Hour 2: The Horatio Alger Slander

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: The Horatio Alger Slander

Date: March 2, 2026

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Overview

Joining live from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the rest of the crew deliver their signature blend of irreverent, insightful, and comedic takes on the latest in sports and pop culture. This episode centers on the blurred boundaries between respect and trash talk in sports, a hilarious and revealing segment on surreal dreams, and sharp, freewheeling NBA analysis with Amin Elhassan’s “Weekend Observations.”

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Respectful Trash Talk: Durant vs. Herro and Sports Culture

• Main Point: The crew opens with a conversation about the recent exchange between Kevin Durant and Tyler Herro, where both lobbed insults at each other (“whiny B word,” “P word”) but then immediately professed mutual respect (00:38-05:08).
  • Dan Le Batard: “Are there other places where I can have that exchange of name calling with somebody and say afterward credibly, I respect that person?” (01:50)
  • Others contribute examples: UFC, rap battles.
  • Chris Cody: “I never feel so competitive about anything that something like that would come out of my mouth towards somebody that I actually liked and respected.” (03:23)
  • Zach Zaslow/Juju: Context matters—such banter is normalized in sports, rap, and certain cultural environments.

2. Zaslow’s Dream Segment: Surreal Sports Anxiety

• Zach Zaslow recounts a vivid dream involving appearing on ESPN’s First Take (06:30-12:07).
  • He was dressed for his debut but made a correction from off-camera, angering Kendrick Perkins and being met with disapproval.
  • Quote, Zaslow: “Perk was not happy that I interrupted him... I also found out that I wasn’t even in the segment. I was off camera.” (07:50)
  • Amin, as the “dream expert,” humorously diagnoses that Zaslow simply wants to be on First Take.
  • Mike Ryan: Jealousy over the production value for dream segments, contrasting this with ridicule for sharing his own dreams.
• Mike Ryan later shares a similar dream about being ignored on a Bill Simmons show taping (11:41).

3. NBA Banter & Weekend Observations with Amin

• Amin delivers a high-energy, joke-laden “Game Notes” segment, dissecting NBA narratives and media tropes (16:25-28:12). Key moments:
  • Horatio Alger Slander: Mike Ryan playfully shames the show's lack of Horatio Alger knowledge, ribbing Dan for referencing the “classic rags to riches ascent” of Nick Arison (19:44-20:20).
  • Jokic/Lou Dort Feud: Jokic criticizes Lou Dort for a dirty play; Amin points out the hypocrisy given Jokic’s past actions (18:16-19:09).
  • Knicks Watch: Despite the focus on Detroit, Amin insists, “Watch out for the Knicks!” (21:53)
  • Lakers Analysis: The show debates J.J. Redick’s tenure, DeAndre Ayton’s complaints, and the viability of the Lakers with current roster construction (22:52 onwards).
  • Running Gags: Top five “Clints,” inside jokes about fake Horatio Alger moments, and playful barbs about “airport breath” and obscure NBA trivia.

4. The KD Burner Account Saga

• Amin’s Take: Media and fans continue accusing Kevin Durant of using burner accounts without real evidence, just because of past incidents.
  • “The next time someone presents evidence connecting him to these accounts will be the first time.” (30:08)
  • The hosts agree that sometimes a joke is just a joke and should not be taken as fact, lamenting overreactions in modern discourse (31:01-32:59).

5. NBA Playoff and Roster Construction Theories

• Can you build a contender around two offensive-first, defensively weak guards?
  • Amin: Only if surrounded by elite defenders and the right supporting pieces (37:19-39:41).
  • Core point: There’s more than one way to build a winner—there’s no universal “big three” or singular blueprint.

6. NBA “Dirty Play” Ethics: Jokic vs. Dort (Again)

• Amin elaborates on physical play “aprons”—what’s acceptable hard play, and what crosses the line (39:41-40:59).
• Jokic’s aggressive reaction (forehead to forehead) is discussed; the crew jokes about people who lead with their forehead being especially intimidating (41:21-41:40).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard on athlete respect after insults:
  “Are there other workplaces where two people would talk to each other like that? ...and say afterward credibly, ‘I respect that person?’” (01:50)
• Juju on cultural context:
  “This is the world we live in. … It’s just where you are in the world and what you’re used to is what you’re gonna deal with.” (05:16)
• Zach Zaslow dream anxiety:
  “I was making my debut on first take ... And Perk was not happy that I interrupted him, but I also found out that I wasn't even in the segment. I was off camera.” (07:49)
• Amin cutting through Zaslow’s dream:
  “That’s what he wants. He wants to be on first take.” (10:47)
• Mike Ryan on the KD burner affair:
  “The next time someone presents evidence connecting him to these accounts will be the first time… It's literally just, well, because he had a burner before. And that's it. That's the evidence.” (30:08)
• Amin’s NBA roster theory:
  “You can be unathletic and slow, but you better be the best shooting team in the league. Or you can be not a good shooting team and be athletic and defend like crazy... What you can't be is neither of those things. And that's what the Lakers are.” (36:53)
• Amin on delayed gratification and coaching:
  “Delayed gratification is a sign of maturity…That’s the sign that you’ve reached a higher plane.” (37:19)
• Chris Cody on aggressive fighting style:
  “I'm scared of the person who fights Forehead first. ... If you're aggressive enough that you go forehead first, that's not a person that I wish to be fighting with.” (41:43)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:38 – Respect and name-calling in sports (Durant vs. Herro)
• 06:30 – Zaslow’s surreal “First Take” dream and dream analysis
• 16:25 – Amin’s Weekend Observations/NBA notes
• 19:44 – The “Horatio Alger” joke segment
• 21:53 – Knicks’ playoff prospects
• 30:08 – KD burner account media narrative
• 32:59 – “Can we take a joke as a joke?” poll question
• 33:46 – Redick/Luka interaction analysis
• 37:19 – Lakers, team-building, and delayed gratification in coaching
• 39:41 – The Jokic/Dort confrontation re-examined
• 41:21 – On forehead-first fighting style

