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JE Skeets
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JE Skeets
Good morning, sweet world, and welcome to the no Dunks podcast presented by FanDuel. It's Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Happy NBA Finals day. I'm J E Skeets here in the classic factory and alongside me it's my top shot hot boy, Trey Kirby. Hey. And of course, making the magic happen. Super producer JD Hello. There he is. No tasks this morning, but we have a very special guest. He's the Mikhail Bridges of Survivor because you've seen him on the last 26 episodes of the show. It's the man the myth, the legend, the R I Z God. Riz God, baby. Rizzo, good morning. What's up, man?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Good morning. Guys. I gotta say, I was kind of hoping you gave me the face of the league. Wemby comparison is a good secondary option. So I'm super excited to be here, talk to you guys, talk some NBA, talk some Knicks, and most importantly, talk some Survivor.
JE Skeets
Yeah, I was pretty proud of that because like you have been on 26 straight episodes over season 49 and then season 50 of Survivor. That's sort of mind boggling.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, yeah, it's kind of been like the year of Riz God in a sense. I think it's been super fun. As somebody that grew up watching the show, wanting to play, I mean, I remember episode one of season 49. I'm talking about I want to make a legacy on Survivor and to know that my legacy lasted 26 straight episodes in the last calendar year has been pretty, pretty wild. But it's, it's been a dream come true.
JE Skeets
So here's what we're going to do for everyone joining us live on YouTube. Love to see it hit the like button. Subscribe podcast listeners, five star ratings and reviews. Everybody knows the drill by now. We're going to talk with Rizzo about his Knicks fandom, about the Finals, some hoops talk. We'll take a break and then later on in the show we'll get into a whole bunch of our Survivor questions. Oh, do the no buffs pod. We got a million questions about him playing back to back seasons of Survivor. But Rizzo, the finals tip tonight as the spurs face your New York Knicks in game one. Now we all know the orange and blue have not been in the NBA finals for a very long time. So the first question is, what was Riz God doing in 1999? Was the Riz God alive?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So the Riz God was born in November 23 of 1999, which happened to be three months after the Knicks lost to the same San Antonio spurs that we're playing this year. So it never happened. I've never seen the Knicks in the finals my entire life. So it's pretty crazy. And I'm sure that you've seen all the social media, not only myself, but everybody in New York is going ballistic right now. They're going crazy in the streets of MSG on 5th Ave. So I don't know if people can understand what the magnitude of this is. Whether we win or lose, Gotham is going to go down in buyers and I'm excited to see it happen.
JE Skeets
What are your plans for game one tonight? Are you going to be out on those streets in New York with the bingo bongs, or do you got other plans?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, no, I think the risk. God wants to make sure he has an opportunity to play a third time. So I don't see myself going out there in the streets of New York City. I'll be in the. I'll be on the couch like my fellow castmate Siree, and watching at home with some friends. Because if the Knicks win, if Jalen Brunson does something, I can't stand 20,000 microphones and people trampling on top of me in New York City. So I'll be on the couch.
JE Skeets
Fair enough. How long, I mean, have you been a Knicks fan your entire life? Like, how did you get into this? Is because of your parents or what made you a Knicks fan? Just being in the city?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah. Yeah. I think I'm a big New York homer. So all my teams are all New York based. Yankees, Rangers, Knicks, Giants. Well, I guess the Giants are in Jersey, but it's always been New York for me. And what really is funny with the Knicks, and I'll be really honest, is growing up, the Knicks have been like, terrible my whole life. Like, terrible. The first Knicks team that I started watching was like the 0809 Knicks. The Neil Gallinari, the Al Harrington, the David Lee, the Nate Robinson Knicks. And they were like, atrocious. So I'm watching the Knicks for damn near a decade where they haven't made the playoffs. We get Carmelo Anthony, which was like the best thing in my life, where we make the second round and thinking we're going to go somewhere. So I think probably up until 2018, 2019, where Porzingis was out the door, I was kind of like, you know what? Like, the Knicks are terrible. I'm going to start rooting for players. So as you can see, the Luka Doncic jersey behind me. I started following Luka. He's Slovenian, kind of in that Balkan empire, where I was like, you know what? I'm going to root for him.
JE Skeets
Sure.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So my Knicks fandom wasn't as strong as it was, I guess, till recently, until we got Jalen Brunson. But now that they're good, I can feel relevant again in saying that, go, Knicks, go.
JE Skeets
I like your honesty here. Always a Knicks fan and really on the bandwagon now. But you have some allegiances to. To players, too.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Yeah. And I do like seeing that you have the LUCA jersey next to our matching Jeff Probst Cardboard cutout. A must have for any survivor fan out there, which you are as well. You got Barrett jersey hanging there. Who's your guy on the Knicks? Now, like, who's your favorite Knick going into this spur this spurs finals?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So I have two answers to this. My favorite Nick is somebody that doesn't really play that much, and it's Tyler Kolek. I've been a big Tyler Kolek fan since he was on Marquette and he actually practices in the gym near me. So I've seen Tyler colic. I've got a couple of shots up with him. Really, really nice guy. But when it comes to really like the main rotation for the Knicks, it's got to be OG Anunoby. For me, I think the guy has embodied being clutch, which is crazy because at first I was a big RJ Barrett guy. He signed my jersey. I met him, super nice guy. And then when we traded for OG Anunoby, I'm like, dude, what are we. What are we doing? Finally we get a new young guy that's really good. We ship him off. But OG Anunoby has been the real reason why I feel like we've been succeeding in this playoff run. His defense is 3 and D play has been amazing. I mean, his series against Cleveland, he went nuclear. So I'm a big OG at an OBI guy.
JE Skeets
What about your favorite all time Nick? Or is that OG right now? Do you have like going back?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, my. My favorite all time Nick is David Lee, big Florida guy as well. So when I started watching the Knicks, David Lee was The guy number 42 on the Knicks. And I remember through and through, I was a David Lee guy until he went to Golden State. And I will forever be a David Lee guy.
JE Skeets
Okay, wow. Did not expect that answer.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Underrated Nick from like the 2010s era, putting up 20 and tens in the 2010s. But you say your RJ Barrett jersey signed. It looks like the Lucas one sign. How are you meeting all these guys?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So the Luca and RJ Barrett story is pretty funny because I got both of their signatures in Philly. I think, as every New Yorker could. If you want to get really, really close to the players, going to MSG is probably not the route you want to go because you'll be spending a couple grand. So I did what every smart New Yorker does and take the two hour drive to Philly, got courtside tickets there, and I'm sitting there like a. Like a, you know, a kid at a candy store. Like, Luca, can you sign My jersey, mind you, I'm a 25 year old grown ass man asking for a sign. And I actually have that video of me meeting Luca on my YouTube channel. So I'm like, Luca, can you sign it? And he's like, I got you brought there. And I'm like, holy, this is the best day of my life. And then same same story with the RJ Barrett. RJ was kind of a little weird because I was like, rj, I saw you on my or I seen you at my local Buffalo Wild Wings. Can you sign? He's like, you're weird. But so there are two really funny stories that I both got signatures of in Philly.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
So you're saying you're part of the the Knicks invasion in Philadelphia? You're not surprised to see him take over, what is it? Wells Fargo Center, I guess for the game four. I mean that was embarrassing for the Sixers fans, but pretty cool for the Knicks fans.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, absolutely. I think anything in the Northeast, like it's always New York Knicks takeover, maybe besides Boston. So anywhere is kind of home court advantage for us Knicks fans. I mean, I won't be surprised in San Antonio if it's like 70, 30
JE Skeets
Knicks fans, you know, I mean, yeah, maybe there'll be Knicks fans, of course, in attendance, no doubt. They're everywhere and they travel. And yeah, it's somewhat cheaper to even go to a visiting barn than it is Madison Square Garden. But 70, 30, we'll see, we'll see in game one tonight. Let's talk about the finals a little bit. I want to know because I mean you're going through all these guys you're listing. It seems like Rizzo knows ball, which we love to hear. What's the most pressing question do you think about these NBA Finals when it comes to your Knicks trying to pull off? Let's, let's be honest here. The upset, they're the underdog heading a against women. Yam and Spurs. What are like a question or two that you're sort of watching or zeroing in on?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
You know, it's very interesting because I, as somebody that's been watching the NBA playoffs, really ask myself that. I think out of everybody the spurs have faced, I feel like the Knicks are the toughest matchup for them. So the fact that we're coming in as underdogs is quite surprising to me because when I look at the matchups, I think, who on the spurs is guarding OG Anunoby? Who on the spurs is guarding Mikhail Bridges? Like the spurs put out a four guard lineup In a sense, right, you got Darren Fox, Dylan Harper, Castle, Visell. I think for me it's who is Wemby going to guard and if it is Cat, how are the spurs going to stop the Knicks? I think it would be naive to think the Knicks are going to stop Wembanyama. I think OG will do a good job to contain him. I mean we saw it in the NBA cup when the Knicks beat them, but I don't think it's smart to think we're going to shut down Wembley for seven games. My question is more for the spurs, what they're going to do to stop the Knicks. Because the Knicks are firing in all cylinders, man. I mean the Knicks are pretty much beating Everybody by like 20 plus points. I think my biggest question is will the Knicks long rest affect them heading into this game one tonight, end the series? I think that's my biggest question.
