

[Uncle Joe]

Race.

[Joe Johnson]

Race. What? Everything's about race. We're telling them to take it off every application. Hey, well, I got it for everything. I put out what they asked me. They asked me about male and female, My ethnicity.

[Ocho]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Johnson]

So if it ain't important, take it off.

[Ocho]

I have a question. I. I know you got. I know you got a good rebuttal. What about the people that say money isn't everything?

[Joe Johnson]

People that's. People that don't have. Might not be, but everything you need requires money.

[Ocho]

Oh, that's a good one.

[Joe Johnson]

Where you living? What you driving? What you eating? You get injured? Medical. Yeah, of course. Money is for freedom. That's what money by money buys you. Freedom. That's what it is. Yep. Allows you to take care of the people that you love. Do things for them that if you didn't have it, you wouldn't be. You wouldn't be able to do what you do.

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[Joe Johnson]

What's up, cousin?

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[Joe Johnson]

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this is Danielle Robe, the host of Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, a podcast by hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts. I'm partnering with Simple Mills and I've just found my new go to Reading snack. Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers. Think of this as a quick book style review because these crackers deserve it. The premise? A snack that feels light, not heavy. Made with almond flour, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds. Nutrient dense ingredients your body can use. Not empty carbs and the taste Crunchy, classic flavors that leave you feeling energized. For a good plot twist, try Popums Cheesy, Airy, Poppable crackers packed with veggies. Final Verdict these are a shelf staple. Find simple meals at your grocery store.