
Loading summary
Pablo Torre
Palo. I'm Pablo Torre, and this episode of Pablo Torre Finds out is brought to you by Remy Martin. 1738 Accord Royale. Exceptionally smooth cognac for all your game day festivities. Please drink responsibly because today we're going to find out what this sound is.
Mina Kimes
Are any of us cool? Do you think if people did the exercise we're about to do, anybody, they would say any of us are actually cool?
Pablo Torre
Right after this ad.
David Dennis Jr.
You're listening to DraftKings Network.
Mina Kimes
This episode is brought to you by ebay. We all have that piece, the one that's so you. You've basically become known for it. And if you don't yet, fashionistas, you'll find it on ebay. That Miu Miu red leather bomber. The cousteau Barcelona cowboy top. Or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway. All these finds are all on ebay, along with millions of more main character pieces backed by authenticity guarantee. Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion. EBay things people love.
David Dennis Jr.
This is a nice around the horn off ramp. I get to hang out with you guys. Okay, don't is this. I'm finding myself missing hanging. Missing companionship.
Mina Kimes
Wednesdays is usually when I do around the Horn. I was thinking about that, actually.
Pablo Torre
As someone who didn't attend the around the Horn. There have been a lot of tributes I should say to a show that we owe a lot to. I don't think I went to an around the horn conference call in a decade. So as long as we can skip that part, I am down to refashion what we missed into this.
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah. Yeah.
Mina Kimes
I don't know when I stopped attending the conference call, but I definitely. Pablo was like the bad example to me. I was like, why am I doing this? Pablo's not doing it. I'm also on west coast time.
Pablo Torre
This is. By the way, this is how David realizes. Oh, I could have not done the conference call the whole time.
David Dennis Jr.
Oh, oh, I knew the whole time. But you know, hey, I was like, you know, being a good steward, I'm.
Pablo Torre
Just the look as we will get into. I'm just the cool guy. I'm Bart Simpson. You know, just skateboarding, spray painting stuff.
Mina Kimes
Are any of us cool? Do you think if. If people did the exercise we're about to do, anybody, they would say any of us are actually cool?
Pablo Torre
Well, we did last gather to do an entire episode about the X Men animated series reboot.
Mina Kimes
Cool.
Pablo Torre
I think it's cool.
David Dennis Jr.
Don't get cooler than that, guys.
Pablo Torre
I think that there are some people out there who think that the three of us are cool. I think there are more people who would laugh at those people.
Mina Kimes
Have you ever been cool? Was there ever a point in your life where you felt like you were cool? When did you peak in coolness?
Pablo Torre
Probably like third grade.
Mina Kimes
Third grade?
Pablo Torre
Yeah.
David Dennis Jr.
Wow.
Pablo Torre
Mina, what are you you picking college?
Mina Kimes
It's definitely college for me, 100%. But a lot of that is because how cool you are is a product of your surroundings. Right. And so going to college for me, my cool factor on a relative basis skyrocketed from high school to Yale. David's nodding like he had a similar experience.
David Dennis Jr.
Absolutely. I'll just say I went to. I went to school with a bunch of dorky white kids. Small liberal art school. I was the coolest.
Mina Kimes
I was the best.
David Dennis Jr.
Now, yeah, I went the like the pendulum swaying so drastically from high school to college. I didn't know what to do with myself.
Pablo Torre
This is also where I need to remind people, Mina, that David Dennis Jr. Is a former beer pong partner of his classmate at Davidson, Steph Curry. So he is both observer and cool.
David Dennis Jr.
When I was there either so that he wasn't cool to like the last two, two weeks of my my time.
Pablo Torre
At Davidson, But David Dennis Jr. Was the original Splash brother. This is reported fact. This is real. This is not an exaggeration. Also, I am now banning officially Nick Wright. I just want to say you, Nick Wright, you're off the show. We can get into that a separate time based on cool.
Mina Kimes
You're banning him because he's not cool?
Pablo Torre
Well, Mina, also because he did this to you today, do you have any other media beefs going on right now?
David Dennis Jr.
At present, for the eighth straight year, first things first, was not nominated for best studio show weekly at the sports Emmys. When I saw the list of nominations.
Pablo Torre
I don't remember all of them, but one of them was NFL Live hosted.
David Dennis Jr.
By one of my media rivals, Mina Kimes. And when I saw they won, I was very happy because I think that.
Pablo Torre
They do a really good job and.
David Dennis Jr.
I think Mina's excellent. Obviously I don't think she's as good.
Pablo Torre
As me at anything, but I do.
David Dennis Jr.
Think she is excellent and I was happy she won. Is this why he's trying to grow his hair like Mina's or is that a difference?
Mina Kimes
Nick Wright has been trying to do this whole rivalry thing with me now for four or five years and honestly, it's like I don't know what's a.
David Dennis Jr.
Good comp it's giving. It's giving Kobe stopper. Ruben Patterson era Kobe stopper.
Pablo Torre
Oh, wow. Wow.
David Dennis Jr.
That's what I'm getting from it. That's the.
Mina Kimes
I saw a tweet when Brock Purdy signed his contract where they were like, brock Purdy joins, like, rivals Josh Allen. And, like, maybe that's Brock Purdy's great, Nick's great. But, like, come on, let's. Let's get real here.
Pablo Torre
Yeah, both. Both. Mr. Irrelevant, I dare say.
Mina Kimes
Hey, his show is really good.
Pablo Torre
All right, fine. Let's start the actual show. So the thing I wanted to start with, guys, is, in fact, a case study in cool. And it started on Substack, which is not the coolest place for things to start, but there's an anonymous author who goes by the handle of Oxportello, which is, I believe, a reference to Inherent Vice, already setting sort of like the highbrow kind of illusions here. We know we're hearkening back when David. We asked David to read this. David, your initial review of the piece was, in brief.
David Dennis Jr.
I don't know, like, half the references that he made in the article. So I had to look up what is. What's the. The vape thing that everybody.
Mina Kimes
Internet.
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah, Internet. I don't know what that was. I didn't read the cut article that was referenced in there. It was like a subsection of the Internet that I'm not familiar with at all.
Mina Kimes
You know, white people have culture, too, David.
David Dennis Jr.
Thank you, Mina. That's sort of where I was. It was a very much like, this is cultures.