JE Skeets
Yeah, it's fair enough. This rest versus rust, we've been talking about it and then the whole knicks on the 11 game win streak and dominating teams like you said. But then you're like, is that because of the competition they're playing or are they that good? We finally get to find out tonight obviously in game one in San Antonio. How big a deal is Mitchell Robinson's broken pinky finger to you? Is this a big deal? Medium deal, small deal? What do you think?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So at first it was a very big deal because I thought Mitchell Robinson or I think Mitchell Robinson rather is going to be one of our Wemby stoppers, right? You're going to have OG on him, you're going to have Mikhail maybe on him, you're going to have Mitchell Robinson on him and obviously he breaks his finger and it's like, wow, you decided to break your finger on your rest day. Like what did you do? Probably driving this big four wheel F150 that he always does. But based on what I'm seeing on social media, obviously I don't want to believe everything I see. He looks fine. I mean he's running full sprints at the Frostbank arena and dunking the ball. So I think we'll be fine. I mean it's a broken pinky. If Kobe can play with a torn ACL or torn Achilles and shoot a free throw, I'm expecting Mitchell Robinson to put his big boy pants on and play some basketball.
JE Skeets
Did you ever get any injury out there on Survivor in your two seasons? Anything, you know, that we, we. I can't remember being shown on the
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
show, but yeah, so not an injury but season 49, it's very notorious for Jeff Pro saying it's the hottest season in Fiji. So early days, we were playing in probably 100 degree weather. Nate, from my season back in the Uli tribe when we did the wall competition where we had to raise everybody on the wall, me and Nate actually fainted after we like walked out because it was so, so hot. But I don't think the cameras were rolling. So me and Nate just like had a heat stroke. Well, I don't know if heat stroke is the right word. I guess it is where we just kind of like fainted due to the heat. So besides that, I never had any injuries, luckily.
JE Skeets
Okay, good to know. Which current New York Knicks player do you think would be best at Survivor?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Oh, that's a good question. I would probably say like somebody that's a smooth talker. So who on the Knicks is a smooth talker? I think Josh Hart is a good one. I think Josh Hart's got a lot of grit. He's kind of like that utility guy. He's the heart, no pun intended, of the team. And I think he'd kind of be the glue guy on Survivor, famously coined by Sam Phelan, the glue guy. So I think Josh Hart would probably do best. I like Deuce as well. I think Deuce is like the most likable guy on the Knicks. So I think he'd be pretty likable out on the island because the reality is you could be the best strategic player on Survivor like myself. At the end of the day, if you're not well liked by your cast, it's going to be hard for you to win.
JE Skeets
I like Josh. I think Josh Hart's a really good answer. He seems very likable and funny. Yeah, yeah.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
I mean, you know all about likability. They're already in the stream team here saying this guy's got to be a regular, how likable you are. But like, look, things weren't all gravy for the Knicks this year. They were down 2:1 after CJ McCollum hit a couple of game winners. They had that patch after winning the NBA cup where they were playing basically 500 basketball. Things changed in game four of the Atlanta series. Did you see this finals run coming for the Knicks or are you even a little bit surprised to see the way they're playing like such team oriented basketball?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Surprised is definitely the case. I will say, like every delusional Knicks fan, you always come into it saying, this is our year, this is our year. And obviously with Tatum being sidelined pretty much for the entire season. Boston's kind of out of the running. No one expected them to blow 31 lead, but I thought to myself, if we could get through Boston, we'll definitely make the finals. But the fact that we've gone through the finals and cut, steamrolled the entire Finals is kind of the crazy. So now that we're here, and I'm going to be very honest, obviously this is not wishful thinking, but I feel like this is the Knicks year. If they don't take it this year, I don't know if we'll ever see the Knicks win the finals in my lifetime. I think the team that they're playing, obviously the spurs, are very good, but the spurs are very young. You know what I mean? And if there's an inexperienced team to go at it, it's got to be the Knicks. I mean, Jalen Brunson, cat like all these guys. Oh, geez. Won the ring. Like, this is the team that can do it. And I think Jalen Brunson isn't going to take these 30 shots like how he did in years past. I think the Knicks are a lot more are. They're more deeper. I think you can rely on Kat to score. You can rely on Og. I don't know if we can rely on Mikhail Bridges yet, but obviously Jalen Brunson. I think the Knicks have what it takes to win. And I don't know if this is too early in the podcast, but I really think I got the Knicks winning in six games here. Okay, perfect timing.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Once Brunson came over, things obviously changed for New York, but there was definitely criticism at the time that this deal was too big for him. What were your thoughts on Jalen Brunson coming from Dallas to New York before you saw him play in the Knicks uniform?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, I think what's crazy about the Knicks is everybody talks about wanting to play for New York. You see so many great stars come out of New York. Aaron Judge, Derek jeter, Odell Beckham Jr. But sadly for the Knicks, we really haven't had a big name, aside from Carmelo, since Patrick Ewing. So I felt like nobody really wants to play at Madison Square Garden because the lights are too bright. And when we got Jalen Brunson, everyone you know that doesn't know ball is like, who the hell did we just give $200 million to? But if you really watched his last year in Dallas, when Luka went out, Jalen Brunson was given the Utah Jazz 30 like Jalen Brunson proved in that series that he is a player that can be the number one option. So I was optimistic because at the end of the day, we need to give money to somebody that wants to come play for us. And I was very optimistic. And it's proven dividends because ever since Brunson's come here, the Knicks have been a relevant team. And you know, obviously we play in a really crappy East. I mean, the Pacers made it to the Finals. Obviously the Celtics have made it. Not that the Celtics are crappy, but I think this is the time for the Knicks to strike, especially for a weak East. And I'm hoping that Brunson can bring it home for the boys.
JE Skeets
Yeah, look, I mean, we've been debating already where Jalen Brunson sort of falls in the greatest Knicks of all time. Would you have him on your Mount Rushmore? Rizzo, close. Like, you know, let's, let's, let's answer it that way. Who's on your Knicks? Mount Rushmore? Your top four.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So for me, Patrick Ewing. No doubt about it. Walt Clyde Frazier, Carmelo Anthony. And fourth. You could do Bernard King, you can do Willis Reed. I'm just going to go David Lee off. Personal preference. Yes, yes, yes. But if I had to go, like, you know, based on all time history, Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, Walt Clyde Frazier and Carmelo Anthony, I do think that Brunson's knocking on the door and taking Carmelo out, to be quite honest. And if he wins this ring, I think he 100% secures it. I just think what Melo has done in terms of a cultural impact for New York is kind of hard to take out. Yeah. But I think if Brunson wins it, no doubt. And especially if he secures the finals mvp, I think no doubt about it, he's on that Mount Rush. Yes.
JE Skeets
His face would be chiseled.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Maybe win Mayor if he wins a ring.
JE Skeets
Well, it may not anyone.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Donnie, better get to step in.
JE Skeets
Yeah, yeah, that's right. I mean, the best thing about Brunson, and again, we're going to see, and not like we're getting ahead of ourselves, we're going to find out here over these next four to seven games. But like, this guy is just a winner his whole life. He's a winner.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yes.
JE Skeets
He won a ton of games in high school. He won obviously at Villanova, a couple championships. And now coming to New York, he's made them into a winning franchise here and program. And obviously they got to get the final one here. But yeah, I mean everyone wants to doubt him. Oh, he's too slow, too small, Whatever, whatever. It's like the guy just wins games and obviously has an impact on the other guys around him because of his mentality, the way he approaches it that has them believe it. So I can't wait to see Vibe coding is everywhere right now, but it's not just for apps anymore. Now it's making its way into website creation. Wix has introduced Wix Harmony, a Vibe coder for websites that lets you type what you want and generate a site ready to use right away, complete with forms, payments, security and more built in. And Wix Harmony doesn't require AI for everything. You can still click and edit anything manually or select an element and have Aria, your AI agent make updates for you. You It's a smart solution to the frustration of repeatedly prompting AI just to make a small change. Try it for free@wix.com that's wix.com cash
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JE Skeets
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JE Skeets
I love that we have a generational talent here in Wembanyama versus, like this sort of like tiny Brunson and this team of destiny, some of them are calling it. I can't wait, man. I'm so hyped. And it sounds like you are too, Rizzo, for this series.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, I'm super excited, to be honest. I'm super glad it's the spurs because while obviously I want the Knicks to win, I think Wemby being the face of the league and being as dominant and an alien as he is, it is a good storybook ending as well. If the spurs, obviously I don't want that to happen, but I'm sick and tired of seeing SGA flop his way through another finals. I'm glad that Chet Holgren got exposed.
