Hour 2: Keep Your Third Lie Open (feat. Amin Elhassan)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: Keep Your Third Lie Open (feat. Amin Elhassan)
Date: February 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew—joined by guest Amin Elhassan—bring their signature blend of sports insight, irreverent banter, and pop-culture commentary. This episode features deep dives into NBA rumors (especially Giannis Antetokounmpo trade scenarios), the meaning and motives behind the Doomsday Clock, evaluating modern cinema, WNBA/NBA comparisons, LeBron’s All-Star streak, and a raucous “Weekend Observations” by Amin.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors

• Opening News (01:08): Dan details reports about potential trade offers for Giannis, citing Brian Windhorst’s “51/49” prediction and the specifics of a potential Miami Heat deal.
  • “The offers will be better [in the summer]. But the leaning 51/49, that seems a little bit flimsy.” – Dan (01:08)
• Amin’s Analysis (02:15):
  • Amin thinks the Heat’s package is strong compared to others like Golden State’s.
  • Milwaukee’s priorities (young talent, picks, salary clearance) are pivotal in determining the best offer.
  • “If you can combine salaries enough to help them out, clean their books in addition to giving them young players, in addition to giving them picks, I think that’s the best package Milwaukee can hope for.” – Amin (02:15)
• Liar Season (03:30):
  • The crew discusses the disinformation and strategic leaks running rampant at the trade deadline.
  • “We’re in the liar zone right now. People are saying anything, and none of it should we deem it to be true…” – Amin (03:30)

2. Paul George Suspension & NBA Transparency

• Suspension Details (04:36):
  • Amin points out the NBA’s unusual lack of transparency regarding the specific substance Paul George was suspended for, noting we only know it may be mental health related because George said so.
  • “I am very curious as to why the league has deemed that this is one where we’re not going to be 100% transparent on what he tested positive for.” – Amin (04:36)
• PEDs Across Sports (05:14):
  • Discussion about the inevitability of PEDs in the NBA.
  • “Every single sport on the face of the earth has performance-enhancing scandals… it doesn’t make sense that basketball is the one safe haven.” – Amin (05:14)
• Team Protocols & "Birds to Signaling" (06:23):
  • Amin is skeptical of citing mental health as an excuse (“birds to signaling”) and stresses that players must clear medication with team doctors.

3. The Doomsday Clock—Serious or Snake Oil?

• Clock Ticking Closer (08:24):
  • Tony reads an official Doomsday Clock update: 85 seconds to midnight—closest ever.
  • Tony calls the whole exercise “bullshit” (09:28), stating organizations will never admit we’ve reached “midnight” because their funding depends on it.
  • “Everything is a funding concoction. Have you not realized that?” – Tony (09:47)
  • “It’s America, Jack.” – Amin (09:57)

4. "No Good Movies Anymore?"

• Modern Movies Debate (10:07):
  • Amin laments the lack of modern classics among Oscar nominees.
  • “Put it up against Pulp Fiction… Pulp Fiction’s a million times better… and that’s one of our losers.” – Amin (10:07)
  • Tony and Zaslow agree: no contemporary films have reached legendary status, à la The Godfather.
  • Some optimism: Amin was pleasantly surprised by Glen Powell’s “Running Man” and praises “Sing Song Blue” for its unexpected plot twists.

5. LeBron James and the All-Star Game: Is He Lying?

• LeBron’s Comments Scrutinized (12:29):
  • LeBron’s repeated insistence that he didn’t think about his All-Star streak is met with skepticism (Zaslow: “Does everything have to be a lie?” – 13:01).
  • Amin jokes: “Maybe he’s saying to be Giannis. He’s answering as Giannis Antetokounmpo, not LeBron James.” (14:06)
  • The crew riffs on the overuse of “to be honest” as deflection.

6. The Reggie Miller “Peyton Pritchard” Comparison

• Caitlin Clark Compared to Peyton Pritchard (15:04):
  • Reggie Miller baffles the panel (and Caitlin Clark herself) by likening her to the Celtics guard, not to a superstar.
  • Amin delights in “the light disappear[ing] from someone’s eye” as Clark’s anticipation dies (16:35).

7. Amin Elhassan’s Weekend Observations

(22:00-29:39)
Amin delivers a rapid-fire, satirical look at the week’s sports headlines:

• Super Bowl/Trade Deadline Personality Types:
  • “There’s three types of people in this world. Super Bowl week people… and trade deadline week people. And I’m a trade deadline kind of guy.” – Amin (20:48)
  • Misses the third type, nobody calls him out (running gag).
• NBA Transaction Satire:
  • Mock “blockbuster” trade (Cleveland acquiring Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroeder).
  • Jokes about Giannis’s self-diagnosed “soleus strain.”
• All-Star Snubs:
  • Critiques LeBron’s likely selection for sentimental reasons over more deserving players like Kawhi Leonard.
  • “LeBron pretending this might be his last year without actually committing to it, thus getting him named to the All-Star Game…” – Amin (23:09)
• Random Observations:
  • On PED lingo, bald boxers, team fashion choices in Australia, betting gone wrong, and more.
  • Shoutout to the “Basketball Illuminati” podcast and comedic “Miss Connection” moment.

