← The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Cheese Doodles for Stephen A. (feat. Yaron Weitzman)
00:41:50
Loading summary
Transcript229 lines
- [00:04]
Dan Le Batard
When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the.
- [00:10]
Jerome Weitzman
Secure messaging app that brings the whole group together.
- [00:12]
Dan Le Batard
Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.
- [00:27]
Jerome Weitzman
Learn more@WhatsApp.com this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast Smart move Being financially savvy Smart move. Another smart move having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer, availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligible vary by state. Upgrade your laundry routine with a durable and reliable Maytag laundry pair at Lowes. Like the new Maytag washer and dryer.
- [01:09]
Greg Cody
With performance enhanced stain fighting power designed to cut through serious dirt and grime.
- [01:14]
Jerome Weitzman
And what's great is this laundry pair is in stock and ready for delivery when you need it the most.
- [01:20]
Mike
Don't miss out. Shop Maytag in store or online today at Lowe's.
- [01:30]
Greg Cody
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.
- [01:37]
Mike
We are approaching the mid season point in the NFL. These games are only going to get bigger tickets are only going to get more difficult to find. So why don't you take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code dan to get $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Swipe, Tap, Ticket, Go.
- [01:59]
Dan Le Batard
I don't know what defensive metrics Mike uses, but Greg Cody during the break was howling, yelling at everyone. The Colts allow the sixth fewest points in the league on defense.
- [02:10]
Mike
Points, I mean, but you can throw all over them and they've been in advantageous positions, often controlling games. But I mean you're a fantasy savant there. Greg Cody if you got a wide receiver, you're starting them against the Indianapolis Colts. I think that they're a team that is highly reliant on turning the ball over. We'll see if they can repeat that in the postseason, but I don't know if it's possible. This was a whole thing with Miles Garrett in the offseason when he was trying to leverage like it was reported to be an impossible contract to move. But if there is a team that can make it work that you could absolutely trust them if they get someone like Miles Garrett and then all of a sudden you would see a huge change in their odds. It'd probably be Indianapolis.
- [02:49]
Jerome Weitzman
Yeah.
- [02:49]
Jeremy
I would just say that when you have that kind of a point differential and you get out to big leads, like Indy has tended to do, the other teams are going to pass a lot, so the passing statistics are going to rise. You know, the yards against are very high, but I think that's a product of the way they win games.
- [03:05]
Dan Le Batard
Well, I think one of the things that happens with them is not unlike what happened with Houston and San Francisco this weekend, where San Francisco can't do anything because they don't have the ball. The Colts are controlling the games with their offense against everybody. But let's get to not baseball. Even though Jeremy continues to be insanely mad that we're not talking more about the World Series, let's go on to LeBron, something we don't talk a lot about.
- [03:31]
Jerome Weitzman
Oh, we haven't had enough LeBron.
- [03:33]
Dan Le Batard
We've got Jerome Weitzman here who has a couple of books. The latest one was the one we were talking about last week, Hollywood the Dreams and drama of the LeBron Lakers. He began his career, this is an award winning NBA writer, but he began his career by being the guy who brought Stephen A. Smith his cheese Cheese do like that was the first job that he had and he parlayed that into a book about the Lakers a pretty good deal. Thank you, Jerome. Thank you for being on with us. Have a lot to talk to you about. I guess the detail from the book that everyone loves is The Russell Westbrook LeBron's a phony story. Is that the one that you expected to pop when you wrote the book or did you expect some of the others to pop in the details from the book?
- [04:17]
Jerome Weitzman
Thanks for having me. I'm also. I'm glad that, that Stephen A. Detail gets glanced over too frequently and I'm glad you grabbed onto that. Yeah, no, that was the one. You know, when you do this, you kind of, you report and you kind of, you get different details. And that was the one. When I got that, I remember I was sitting on my. On my couch and kind of told my wife after being like, oh, I think we got the excerpt here. Like, I think this is it. I just. Because it has the personalities and I feel like sports books should have some silliness to them too. And the Will Smith being involved there just six months after the slap just makes it perfect. So that was. I was pretty Happy with that one.
- [04:47]
Dan Le Batard
I have a number of different questions to ask you, but is it true that the Lakers threatened to sue you just when you started down the path of this book?
- [04:57]
Jerome Weitzman
So not the beginning. So that is true. So I'll go behind the scenes here. You know, when I started this, I reached out to the principals, reached out to Jeanne Buss, told her I was going to do this book. We met a few times off the record. And I'm only sharing that because she has referenced, quote, the writer who's doing a book on me, on us, in multiple interview or an interview. So I guess I figured we were clear there to then just talk about it. And at some point, I don't know what changed to this day, I don't. But I remember the day of the Dan Hurley news, right? The day it was game one of the, I think it was 2024, NBA Finals, the Lakers. That's the day that Woj broke that Dan Hurley story. And that evening I get an email from the desk of Marty Singer and I have to Google him after. And he's a famous defamation lawyer and he says that the, he says that the Lakers, he's basically representing the Lakers. I've described it as like it wasn't a quite a cease and desist, but a, we're watching you. And then so I figured, you know, there goes informal communication. So I sent them fact checking later when I was done, but before we were published. And I mean, Dan, you know this. You do the fact checking process and I'm okay being told I'm wrong. Like, I'm okay. It's kind of like, let's talk. Tell me where you think there's context here, other things to change. And instead of getting on the phone, they had the lawyer send me a really long, aggressive letter. And many of the points were just factually inaccurate. Like to the point where, you know, I sent them a quote from a 2017 LA Times story that was on the record and they said it was fake, things like that. But the part of the note, you know, along the lines of, make no mistake, many times people threaten to sue and don't have the means or ability to do so. We. We do. So, I mean, I guess to this day I'm okay. We'll see, I guess.