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Tone/Mood

• Fast-paced, humorous, self-deprecating
• The crew leans heavily on inside jokes, pop culture references, and playful trash talk, but frequently pivots into genuinely insightful sports analysis.
• The tone vacillates between absurdist comedy (dreams, lists of famous “Clints”) and earnest discussions about sportsmanship, media narratives, and NBA tactics.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, you missed a kinetic, laugh-filled, and knowledge-rich hour that embodies why The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz is a staple for sports fans and pop-culture obsessives alike. From dissecting the unique lexicon of NBA respect and trash talk, to the subconscious anxieties of would-be sports analysts, and onto the granular details of roster-building and internet narratives run amok, this episode covers it all—with sharp wit, real insights, and plenty of memorable banter.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

Ugh.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan LeBatard]

Hey.

[Mike Ryan]

Still got my hoodie? Nope. But I've got tonight's dinner paid for. Start selling on depop, where taste recognizes taste list. Now with no selling fees, payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugach Spotcast.

[Chris Cody]

Zaslow's having a rough day here. He just injured himself just bringing his chair in. He hurt his finger. I saw him shaking it here.

[Zach Zaslow]

Blood.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. You seem like you're a little bit physically hurt. Amin Alhassan will be here shortly. We'll get into Zaslow's dream with Amin. Amin's also a weird dreamer. Evidently, Zaslo has had a weird dream. He hasn't told me what it is yet. He's just told me he's had another one of these weird dreams. So we'll get into that with Amin in a second. We're also going to get into this Jokic Dort back and forth with the mean. But I wanted to ask you guys something about the back and forth between Kevin Durant and Tyler Hero. So Tyler Herro calls Kevin Durant a whiny B word. Kevin Durant calls Tyler Herro the P word. And after they have done that, the two of them say, we respect each other. And I just don't think that in any other context that I can think of, that exchange would happen between two people who would then immediately afterwards say, we respect each other, because that sounds disrespectful. What are the other workplaces where two people would talk to each other like that? Cuz Kevin Durant said, let's move past that. The quote is, I've got respect for Tyler. He has respect for me. And those words, they're just words. At the end of the day, we didn't do nothing too much. It wasn't too physical on our end. But I appreciate his competitiveness and vice versa. We can move. Move on from that one. Not too serious. Tyler Herro says he was saying I couldn't guard, and I said something, something to him. But we're competing. At the end of the day, you want to be able to play against the best players in the world and be able to compete like that. That's what I Live for. I love to compete. Are there other places, and I'm not talking about, like, human resources or anything, but are there other places where I can have that exchange of name calling with somebody and say afterward credibly, I respect that person. That's someone I still respect.

[Zach Zaslow]

I'm sorry. I feel like it happens in.

[Chris Cody]

You're having a terrible day. You need to go out again because you just. You did it again. You can. You can come back.

[Zach Zaslow]

2 minutes delay a show.

[Chris Cody]

But Juju was clearly going to talk there. It was clearly his floor and you just got in the way and just heal your finger in the other room.

[Zach Zaslow]

Juju, you were saying the ufc.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. Competing, fighting, also.

[Mike Ryan]

Rap battles also.

[Chris Cody]

Well, yeah, I guess rap battles. Although I don't think that Kendrick and Drake respect each other. Like, I don't think that what they have done, they probably have gone to a place where the disrespect is. Is real. You can. The thing that I'm noticing, though, when. When it comes to these two particular things, when it comes to these two human beings, that I believe them when they say, that's nothing. It's just talking. It's not a place that I ever visit. I never feel so competitive about anything that something like that would come out of my mouth towards somebody that I actually liked and respected. Like, I really don't.

[Mike Ryan]

You.

