Hour 1: Stuck in LA

Summary

Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron – Episode: Hour 1: Stuck in LA (Released July 13, 2025)

Hosts: Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf
Outlet: ESPN Radio

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Introduction and Setting the Stage

The episode kicks off with Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf delving into the dynamic and often tumultuous landscape surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers, focusing primarily on LeBron James's future with the team amidst strategic shifts towards Luka Doncic.

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Main Discussion: The Future of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers

Dominance and Transition:

A significant portion of the conversation centers on the shifting power dynamics within the Lakers organization. The hosts discuss the Lakers' strategic pivot towards building the team around Luka Doncic, potentially signaling a dethronement of LeBron James as the central figure.

• Andrew Salchunas (Guest Host):
  "The Lakers have made it clear that Luka Doncic is now the focal point of their long-term strategy... The King has been dethroned." [03:38]

LeBron’s Autonomy and Lakers' Strategy:

Matt and Myron explore whether LeBron James still holds the same level of influence over the Lakers' decisions as he did in previous years.

• Matt Jones:
  "It doesn't feel like he has control at all. The Lakers are saying this is the last year with LeBron and us." [04:34-04:43]

• Andrew Salchunas:
  "The Lakers are planning for the future with Luka Doncic and not necessarily the future with LeBron James." [05:35]

Contractual Nuances and Trade Speculations:

They delve into the contractual aspects, noting that the Lakers opted not to extend LeBron's contract beyond the current season, which may indicate the organization's preference to move forward without him.

• Matt Jones:
  "The Lakers are saying we don't want you to stay... From there, it's going to be Luka entirely as the new face of the Lakers." [04:34-05:35]

LeBron’s Response and Public Perception:

The conversation touches upon LeBron James's public statements (or lack thereof) regarding his future, emphasizing his reluctance to address rumors directly.

• Matt Jones:
  "I asked LeBron just before tip off if he'd like to join the broadcast... he told me, 'I ain't got nothing to talk about.'" [10:09-10:25]

Analytical Insights:

The hosts provide their analysis on whether the Lakers' approach is justified, comparing it to other sports legends' transitions, such as Tom Brady with the Patriots.

• Matt Jones:
  "It's the only move. The same way it was the only move for the Patriots and Tom Brady." [15:32-16:37]

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Celebrity Interview: Harry Douglas on Sports and Competitive Spirit

Transitioning from basketball to a more light-hearted segment, the hosts welcome Atlanta celebrity Harry Douglas to discuss his recent participation in a celebrity softball game.

Softball Game Highlights:

Harry shares his experiences and anecdotes from the game, highlighting the competitive nature among the participants.

• Harry Douglas:
  "In the last inning, we were up a few runs. So me, to, and Quavo all went to the outfield... we just gotta find a way to get it done." [24:33-26:02]

Reflections on Age and Competition:

Harry reflects on the dynamics of playing in such events, emphasizing the importance of competitive spirit regardless of age.

• Harry Douglas:
  "My message to everyone living in this world right now... don't waste [your time]." [26:32-27:00]

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MLB Spotlight: Cal Raleigh's Historic Home Run Chase

Shifting focus to Major League Baseball, Matt and Myron engage in a passionate discussion about Cal Raleigh's pursuit of Barry Bonds' home run record, juxtaposing it with the steroid era's shadow.

Cal Raleigh vs. Steroid-Era Greats:

The hosts debate the legitimacy and recognition of Raleigh's achievements compared to those of Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGuire.

• Matt Jones:
  "Cal Raleigh isn't getting more attention right now considering what he's achieved by the All Star." [37:04]

• Myron Medcalf:
  "He's bringing so much to the table... Aaron Judge is so superior over everybody as a hitter." [43:14-43:59]

Public Perception and Media Coverage:

They critique the lack of enthusiasm and media attention towards Raleigh's accomplishments, attributing it to the lingering cynicism from the steroid era.

• Matt Jones:
  "We were just in awe of what we were watching and we celebrated it. We weren't saying, 'What if this doesn't'?" [42:17-42:54]

• Andrew Salchunas:
  "I don't think people expect that out of a catcher this late into a season." [40:20]

Fan Engagement and Future Implications:

The discussion extends to how fans and the media engage with such records and the implications for the future of the catcher position in baseball.

• Andrew Salchunas:
  "Why aren't we celebrating a guy like Cal Raleigh who could break Bonds record potentially without any of that stuff?" [38:21]

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Conclusion and Forward Look

As the episode wraps up, Matt and Myron tease upcoming segments, including discussions on potential record-breaking achievements and a sneak peek into future guest appearances.

• Andrew Salchunas:
  "Coming up next, why aren't we talking more about a record potentially being broken this summer? We talk about it next here on Sunday morning on ESPN Radio." [34:32]

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Key Takeaways

1. Lakers' Strategic Shift: The Los Angeles Lakers are increasingly focusing on building the team around Luka Doncic, potentially sidelining LeBron James as the central figure.

2. LeBron James's Limited Control: Unlike previous years, LeBron appears to have diminished influence over team decisions, with the organization clearly prioritizing long-term strategies centered on younger talent.

3. Cal Raleigh's Historic Pursuit: In MLB, Cal Raleigh's pursuit of Barry Bonds' home run record is both commendable and overshadowed by past steroid controversies, leading to a debate on public recognition and legacy.

4. Celebrity Engagement in Sports: The inclusion of Harry Douglas provided a lighter perspective on competitive sports, emphasizing the universal drive to win regardless of the setting.

5. Future Discussions Teased: The hosts indicate further exploration of record-breaking sports achievements and implications for various players in upcoming episodes.