- [06:39]
Dan Le Batard
Did it scare you, though? Did it scare you? You talked to more than 200 people, right?
- [06:43]
Jerome Weitzman
So like, you're close to 300. Yeah, it's scary. So the mix, like, I mean, listen, part of it, I was, you know, as a reporter, you're Kind of like, oh, I guess I did something right here. So that's a good feeling. It worried me a little bit. I think, you know, the publisher cover covers it. I also, you know, you go speak to individual lawyers. My publisher's law. Very excited. I felt. I think it's something, you know, those guys are kind of used to doing more boring stuff. I think he was very excited to write his letter back to them to explain why they had no case. Like the. I had to tone down some of the language there at some point. It was. But I. Yeah, it was a little worrisome. The Lakers are powerful and they have lots of money. And I guess I don't. So that would be a problem.
- [07:21]
Dan Le Batard
Well, they're powerful and have lots of money, but I think people would be surprised at what a mom and pop organization they actually are. Like, I know the Lakers prestige is giant, but it's actually a family run organization that doesn't have another business outside of this. How much silliness did you run into when reporting some of this stuff? And were you surprised that the Buss family chose to sell the Lakers when they did?
- [07:49]
Jerome Weitzman
I'll answer. Yeah, I'm still surprised. And I feel like we have not yet been given. So the book finished. Like, I basically got a paragraph in on the sale, but I still feel like we have not been given a good reason why they sold the team. Everyone says, you know, $10 billion valuation. $10 billion valuation. I mean, Jeanie Buss has no kids and they were like, you know, mom and pop. They were still making millions of dollars off the team. The big winner in this is Jay Moore. Honestly, he was the big winner in the. The Lakers sale. Like that guy and his kids. And, you know, the background here is so Jeannie, you know, the six siblings, everyone, or, you know, there was another one who came out of the woodwork later on. But six major ones, four from the original marriage and two younger ones. The way the trust was divided is basically you need four to decide to sell the team. The two younger ones never wanted to. Three older ones always did. Genie was always a swing vote. She was always. No, no, no. Until now. And the part I find interesting, and this is stuff, you know, you uncover as you're looking at it. But like, after she kind of got rid of her brother and she took over the team, she would always talk about how the Bus family, it was her dad's dream to have them in the fam. The. Have the Lakers. Excuse me. In the Bus family for years. And the family legacy and all that, and that lasted, I don't know, maybe 10 years, a generation before she decided to sell the team. So, yeah, I think it's surprising and I still don't think we've been given a good reason why they were sold.
- [09:05]
Zaz
Jeroen, what is an example over the last seven years since he arrived there, of LeBron running the show there in LA?
- [09:12]
Jerome Weitzman
So, okay, so okay, Bronnie's the best example, but I will say we can get to that. One of the more interesting things that kind of I learned was that the idea of the clutch Lakers, it's overblown, right? And like the most obvious example is the. And this is public with the Ty Lue coaching search in 2019. LeBron wanted the Lakers to hire Ty Lue as their coach as, as their coach. Ty Lue was a perfect candidate for them. He was a great coach, former Laker, that matters to them. Had a good relationship with LeBron. And this goes back to the bus family stuff. They said no. And you know, they offered him, or I shouldn't say they said no. They offered him a three year contract that was well below market value that he refused to take. But if, you know, again with the lawyers, you have to be very clear, they didn't say no. They just offered him a deal that they believe he should have accepted. So that's a great example to me of. And that was LeBron's year two. Like that wasn't after the Westbrook trade, that wasn't after the issues. That was LeBron's there year two. And they say, yeah, we're not going to hire a coach. So, you know, Bronnie's a good example. There are other points to me, like they were able to leverage his power during the AD negotiations. So the Rob Polinka messed up the salary cap and he basically. They messed up the sequencing. They had to convince AD to wave his trade kicker is the short of it. And in order to do that, Clutch then said, you know what, we're going to negotiate with you if you waive our. If we're going to waive the trade kicker, we want to guarantee that you sign Kentavius Caldwell Pope. So that's not to say LeBron, you know, forcing them to do things. That's more leveraging the power that they had.
- [10:40]
Zaz
Were you able to learn anything about LeBron's presence or lack of presence at the Kobe Bryant Memorial at the arena?
- [10:48]
Jerome Weitzman
So I gotta give Pablo I was not. Pablo nailed that down. I could not. It was one of these things where we all Assumed. And we all kind of knew. And I actually was at a point where, like, I was just gonna kind of leave it ambiguous. Pablo nailed it. I was not able to, so no more than what Pablo said.
- [11:02]
Jeremy
So you mentioned the response to the book from the Lakers. What about from LeBron's camp, which can be very protective. What kind of cooperation or lack of did you get from LeBron?
- [11:13]
Jerome Weitzman
No cooperation, but I would say a less aggressive lack of cooperation, if that makes sense.
- [11:18]
Greg Cody
Right.
- [11:18]
Jerome Weitzman
I think they're just at the point where, like, they don't. I mean, LeBron doesn't really do long form interviews of any kind anymore. And I have no issue with that. Like, I got power to him. Why he's got cameras following him around. I assume Netflix has 15 documentaries in the can already, right. For what he's doing. So, yeah, no cooperation. And I think their thing is like, they don't want to even do fact checking because it's just then they. Then I can say cooperate when I get asked this question. So it's just, yeah, we're out. All good.
- [11:43]
Dan Le Batard
What do you have for us in terms of what LeBron actually knew about Anthony Davis and the Luca trade? What's true there, what's real there? According to, you know, you talk to, as we said, almost 300 people.