Pablo Torre
All cultures matter. But the. The thing that got this going viral around the NBA Internet, at the very least, was one statement in particular that I. I think is consensus, and it was articulated thusly. Quote, for as long as I can remember, the NBA has served as a cultural North Star. These NBA playoffs portend a crisis of cool. And he goes on to analyze Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Halliburton and Shay Gilgeous Alexander, categorizing them as uncool, which I would like us to discuss. Anthony Edwards sort of sticks out as, quote, the exception proving the rule of cool, that actually he is somebody who is so alone in his coolness that the others, who are variously, I would say, try hard, meme lords, who seem to be imitative of previous imitations, even. There was a bunch of that. And so I just want to start, Mina, by actually articulating what do we mean by cool? How do we even define this? Because, yes, it is one, I believe white blogger's opinion that the categories flow as such. But I do think there's something he's getting at here that's worth talking about.
Mina Kimes
The so cool is the perfect debate subject because no one can actually define it. Cool is truly in the eye of the beholder. However, when he says something like Tyrese Halbert and Jalen Brunson are not cool. Anthony Edwards is cool. I imagine we all nodded as we read that because it immediately reads as correct. So starting from that point, it's not just about play. I think we can all agree upon that there's a certain vibe, what the kids call aura. I would argue this piece gets at something that is both true and does actually help us arrive at a definition of cool. When he talked about how a lot of these guys, and he mentioned Haliburton and of course tat are their sense of what is cool is just kind of memeing other things, right? It's derivative. I think cool is original. I think part of the reason why Ananthy Edwards feels cool is because he does not seem to be emulating anyone either. You know, in his sense of self, the way he speaks, what he. In fact he thinks he's better than everybody, which doesn't that in itself. You don't have to be, you know, super egotistical or whatever.
Pablo Torre
He was almost too cool for basketball. Me and he was a quarterback, right? He played football. He was like, football's actually the thing that I'm like great at for a while, you know.
David Dennis Jr.
He was too cool for Barack Hussein Obama. He looked at Obama and said, stand down, son. Like he was a 12 year old child. Yo, K. Lebron, come on.
Pablo Torre
Listen. Are y' all talking to this young man? Cause he just keeps on right now. He just said he's the truth and all that, and the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
David Dennis Jr.
You asked him, you tell him the whole context of the situation though. You asked him what he think about this young man and he said, I'm okay. I said I'm the truth. He tripping. That's what happened.
Pablo Torre
What's wrong with that?
Mina Kimes
So funny. So funny. But I think that if I had to isolate one variable, it is authenticity and originality. Would you guys agree with that?
David Dennis Jr.
Yes. Yes.
Pablo Torre
I would add one wrinkle, David, which is also. And I resemble this at times, and I am trying to be self aware about this at times. Try hardness, like somebody who really wants to be cool. Effort, transparency of effort feels like another anti cool sort of aspect here. Yeah.
David Dennis Jr.
What would you add to that, I think. Yeah, I think that's important. The try hardness is also. Is important. But also I think that, like, I'm not sure that these dudes are any less cool than the people who came before them. I think that we're just not sort of distilling. Like, there's not a way to distill their personalities in the way that we had. Like, immediately when I'm thinking about coolness in the NBA, I'm thinking of, like, slam covers and, like, we're sort of missing this packaging of how players are supposed to be kind of cooler than they may or may not have been. Right? Like, there.
Mina Kimes
These.
David Dennis Jr.
A lot of these dudes are like AAU guys who just played basketball for all, you know, for a lot of time, which is different than, like, some of the guys from the 90s who also just went to school and, like, hung out with friends and, like, created their own culture and came from different regions and different regionality with different cultures. And. And these guys just play basketball all the time. And I think there's this belief that if we just see them on social media, we get to know the real them, which I didn't really get to know the real versions of a lot of these dudes. What I saw was these cool packaged Nike ads or Reebok ads or slam covers. And this way that cool was, like, disseminated to us. Like, think about somebody like Reggie Miller, who you got the choke, and he was like this kind of, like, kind of annoying dude, but, like, he had this quote unquote aura. And then he gets, like, unfettered mic time for three hours on TV as a color commentary, and everybody's like, shut up, Reggie Miller, we hate you. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's. You know, Reggie Miller is great and all that stuff, but, like, that's kind of what. What it became. And because, like, he had this, like, barrier and this packaging that created cool in a way that a lot of these athletes do not have right now. We just get their social media personalities and they're mic'd up. And we, like, see Jalen Brown being like, we're not wizards, we're Harry Potter. I think I'll be playing with the energy they. The magic. But know who really got the magic over here? No. Harry Potter. You know, like, we get a lot of that what we didn't get before.
Pablo Torre
There's also one thing, Mina, I think, which is that we are look the NBA as this, like, cultural barometer of cool. As the piece sort of leads with Part of that is as these things become increasingly corporate, as these things are like, you know, lineages that are increasingly formalized, as David was alluding to, we also get further away from what might be the fundamental tenet of that we haven't mentioned yet, which is, I think that you have to be kind of anti authority. You kind of have to be subversive. So, like, to me, the coolest figure when it comes to the modern NBA that we have been sort of circling implicitly without naming him is Allen Iverson.
David Dennis Jr.
So that brings up the question. So I have a question for both, for both of you, for all of us to ask, which is sort of a central part of this piece. Like what? When you guys think of coolest athletes that you've ever experienced, who. Who comes to mind?
Mina Kimes
I love this question. Iverson's definitely up there in basketball. This my football example. And I think this cuts Pablo's theory. I think Marshawn lynch is probably the cool. He might be the coolest human of his generation, but definitely the coolest football player. Just everything about him, from style of play to the anti authority aspect, to the way he spoke and carried himself to, like, the lore around him. I would contend that Ken Griffey Jr. Is on the Mount Rushmore of cool athletes in any sport of any generation, and was. And you hit that apex because he was actually one of the best of all time and had this glow about him where you just saw him and you wanted to be him. Granted, we were the target generation for that, but there was just something about him. The way he played, the joy with which he played, the way he swung his bat, the way he wore his hat, the way he moved, the way.
Pablo Torre
He played with the Seattle Mariners for men at times growing up.