JE Skeets
Yeah.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
The ethical king, Jalen Brunson. This guy never flops.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Listen, he plays for New York, so anything but I think I would love to see the spurs or the Knicks come out top. I think OKC getting knocked down was. Was good for basketball.
JE Skeets
You're also a big WWWE guy and NHL guy. I mean, you like all sports. It sounds like. Yeah. You know, do you have a favorite in those other sport. I mean, wwe, it is a sport. I believe it is.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
It's on espn.
JE Skeets
Yeah. Who is your. Who's your favorites, you know, across some of these other sports? Sports.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So if for all my survivor people that like, listen to exit press or preseason press, I talk about John Cena, you can literally see a photo behind me of me and my girlfriend, the Liz God, meeting John Cena. John Cena is the reason why the Riz God was birthed. Was. It was born. John Cena always talked about never give up. And as somebody that grew up the way that I grew up, I always said I'm never going to give up because John Cena never grew up. He gave me the confidence to become the man, the legend, R I Z G O D. So for me, it's always been John Cena. And then when it comes to other sports for Rangers, I'm a big Artemi Panarin guy. Love Panera. And obviously we shipped him off baseball. Derek Jeter is my captain. So I would say for those, for those teams, those are all my favorites.
JE Skeets
So I mean, could we see the Riz God himself in a. In a WWE ring in the future? Because I didn't really ever think this, but like, is this Riz God Persona and the catchphrase and all that like, like inspired, like you said from John Cena.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
In wrestling, I think I would have to probably either take some steroids or put on like 50 pounds of muscle before Triple H puts me in a WWE ring. But I will say if they ever need a manager to cut a promo and I have to hurt a wrestler's feelings, I could definitely come out the man. The legend can burn some folks and I would love to do that. But in ring ability, I think I would get literally destroyed. Like if Roman Reigns speared me, I would literally go to the gulag. So I don't know if that. Well, that's in the cards anytime in the future.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Yeah, Sounds dangerous. When did you, when did you become the Riz God? I mean, growing up, you were probably Rizzo, but then eventually you became the man, the mythful legend. When did that happen?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So it probably happened around my sophomore, junior year of high school. I was around 15, 16 years old. I think for a lot of, you know, young guys, young kids, they're just, you know, going through puberty. You're like, yo, like, like you're just, you know, screaming in locker rooms and whatnot. And I think what really gave me the confidence is starting to really realize what I was doing as a young kid comparatively to all my colleagues, all my friends. You know, I did my parents taxes growing up. I helped my parents close out a real estate deal for the first time when I was 20 years old and doing all these things, all my friends are complaining. Oh man, I got to do the dishes, I got to take out the trash. I'm like, buddy, I'm raising my young brother while my parents are working two jobs to put food on the table. So while I'm talking to all my friends and everybody has a nickname, right? Like you got tk, you got jd, you got Skeets. I was just Rizzo, right? I want a cool frickin nickname. So you know, this is, you know, actually Kristaps Porzingis kind of gives the lore about this because growing up, a lot of people called Porzingis Po. Riz God or Porzing God.
JE Skeets
Yeah.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
And I was like, ah, poor Zingod Po. Riz God. Riz God. And I was like, yo, you know what? Like Riz God kind of goes with it. And then, you know, I grew up watching how I met your mother. Neil Patrick Harris was the man, that myth, the legend. And then I kind of like made it my own thing, made it my slogan. So I was the man, the myth, the legend. R, I, Z G O D Riz got baby Way before Survivor, it was my socials growing up. All my friends call me Riz God. It's kind of like the normal, like saying, you know, some people on Survivor, the reason why I'm so polarizing is like, oh, my God. Why does he call himself Riz God? He thinks he's a God. Like, no, doofus. It's an inside joke that I use to kind of hype myself up. So. And the Riz God's kind of taken off you. Whether you love me or hate me, you can't deny the passion that I have. And it's all thanks to the Riz God.
JE Skeets
Incredible. You actually, you brought up your socials. Rizzgod34 on Instagram, I believe. What is the 34 for?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So that's just the number I grew up wearing. Whether it's basketball, baseball, growing up. So. And 34. The reason why I wore that. Bryce Harper, one of my favorite guys growing up. I love the cocky attitude. Baseball phenom. He wore 34 on the Nationals. So what? That was back in 2011. So I was an 11 year old kid. I was like, I'm going to make 34 my number two. Hence, Riz got 34.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
I've seen some of your men's league highlights. We've seen you hooping with our guy, Wendell. What's the Riz Gods game like out there on the court?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I'm gonna be honest, man. I think I have a lot of shades of Luka Doncic. I think my lefty step back.
JE Skeets
You do do that play a lot.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Yeah, that's that less spam in the step back.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yes, I do spam the step back. I think I pretty good in my men's league. I averaged like 13, 14 points as the second option. I'm pretty good. Wendell did unfortunately beat me, but Wendell took it back to the 90s and took me on the low post and just kind of drove straight to me. I was fresh off Survivor a few months. I was down my normal weight. So Wendell and I are going to have to run it back. Q and I's footage should come out relatively soon whenever Wendell wants to post that. So that will be really fun.
JE Skeets
Okay. Okay. So who do you think is the best Survivor basketball player? And we'll obviously take out of the equation actual NBA players that played Survivor. Rest in peace. Clifford Robinson, but Scott Pollard, but like, yeah, who of everybody else?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Oof. I haven't had the luxury of playing a lot of my contestants. And this is an open challenge here on no dunks that if any Survivor alumni wants to take on the Riz, God, they know where to find me. We can make it happen. I will say Q, as a former D1 athlete, as a former wide receiver at Ole Miss, is pretty good. Gwendol is pretty good on his own. Right. I've heard that Jelinsky, first boot of season 46 is decent.
JE Skeets
Wow.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So I've heard some people are pretty good. But it's one thing to say you're good, actually be good. So I don't know. I would love to do like a Survivor 5 on 5 pickup, see what happens. Because one on one is also different from 5v5. I think I'm a lot better 5v5 than I am one on one. So I don't know. I think we should play a pickup game. Yeah, we should, Skeets. Like, we should see what. What happens.
JE Skeets
Yeah, we're gonna make this a reality.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
We'll gladly broadcast the Survivor 5 on 5. We'll enter our own team, the Outsiders. When you're out there on the island and are you talking NBA with anybody out there?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Oh, man. Survivor 49, I did not talk to anybody. I'm obviously famously aligned with Savannah, Sof and I. So they didn't really have anything to do with NBA or sports in general. So I would obviously make references. I actually did get a Luca reference in. And Survivor 49, if you guys remember, shot the basketball set for Luca. Nobody knew what the hell I was saying. They thought I was speaking gibberish out there. So. So I did actually talk to Nate Moore, my glorious king Nate Moore, about basketball out there. He's a big Clippers guy. So we did talk NBA very briefly. But Survivor 50, I don't know, maybe I was just so locked in. So, like, as a super fan, wanting to know about everybody and just wanting to cement my legacy, I don't think sports was ever talked there. Maybe besides me telling Q I'm going to beat his ass in basketball, even on the island. That's the only NBA talk that I really had out there.
JE Skeets
Okay, well, look, we got a lot more questions here about Survivor, but for the record, you do have Nixon six and you're going. You're going Brunson, Finals mvp. Is that fair to say?
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Or colic?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I'm actually Tyler colic. I'm putting the mortgage on it. No, I'm going to go with OG Ananovo. He's going to be the Wemby stopper. He's going to have an Andre Iguodala, Kawhi Leonard type NBA Finals MVP win where his defense really shines. That's. That's going to be my pick. Nixon 6 OG Finals MVP.
JE Skeets
Okay, I love it. I think that's plus 6,000 on FanDuel OG for Finals MVP so you can make some coin. We're gonna take a quick break and when we come back, a million questions about Survivor with the Riz God himself. Don't go anywhere. No Dunks is brought to you by fanduel. And right now, new customers can hit the court with $350 in bonus bets guaranteed. After betting five bucks for seven straight days, FanDuel is the best place to bet all on your favorite players during the NBA's biggest event. Play your game any way you want. You can can seek out individual player markets for baskets, rebounds, assists, or build an epic same game parlay for a chance at a bigger payout. That's up to you, baby. And best of all, with FanDuel, you get paid instantly when you win. So be a part of the championship moment like never before with Fanduel an official partner of the NBA. All right, if you're joining us live on YouTube, we've got the Riz God, RizGod baby himself here on no dunks talked a little hoops. Now we got to talk Survivor. Hit the like button. Subscribe if you haven't already.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
All right, so activate your mic and camera. J.D. it's time.
