PTI Podcast Summary

Episode: Does the NBA Have a Tanking Problem AGAIN?
Date: February 11, 2026
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon
Notable Guest: Steve Young (NFL Hall of Fame QB)

Episode Overview

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon tackle a busy sports agenda from NBA tanking and Victor Wembanyama’s explosion, to major golf changes and the ongoing debate about tanking in professional basketball. The episode features NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young, who discusses Super Bowl heartbreak, the evolution of quarterbacks, and coaching trends. The hosts maintain a lively, banter-filled tone throughout, combining humor, strong opinions, and years of insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Victor Wembanyama's Scorching NBA Night vs. Lakers

[00:21 - 03:36]

• Wilbon: Emphasizes Wembanyama’s historic 40-point night (25 points in first 8 minutes), comparing it to Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan’s domination. He dismisses the Lakers’ depleted lineup as irrelevant, praising Wemby’s ‘greedy’ performance.

  • "Most dudes who get paid $50 mil can't put up 25 points in eight minutes that he did." – Wilbon [01:50]

• Kornheiser: Downplays the performance due to facing a Lakers team without its core starters. Calls it “a scrimmage.”

  • "Who was guarding him? The ghost of George Mikan?...This was not a game. It was a scrimmage." – Kornheiser [02:13]

• Both scoff at the significance of LeBron’s All-NBA ineligibility, citing his legacy outweighs postseason honors.

NBA Tanking: Is It Back?

[03:36 - 06:35]

• Kornheiser accuses NBA management—specifically referencing the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz—of organizational tanking for draft picks, lamenting the broken faith with fans:

  • "I think fans of this team, if there are any fans left, should bring a class action suit for fraud on the part of the Wizards for selling season tickets and not ever attempting to win." – Kornheiser [04:25]

• Both hosts agree that players want to win, but tanking is orchestrated by executives and owners.

• Wilbon: Argues the NBA can’t police tanking due to ownership power and notes tanking is ultimately about future success – “you tank to win.”

  • "You tank to win. So ultimately, you're trying. You are trying to win." – Wilbon [05:15]

• Kornheiser references the Steelers’ “we don’t rebuild” ethos as a contrast.

• Memorable Back-and-Forth:

  • Wilbon: "The sin of the Wizards is they don't get it right." [06:00]
  • Kornheiser: "47 and 169 and nobody's fired." [06:32]

Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour Critique & Golf’s Major Scheduling

[06:38 - 09:25]

• Rory McIlroy wants the PGA Championship moved back to August and maintains The Players Tournament shouldn’t be considered a major.

• Wilbon: Applauds Rory, saying The Players has the best field but isn't and shouldn’t be a major. Blasts golf for being "afraid of the NFL" and compressing its own season.

• Kornheiser: Emphasizes tradition – four majors, like the four Beatles or four heads on Mount Rushmore. Sees no need to designate The Players as a major.

  • "The Players has the best field...but it's not a major. There are four heads right on Mount Rushmore. Four heads. Anybody clamoring for a fifth head?" – Kornheiser [07:57]

• Both agree the PGA could move back to August and shouldn’t fear football overlap.

NFL Talk with Steve Young

[10:55 - 18:13]

Steve Young joins for “Five Good Minutes”; focus is on Super Bowl struggles, young QBs, and head coaching trends.

Drake May’s Super Bowl Struggles

• Explains how painkillers for shoulder injuries can have unpredictable effects. Expresses deep empathy:
  • "It gets into your head. We're in the Super Bowl, it's going the wrong way...It's a huge scar that he's going to have from it, but he can turn it to the positive over time." – Steve Young [11:40]

Sam Darnold’s Career Parallel

• Young likens Darnold’s plight to his own, having started in a difficult situation before moving somewhere with greater resources.
  • "The best thing you could ever ask in team sports is be in a spot where you have the right kind of people to allow you go show your great." – Steve Young [13:28]

Best Young Quarterbacks (Not Named May or Darnold)

• Highlights Bo Nix (Denver), Tyler (New Orleans), and a promising QB from Indiana (Las Vegas/Raiders) as notable up-and-comers. Notes this was an unusual year for the Super Bowl, with “all the greats missing.”

Will Mike Macdonald Trigger a Defensive Coach Wave?

• Skeptical that one success will cause the league to shift from its offense-centric hiring:

  • "The game, the rule changes are all against the defense every year...Offense has is the king." – Steve Young [15:48 & 17:17]

• Recognizes the rarity and difficulty of dominant defensive teams in the current NFL climate.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On NBA Tanking:
  • "Coaches, general managers tank and owners allow it to happen." – Kornheiser [05:06]
• On Golf’s Tradition:
  • "The Beatles had four members...There are four heads right on Mount Rushmore." – Kornheiser [07:53]
• On Quarterback Development:
  • "Are you in a place that is a platform to allow you to iterate and find out how good you are? And there are just not 32 of them." – Steve Young [13:44]
• On NBA Superstars Sitting Out:
  • "Most dudes who get paid 50 mil can't put up 25 points in eight minutes that he did." – Wilbon [01:50]

Other Memorable Moments & Quick Hits

• Wilbon and Kornheiser bicker playfully about Swanson’s “unfair” reception in Chicago and reminisce about Moses Malone’s legendary rebounding.
• News updates: Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll out with hamate injuries, Charlie Woods going to FSU for golf, NBA fines for fight and Colin Sexton’s “flipping off the rim.”
• Lighthearted critiques of player suspensions and sadness over memorabilia auctions by sports legends like Scottie Pippen.

Key Timestamps

• Victor Wembanyama Performance/Lakers Rest — [00:21-03:36]
• NBA Tanking Debate — [03:36-06:35]
• Golf Majors & Rory’s Comments — [06:38-09:25]
• Steve Young Interview: NFL QBs & Coaching — [10:55-18:13]
• Notable Baseball News/Moses Malone Tribute — [21:02-22:50]
• NBA Suspensions, Injuries, Fines — [23:34-24:57]

Final Thoughts

This episode blends passionate takes and veteran sports insight, moving seamlessly from NBA fireworks to the ethics (and inevitability) of tanking, then stepping out to the broader landscapes of pro golf and NFL trends. Steve Young’s segment provides thoughtful perspective on NFL quarterbacking, coaching, and how environments shape careers. Listeners will enjoy the balance of sharp debate, nostalgia, and future-looking analysis.