[Chris Cody]

You can. You guys say, can you guys. I know. I just. They just put in the preview, him hurting his fingers. So I just.

[Mike Ryan]

That was on air, too.

[Chris Cody]

I just saw him. Him injuring himself. It's just not something I remember. I was playing ping pong one time with David Sampson. He's very competitive, and that level of competition was something that I long ago sort of lost interest in. The ego stuff that comes with being really competitive. It's not something in adulthood that I held on to. I didn't even feel like it was good for me to be noticing what other people are doing and then start competing with them. So this. This doesn't exist in me anymore. Where I would be across from somebody.

[Mike Ryan]

Tyler.

[Chris Cody]

Imagine how Tyler Herro actually thinks of Kevin Durant and that something would stir in him while he's playing against Kevin Durant, who must be a genuine hero to Tyler Herron to hear that come out of Kevin Durant's mouth at him. It's just because it's part of what the culture they exist in. It's the most normal thing in the world to respect someone and disrespect them that way.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm sorry. This is a Very white take.

[Zach Zaslow]

Yeah. Salute. That just stumbled me right there. Salute.

[Dan LeBatard]

Trista.

[Zach Zaslow]

She does it every day on the alley oop. Go check it out on Dls Hoopers right now. But I think that sticks and stones, Dano, like, this is the world we live in. People who get so upset on some words, you might need to go into some training because sticks and stones was taught to me at, like, second grade. But it also refers. Reminds me of back when you remember that Jimmy Butler. Yo, Jimmy Butler. 30 prints that. I didn't want to say it then, but him calling Jimmy Butler and that shit, that's regular in New Orleans. Like, it's not necessarily the disc. So it's just where you are in the world and what you're used to is what you're gonna deal with.

[Chris Cody]

Chris Cody is feverishly looking for both that and the dream imaging that he has now that Amin is there. We've got some weird dream imaging, but go ahead and play. You're. You're saying we overreacted, and I overreacted to Jimmy Butler taking a bunch of this in the face and not doing anything with it other than walking away.

[Zach Zaslow]

Why you did not have a 30 perk.

[Chris Cody]

Amin is here. We're going to do weekend observations with Amin in a second. But go ahead and play your dream imaging there, Chris, so that Zaslo can tell us about the weird dream that he had recently.

[Zach Zaslow]

Is that it? Oh, man. So I remember my dreams. All right, Like, Trista, you remember your dreams.

[Mike Ryan]

I remember your dream.

[Zach Zaslow]

Jeremy, you remember your dreams.

[Mike Ryan]

I remember your dream about being a cuck. Yep, that was the one I was talking about.

[Zach Zaslow]

Mike, you remember your dreams?

[Dan LeBatard]

Not all of them, no.

[Zach Zaslow]

I remember my Dan. You know about them dreams.

[Mike Ryan]

Wait, what's that?

[Chris Cody]

Stumble? What was it again?

[Zach Zaslow]

So I remember my dreams, and over the weekend, I had a dream. I was on first take on espn. I was making my debut on first take. I'm dressed up. I'm looking all good. Your boy was looking good. He got brand new suit. Oh, my God, that's right.

[Chris Cody]

Wait, wait, how are you dressed up? Are you. Are you wearing a Roman Reigns T shirt or.

[Zach Zaslow]

No, I'm wearing a suit.

[Chris Cody]

You're wearing a legitimate suit.

[Zach Zaslow]

Yeah, that's right.

[Mike Ryan]

Hat or no. Ha.

[Chris Cody]

When was the last time you wore a suit?

[Zach Zaslow]

Oh, man.

[Chris Cody]

Funeral. Wedding.

[Zach Zaslow]

Yeah, wedding, like a year ago wedding. Yeah, whatever. I look good like this. I know how I look good. So I'm on first take. I'm making my debut on first take. And I'm on the set and the Other panelists. All right, Sitting right next to me is Kendrick Perkins. And sitting right next to Kendrick Perkins is Stephen A. Smith, and sitting right across from me is George Sedano. All right, now, I don't know the other faces who are there. Sometimes you don't see the faces of everybody in your dream. You know what I'm saying?

[Dan LeBatard]

So.

[Mike Ryan]

But.

[Zach Zaslow]

But those three, I recognize those are there. Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith are having a back and forth. They're talking about the Miami Heat, all right? And Perk, he says something incorrect. So I interrupted, all right? I interrupted and I. I made the correction. I made a good point, all right? But I was like, yeah, sorry, I'm interruption. And I made the point.

[Chris Cody]

A different show.

[Zach Zaslow]

It doesn't matter. You understand what I'm saying? And I made the point. And Perk was not happy that I interrupted him. He was not only was he not happy that I interrupted him, but I also found out that I wasn't even in the segment. I was off camera. So I was correcting Perk while, like, I wasn't. Like, I was off to the side. I wasn't even on the.

[Chris Cody]

You're wearing a suit, but you're off camera. You're on the set, but you're not on the show. Are you making a. Your debut or you're making debut from off camera?