JE Skeets
Yeah, J.D. is going to have a lot of questions too. Let's start with that talk, like you said or alluded to, Rizzo, about, you know, your weight dropping because you played back to back seasons. For those that don't know, they film these right back to back. So you, you played season 49. You went home for what, nine or ten days and then came back for season 50 after you got the invite for this, like, legendary, huge season. First off, how much weight have you put on since you stopped playing Survivor? And then how did you look at that quick turnaround? Was it a hindrance or was it in a weird way an advantage because you were locked into the game of Survivor.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, So I lost 50, 46 to 50 pounds from the two seasons that I did. Wow. I walked. I walked in day one of Survivor 49 where I infamously cheated off the puzzle from Alex for the fights for supplies. At 174 pounds after losing fire on Survivor 50. They obviously weigh you when you get to ponderosa. I was 128 pounds, which as someone that's 6 foot 1, like pretty in shape. I looked really, really rough out there. It was crazy. And to this day, what is it? June 3rd of 2026, a year later, roughly about I am actually 173. I'm back to my normal weight. Like nothing happened. So luckily I'm all good. Nothing major happened to me. But when it comes to my turnaround, I, as a Survivor savant, know all the history and the lore with Survivor. So when Jeff gives me the call, literally before I even go home after Survivor 49 asks me to be on Survivor 50, I was like, wow, first of all, my ego is already through the roof. I made it to the final four. Had I beat Savannah on fire, I could have won. And Jeff is going to ask me. He has the audacity to ask me to play not again. But on season 50, the biggest season of all time, my, like, my ego was going through the roof. So, like, of course I'm going to do it. And I think I had a big advantage because, you know, you see people like Malcolm, Russell, Hans, Amanda, Kimmel that come back to back go very deep again. So with the way I played Survivor 49, loud, boisterous. Boisterous with this frickin idol, I thought this is going to be so, so great. And I also knew that Savannah was coming back too. So I was like, I have my number one ally coming with me too. This is like a Christmas miracle. So I think I had the advantage that A, these people had no idea how I played and B, I was already so dialed in game mode, you know what I mean? There's some people like Coach or Jenna or Chrissy who haven't played in like 7, 10, 20 years that they have to get to the groove of these things where I literally, I'm seeing the same camera crew, the same beaches, Jeff Probst who I've seen longer than I saw my own mother at that period. So, like, I'm, I'm kind of like used to everything. I'm used to the time change, I'm used to the environment. It. So I had that big advantage going into it and I think what I needed to do, which I did so well, was I just needed to survive the first one or two votes, right? Once I got past the first two votes where people were like, I don't know who this kid is, they were gonna really like me. And I. You see that with Colby, you see that with siree. So I got very lucky that they gave me a chance and it helped me go deep.
Co-host (possibly JD)
How did Liz, God, take you going back so soon? Like, you went Back for nine days.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah. You know, I wouldn't say she was pissed, but she was definitely going through it because, you know, I knew I was gonna be on Survivor. I didn't officially know until, like a month before we went out for 49, but during the casting process, it's a very long process, like eight to 10 months. When I got that first call from Jeff, like, just trying to get to know me, I knew I was like, this guy really likes the Riz God. He's digging the Riz God. So we had eight months to prepare that I was going to be on the show. So she was mentally preparing. Did I think I had a chance at 50? Maybe 5%. But that's just my ego talking. I thought I'm going to do so well on 49 that they gotta ask me back for 50, but I never thought that. So, Liz. God, and I never really prepared for that. So when I came home, I already committed to 50 without even talking to my family. They're all so happy. Oh, my God, Rizzo, you look like you are dying out there. You look so skinny. And I'm crying at the airport. I'm like, guys, stop crying because I'm leaving again next week. Survivor 50. And the emotions were flowing, but she was so happy because all I've ever talked about with her and the seven years we've been together is I'm going to be on Survivor. I'm going to be on Survivor. I'm going to be on Survivor. And the fact that I did it not once, but twice for the biggest season of all time, she was super, super proud.
JE Skeets
What did you do during those nine days back in the States, back home.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Home.
JE Skeets
I mean, we know you didn't practice fire, and we can get it. Yeah, but what else did you do?
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Yeah, you're like, let me check out. See what happened in this Nick series and see the Tyrese Halliburton shot. What?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yup, yup. It was so funny because obviously now with what happened in 50, I've gotten a lot of flack for it. And I will say I have some defense to all the claims here because ultimately what I feel like happened, granted, I went against the Goliath and Jonathan and Fire. Even if I practice fire, I was not going to beat him. But I was actually okay at fire. Like, I could spark it, I could make it. I just choked. When the lights were brightest, I went to the NBA Finals per se, and I just didn't show up. I was the LeBron in 2011. That's how I felt. So if the Riz got is out there for Fire 3.0 put the mortgage that I'm going to come back and win it.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Let's go.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
On the real Note, during the nine days, obviously I lost 25 pounds in season 49. So all I was thinking about is a, going back to play Survivor, B, I need to figure out who I'm playing against. So those nine days in terms of preparation really was just figuring out who I'm playing against, spending time with my family and just trying to load up as much weight as possible. Because one thing about Survivor that was very shocking to me is I was really bad at challenges. I thought I was going to be so good. I'm an athletic guy. I go to the gym, I'm going to do really, really well. 49 humbled me in that aspect that, that I'm not that good. So I wanted to come back in 50 and do a little bit better. And I would say, like, marginally I was like 10% better. I didn't go out first in everything that I did, but I was just focused on getting my body right, getting the weight, spending time with family and figuring out who I was playing against. I wasn't too much focused on puzzles or making fires.
JE Skeets
We had a no dunks slash, no buffs fan Lawrence. Shout out to Lawrence. He wrote in asking a sort of a question about what you're just talking about. Rizzo, he wrote, I've seen clips of you playing ball and you show coordination, agility, athleticism. Why were you so bad at the physical challenges? What are we missing as a viewer that we can't understand how difficult these challenges are? And we talked about it on no bus. We're like, this is a young guy. We know he's a Hooper. What is going on that in some of them, you know, you seem to be getting like waxed in these things. Is it what's not? What are we not getting? Or is it just like the nerves of the challenge changes?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So I will say I do have a little bit of an excuse when it comes to my Survivor career because I have never, ever gone to Tribal council without an idol in my pocket. So I kind of always had that background safety net. So I will say Survivor 49, there was a lot of endurance challenges, a lot of lower body, and I'm going against Savannah, who does pilates and who's like a beast in these things. Things. So a lot of the reason why I did so bad, granted, I was never going to win those. I'm not defending myself Being starving, being hungry, and as somebody that didn't eat the coconuts out there, that didn't eat the fruits that are on the trees, I literally was going 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 days without consuming anything. So my energy levels were already super, super low. But when I realized that, oh, my God, I'm about to go against Savannah and Stephen Ram in an endurance competition, I am not winning in this, this. So why exert all this energy if I'm not going to win? So I'm going to try, but I'm not going to give it my riz God all. And then obviously I always go out first. So for me, if I didn't think I had a chance at winning, I didn't try my hardest. But when it comes to, like these obstacle courses and everything, like, the one that really pisses me off to this day is my final four challenge in season 49. Had I won immunity, I would have been in the final three. But I couldn't figure out how to make. Make an eight piece maze puzzle because I was so, so distraught, so tired, so exhausted. And that's the one where I was like, damn, I could have won that one. But all the other challenges, I felt like I just had no shot due to how much energy I exerted and all the weight that I lost.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
You mentioned not eating the coconuts, not eating the fruit. One thing that a lot of people were complaining on the, on the island was at the auction in 50, apparently you got these chicken breasts and you didn't, you didn't treat them well. What was the deal with that?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I also think that I'm getting a lot of flack because they're just piling on all the hate on the new kid on the block. I will say the funniest story was I'm on this auction. I haven't eaten. I'm waiting for a burger, for a steak, for something good. So I bet whatever. I bet $300. And Jeff reveals chicken breasts and broccoli. And I'm like, what the fuck is this? Like, I don't want to eat this shit. So obviously my face dropped and everyone's like, why are you complaining? This is exactly what you need to eat. So I'm like a kid eating his veggies. I'm like, like, not super happy about it. So they're all like, rizzo, you ungrateful young kid, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, well, I'm eating this, okay? I'm just not happy about it. So that's kind of the flack that everybody was giving me is that I wasn't grateful about what I got because Jonathan's out here eating, eating a sea slug and he's like, like, brother, I would have eated that.
JE Skeets
So, yeah, you just really wanted, like you said you wanted the pizza, the burger. Yeah. Something more, something more classic. Too healthy. Not just some protein and broccoli.
Co-host (possibly JD)
I watched that. I, I saw the unveiling. I was like, boom.
JE Skeets
Yeah, you did, you did say that. You did.
Co-host (possibly JD)
Come on.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah.
