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Sam Marino
I'm Sam, owner of Marino's Landscape. With my Chase Inc. Business Premier card, I get 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more. Chase Inc. Business Premier Real business owner compensated for their participation. Cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase bank
Sports Radio Host
and a member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Sports Radio 610 presents Payne and Pendergast. Seth is pulling out his Amazon orders, which he had delivered to the station.
Sam Marino
This is a Built Basics crewneck. You know what, it's a little bit more polyester than cotton in cotton Poly blend. Yeah, but I'm going to keep it nonetheless.
Sports Radio Host
I would keep it. It looks comfy.
Sam Marino
What color is this? Burgundy?
Sports Radio Host
Is that. That is burgundy okay. Well, yeah. Or some sort of maroon. I mean, you're not a fit.
Sam Marino
No, it's definitely not. Yeah. Okay, go ahead.
Sports Radio Host
Are you buying that in anticipation of wearing it at training camp?
Sam Marino
No, just in.
Sports Radio Host
Because it feels a little training camp heavy to me.
Sam Marino
Right, right. No, no. This is an in studio shirt.
Sports Radio Host
Got it.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Got it, got it. All right, real quick on the text page. We just got done talking about how good the Texans have been in staffing their defensive backs last few years. And Seth pointed out the made the astute observation that, boy, they really do like USC guys.
Sam Marino
They've drafted five USC guys whereas they've dressed. Look, they draft Iowa State guys pretty regularly and they'll gush and gush and gush about Matt Campbell. Yeah, but they've drafted all these USC guys and not said A single thing about that great USC program and how he develops his defensive players.
Sports Radio Host
So they drafted five USC guys. Three of them have been defensive backs.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Text message. USC is great and all, but have you heard of John Carroll?
Sam Marino
No, that's an untapped. Yeah, that is like, they might as well.
Sports Radio Host
They might as well get coaches and GMs.
Sam Marino
The next time they draft the USC guy, they should say, well, you know, Lincoln Riley is a great recruiter. And. And there you have it.
Sports Radio Host
There's a nice backhanded compliment.
Sam Marino
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sports Radio Host
He's really good at finding guys that
Sam Marino
we find guys that we consider bargains in the draft.
Sports Radio Host
Draft in the fifth round in a few years. So LeBron watch is still on. It took an interesting turn overnight last night when the Miami Heat, their social media team, Whoever handles their YouTube account, posted a link on their YouTube page for. Hang on a second, let me pause. I'm going to. I'm going to pull it up here. The title, LeBron James introductory press conference, July 27, 2026. So obviously they're posting this in anticipation of there being something on. You know, it'll go live on the. On July 27th if it were real.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
They promptly took it down and when asked about it, said, oh, that was a mistake. We were just doing that in anticipation of a potential.
Sam Marino
They were just keeping dunks in a row like. Like they had a drill going and they were going through the checklist and like, okay, this was. This is A big alarm went off and it said, like, this is the. We're signing LeBron James. We're going to announce it on Monday. What would we do?
Sports Radio Host
We are LeBron ready.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
That's what they. You got to be LeBron ready. And that includes. Includes putting up a link to an introductory press conference. So obviously the basketball world read into that as well. It's over.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
LeBron James is going to reunite, but it's not with Cleveland. It's going to be in Miami.
Sam Marino
What do you think the. What do you think the chances are that that was an act, like a. A mistake. That was the big mistake, which is that they are. They already know.
Sports Radio Host
I think he's my.
Sam Marino
You think that's it?
Sports Radio Host
I think he's going to Miami.
Sam Marino
Yeah, I do. Unless this somehow. Unless the very leaking of this
Sports Radio Host
makes
Sam Marino
LeBron believe that the organization isn't functioning properly.
Sports Radio Host
This is not this type of clown show. When I was here in 2011 through 2014. Yeah, it's a clown show now. Old man Riley is now acting like an Old man probably.
Sam Marino
You know what?
Sports Radio Host
They probably accidentally posting links.
Sam Marino
This is the classic thing that would happen if Pat Riley said, you know what? I want to. I want to keep young. Let me handle the social media accounts for a bit. It's like when you try to teach your grandma how to use the computer.
Sports Radio Host
You know, there's an inordinate number of dad jokes coming from Miami Heat social media accounts even. Maybe granddad jokes.
Sam Marino
Oh. Inappropriate boomer jokes going out on social media and everything. Wow.
Sports Radio Host
Miami social media account. It's not like racist racist, but it's
Sam Marino
like Archie Bunker racist lingo about minority players that was acceptable in the 70s. Like, whichever term that. Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
What's with these Archie Bunker memes that have been going up on our social media accounts? So I. What do you think?