[Zach Zaslow]

Yeah, like, I was gonna be in next segment. Okay? Like, I was waiting off to the side.

[Chris Cody]

You couldn't help yourself.

[Zach Zaslow]

And I interrupted Perk. I'm not even on camera. He did not accept my apology afterward. And. And. And the people were not happy with me. It ended very poorly. What a dream.

[Chris Cody]

Chris, I gotta salute you for this music. It makes me. It transports me to both a spa and a lovely beachside shack somewhere in the Caribbean. Amin, you are our dream expert around here. You had your head in your hands while he delivered that particular dream. What is your dream analysis there?

[Mike Ryan]

My analysis is that when I tell my dreams, Mike Ryan got a pitchfork and ran me out the studio. But now we have imaging and music. When Zaz does it, I see how it is.

[Chris Cody]

No, that imaging was produced so that when you appeared to talk about dreams, you'd be our dream expert. That imaging was made for you.

[Zach Zaslow]

It's good imaging.

[Chris Cody]

And the segue was. Zaslow had a dream, and so we wanted to share it with our dream expert.

[Mike Ryan]

It's amazing imaging. I gotta give Chris 10 out of 10 for the imaging. I just want to point out that when I talked about dreams again, pitchforks and torches came out. I was led to believe my dreams and the topic of dreams were off limits for the Dan Leitard show. But it's nice to see that it's been returned into the graces.

[Zach Zaslow]

Comparison is the Thief of joy.

[Dan LeBatard]

For me, it was just refreshing to hear him get through it quickly. Was that quick on the scale?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, mine was more important, more interesting. I had mobs monsters chasing me on high speed trains. This guy's talking about first take. What kind of dream is that?

[Zach Zaslow]

I don't control something.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's what he. That's what he was asking.

[Mike Ryan]

Look at our lick. All right, what do you think it means? I mean, the question is, what does it mean?

[Dan LeBatard]

I love how you bog this down when the. The main complaint is that your segment usually bogs things down.

[Mike Ryan]

Weight box means he wants to be on first take.

[Chris Cody]

That is good analysis. Good analysis by Amin. That is why he's on our. That's why he's our dream expert. He's extraordinary at looking into and probing the subconscious. And the sleep felt bad.

[Zach Zaslow]

Like I. I interrupted him and I wasn't even on camera. It's very important.

[Mike Ryan]

You're doing the slurring again.

[Zach Zaslow]

No, he's slurring.

[Chris Cody]

So how did they get angry? What? Like, were you afraid? Did you wake up the way that people wake up? Well, they're falling off a building when

[Zach Zaslow]

Kendric live on tv, like Aaron Glenn,

[Dan LeBatard]

Dwayne Wade in the Gatorade commercial.

[Zach Zaslow]

Well, I didn't get my segments for one. All right, like that was it for me on the day. And I had to sit down with like, the executives.

[Chris Cody]

Oh, wow. So what is a literal dream? Being on first take turned into a nightmare.

[Zach Zaslow]

Yeah, Yeah, I didn't like it.

[Mike Ryan]

I had a similar dream like this that I have only told to my close family and friends that I was in a warehouse for a live taping of the Bill Simmons show with Zach Low. And every time Zach would toss to me, my mic was off and Bill would talk over me. I feel like that was closer to possible reality, but that every single time was like that.

[Zach Zaslow]

I couldn't understand why Perk wouldn't accept my apology, but it makes sense because I wasn't even on camera.

[Chris Cody]

Amin was clearly going to talk there and you interrupted him again. You inter. You. I mean, minor penalty, two minutes delay a show. Zad, this is the worst show you've had since you've been here. I mean, you were about to say. What were. What were you about? What were you about to say there before? Zaz clearly bothered you by interrupting you.

[Zach Zaslow]

How was I supposed to know

[Mike Ryan]

that's not a dream? Trista? That's called the Dan LeBatard Show. It was funnier in the moment. Damn.

[Chris Cody]

Have you had any good dreams recently, Amin? Because this is your dream segment. That imaging was for you to come on here with whatever your weird dreams are that you write down.

[Mike Ryan]

I will not share my dreams with you people anymore.

[Zach Zaslow]

You people?

[Mike Ryan]

Folks, listen up. Quick break in the action.

[Zach Zaslow]

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[Dan LeBatard]

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[Mike Ryan]

We often ask you to support those who support us.

[Dan LeBatard]

So the other day I Was fully in stay at home mode. Had the left turns on relaxing on the couch. Long day, sweatpants remote in hand, already planning which sporting event I was gonna flip to next. Then a friend texted me. Nothing big. Hey, why don't we just have a small hang? And I said, come on over, pal. I got the Miller Lights on deck. I put out a bucket filled with ice cold, beautiful white cans of Miller Lite, and we had ourselves a Sunday. Next thing you know, the race is tight. Everybody's yelling at the tv, we're toasting our beers, and we look at each other. We take a sip, and we know that we made the right call. Cheers to legendary moments 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. Don LeBatard again started on the breakfast line.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, man, I've been singing a song to myself all morning long. Breakfast Fl.

