LeBron’s Historic Night Sparks Reaction Amid Rising NBA Tanking Debate

Summary

PTI Podcast Summary

Episode: LeBron’s Historic Night Sparks Reaction Amid Rising NBA Tanking Debate
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon (ESPN)
Date: February 14, 2026

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Overview

In this jam-packed PTI episode, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon break down the latest Winter Olympics drama, college football's eligibility quirks, an intensified NBA tanking debate (with Adam Silver’s new crackdown), and welcome Jay Bilas for his authoritative take on college basketball’s stretch run. The hosts bounce between sports with their signature blend of candor, humor, and friendly antagonism, offering listeners both insight and laughs.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Winter Olympics: Unexpected Falls & French Judge Controversy

• Ilia Malinin (“quad god”) Falls Twice, Misses Podium
  • Wilbon reflects on the emotional toll of watching Olympic athletes falter, expressing deep empathy:

    "It's too emotional. It takes too much of one's life...when he went down, and then he falls the second time with an easier jump, you just go, okay, now I can't watch anymore." (Wilbon, 01:28-02:14)

  • Tony admits to watching nervously on his feet, praising Malinin’s bravado:

    "What I like most about this kid is he embraces the notion of being called Quad God... And in the team competition, he totally showed it." (Tony, 02:17-02:31)

  • Both hosts recall past heartbreaks, notably Debbie Thomas’s fall, and debate the fairness of figure skating judging.
• Figure Skating Judging Scandal
  • Talk about the controversial French judge favoring a French pair, echoing historic complaints about skating’s scoring.

    "There were reports about how this particular French judge wanted the French team to win so much... I'm exonerated now." (Tony, 03:59-04:23)

2. College Football: Eligibility Extension Dramas

• Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Granted a Sixth Season
  • Tony raises questions about the impartiality of the judge, noting he’s from Oxford, home of Ole Miss:

    "The judge who ordered the injunction is from Oxford...and he went to Ole Miss Law School. It's sort of unfair, like the French judge..." (Tony, 04:53-05:09)

  • Discussions on the evolution of college athletics, NIL (Name/Image/Likeness) deals, and the gray areas of eligibility:

    "He’s getting $5 million in NIL...another prep year for the NFL." (Tony, 05:29-05:35)

  • Wilbon feels conflicted about mocking “career college athletes”.
• Extreme Examples: The “9-Year” College Linebacker
  • Montana’s linebacker gets a second year after seven years at USC—“professional college football player.”
  • Wilbon admits a soft spot for the student-athlete experience:

    "I feel guilty making fun of anybody for going to school. I don't want to do it." (Wilbon, 06:27-06:43)

3. NBA Tanking Debate Intensifies

• Adam Silver Fines Utah ($500K) & Indiana ($100K) for Sitting Healthy Players
  • Silver's sharp warning:

    "Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft positions over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly." (Read by Tony, 07:39-07:55)

  • Wilbon takes aim at load management as the true blight—greater than tanking:

    "I don't give a damn about tanking. You know what I care about? Load management." (Wilbon, 08:17-08:21)

  • He argues that almost every team does some form of load management, hurting fans’ experience and league integrity more than tanking.

    "All 30 alter load management." (Wilbon, 08:38)

  • Tony calls the fines “a joke” and suggests truly meaningful penalties like forfeiture of draft position:

    "You want to have a deterrent? Start at $10 million... I would not fine anyone. I would take away the draft pick.” (Tony, 09:03-09:52)

  • They spar over which is the bigger issue: tanking (few teams) or load management (everyone, even the Warriors with Steph Curry).
• Washington Wizards Example
  • Tony lambasts the franchise’s record (47-170 over three years) and lack of accountability for tanking (10:09-10:36).

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4. College Basketball Deep Dive with Jay Bilas

(Segment Starts ~12:56)

- Top Teams: Arizona, Michigan, and a Little Gap

- Jay:  
  > "I have Arizona right with Michigan as the best team... They're the two biggest teams, the two best paint scoring teams, the two best paint protecting teams." (*13:20-14:12*)  
- Arizona’s youth is a factor, with three starters as freshmen; Michigan is more experienced and shoots more threes.  