Sam Marino
Yeah, I think that. I think somebody. I think they know and somebody screwed up. I don't know. They probably were working on whatever. They were getting all their ducks in the road for the announcement. Somebody hit enter when they weren't supposed to hit enter.
Sports Radio Host
Yep. Yep.
Sam Marino
Drafted it. And you thought you were going to. Which can happen. I'm thinking about YouTube. When I post stuff, it's hard to post something and not realizing you're posting it. But if you're doing a big batch of stuff, they might have thought it was going to be a draft. And. Oh, you know what? They probably scheduled it wrong. That's what they. I bet they were going to schedule it and they forgot to put the actual date on. They might have scheduled, like, they might have put it into the schedule yesterday.
Sports Radio Host
Okay.
Sam Marino
They scheduled it and it wasn't supposed to go live. And then.
Sports Radio Host
So what you're saying is the press conference may very well be on July 27, Monday. But they didn't set the link to go up on July 27th. They accidentally did yesterday last night.
Sam Marino
Yeah. But even. Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
July 22nd. I'll tell you, the dates make sense. This is why I think it makes sense. I think it makes sense that Miami has found out that they're getting LeBron.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
And LeBron is waiting till Thursday to make his announcement. And because he's not going to do it on Friday, because that's when irrelevant news drops on Friday. And LeBron, we know, thinks he's anything but irrelevant. Accurately. So he's one of the most relevant celebrities on the planet. So I think this news. I think. I think the decision. This is my prediction. I think the decision gets announced tomorrow, if not to this afternoon, but more likely tomorrow to let a little. Maybe. Maybe even put A little space between this accident with the link, but I think he announces tomorrow that he's going to Miami, not on Friday. And certainly the press conference wouldn't be on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. That's not when relevant things have press conferences or people have press conferences.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Monday, he does the press conference, and we got all week on get up and first take and shows like ours to play the audio to talk about LeBron. That is the timeline. The Miami Heat messed up putting up that link. That press conference is going to take place on Monday. This decision is coming down in the next 36 hours, and LeBron James is going to the Miami Heat. That's my prediction.
Sam Marino
The interesting thing about Miami is that. I mean, for one, it would be. Look, you think about Antetokounmpo And Adebayo and LeBron, that's pretty exciting. But they're installing this new system that basically doesn't use pick and rolls at all.
Sports Radio Host
Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah.
Sam Marino
I haven't looked at any of this, which is, like. I don't know. That might be intriguing to LeBron. Kohr is like, this is a big rhythm changer.
Sports Radio Host
Oh, yeah.
Sam Marino
Late in my career, and take something that's been a staple of what I do well and just flat out mix it up completely, kind of unleash hell and ambush people with it. It's intriguing. He probably appeals to him from the basketball nerd side of things.
Sports Radio Host
Okay. If you were. If you were LeBron, because it seems like the three teams that we're down to here are Miami, that we've heard are Miami, Cleveland, and I. Philly is still in the mix. I'll throw Golden State in there, too.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Those four teams. If you. If you were LeBron and it was purely about who you're partnering with.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Would you rather partner with Giannis? Would you rather partner with Steph and Draymond? I guess.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Would you rather partner with Joel Embiid, Jalen Brown? Boy, they got a lot of star power in Philly, Tyrese Maxey, all that. All that. That. That ensemble they put together.
Sam Marino
Which of those. Or what about Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert? Well, that's.
Sports Radio Host
They're down the list.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Or James Harden.
Sam Marino
Oh.
Sports Radio Host
So I'm just. I'll just do the marquee guy at each place.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Just to keep it simple, I already.
Sam Marino
My answer is Miami.
Sports Radio Host
You got to pick one. Giannis. Steph.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Harden. Or mb.
Sam Marino
Yeah, it's. It's. It's Giannis, I think, because he's still. I know he's getting up there in years. But I think the, the intrigue of that ethereal physical talent while he's still like injuries aside, he's still in his prime, healthy.
Sports Radio Host
He's the best of those four guys.
Sam Marino
Yeah, yeah. I think they're probably with him. I think there might still, there might be a little bit of a, like a mentorship that he would like. Like that Brown would like, enjoy being a mentor to Antetokounmpo, who's already a made man and a full grown, you know, star and everything. But still like is Also, you know, LeBron's gone through the transition at that age that Antenna Kupo is now that he might really look forward to that opportunity to just kind of team up him almost from a, like a, like a philosophical and strategic standpoint.
Sports Radio Host
As a fan. Yeah, a casual observer. Not a, not a hardcore fan of LeBron, but just an observer of the NBA. A fan of the NBA. Which do you want to see him go to?