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Notable Quotes

• “The King has been dethroned.” – Andrew Salchunas [03:38]

• “It doesn't feel like he has control at all.” – Matt Jones [04:34]

• “Cal Raleigh isn't getting more attention right now considering what he's achieved by the All Star.” – Matt Jones [37:04]

• “He's doing everything as a catcher and a switch hitter and leading that staff.” – Myron Medcalf [43:14]

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This episode of "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron" offers deep dives into pivotal sports narratives, blending analysis with engaging conversations, making it a must-listen for avid sports enthusiasts seeking comprehensive insights into the ever-evolving world of sports.

Transcript

[Matt]

With the Venmo debit card, you can Venmo everything.

[Myron]

Your favorite band's merch.

[Matt]

You can Venmo this or their next show.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You can Venmo that. Visit Venmo Me Debit to learn more.

[Myron]

The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license.

[Andrew Salchunas]

By MasterCard International, Inc. The card may be used everywhere.

[Myron]

MasterCard is accepted.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Matt]

This is Matt and Myron the podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

And it is a beautiful Sunday morning here on ESPN Radio and the ESPN app. I'm Andrew Sal Junis filling in for Matt today with world traveler Myron Medcalf was just bouncing around all over the place. Good morning, Myron. What's going on, man?

[Matt]

Yeah, how you doing? I mean, I don't know if South Carolina is world travel. I mean, that it doesn't feel like world travel.

[Andrew Salchunas]

It feels like Georgia. We're talking South Carolina. We're talking Disney. We're talking all kinds of stuff. You're a busy man, Byron.

[Matt]

Yeah, I feel like I'm a resident of the south in these next couple of weeks, man. And you know what's different, Andrew? Like, the heat is different down here.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt]

I realized, like, it's different. Like, I know humidity. This is like the humidity where you just don't want to go outside.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah. You walk outside, you better have a towel with you or you just start dripping right away.

[Matt]

It's intense, man. And it's raining all the time. Like, I've never been to a place where it rains every 13 minutes. Like, it'll rain for five minutes, stop. And you're like, oh, the sun's out, we're good. And then there's another storm. Like, they got storms on standby here in the South. I don't really understand.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah, it's whenever you just need a little water for the nice plants and all that kind of stuff make everything look beautiful. I'm a world Traveler in Bristol, Connecticut. I'm doing the show from the headquarters today. Mr. World traveler Andrew Salchunas here in Bristol. Everybody wants to come to Bristol, Connecticut. I found that out even though a lot of people have left this week. But that's.

[Matt]

Yeah. How you like it up there. You've been in the caf?

[Andrew Salchunas]

I've been to the caf, Went this morning, got a nice little omelette, took care of business there, walked around a little bit, got lost on the campus on purpose. I like getting lost. That's like a weird thing of mine. I think that's important to get lost and then that way you can find your way around. I did that in New Haven this weekend. Just got lost on purpose. Why not?

[Matt]

You don't want to get lost, though, when you have a show, though. That's happened to me. Like, I've had to make like a Sports center appearance and I've had to call people to rescue me before. Like, I've been like, I don't know where I am. I see four TVs and like random people in an office. Can someone help? So that's.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I had to give him directions last.

[Myron]

Time he was here too.

[Matt]

You did?

[Andrew Salchunas]

Oh, it's very detailed text message of.

[Myron]

How to get back here.

[Matt]

Barely made it.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Well, you made it.

[Matt]

Barely made it.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You made it. You're in your room right now. We're all connected. We're ready to go. Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance with insurance for cars, homeboat, motorcycles, RVs and commercial vehicles at 1-800-progressive and progressive. Com.

[Matt]

What are we thinking about?

[Myron]

Trying to think, but nothing happens. Nothing happens.

[Matt]

Time to find out. This is off the top. Flash off the top with Matt and Myron.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Well, a big story. Well, you name me the day and LeBron James could be the big story. But the big story is what LA is doing. The King, I think, has been dethroned. Myron, The Lakers have made it clear that Luka Doncic is now the focal point of their long term strategy. They've of course, had the secret meeting, not so secret meeting in the restaurant where some people went in through the front, some people went in through the back. They've made it clear to LeBron James that, hey, we're gonna build this roster based off of the future and with what we want to do with Luka Doncic. So the King has been dethroned. LeBron James is still a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. There's been a lot of whispers about whether or not he could be traded. We know that there's been calls to the Lakers and of course to his agent, Rich Paul, about the teams that would be interested in LeBron James. Now we just kind of sit here and wait to find out what's next for LeBron James. It's. It's been a crazy situation. And Myron, I'll be honest, the Lakers are doing it, right?

[Matt]

Yeah, I don't. I mean, the next move thing, I think in the past we felt like that, right? Like the decision when he goes to Miami, the. The Sports Illustrated article when he goes back to Cleveland, ultimately picking. So it's always felt like at these junctures that LeBron had full control, but in this situation, it doesn't feel like he has control at all. And I think that's the challenge. You know, ultimately the Lakers, who I don't believe have yet to put up, they put a press release out about LeBron opting into his final year, which is bizarre. Right. Like in my world, you know this, Andrew, they put out press releases for G league guys.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Right?