[Dan LeBatard]

Stets.

[Mike Ryan]

Have you never heard the Breakfast fl?

[Chris Cody]

No.

[Dan LeBatard]

Hit me with it.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay. I wish I had some breakfast fl. Where can I find a breakfast like that?

[Zach Zaslow]

This is the D. Levatar show with

[Chris Cody]

the St. Let's get to Amin's Weekend Observations, please.

[Zach Zaslow]

It is time for. I mean, to share his game notes. No one in the media will tell

[Mike Ryan]

you what happened better than my boy.

[Dan LeBatard]

I mean.

[Mike Ryan]

Weekend Observations is brought to you by

[Zach Zaslow]

Miller Light Legendary Moments. Start with a light, Dan.

[Mike Ryan]

It's an age old debate. We compare their brands, we compare their encore performances. We compare their excellence. But only one of them has won a three peat. Three times just like that. Make no mistake, Michael. Jeffrey Jordan is the goat is back. Know about that nascar, Dan?

[Chris Cody]

I do. Yes. Mike Ryan was taking a bit of a victory lap on the idea that Michael Jordan has saved nascar.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, all it took was a lawsuit and a three peat. Raymond Green wondered if Nico was right. Draymond, I can help you out here. He wasn't. What's he talking about, Dan? Like, it's not that he traded, Just to be clear, because Draymond likes to create straw men. Oh, you guys said he was crazy, and now where's the apologies? It's not that Luca's perfect. It's that it's not even that you shouldn't trade Luca. It's that if you trade Luca, you gotta get more back than Anthony Davis and one first round pick. It's like saying I gotta trade my Lamborghini. It has a flat tire and it doesn't carry enough people and say, yes, I traded it for a Suburban that's older and has no transmission. The nerve of this show, by the way. Calling for SPO to be fired. Who the hell do you guys think?

[Chris Cody]

That's not what happened. That is not what happened. That is absolutely not what happened.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, yeah, you wonder if you look inward. Oh, what?

[Chris Cody]

What?

[Mike Ryan]

What would have happened? What are you talking about? Oh, we're not calling for it, but in other places. That's why there are other places. Reuben Bain's arms are too short from the makers of I love how big Donny Manziel's hands are. Remember that. Okay? Nikola Elkitz calling Lou Dort. Tripping him. An unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by him to get in his face. Oh, you mean like when you blindside shove the out of Markee Morris in the middle of the court. Unnecessary like that beverage Farmer members ended

[Chris Cody]

his career, didn't he?

[Mike Ryan]

Pretty much. Markief was never the same after that. Haynes King ran a 44640 as a quarterback. I was floored. Well, I saw Taylor Green's 40 time. Jesus, that guy should be a wide receiver. Kidding. I'm kidding. Are Reuben Bain and Desmond Bain related? What's. What's up with Bane and short arms? Y' all know that Desmond Bain has short arms and that's why he fell in the draft.

[Chris Cody]

I did not know that.

[Mike Ryan]

Yep. True story. Dan, you said. Can you imagine former Miami Heat ball boy Nick Arison firing Pat Riley? Ah, Nick Harrison. The classic rags to riches ascent through the ranks of an organization. A real Horatio Alger story. America. Same can be said for smoke you hold on now. You illiterates don't even know who Rachel Alger is.

[Chris Cody]

Really? You just. Horatio Alger shamed us.

[Mike Ryan]

I just did. I know. I know my audience. Jason Tatum rumored to be returning to the Celtics on Friday, beginning of the end for Boston.

[Chris Cody]

According to this show.

[Mike Ryan]

He's gonna ruin it all.

[Chris Cody]

Please.

[Mike Ryan]

Baylor Shireman was in such a role. Stop.

[Chris Cody]

Stop putting their words on me. I've dealt with it for 21 years. It's not me, though. This is not.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't agree with Dan. I didn't say that. I said the show.

[Zach Zaslow]

We're doomed.

[Mike Ryan]

I'll be there, by the way, at that game. Because I don't know if you heard. I'll be at Sloan conference. It wasn't really mentioned, but you know, just throw that out there.

[Chris Cody]

Are you doing that with Pablo? Are you there as part of the Pablo team of doing the live show at Sloan?

[Mike Ryan]

I get an email saying, hey, we want you at Sloan on one of the panels. I say, okay, I see what Daryl Morey at the All Star Game. He says, you're gonna do it, right? I said, yeah, man. You know I'm good for it. I don't know who else is gonna be there. You want me to take attendance when I'm up there?

[Zach Zaslow]

Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

Adam Silver is gonna be there. The show, not the end. The show. Championing Jonathan Kaminga. We're helping Atlanta beat the Wizards twice and the Blazers once. Classic show. Watch out for the Knicks. Everybody keeps talking about Detroit. I'm telling you to watch out for the Knicks.