8. All-Star Selection Format & NBA Quotas

• USA vs. World Gimmick Effects (34:49):
  • Amin criticizes the new All-Star format requiring 8 international and 16 American players, causing all kinds of awkward snubs and math.
  • “If you’re complaining about it, guess whose fault it is? It’s you, the players.” – Amin (36:30)

9. Bonus: Playful Banter, Impersonation Risks, and Classic Lines

• The Line Between Comedy and Racism (31:00):
  • Crew hesitates over Chris Cody's planned impersonation, debating where humor crosses into risk.
  • “Something legitimately funny can’t be funny because we’re scared our Ginger’s gonna do something rac by accident.” – Dan (31:40)
  • “The line is where we feel alive, though.” – Amin (31:54)

10. Oklahoma City as a Giannis Destination?

• Viability Dissected (32:08):
  • Amin doubts OKC will pursue Giannis, citing their front office's aversion to midseason deals and financial complications as young stars' rookie deals expire.

11. Dwyane Wade vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo (GOAT Rankings)

• Comparing Franchise Legends (40:45):
  • Amin argues Giannis has a higher career peak than Wade, though Shaq was better upon his Miami arrival.
  • “At this point, arriving as a Miami Heat player, LeBron James was the best player that Heat ever had. Shaquille O’Neal was second best. And then I’ll put Giannis third.” – Amin (42:00)

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Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• “We’re in the liar zone right now. People are saying anything, and none of it should we deem to be true...” – Amin (03:30)
• “Everything is a funding concoction. Have you not realized that?” – Tony (09:47)
• “Put it up against Pulp Fiction… Pulp Fiction’s a million times better… and that’s one of our losers.” – Amin (10:07)
• "Maybe he's saying to be Giannis. He's answering as Giannis Antetokounmpo, not LeBron James." – Amin (14:06)
• "I just love to see the light disappear from someone's eye..." – Amin on Caitlin Clark hearing the Peyton Pritchard comp (16:35)
• Satirical: “Miss Connection. You were the Uber driver with the pretty smile who picked us up from the casino. I was the drunk asshole in the back…” – Amin, Weekend Observations (24:10)
• "Something legitimately funny can’t be funny because we’re scared our Ginger’s gonna do something rac by accident." – Dan (31:40)
• "The line is where we feel alive, though." – Amin (31:54)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Giannis Trade Speculation: 01:08 – 04:18
• Paul George Suspension / PED Transparency: 04:36 – 08:24
• Doomsday Clock, Funding Conspiracies: 08:24 – 10:07
• Modern Movies Debate: 10:07 – 12:11
• LeBron & the All-Star Game: 12:29 – 14:17
• Reggie Miller & Caitlin Clark Comparison: 15:04 – 16:57
• Amin’s “Weekend Observations": 20:48 – 29:39
• All-Star Selection Quotas Critique: 34:49 – 36:49
• Risk and Comedy in Impersonations: 31:00 – 31:54
• OKC and Giannis Trade Viability: 32:08 – 34:13
• Wade vs. Giannis Legacy Rankings: 40:45 – 42:20

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Original Tone & Style

The episode is fast-paced, irreverent, and heavily reliant on inside jokes, playful arguments, and the unique personalities of the crew and guest Amin Elhassan. It blends serious sports analysis with the show’s signature satirical and self-referential comedy.

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This summary captures the wild, insightful, and comedic ride of Hour 2, “Keep Your Third Lie Open,” providing all key talking points and memorable moments for anyone who missed the episode.

Transcript

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[Dan Le Batard]

We've got an update to get to on the Doomsday Clock. It should be bigger news than it is, but before we do that, some more important news on Giannis Antetokounmpo. What a report here by Brian Windhorse where he says he's leaning 51 49, 5149 that Antetokounmpo will be traded. This will not be traded this week. He says the Bucks are in a better position to trade this summer than they are now. The offers will be better, but the leaning 5149, that seems a little bit flimsy. Also, Barry Jackson is saying that the Heat's offer, according to a source, is widely expected to include Khalil Ware, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier's expiring contract, another young player and more, as well as first round picks in 2030 and 2032 and possibly first round pick swaps in 26, 29 and 31. Looking forward to what Amin has to say, whether he thinks that is the best offer that's going to be available for Giannis Antetokounmpo or not. So what do you think there? Before we get to the less important news of the Doomsday Clock being moved up a few seconds?

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, I think it's a strong offer for sure. When you think about what the other teams involved have to offer, I think Golden State, they come in with Kaminga and perhaps Jimmy Butler, although we've heard them walk back that part as well. But it really comes down to, if you're Milwaukee, what do you value? Do you value the picks? Do you value young players who already been in this league and have shown an ability to play? Do you value the ability to clean up my books some? I heard you guys talk earlier about Miles Turner could usher shepherd in K. Ware and teach him about the league. If I'm the Bucks, the whole reason I got Miles Turner was to appease Giannis, to let him know, hey, we're doing everything we can once Giannis is out the door. Why am I paying $100 million for Miles Turner? I. Yo, you got to take him, too. If I'm them, I'm trying to dump salary as a part of this. And so if you can combine salaries enough to help them out, clean their books in addition to give them young players, in addition to giving them picks, I think that's the best package that Milwaukee can hope for.

[Zaslow]

I mean, I thought Jeremy made a good point earlier with the Warriors. Apparently walking back the Jimmy Butler contract part. Is that like. Does that mean if we're reading between the lines, the buck said, no, we're not interested in that. And Milwaukee, I mean, excuse me, Golden State wants to make sure they don't sour the relationship with Jimmy.

[Amin Elhassan]

Moving further, we're. We're in the liar zone right now. People are saying anything, and none of it should we deem it to be true, especially as a. Well, this team feels this. They are openly lying at all times because they're positioning themselves, they're posturing, and maybe they're trying to CYA on the back end as well. The reality is, again, if I'm Golden State, the strongest offer I can make is not just, here's Jonathan Kaminga. We think he's pretty good, just not for us. The strongest offer is what's your bad contracts? What. What salaries are you trying to shed? How can we fix your books? Because this guy right here, he won't play until January, Feb. Or maybe even February of next year at best. But I'll tell you what, he's going to be an expiring contract worth $50 million a year from now. That gives you some flexibility and leeway to do some other things down the line.