Mina Kimes
Okay, I actually asked Cortez for a clip. I want you to watch this and tell me that any athlete has ever looked cooler than Ken Griffey Jr. Looks in this clip.
Pablo Torre
Here's the pitch.
David Dennis Jr.
There's a drive.
Mina Kimes
Hey, I'm sorry, but if you ever need to define aura, just play that 0.5 second clip right there.
Pablo Torre
The dolly shot, pushing in on Ken Grieve Jr. Winking and breaking. Shattering the fourth wall with a wink is.
Mina Kimes
Yeah, no athlete has ever looked cooler than that. Right there.
David Dennis Jr.
This reminds me, this article and this whole idea reminds me kind of like when I was coming up in the hip hop blogs and I was reading like the New Yorker and there were like older dudes writing about, like, telling me what was cool and like, what, like Lil Wayne rhymed Like Nigerian hair with whatever. And like you should like him. And it's like, well, you know. And so I think what fundamentally as humans you're going to always think is cool are people who are older than you, who grew up like, who you grew up admiring and who you grew up wanting to be like. And I think for us as near 40 year olds, I don't think we can really determine what's cool or like none of these athletes are going to be cool. Like no 20. I don't think that any 24 year old is cool. There's not going to be a 24 or 25 year old that I will ever think is cool ever again. Like, my dad is never, my dad is never like Michael Jordan is cool. He's like Elgin Baylor was the coolest basketball player ever because that's who he wanted to be.
Mina Kimes
I think there's young football players who are cool actually, David, but to your earlier point, some of that is limited exposure. Right. Like we don't really see them as much. They are naturally kept at a little bit of a distance from us. The helmet, they're not as present as basketball players. They don't talk as much.
Pablo Torre
Right.
Mina Kimes
So I think that helps their cause.
Pablo Torre
But I do want to do a thing in a second here where we are going to draft the coolest athletes across at least the three major sports in the present day. So we're going to put this to the test. I'm going to seed that in your brains. We don't have to do it just yet, but we will answer and test David's theory about whether we are just afflicted with clinical old headitis and cannot possibly actually consider a young person cool. I also want to add a wrinkle as we assess the criteria here for the committee of our audience to judge us because on field play, right, so are we saying that that is, that is clearly not separate and apart, it is involved in the calculation. Right.
Mina Kimes
The reason why on field play matters and as we do this like cool thing or try to figure out who the coolest guys are is there's nothing cooler for a professional athlete than being unbelievable at your sport and then backing it up with how you present yourself. And I think when we talk about the top guys, Griffey, Iverson, lynch, they hit that. It's a very elusive, very elusive bar.
Pablo Torre
Yeah, but so just the greatness though, right? Like what does that get you? So Michael Jordan I think is a very reasonable answer. A very popular, might be the number one answer when people think of the Coolest basketball player of all time. Because he both as a marketing vehicle was unprecedented for the obvious Nike etc reasons and every other sponsor thing. Right. For our generation. Also because when it came to be the most pressurized moments, he had the greatest legend and arguably the greatest performance. So there's that. But then we get to, for instance, like to. To discern a bit of the. Of the lineage when it comes to Kobe. I'm like, I think there are lots of people who think that Kobe is cool, but I see an imitation of Michael Jordan and I'm like, okay, I'm going to dock points for that. I think Kobe is. Was as great as he was a legendary tryhard by the time that he became the guy who was branding all of his Mamba stuff. Which is to say that I think the answers to the draft as we go around in a. In some sort of order. David, There's a. I know it when I see it definition as opposed to like some strict criteria. For better and for worse.
David Dennis Jr.
Can I dump out a hot take real quick, please? I'm not sure Michael Jordan was that cool. Like, I'm sorry. Like, would you watch the last dance? And you, like, this dude is like talking to this baseball bat and he's like jamming to Anita Baker before the playoffs. Like, this dude is not that. Like, I remember way, way back he did an interview and this sticks out to me so much. Like, he did some sort of interview and they were like, what is your favorite artist? I mean, this age is poorly, but, you know, for other reasons. But he was like, Robert Kelly. And I was like, who calls him Robert Kelly? Like, who did? Like, I don't know. Like, there's just so many things about Michael Jordan that I'm just like, it was all ads, all this stuff. Like, is Michael Jordan actually really cool? And by. By, you know, extension of that, is Kobe Bryant even less cool because he wanted to be like Michael Jordan, who was not even cool.
Mina Kimes
Where does that leave Tatum, who's doing the third. Third round of meaning? I think you. You hit on just like, the more we see of someone, the less then it's just. There's an absolutely. An inverse relationship between exposure and coolness. And no amount of. No matter how cool you are, the more we see of you, the less cool you're gonna be.
Pablo Torre
The NBA finals are almost here, and every second counts. With drafting Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA, you are not just watching history, you're betting on it. And now's your shot to get in on the Action Player Props Game lines. Live bets. This is playoff betting at its finest. And if you're new to DraftKings, bet just $5. And if your bet hits, you will cash in with 300 DOL bonus bets. So download the DraftKingsportsbook app and use code Pablo. That is code Pablo for new customers to get $300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler in New York, call 877-8-HOPE and Y or text Hopeny at 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Cassino, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario.
David Dennis Jr.
Bet must win to receive reward.
Pablo Torre
Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance.
David Dennis Jr.
For additional terms and responsible gaming resources.
Pablo Torre
See dkng Co Audio. Should we get this draft going?
Mina Kimes
So current players, right? Current athletes, you have to be active.
Pablo Torre
I think we should do coolest player per sport for the three biggest sports. So we each pick one. So we're each going to draft our. Our pick for who we think the coolest is. And if someone has drafted them, we cannot take them. And we will show our results at the end because I love. I love a draft chart results.
Mina Kimes
So I'm gonna say this one and I'll. This is a player who. I've gotten a lot of grief from their fan base because I consistently have him behind two other quarterbacks in football votes and whatnot. But I think Joe Burrow is incredibly cool.
Pablo Torre
He has the nickname he.
Mina Kimes
No. Yeah, Right. But he plays cool. He has these, like, credible big moments. He's ice cold. And the way he presents on and off the field is legitimately cool. I really believe that.