[Chris Cody]

Really?

[Mike Ryan]

You're saying it for the next Dan.

[Chris Cody]

You're saying.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm saying it.

[Chris Cody]

They're. They've got the number one defensive rating, net rating over the last 15 games, and they shut down the spurs yesterday. You're believing it.

[Mike Ryan]

I. The Knicks. Watch out for the Knicks. Knicks is what I'm saying. Actually, I said it last week. I don't know why I'm tiptoeing around this. If the Knicks and the Pistons play in the playoffs, I'm taking the Knicks. J.J. redick said the Lakers losses are loud because they're the Lakers. No, J.J. your losses are loud because you lose loudly. Second worst margin of defeat in the entire NBA. DeAndre Ayton saying the Lakers are trying to turn him into Clint Capella is like a frog saying, this unbelievably hot and wealthy princess is trying to turn me into a prince. Top five Clints. Oli. Clint Hurdle.

[Chris Cody]

Where's my Clint? Clint.

[Mike Ryan]

Number five, Clint Dempsey. Number four, Clint Barton, aka Jeremy Lenner's character, Hawkeye for Marvel movies. Number three, Clint Eastwood.

[Chris Cody]

Number three.

[Mike Ryan]

Number two, Clint Capella. And the number one Clint is the joke that Dan LeBatard stepped on. There's a reason why I write this thing out. Not for you to just chime in. It's because I was leading all the way up to when Autocorrect changes your cheeky text to where's my Clint Clinton?

[Chris Cody]

You put Capella, head of Eastwood?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. Honorable mention Flint from GI Joe. Because I thought his name was Clint until I looked it up and I said, ah, but it was a good one, so I left it on there. By the way, I'd rather have any one of them as my starting center over DeAndre Wemby. Even Eastwood. Wemby. Seven turnovers in Madison Square Garden matinee game. Joker. Here's the science of bar rescue podcast. There's a new season of bar rescue and we've got all the episodes covered. It's hosted by real life bar slash restaurant consultant Chelsea Reynolds, commercial kitchen and food truck veteran Colin Cassard. And two people who have folks at Betty Ford staring out the windows with binoculars saying any minute now. Zach Harper and myself. Wherever you get podcasts, Dan, you know about that Betty Ford?

[Chris Cody]

I've heard of it. Airport. What does airport breath have to do with the Betty Ford?

[Mike Ryan]

You know what? Don't play coin. Wemby. Devin turnovers in Madison Square Garden at a matinee game after being in New York City for five straight days. Joker. Label retracted. Jujugatti. Limited fake Pat Riley. Sounds like limited fake Macho man. Randy Savage. We're gonna get the harpoons, brother.

[Chris Cody]

That sounded a little more like Hulk Hogan.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, I don't know my wrestlers. Macho man. Randy Fund. Miami Heat. Deep cut.

[Chris Cody]

Oh God, that's so inside. That is a Randy Fund joke.

[Dan LeBatard]

Back when we used to hold GMs accountable in this market,

[Mike Ryan]

it's almost like we can't trust Johnny Infantino to tell us who's deserving of a made up peace prize. Missed connection. You were the property manager with a beautiful smile. I was a prospective tenant with a 237 credit score and the mild case of the meth itches. Tyler Hero calling KD Burner boy. Funny. Today I learned there are listeners of the show that don't know the club is on Every Friday on YouTube. Like don't. Had no idea I missed the club. Do it Every Friday on YouTube. We've done it for years. Every Friday on YouTube. I get it. You can't watch YouTube at work. This is what you do. You play it on your phone, you put on your AirPods and you just listen to it. Gotta walk some of these horses to more than the lake. Nick's court looks like a transparency grid. I don't know whether to watch a game or superimpose it on on a background. March 1, the anniversary of the patino game. Zaz, you know about that patino game?

[Zach Zaslow]

I know about that patino game.

[Mike Ryan]

You know who invented it?

[Chris Cody]

Who? You're looking.

[Mike Ryan]

You're looking at him right now. Oh, all right. You're welcome. Congratulations to Guy Santos of the Golden State Warriors. Speaking of patino game. Signed a new $15 million deal after making a little more than a minimum to start his career. Told his Brazilian parents I have something important to tell you in a serious voice. They thought they he was going to say his fiance is pregnant. Which I feel like this is a uniquely immigrant story. Right? Cuz anytime anyone tells me I have something serious to tell you, I say, oh my God, you're pregnant. Even when it's a dude. Xenophobe episode 301 Senseless Marlon Wayans plays a college student who takes an experimental drug that heightens his senses to superhuman levels. David Spade plays as arch nemesis who might actually have a point. Cinephobe Wherever you get podcasts to recap, Zaz, Mike and Chris thought the wrestler in the Uber video was for real. Move over, Dan. Your is the shark swimming down the freeway Gullibility moment has been supplanted atop the what the hell are you guys talking about? Power rankings. Wow. Speaking of hell. Art Briles. Those are the weekend observations.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a season two playoff race with TGL. Presented by SoFi. Sunday at 9pm Eastern. Jupiter Links versus Boston Common Golf. Monday at 7pm Eastern. Los Angeles Golf Club versus New York Golf Club. Tuesday at 9pm Eastern. The Bay Golf Club versus Jupiter Links. Keep up. It's Golf Watch on ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN app.