JE Skeets
Which, which, you know, Survivor 50, focusing on that season, your latest season, which castaway made you the most starstruck? And I know you've talked a little bit about this before on other podcasts and we obviously consume all this, but for those that don't know, like these are all legends of the game who as a super fan, a self proclaimed superfan, like, were you just like, holy crap, that's so and so.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah. I think for me, heading on the beach and just being on that barge and seeing all 24 people lined up. My first Survivor season I ever watched live and I did not mention it in Survivor 50 was token chains season 18, the JT, the coach, the Stephen Fishback season. So seeing Coach right beside me was the biggest moment of like, oh my God. I made it because it was a full circle moment for me and I make it wasn't a joke. It's serious. When coach gets voted out, I'm like, coach, you changed my life. And a lot of the fans are like, you're hella weird. Like how did coach change your life? But as somebody that first watched the show and saw Coach doing all his coachisms and going to the exile island and all this, this, he was one of the reasons why I fell in love with the show. And now 18 years later I'm playing on the same season as him really meant a lot to me and it felt full circle. So when I first saw Coach I was like, Holy crap. Like 8 year old Rizzo is going to go bananas. And then to see, I kind of work with coach and I kind of calm him down by doing a pretty iconic line which I will say I don't remember saying until watching the show back was super, super epic. The I don't slay dragons at camp, we slam at tribal. So coach for me was the kind of the star struck moment.
JE Skeets
That's fair enough. Especially if that was like the first season that you fell in love. Great season too. Token chains, great season. Isn't JT one of your favorites of all time?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I've heard you he's my all time favorite. He's my goat.
JE Skeets
Okay. That's a good pick.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Yeah. Do you. You mentioned you wanted a wemby comparison off the top. Do you consider yourself the face of the new era? A lot of people do.
Sponsor Voice
Oof.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
You know, it's so hard because if we're off air and like, I'm just shooting the shit at the bar with my boys, I would say that. But I feel like what I learned after my Survivor tenure And in Survivor 50 is that being super confident and blind confident kind of rubs people the wrong way. So I'm going to leave the ball in your court to say that I do feel like I definitely left my mark in the new era. I feel like as someone that never got voted out and whether it's recency bias or whatnot, I think think you can't talk about the new era without talking about the R I Z God. So I feel like I made an impact. But in terms of the face of the new era, I'll let the fans and you guys decide that.
JE Skeets
Do you think you could have won and beaten Aubrey if you were in the final three and had successfully beat Jonathan in fire? Does. Does the Riz God have a chance to win that $2 million prize or no?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So as someone that knows the kind of game that I played, I felt that I had a winning game. But the way that Survivor is constructed is that it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what the jury thinks. And unfortunately for me, once Aubrey got to the final three seats, I had no chance of beating her just on sheer legacy alone. Aubrey famously got to the end her first season. People said she was robbed but didn't win. So as that multiplayered storyline against someone like myself who they'd never even seen play, I told them how I played Survivor 49, but for their perspective, I could have been lying. I could have been like the biggest asshole to ever play Survivor. And are they going to give me the win over Aubrey? Probably not. So my best shot at winning was against Joe, Jonathan and I. And once Aubrey got to the final three, even if I made fire, I wasn't going to win.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
How about in Survivor 49? Are you confident you would take him home the crown if you make it to final three?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So this is a great story amongst Trey Leches, Soph, Savannah and I, I genuinely do believe if I beat Savannah, I really do take home the win because Savannah would go to the jury and preach for me just like I preached for her and the jury. I think what I Learned in Survivor 50 that I didn't learn in Survivor 49 is nobody really knew how well I played in Survivor 49 till the end because all of my allies were at the end. So in Survivor 50 I was like, I can't go to the end with Cere and Ozzy obviously, because the A would beat me. But I need them to go to the jury and tell them how good of a game I played. So that's why I turn on them when I do because I need them to go to the jury and tell everybody how good I was at Survivor. So I do think if I beat Survivor or sorry, Savannah and Fire 49, I would have won the game. That's the fire that burns me to this day because it's like, oh, that's the million dollar fire. If I beat Jonathan At 50, I wasn't going to win. It was just more so like, haha, Jonathan, you lost Fire twice.
JE Skeets
Right. So you think as soon as Aubrey won some motion and booked herself into the final tribal council, it was. You weren't beating her. At the very least, you think you had a chance maybe with Joe and Jonathan and yourself sitting there.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Correct.
JE Skeets
Yeah. That makes sense because I was. And I was going to ask you. Yeah. What was the strategy behind sort of turning and betraying Ceri's wizard of Oz and the alliance you guys had with Sari and Ozzie. But you just explained it. You're thinking I need to get them there to start. Maybe going to bat for me. Do you know if they did or not? Like were they talking up your game at Ponderosa and on the jury?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So I, I think. Okay, this is a loaded question. So they did not, unfortunately, Ozzy. Ozzy was very upset with. Yeah, obviously because he felt like. He felt like we were all locked in and he basically said that he wanted to go to the end with us, but of course he wanted to go to the end with us because I wasn't going to win. He was. He had Mercer. He would have won. Yeah. So I obviously had to make the turn. He felt a little upset about this. That siree kind of was vouching for me if I made it to the final three. She was telling people what we, what I was doing and whatnot, but she wasn't actively campaigning for me. I think the Survivor 50 jury was very interesting because it's all returnee players that have all been there before, so they all kind of had their own agendas and no one person could go into the jury and say we need this person to win. Because everybody kind of was doing their own thing. Whereas Survivor 49, everybody's talking to everybody because they want to pick the right winner. Whereas I feel like a cast of returning players just had their own agendas. Sure.
Co-host (possibly JD)
Rizzo, I mean, you don't have to answer this, but the. Your edit, I mean, I feel like we got to know you pretty well. Was there anything that was left on the cutting room floor that left a part of your personality out or something that you were unhappy with with your edit?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
What I will say, JD is out of 26 straight episodes. I am so grateful for how Survivor portrayed me. I think they really gave me a multifaceted edit from 49. 250. Obviously, in Survivor, 50 would. I wanted all my moves to be displayed. Sure. But I. I didn't win. So, like, what I got, I'm super happy with. I talk about Legacy. I had a great episode in the Charlie Blindside, which was super fun. Cerise, wizard of Oz, like, all. I had so many great moments. I'm so happy. They showed my Albanian heritage. They showed all the funny moments in 49 where I. I couldn't go spearfishing. They allowed me to. And I picked this out. I said, you know, production, can I do a confessional with the snorkeling gear on? They're like, absolutely. They gave me the keys. They let me. They put in so many R I C gods, Riz, God babies when they didn't have to. They showed my great alliance with Savannah, and so they showed my love letters. Like, I'm so happy with the edit. They really did be a justice, and I'm super grateful for it.
JE Skeets
After watching the. The seasons, I guess, back plural, you know, did you have a favorite, a favorite moment of yours if you had to pick from all these ones you just sort of went through? I mean, we have one of our favorites, and it feels like some of the Survivor community is when you're still doing the Risgod breaking down in tears. I mean, yeah, I mean, it's a low moment for you, I'm sure, but it is very funny to see someone through the tears still getting out the. The slogan. But, yeah, what. What's your personal favorite or scene or moment or whatever?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So I'll touch upon that really quickly because it's so funny. Obviously, like, I'm having kind of like a mental breakdown at the end because it's like, oh, my God, I'm. I'm going through this. And yeah, I didn't realize that, A, that would make the show and B, resonate with people that it did. And it's so funny looking back, I was like, wow, I really did commit to the risk. So that's what. That's what I'm talking about where I stay through character no matter what, I'll never break character. So that was a great moment. I will say it's so hard because there's so many great moments. I'll do my favorite moment from 49 and 50. My favorite moment from 49, I think, was the Jawan tribal council where Savannah and I kind of like. And I love Juwan but, like, rub it in his face a little bit. I play the fake idol and Savannah's like, juwan, you did this to me. Knowing that we got them good. That tribal council was pretty iconic. I loved that one. And then Survivor 50, I think my voting confessional when I voted out Charlie was so great because, you know that whole tribal council where siree d Camilla and I vote out Charlie, you know, Rick, Devins, Jonathan and Charlie are all like, man, Rizzo didn't see himself play. Like, he doesn't know how he comes across thinking that they're gonna vote me out when in reality I'm like, I got you guys good. And then me and Charlie are great friends. I love Charlie. That's my guy. I'm super happy for all the success he's got coming his way. But when I do the iconic Taylor Swift vote out confessional about whatever, this isn't a love story, There will be black blood. I really loved it just because it was a great, great moment and a great episode for me. So I would say those are my two favorite moments across the seasons.