[Matt]

So to not say anything about LeBron James, maybe the greatest player of all time is odd. But I think the Lakers are saying, okay, he had the power to opt in, so we got to deal with this this season. But their biggest priority is getting Luka Doncic to sign a three or four year extension when on August 5, when he's allowed to do that. So I just think the Lakers are doing what you have to do in a situation like this. The 41 year old, no matter how good he is, is not going to be picked over the guy in his mid-20s who has maybe 15 years left in this league.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Right. And of course, you know, when deandre Ayton signs with the Lakers, everybody that is connected with the NBA, every reporter like Sham Charani, they mention a signing to pair up with Luka Doncic. Right. Every single reporter in the NBA did not say assigning to pair up with luka Doncic and LeBron James or LeBron and Luka. Like it used to be, LeBron always came first. Now it's with Luka Doncic, period. And we find out what's next for LeBron James. And look, I think it's best for LeBron to stay with the Lakers, but I think it's best for the Lakers to say, hey, we are planning for the future with Luka Doncic and not necessarily The Future with LeBron James. If you stay here, great. We can make something work. We're still a good team. You still average 25, 8 and 8. You're still a good basketball player. But if you want to walk, if you don't want to be here, all right, that's okay. Because the future is Luka doncic and not LeBron James.

[Matt]

Yeah. I'll take it a step further. I think the Lakers are saying we don't want you to stay. I think that is ultimately the message. They did not offer him an extension, so he was left to sign the deal. You know, the, the last year with his player option. There's no sign that the Lakers wanted that to happen. It's far more likely that given what we've seen so far, the Lakers would have preferred for LeBron to enter free agency to. To move on because it kind of complicates what they want to do. I think the Lakers are saying this is the last year with LeBron and us. Right? Do your best. You got Deandre Ayton. You got young Luca. But from there, it's going to be Luka entirely as the new face of the Lakers. And I think this is a unique situation for LeBron because he has never been the number two guy. And listen, he can say whatever he wants. I'm 42. I don't know. How old are you, Andrew?

[Andrew Salchunas]

I'm 31. I'm 31.

[Matt]

You don't look at mad. What are you doing? Like cocoa butter and drinking beet juice or what's the.

[Myron]

What are you doing?

[Andrew Salchunas]

I just drink a lot of Miller Lights, man.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Andrew Salchunas]

That helps or hurts me.

[Matt]

Okay. Whatever you're doing, man, keep doing it. I'm 42. I know what it's like to look at the young guy, and you're like. Like sometimes, you know, like, you'll be walking around, you're like, man, I remember when my muscles look like that, and I remember when I had that kind of hair. Like, you know, that kind of stuff. And I think LeBron, no matter what he says, for the first time, he doesn't really have the power that he's accustomed to having with a team.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Well, but here's the thing, and I get it. LeBron James may feel a little slighted. It was the incredible story from. From Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne, where it made it seem like he feels a little disrespected with the decisions made by the Lakers. And I get it. We're all human. You feel like you're.

[Matt]

You're.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You're the king. And then all of a sudden, there's decisions being made without you. I understand from a human element, but at the same time, don't you have to use your brain every once in a while and realize that this is the smart move for the Lakers? Unless LeBron James doesn't care about the Lakers franchise, and he cares More so about LeBron and his future. Again, I still think it's best for him to stay with the Lakers because. Because for him leaving, I don't know what situation he goes to where all of a sudden he's a title contender. He still plays at a very high clip, but if he's playing with Luka Doncic, he can. I get it. He doesn't want to admit that he's at the tail end of his career, but we all know it. And it might be best for him to be able to take nights off. And I don't mean nights off where he's not dressed and he's wearing a suit and he's sitting courtside. I'm talking taking a night off where he goes, all right, I'm playing 30 minutes, but it's going to be Luca's night tonight. I'm playing 30 minutes, but we're going to get DeAndre involved tonight. That might be best for him at this stage of his career.

[Matt]

Well, and I think that's, that's the thing is, you know, not only is it probably best, what are the real options? There is no team, I think, in the NBA giving up their best player for LeBron James at $52 million. And probably because of the salary component, you're giving up your best player and someone else.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Right.

[Matt]

To try to get LeBron James for what might be a year. Right. Can he play at a high level? Four year? Yes. I don't think LeBron can do that for 82 games. Can he do that for 50 or 60? Yeah, he could be the best player on the court any given night. But you're thinking long term. So I don't think there's an easy situation here for LeBron to move on. I clearly think the contending teams have all said no way. Like maybe there's a team out there would say, yeah, he'll fill up the arena every night if we go get him, but he can't win a championship.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah, he doesn't want that.

[Matt]

He can win one here. His best chance to compete, I think, is next to Luka Doncic. But again, the Lakers are saying, do whatever you want to do. Make as much noise as you want to make. We are concerned about Luca and a four year deal. They're getting ready. They've offered him that he can sign next month. That's their priority. Because if Luca decides that he doesn't want to be a part of this, forget what LeBron is doing. The Lakers are in limbo and in ways that they haven't been in a long time.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Summer league action going on right now. The story should be Cooper flag Dylan Harper playing yesterday. But Dave McManaman, ESPN NBA reporter, was at the summer league yesterday. He talked about LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers.

[Matt]

I've checked in with both The Lakers and LeBron's camp on this one. For the Lakers, it's business as usual. They have motivation to compete at the highest level and maximize not just LeBron's timeline, but they want to compete now with Luka Doncic. Some are positive that the true cause of this situation was the lakers not offering LeBron a contract beyond next season. But Rich Paul told me that they never asked for one. Paul also made it clear to me that LeBron has not asked for a trade and Paul hasn't even discussed the possibility of wanting a trade in the.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Future with the Lakers.

[Matt]

Paul did tell me that four teams contacted him with interest in trading for LeBron, though. Now, I asked LeBron just before tip off if he'd like to join the broadcast to discuss everything and he told me, quote, I ain't got nothing to talk about. That's a.