[Mike Ryan]

Don LeBatard.

[Dan LeBatard]

Chris Cody does an impression.

[Chris Cody]

Just be careful.

[Zach Zaslow]

Dangerous game here.

[Mike Ryan]

This is a dangerous game.

[Chris Cody]

I don't want to play this game.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, he was saying, man, I could do such a great country.

[Chris Cody]

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

[Dan LeBatard]

He's like, man, this is who we're going to.

[Chris Cody]

This is who we're going to trust.

[Mike Ryan]

Let's let a mean do it. I think still got. I think you could do it, Chris, because you did a great Charles Barkley. You're one for one there.

[Chris Cody]

Did no one just hear the segment we just did with Amin? 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 judge.

[Zach Zaslow]

There was Mose and Moody.

[Mike Ryan]

Moody Moses.

[Dan LeBatard]

Moses.

[Chris Cody]

You need that.

[Dan LeBatard]

It sounds worse. Be careful, man.

[Chris Cody]

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 is going to do something racist by accident.

[Zach Zaslow]

Carry the hell on. Dan.

[Chris Cody]

Rachel.

[Mike Ryan]

Dan. The line is where we feel alive, though.

[Zach Zaslow]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the st.

[Chris Cody]

I have a number of questions for you. I mean, where do you stand right now? Okay, I saw everybody when you said, Tyler Herro is calling Kevin Durant burner boy. Everyone seems to believe that the Kevin Durant burner story is real. I stopped paying attention to it the moment you said it wasn't real. And where are you on this now? Has any of your opinion changed on this?

[Mike Ryan]

We texted about this last week while you were out. And I told you, Dan, the first time, the next time someone presents evidence connecting him to these accounts will be the first time. It's literally just, well, because he had a burner before. And that's it. That's the evidence. And so without rising below the lowest threshold possible of proof, I have no reason to believe it's true. This is simply a case of I want to believe. Much like Zaz, Mike and Chris wanted to believe, an Uber driver freaked out and told the guy to get out because he was on speakerphone. You want to believe it's true. It's not. There's no evidence. There's no proof.

[Chris Cody]

But everyone's. Everyone's running with it, though. I mean, like, everyone's talking about this as if it's absolutely true. They're not. It's not merely a straw man. It's being made true by the people who are talking about it.

[Mike Ryan]

I go back to, okay, what was the evidence they provided other than he had a burner a few years ago?

[Chris Cody]

There is none.

[Mike Ryan]

That's my point. So just because they're all running with it, but none of them, not one person said, you know why? Because I Did the IP address look up or what? Nobody. You're talking about. 100% of the people running with this story as true have zero evidence supporting it. That should throw your red flags up immediately when there's nobody. Not just one kind of one person, one quiet guy, hey, I did the tracking and they logged in at the. Nobody, not one of them. They just ran with it. That should tell you everything you need to know. I'm not running to Amin's point. Like, it. It was something that went viral for about 24 to 48 hours. And then there was no follow up after that with any more evidence of any screenshots from a group text of anything pointing toward any of those accounts. And he's even laughing now. There was someone at the game on Saturday that yelled while he was at the free throw line.

[Zach Zaslow]

That's get higher, 77.

[Mike Ryan]

And he, like, stepped away from the line and laughed because at this point, like, it's all just a punchline. It's not really anything other than just fodder for The Internet that isn't even continuing beyond what happened in those first 48 hours. I get into this a lot, like when comedians say something and people and it turns it to headlines. So and so believes that these people shouldn't have rights or whatever. And I said no. What so and so did was make this thing called a joke, which doesn't necessarily represent their true feelings about anything. And the problem with society is that we have lost the ability to accept that a joke is just a joke and not a bigger narrative about something greater than all of us. Whoever said, hey, this is, made those fake posts and said, this is Kevin Durant. Or maybe they're real posts that said, this is Kevin Durant. It's funny. It's funny as a joke. But we don't have to actually take the extra step and say no. We have to take this seriously and believe it's actually him.

[Chris Cody]

Juju, put it on the poll. Is the problem with society that we can't take a joke as a joke? How do you feel about this Paul George impersonation of Kawhi Leonard? I'm not running.

[Mike Ryan]

Sui award winner, not nominee winner.

[Chris Cody]

I'm not running.

[Mike Ryan]

If you didn't. If you didn't tell me this was Paul George, I would have thought that was Kawhi Leonard.