Pablo Torre
Counterpoint. Counterpoint. I don't think Joe Burrow saying stuff is cool. I don't think Joe Burrow says cool stuff. I think he does cool stuff on the field. I think that is. Does he?
Mina Kimes
Yeah.
David Dennis Jr.
He knows all the words to get the gat from his time at lsu. So I think that's pretty cool.
Mina Kimes
The championship picture is one of the coolest pictures ever taken of him smoking cigar. But I would say, like, he. The way he talks when he's interviewed, he's not very. He limits his exposure, which is what cool guys do. When he speaks, like, he puts pressure on his organization to do stuff. He's pretty plain spoken. I. Yeah, I like. I think Lamar Jackson is the coolest football player to watch, but I don't think he has enough of a Persona for me.
Pablo Torre
So Lamar gets. Okay, so I'll go next. Second, Lamar has the anti authority thing going. The fact that he doesn't have a conventional agent, for better and for worse. I don't know if that's cool in the classic sense, but it's sort of like a you to the way that like football and business tends to operate. So the case for Lamar is. Is strong. But I think I'm gonna go. Jalen hurts.
Mina Kimes
Oh, terrible choice, David. David, horrible choice. David.
Pablo Torre
Tell me where I'm wrong. Tell me where I'm wrong.
David Dennis Jr.
Okay, you go, Mina, go. Go for it. Go for it.
Mina Kimes
I don't know. Can I use the word unk? First of all, I need a ruling from my compatriot here. Jalen Hurts, I think is an amazing person and I'm a huge fan of his in a million different ways. But he is not cool. Like he dresses and acts like a 45 year old man.
David Dennis Jr.
He's not. He's. He's lean. He leans in to 90s fine. Like that is his whole personality. Like he is. He is living single era fine man.
Pablo Torre
So far I'm waiting for the problem. I remain waiting for the problem. That again I Have you heard him in interviews.
Mina Kimes
He speaks in cliches. He speaks in like football talk. He has no. He has the ultimate. It's funny because he just did something that you could say it was anti authority. So he just.
Pablo Torre
That's what I'm thinking about. Yeah.
Mina Kimes
But for the most part, the man, when he was in college I believe said he related to Nick Saban.
Pablo Torre
Okay, that's uncool. I think that's pretty.
David Dennis Jr.
I think the only.
Pablo Torre
I didn't have that in my oppo research file.
David Dennis Jr.
The thing that helps Jalen Hurts is that now he stands next to Saquon Barkley for the rest of the season. And by virtue of that, he is going to be the coolest dude because he is anti Saquon Barkley. And I think that that's going to elevate him way further than he would have been otherwise. The thing that'll get Jalen Hurts that. That the test is. I don't know how this has not happened yet. How has he not gone through the Jennifer Hudson tunnel yet?
Mina Kimes
Because he has good management who will not reveal that to the world.
David Dennis Jr.
That's gonna make or break him when he goes through that tunnel.
Mina Kimes
We'll see what kind of cool football players have gone through that tunnel, right?
David Dennis Jr.
No, I don't think we have one.
Pablo Torre
He's gonna go through that tunnel. Oh, my God. Hold on. There's. There's a reference I'm gonna pull out and Google.
Mina Kimes
Have you guys thought about what you would do if you had to go.
Pablo Torre
First off, that. That is a show that I only know, of course, because of the tunnel. It's. I don't know what else happens on the Jennifer Hudson show. I assume good stuff happens. I just know it as the tunnel. I did see recently Randall park go through the tunnel, if you recall him. Asian dude. And he proceeded to, like, do a mixture of. I will. We'll show this in post. A mixture of like, sort of like popping and locking, where I was like, I would aspire to do that and not be nearly as good.
Mina Kimes
And Asian dudes who can constantly go viral for crushing the tunnel. This is my algorithm. Like the dude from the White Lotus guy talk crushed it in the tunnel.
David Dennis Jr.
The. The. Here's the thing about the Jennifer Hudson tunnel that is fascinating is that they managed to know the algorithms because I don't think I've seen a single white person go through the tunnel. And then when I talk to white folks about the Jennifer Hudson tunnel, they just like, reference white people went through. I don't never see.
Mina Kimes
I'm getting Asians and like the hot guy from Lion King Constant, right?
David Dennis Jr.
I don't know. That's it.
Pablo Torre
I did see Usher go through it on SK and I was like, sphere all comment section.
Mina Kimes
Okay, sorry, Steve, what's your pick?
Pablo Torre
Yeah, what's your.
Mina Kimes
What do you got?
David Dennis Jr.
My pick here. Lamar Jackson. Okay, just like, I was thankful that you guys had picked Lamar Jackson. I love Lamar Jackson just because I think there's also this, like, unfiltered interview that like, is part of it. And also he has an unfair advantage. His name is Lamar Jackson. Like, it's like, like, come on, like.
Mina Kimes
Style of play gets him like 95% of the way there because he is clearly the coolest. Summer is coming right to your door with Target Circle360 get all the season go tos at home with same day delivery snacks for the pool party delivered sun lotion and towels for a beach.
Pablo Torre
Day delivered pillows and lights to deck.
Mina Kimes
Out the deck that too delivered just when you want them summer your way.
Pablo Torre
Quick and easy Join now and get all the summer fun delivered right to.
Mina Kimes
Your home with Target Circle360.
Pablo Torre
Membership required Subject to terms and conditions.
Mina Kimes
Applies to orders over $35.
Pablo Torre
The NBA. David, we're gonna snake draft it. Go the other way.
David Dennis Jr.
Are we doing NBA or we're doing basketball? Because. Because here's my cause here's the thing that I also got out of this article that we started this whole thing from. This seems to be a male centric problem because there are like 15 or 20 cool ass WNBA players that I am obsessed with at all times. And so if I had to pick all of basketball, my number one pick would be Agent Wilson. Because she's like the coolest person in basketball. I think right now. She's like an incredible interview. She won the championship and talked about all the tequila shots she was gonna drink.
Pablo Torre
You have to take four shots. Children take shots of ginger ale, but you gotta take four shots before you pull up to the parade and drink responsibly.
David Dennis Jr.