- [11:58]
Jerome Weitzman
LeBron didn't know. I know. No one believes that. I know everyone's got conspiracy theories. I mean, I have, like in the book, we have the group chat, basically. So Luca, the way it goes is Luca, that trade happens a Saturday night. And the background here, by the way, so I live in New York at that game. The Lakers were at MSG that night, the night that Luca was traded. And other reports will tell you this too, like in the hallways. Rich, Paul, Savannah, James, this always happens for the Knicks games in New York. They're all hanging around in the hallway there, gangway for dinner plans. Like, it is very clearly not a group who is aware that this seismic deal is about to go down. But anyway, they all go out for dinner in their separate ways. And the. And Sham sends that tweet that we all remember. And Bronnie shares it in the group chat and goes, is this real? And the players only chat and asks, is this real? And AD goes, Did these blank words just trade me? And LeBron puts a WTF in there. I think LeBron said he was at dinner. And AD basically says, Good luck, fellas, and leaves the chat. So I don't think LeBron had any idea that, that this was gonna happen. And honestly, for the Lakers perspective at that point. Like, it's kind of, if you're getting Luca, you no longer are. Like, you don't have to worry about that. You've already moved on. Right. And even at the press conference the next day, I found. Or whenever they officially did it, I found it so interesting. Rob Pelinka shouting out Luca's agent, Bill Duffy and management. It was just like it was a complete. We've moved on to a whole new group here.
- [13:18]
Dan Le Batard
Well, if he doesn't know and no one believes that, then he's probably actually hurt by all of that.
- [13:24]
Jerome Weitzman
No, I would guess so. The only thing is though, like, and he said it a few days later, he said if he was really upset, he could have waived his no trade clause. And I forget his exact quote and got out of there. Like, I think Luca is. There's two parts to it, right? I think in terms of the basketball, I think Luca is one of these guys that other players respect. And LeBron has this real appreciation for. Remember LeBron when he was thinking about building out that his own line of the shoe, of the shoe company, Like Luka was someone he targeted. So I think understanding that, like, you know, Luka is better than ad, Everyone knew that. I do think though that. And we're seeing him deal with this, the idea of no longer having the power, control, I think that's something. And we're seeing him sort of deal with that now. Like with his picks up the contract and the weird statement about I want to join a team's winning. But then he's pretending, he's saying he's all happy and just sort of the wavering we're seeing. So I think that would be sort of all connected to the losing control there.
- [14:13]
Ad
Thursday Night Football's on and it's only on Prime Video. This week, it's an AFC clash as the Baltimore Ravens meet the Miami Dolphins. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party, TNF tonight. Not a Prime member, Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Ravens and the Dolphins on Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.
- [14:44]
Mike
Oh, the football season. Cruel beast. Sometimes it gives, sometimes it rips away. Sometimes you got good times, sometimes you got bad times. But one thing that'll always lift your spirit is making it Miller Time. Because game day just hits different with Miller Lite in your hand. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients, and that iconic golden color that you can spot from across the room. It's a real eye catcher, folks. And here's the kicker. Just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. So whatever your game day looks like, remember, Miller Time is always a good time. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.
- [15:47]
Ad
You ever try to name all your financial accounts and what they're actually worth? Like your 401k, your investments, your house? Yeah, I couldn't either. Most of us can't. And when you don't know, you're basically leaving money on the table. Feel organized and confident in your finances with Monarch, an all in one personal finance tulip that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or your phone. Right now, just for our listeners, Monarch is offering 50% off your first year with code dan@monarch.com. i started using Monarch and I found an old 401k from an old job that I totally forgot about. And it was worth way more than I thought. I also realized I wasn't saving as much as I imagined. Monarch shows you everything you're spending, your investments, even how much cash is just sitting there doing nothing. No spreadsheets, no chaos. Just a clear view of your money you can share with your partner, too. Which means fewer fights about who spent what at Target and how much the baby actually needs. Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code dan@monimalmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50 off your first year@monatormoney.com with code Dan.
- [16:47]
Dan Le Batard
Don LeBatard.
- [16:48]
Jeremy
Quiet, man. Yes. You know, I'm a married man. I don't cheat on my wife. Despite that gratuitous line in back in my day. I wish you were here. My wife, I really miss her. No, I don't. That's the thing about being married, you know, you're not allowed to say, I don't miss my wife. I've been gone two days. I haven't been gone long enough to miss my wife. I'm sorry. I call her. I'm on the phone with her. 30 seconds. You know, what am I. Hello?
- [17:15]
Ad
All right.
- [17:15]
Jeremy
All right, we'll see you.
- [17:16]
Dan Le Batard
All right.
- [17:16]
Jeremy
And then, you know, I'm gonna see her in two days. I was jumping Charlie.
- [17:19]
Ad
Good.
- [17:19]
Greg Cody
This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.
- [17:31]
Jerome Weitzman
Where is the relationship now between LeBron the Lakers? Yes, I would say. I don't think so. Backing up. I think one interesting thing from the beginning is that when he first came, I think Jeannie Buss thought this was going to be like her version of. Of Jerry Boss and Magic, right? And just. And even she had the relationship with Kobe, and it was never that. Even from the beginning, just LeBron was cut differently. Just didn't work. And again, the Westbrook trade really broke things. We can talk about that if we want after where it's right now. I mean, I think you saw during media day or ever Rob Polinka was asked about, like, what would you. Would you get? I forget the exact phrasing. Would you give LeBron another contract? And his answer was along the lines of, you know, I think he said, we'd love to see LeBron finish his story here. Which is really a non answer. And I keep joking like parentheses. And we hope that story ends now, right this year. Like, it's just a non answer. So I think that kind of summarized it like it's the Lakers. They're fine. But this is not like they. They are no longer deferring to him. It's very clear. And the jj, like, all these hires were part of that, too. Like, everyone forgets before the Luca trade, they were really signaling this idea that we are changing our ways. Like, if you listen to the JJ Redick press conference, it's fascinating to go back to. They're talking about player development, the need of changing your ways. In the second apron, they were talking about, like they were going to make some player development app, which, I don't know, we should look into if they ever did that. Like, this was a whole ethos that the Lakers were preaching. Then Luca falls into their lap and things change. But I think they were sort of on their way to moving on from LeBron.