[Andrew Salchunas]

It's a great report from Dave McMinnamon, a great answer from LeBron James. LeBron doesn't have to say anything. He's a member of the Lakers. So if he stays with the Lakers, he stays with the Lakers. If he wants to get trade, you know, he's not going to put a lot of bad, you know, blood in the water there. He wants it to be as clean as possible. That's what LeBron's entire career has been about. But it's interesting. Four teams have already made the call. We're not necessarily sure who those teams are. Yesterday I spoke with Bobby Marks on Primetime and he doesn't think that Cleveland could be a team that could even make that trade. And I know that's the team that everybody keeps on looking at. So coming up here On Sunday morning, it's your calls. 888 say ESPN. That's 512-93776. How do you move on from a legend? We'll talk about it next here on Sunday Morning. ESPN Radio and the ESPN app.

[Myron]

Matt.

[Matt]

And Myron the podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

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[Matt]

Yeah, but I mean, over time I think that stuff kind of goes away. You know, he won a championship. I think it's less about kind of the reunion and more about LeBron kind of accepting that he doesn't have full control. And I think that's a hard thing because, you know, we're talking about legends here. Like, this isn't LeBron can't really go to anybody else other than Michael Jordan about the situation he's in now at the end of his career. And remember, we all saw the last dance, Andrew. Michael Jordan was like, we want to run it back. We want to try to win four in a row. And the Bulls are like, nah, we're not bringing Phil back. We're not bringing the team back. We got to move on. And I think the Lakers find themselves in a similar spot. It's less about. We don't want to continue to build around LeBron James, and it's more about we traded for Luca as the next face of our franchise, and we have to invest all our energy into that. And I think that's where LeBron may feel slighted. LeBron may feel like he's not getting the credit that he deserved, but there's no real way for the Lakers, in my opinion, to really solve this situation as long as he's a member of the team. If he feels that way, fine. You got to focus on Luca now.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Have you spoken with anybody that has said the Lakers are not making the right decision in trying to plan for the future with Luka Doncic? Because I think everybody's on the same page that this is the right move.

[Matt]

It's the only move. The same way it was the only move for the Patriots and Tom Brady. And people will say, well, Brady won a championship. Yes, and good for Tom Brady. We know he's the goat. But there was never going to be an easy way to make it happen. Like, at the end of the day, if you're a franchise and you say, okay, we're going to let our legend decide when they move on, cool. But then what happens after them? Like, if you don't at some point file for divorce from that legend, well, then they're going to take you with them into retirement, and you're going to have to rebuild from scratch. And then what are you left with? So these situations are always ugly. It was ugly for Joe Montana when he wanted to stay with the Niners, and the Niners said, no, we got this young kid, Steve Young. Jerry Rice wanted an extension with the Niners. The Niners said, we'll pass. The Patriots and Tom Brady. Other legends around sports have been in the same situation. It's never pretty in this moment, but it doesn't have to be, because at some point, Lebron's career has to end. The Lakers have to start over the same way they did with Kobe, the same way they did with Kareem and Magic, the same way they've always done in franchise history.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You can join in on the conversation at triple H, say, ESPN. That's 888-729-3776. Yesterday, Dave McMinamon, ESPN NBA reporter @ the summer league when we got to watch Cooper flag take on Dylan Harper. But of course, the big story, LeBron James in attendance to watch Bronnie and the Lakers in summer league action. McMinamon with the latest reporting and a quick conversation with LeBron.

[Myron]

I've checked in with both the Lakers.

[Matt]

And LeBron's camp on this one. For the Lakers, it's business as usual. They have motivation to compete at the highest level and maximize not just LeBron's timeline, but they want to compete now with Luka Doncic. Some have positive that the true cause of this situation was the lakers not offering LeBron a contract beyond next season. But Rich Paul told me that they.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Never asked for one.

[Matt]

Paul also made it clear to me that LeBron has not asked for for a trade. And Paul hasn't even discussed the possibility of wanting a trade in the future with the Lakers. Paul did tell me that four teams contacted him with interest in trading for LeBron, though. Now, I asked LeBron just before tip off if he'd like to join the.

[Myron]

Broadcast to discuss everything.

[Matt]

And he told me, quote, I ain't got nothing to talk about.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So it's funny, during the commercial break right away, you said, you know, he could have said some stuff. So, Myron, I'm curious, what. What did you want LeBron James to say yesterday in his limited opportunity to talk?

[Matt]

I mean, I wanted him to say whatever he wanted to say, but if he wanted to clear up the rumors, the reports, the weird statement that still doesn't make sense, he opted in, right? And then Rich Paul says, we want to play with a contender. Well, the money makes that difficult to do. It's hard to add somebody. He could have said, I'm staying in la, you know, and I'll figure it out after this season. He could have said, I want to be moved. You know, he could have said, I'm going to retire Laker. He could have said a lot of things. But. But here's what LeBron is doing, and he'll never admit that, right? But he's bringing the attention back to LeBron. If the idea was Luca is taking away the spotlight, Luca is becoming the guy that everybody loves and that everyone's focusing their energy on in this summer. You know, whatever he's just done over the last couple months, we're only talking about LeBron, which is, I think, what he wants more than anything.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah. And of course, that report that comes out, or not even the report, the statement from Rich Paul comes out the day before NBA free agency even starts. Right. So to your point, I think you're totally spot on that he wants the attention on him, and there are people getting tired of it, like our own Courtney Cronin, who's with Peter Burns with the best week ever. Here was Courtney talking about how she's exhausted by LeBron James. He's becoming more insufferable than Aaron Rodgers. No, don't. I'm getting real tired of this, Peter. There is nothing.