• Kansas Freshman Darren Peterson’s Ongoing Absence
  • Bilas calls the situation “a little bit of a curious case” (hamstring, cramping, illness); likens Peterson to Kevin Durant as an “effortless scorer.”

    "Anybody who's seen him play knows he's the most effortless scorer... since Kevin Durant played at Texas." (Bilas, 14:29-15:24)

  • Maintains trust in medical staff and dismisses speculation on motives for missing games.
  • Forecasts Peterson as “front runner to be the number one pick in the NBA draft.”
• UNC’s Caleb Wilson Injury Impact
  • Wilson’s broken hand is “a huge blow” but Bilas points out “every man has to do more—collective effort, not superhero.”
  • He draws an NBA analogy:

    "Who thought the Boston Celtics were going to do this without Jason Tatum? It's the same kind of dynamic." (Bilas, 17:19)

• Eligibility & Transfer Chaos: The Charles Bediako Case
  • Jay Bilas, as both lawyer and analyst, critiques the NCAA’s lack of principle in eligibility rules:

    "The NCAA doesn't have eligibility rules that are based on any principle... To single out Charles Bediako of Alabama as some sort of villain in this, I think has been wrong on the part of those that have done that." (Bilas, 17:40-19:09)

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5. Rapid-Fire Final Topics & Memorable Moments

• Cooper Kupp’s Unique Super Bowl Record (22:31-23:26)
  • Kupp becomes first to lead two different teams in receiving yards in separate Super Bowl wins.
  • Wilbon:

    "I'll take Cooper Kupp on any roster at any time, but he's not Puka Nakui."

• Chris Paul Retires after 21 Seasons (23:38-24:10)
  • The hosts toast an all-time great and “locker room elevator.”
  • Wilbon:

    "One of my favorite athletes of all time. Chris Paul went places that people didn't think they could be nearly that good and made guys better on that team."

• NBA All-Star Weekend
  • Wilbon:

    "The three point shot is all they got left for me." (25:22)

• Quick Hitters (24:28–25:25)
  • Court allows Brian Flores’s suit against the NFL to go to open court—potentially a big development for discrimination cases.
  • Arbitrator rules NFLPA’s annual ownership report cards violate CBA.
  • Big Ten proposes 24-team College Football Playoff (both hosts: No!).
  • Vic Schaefer, Texas women’s hoops coach, calls his team “the softest I’ve had in years”—but blames himself.
  • Tony pokes fun:

    "What's with these coaches lately?"

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Notable Quotes and Timestamps

| Time | Speaker & Quote | |----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:28 | Wilbon: “I don't root against anybody ever in the Olympics... it’s just so emotional... when he went down... you just go, okay, now I can't watch anymore.” | | 04:53 | Tony: “The judge who ordered the injunction is from Oxford... seems unfair, like the French judge...” | | 05:35 | Tony: “He’s getting another prep year for the NFL, which is a good thing to do.” | | 08:17 | Wilbon: “I don't give a damn about tanking. You know what I care about? Load management.” | | 09:03 | Tony: “These fines are a joke. Adam Silver is laughing when he announces these fines...” | | 13:20 | Jay Bilas: “I have Arizona right with Michigan as the best team... a little bit of separation between Michigan, Arizona and everybody else.” | | 14:29 | Bilas: “Anybody who's seen [Darren Peterson] play knows that he's the most effortless scorer... since Kevin Durant.” | | 17:19 | Bilas: “Who thought the Boston Celtics were going to do this without Jason Tatum?” | | 19:09 | Bilas: “To single out Charles Bediako... as some sort of villain... has been wrong.” | | 24:10 | Wilbon: “One of my favorite athletes of all time... Chris Paul made guys better on that team.” | | 25:22 | Wilbon (on NBA All-Star): “The three point shot is all they got left for me.” |

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Engaging Takeaways

• Empathy for Athletes: Both Kornheiser and Wilbon reveal surprising vulnerability and sentiment about the agony and ecstasy of the Olympics.
• Razor-sharp Riffs on NBA Policy: The hosts’ mockery of league penalties (couch change fines!) is classic PTI—irreverent, but substantiated.
• College Sports in Chaos: NIL, eligibility extensions, and the NCAA’s inconsistent rulings are under fire, with Bilas shining as the episode’s legal voice of reason.
• Jay Bilas’s Analysis: Offers clarity on teams, star player absences and the big-picture issues facing college basketball’s stretch run.
• Memorable Salutes: Fond and funny farewells for Cooper Kupp’s latest feat and Chris Paul’s unmatched leadership.