- [18:59]
Zaz
What'd you learn about the relationship with him, the team, Bronnie, last year that.
- [19:04]
Jerome Weitzman
We didn't know Ronnie, I mean, I don't know if it's not. She didn't know. It's. It's. To me, it's been interesting that Bronnie sort of. It's. He's faded into the background. And I think that's a testament to. Everyone likes Bronnie. Like, it's really. It sounds simple. But if Ronnie by all accounts is a really good kid and Works hard and just kind of understands his place and face. And it's. Again, it's nothing you didn't know, but I think it's just like he's just another one of the players. I mean, you see it now, even this kind of feels like just another 10th man, which is weird considering. Considering, or I should say a 12th man, or maybe 13th. But it was. It's weird considering where we were at before the draft last year.
- [19:39]
Dan Le Batard
You also said, though, that Palenque, when you say Palenque gave a non answer. Palenque also did say LeBron deserves the ending that he wants. He did say that. And I know the Kraft said that with Tom Brady as well. Maybe it's just a thing you have to say, but. But this has been frayed for how long? You said Westbrook broke things. He wanted Kyrie Irving too, right? LeBron wanted Kyrie Irving.
- [20:02]
Jerome Weitzman
Yeah, LeBron wanted Kyrie Irving. And that was the background to, like, the, you know, that Will Smith story with Westbrook getting angry at LeBron. The idea of being LeBron going everywhere saying, I want Kyrie Irving and for salary cap, like, the only way that could have worked through a salary cap was by giving up Westbrook. So everyone understood that. Yeah. After the Westbrook trade, like, basically became. Everyone blame each other. Right? Everyone blame each other. This was his fault. This was his fault. They did it. It was their idea. And all the. I mean, you see, like, all the passive aggressive tweets would pick up after that. In terms of Polinka, you were asking, like. Yeah, he said that Polinka is. Also has a reputation for how you phrase this. You know, the things he says are not always carried through. How about that? Right? So there's a reputation there.
- [20:41]
Dan Le Batard
How do you phrase this? Okay, so the Palenque's words don't matter is what you're saying. That's a good way.
- [20:46]
Jerome Weitzman
How'd I do that?
- [20:48]
Dan Le Batard
All right. No, yeah, well, Polanca. So Palenque said something, and it doesn't matter what Polanca says, because the words don't mean anything. Can you give us your top five biggest revelations or holy ship moments from the book without ruining the name of the book again, A Hollywood ending. The dreams and drama of the LeBron Lakers. Number five, please.
- [21:09]
Jerome Weitzman
No, Oris. All right. I'm disappointed. Okay.
- [21:12]
Dan Le Batard
Okay. Yeah. No one.
- [21:13]
Jerome Weitzman
You decide that out.
- [21:14]
Dan Le Batard
You get to decide. You get to decide that. Would you like some Olis outside?
- [21:17]
Mike
Sure.
- [21:18]
Jerome Weitzman
We can do. Yeah, we can do a couple, if that's okay with you.
- [21:20]
Dan Le Batard
Yes, please.
- [21:21]
Jerome Weitzman
Yeah. So, okay, we got one. Oli is that when Anthony Davis first arrived in la, the coaching staff staff was so concerned about his willingness to play through pain that staffers were informed to keep drills light during warm ups out of fear he'd get nicked up and then take off time.
- [21:38]
Dan Le Batard
Look at that. What a league says likes that one. Zaz likes this list.
- [21:43]
Zaz
I already. I do like it.
- [21:44]
Jerome Weitzman
I like it a lot.
- [21:45]
Dan Le Batard
If that's an Oli, look at the smile. Zaz is radiant over here. Okay. Another Oli.
- [21:51]
Jerome Weitzman
Yeah. So if you remember, Genie took the team from her brother Jim. Right. People might remember there's all this infighting. The brothers tried orchestrating this boardroom coup. One of the reasons Genie was able successful there is that her lawyer discovered that Jim owed lots of money to lots of people, including loan sharks. And they threatened to make this public if he signed over whatever they wanted.
- [22:13]
Dan Le Batard
Those are Olis. Those are good Olis. Look at Zazlow Zazzle looking post coital over here.
- [22:19]
Zaz
I love good NBA controversy. It's good.
- [22:22]
Dan Le Batard
Another Oli or we.
- [22:24]
Jerome Weitzman
This is what's a quick Oli, but I have to throw us in here. Not a single Lakers beat writer for the Main street outlet has a acknowledged in public that this book exists. We can move on to number five after.
- [22:34]
Dan Le Batard
Why is that? What. What's happening? I don't know.
- [22:37]
Jerome Weitzman
I don't know. I don't know.
- [22:38]
Mike
I don't.
- [22:38]
Jerome Weitzman
That's for you guys to connect the dots. I just figured I'd share that, you know. Okay, Now, Dan, this is number five. This is going to help an old take of yours age pretty well, I think. Okay, so. And this was a once controversial take, but when Magic was the team president. I'm going to read this. The sounds of daytime TV shows like Judge Mathis, the Andy Griffith show, spin off Mayberry, RFD and everyone's favorite family feud were often heard coming from inside his office during the day.
- [23:05]
Dan Le Batard
He didn't work very hard. He did not.