[Myron]

There is.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Like, yes, there is. No, there's the Aaron. Aaron Rodgers level of insufferability that. That.

[Matt]

That has set the tone.

[Myron]

There's no way that you can get.

[Andrew Salchunas]

To that level that Aaron Rodgers is at. Like, LeBron's good. He's. He's going to challenge, but he can't get to Aaron Rodgers. Like, oh, here we go again. In my mind, he's there because of what's happened this summer. And it's so funny that Dave McMenamin, when he's talking to Rich Paul, the agent who put out that nonsensical statement of we're opting in and we understand that the Lakers are building for the future, but LeBron wants to go win another championship. He created the speculation around LeBron wanting to be traded out of there. You're using your agent as your mouthpiece here to deliver your message and what you think, what you're feeling behind the scenes, I can't stand it. And it's what really bothers me. He's starting to make everything completely about himself. Well, again, what else is doing? When it comes to LeBron James, a lot of it is about himself. Now, I can't go as far as Aaron Rodgers, because here's why. I know the Steelers were sitting there waiting and waiting and waiting for the decision by Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers really isn't helping that team all that much. LeBron James still helps whatever team he goes to. My opinion.

[Matt]

Yeah. Aaron Rodgers is a different category. I mean, that's a different. That's a different level.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Walking around the beach with the headphones on.

[Myron]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Talking about the earth is flat or whatever he's doing. Let's not. LeBron. LeBron is. Just doesn't want to be. It's hard to admit when you're getting older that you're not the guy. I think that's what he's dealing with.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Let's go to the phones. Go to Michael in LA. He wants to talk about LeBron and how the Lakers are the team that's making the mistake. What's up, Michael?

[Myron]

Guys? Yeah. To me, I think the Lakers management made a mistake not extending it, letting LeBron to be a lame duck this year. To me, as great as Luka is, he's going to games there, he's still not a leader. He's atrocious defensively and he doesn't really make the players around them as much as they. When Dallas made the run a couple years ago to the Finals, it's when they made that blockbuster trade because they got elite defensive players in Washington and with Lively and Gafford they were able to because. And Kyrie was more of a leader and he just got there. So I think that the one Derrick.

[Matt]

Lively and Gavard did not lead the Mavericks to the to the NBA Finals. Right. Let's Luca did they beat the Timberwolves? I'm in Minneapolis. I saw every single game. Luka was the reason they got there.

[Myron]

Right.

[Matt]

We got. Are there things that Lucas flawed in Andrew? Yes, but he was also the only guy who went 5 times all NBA first team by 25. Like I understand the flaws, but we can't act like this guy wasn't a generational talent and this wasn't one of the biggest NBA moves of all time when he went to the Lakers. Right.

[Andrew Salchunas]

And look, I'm, I'm sure Michael is a Lakers fan and he wants them to win this year. But that's the point of why you don't extend LeBron James. They're talking about planning for the future. Right. So the future is how can we build a team to make it work with Luka Doncic. So I understand he wants his team to win right away. That's probably not something that's going to happen. This might take a couple of years for the Lakers. Coming up next on Sunday Morning, we'll talk to an Atlanta celebrity next. This is Sunday morning on ESPN Radio and the ESPN app Matt and Myron.

[Matt]

The podcast.

[Myron]

The Jack Welch Management Institute.

[Andrew Salchunas]

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[Myron]

I know the way to I've arrived with our top 10 ranked online MBA. Gain skills you can learn today and apply tomorrow. Get ready to go from make it.

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Happen to made it happen and keep striving. Visit Strayer Edu Jack Welchmba. To learn more, Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Chevinus. Many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia. This episode is brought to you by Polestar. There's only one true way to experience the all electric luxury SUV Polestar 3, and that's to take a test drive. It can go from 0 to 60 in as little as 4.8 seconds with the dynamic handling of a sports car. But to truly understand how it commands the road, you need to be behind the wheel. Up to 350 miles of range. The 3D surround sound system by Bowers and Wilkins. It's all something you have to experience to believe. So book your Test drive for Polestar 3 [e-mail] Sunday morning with Matt and Myron. I'm Andrew Salchunas filling in for Matt. Myron, When I think of Atlanta, I think of one celebrity. I don't think, I mean I know there's so many celebrities out of Atlanta, but when I think of one celebrity out of Atlanta, why wouldn't I have Harry Douglas as a part of the celebrity softball game who joins us here now on Sunday morning. My man, Harry Douglas. Harry, good morning. How you doing?

[Myron]

What's good, fellas? Thank y' all for having me on this morning.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So we heard that you had two plate appearances yesterday in the celebrity softball game. I believe when you and I first met, you told me you were more of a baseball player than a football player. You got all of God's given abilities, which is tremendous. One for two in a softball game.

[Myron]

Yeah, man. My honestly, let me tell you what's so funny. My first plate appearance and I had Jenny Finch pitch it to me, right? She had that backspin on it and I popped it up foul towards the catcher and so he wouldn't catch it. I kind of threw my put my bat in the in his way a little bit. I was like, I can't go out like this on my first plate appearance. This is not going to be good. So he dropped it and he looked at me and he's bust out laughing. I say, hey, I could go out like that. He's like, I understand. So been in a pop up and got a single. In my second one I popped out to, I think it was center field. But I will say this, man, I had so much fun. But your competitive juices, right? So it's me to on the same team. Quavo, Natasha Watley. There's so many of us that are very, very competitive and once we got To a certain point, you know, there are certain positions we're supposed to be playing different innings at BTO and Quavo, we're like, no, hey, we're gonna go here, we're gonna go there. Because at the end of the day, we want to win.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Myron]

So we just started shuffling where we're gonna go. On the field. In the last inning, the National League, they had the last bat, and I think we were up a few runs. So me, to and Quavo all went to the outfield because they were hitting a ton of balls in the outfield. It was like, man, we just gotta. We gotta find a way to get it done.