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Timeline of Major Topics

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:25 | Introduction, Olympic surprises, French judge controversy | | 04:23 | College football eligibility drama: Chambliss, Montana’s 9th-year player | | 07:39 | NBA tanking fines, load management debate, Wilbon vs Tony | | 12:56 | Jay Bilas joins: Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, NCAA eligibility | | 22:31 | NFL: Cooper Kupp’s dual Super Bowl record | | 23:38 | NBA: Chris Paul retirement memories | | 24:28 | Quick hitters: Brian Flores lawsuit, NFLPA report card, 24-team playoff, etc | | 25:22 | NBA All-Star: Three point shot; closing quips |

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Tone and Style

Maintaining the signature back-and-forth banter, Tony and Wilbon blend humor, empathy, and incisive commentary—never shying away from pointed critiques, self-deprecating jokes, or calling out hypocrisy (even their own). Jay Bilas adds gravitas and analysis while matching their conversational energy.

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For listeners new and old, this episode is a quintessential snapshot of PTI’s unique mix: sports news with both heart and edge, delivered in real time and with a personal touch.

Transcript

[Celsius Energy Drink Narrator]

5:00Am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing. Celsius live fit. Go grab a cold refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail].

[Mike Wilbon]

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's Friday the 13th, Tony. Anything freaky happen to.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm Tony Kornheiser now. I haven't gotten freaky in years. I got a bad hip.

[Mike Wilbon]

They got stuff for that. It's called replacement.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is that right? Hip replacement. Hip replacement, that's not a hard one. You walk out. It's not like a knee.

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, see, the pain is gone.

[Tony Kornheiser]

A knee replacement is much more difficult. Much more difficult. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, Ole Miss gets its quarterback for another season. The NBA cracks down on the Jazz. And Jay Bilis joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with the Winter Olympics. In a stunner, Ilia Malinin, the quad God, fell twice and fell short of the podium in the men's figure skating final. In other events, the USA women upset Canada in curling. Norwegian cross country skier Johannes Klebo won his record tying 8th gold. And the International Skating Union stood by the French ice dancing judge that Americans Madison Chalk and Evan Bates felt favored the French pair that won the gold. Wilbaughn. Which of these intrigues you the most?

[Mike Wilbon]

French ice dancing judge conjures up everything I think is wrong with figure skating. Anyway, like you, you sort of kidnapped me and made me watch the quad God worth it, you know, it was. Except Tony. I don't root against anybody ever in the Olympics. It's, it's, it's too emotional. It takes too much of one's life, not to mention your own, but your parents and your family members and your teachers and your coaches. It just is so emotional. And you're scared to see a kid fall. I know he's 21 years old, looks like he's 17. Looks like he could live in one of the bedrooms in my house as a kid. And so when he went down and then he falls the second time with an easier jump and you just go, okay, now I can't watch anymore.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did you watch it standing up or sitting down?

[Mike Wilbon]

Sitting.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I had to walk around to watch it. I was very nervous because what I like most about this kid is he embraces the notion of being called Quad. God. He had a team. And he wants to show. Yeah, and he wants to show it. And in the team competition, he totally showed it. And he brought the Americans into the gold situation. He is. He's out there knowing that his main rival from Japan has fallen and he's in silver position. So he. If he. If he's upright, he wins the thing and he falls twice. And your heart. Yes, your heart goes out to him because you don't expect that to happen at all. And you watch. He didn't. He. What, did he finish sixth?

[Mike Wilbon]

He finished off the podium?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Something like that.

[Mike Wilbon]

You know, I'm going to go back a ways. Years and years and years. You might have been there writing about this for the Washington Post when Debbie Thomas fell.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I remember that. I wasn't writing, but I remember.

[Mike Wilbon]

Okay. I remember just thinking, I'm done. I'm not watching any more of this. There's too much of an emotional investment, even as a spectator at the Olympics, when something that delicate.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If he. If he stands upright. If he stands upright, he's going to win. But he went out. No, he didn't. No, he didn't. And I was rooting for him, and I feel terrible about it.