- [23:08]
Jerome Weitzman
That's okay. We talked about Rob Polinka. So his reputation. So when Luke Walton was the head coach, he became so untrustworthy of Polinka, thinking that they would agree to things. And then Polinka would say something else in another meeting. That anytime he met with Polinka, he would insist that a third person would come to make sure that there was basically a witness that someone told me, member of the coaching staff. Quote, he kept feeling like he and Rob would discuss something and agree, and then Rob would go off in a completely different direction. We're gonna. I'm gonna add two more quickly on Palinka here. Once he misquoted the Bible, he likes to think of himself as a Bible quoter. He would say, you know, this hits my. If you see my name, you'll know my background. But he talks about mana coming down from heaven. He quotes it from the book of Genesis. Except there is no mana in the book of Genesis. There's about three or four other books, but not in that one. And Frank Vogel found out he was fired via a WOJ tweet after a game. They were sitting that final. That final game where he gets fired. He's sitting around, he looks at his phone and goes, well, we'll just tweeted that I don't have a bleeping job anymore. So that's all Rob Polinka, number three, the Lakers party habits. Okay, so when Lakers players would go out to clubs, Rajan Rondo would bring his iPad and watch film in a booth out there. Connected LeBron when he would run a party. Guests were required to sign NDAs. Also connected Jared Dudley, who sort of would organize the parties, was known for being able to get hundreds of women to show up. And one player short. Daniels told me a story that he went to out once with Kyle Kuzma. They go out for a bunch little dicky. Other famous people there. Wakes up the next morning into a text from Kuzma saying, welcome to Kuz world. Okay, there was that. And then. So I had number two was the. We'll skip number two because we had the group chat. So we'll go straight to number one. During the AD negotiations, the original AD negotiations in 2019, the Pelicans front office at one point was under the impression that Rob Pelinka did not know what pick swaps were.
- [25:07]
Dan Le Batard
That's really good.
- [25:08]
Jeremy
It's in the name.
- [25:09]
Jerome Weitzman
It's awesome. So, yeah, it is in the name. So. And then maybe because again, serious journalists. Let me make clear. So I have the Lakers statement, you know, response to this quote to make it appear that Genie or Rob does understand. Sorry. Because it was about Rob explaining the genie. I'll give the background here. Basically, Rob would say to David Griffin in negotiations, Genie Buss doesn't know what pick swaps are. And David Griffin said, well, why don't you explain it to her? And he said, well, how would you explain it to her? So this story was then relayed to the Pelicans front office. They took it as Rob Plinka saying, you know, my friend doesn't know how to do this. So this story is shared. No, I get it. Explain it to Roy. That's amazing. So this story is then, you know, in the fact checking process, this was the Lakers response. Quote, to make it appear that Jeannie does not understand basketball and that she needs mansplaining to inform her about pick swaps is false and outrageous. And any assertion that Polinka did not understand pick swaps sufficiently to explain the genie buss is quote, outrageous and quote, falsely portrays Palinka as unknowledge about NBA contracts, something that no one has ever claimed about him and is utterly ridiculous to suggest about one of history's most successful basketball agents. And quote, there you go.
- [26:16]
Dan Le Batard
The name of the book is a Hollywood ending. The Dreams and drama of the LeBron Lakers. None of the Laker Beat writers are acknowledging that it has been written. None of the Laker beat writers are using any of the information that is in the book. A book that he was threatened. You know, he was sweat. He was threatened with defamation for. Thank you. Your own appearance. Appreciate the time and the work. Thank you, sir.
- [26:42]
Jerome Weitzman
Thanks guys. Really appreciate this.
- [26:44]
Dan Le Batard
Actually, before you leave, I should ask though, can you tell me something about how long you were bringing cheese doodles to Stephen A. Smith and what are the details that are important to know there?
- [26:53]
Jerome Weitzman
I will tell you. So this was around 20. This is like when Steve and I, I live in New York, this is ESPN radio. So this is when his. The beginning of the comeback, right? He was kind of making his way back to espn. So he was hosting a radio show there. And anyone who's interned for radio knows that job means often going to get snacks for the host. So Diet Coke for Michael K. But Stephen A. Cheese doodles. And the problem, I quickly learned it was every show. But I quickly learned that cheese doodles are not one of those chips that are like regularly available at every bodega. You have to go actually searching for cheese doodles. So I would go. ESPN Radio was above Penn Station. I would go into Penn Station and go searching for cheese doodles. And also it wasn't on purpose. But Stephen A. He often, I think he would often underestimate the cost of some of the food he would ask us to get him sometime. So yeah, maybe came up short there. So that was about six months of work. That's how I made it to this part.
- [27:44]
Jeremy
Did he like the crunchy cheese doodles or the original puffy, softer cheese doodles?
- [27:49]
Guest or Additional Panelist
Great question.
- [27:49]
Jerome Weitzman
I gotta be honest with you, Greg, I don't. Again, cheese doodles harder snack to find than you think in like the moment. So I would just be grabbing whatever I could possibly get either or put.
- [27:59]
Dan Le Batard
It on the poll. Are cheese doodles harder to get than you think? And are you allowed to do cheetos there or they have to be cheese doodles. It's not something that's ancillary.
- [28:09]
Jerome Weitzman
You know what? I wasn't gonna. It's as early in my career I was gonna risk it. I was just gonna go pure cheese doodles.
- [28:14]
Dan Le Batard
Thank you. I appreciate all the answers. Also, I wish I had interns like that. I don't believe there's been anyone around here who's ever brought me snacks.
- [28:22]
Mike
You do. I've gotten you chicken wings.
- [28:24]
Greg Cody
Chicken wings.
- [28:25]
Jerome Weitzman
I used to get you pollo chicken wings.
- [28:26]
Jeremy
Coffee.
- [28:27]
Mike
Get out of town coffee. What kind of revision is.
- [28:30]
Jerome Weitzman
Remember those little chicken wings Pollo had? I used it when I was sitting in the corner. I would go get like 20 of them.
- [28:35]
Mike
Hell are you talking about?
- [28:36]
Greg Cody
Did you get 790? What?
- [28:39]
Dan Le Batard
I don't remember being snacked being brought to me. I don't remember that.
- [28:43]
Mike
Turn his mic off.