[Matt]

Harry, I'm curious. In an event like this, so I see a few names I know, but then there's like, funny Marco, Young, Miko, some people that I don't know if they're on YouTube or where they're famous. How old did you feel when you first walked into the game? Harry, be honest with us.

[Myron]

Here's the funny thing, because a lot of people actually felt like. I don't think a lot of people realize that I'm 40 years old, because, number one, you know, I don't look like I'm 40.

[Matt]

Yeah, black don't crack.

[Myron]

Exactly. But it's so funny to me, like, because everyone is so young. A lot of people young. You have some people that were older, but you just say to yourself, man, like, time flies. And my message to everyone living in this world right now, that is listening to ESPN Radio. Listen, you don't get time back. Don't waste it. It is true what Drake says, yolo, you only live once. Enjoy your life to the best of your abilities, and don't screw it up.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Harry Douglas joins us here Sunday morning, presented by Progressive Insurance. So, Harry, earlier in the week, you were talking about Jaden Daniels and Jayden Daniels. Not only the best quarterback in the NFC east where my super bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles reside, but the best quarterback in the NFC already. You still feel that way?

[Myron]

Yeah, because my eyes, you know, since I was born and on September 16, 1984, my eyes had to deceive me all the way back then. So I know what it looks like, and I get it. He's a rookie quarterback and Jalen Hurts won the Super Bowl. But I want people to understand where the Washington Commanders came from as an organization. And no one thought that they would be in this position and people would actually be talking about them in this manner before Jayden Daniels was drafted to the commander's organization. And you talk About a guy who's very cerebral from the pocket. He let them in rushing as well. They were sixth on third downs, they were first on fourth downs. And Mr. Trust and the belief that, you know, veteran players and all players on that roster, coaching staff and everyone else that works in that Washington Commanders organization that they had in him and still do have in him, it's unbelievable. I understand he's young, but I also know what it looks like as well.

[Matt]

Harry, you have a world, a class where you got Jaden Daniels and what he's been able to do. Drake may seems like he's on the rise. Bo Nix, with Sean Payton continuing to grow, is there a world where Caleb Williams, especially with Michael Penix Jr. In Atlanta is the fifth or fourth best quarterback in this draft class when it's all said and done.

[Myron]

If Matt Evil Flutz was still the head coach for the Chicago Bears, yes, I would say that. But the simple fact that they now have Ben Johnson, a guy that can orchestrate things and we've seen the shift, right? Ryan posted a great job going out getting the most sought out assistant coach to be the next head coach in the NFL. And Ben Johnson, the first thing that Ben Johnson noticed is that hey, our quarterback got sacked more than anybody in the National Football League. We're going to revamp this offensive line. We're going to retool. They did that and they added two more playmakers to the dynamic ones that they already had. So when you look at things now, Ben Johnson understands that, hey, I'm going to allow this run game to also assist my quarterback. I'm going to teach him to play from the pocket. So you know, that was a case where I thought it could be last season, but under Ben Johnson as the head coach and also the play caller, I don't no longer view it that way. Now Caleb just has to go out there and be phenomenal and lead his organization to where they want to be. I believe he's going to be be the first 4,000 yard passer in Chicago Bears history.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So how quick do you think you see that turnaround from Caleb Williams? Is it week one? Because not only is it a new coach, new system that he has to learn, he's also got a totally new reworked offensive line. How quick can we see the Caleb Williams that a lot of people expect to be as the number one overall pick?

[Myron]

So our world and the way our world works in 2025, we want everything instantly. It's that instant gratification, right? But we all know Rome wasn't Built in one day. So it's going to be a process, but it's a process. And I know the Bears, they don't mind taking because they feel like they have the right coach in place to be able to get Caleb where he needs to be.

[Matt]

Harry on the second season of quarterback Kirk Cousins said that he felt, quote, misled by the Falcons organization when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. How should Kirk Cousins feel right now and how concerned should the Falcons be about this potentially bleeding into their locker room this season?

[Myron]

Well, he should feel like he let the football team down last year and his last five games that he played, he had one touchdown pass at nine interceptions. So whether you fail, misled or not, Michael Penix Jr. Is not playing. If you play up to your capabilities and to the level that the Atlanta Falcons paid you to play at. He had the starting job, he lost a starting job. So there's a sense of accountability without trying to slide people that Kirk Cousins, in my opinion, needs to have.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So in year two of Michael Penix Jr. But year one really as the starter, if he wins that job, which I think we all expect to, what could you expect out of the Falcons in that NFC South? That's kind of been the division, even though the Bucks have been doing a great job with Baker Mayfield. That's the division that I think a lot of people point to as this could be won by a couple of teams. How quickly do you go, hey, Michael Penix Jr. We need you. Same conversation with Cale Williams. We need you to get us to the playoffs.

[Myron]

Honestly, I'm not worried about the offense. I'm not worried about Michael Pennix Jr. It's all about the pass rush and the defense. Can that defense. And you know, you look at the falcons the last three to last four years, they were 31st, 31st and 32nd and sacking the quarterback, it's hard to win games like that, right? So now that puts a ton of pressure now on your secondary if your front guys aren't getting pressure or if they are not sacking a quarterback as well. But they use two first round draft picks on Jalen Walker, a guy at the University of Georgia, and Also James Pierce Jr. From the University of Tennessee. So they're looking for those two guys to hit the ground running and be ferocious from a pass rush standpoint. So now it allows the secondary to be better collectively across the board. So if they can't get a pass rush, then we're probably going to be singing that same old story.