She has the new shoe out, which helps. She has the like really cool Internet soft launch, hard launch, bam out of bio thing going on. She's the best player in the world by a large margin. And I just don't think that this article really applies to women. Really. Like, there are so many cool ass women athletes and there's a larger thing to discuss, I think about like, women and how they, you know, drive the culture and like make stuff cool in a way that guys kind of are not doing. Which goes to the zen and the manosphere and all that stuff. But like, there are so many cool ass WNBA players that are so much cooler than NBA players. And AJ would be my number one pick in basketball by far.
Mina Kimes
They've also been cool for a while, I think is the other thing, right? Like this isn't like, oh, wow. All of a sudden we have this like cool new generation. Obviously the WNBA is exploding popularity, but Diana Tarazzi is one of the coolest humans to walk this.
Pablo Torre
He does, by the way, an awesome at a microphone does not give a.
Mina Kimes
Is incredible, but meets the parameters I established earlier.
Pablo Torre
And the greatest of all time.
Mina Kimes
Goat player. Yeah, one of the goat players backed it up. Great on the mic. Very.
David Dennis Jr.
She might be great at social media. All these WBA players are great at social media. Like the more we know them, the more we get to like them.
Pablo Torre
So Steph not even a consideration for you? Like, you're like, nah, not even. No, like, because Steph is the ultimate example to me of playing style getting you on the list. Not number one, but just like on the list.
David Dennis Jr.
And I think he is absolutely one of the coolest players. He has a cool celebration. He's like probably the most like old school. I'm gonna text or call somebody when he's doing something dope.
Pablo Torre
Even though he's a nepo baby. Even though he's.
David Dennis Jr.
He's always. Even though it's a Nepo baby. But like, Steph has always had this, like, I think the, the arc of coolness has shifted more towards him.
Mina Kimes
Authenticity, again, is kind of the driving.
Pablo Torre
Yeah, I think that's, that's fair. Influence. I was just at so influential. Yeah.
Mina Kimes
A friend's house who has two small boys and they're both into basketball, like 6 and 4. And I asked them, which player, like, would you want to play with him? Like, play, like. And both said Steph. And it's like, wow, we're still on. It's still going. You know, they're not saying lamello or Jah, but.
Pablo Torre
Well, that brings me to my pick because my pick is John Morant with an asterisk.
Mina Kimes
Yeah.
Pablo Torre
I think that's. Look, the unsaid thing in this there for him.
Mina Kimes
So sad.
Pablo Torre
It was it. Everyone was ready. I had a friend who worked on. It's part of the Nike campaign that they were doing for Jaw. As all of this stuff was unfolding and they had to blow it up and make it less cool because they had to make it so that actually John Morant was more palatable to an audience that expected him to be a massive up who loved playing with guns. Like, there is a line beyond which you go too far. And as much as the anti authority thing is, is part of it, like he. At a certain point you gotta know when to just stop. And that's where it became untenable.
David Dennis Jr.
I think John Moran is fine, guys. Like, I just think that like, if he played better, it'd be fine. Like I, you know, like, if he came back and was healthy and they had like deep playoff runs. Yeah, like, I'm just, I, like, I. I just don't think you're gonna get a whole bunch of people who are just gonna get too upset about like people liking guns in this country. You know what I'm saying? Like, this dude is, you know, like.
Mina Kimes
I don't think people have forgotten and forgiven way worse in all these times sports are talking about.
David Dennis Jr.
Exactly. And like, we're not going to finger wag at a dude and his love of guns and the bad. And you know, there's a lot more. It's more complicated and complicated.
Pablo Torre
It's more. It's more like, can you stay on the court? Is Michael right?
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah. I think if he came back from this Thing and the Grizzlies, or if the Grizzlies are playing now, for instance. Right. And he's playing in the conference finals, I think he's fine. And like, whatever. You lose your Nike campaign, whatever. I think he's still in a point where he's one of the coolest dudes ever. The problem is you're still doing this, like, anti authority celebration when you're not, like, that good or good enough to warrant it. Right now, I think that's probably the big problem.
Mina Kimes
I do think the anti authority aspect of him, it feels. He doesn't feel as cool. I mean, for obvious reasons, but also it just doesn't feel. It feels a little bit. And this cuts to the original premise of this piece is a little bit cosplay in a way that I think is something we sniff out with a lot of people. Whether they're cosplaying, you know, gestures or Kobe imitators or being anti authority. There is a sense of like, is this really you like what you doing, bud? My pick is, I think to certainly corroborates the thesis of no younger players. Is an older guy. I'm gonna go Dame. I think Dame is one of the coolest athletes alive. Obviously he is at the end.
Pablo Torre
What do you think of.
Mina Kimes
I think of the hardest NBA photo, one of them of all time, which is the game winner okc. Looking at the camera, I mean, I know I said earlier that no one has better looked ever cooler than Griffey.
Pablo Torre
But like I was gonna say, Mina has a clear thing for who she thinks is cool. It's looking into a camera.
Mina Kimes
If you do something cool and look straight into a camera, you're probably cool. But David, that photo, I mean, come on, it's.
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah, I mean, that's cool. I mean, also, another great celebration.
Mina Kimes
Yeah, another great.
David Dennis Jr.
And the. And the very, very rare accomplishment of being an athlete who raps and people still respect you. Like, that's. That's one thing that. That.
Pablo Torre
That is hard.
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah. That usually docks off a ton of points if you're trying to rap, but he got Lil Wayne on his album.
Mina Kimes
I am also realizing a lot of my picks are really handsome guys, which also, like, does make you cool. Cooler.
David Dennis Jr.
I mean, I picked A.J. wilson, so I get it. Samesies.
Pablo Torre
I mean, Jalen hurts guys is clearly a beautiful person. Beautiful, objectively beautiful person. Okay, so baseball. Are we ready to move on to baseball or any other takes we want to get off? One side? One. Actually one. One side. Brief postscript take about the NBA because, David, you were hinting at this before and Mina as well. Like as much as the current generation of NBA players might be starving for cool in the way that bloggers and others will approve of. If you go through like, is LeBron cool?
David Dennis Jr.
I don't think so.
Mina Kimes
LeBron's like an iPhone. Like he's too. No, he's like too much of a monolith. It's like Taylor Swift, you know, like it's too, it's too big.
Pablo Torre
He's a literal corporation who is also trying very hard at all times. But if you just go through the list of like Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Paul George, I'm going through just like all NBA caliber guys. It's not like we have been dealing with a bumper crop of the previous generation where it's like, man, those guys check all the boxes.