[Mike Wilbon]

You know, who's going to stand upright? Just a quick transition. The hockey players are going to stand upright. All right. Canada over Sweden. Finland. I'm sorry. Canada over Switzerland. Finland beats Sweden. And Finland needed to win to sort of climb back into play. Slovakia is 20 and ahead of Finland and Sweden in the stands.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you don't want to talk about the French judge who replaces the fragile French judge.

[Mike Wilbon]

You know, you made fun of me for this. For years. I attacked this. The French judge going back to the 90s. This is awful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, you know what. What I mean, there were reports about how this particular French judge wanted the French team to win so much, and it was a pattern of behavior in other competitions. In other competitions. And she would downgrade the Americans to make that happen. I'm exonerated now, but I remember, Mike. I remember when the highest score and the lowest score were tossed. And that would make this not viol. Not viable at all. What she said.

[Mike Wilbon]

2002. The last I was there for that, that was Salt Lake City. I'm exonerated declaring it myself. Let's turn to college football, where Ole Miss just picked up his first win of the season in court. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, last season's SEC passing leader, was granted an injunction by a Mississippi State judge that allows him to play a sixth season this coming fall. Tony, what does this mean for Chambliss? What does it mean for Ole Miss?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wait, a sixth year? Yeah, he had a sixth year. And if I understand correctly, the judge who ordered the injunction is from Oxford, which is the home of the University of Mississippi, and he went to Ole Miss Law School. And that sort of seems unfair, like the French judge doing what she did.

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, suppose he goes to Mississippi State. Then what?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, but he didn't. But he didn't. Don't be exonerated and get carried away. All right, here we go. This is clearly good for Ole Miss, no matter who the coach ends up being, because they get back the quarterback that led them to the finals of.

[Mike Wilbon]

The college football game and made himself a star.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right. And it is good for the kid because I understand he's getting $5 million in nil in the NFL.

[Mike Wilbon]

Not this year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he's getting another prep year for the NFL, which is a good thing to do. And to be fair, if I understand this correctly, Chambliss has played games in three seasons. So to me, if you get what is in essence a fourth season, that's within the parameters to me. But do you know about the Montana kid? Yeah, the Montana.

[Mike Wilbon]

Is he the eight or the nine year kid?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nine.

[Mike Wilbon]

There's an eight and there's a nine.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's a linebacker. He's getting a second year at Montana after he had seven. Seven at USC. He's gonna be 26 years old this month. You know who he was with in the recruiting class when he was in high school? Micah Parsons. And now he's still going to be.

[Mike Wilbon]

In the hall of Fame. This kid is going to be just coming out of college.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's amazing. He is my. He is a professional college football player. When he fills out a form and they say occupation is professional college football.

[Mike Wilbon]

Player, I'm conflicted here because the reasons you point out are reasons to sort of make fun of this whole thing. But I feel guilty making fun of. Of people, anybody for going to school. I don't want to do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He doesn't actually go to school.

[Mike Wilbon]

No, you don't know that. There are kids who come out now. And I know this because I'm a trustee at a university where kids may spend a fifth year. We don't think. We had a sixth year. And they come out with graduate degrees. Okay, how about a ninth year?

[Tony Kornheiser]

They do a ninth year.

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, it seems like a lot. Multiple degrees. How many degrees did you and I have? A ninth year?

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is the softest. Will Bob I have ever encountered. You have been changed by the Olympics and by college athletes.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah, I feel bad watching those people fall on the ground ice. That's why I don't go to the skating. And you know this. And yet you kidnapped me and made me watch because he made me watch this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Look, it's a terrible ending. That kid was worth it. He was worth it. He does something that nobody has ever done. The quad axel. Is that what it is?

[Mike Wilbon]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nobody's ever done it and he does it well. He didn't do it this time. You know what? Drake may had a great year and a bad ending.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's go to the NBA. Not speaking of Drake Mace, he's not in the NBA. Last night the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 in the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for the crime of sitting healthy players during games. Adam Silver said, quote, overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft positions over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly. Unquote. These fines grow from Utah sitting their starters in multiple fourth quarters and and from Indiana not playing players who the league has deemed could have played under the NBA's medical policy. Wilbon. Do you think fines like this will be an effective deterrent to tanking?

