Podcast Summary: "Hour 2: Cheese Doodles for Stephen A."

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (feat. Yaron Weitzman)
Original Air Date: October 28, 2025
Location: The Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This episode is anchored by an engaging, wide-ranging conversation with NBA writer Yaron Weitzman, author of "A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers." The hosts—Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the regular cast—explore themes including the recent tumultuous history of the Lakers, the realities of LeBron James’ influence in LA, behind-the-scenes Buss family drama, and humorous stories from Weitzman’s career beginnings (notably, fetching cheese doodles for Stephen A. Smith).

The discussion also pivots into wider sports debates, from ranking LA athletes to dissecting Shohei Ohtani’s place among the greatest all-around athletes in history. Throughout, the show maintains its trademark irreverence, skepticism about official narratives, and bantering tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Myth and Reality of "LeBron's Lakers"

Guest: Yaron Weitzman
Book: A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers

Jeanie Buss, the Buss Family, and Selling the Lakers

• Weitzman explains the complicated family dynamics that led to the Lakers' sale, a decision he believes still lacks a satisfactory public explanation.
  • Quote:
    “Jeanie Buss has no kids and they were like, you know, mom and pop. ... That lasted, I don't know, maybe 10 years, a generation before she decided to sell the team. ... I still don't think we've been given a good reason why they were sold.”
    (07:48–09:04)

Legal Threats from the Lakers

• Weitzman details receiving a quasi-threatening letter from famed attorney Marty Singer representing the Lakers, as a form of pressure during his reporting.
  • Quote:
    “He says that the Lakers... had the lawyer send me a really long, aggressive letter. ... Part of the note: ‘Make no mistake, many times people threaten to sue and don't have the means or ability to do so. We. We do.’"
    (04:56–06:38)
• Despite the intimidation, Weitzman notes much of the Lakers’ pushback was factually inaccurate or misguided.

LeBron’s Actual Influence in LA

• The “Clutch Lakers” idea is overblown; LeBron’s power was sometimes checked, even on major decisions.
  • Example:
    On Ty Lue’s failed 2019 coaching bid—Lue was LeBron’s strong preference, but the Lakers balked at a fair contract offer.
    (09:12–10:39)
• Bronny James: Seen internally as a likable, humble presence rather than a prima donna—“just another player,” contrary to media hype.
  (19:04–19:38)

Epic Behind-the-Scenes Tales ("Holy Ship" Moments)

At Dan’s request, Weitzman shares a rapid-fire list of his book’s “Oli” (Oh, holy!) revelations:

• Staff were told to keep drills light upon Anthony Davis’ LA arrival, fearing he’d skip games for minor injuries. (21:20)
• Jeanie Buss’s successful takeover from brother Jim leveraged threats of publicizing his debts to loan sharks—a family power play. (21:51)
• Lakers’ own beat writers have refused to publicly acknowledge Weitzman’s book. (22:23)
• Magic Johnson was a notoriously inattentive team president—his TV was tuned to syndicated shows like Judge Mathis in his office during the day.
  • Quote:
    “The sounds of daytime TV shows like Judge Mathis... were often heard coming from inside his office during the day.” (22:37–23:05)
• Rob Pelinka’s management quirks: e.g., head coach Luke Walton demanded a third-party be present for meetings due to repeated miscommunications; Pelinka misquoted the Bible; during the AD trade negotiation, Pelinka famously appeared not to understand basic pick-swap concepts. (23:07–25:09)

LeBron’s Relationship With the Lakers, Post-Westbrook

• The Westbrook trade irrevocably damaged trust—intensifying passive aggression, blame, and a clear reduction in front office deference to LeBron.
  • Quote:
    “They are no longer deferring to him. ... This was a whole ethos that the Lakers were preaching. Then Luca falls into their lap and things change. But... they were moving on from LeBron.”
    (17:30–18:58)
• Rob Pelinka is painted as untrustworthy, with a reputation for saying things that don't get honored—a noncommittal, political operator. (20:02–20:46)

Cheese Doodles for Stephen A. Smith (27:00–28:15)

• Weitzman recounts fetching cheese doodles as a radio intern for Stephen A. Smith in New York, revealing it’s unexpectedly difficult to consistently locate real cheese doodles in Manhattan bodegas and that Stephen A. sometimes under-budgeted for snacks.
  • Quote:
    “Cheese doodles are not one of those chips that are like regularly available at every bodega. You have to actually go searching for cheese doodles.”
    (26:53–27:59)

LA Athlete Rankings & LeBron’s Legacy

(34:13–38:00)

Is LeBron Still “Top Five” in LA?