JE Skeets
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JE Skeets
Can you talk a little bit more about that seemingly one way rivalry between you and Charlie? At least from the edit, like, what was going on? He was serious, he was so upset with you.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So I mean, upon reflection and watching it back, I then realized like, oh, I probably shouldn't ask Charlie about all these things because guys, to put into perspective, Charlie wasn't the only person I was doing this with. I was asking everybody about their survival or I was like, colby, why did you take Tina to the final two when you know you couldn't beat Keith? Stephanie, how did it feel to come back in Guatemala and lose after being America's sweetheart? Like, I'm just asking everybody that this. So Charlie, obviously, naturally. And you know, the edit kind of did me dirty. It kind of looked like I just said, so, Charlie, how's you and Maria? Like, we're talking for hours at that point. So obviously I had no idea. The reason why I thought Charlie was targeting me was I was the only person from my original swap tribe on that new tribe. So I thought, oh, Charlie just wants the easy way out. He just wants to take me out. And I had no idea about any of this. Until I'm watching this show and I watched the episode. I'm texting Charlie. I'm like, like, oh, my God, I'm so sorry I gave you this ptsd. And Charlie's laughing with me. He's like, Rizzo. Honestly, like, I felt very comfortable in my position, so I just wanted to do a funny storyline. So I think Charlie played it up a little bit for the cameras. I don't think he, like, couldn't sleep at night because I did it before my number one. And obviously the number one thing was false. Like, obviously, Sophie was my close ally, but Savannah was my number one. Me and Savannah concocted this story that we weren't close to each other because if we did get together in a merger swap, we didn't want to be immediately targeted because we were friends. So I had to play up that story. But obviously it kind of bit me in the ass a little bit because Charlie was out for vengeance. So it was funny watching it back. But I will say, I don't think Charlie was as butthurt. I think he was just playing it up for the cameras.
Co-host (possibly JD)
Those were some of my favorite shots of Survivor 50. Just Charlie in the background, smoldering intensity, just. Just laser beams at you, and you had no idea what was happening until you're watching it wasn't there.
JE Skeets
The one where Charlie's, like, wakes you up. You're lying in the boat.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Oh, my God.
JE Skeets
He's just staring at you, waiting for you to wake up. Oh, that's a great scene. So good.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, that. That. That scene was so funny because that's the scene that I realized. I was like, charlie, you're, like, moving kind of different. And that's when I targeted Charlie. It's like, you're waking me up at 4am Mind you, it's hard to get sleep out there. And you saw how I was sleeping on that boat. It's kind of comfy. And Charlie's like, knock, knock. Would you talk about the Billie Eilish idol? I'm, like, looking at my imaginary clock, which is the moon, and I'm like, Charlie just woke me up at 4am to ask me that. The audacity. So it was super, super fun.
JE Skeets
What did you think? Especially watching it back again, of all the celebrities involved in season 50, were you a fan of it when you were first out there and watching it back? No. Like, you know, this was a polarizing thing, right to the Survivor community.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So what I will say, as somebody out there experiencing it, it was the best thing ever because Survivor is kind of like a gate kept community. You don't see anybody else besides the people you're playing with and obviously in production and crew, but you kind of like, you know, after a day, you don't even realize they're there. So when Zack brown comes or Mr. Beast comes or you hear about Jimmy Fallon or you hear about Billie Eilish, you're like, holy crap. Like, I'm about to be on the Jimmy Fallon show. You know, like you just. Yeah, you just think about all these people that are a part of this big, monumental season. So I loved it out there. Obviously the backlash for the fans, you know, kind of puts it in perspective. Like, should Zach Brown have more airtime than like a Tiffany? Probably not. But I think if you look at Survivor in a vacuum, like in a one episode, it was really cool, right? Like, if you just look at that episode and say, wow, they're getting a free concert. They're getting. Getting a guy, a country singer to do all this. That's really cool. Mr. Beast was amazing. I thought it was good for Survivor because we want it to go another 50 seasons, right? Of course we do. So you need to reach out to other audiences to get people to watch. So ultimately, do I think this should happen every season? Absolutely not. But for the 50th, I thought it was good.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
What was the Mr. Beast night like? Because obviously you were pretty emotional. Your brother a huge Mr. Beast fan again, him being there, very cool. And then the prize money doubles. A lot was going on that night.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, it was. It was crazy because I would say out of all the Tribal Councils I've ever experienced, that one was the craziest because they never told us what Mr. Beast is doing. So leading up to Tribal Council is the most chaotic thing because we didn't know if we were voting somebody out. We didn't know if there was going to be a twist. So you have to come out with a plan after a plan after a plan. So there had to be like three or four plans just in case, whatever happened. So we had no idea who was going home heading into that vote. It was very likely that Rick probably goes home because that was like the consensus that everybody can kind of do. So when Mr. Beast comes out and is like, you can flip a coin for a million dollars for safety and for another Idol, everyone's like, holy crap. Like, this is crazy. My dumb ass is like, oh, my God, I might flip this coin. Because, like, the adrenaline was so high. It was like, why? Why wouldn't you want to Be a part of this moment you want to be. Who doesn't want to be in a Mr. Beast Jeff Probst sandwich right now and have this iconic moment? And I tweeted this funny moment. This is the one thing that didn't make the show. That I'm like, oh, this would have been really funny is my. My adrenaline is kicking. I'm talking about how much Mr. Beast means to my brother. I'm thinking, like, I'm hyping myself up. R I Z go D R I Z go D I'm thinking, I'm gonna flip this coin. And I look to siree, like, smiling and she, like, gives me this stern look like. Like, she didn't say this, obviously, but I can tell from her facial reaction
JE Skeets
you're not doing it.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Like, don't flip it. You don't sit your ass down. You are not flipping that coin. And I'm like, okay, she's right. I have an idol. I have a good alliance. If I flip this coin and go home, I'm the biggest idiot in Survivor history. And Rick was overtly like, I want to flip it. I want to flip it. Of course, let him flip it. So that tribal council was super sick. Obviously it lands. And like, at that point where we just wanted Rick Devins to go home, we're like, I love Rick.
JE Skeets
He was super great.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Did you think he was going to. Did you think it was going to come up Devin's. When he flipped it, like, did you think it was going to be a good flip for him?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Him? I. So the reason why I wanted to flip the coin, it just felt like this is. This is history. It's going to happen. So obviously Rick is very similar in the sense to me that we're very confident individuals when we play Survivor. So Rick, before he's flipping this coin, he's like, yeah, it's going. I'm landing. I'm hitting it. I'm hitting. I'm hitting it. I'm like, yeah, you're hitting it. So it felt so storybook to be. It literally coin lands and then it, like, rolls and then it lands flat. I'm like, holy, this is cinema. This is cinema. So it was great, right?
Co-host (possibly JD)
So as someone who was there, what do you think would have happened? I mean, it would have been a huge bummer, obviously, if it had gone the other way. But did you have a sense that production would want to keep the Mr. Beast thing going and, like, try to make the 2 million happen down, like, later on in the game or anything?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I don't know, obviously I don't know the. The behind the scenes of it all, but I do. And listen, as somebody that's played Survivor twice, Survivor is so pure, their integrity is so high. They will never do anything to, like, you know, bullshit the game. So I think. I don't think Mr. Beast would have came out in the final three and be like, all right, I have another coin. You know what I mean? So I do think it was a one and done. I will say after the season, talking to Survivor in production, they're like, dude, we were praying that hits, right? It doesn't hit. It's like the biggest flop.
Co-host (possibly JD)
Oh, my God.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So. So I think they were, you know, fingers crossed that it would land and it. Luckily it did.
JE Skeets
You were talking about when you see Mr. Beast at the auction and then obviously you don't know what's going to go down at that Tribal Council. We debated here on the show for what felt like weeks, and I wonder if you guys talked about it, especially knowing Mr. Beast. We were convinced he was going to come in and say, Hey, $500,000 if you leave the game right now. Like some sort of, like, tease to get you to leave so they could dwindle the numbers down. Did you guys talk that through out there or no?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. So I think me and Rick were definitely like the Mr. Beast fans. We watched these games watch. So, like, we're like, theorizing, like, what could it be like if it's a. Because it's a briefcase. Right. Like, there might be a briefcase of $1 million in there.
JE Skeets
Yeah.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So we're all talking like, are you guys going to take a million dollars? Whatever. Whatever. But I think that was definitely talked about, but I think we all came to a realization that, like, that's just not Survivor.
JE Skeets
Yeah.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So we were more thinking along the lines, like, oh, it's going to be something to risk your elimination with, like a coin flip or like, maybe a silly game or like, maybe the do or which. I guess it kind of was a do or died from season 41 and 42 where like, you had to pick the box, but it was just a coin flip this time. But we felt like Jeff and Survivor wouldn't want someone to quit the game for money because it kind of ruins the whole point. Like, imagine if I just quit the game for a million dollars, but then all these people have to survive on an island for the jury to $4 million.
JE Skeets
Good reasoning.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I would have took the million, though, to be honest.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
I see you.