- [28:44]
Guest or Additional Panelist
I wasn't even here and I know.
- [28:45]
Dan Le Batard
That happened your own. Thank you for being on with us.
- [28:48]
Jerome Weitzman
Thank you guys. Really appreciate this.
- [28:50]
Greg Cody
Fall's here, kids are back in school, vacations are over and cozy season is officially on. And you know what that means. Bomba season is on. I've been rocking the socks, tees and underwear lately. And honestly. Lastly, it's next level comfort. Merino wool keeps you warm but not sweating. Supima cotton is soft but tough and the classic rag wool that's straight up fall vibes. And it's not just socks. Bomba Sherpin line Sunday slippers are perfect for staying in and the Eva Friday slides perfect for running out, grabbing coffee, whatever. And the best part, every item you buy they donate one to someone experiencing homelessness. Over 150 items donated so far and with their happiness guarantee, if you're not loving it, they'll make it right. No risk, all reward. So yeah, treat yourself, feel good and do some good while you're at it. Bombus has you covered this fall. Head over to bombas.com dan and use code DAN for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A-S.com dan use code DAN at checkout.
- [29:51]
Jerome Weitzman
Introducing Oakley Meta Vanguard the new performance AI glasses designed for athletes with hands free capture on an action ready ultra wide camera. Powerful open ear speakers and built in Meta AI that syncs with your garmin devices for real time insights while you train, take your performance to the next level with Oakley. Meta Vanguard Athletic intelligence is here. Learn more on Meta.com.
- [30:21]
Dan Le Batard
Sean Bean and Connie Nielsen star in Robin Hood, a timeless legend reimagined where allegiances are tested and kingdoms hang in the balance. The saga begins with a Double episode.
- [30:33]
Jerome Weitzman
Premiere November 2, only on MGM.
- [30:39]
Dan Le Batard
Don LeBatard Surely every time you're watching this, you recognize that your wife is laughing, that she married. She married Larry David.
- [30:48]
Jeremy
I do, yeah. One of the great characters in the history of television. In my humble opinion and. And to my credit, my personality.
- [30:57]
Dan Le Batard
In my humble opinion, followed by to my credit, amazing.
- [31:01]
Jeremy
My personality, just amazing. Predate Curb youb Enthusiasm Stugats.
- [31:05]
Dan Le Batard
Oh, wow.
- [31:06]
Jeremy
I'm not gonna say Larry David patterned himself.
- [31:09]
Dan Le Batard
You copy? All right, Put it on the poll, please. Juju Did Greg Cody copyright being an asshole long before Larry David.
- [31:15]
Greg Cody
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stuga.
- [31:23]
Jerome Weitzman
I miss those chicken wings. Honestly.
- [31:24]
Dan Le Batard
Those are good. They canceled us. They canceled them at Pollo Tropical. I don't know why they. I don't know why they canceled them.
- [31:31]
Jerome Weitzman
And then they brought wings back for a little bit, but they were too big. They're not the same little ones as they used to.
- [31:35]
Dan Le Batard
Back to you, Dan Kent. Thank you. Kendrick Perkins says any number of asinine things, but what's been happening with him lately? Ja Morant has pointed this out and saying, I don't bleep with Kendrick Perkins anymore, but Kendrick Perkins says that John Moran should thank him personally. Kendrick Perkins for bringing ESPN's attention to John Morant. That Kendrick Perkins is tough love. No, no, no, no. Not tough love. No, no, no. He is saying that ESPN recognizes Ja Morant because of Kendrick Perkins. That Kendrick Perkins and ESPN went to Memphis to cover John Moran. He did this on a podcast with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. He evidently. Kendrick Perkins.
- [32:31]
Mike
What is that podcast called? Just by curiosity, Please.
- [32:33]
Dan Le Batard
I don't know the name. I just saw the video of the two of them.
- [32:37]
Mike
Give me something.
- [32:38]
Dan Le Batard
I don't know the name of the podcast.
- [32:40]
Mike
I'll find it out.
- [32:41]
Dan Le Batard
Thank you, though, for looking that up. The absurdity of the claim, though, is that ESPN wouldn't have covered out the mud. You would have absolutely gotten me with. That's a fake podcast. If you had said out the mud with Tony Allen and Zach Randolph. The claim, though, by Kendrick Perkins. Do any of you object to. To the idea of Kendrick Perkins being on television only because he says things like that?
- [33:18]
Mike
No. He's become like, I think he's more famous for his television career at this point. Most people know him from just saying stuff on tv, and I like it.
- [33:28]
Zaz
He says funny stuff.
- [33:29]
Mike
He says funny stuff.
- [33:30]
Jerome Weitzman
We requested him.
- [33:31]
Mike
ESPN's NBA coverage is interesting, and I think now that you have more things to compare it to, you try to figure out where ESPN is.
- [33:40]
Zaz
ESPN's got the best studio show of all time.
- [33:42]
Mike
Well, no, I understand that, but the rest of their coverage, and I mean historically, too, Kendrick Perkins was, like, at least one of the more consistent parts of that.
- [33:50]
Zaz
Kendrick Perkins told El Duncan on television the other day, why would you need an aspirin when you could have a perk?
- [33:58]
Greg Cody
Wow, man.
- [33:59]
Jerome Weitzman
And then he, like. He did, like, a mic drop. Lean back.
- [34:06]
Mike
He's.
- [34:07]
Jeremy
You got to have a Kendrick Perkins.
- [34:08]
Jerome Weitzman
You know, as long as it's not Tylenol.
- [34:10]
Jeremy
Every network needs one, guys, is LeBron.
- [34:14]
Mike
A top five athlete even in Los Angeles right now?
- [34:17]
Dan Le Batard
Is he a top five Laker?
- [34:19]
Mike
Well, I mean, like, I'm talking about actively so.