David Dennis Jr.
You know, I mean we can get in the second apron and players moving around and stuff like that. But I think a lot of the players that we all thought were the coolest were not necessarily the best players in the game.
Pablo Torre
Right?
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah, Rasheed Wallace, like, yeah, there's the Rasheed Wallace. There's like, you know like J.R. ryder and the between the legs dunk or like, you know, Gary Payton who was all, you know, this all NBA was never like the best player in the world. He was just a cool ass player. You know, Baron Davis, Steve Francis, like those type of dudes were always really cool and we loved them. We collected their basketball cards. We like did all this stuff that, that you know, we loved about them. The Clippers, the like Quentin Q. Rich Clippers and all that. Darius Miles and them. Like those are people that we love that were not necessarily the best in the world. And I think that like it kind of shortens our list and like the potential of who we're going to pick if we're only looking at all NBA players. That's never always been the case about who we think is great. And it's also good to note that like we did have a draft and neither one of us really picked an NBA player. Like we kind of picked like an old, like a dame who's not going to play and Aja Wilson who's not in the league and Ja who's like.
Mina Kimes
The guy's argument checks out. Yeah, our picks kind of illustrated for him. Baseball's very top heavy.
Pablo Torre
I mean I think the question do.
Mina Kimes
I get to pick first?
Pablo Torre
Mina goes first. And there is a question that I'm wondering if she will ask out loud. As she makes her first pick.
Mina Kimes
Well, there's two guys, I think, who are clearly the two coolest guys in baseball. That's how I feel. So I'm deciding between the two of them. I'm taking Mookie here.
Pablo Torre
He's just so cool.
Mina Kimes
He is a joy to. He's an amazing player. He's a joy to watch. He seems like a legitimately awesome dude, but he's funny. And he, to me, has the close is the closest thing in spirit to Griffey in this generation.
Pablo Torre
He's also really good at bowling, and I want to unpack whether that makes him cool or not, because he is like a professional caliber bowler. He's bowled a perfect 300.
David Dennis Jr.
Another wildly attractive person.
Mina Kimes
He knows to keep that hat on. You know, he's playing the right sport. That's true. I am. I am taking only hotties. I wanted to take. Speaking of hotties, Julio Rodriguez, but I can't. The homer allegations would be too strong.
Pablo Torre
Are we. Are we saying definitively because Mina brought us to the. To the team in question, like, Shohei Ohtani, not cool?
Mina Kimes
I think he's cool.
David Dennis Jr.
I think he's cool. I think Shohei. He was my pick. Sho To. Shohei was my pick. Don't want to skip over you, Pablo. He's my pick. I think just virtue of being. I think that sometimes it's virtue of just being good as hell. And the dopest at your sport, like, goes a long way. And he. And we also have a barrier. We don't get to. We don't know that much about him.
Mina Kimes
This mysterious.
David Dennis Jr.
This mysterious dude who just goes, does.
Pablo Torre
He have a crippling gambling addiction? You know, these are ongoing mysteries. Yes.
Mina Kimes
He also, even when he is not playing, just watching him, like, move in the world, a lot of this is carried by just his. How physically imposing he is.
Pablo Torre
He is enormous.
Mina Kimes
He has, like, star power and he's incredibly handsome.
David Dennis Jr.
And. And watching other baseball players react to him also makes him cool because it is like Ohtani is like when Beyonce walks in the room.
Pablo Torre
Yeah, right, right, right, right. People are in awe of the sound that the ball makes off his bat. People are in awe of his physical stature. People are in awe that he can do any of this. He also is, I think, to the earlier point, like, so private that it creates this aura of its own.
Mina Kimes
Being private is cool, I think.
Pablo Torre
I think we're learning that too. Like being less online on some level actually does in this era. Yeah. It creates the intrigue that I think rates as cool. I Think I gotta go with. I'm looking at his age right now to. To invalidate David's theory about how we can't really respect young people as we continue to draft some young people. I'm going. Ellie De La Cruz, great. He's not like, again, household name necessarily, but he should be if you like baseball in any vague way. He stole a zillion bases. He had 20, I think was 25 and 65, was the first shortstop to ever do it. And that dude playing in the Cincinnati region. I'm like, yeah, I think that's, that feels like conventional, like that's just an all time athlete doing cool stuff. And I select him.
Mina Kimes
Aaron Judge, not cool.
Pablo Torre
I want to say, what's the difference?
Mina Kimes
Judge and yeah, I think, I think.
Pablo Torre
There'S kind of a. There's almost like a parallel to like sneaker sales to me where like the guys who are too large aren't as cool. Like no one's really. I mean, the big man, Aaron, Aaron Judge is too large, I think, to be cool. Jazz Chisholm, though on the Yankees is cool and has like, you know, speed and flair and all that.
Mina Kimes
Yeah, being okay. This actually connects to Steph and Dame and being small and being really, really good elite at a sport is a real fast track to being cool because there's like an underdog aspect to it that instantly makes you cool.
David Dennis Jr.
And just the style of play just like crossing people over lends itself to more like acrobatics. Like the people I mentioned, Baron Davis, Steve Francis, those guys, like we grew up loving those dudes. Like point guards. Point guards are just going to lend themselves to being cool nine times out of ten.
Pablo Torre
Is Jokic cool? Is Nicola Jokic? Who? Oh, Mina's shaking your head no, immediately. He doesn't care. He's not effortful in the way that we expect athletes to care. But he's also clearly. Yeah, I think he's one of the most skilled players in NBA history. Why isn't he cool? Big man. Is it the big man thing?
David Dennis Jr.
I think part of it's the big man thing. Part of it, I think is that I don't think people, you know, as superficial as it sounds, I don't think people aspire to look like him. You know, I think there's like this feeling of, yeah, he shows up to work and he just kind of doesn't care and he leaves and goes, does his horses and everything. I think there's something to that. I actually think if he were a little bit worse at basketball, he'd be more popular. I just think, like, he's almost, like, too good. It's like, you know, like, it just. What a great take because I think, like, like what I think about, like, Shaq. Right? Like Shaq. One of the things about Shaq that was so relatable to me, especially, like, is that this dude was dominant. But you always felt like he could be a little better if he just didn't want to, like, break dance and rapid DJ as much. But, like, he kind of wanted to break dance and rapid DJ a little bit more. So it would be like, it'd be like if Jokic were a little bit worse and be like, this dude cares.