[Dan Le Batard]

Going to get to stug. I'm sorry. Amin's weekend observation. It's o. Going to get to a means weekend observations in a second. No one noticed, I swear to God. But what did you make of the Paul George suspension?

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, it's. I'm going to address it a little bit in the weekend observations. But the thing that was most shocking to me, Dan, was they never told us what the substance is. I've never seen that. I've seen guys get suspended for diuretics, for. For stimulants, for all types of different PEDs. I've never heard the league say, yeah, I got suspended for something. The only reason we know that it's because it's something he took for mental health purposes, as he claims is because Paul George was the one that told us. So I am very curious as to why the league is deemed that. This is one where we're not going to be 100% transparent on what he tested positive for.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are your thoughts?

[Amin Elhassan]

My thought, like, yo, it happens. I had this conversation with Henry Abbott years and years ago because I used to say that I don't think basketball players do peds. It just doesn't help or whatever. And Henry Abbott looked at me, said amin, every single sport on the face of the earth has performance enhancing scandals. You think basketball is just. Just this charm sport that doesn't like, oh, they're above it. But track and field and swimming and bas and football and baseball and rugby, like all the other ones do it. But this one sport is the one safe haven for it doesn't make sense. So from that perspective, yeah, I feel like it's. It has to happen. But, you know, for whatever reason, we don't have that many positive tests. But when you have a positive test, it's pretty obvious the guy did it.

[Dan Le Batard]

I asked you a bad question because I'm still reeling from calling the weekend observation stugatzes. The. The way that I meant to ask you that question is what would be your theory on why the NBA wouldn't tell us what the drug is or what the. What the suspension is for? Like, you say you've never seen that. I've also never seen the excuse of mental health medication.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, well, let me talk about the excuse first. It's what did. What it mean to say Birch, you signaling. That's definitely some birds to signaling right there. The idea that, like, hey, what's one way I can cop this and no one will point a finger at me. They'll all be very simple. All the poor guy. I'll blame it on mental health. I remind you, Paul George was the guy that during the bubble, played awful and said, yeah, I've been having mental health problems. And then he had a good game. He's like, my problems are done, they're cured. I'm like, that's not how that works. It's not like, oh, I had a bad day at work. Must be my mental health. Good day at work. Oh, guess what? It's all cured. That's not how it works at all. So whether he does or doesn't, it's kind of irrelevant that the end of the day, the thing that everybody on the show said is correctly is when you. It's not like you and me. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me this. What it's like, no, you don't do that as a professional athlete. There's no doctor that you see outside of the team construct. Anytime you're about to take any medication that is prescribed to you, it goes through the team, the trainers. Everyone has to check for it. Not because of an invasion of privacy, but because of this very situation right here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Again, though, a theory on why the NBA wouldn't give us details. Okay.

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm like Brian Wyndhurst with the 5149. He gave that answer because he doesn't know. We don't know. But like, you guys are. No, you have to know. You gotta know.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know is a good answer. But when faced with unprecedented things, I generally want theories that people have who are more informed than I am about why it is that you're seeing something. You're a veteran of this league. You're seeing something you haven't seen before.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't know. And it hasn't even been talked about that they like. That's always a weird thing to me. It's one thing that they didn't say it. It's another thing. When I read report after report from ESPN the Athletic, everybody obviously wrote about it, and no one said, curiously enough, they never mentioned what it was. That's the part that's weird to me. It's not that they didn't say it. It's that no one's asking why it wasn't said.

[Dan Le Batard]

Tony, how much has the doomsday clock been moved by these doomsday scientists?

[Tony]

Yeah, Dan, I'm going to read you a little blurb, and then I'm gon to toss to a sound that I thought was very impactful. So on January 27, 2026, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest the clock has ever been to midnight in its history. So according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Science and Security Board, which sets the clock, called for urgent action to limit nuclear arsenals, create international guidelines on the use of AI and form multilateral agreements to address global biological threats. So with all that as the framework, here is the video for them turning the clock to 85 seconds to midnight.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

It is now 85 seconds to midnight. This is the closest the world has ever been to midnight.

[Amin Elhassan]

Look at me, Louie. It's the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life.

[Dan Le Batard]

Look at me, Louie.

[Tony]

Again.

[Amin Elhassan]

Look at me, Louie.

[Tony]

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. I have one message for you. It's the bullshit.

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Tony]

It's the bullshit, Dan, because we're never going to get to zero. We're never going to get to midnight. It's always going to be. We're just there. We're right there. Why? Because the funding will stop if we.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you think this is a funding?

[Tony]

It's the bullshit, of course.

[Amin Elhassan]

What every.

[Tony]

Dan, everything is a funding concoction. Have you not realized that?

[Dan Le Batard]

Put it on the poll at Levitt show. Is everything a funding concoction? Have you not realized that?

[Amin Elhassan]

It's America, Jack.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes or no? It' America. It's America, Jack. What do you think of Tony's contention earlier in the show that no good movies are being made now?