JE Skeets
Peace. I'm out of here. I'm sorry. I want a pizza. Can we talk a little bit about Siri and Cerise Mist? Yeah. You got to play with her. You obviously were working with her for a long time. Is this real? Is she, like, that powerful and that goddamn good at this game and with people? Can you talk about her?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, dude. She's. She's. She's the real deal. I think what makes Cerise so great and you don't really see it on tv, how it happens, but. But she does such a good job of making you feel like you. She is with you. Right. And I think with Survivor lore, and I can't speak about this for everyone, but I think just the history of it all. People who align with siree tend to always win the game, like rs, Parvati, Sarah, Lucina, everybody that plays with her wins. So I don't know if it's like I need siree on my side or like, I don't want to be the one to target siree. Whatever the line of thinking is, is you want to be on her good side. So sri just. Just makes you feel like she's a part of everyone. Everybody felt like she was with them. Christian, Rick, and Emily thought she was in alliance with them. The honor and integrity folks that she was with them. But in reality, I was Siri's, like, number one strategic partner. I mean, obviously Ozzy was close with her, but I feel like me and Siri saw the game very similarly. I think in many ways, I'm like Siri from Walmart or Kmart, if you will. Like, budget version siree in terms of how we play the game, but she relies on her social relationships with everyone, and everyone just comes to her with the information. It's like Stephanie. Stephanie obviously knows she shouldn't tell Siri this, but Siri just looks at her and she's like, all right, siree, I have a steal a vote advantage. And it's like, why are you doing that? But it's really just because you feel comfortable with her. And she's done that not only in Survivor, but in Big Brother, in Traders, in Snake in the Grass. She's just got that personality that you gravitate towards to.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
So what was it like for you coming back from the Aussie vote knowing you did something that's Reese probably not going to like, even though you've been aligned together.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, I. I will say this. I actually felt very confident going into it that she wouldn't be upset with me because of what Ozzy did. Yeah, you would think like, you know, a five time player wouldn't just lay out the game plan to somebody going home. So she actually very much understood and we saw her reaction in confessional. She, you know, was very upset at Oz because granted, I wasn't going to the end with them, but Ozzy definitely expired his date a lot quicker when he told Aubrey that, oh, me and Siree and Rizzo have a final three. I'm going to the end with Suri, I'm working with them. Sri has an extra vote. It's like, dude, what are you doing? Like, you know, so that Aubrey goes to Joe and Jonathan is like, did you know Rizzo has an alliance with Siree and Ozzy? So I obviously have to pivot because I can't, you know, burn Joe and Jonathan, who I knew at the time was my best shot at winning. So when I went to Siri SS3, I'm gonna be honest, Ozzy did too much. Much. He told everybody about your extra vote, about our alliance, this, that and the third. And she understood. She's like, rizzo, you did what you had to do. So that didn't give any love loss between us.
JE Skeets
Couple more questions here, Rizzo. I mean, we could go for hours. We're just gonna have to have you back on.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Do I even want to ask how long he's had a Mickey Mouse impersonation in the bag? You know, that feels like forever.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I know, I know. It's so funny because. Because the funny story behind that was in Survivor 49. Dude, now I'm talking about this. I'm like cringing myself out. But it's so funny. Like every night before we sleep, we're all talking in the shelter early parts of 49. So my dumb ass is just doing a Mickey Mouse impression in the dark. And Nate and Savannah and Shannon, my original tribe from Survivor 49 is like, who the hell is doing this Mickey Mouse impression? So I'm just like, only till we die. And they're like, dude, this kid is super weird. But I like this kid. It's kind of funny. So I just thought like, oh, if I do a Mickey Mouse impression, everyone's gonna like me. So I'm in Survivor 50, doing it in the talent show and everybody loved it until they did it. So it was great. I loved it. I'm so glad it makes the show. It was so funny. Part of the lore. Thinking back on it, guys like to know how many funny moments I've had at 26. Like, we could go on about all the weird shit I've done on Survivor. Even the first challenge ever where I cheat Alex on the puzzle and like, I wish I could hug myself but that's weird. Like, I have a pretty. A lot of iconic one liners that is kind of crazy to think about.
JE Skeets
So a couple more cues and again we'll have to do this again. We'll have you on no buffs in the summer or no dunks. Anyway, this has been so much fun. If the show wasn't permanently filmed in Fiji, which country would you have loved to maybe have played Survivor? Where would you. I know they're not going anywhere else anymore. It's stuck there. But like, you know, dream scenario here. Where would you want to go and play?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
So. So I'm going to pick two because one of them is like my. So I'm obviously Albanian. I think Survivor Albania would be so, so, so sick. Albania is beautiful. The water is great. There's beaches there. There really isn't like islands. But I think that would be really cool. But if I didn't pick that, obviously because of a homer pick, I think what would be really cool would be like Survivor Greece. I think Greece. I like the seasons, like Survivor China. There's so much like history, architecture. That's really great. And I think Greece was with like the pantheon and all these old architecture would be really, really cool. But obviously I don't know if it ever will leave Fiji, but I think like somewhere in like eastern Europe, the Balkans would be really cool because I don't think they've ever like super, super quick. I don't think they've ever done Survivor Europe.
JE Skeets
So I don't think so. No, I think you're right. And again, I don't think we're ever going to see Survivor Albania or Survivor Greece. But. But there's a lot of buzz about Survivor Blood versus Water three. And you brought up the Liz God. Has this something that you guys have discussed? If it were to happen, would the Riz God and the Liz God, your girlfriend, maybe do this? Maybe try it?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah. So Liz God has made it abundantly clear she will never play Survivor unless it's blood versus water. I don't know. Obviously we can all speculate. Like every fans, every fan wants Heroes versus Villains two, blood versus Water three. But if Jeff decides, you know what, we're bringing it back and we want the gods to come on, we're definitely going to be out there.
JE Skeets
Okay.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
God risen. Scott. I'll be saying R I Z God on one side of the beach. She'll be saying lizgod on the other side. So there'll be a lot of acronyms and a lot of slogans said.
JE Skeets
And before we let you go, jeez, I nearly forgot about this. Can we talk about Jeff's live reunion blunder, which happened at the end of season 50? For those that don't know, your loss in the fire making challenge on Survivor 50 was spoiled. It was legit spoiled. During the live finale when Jeff Probst inadvertently called you on stage and talked to you and then. Then basically was like, oh, well, you lost. You're on the jury. And everybody's like, what the hell just happened? We haven't seen that yet in the show. I mean, like, that must have been surreal. Like, you must have just been in a. In a haze or something.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah. I'll give you the true behind the scenes, never before heard until no dunks. So. And I don't blame Jeff at all because Jeff isn't watching the show. Survivor isn't running the live show. I think it's like Paramount or somebody. So, like, Jeff just comes on when he gets queued. Right, Right. So I'm in the green room backstage waiting to be called, and they're like, all right, Rizzo, when Jeff calls you, you're heading out there. And, you know, I see me and Jonathan about to do fire, go to commercial break. And, you know, production's like, rizzo, go out there. I said, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like, I didn't see myself lose yet. They're like, just play it off. Or, like, play it off. I'm like, I'm going to play it off in front of 10 million people watching it live. Okay. So I think if you catch it, Jeff is obviously asking me questions and whatnot, and I'm trying to be pretty ambiguous. I'm like, just, Jeff, I'm super proud. No matter win or lose, I'm proud of myself. And he's like, rizzo, have a seat on the jury. And I'm like, well, that sucks. So in the moment, I was pissed to coin Liz Wilcox on Survivor 46. I was so pissed because, dude, I just went a year without telling my. Well, my parents knew and my girlfriend, but my family and friends back home that I had a shot, had a shot of winning Survivor 50. Right. They didn't know I lost fire and. And to know that it was all spoiled within, like, two seconds kind of sucked. But taking the step back, you know, after it all was set and done, it's a pretty iconic moment. I mean, like, no shade to, like, obviously the finalists and everything, but that was the talked about thing of the finale. Right. So, like, when people talk about the Survivor 50 finale, it's not going to be about Aubrey getting a car or, you know, Jonathan doing the worm. Oh, Mr. Riz. God. Yeah. It was about Jeff's blunder with the Rizz God. So I'm super grateful and if I ever do have the luxury of coming back, I think it would be a funny story with Jeff and I to be like, jeff, remember that one time you screwed me over, man? So I think long term, it was very iconic moment that I'm very grateful to be a part of.