Sam Marino
I'm Sam, owner of Marino's Landscape. With my chasing Business Premier card, I get 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more. Chase Inc. Business Premier Real business owner compensated for their participation. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase bank
Sports Radio Host
and a member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.
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Sam Marino
My boss asked for results, so I
Sports Radio Host
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Sports Radio Host
If it's based on those four guys, do you want to see him partnered up with Giannis Embiid, Steph or James Harden? I know my answer is your answer.
Sam Marino
James Harden? Yes.
Sports Radio Host
Hell yes.
Sam Marino
Oh, I gotta see this you know what LeBron might look at? Hey, you know what? You know, he's got a lot of experience having success in the playoffs. This guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who's got two thumbs and has actually done things in the playoffs. This guy. I can be the guy that teaches young James Harden. Okay, okay, okay. No, no, no.
Sports Radio Host
This is a good. That's. That's a good angle. Here's why. Because we know that LeBron is still in this struggle with Michael Jordan over who the greatest of all time is or the goat is. And we know LeBron thinks he's the goat. I think Michael Jordan thinks he's the goat. I don't know what society thinks. It does seem to be very age driven. Older people are like, I watch Jordan with my own two eyes and that LeBron ain't Jordan. And then I think you can make a perfectly good case for LeBron. Jordan's always going to have the championships, unless LeBron goes somewhere where he wins two more and then he's tied with Michael with six championships. But this is where you can get something where you go, okay, maybe I didn't win six, but I dragged one of the biggest playoff chokers of all time, James Harden.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
To an NBA championship.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
That's worth like four championships.
Sam Marino
Right, right, right.
Sports Radio Host
So maybe for his legacy, being able to drag choker James Harden to an NBA championship might be the best.
Sam Marino
I think that, look, LeBron's, he's done
Sports Radio Host
it in Cleveland, Miami before.
Sam Marino
This is the one thing, though, like, because you can fall in love with the story or the outcome or whatever, but I think realistically you get to that age, too, and I think this probably how he looks at it with Steph Curry, it's like, yeah, there's a lot of things that we would jive great together with and it would be incredible and everything, but, like, more times than not, especially in basketball, you know, and you've seen people fall in love with these old guys who have big names and that. It's just. It's not the same. You know, the limits of exactly what you can do with a bunch of old guys. Yep. And I think that the appeal of antetokounmpo is still that element of it. It's a. I think that. And that's probably why they. That's probably why there's going to be an announcement or a press conference on Monday.
Sports Radio Host
Press conference. Monday. He's announcing it on social media or somewhere in the next 36 hours.
Sam Marino
My brother in law. My brother in law, you know, he played basketball in college. Real good athlete. And this last year, I think he's 50 now, he dunks once a year, and the kids. The kids asked him to dunk this year when he was coaching. He's like, a couple of years ago, he said, I'm not going to do it anymore. I'm not. I'm just done with it. Because he used to, like, kind of train for it and everything. He wanted to be. No, he did it. And he's like, never again. Oh, really?
Sports Radio Host
Never again.
Sam Marino
He's six foot five.
Sports Radio Host
Okay.
Sam Marino
Yeah.
Sports Radio Host
Is he the one whose son is a big Giannis fan?
Sam Marino
Yes.
Sports Radio Host
Yeah.
Sam Marino
Yeah. And still a big Giannis fan. Yeah. Yeah.
Commercial Announcer
Okay.
Sam Marino
So he's got a basketball player.
Sports Radio Host
Does he like LeBron?
Sam Marino
I assume so. These kids like everybody. They don't hate people the way we used to.
Sports Radio Host
I know.
Sam Marino
There's no.
Sports Radio Host
It's their fatal flaw.
Sam Marino
They're really nice kids.
Sports Radio Host
Yeah. Yeah. Tank going nowhere. Yeah. All right. Jordan stayed in one city for most of his career. He didn't ring Chase. Okay. Yeah. I mean, LeBron's been a bit of a nomad.
Sam Marino
I mean that. Now we're getting into the whole debate about, like, okay, yeah, you know what? That horse is out of the barn. Yeah, like, that's so good. He's texting that in response to you saying that, hey, if, like, what creates the best narrative for greatest of all time? Right. The state. Guess what? LeBron's not going to stay with the same team his whole career. Like, so that part of the argument is already. That's what wins it for you with Jordan. Like, so there's. We're talking about, what else can LeBron do to. To try to put a brick in the wall of his. Of his argument.
Sports Radio Host
Yep. Question. So since Matt Campbell is at Penn State now, is that the new hunting ground for the Texans? A thousand percent.
Sam Marino
Yeah. I think there's. And it doesn't mean that they're always.