[Mike Wilbon]

Now I'm really going to annoy you. I'm going to go to a place you can't imagine. I'm going.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Go ahead.

[Mike Wilbon]

I don't give a damn about tanking. You know what I care about load management. Because you know what? Only two or three teams are tanking. Let's say you say.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I would say six or eight.

[Mike Wilbon]

Six or eight? How many load manage?

[Tony Kornheiser]

10 to 12 to 13. You think so?

[Mike Wilbon]

All 30. At some point Golden State has said to Steph Curry, no, you're not playing because we got three games in the next five. No, no, no, no. So you have a lead.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You think that's a worse crime?

[Mike Wilbon]

It's a much larger crime to spend money in all summer. People spend money to get tickets to go to certain games. They want to see these guys and they can't see him. All 30 alter load management.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Same with that.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I'm not gonna do jack about.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Load management, so let me get to this. These fines are a joke. Adam Silver is laughing when he announces these fines. What is $500,000 to a team like Utah with a payroll of $154 million? They sat their three most highly paid players, sat them in fourth quarters. Those players make $100 million. $500,000. You can find it in a couch in the NBA. And a $100,000 fine is even more ridiculous. You want to have a deterrent with a fine? Start at $10 million. Okay. And even then, if the guy at the end of the rainbow is wembanyama, somebody's gonna pay the 10 million dollars. Yes, they are worth more than 10 million. Mike. I would not fine anyone. I would take away the draft pick. I would say after the lottery you go down 10 spots and see how that's galore.

[Mike Wilbon]

But why is it more important to find to identify those three to six teams as opposed to all 30? Who low manage? Who take people for the whole game? Not at least if I paid the damn money and the kid played for three quarters, I get to watch the star play for three quarters.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I will answer this.

[Jay Bilas]

All right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Because load management does not affect all the games on the schedule. It affects them randomly. If you're trying to lose like the local NBA team, the Washington Wizards trying to lose it affect your selling season tickets really to a team that is trying to lose. Here is their record in the last three years. 47 and 170. The coach, General manager, the director of basketball operations should be fired. And none were fired because the owner is tacitly saying or actively saying he would tank.

[Mike Wilbon]

All I'm saying is that affects far fewer teams and therefore the product of the league than all 30. Sitting somebody some nights.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's take a break. When we come back as Kansas gets set to face fifth ranked Iowa State, what should we expect from Darren Peterson? We're going to ask Jay Billet.

[Mike Wilbon]

Well also ask him where he slots Arizona among the best teams in college.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Houston, I'm so proud of you that you watched the skating. I watched that and that's good for you.

[Mike Wilbon]

40 players in the NBA in 1985 played all 82. How many you think last year?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Two? 11. All right, so I under.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Time to check in on the college basketball season, which apparently is already in progress, we welcome in our great friend, the dashing ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilis. And we start with this. You're at number one, Arizona for tomorrow's game with number 16, Texas Tech. Arizona just lost for the first time this season. Where do you have the Wildcats among the top three or four teams in the country?

[Jay Bilas]

I have Arizona right with Michigan as the best team. And I don't think there's a lot of separation between those two, but I think there is a little bit of separation between Michigan, Arizona and everybody else. That's not to say they can't be beaten. Heck, if Kansas could play every game at Allen Field House, if the NCAA tournament were played at Allen Field House, Kansas would win the national championship. But they don't get to play all their games there. But Arizona and Michigan are the two biggest teams. They're the two best paint scoring teams. They're the two best paint protecting teams. Michigan probably shoots more threes. They definitely shoot more and make more threes than Arizona does. But Arizona is legit. They just have three guys in their starting lineup that are freshmen. Now. They're outstanding freshmen. Two of their top scorers are freshmen. And that's one difference between them and Michigan. Michigan's more experienced throughout their roster.

[Mike Wilbon]

Jay referenced Kansas. Kansas, of course, beat Arizona Monday, and they did it without star freshman Darren Peterson. He's missed quite a few games. Injury, illness. Bill Self calls it a String of bad luck. But how do you see the whole Peterson situation?