• Through a tongue-in-cheek exercise, Mike presents a list of current LA athletes, humorously debating whether LeBron belongs in the top five:
  1. Shohei Ohtani
  2. Luka (presumably referencing Luka Dončić hypothetically for the Lakers)
  3. Puka Nacua (Rams WR)
  4. Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
  5. LeBron James
• The hosts debate whether LeBron is even one of the Lakers’ five best ever (“Kareem, Kobe, Magic, Shaq...then maybe LeBron” – 34:24).

The Great Athletic Debate: Is Ohtani the GOAT?

(38:17–43:30)

• Spirited discussion argues that Shohei Ohtani, given his historic two-way MLB stardom, may be the greatest athlete ever.
  • Quote (Dan):
    “If hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, I think a close second is being a cornerback... But he [Deion Sanders] wasn't nearly the baseball player that Shohei Ohtani is.”
    (40:04)
  • Quote (Weitzman):
    “You’re almost underselling his pitching. If he dedicated just to pitching, he could be an ace.”
    (39:57–40:03)
• Historic comparisons invoked: Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Brock Lesnar (pro wrestling/UFC/NFL), Michael Jordan’s failed baseball experiment, and decathletes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Lakers’ attempt to intimidate reporting:
  “I had to tone down some of the language there at some point… the Lakers are powerful and they have lots of money. And I guess I don't. So that would be a problem.”
  —Yaron Weitzman, (06:42)
• On Magic Johnson’s management:
  “The sounds of daytime TV shows like Judge Mathis… were often heard coming from inside his office during the day.”
  —Yaron Weitzman, (23:05)
• On LeBron’s actual control:
  “It’s overblown, right?...They offered Ty Lue a three year contract that was well below market value...That was LeBron’s year two. And they say, yeah, we’re not going to hire a coach.”
  —Yaron Weitzman, (09:12–10:39)
• On fetching cheese doodles for Stephen A.:
  “Cheese doodles are harder snack to find than you think in like the moment. So I would just be grabbing whatever I could possibly get either or...”
  —Yaron Weitzman, (27:49)
• On Rob Pelinka’s understanding of NBA basics:
  “The Pelicans front office... was under the impression that Rob Pelinka did not know what pick swaps were.”
  —Yaron Weitzman, (25:06)
• Late show banter:
  “Did Greg Cody copyright being an asshole long before Larry David?”
  —Dan Le Batard, (31:08)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:09: NFL banter and Colts' defensive stats
• 03:33–04:47: Intro to Yaron Weitzman, book background, and “cheese doodles for Stephen A.”
• 04:47–07:21: Legal threats from the Lakers regarding the tell-all book
• 07:48–09:04: Buss family, Lakers sale, and family drama
• 09:12–11:18: Dissecting the “LeBron runs the Lakers” myth; failed Ty Lue hire
• 13:17–14:13: Details on the Luca/AD trade and who really knew what
• 17:30–18:58: Frayed dynamic between LeBron and Lakers post-Westbrook
• 21:09–25:09: Weitzman’s top “holy ship" behind-the-scenes stories from his book
• 26:53–28:15: Stephen A. Smith cheese doodle intern story
• 34:13–38:00: LA athlete rankings; is LeBron even a top-five Laker?
• 38:17–43:30: Ohtani and the greatest all-around athlete of all time debate

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The Le Batard Show's signature mix of seriousness and comic irreverence shines throughout this hour. Yaron Weitzman’s candid anecdotes provide a rare, nuanced perspective on LeBron James’ actual sway in LA, the frequently chaotic inner workings of the Lakers, and new additions to NBA lore (and snack logistics). The show relishes puncturing hype and cutting through “official” narratives—whether those concern the Lakers’ front-office mythos, LeBron’s “king” narrative, or multi-sport GOAT debates. The cast’s willingness to chase digressive, weirdly specific stories (cheese doodles hunts, Mo’ Judge Mathis, chicken wing nostalgia) is, as always, a big part of the appeal.

Episode’s Essential Recommendation

• Read Yaron Weitzman’s book, "A Hollywood Ending," for an untold, thorough, and often absurd look at one of basketball’s greatest “mom and pop” soap operas—as validated by the inertia, legal letters, and public denials that greeted his reporting.

Additional Memorable Moments

• Magic Johnson watching daytime TV in his office while serving as team president.
• Cheese doodles as a rare, sought-after NYC snack.
• Passive-aggressive front office infighting, secret party NDAs, and iPad film sessions in LA nightclubs.
• The existential sports bar debate: “Is Shohei Ohtani the most impressive athlete who’s ever lived?”
• Capping it all off, a rapid-fire, mock-serious LA athlete ranking that includes MLS and WNBA stars alongside LeBron.