[Amin Elhassan]

No, I actually had this conversation, believe it or not, last night. I was talking about. I've been watching. Starting to bone up on the Oscar nominees. So I watched one battle after another that everyone kissed its ass. Amazing. Paul Thomas Anderson, he's a genius. And I watched it. It's not a bad movie. It's a good movie, but like, it's not this. Oh, my God. How could. No way, dude. As I said to my friends last night, I said, put it up against Pulp Fiction. That did not win Best Picture, dog. It's not even close. Like, Pulp Fiction's a million times better as a movie and that's like one of our losers. And this one is like one of the. The lead contenders to win Best Picture. Come on, man. These movies are. Are okay at best. Although I will say, Dan, I enjoyed the Glen Powell running Man. I was pleasantly surprised. Like, not bad. Again, not a great movie. What a great movie. But it was all right. It was entertaining.

[Zaslow]

Like, I mean, how you felt about one battle after another is exactly how I felt about sinners. Sinners, a good movie, but I was expecting the Sinners. It was going to change my life when I sat down and watch it.

[Tony]

That's my point.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Movie.

[Tony]

That's my point, though. My point is there's no movies that we're going to look back in 50 years and be like, wow, this is the most incredible movie of all time. Like, we don't have that the Godfather, 55 years old, and we say it's the best movie of all time.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. No, it's been. It's tough now. I will say this year, I don't know if it was nominated or not. Mike mentioned Sing Song Blue. That's a great movie, dude, because it went one way and then it made a. A. A left turn. That reminded me of From Dust Till Dawn.

[Zaslow]

Really? It's like that.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's. It's not like the same content matter, but just the idea of, like, you watching From Dust till Dawn, and it's like, oh, they're doing a heist. They're trying to get across the border, like. Like, oh, I know what this movie is about. Okay. And then they end up at. At the club. At the strip club, and all of a sudden, the vampire spoiler come out and like, oh, my God.

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Amin Elhassan]

I didn't see this coming at all. That's what Singsong Blue was.

[Zaslow]

You sold me. I'm gonna see it now.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, you'll love.

[Zaslow]

I'm gonna see it now.

[Chris Cody]

Wait till Zaz finds out that the twist is that Eddie Ve.

[Zaslow]

Get the hell out of here.

[Chris Cody]

There's a guy that. I swear to God.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hey, I'm Eddie Vedder.

[Chris Cody]

There's a guy that plays Eddie Veteran.

[Zaslow]

I'm watching now because I had no interest in that.

[Chris Cody]

He's a guy that plays Eddie Veteran.

[Tony]

It.

[Chris Cody]

Poorly.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Before we get to him, but to your weekend observations, I want to play for you a couple of different sounds. Zaz, do you have any opinions on the sound we're about to play of LeBron James saying basically that he did not think about the All Star Game in any way?

[Zaslow]

Oh, my God. Yes. Yes, I have opinions about it. Yes.

[Amin Elhassan]

Did you think that this All Star.

[Dan Le Batard]

Streak was in jeopardy?

[LeBron James (clip)]

I'm gonna be honest. I really didn't think about it, to be honest. Wasn't a goal of mine to come into the season, miss the first 14 games, and say, okay, I need to be an All Star. You know, I just wanted to get back to playing the game at a high level I knew I was capable of. Once I kind of worked the rust off of missing preseason training camp, my summer workouts, which I've never done in my whole career. So I didn't really even. I don't think about the All Star Game, to be honest.

[Zaslow]

Does everything have to be a lie? Like, does everything that he gives an opinion on or is asked about have to be just a blatant lie? I mean, over a week ago, two weeks ago, The All Star starters were announced, and for the first time in his career, he's not going to be an All Star starter. And he's going to say any. Preface it with honestly. Honestly.

[Dan Le Batard]

No. He said three times. Let me hear how many times he said to be honest or honestly. It reminds me of every time Stugat uses. Quite frankly, did you think that this All Star streak was in jeopardy?

[LeBron James (clip)]

I'm be honest, I really didn't think about it. To be honest, wasn't a goal of mine to come into the season, miss the first 14 games and say, okay, I need to be an All Star. You know, I just wanted to get back to playing the game at a high level I knew I was capable of. Once I kind of worked the rust off of missing preseason training camp, my summer workouts, which I've never done in my whole career. So I didn't really even. I didn't think about the All Star Game.

[Zaslow]

To be honest, does everything have to be a lie?

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, when you say to be honest three times, you really are being honest. Very good camouflage. What are your thoughts there, Amin?

[Amin Elhassan]

Look, can I present a different hypothesis? Maybe he's saying to be Giannis. He's answering it as Giannis antokounmpo, not as LeBron James.

[Stugatz]

Third eye.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's right. All right.

[Dan Le Batard]

Probably go to the observations. It's Amines third lie. Not third eye. Third lie. I'm not going to the observations yet. I want to get to this Reggie Miller sound before I get to the observations that are very much means. Let's listen to and then yell at everybody when we run out of time. Lesson. Wait a minute. Wait. See the voice? Don't react to me. No, I have to react to you when you're not being me anymore. It's just you. No, it's just you. It's you as my inner monarch. No, you gotta be even. Stay in character as me if you don't want me to react to it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Don't get mad at the club running out of time.

[Dan Le Batard]

We're not running out of time. We are not. We'll get to him in a second. Give me the sound of Reggie Miller talking about Caitlin Clark, please.

[Amin Elhassan]

I know you guys have seen Caitlin play. She's a one of ones. But is there like a comparison of somebody that you played with? You guys watching the game right now that reminds you of the young lady to your right? I like Peyton Pritchard from Boston. The way he's able to handle the basketball. He makes big shots when the shot clock's running.

[Dan Le Batard]

Down a lot.

[Amin Elhassan]

Like, this young lady right here is afraid of the big moment and is a champion like she soon to be.

[Zaslow]

Is he crazy? Is Reggie Miller a crazy person? Like, the NBA has been trying to prop up the WNBA forever? She's the most popular player ever made.