[Matt]

Eric, you played wide receiver at the Highest level. You have a guy in Minnesota and Justin Jefferson who might be the best this league has to offer, but he's coming in with a 22 year old quarterback, didn't throw a ton at Michigan, was injured last year and now everything is on his shoulders. What do you expect from J.J. mcCarthy in year one with the Vikings? What's reasonable?

[Myron]

So I think J.J. mcCarthy is going to be solid. And here's, here's something Myron I don't think a lot of people are talking about as well when it comes to J.J. mcCarthy. He's going to be an extension of their run game because the athleticism that he has. A lot of people thought Sam Darnold was athletic. No, not, not more athletic than J.J. mcCarthy. And we've seen some of those things when he was at the University of Michigan under Jim Hallbaugh when he won a national championship. So think about this, the play breaking down, but he has the athleticism to be able to tuck it in, run or scramble, buy time and get explosive plays by throwing it downfield or whatnot. So all these things he has the capability of doing, but because of the surroundings that he has offensively and defensively, all JJ McCarthy has to do is not mess it up, in my opinion. And when it comes to Justin Jefferson, I do believe he's the best receiver in the league. And remember my room we did last week. We did. Or the week before it was top quarterback receiver duo in the National Football League. I almost put Justin Jefferson on the list because damn it, it don't matter who he's, who's throwing to him. He go, he's going to get it done. It doesn't matter. Yeah, that, that's how ferocious he is. That's how dynamic and detail oriented when it comes to his craft. So, you know, I like the Minnesota Vikings. I really do.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Harry. I'll see you next summer at Citizens bank park when you're playing the celebrity All Star game again. Does that sound good?

[Myron]

Oh, I hope I'm able to play again. I have so much fun.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You're the man, Harry. We appreciate you coming on today and we'll be listening with you and Freddie, man, starting tomorrow. Again. Thanks, brother.

[Myron]

Yes, sir. Thank you, fellas.

[Andrew Salchunas]

There's Harry Douglas from Freddie and Harry here on Sunday Morning presented by Progressive Insurance. So coming up next, why aren't we talking more about a record potentially being broken this summer? We talk about it next here on Sunday morning on ESPN Radio.

[Matt]

Matt and Myron, the podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

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[Andrew Salchunas]

No one else, not even us.

[Myron]

WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Andrew Salchunas]

This is Sunday Morning Matt and Myron. I'm Andrew Salchunas filling in for Matt. You got to catch new episodes of Vibe Check every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5pm Eastern on Disney. The new female led sports studio show exclusive on Disney, produced by ESPN Monday at 5pm Eastern will spotlight a panel of ESPN's most prominent female voices featuring Ella Duncan, Andrea Carter, Monica McNutt, Shanay Ogumike, Hannah Storm and more. This show will call upon the rotating panel's expertise, insight and storytelling to provide a fresh, perspective driven approach to sports coverage. And I imagine one of the big talking points Monday will be about Cal Raleigh. The MLB All Star Game happens Tuesday on ESPN Radio. But of course Monday is the Home Run Derby. Coverage begins here at 8:00 clock on ESPN radio. And Cal Raleigh has been a major story for some in Major League Baseball. Myron 38 home runs already. He hits 37 and 38 Friday night. And of course we got the home run record with Barry Bonds before the All Star break. And yet you and I talked about a little bit over text and that was really bit all it was. A little bit, yeah.

[Matt]

Cause people don't care, you know, because they want their steroid guys. Like I was like 13, 14 years old watching Barry Bonds hooked up to a steroid IV hitting bombs out of the park. And I watched Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa. They literally cut into every single show to tell us how great they were, right? When we all knew that they were taking stuff and people loved it. It was literally a national thing, right? And now Cal Riley comes along and he doesn't have any of that personality pizzazz, the narrative, all those things. He just hits bomb. He just hits home runs. Right, Right. He just. That's all he does. 37 and 38 by the All Star break is ridiculous considering that Barry Bonds has the record of 39 and the season that Barry Bonds did it in, we clearly know he was juicy. I don't have anything against Barry Bonds. Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, those guys had incredible resumes before the steroid accusations. Barry Bonds take away all that stuff, he's still, to me, one of the top five baseball players of all time. But we also have to acknowledge that those records aren't clean. So why aren't we celebrating a guy like Cal Riley who could break Bonds record potentially without any of that stuff. I just think it's unfair that Cal Riley isn't getting more attention right now considering what he's achieved by the All Star.

[Andrew Salchunas]

And I get where you're coming from. Look, I'm a big baseball fan and growing up I was a big Ichiro fan. So I have a special place in my heart for the Mariners. So this is a storyline that I've been following very closely this season. But I also know what it takes to play the catcher position. And you know that at some point, I'm not saying his body's going to break down to the point where he's not going to be able to be in the lineup anymore, but I think everybody has the same feeling of wow, this is awesome that this is happening. I doubt that he can continue this. We saw Salvador Perez a couple of years ago, hit 48 home runs. Cal Raleigh, I believe is going to reach 50. He's 12 away from 50. He's got an entire second half of the season to get to 50. But that within its own right is going to be amazing. And I don't think people expect him to push for Bonds record or Aaron Judge's record. No matter, no matter how you look at it, I don't think anybody can expect that out of a catcher this late into a season.