JE Skeets
Right. What, like, what was Jeff doing there in the moment? Like, he obviously realizes what just happened, but, like, during that next commercial break and everything, like, like, is he freaking out? Is he, like getting mad at someone or is he just like, all right, well, we gotta deal with it.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
To be honest, I would have loved to see what happened because Jeff, I don't know if he stormed out, but he went somewhere else. I think he was obviously talking to the people that were important in CBS and the higher ups of what to do. Yeah. But I'm sure he wasn't the happiest camper. But when Jeff grabbed me after the fact, he's like, rizzo, we're going to bring you on the commercial break. Be funny. Have, like, have fun with it. Do whatever. I was like, you're giving me the main stage again. Okay, Jeff. So, you know, me and him cracked the joke, but I think Jeff was a professional about it. We made fun of it. Obviously, I'm a champion of Survivor. I love Survivor. Jeff could do no wrong in my eyes. So we had fun with it. It was great and it was a great moment for Survivor 50. Way to cap off a monumental season.
JE Skeets
Yeah. Before we let you go, Ryan and his wife, big fans of no dunks and no buffs. They wrote in and they're obviously fans of your two appearances. Ryan wrote this. Rizzo, we're returning to Portland October and my wife wants to get a puppy once we've settled back in. I've been hesitant but could be swayed if Rizzo blesses us with naming the dog Rizzo. The pup, the mischief, the menace. R I Z D O G. So what do you think? Do you. Does Ryan and his wife here have your blessing to name their hopeful eventual puppy Rizzo?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I love that and I think I'm going to make it even better here. I think the slogan is the name R I Z D O G Riz Dog baby. You name them Riz dog Okay, so great.
JE Skeets
Okay.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
But Riz Dog is even better. So my blessing is for the Riz Dog.
JE Skeets
Okay, perfect, Perfect. We will leave it there. Again, a million more questions for you. We can't thank you enough for jumping on here this morning, Rizzo. This is a real treat, as you can tell, for us. Talking some hoops, talking Survivor, and. Yeah, let's make this happen again.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
I feel like Jeff Probst right now. You gotta come back.
JE Skeets
Yeah, man, we're having you back.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I would love to be. I would love to come back. Season 51, whatever it is, you guys let me know. We'll make it happen.
JE Skeets
Fantastic. And anything you want to pitch or plug for people to follow you, I know you have the Riz Pod or you did have your YouTube channel. What's going on there?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Yeah, yeah. So I will say growing or before Survivor, what I used to do a lot was I went to a lot of sporting venues and I used to, like, do a day in the life of. So if I went to Wells Fargo day in the life of Wells Fargo. If I go to Fenway day in the life of Fenway Park. Park. I kind of stopped doing that a little bit with Survivor because survivors kind of take over my world. But I think I'm gonna start it back up. So if you want to see, like, more IRL content, you can see me at Rizz Pod, but honestly, a lot of my content really just comes on TikTok funny TikTok videos. It's just Riz God 34 on tick tock and Instagram. I have funny stuff there, but a lot of cool stuff along the way. Can't say what. Maybe the Riz God will be back soon on tv. Who knows? Only time will tell. Okay. But I'm super excited to be here. Talk hoops with you guys. I'm hoping the Knicks win, and I can't wait to see what you guys do. I loved you guys. Ever since the starters on NBA tv, I've been a big fan. So the fact that you guys have let me on means the world to me. So thank you, guys. Keep up the great work.
JE Skeets
Thank you so much. Rizzo. Hit the like button and subscribe. Don't do it for us. Do it for the Riz God himself. Game one of the NBA Finals is tonight. It's here, baby. Let's go in San Antonio. We'll be here tomorrow morning, obviously, to break it all down like only no dunks can. And yeah, if you enjoyed. Rizzo, make sure you jump over to no Buff. Subscribe. Subscribe to our reality TV program over there. Or stream, I guess I should call it. Nora will be doing summer house reunion recaps later this week.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
All right, you got a prediction for just tonight. RZA game one.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
I got. I got the Knicks taking it home. 114, 109. Oh, he's got the signal. Wow.
JE Skeets
Fantastic. Well, appreciate it. Until tomorrow. Clipper Bros. You heard it here first.
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Have a great time turn cheering up. Love you guys.
Co-host (possibly Trey Kirby)
Awesome.
JE Skeets
And Rizzo, we usually let tasks sort of have the final words, but let's hand it over to you. What's. What's your parting words for the no Dunks fans out there?
Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
No Ducks fans. Thank you for your guys's undying loyalty. With that being said, it's your boy, the man, the myth, the legend, ryzgod Riz God, baby. Signing out with the one and only N O D U N K S G O D S no Dunks Gods, baby. We'll see you guys tomorrow.
JE Skeets
Embrace the day many people enjoy game one of the finest.
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JE Skeets
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Rizzo (Survivor Contestant and Guest)
Get ready for the drop.
JE Skeets
Is that it?
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JE Skeets
its operating companies 6000American Park Madison, Wisconsin
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This lively NBA Finals special bridges basketball and reality TV, as the No Dunks crew—JE Skeets, Trey Kirby, and JD—welcome two-time Survivor contestant and diehard Knicks fan “Riz God” Rizzo. On the eve of Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1, the discussion weaves through the emotional landscape of long-suffering Knicks supporters, survivor strategies, Finals matchups, and unforgettable behind-the-scenes Survivor stories. Rizzo’s big personality and candid takes make for an episode packed with fan perspective, NBA insight, and reality TV lore.
[02:06-03:30]
"I’ve never seen the Knicks in the finals my entire life. So it’s pretty crazy...Gotham is going to go down in fires and I’m excited to see it happen." (Rizzo, 04:12)
[04:47-07:46]
“…when it comes to the main rotation for the Knicks, it’s got to be OG Anunoby...His series against Cleveland, he went nuclear.” (Rizzo, 06:56)
[09:42-12:29]
"I think OG will do a good job to contain him…But my question is more for the Spurs, what they’re going to do to stop the Knicks." (Rizzo, 10:18)
"If Kobe can play with a torn Achilles and shoot a free throw, I’m expecting Mitchell Robinson to put his big boy pants on..." (Rizzo, 11:48)
[13:10-13:55]
[14:01-15:48]
"Surprised is definitely the case...the fact that we’ve gone through the finals and, steamrolled...is kind of crazy. If they don’t take it this year, I don’t know if we’ll ever see the Knicks win the Finals in my lifetime."
(Rizzo, 14:30)
[15:48-18:19]
[21:52-22:32]
"...Wemby being the face of the league...is a good storybook ending as well. But I’m sick and tired of seeing SGA flop his way through another finals. I’m glad that Chet Holmgren got exposed." (22:06)
[22:45-26:47]
[31:10-37:33] (Survivor Segment Start)
"There's some people like Coach or Jenna...that have to get into the groove. For me, I'm seeing the same camera crew, same beaches, Jeff Probst, who I've seen longer than my mom..." (31:52)
[38:11-44:46]
"I bet $300. And Jeff reveals chicken breasts and broccoli. And I’m like, what the fuck is this? ...I’m just not happy about it." (39:58)
[41:34-49:04]
"She does such a good job of making you feel like she is with you...I mean, obviously Ozzy was close with her, but I feel like me and Ceri saw the game very similarly. I think in many ways, I’m like Ceri from Walmart or Kmart..." (62:40)
[68:29-71:53]
"In the moment, I was pissed...But taking the step back...that was the talked-about thing of the finale. When people talk about Survivor 50 finale, it’s...Jeff’s blunder with the Rizz God." (69:01)
[72:28-72:42]
"My blessing is for the Riz Dog.”
(Rizzo, 72:42)
On NYC Finals Fever:
"Not only myself, but everybody in New York is going ballistic right now...Whether we win or lose, Gotham is going to go down in fires and I'm excited to see it happen." (Rizzo, 04:12)
On OG Anunoby’s role:
"OG Anunoby has been the real reason why I feel like we’ve been succeeding in this playoff run. His defense, his 3 and D play has been amazing." (Rizzo, 06:56)
On the impact of Jalen Brunson:
"Everyone you know that doesn’t know ball is like, who the hell did we just give $200 million to? But if you really watched his last year in Dallas, when Luka went out, Jalen Brunson was giving the Utah Jazz 30..." (Rizzo, 16:02)
On Knicks’ Finals chances:
"I’m going to be very honest...If they don’t take it this year, I don’t know if we’ll ever see the Knicks win the Finals in my lifetime." (Rizzo, 14:30)
On Survivor Legends:
"Coach, you changed my life." (Rizzo, 41:34)
On Ceri Fields’ Survivor mastery:
"She’s the real deal. She does such a good job of making you feel like she is with you...she’s just got that personality that you gravitate towards." (Rizzo, 62:40)
The episode is energetic, self-aware, and irreverent—packed with inside jokes, pop culture references, and candid admissions. Rizzo’s enthusiasm matches the No Dunks crew’s passion, making for a fun, fan-centered podcast rich in basketball talk and reality TV nostalgia.
"No Dunks fans, thank you for your guys’s undying loyalty. With that being said, it’s your boy, the man, the myth, the legend, ryzgod Riz God, baby. Signing out with the one and only N O D U N K S G O D S no Dunks gods, baby. We’ll see you guys tomorrow." (Rizzo, 75:02)