[Dan Le Batard]

She's insulted by that.

[Stugatz]

Look at her face.

[Zaslow]

Oh, you should watch her.

[Amin Elhassan]

They're the most popular player in the.

[Zaslow]

League is just like a guy who comes off Boston's bench.

[Amin Elhassan]

Play the video again, but zoom in on just her face and watch the light in her face go from, oh, all right. They're gonna do some. Is it gonna be Steph Curry? Or they're gonna say Kevin Durant. I wonder who they're gonna compare me to. And he says, peyton Pritchard. And watch her face change. I know you guys have seen Caitlin play. She's a one of ones, but is there, like, a comparison of somebody that you played with that you guys watch in the game right now that reminds.

[Tony]

You of the young lady to your right?

[Amin Elhassan]

I like Peyton Pritchard from Boston, the way he's able to handle the basketball. He makes big shots when the shot clock's running down.

[Dan Le Batard]

Face is so good there. I think Peyton Pritchard is actually starting for them now. I don't think he's coming off the bench.

[Tony]

He's been very good for them, too, by the way.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's an excellent.

[Zaslow]

By the way. Carmelo was then asked about it, and he said, Luka Duncich. So somewhere in between your.

[Dan Le Batard]

Your. Your thoughts there. I mean, any thoughts.

[Amin Elhassan]

I love it. I just love to see the. The light disappear from someone's eye as. As everything they were hyped for comes crashing down in this moment and shout out to her. She kept her composure. I don't know if I would. I was like, really? I would. I would have hit him with that. But she kept her composure. She sat there and, like, just kind of took it like a champ.

[Chris Cody]

Howdy, folks. Mike Ryan here. Quick break to talk to you about one of our show's longest, most tenured, and greatest partners, Miller Lite. I love this product because so many moments were made legendary by having Miller Lite there. And it's not just the good times. Sometimes you and your pals are sad because it's a game didn't go your way, and you take a sip of Miller Lite and you still recognize. Darn, this tastes good. And I made the right call. And that. That sound of cracking open that beautiful white can, it does make me feel better. Thank you. Miller Lite so many legendary moments start with a Miller Lite. Miller Lite just fits pretty much any occasion. Clean finish, refreshing, brewed for taste with simple ingredients like malted barley, and at 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces, it never weighs you down. It's the taste that beer lovers have trusted for over 50 years. The original light beer since 1975 and still iconic today. Legendary moments start with 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.

[Stugatz]

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[Amin Elhassan]

Doesn't matter. Anywhere. We could do it in Buffalo or Baltimore. Either you say you could do it where? Anywhere. Oh, whoa. No. That's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy. He said he could do it anywhere. That's crazy. Murder. Murder. Tell him Stugach.

[Chris Cody]

I had no idea. Mean had that in his locker.

[Amin Elhassan]

That might be his death. That's great. I'm not kidding. That's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Killer.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's two America's dead. You don't get it. This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugach. It is time for.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean.

[Amin Elhassan]

To share his game notes. No one in the media will tell you what happened better than my boy. I mean. Weekend observations is brought to you by Miller Lite. Legendary moments start with a light or a lie this week. Then there's three types of people in this world. Super bowl weak people. And trade deadline weak people. And I'm a trade deadline kind of guy. The Cleveland Cavaliers. Good to know that everyone was paying attention. The Cleveland Cavaliers complete the blockbuster acquisition. I said three types of people in this world. I named two, but nobody even flinched.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm looking. I'm holding three fingers up, asking. And Chris Cody's looking at me like, what are you doing?

[Amin Elhassan]

Trying to lay out.

[Stugatz]

It's his observations.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, I'm holding up three fingers. I'm like, where's the third observation?

[Tony]

I was looking at Peyton Pritchard. Stats. 17 points a game.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Sass.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's killing. He's killing.

[Zaslow]

That's the best player in the dub. That's the face of the wnba.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's comparing her game. Game.

[Zaslow]

It's embarrassing.

[Amin Elhassan]

Stature. There's three types of people in this world. Super open week. People trade the line. Weak people. And I'm a trade deadline kind of guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

The third.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, people in the Epstein files. The Cleveland Cavaliers complete the blockbuster acquisition of Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroeder for DeAndre Hunter. And Dan Levitar said no big deals would go down. Come on, man. Speaking of big deals, the question on everyone's mind is, where will Giannis end up? Golden State? Atlanta? New York? Miami? My dark horse pick? Harvard Medical School. See him diagnose his own calf injury. Four to six weeks, a soleus strain. Then I'll be back around late March. That was amazing, doctor. Congrats to Miami's Norm Powell for being named a first time All Star. It has to be extra sweet that it'll happen in the building of the team that traded him away. He was on vacation when he got traded. He didn't even know it was coming. LeBron pretending that this might be his last year without actually committing to it, thus getting him named to the All Star game because this might be his last one. Heady play. Jerrell Miller got hit so hard his hair flew off. Does that come with a warranty? Like, does he go back and say, guys, it wasn't good? And like, they cover it within 30 days? Or is it once you walk out, it's yours.

[Zaslow]

Love it on the seat.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's just so good. I'm telling you that there's no funnier way. It flying off and spinning like a Frisbee onto someone else's head is the only way it would have been funnier than the way that it happened.