[Matt]

Can you hear us talking about this? Think about this. We're worried about a catcher breaking down, but we didn't worry that Barry Bonds neck was going to explode from the steroids he was taking before the seventh and eighth inning. Right. I think. I think we have been in a many ways brainwashed by the steroid era. And it was so good that we've decided that, you know what, who cares what they did? We saw 73 home runs. We saw Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire so now you have a guy like Aaron Judge comes along and does something that we haven't seen since the steroid guys. And people were saying, oh, fake record. People were saying, this isn't as impressive. Cal Riley now in the same situation, 38 home runs. Are you kidding me? By the All Star break, most multi home run games up until the All Star break in Major League Baseball history has already tied Ken Griffey's franchise record for multi home run games in a season. And we haven't even hit the All Star game yet. You got to give this dude credit. Part of it too is we just don't care about catchers. Catchers are the most overlooked position in sports.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I agree with.

[Matt]

Nobody cares about them. Nobody. Nobody gives them credit. Especially I think, Andrew, in the money ball era, there was a time when you saw this sort of synergy between the pitcher and the catcher. And the catcher was viewed as sort of the quarterback of everything that was happening on the field. Now with the specialist era, it's no longer like that. We give the pitchers, the analytics guys all the credit. But Cal Raleigh is doing something that you could make a case. Andrew is maybe being done for the first time, assuming he's not using steroids. That should be acknowledged considering how great he's been to this point.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Now, I think one of the big things with, with Bond, Sosa, McGuire was the chase, right? Like every single night, you were sort of updating, well, maybe not the Internet so much back then, but you checked out the newspaper the next morning, you watched SportsCenter the next morning because you wanted to see, did this guy, one of these three, hit another home run for this chase. Now Cal Raleigh is still chasing Aaron Judge. It's not like Aaron Judge has 15 home runs this year. He's mashing the ball too. But it's just interesting. I mean, I think to me, again, it comes back to it. I totally respect what Cal Raleigh is doing. I don't want that to be lost. I don't want you thinking I am brainwashed by the steroid era. I just don't think it can continue. I think what he has done so far should definitely be celebrated. But I can't imagine knowing baseball, knowing the catcher position, I can't imagine that it continues this far.

[Matt]

But you're starting with doubt, Andrew. Yes, and that's my challenge in all this stuff. The conversation is, what if he breaks down? The conversation is, I don't think he can sustain this. That's not the conversation we had about Barry Bonds. The conversation was, oh my Goodness, we're watching something wonderful. Just a few Years after Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa broke this record. The awe of it was the storyline. Now the storyline is, well, this guy's not going to be able to sustain this. Why, like, why be so pessimistic about such a beautiful thing? A dude who's just going up to the plate and hitting home runs, and here we are saying, well, he can't keep it up.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Why?

[Matt]

Because we have been brainwashed by these steroid records across and we're going, you know what? Yeah, this is impressive.

[Andrew Salchunas]

But that's why they were able to keep it up, because they were juicing. That's why they were able to keep it up.

[Matt]

But my point is, we were just in awe of what we were watching and we celebrated it. We weren't saying, well, what if this doesn't? What if this stops? What if Bonds goes cold with Cal Riley? You are starting with this pessimism and this idea of there's no way he can break the record. How about this guy is one home run away from doing what Bonds did, allegedly on the Juice. And that should be viewed as a remarkable achievement.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Now, I wonder where you come in on this conversation, because I think you and I see it a lot alike that the catcher position is really overlooked. Yesterday I spoke with Doug Landville on Primetime and we talked about the MVP race because right now it's two guys. It's Cal Raleigh and it's Aaron Judge. But Glanville made it seem like, yeah, you could say it's two guys, but it's really just one.

[Myron]

I don't think anybody's going to be in the stratosphere of Aaron Judge right now. You know, you have to be voting off of another level, and that is okay. Cal Raleigh, what does he bring? He is a catcher, and that is a extremely difficult position to be so productive, offensive aggressively and to do it over the course of a season. He's a switch hitter. He's doing it from both sides of the plate. He's managing an incredibly talented and successful pitching staff, throwing out runners, and he's stealing bases all around. Raleigh's bringing so much to the table. Aaron Judge is, you know, but he's so superior over everybody as a hitter. I don't know where you put a historic season like that in context, talking about MVP when you know he's just in a class by himself offensively.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I know what Aaron Judge is doing is historic, but, Myron, I'm curious to get your opinion. What Doug Glanville said in the beginning of that clip is why Cal Raleigh should still be in the conversation for mvp because he is doing everything as a catcher and a switch hitter and leading that staff. For a Mariners team that's slightly above.500, that really isn't that great of a roster. Do you think it's a two person race for the MVP or is it just too hard to catch? Judge?

[Matt]

It should be, but it won't be because Aaron Judge and how the how the catcher position is viewed. I think since 76 you've had three catchers who've won MVP. Pudge Rodriguez, Buster Posey, Joe Maurer. That's the list, you know, and I don't think we have one since 2012 when Posey wanted so people don't respect the position. You can't tell me that it's the most difficult position to play because of the wear and tear and then not give this guy credit for almost catching Barry Bonds and what could be an historic season. Pick a side.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Well, I give him credit for it. I just don't think it's going to continue that that's really all that it is.

[Matt]

Pessimist, man.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yes, be positive. Look, I'm a Philadelphia. Of course I'm a pessimist. Come on, man.

[Matt]

Have some happy thoughts.

[Andrew Salchunas]

It is Sunday MORNING presented by Progressive Insurance. I'm Andrew Salt Tunis, filling in for Matt. Coming up, your calls, triple eight, say ESPN 888-729-3776. Does Cal Raleigh have a legit chance to break the home run record? And why don't people seem to care about it very much? Your calls next Sunday morning on ESPN Radio.

[Matt]

Matt and Myron, the podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

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