- [34:22]
Zaz
Sh. Ohtani.
- [34:23]
Mike
Well, here we go. I've put together a list.
- [34:24]
Dan Le Batard
Well, wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You said. Yeah, Jeremy, top five Laker of all time. You're going to go. Kareem.
- [34:31]
Guest or Additional Panelist
I'm sorry, I thought you meant actively right now, because I knew Mike was going Los Angeles generally right now. I. All time. You're right. I'm not sure he is a top five. Right. Because obviously Kobe, Kareem. I mean, there's. There's several other guys. Yeah.
- [34:48]
Mike
Noted underachiever, shaq.
- [34:50]
Dan Le Batard
I think LeBron might make it as number five on the list of top five Lakers of all time, but what is your top five list of Los Angeles athletes?
- [34:59]
Guest or Additional Panelist
Current.
- [34:59]
Jeremy
Current.
- [35:00]
Jerome Weitzman
Like, good.
- [35:01]
Mike
They are right now. I understand in terms of fame, only Ohtani could probably argue that on a global scale. But I mean, actively. Good. Right now, as we know, LeBron is presently out with sciatica. So this was an interesting list to put together.
- [35:16]
Zaz
See how he sits on the bench, by the way, looking like a gargoyle?
- [35:19]
Greg Cody
Oli.
- [35:21]
Mike
Kelsey Plumb.
- [35:23]
Dan Le Batard
Hold on, though, Mike. I need to understand the list, because LeBron James, statistically, last year was still one of the 10 best players in the NBA statistically.
- [35:33]
Mike
Statistically. Kelsey Plum is among the league leaders in Scorpio.
- [35:37]
Dan Le Batard
And that's why I'm not objecting to Plum. I'm objecting to the idea that you're saying that LeBron isn't one of the best athletes in Los Angeles right now when he was still a top 10 player. Last year.
- [35:50]
Mike
You're objecting to the Oli. We don't even know where this movie's going, pal.
- [35:54]
Guest or Additional Panelist
The horse before the cart, before the baby cart.
- [35:58]
Mike
Oli. Adrian Kempe compared some of the top 10 in the league and points in the NHL. He did the Horns down celebration, even though that wasn't Austin. It was Dallas, but whatever, still Texas. Now, this was the toughest debate that I had. Justin Herbert.
- [36:15]
Guest or Additional Panelist
Oli.
- [36:17]
Zaz
Nah, you don't even mean that.
- [36:18]
Jeremy
Yeah, he's never won anything.
- [36:19]
Zaz
You don't even mean that yourself.
- [36:21]
Mike
This was the single toughest decision because this is the final Oli. Before we crack Our top five, Matthew Stafford.
- [36:30]
Zaz
Those guys aren't even the top five.
- [36:32]
Mike
No, no. Number five. LeBron James. Number four. Is everybody okay with this? Damn.
- [36:41]
Greg Cody
Are you good?
- [36:42]
Dan Le Batard
I misunderstood because I thought you were saying all of these people were better than LeBron James.
- [36:48]
Mike
No, no, no, no. Only now, henceforth, the names that you're hearing right now are relatively better at their sport.
- [36:54]
Zaz
You asked, is he even top five? But you're, you know the answers. Your question.
- [36:58]
Mike
Yes, that's right. Well, was to do this thought exercise. He's number five. Number four. I'm going to piss you guys off with this one, but it's accurate. Dennis Bonaga, LAFC, a tremendous player.
- [37:09]
Jeremy
Take your word for it.
- [37:10]
Mike
Top three player in the league. Is LeBron a top three player in his league?
- [37:13]
Greg Cody
Nope.
- [37:14]
Dan Le Batard
I mean, he's. Yeah, He's. He's top 10.
- [37:17]
Jeremy
Golden blue.
- [37:18]
Mike
That's not three. That's not three. That'S not three. He's not as good as Dennis Bonaga is at soccer right now.
- [37:22]
Zaz
Probably around six, seven.
- [37:24]
Mike
All right.
- [37:27]
Guest or Additional Panelist
All right. So the joke's officially all right.
- [37:29]
Mike
Number three. This one was tough because you can make an argument he's not the most talented player or best player on his own team, but Dan says you only need to have his hands open. It's Puka Nukua. All right, Number two is Luka. And number one is the guy that's towing the slab today for the Dodgers, Shohei Otami.
- [37:50]
Dan Le Batard
I'm willing to actually entertain the idea that Jeremy threw at us earlier in the show.
- [37:56]
Jerome Weitzman
Six Seven's dead.
- [37:58]
Dan Le Batard
Well, yes, that I agree with. The moment that Zaz makes the joke, it's over and moves his hands back and forth. I don't think. I thought it was done long before Zaz did that, but now it is dead.
- [38:09]
Jerome Weitzman
Nail in the coffin.
- [38:10]
Dan Le Batard
Now the coffin has been set on fire and the skin has melted and the remains are ash and there's nothing left.
- [38:17]
Jerome Weitzman
It's not my fault.
- [38:18]
Zaz
I know the cool trends.
- [38:20]
Dan Le Batard
The, the thing though, that Jeremy said that I, I don't think, Cody, you have more experience than any of us here at covering sports. It's going to be hard to form an argument on behalf of anyone else when he says Shohei Ohtani is the best athlete ever when he can do two things that are really hard to do better than most people. He's not the pitcher that he is as a hitter, but when I see in postseason baseball somebody doing these particular things like getting on base nine times or hitting as many home runs, that used to be the rarefied air of only Reggie Jackson three home runs in a game. But in a playoff game and in a playoff clincher before getting to the World Series, he hits three home runs, one of them out of the stadium, and is also throwing 100 miles an hour and striking out 10 people. Who else do you put in the conversation? I put Deion Sanders in that conversation, but because he was playing two different sports and doing two different, two very different things, but he wasn't the power hitter that Shohei is.