[Amin Elhassan]

I can understand the shame of. I mean, of being a bald boxer. Oh, my gosh. Think of what everyone would say they found out he was bald as a boxer. Never seen one of those basketball Illuminati? We interviewed Tipper. Not sports. This is the man who makes the lip reading videos. I don't know if you guys have seen these. Me, Tom Habershon. It's produced by Anthony Mays. Wherever you get podcasts, keep the third eye open. It's a fun episode. Check it out. Miss Connection. You were the Uber driver with the pretty smile who picked us up from the casino. I was the drunk asshole in the back, loudly demanding you take us to the casino. Don't look now. Here come the Clippers.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

Paul George doesn't deserve a suspension. He deserves a refund. Really? Peds? You missed 17 games. You're shooting 42% from the field. This is with the peds. Jesus. Jeremy hypothesizing that maybe Paul George took a Xanax. Tell me you've never popped a zan without telling me you've never popped a Zen dude Xanax. He'd be sleepwalking out there. He has been. I didn't say he'd take it for the game. I. I once. I once took a quarter tab of Xanax from Michelle Beetle on a flight because she always. She doesn't like to fly. I said, oh, let me try it. I was in a coma. They had to shake me awake when we landed and said, look, the plane's almost empty. Imagine taking that and we'll play basketball. Oh, my God. Why do we say get pinched when it comes to getting caught doing peds? Get pinched. Why don't you say, he was caught? He's found guilty. We say pinched only for peds, though, nothing else.

[Dan Le Batard]

Can you guys, can you look that up for us? While getting pinched is also something that happens if you're jailed, if you're imprisoned or arrested. But I don't know where the expression comes from.

[Chris Cody]

I use it if I'm not entirely sure what the punishment was. If there was an appeal process. I just know that someone got their name dragged into stuff. So you got pinched, right?

[Amin Elhassan]

Taxes and the Levitard show. Narrating word for word, a clip and then playing the clip. Did it earlier today with Reggie Miller. His comments on the Dan Patrick show. You guys literally said word for word what he'd say.

[Dan Le Batard]

And then.

[Amin Elhassan]

Let's listen to the clip. And then you just played the clip.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

Pick one.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yep. Agreed.

[Amin Elhassan]

Is it just me, or does the Wade statue go in your heads? Too. Hot. Take the Australian guy who threw that chair. Good teammate. Everyone's laughing at him because he hit his buddy, but guess what came to the rescue. And by the way, this angle doesn't show us the look on his face. Yeah, there you go. The face, Paul. Yeah, he knew he made a mistake. My bad.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, he looks like Rick Barnes.

[Amin Elhassan]

That was on me. That's off me, coach. But it's like he was trying to do the right thing, trying to stick up for his buddy.

[Tony]

I mean, did you also see that they're wearing the exact same outfit?

[Amin Elhassan]

That's what you do sometimes.

[Tony]

Both guys are wearing blue shirts with khaki pants.

[Amin Elhassan]

In Australia, that's how they do, man. We go to the strip club. What you want to do? Blue shirts and khaki pants? All right, let's go. And you stroll right in. And then all the strippers, like, oh, my God, they must be money, because they're dressed alike. Because who else would do that? Classy Australian guys, that's who. There it is. Look at this. Tell me that's not a good teammate. Like, they try to stop it. No, my man, my mate needs me.

[Dan Le Batard]

We have cameras Everywhere. And the way that guy falls, I'm so thankful. Well, but here, just play the two different camera angles because I'm telling you, this is bitter. Better than the Running man that had $110 million budget. This here is better than CGI in terms of having enough cameras from every angle sidestepping in order. It's just so good as video from every angle. That guy walking down the street looking back over his shoulder while drinking a cup of something.

[Amin Elhassan]

God, like he looks back the way. The way that dude looked back at Dominic Foster were at that thing. You know the picture I'm talking about where Dominique just got burned and he's on the ground and the guy's looking back at him.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. Perfect. Cinephobe Episode 298 Tripping starring Dion Richmond, Donald Faison, Guy Tori, Anthony Anderson and Countess Vaughn. Fun fact, despite playing high schoolers, most of the cast was in their mid-20s. And Guy Tori was almost 30 when they shot this. Zaz.

[Zaslow]

Yo.

[Amin Elhassan]

Was that the K Rod Lincoln Kennedy interaction? Is that true? Yeah. Did you go to the FHM party that night?

[Zaslow]

I did.

[Amin Elhassan]

How was it?

[Zaslow]

I don't know, man.

[Dan Le Batard]

It was 20 years ago, dude.

[Amin Elhassan]

Come on, man, it's the FHM party. You remember these things. Maxim, fhm, Bing magazine, Playboy parties, man. Yeah, cool. You ever been to Playboy party?

[Zaslow]

Yeah, went that week.

[Amin Elhassan]

How was it?

[Zaslow]

That was good.

[Amin Elhassan]

Saw Mike Tyson, Darren Peterson vs AJ Debanza preview for the next decade. Congrats to Carlos Alcaraz, youngest to complete career grand slam. Shout out to the guy who tweeted, I never pass on a chance to make 200 in my sleep. Along with a screenshot of his $23,600 bet on Jannik Sinner to beat Yokovic.

[Dan Le Batard]

Ouch.

[Amin Elhassan]

He followed that up with only way sinner losses. Think he meant loses is via injury and it'll void if that happens. So there's no way I can lose. Famous last words. He went straight to betting hell with that one. Speaking of hell, Art Briles. And those are the weekend observations.

[Dan Le Batard]

I noticed something from that Australia video I had not noticed before in the breaking down of the assortment of things that we did in that clip. Can you guys take a look at the second bouncer after his mate lands on the floor? I had not noticed how happy the second bouncer was while laughing at the guy who was holding his hands, his head in his hands. Look at the second bouncer just taunting him, holding his hand over his mouth and pointing at moron, you've knocked your.