[Jay Bilas]

You know, Michael, it's a little bit of a curious case. You don't see this very often. He missed. Peterson did a few games with a hamstring and then with cramping. And then the last game that they played against Arizona, he had the flu. And the doctors told him better that you don't play and better than you don't sit on the bench and infect everybody else on the team with. With the flu or flu, like symptoms, whatever they called it. Darren Peterson is legit. Like he's the real deal. Anybody who's seen him play knows that he's the most effortless scorer. I mean, I think he scores it easier than any player I've seen since Kevin Durant played at Texas. But he hasn't been available. And I think he doesn't talk much. It's not that he doesn't talk at all, but he doesn't talk much. And as a result, I think a lot of people are talking for him and making judgments as to why he's playing, why he's not. I personally don't do that. I tend to trust doctors when they say don't play. And, and if he, if he's hurt, he's hurt. But there's no argument when he plays, there's no one more talented, especially on the offensive end. And I think he's the front runner to be the number one pick in the NBA draft. But it's going to be close call.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yesterday we learned that Caleb Wilson suffered a broken hand and is going to be out. I think the word indefinitely has been used. I mean, this is a huge blow obviously to the Tarill. Speaking of top of NBA draft, even though he's only a freshman, it is not yet March. Jay, what do you expect as we sort of navigate this ground between now and then?

[Jay Bilas]

Yeah, it's going to be difficult for North Carolina without Caleb Wilson. He's their leading scorer, leading rebounder. I mean, he's had more 20 point games than any freshman they've had in program history to this point in the season. So without him, it's not like any other player, whether it's Henry Vessar or Seth Trimble or, you name it, has to put a cape on and all of a sudden become superman to try to replace him. That's not how that's going to work. But I think everybody has to expand their roles a little bit and it's got to be a collective thing. It's not necessarily a next man up. It's every man has to do more. Just because Caleb Wilson is not going to be in the lineup doesn't mean Carolina can't win. They can still win. They're going to have to do it a little bit differently. It's certainly a blow. You'd rather have one of the five best players in college basketball, which I think Caleb Wilson is in your lineup. But they lost Seth Trimble earlier in the year. He's back. It's something that they can deal with. I don't know they're necessarily going to be as good, but they can still win. And if he's able to come back, I think the hope is he comes back to a better, more confident team where guys are capable. You know, look in the NBA, who thought the Boston Celtics were going to do this without Jason Tatum?

[Mike Wilbon]

Good point.

[Jay Bilas]

And it's the same kind of, same kind of dynamic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We will get you out of here on this. A judge this week denied Charles Bertiaco an injunction that would have let him continue playing at Alabama. You are a lawyer. Where do you think we will end up on players putting their pro pursuits on hold to return to college?

[Jay Bilas]

I think, Tony, we've got an issue where the NCAA doesn't have eligibility rules that are based on any principle. There's no age limit in college college sports. I'm not saying there should be, but people are complaining about that. And we have similarly situated players that are treated differently. You have international players that never matriculated to college but played pro basketball and made a lot of money and they're eligible. And you've got players that international in nature didn't go to college, went through the draft and the NCAA deems them eligible. I don't see a major difference between Charles Bediaco and those players except for the fact that he went to school. And I have a little bit of a problem with the way this has been handled, certainly the way it's been criticized. Like Charles Bedico didn't do anything wrong. He just wants to go to school and play ball. But the NC and I'm not sure Alabama did anything wrong either. Honestly. He got a court ruling. They let him play while the court said he was eligible. They're not playing him when the court ruled that he's not. But in my view, if the NCAA wants to make this about players of a certain age, then say that college sports is for undergraduate students only and you have a six year window after your high school class graduates. Problem solved. At least that would be based on some kind of principle. But there's so many exceptions out there and the NCAA is making those exceptions that to single out Charles Bediaco of Alabama as some sort of villain in this, I think has been wrong on the part of those that have done that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you for being with us, Jay. Hope you're with us a lot more this year. Thank you.

[Mike Wilbon]

See you soon.

[Jay Bilas]

Thank you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Get more of Jay on College Game day starting at 10am Eastern. We will take one last break. But still to come, could the College Football Playoff jump straight to 24? 24, no, 24.

[Mike Wilbon]

And a few thoughts on my man Chris Paul and his decision to call it 24.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Come on, 16 I can live with.