- [39:29]
Mike
Not a long enough run, but peak Bo Jackson.
- [39:35]
Dan Le Batard
You'd have to grab an athlete who can do two different things at the top of the food chain. But these two things that we're talking about, he's the best hitter on a team that has Freddie Freeman, a guy who's now hit multiple walk off home runs, a team that has Mookie Betts. He's the best hit. And as a pitcher, I think you.
- [39:58]
Jerome Weitzman
Almost under, you're almost underselling his pitching.
- [40:00]
Guest or Additional Panelist
I think if he dedicated just to.
- [40:02]
Jerome Weitzman
Pitching, he could be an ace.
- [40:03]
Dan Le Batard
No, he, he is. He, he is an ace. I, I can assemble an argument that he's better than Tyler Glass now, but this team, he's not the best pitcher on this team. But just the fact that he's pitching as well puts him in the. I, I, You've heard me say before, okay, that if hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, I think a close second is being a cornerback trying to guard wide receivers when the wide receiver knows where he's going and when the quarterback knows where he's going, the precision of those things and Deion Sanders was able to do both things, cornerback and hit a baseball, but he wasn't nearly the baseball player that Shohei Ohtani is.
- [40:45]
Guest or Additional Panelist
And even to that extent, right. If you want to say, okay, take the cornerback skills, take the hitting skills, make them comparable. They were both elite. Shohei is a far better pitcher than Deion was as a baseball player in general. We got to remember, in 2022, Shohei hit 34 home runs. He also finished fourth in Cy Young voting individually as a pitcher. If he was just a pitcher, he would be one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball on his own and probably be on a trajectory for a Hall of Fame career With that on its own. He won three out of four MVPs. He's probably going to win another MVP this year. That's four out of five.
- [41:21]
Jerome Weitzman
Five.
- [41:21]
Guest or Additional Panelist
And he came in second the other year while he finished fourth in Cy Young. Vote.
- [41:24]
Jerome Weitzman
You look ridiculous.
- [41:25]
Zaz
I'd like to see a hockey player who's a skater and a goalie or.
- [41:30]
Jeremy
Both, or a hockey player who's great at hockey and an Olympic figure skater. That's what I want to see out of hockey.
- [41:38]
Guest or Additional Panelist
It's like if Tom Brady was also Miles Garrett.
- [41:41]
Jeremy
But here's the thing.
- [41:41]
Jerome Weitzman
Gustav Forsling could be.
- [41:43]
Zaz
No, I want to hear more about what? Greg.
- [41:45]
Jeremy
No, no, because that's the same. Same. It's a similar skill set, Right? It starts with skating. You strap on a pair of skates, okay, you're great. You're. You're Connor McDavid. Yeah, but then what are you doing?
- [41:56]
Dan Le Batard
Pitching and hitting are totally different. And when Mike says Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson was not nearly the player that. That Otani is in baseball.
- [42:04]
Greg Cody
Greg, you're talking about the movie the cutting edge with D.B.
- [42:07]
Mike
Sweeney.
- [42:07]
Jeremy
There you go. I got a. I thought I invented that.
- [42:09]
Mike
I got one that we're probably overlooking. Unfair, because you'll think of him as an entertainer first. But keep in mind what he did as an amateur wrestler, the fact that he tried his hand at the NFL and was a UFC world heavyweight champion. Brock Lesnar.
- [42:21]
Zaz
Oh, the beast.
- [42:22]
Jeremy
Okay, you know what? If you. You look at Olympic decathletes, okay, if you win the Olympic decathlon and you're considered the greatest ever at decathlon, you probably have an argument that you're the greatest athlete ever. But when we talk about otan, I think it's also fair to say that Babe Ruth in his time did everything and did it as well as Ohtani did. What impresses me about Ohtani is that since then, when you look at all the great athletes and we've mentioned Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson and remember Michael Jackson even tried baseball. They're never as good.
- [42:58]
Dan Le Batard
Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson.
- [43:00]
Guest or Additional Panelist
Michael Jackson had been a Major League baseball player.
- [43:03]
Jeremy
That would have been great.
- [43:04]
Guest or Additional Panelist
Now we're talking diversity of skills.
- [43:05]
Jerome Weitzman
A lanky center fielder.
- [43:06]
Greg Cody
You saw him play basketball, he'd have.
- [43:08]
Jeremy
Been doing the moonwalk to first baseball backwards. That's how quick he was. I wish Michael Jackson had played baseball. But the point is, these guys, the greatest athletes, when they try a second sport, they're not nearly as good. And that includes Deion Sanders. So Ohtani doing what he's doing. Best since Babe Ruth. That's all I'll say. Best ever. I want to see the best decathlete ever and have.
- [43:31]
Jerome Weitzman
This is a new and unimproved Dan Levatar show with the Stugachs. Gamble on by DraftKings. Gustav Forsling.
- [43:46]
Jeremy
Yeah, Gustav Forsling. And. And he dominated a couple of guys on the Panthers.
- [43:51]
Jerome Weitzman
He said, Boquist.
- [43:52]
Greg Cody
Yeah.
- [43:52]
Jerome Weitzman
Because I was like, I feel like everyone says you're our best skater. I feel like you could do it. He's like, boquist could do it, right?
- [43:57]
Guest or Additional Panelist
Brock Lesnar.
- [43:58]
Mike
He ended the streak. Oh, the football season. Cruel beast. Sometimes it gives, sometimes it rips away. Sometimes you got good times, sometimes you got bad times. But one thing that'll always lift your spirit is making it Miller time. Because game day just hits different with Miller Lite in your hand. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients, and that iconic golden color that you can spot from across the room. It's a real eye catcher, folks. And here's the kicker. Just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 hour ounces. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. So whatever your game day looks like, remember, Miller time is always a good time. Miller Lite Great Taste, 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.