[Amin Elhassan]

Mate I just noticed the first time.

[Stugatz]

That he goes before throwing the chair to pick up like the stanchion thing that's holding the rope.

[Tony]

Too heavy.

[Stugatz]

He's like, I'm gonna hit you.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, too heavy.

[Stugatz]

I'll go get a chair.

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[Amin Elhassan]

Don LeBatard.

[Chris Cody]

Chris Cody does an impression. Just be careful.

[Stugatz]

Dangerous game here. This is a dangerous game.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't want to play this game.

[Tony]

No.

[Chris Cody]

He was saying, man, I could do such a great.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I don't want to play this game.

[Chris Cody]

He's like, man, I like him.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is who we're going to trust.

[Zaslow]

I mean, you do it.

[Stugatz]

Let's let Amin do it.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think stugats. I think you could do it, Chris, because you did a great Charles Barkley. You're one for one there.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did no one just hear the segment? Segment? We just did with the mean. We cannot be taking judgment. Is not the council from the local drunk on whether or not you should do the impersonation of a black man stumbling over his words like you don't see the bad.

[Amin Elhassan]

There was Mose and Moody.

[Stugatz]

Moody Moses.

[Dan Le Batard]

That. It sounds worse.

[Chris Cody]

Be careful, man.

[Dan Le Batard]

We gotta like. We cannot do this. It's too close to the line. This is where the line is. Something legitimately funny can't be funny because we're scared our Ginger's gonna do something rac by accident.

[Stugatz]

Carry the hell on.

[Amin Elhassan]

Dan.

[Stugatz]

Rachel.

[Amin Elhassan]

Dan. The line is where we feel alive, though. This is the D Ler show with the St Cats.

[Dan Le Batard]

Amin. I saw last night. I was watching Oklahoma City Knockout. Denver. Denver at home. Oklahoma City City seems still to be overwhelmingly better than everybody else. But do you think there's a shot of Giannis ending up there? Nobody's talking about that as one of the possibilities.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, I think Sam. First of all, Sam Prezzy is someone who's very averse to mid season deals. He's a guy that only does that when he has a guy who is coming up on free agency and he doesn't want to lose him. So that's. That's typically what they do. But in terms of just rearranging the deck chair is not really an M.O. of Oklahoma City.

[Dan Le Batard]

And they're that's not rearranging deck chairs to add Giannis to a team that's the defending champion. That's not a real, like, that's not a rearrangement of deck chairs. That is, you have the young pieces that you need and you have the draft picks to make the best offer and this player's available. And if you want to hit the league in the face with, yeah, we're better than you, watch this. Like, Giannis isn't going to make them worse, is he?

[Amin Elhassan]

No, he's. He's not going to make him worse, but he might, like, slow down whatever progress they have for this season. Right. There's a big chance that they're going to win. As is, you bring in Giannis, that's a lot of change. That's not someone who just plug and play. You have to change a lot of things in order to make it work. And so you might be jeopardizing a title this year for the hope that you can win a couple in the future. The other part of this is there's a lot of financial things happening with Oklahoma City that I don't know how it's all going to play out, because right now it's easy. Everyone's on their rookie deals for the most part, other than Shay and a couple other guys. But you've got Isaiah Hartstein is going to be coming up on his deal not this summer, but the following summer. And then obviously Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren both hit max money next year. Oklahoma City's financial situation is going to be really upside down very quickly here, so they've got to kind of figure out if they do make a Giannis deal, how do they make it so that their salary does not explode and go to a crazy place?

[Tony]

Amin Star Wars Episode 5. What was the. The title of that one? Star Wars Episode 5.

[Amin Elhassan]

The Empire Strikes Back.

[Tony]

The Empire Strikes Back. Adam Silver struck back and I feel like he sent the the atomic clock and he set it to midnight for the Clippers because Kawhi Leonard has been playing incredible basketball and suspiciously not an All Star at the Intuit Dome at home in Los Angeles, maybe. Feels like the aspiration situation. Adam Silver made a call and said, hey, look, not happening. Not this one. But that's all he'll get. All he'll get is Kawhi missing the All Star game. There's going to be no penalty further after that.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, the fact that the Clippers don't get an All Star despite playing objectively great basketball here over the last 10 games there's 10, 15 games or so. I mean, everyone thought their season was over. That pick's gonna go to Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City's gonna get, like, a top three pick and quietly has kept. Over the last 15 games. They have the. They're tied for the best record in the entire NBA with the Detroit Pistons. They've been winning, and Quiet has been playing, and he's been amazing. I saw them last night here in Phoenix, and Phoenix has been playing well and winning as well. But they came in, and Quiet Leonard put his stamp all over that game. He's incredible. He looks every bit as good as he was in San Antonio and Toronto. And for him to be left off. And again, I. I hate to keep harping on it, but because we think this might be LeBron's last one, that really didn't sit well with me, particularly because over in the East, Pascal Siakam got in, and his teams, they've won 13 games. The Clippers have won that almost that many games in the last 20 games. They won 13 all season long, but Pascal Siakam gets named to an All Star Game. But I'll tell you guys this, and this is really the big problem. It's not that LeBron is maybe or maybe not retiring. It's not that, oh, the Clippers are getting punished. It's that this format where we have USA versus the world, we have now earmarked eight spots for international players and 16 spots for American players. So now we're trying to fill these quotas. And that is what's kind of creating some of these issues. It's like, hey, we can't have this guy here. Then we'll have too many American players. We need an international player. They're trying to do the math behind the scenes. And the reality is this. If you're complaining about it, guess whose fault it is. It's you, the players. It's your fault. We have to come up with gimmicks because you didn't take it seriously. And so now this is what happens.