Pablo Torre
So much about horses in a movie.
David Dennis Jr.
Right? Right. Yeah. If you'll control a little bit worse, he'd be more popular. He's just too good to be popular.
Pablo Torre
So I want to recap what we've done here today in the NFL. The three coolest players as appointed by the three of us. Number one, Mina Kimes took Joe Burrow. Number two, I took Jalen Hurts with and parentheses I want next to it with Kangol. Kangol is essential. And number three, David Dennis Jr. Took Lamar Jackson. What did we do for the NBA? Who remembers what we did? Oh, David. Right. It was David Dennis Jr. Number one, A.J. wilson. Me. Number two, John Morant. Asterisk. Number three.
Mina Kimes
Your picks have.
Pablo Torre
My picks are great so far. Number three, Mina Kimes. Dame Lillard looking into the camera like Jim Halpert or Randall Park. And then baseball. Number one, Mina took Mookie Bets. Number two, I took Ellie de la Cruz. And number three, David Dennis Jr.
David Dennis Jr.
Took Shohei Ohtani.
Pablo Torre
Damn. How did. How did David out Asian US.
Mina Kimes
David ended up with Lamar Jackson, AJ Wilson, and Shohei Ohtani. He kind of bodied this draft.
Pablo Torre
I wound up with a Kangal and potentially future gun charges, which is suboptimal, I guess.
David Dennis Jr.
Yeah. I want. I want the graphics to have each of the names by. By our. You know, who we picked. And so that it could be in graphic immortality that I spoke to you guys in this draft.
Pablo Torre
The Hoover Dam wasn't built in a day, and the GMC Sierra lineup wasn't built overnight. Like every American achievement, building the Sierra 1500 heavy duty and EV was the result of dedication. A dedication to mastering the art of engineering. That's what this country has done for 250 years and what GMC has done for over 100. We are professional grade. Visit GMC.com to learn more. Assembled in Flint and Hamtrannock, Michigan and Fort Wayne Indiana of US and globally.
David Dennis Jr.
Sourced part.
Pablo Torre
At the end of every episode of Pablo Dori finds out. We go around and say what we found out today after having a, I would say pretty in depth discussion of cool. Mina, what did you find out?
Mina Kimes
I found out that I didn't have time to get in a mention of my podcast with David Dennis Jr. But I'm going to talk about it right here, y' all, if you're still listening. David and I have been doing this Love is Blind pod now for a few couple years. We've done three seasons now. David, is that right? Yeah, yeah. And it's a YouTube show and it became a podcast and we enjoyed doing it so much that we are expanding into a ongoing general TV and entertainment show which you can watch on YouTube.comakimbs or you can subscribe to. The new name of the show is Viewer Discretion with Mina Kimes And David Dennis Jr. Thank you.
David Dennis Jr.
I like that.
Mina Kimes
The first show we will be recapping is the upcoming season of Love island, but we are going to be doing non reality shows. Non, you know, romantic shows as well. However, Love island really, last season was one of the greatest seasons of reality television ever made. For those who don't know, Odell Beckham Jr's brother won.
Pablo Torre
What?
David Dennis Jr.
Cool.
Pablo Torre
What's the cool dude?
Mina Kimes
Actually extremely cool. Cordell Beckham, who's now kind of more BJ circles. But anyways, go check it out. Viewer discretion. You just look up my name. You can look up David's name and give us a subscribe rate and review.
Pablo Torre
What I found out, David, is that Mina also showed up to today's episode of Pablo. Tori finds out with multiple clips. And so there is a clip from, I believe one of the reality shows in question that Cortez could not be more excited about. And I have no idea what this is, so I'm about to find out right now.
Mina Kimes
Do you ever get told you look like a celebrity?
Pablo Torre
Yeah.
David Dennis Jr.
Do you? I do.
Pablo Torre
I do too. All the time.
Mina Kimes
On the plane I get one person and it's just because I have dark hair and blue eyes. Ooh. But I don't see it, so don't get excited.
David Dennis Jr.
Say it.
Pablo Torre
What's he writing down in that notebook?
Mina Kimes
MG I don't even know if it's MGK's wife or her girlfriend.
Pablo Torre
Oh, no.
David Dennis Jr.
Megan Fox. You're saying you look like Megan Fox?
Mina Kimes
It's just because I have light eyes and dark hair.
Pablo Torre
That's the only reason.
Mina Kimes
There's nothing else. At least I'm assuming so.
Pablo Torre
I mean.
David Dennis Jr.
Oh, listen, can we get married, buddy? What'd you say?
Pablo Torre
So I guess I should I. It's been whispered into my ear because I didn't realize this until some until Rob whispered it. They can't see each other at that point.
Mina Kimes
Yeah. Because there is a wall proposed to Megan Fox. Yeah.
David Dennis Jr.
Yes.
Pablo Torre
And so I I am told now reliably we have the reveal when they can.
Mina Kimes
Oh, God.
David Dennis Jr.
Oh, no. Sort of like hit on looks but not for you. She definitely lied to me on on some how she looks.
Pablo Torre
Chelsea told me she looked like Megan Fox.
David Dennis Jr.
But, you know, at the end.
Pablo Torre
Of the day, it doesn't really matter.
David Dennis Jr.
I. I'm very attracted to her. I. I can work with that.
Pablo Torre
What an emotional roller coaster.
David Dennis Jr.
That guy is the cruelest edit I've ever seen in a reality show.
Mina Kimes
You also didn't get to see when they meet. There's a moment where he has a Jim Halpert look to the camera right after meeting her when they hug. That is one of the most themed moments in Love is Blind history. David and I have probably spent no less than three hours breaking down the Megan Fox moment. If you're into that sort of thing. If you like listening to two people who treat these shows like the game tape that it deserves to be treated like, check out our podcast.
Pablo Torre
Thank you both for helping me find out more than I bargained for.
Mina Kimes
You're welcome.