Sports Radio Host
I think that with better players coming
Sam Marino
in, I think they look at certain programs that they feel like these guys are better prepared to enter the NFL and that they can accept a certain type of coaching. I think they like guys, like, they might go three years without drafting somebody out of Georgia, but they still like somebody that Kirby Smart coached. Yeah. There's just certain programs that they respect.
Sports Radio Host
Yep. SC alum here. You guys are killing me. Hey, man, we're just telling the truth. We're not being mean.
Sam Marino
We were just pointing out that they. They drafted a lot of guys from USC in the last few years despite never Actually praising the USC program.
Sports Radio Host
Okay. Reaction to this. James Harden's ego is too big to get dragged to the Finals by LeBron James. I think James Harden has a big. I mean, I think all celebrity athletes have a big ego to some extent. Do you think he's got.
Sam Marino
Well, I guess. What's going to look like. What. What does that look like? What does that mean? Like, if he refuses to get dragged, like, what's. Is James Harden gonna all of a sudden sit out or something or pout or.
Sports Radio Host
Here's how. Here's how I read it. This. And this is how I'm gonna interpret it this way. Cause I think this is what this guy or gal might be saying is that James Harden will have a hard time deferring to LeBron James being the star of the team. I would point out James Harden's already on the team with Donovan Mitchell and has already. James Harden has at various times in his career been fine taking a backseat to other guys, other stars on the team and being a facilitator. He did that with the Clippers with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Sam Marino
Yeah. When he was scoring 30 plus points per game, it wasn't because he was a ball hog and that's what he needed to do. He was the only actual NBA player on the court at that time.
Sports Radio Host
Yeah. Yeah. So I don't. I think that's a. I think that's a mislabeling. I don't think it's.
Sam Marino
So what you were saying, you said you don't think LeBron will have a hard time deferring to.
Sports Radio Host
No, no. I don't think James Harden over hard time differing like this. This person. I'm interpreting this person's text as. As saying James Harden will have a hard time having another star come in and not be the major star anymore. Yeah, that's how I interpret that text. And I'm like, we've already seen evidence that James Harden can mix in with other stars. He just bails at the first point where it doesn't look like they're going to win a championship.
Sam Marino
That's all.
Sports Radio Host
That's how I assess it, at least. All right, Pain and Pendergast with you. Big announcement coming up at 10:00am today. All right, we're doing a little take a mania early here. Won't necessarily be an official take a mania, but two of the best edge rushers conversing about something and wow, some silly stuff getting said. And also, John Harbaugh has spoken. Yes. He saw Cam Scatterbo almost snap his leg again. What did he think about that?
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Sports Radio Host
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Sam Marino
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Sam Marino
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Payne & Pendergast Episode Summary
"LeBron Watch Continues + A Mistake on the Miami Heat Social Media Team"
Date: July 22, 2026
Podcast: Payne & Pendergast (Audacy)
This episode dives into the swirling NBA free agency speculation surrounding LeBron James’ next move, spotlighting a fumbled social media post by the Miami Heat that fueled rumors about a possible reunion. Hosts Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast dissect the social media mishap, analyze potential destinations for LeBron, and riff on the broader impacts for the NBA and LeBron’s legacy. The pair also briefly touch on Houston Texans' draft patterns and field listener questions about sports culture and personality dynamics.
"You gotta be LeBron ready. And that includes putting up a link to an introductory press conference."
(Sports Radio Host, 04:00)
"It's like when you try to teach your grandma how to use the computer."
(Sam Marino, 04:45)
"That's worth like four championships—drag choker James Harden to an NBA championship."
(Sports Radio Host, 12:52)
"Giannis, I think... the intrigue of that ethereal physical talent while he's still like injuries aside, he's still in his prime, healthy."
(Sam Marino, 09:19–09:34)
"We've already seen evidence that James Harden can mix in with other stars. He just bails at the first point where it doesn't look like they're going to win a championship."
(Sports Radio Host, 17:24)
Seth and Sean maintain their signature banter—direct but playful, with plenty of sports-junkie references, sarcasm, and a knack for blending analysis with humor. Their approach is insider-y but relatable, inviting fans into the conversation through listener texts and personal anecdotes.
This episode is a lively, rumor-fueled deep-dive into LeBron James’ possible return to Miami, sparked by a suspicious Miami Heat YouTube mishap. The hosts analyze the slip-up, make predictions on LeBron’s decision, debate which team would be his best fit, and examine what it all means for LeBron’s legacy. Along the way, they field listener comments on player egos and pay their respects to the evolving NFL draft strategies of the Houston Texans, all while keeping things witty and fully plugged in to the major leagues of sports talk.