[Tony]

In a normal world, Kawhi would be in over Denny Advia.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, I. I want to give.

[Tony]

He's been great, though.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's been great this season. Great continuously, like, the entire season. The entire season. I think he deserves to be an All Star. To me, the guy is LeBron. Not that LeBron hasn't played well. He's played well, but he hasn't played better than Kawhi. And he missed, by his own admission, 14 games. I don't think he was actually lying in that clip, He's, I missed 14 games. Why would I be an All Star? Right? And I'm trying to get, you know, you got those rusty games. Trying to get back into the swing of things. He's played well recently, but again, as an All Star, look at the body of work through the first half of the season. I think we would all agree that LeBron doesn't have that body of work. But if it's his last one, we're like, well, we don't want to disrespect him. We want him to be there. But if it's not his last one, we just took a spot from someone probably more deserving.

[Dan Le Batard]

Zaslow, quit looking at boobs on the Internet. Amin just said of what you said about LeBron that he wasn't lying. He disagrees with you. You said flatly that he's lying. And Amin just said, you're wrong.

[Zaslow]

I mean, I. I think he's happy. You're telling me there was not a moment where LeBron Satsuko, man, I wonder. Wonder if I'm not going to get voted this year?

[Amin Elhassan]

No, not a moment.

[Zaslow]

Not a moment that he thought that.

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, seriously, I would say that for the vast majority of the season, he probably assumed, I'm not going to be an All Star.

[Zaslow]

So he thought about it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, but he thought about it, but didn't think about making the game. You're playing semantics there. Like you're calling him a liar. You're calling somebody a liar for something that is fairly benign, and you're saying it again and again.

[Zaslow]

Well, I'm saying it because it's like everything that he says comes off like that. That he's not being truthful, that he's not being honest. It's not an isolated thing.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think you're doing a thing here, man. I think you're. You're doing the talk radio thing where no matter what he says, he's wrong.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's play for a mean a sound of Jason Kidd that I will not paraphrase exactly what it is that he's talking about here, as I always do.

[Amin Elhassan]

Coach, you get, like, a lot of national criticism for playing flag at point guard over the last two games. The criticism. The criticism. That's your opinion. You guys write that. That's not. I've done this. I played this game. I played it at a very high level, and I know what the I'm doing, but I don't give a what you guys write. Cause you guys have never played the game. And so I've Built players, so I know what the I'm doing. So to take criticism, it only makes me better because if I wasn't doing it right, you guys wouldn't be poking holes at what I've done. That's it. Oh, he walked off there like, that's it.

[Stugatz]

No more questions.

[Amin Elhassan]

If I wasn't doing right, meaning if I was doing wrong, you wouldn't be poking holes in what I'm doing.

[Dan Le Batard]

I stopped there as well. But I think what he's saying is if he wasn't doing his job correctly, he wouldn't have a job where he's making the decisions that get to be criticized.

[Amin Elhassan]

I, for the record, I agree with him about how he's used Cooper Flag. I agree with that as a development thing. I. He's not lying when he says I built players. He's talking about Giannis, that he. Giannis as a young player, he put him at point, and people were like, he's not a point guard. But it's like, you know that those skills will later on help him in his career and make him into a better player. I agree with Jason Kidd on all that part. I don't agree with this. First of all, sound like he was saying that, that the guy was doing the criticism, like, hey, I'm asking you about the other places. Why are you talking about me? Hey, you guys. You guys. Right? And then the other part is just like the. I played this game. You haven't so tired. So that it just. It's. It is. It is a lazy thing to fall back on, right? Because there are plenty of guys who played the game, don't know what the hell they're talking about. And there are plenty of guys who didn't play the game, were really, really astute at what they do.

[Dan Le Batard]

So we have a couple of more questions. Jeremy has one. And I wanted to revisit something we asked last week. Who's better, Dwyane Wade or Giannis Antetokounmpo?

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, that's a good question. I would say Giannis has the higher peak, for sure. He. He won mvp, and that's something Dwyane Wade can never say he did. Giannis has put together a. I think a longer resume because he hasn't been hurt. Hurt as often as Wade was. And I think when you look at that championship in Milwaukee, we all recognize that's Giannis. That's just not just Giannis in those finals. Remember, he's coming on off a knee injury that we thought he might miss the finals. And by the end of it. He's scoring 42 in a. In a. In a closeout game. Wade had the luxury of playing with Shaq, and even though he was great in the Finals, he didn't have to carry that team through the season or even the playoffs.

[Dan Le Batard]

So you're saying that Giannis would be the second best player that he'd have ever had? Because Shaq, by the end, wasn't quite what Shaq was in his prime.

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, Shaq, when he got to Miami, was still pretty good runner up. It wasn't. It wasn't a long window, but it was. With 04.05.0506 those two years. He was really good. Better.

[Dan Le Batard]

Better than Giannis. Yeah. So you're. You're. So you would. Are you saying that Giannis is not the second best player the Heat will have ever had behind LeBron James? That Shaq was the second best?

[Amin Elhassan]

He. He has an opportunity because Shaq was only great for two years. Giannis has an opportunity to become the second best, but in terms of arrival, he walks in the door today. No. At this point, arriving as a Miami Heat player, LeBron James was the best player that he'd ever had. Shaquille O' Neal was second best. And then I'll put Giannis third.

[Dan Le Batard]

15 seconds or less. Jeremy, get us out of here.

[Amin Elhassan]

You run the bucks. Which offer you taking? Warriors or he? I think I. I do the. Again, the counter offers have been. Time's up, but okay.