[Mike Wilbon]

Speaking of 24, who needs a commissioner more? College basketball or college football?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think college football.

[Mike Wilbon]

You think So I do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Stuff like this brings in more money and there's more moving parts. There's more moving parts? Yeah. Brings in more money.

[Rich Eisen]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy time people happy 36th birthday. Nathan Ivaldi, the right handed starter is back with Texas this season and apparently healthy after hernia surgery. He threw a bullpen session this week. Ivaldi was shut down last August with a record of 113 and a 173 ERA. The Rangers are Evald sixth team. He entered the majors with the Dodgers in 2011, then went to Miami, the Yankees, Tampa Bay and Boston before Texas. Ivaldi was on World Series winners with the Red Sox in 2018 where he did inspirational work out of the bullpen in that series and with the Rangers in 2023 where he started and threw six scoreless innings in a series clinching game. Evaldi's career record is 102 and 84. His ERA is the 38 9. He's a two time All Star having a nice career.

[Mike Wilbon]

But if starters can move around like this, does it mean baseball has simply made them irrelevant? Less relevant?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think a great starter is not irrelevant at all. Not irrelevant at all. Happy Anniversary Cooper cup on this day four years ago, the former third round pick from Eastern Washington was named Super Bowl MVP after making eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns touchdowns in the Rams 2320 victory over Cincinnati. Kupp's 33 receptions in four playoff games that year set an NFL record for a single postseason. When the Rams released Kupp in 2025, he went to Seattle where he just had six catches for 61 yards in the super bowl and that made Kupp the first player to lead two different teams in receiving yards in a Super bowl win. Kupp changed his route on the fourth quarter touchdown pass to AJ Barner so as not to run into him. We almost had a complete disaster, but we got it done, kupp said.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'll take Cooper Kupp on any roster at any time, but he's not Puka Nakui. He's not. It's amazing to have those two thoughts. I'll have him, but this other guy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy trails Chris Paul Paul announced his retirement today just after the Raptors waived him. This was not unexpected as Paul had previously announced plans to retire at the end day of the the season. The point guard started this one with the Clippers, but that ended horrendously when he had head coach Ty Lue not even on speaking terms. While Paul never won an NBA title During his 21 seasons, he made 12 All Star teams, 11 All NBA teams, nine All Defense teams, won two Olympic gold medals, made the NBA 75th anniversary team and is a lock for the hall of Fame.

[Mike Wilbon]

One of my favorite athletes of all time, Tony. And people talk about making folks better and it's overused. Chris Paul went places that people didn't think they could be nearly that good and made guys better on that team. I think he could still do it to some degree this year in the playoffs if he wants.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Quick to the big finish. The court ruled that Brian Flores suit against the NFL is not bound by arbitration and can move to open court. Is that a big deal?

[Mike Wilbon]

It could be. We don't know for certain, but it could be. An Arbitrator ruled the NFLPA's annual ownership report cards violate the collective bargaining agreement and can no longer be published. Your thoughts?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I feel bad because I used to like when they said certain teams had bad food. The Big Ten is reportedly circulating a 2014 College Football Playoff proposal.

[Mike Wilbon]

Please.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No.

[Mike Wilbon]

No. Stop it. In women's hoops, Texas lost to Vandy. And Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer said, quote, we have no heart. We're not tough. It's probably the softest team I've had in years. Close quote. Then he added, it was his fault. What?

[Tony Kornheiser]

What's with these coaches lately? This guy and Tang and Tennessee women. Stop. Last one NBA All Star weekend is upon us. What element most intrigues you?

[Mike Wilbon]

The three point shot is all they got left for me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is that right?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

A lot more programming than that. We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Cornheart.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm Mike Wilbon. Have a great weekend, knuckleheads. Anybody got the stones to bench Bad Bunny like I did? No, I doubt it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're the king.

[Mike Wilbon]

PTI from 30 for 30 podcasts.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did you say someone got shot?

[Jay Bilas]

Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman for Miami, gunned down the key to this case.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's Brian. An hour before he died, he was.

[Mike Wilbon]

On the phone arguing with somebody.

[Rich Eisen]

This might be a hit.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You want the truth? They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest.

[Mike Wilbon]

We had a killer amongst us.

[Rich Eisen]

Murder at the U.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Listen now.