Pablo Torre
Pablo staring into the camera and wink. Pablo Torre finds Out is produced by Walter Abaroma, Ryan Cortez, Sam Dawig, Juan Galindo, Patrick Kim, neely Loman, Rob McRae, Rachel Miller, Howard Carl Scott, Matt Sullivan, Claire Taylor, Chris Tominiello and Juliet Warren. Our studio engineering by RG Systems. Our sound design by NGW Post our theme song, as always, by John Bravo and we will talk to you.
Mina Kimes
It.
Pablo Torre Finds Out: Share & Cool & Tell with David Dennis Jr. and Mina Kimes Episode Release Date: May 30, 2025
In this engaging episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, host Pablo Torre delves deep into the elusive concept of "coolness" within the realm of professional sports. Joined by sports journalists Mina Kimes and David Dennis Jr., the trio embarks on a spirited discussion to unpack what makes an athlete genuinely cool versus merely popular or overexposed.
The episode kicks off with Pablo posing a provocative question: “Are any of us cool? Do you think if people did the exercise we're about to do, anybody, they would say any of us are actually cool?” (00:18) Mina Kimes echoes this sentiment, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of what defines "coolness" in today's sports landscape.
The conversation turns to a Substack article by an anonymous author, Oxportello, which critiques current NBA players' coolness:
Mina Kimes posits, “Cool is truly in the eye of the beholder... Anthony Edwards feels cool because he does not seem to be emulating anyone.” (09:56) She emphasizes that authenticity and originality are paramount, suggesting that Edwards' unique style sets him apart.
David Dennis Jr. adds, “There's not a way to distill their personalities in the way that we had. Players like Reggie Miller had an aura that was distinct and memorable.” (11:48) He critiques the current generation for lacking the same depth in personality and cultural impact.
Pablo Torre supplements the discussion by highlighting the importance of being "anti-authority" and subversive, citing Allen Iverson as a quintessential example of coolness in the modern NBA.
To put their theories to the test, the hosts engage in a draft to select the coolest athletes in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Each host picks one athlete per sport, discussing their choices and the rationale behind them.
Mina Kimes selects Joe Burrow, praising his "credible big moments" and "ice cold" demeanor both on and off the field. She admires his ability to maintain a low profile while delivering outstanding performance (22:26).
Pablo Torre chooses Jalen Hurts, acknowledging his skills but facing pushback from Mina who argues, “He is not cool. Like he dresses and acts like a 45-year-old man.” (24:37) This sparks a debate on the importance of personality versus performance.
David Dennis Jr. opts for Lamar Jackson, commending his anti-authority traits and unique playstyle. He notes, “The way he presents on and off the field is legitimately cool.” (23:33)
Mina Kimes advocates for A.J. Wilson, highlighting his charisma and influence within the WNBA, arguing that female athletes bring a different dimension to coolness that is often overlooked (28:56).
David Dennis Jr. selects Steph Curry, lauding his "cool celebrations" and effortless style, despite acknowledging his privileged background as a "nepo baby" (30:19).
Pablo Torre nominates John Morant with an asterisk, indicating his complex persona that oscillates between cool and controversial due to his anti-authority celebrations (31:22).
Mina Kimes chooses Mookie Betts as the coolest, admiring his on-field prowess and engaging personality. She draws parallels between Betts and legends like Ken Griffey Jr., emphasizing his joy and authenticity (37:29).
Pablo Torre selects Ellie De La Cruz, praising his outstanding performance and dynamic playstyle, positioning him as a modern-day athlete embodying both skill and coolness (39:07).
David Dennis Jr. picks Shohei Ohtani, appreciating his dual skills in pitching and hitting, as well as his mysterious and private demeanor that adds to his cool aura (43:55).
Throughout the draft, the hosts dissect several key attributes that contribute to an athlete's coolness:
Authenticity and Originality: Maintaining a genuine persona without imitation is crucial. “Cool guys do cool stuff, and try hard efforts feel like anti-cool in this context,” states Pablo Torre (10:47).
Anti-Authority Stance: Athletes who defy conventional norms and exhibit a rebellious streak often garner a "cool" reputation. This is exemplified by Allen Iverson’s legacy in the NBA.
Overexposure's Negative Impact: The trio discusses how constant media presence can diminish an athlete's coolness. “There's an inverse relationship between exposure and coolness,” Mina Kimes explains (20:30).
Style of Play and Persona: Dynamic playstyles, such as Steph Curry’s celebrations or Mookie Betts’ engaging gameplay, play a significant role in defining coolness (34:06).
The conversation takes a lighter turn as the hosts share personal anecdotes and humorous moments:
Jennifer Hudson Tunnel Reference: They discuss a viral segment involving the Jennifer Hudson tunnel, highlighting how certain moments can define or undermine an athlete's cool image (25:52).
Impact of Social Media: David Dennis Jr. points out that WNBA players often maintain a cooler image through effective social media use, something that NBA players are still grappling with (28:56).
In wrapping up, Pablo summarizes the picks and reiterates the main findings:
The discussion concludes with reflections on how the concept of coolness is ever-evolving, influenced by performance, personality, and media portrayal. Mina Kimes and David Dennis Jr. also promote their collaborative project, Viewer Discretion with Mina Kimes and David Dennis Jr., encouraging listeners to check out their analysis of reality TV shows like Love Island.
Mina Kimes: “Joe Burrow is incredibly cool because he has these credible big moments. He's ice cold.” (22:26)
David Dennis Jr.: “There's an inverse relationship between exposure and coolness.” (20:30)
Pablo Torre: “Try hardness, like somebody who really wants to be cool. Effort, transparency of effort feels like another anti-cool sort of aspect here.” (10:47)
Mina Kimes: “Cool is truly in the eye of the beholder... Anthony Edwards feels cool because he does not seem to be emulating anyone.” (09:56)
This episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out offers a nuanced examination of what it means to be "cool" in professional sports today. Through candid discussions and thoughtful analysis, Pablo, Mina, and David challenge conventional perceptions, highlighting the delicate balance between performance, personality, and media influence in shaping an athlete's coolness.
For those interested in the intersections of sports, culture, and personality, this episode provides valuable insights and a fresh perspective on a topic that resonates deeply with fans and athletes alike.
Note: The asterisk (*) next to John Morant indicates his selection is nuanced due to his complex public persona and ongoing controversies, warranting further discussion beyond this episode.