[Chris Cody]

I'm not running.

[Mike Ryan]

That's how good it was. He does a good Charles Barkley too. Did you guys know that? Like, Paul George does a really good Charles Barkley.

[Chris Cody]

Did not know that. I've got a couple of basketball questions to throw your way. The first, this interaction you mentioned JJ Redick earlier and Lakers losses being late. Loud. What did you make of this interaction between Luca and Redick? Your thoughts here are what I mean.

[Mike Ryan]

That's. That's the NBA. Like, this happens all the time. Sometimes guys get pulled and they didn't want to get pulled and the coach is talking to him and JJ's a fiery guy, Luka's a fiery guy. And they're going to get into it and it's nothing. This is every day that happens. It's happened with Pat Riley and players. It's happened with Steve Curren players. And I think the best part of this video is just Jared Vanderbilt playing defense right there, playing interference, but doing it like, as if he was just like, I gotta.

[Zach Zaslow]

I'm gonna stand up and dance right here.

[Chris Cody]

That is. They say he's a good defensive player. They told me he was gonna make them good at defense. That's the best defense the Lakers have played this year.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, he might have saved Luka Doncic there for sure with his defense. Because what if Luka storms back? What happens if things escalate again? Fiery people getting mad about stuff. By the way, they were blowing the warriors out. That's the weird thing about this. This isn't like a nip and tuck game. That that desired that kind of level of intensity.

[Zach Zaslow]

Looked like JJ wanted a good high five. He just wanted a high five and

[Mike Ryan]

Luca didn't give it to him.

[Zach Zaslow]

That's all you gotta do there, just

[Mike Ryan]

give him a high five.

[Chris Cody]

They wanted more macro than that though. I mean, the Lakers as constituted and Luca as their centerpiece, they're not as good as the Mavs team that made it to the Finals. They are not gonna go anywhere in the playoffs because of defense. Your thoughts are what? Reddick? Redick has a long term deal there. He has, you know, relative security there. What do you make of that as a team?

[Mike Ryan]

So when you said not as good as that Mavericks team, are you saying because that Maverick team achieved the Finals appearance, so that Mavs team was a

[Chris Cody]

four or five seed that was able to beat the rest of the west to get to the Finals. This team is not going to the Finals.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think they're going to the Finals. But I think it's also premature to compare them to a Mavs team that also mid season was struggling until they made really big deals that changed the complexion of the team. Acquiring Gafford and acquiring PJ Washington and that really changed the trajectory of their season. Obviously the Lakers were not able to do that. I think this Lakers roster on day one, we were all like, this is not a championship roster. It's, it's, it's a decent roster. It's good compared to where they were a year ago. But it's not a, it's not in Oklahoma City's category or Denver or Houston or any or, or obviously we found out San Antonio later. But those three teams for sure we said are head and shoulders Minnesota as well. So to me I'm be surprised if Rob Pelinka and J.J. redick in the staff thought, yeah, we've got a championship team. This is a team that's not athletic, that doesn't defend and usually say, well, they're really good offensive. They hit a lot of threes well. They don't shoot threes well either. So they don't really have a way of punishing you one way or another. You can be unathletic and slow, but you better be the best shooting team in the league. League. Or you can be not a good shooting team and be athletic and defend like crazy like the Detroit Pistons are. What you can't be is neither of those things. And that's what the Lakers are. I mean, would you pay Austin Reeves? Who's we? Who is I? Am I the Lakers? You are the Lakers. You are the Lakers. I would. I wouldn't because. Not because he's not worth it, but because if I devote that kind of money to him and that money to Luca and I'm assuming that kind of money to LeBron James, then now I have no flexibility. And every dollar you spend over here is a dollar I can't spend over there. And I can take what, what Austin Reaves is worth and I can get a bunch of role players to make it deeper. Now if we're saying LeBron's out the door, that's a different story. That changes things because now that frees up 50 plus million dollars that I can now spend on other things and I can pay Austin Reaves to stay.

[Chris Cody]

If you were the Lakers, wouldn't you let LeBron and Reaves go and just go ahead and start it over around Luka?

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think you need to be that drastic if you're going to let. That's one thing, right? But then Reeves like, okay, I want to get another number two guy. Well, Reeves played pretty well this year, particularly before LeBron came back. So I think I would go with him and then I'd take the rest of that money. And I would say I need a real center, not DeAndre Ayton. I need real wing defenders, I need real three point shooting and, and kind of go around building that team as such. But again, this is the part. And you know, you guys talked about killer wary earlier and the way SPO is handling him. This is a guy who's not even two years into the league. Like, is it possible that we're gonna give him tough love for a little bit longer than 10 minutes and that the results don't have to be immediate? I was listening to Rich Paul and, and Max Kellerman and Max was saying that delayed gratification is a sign of maturity, meaning if you can wait for the reward as opposed to like want it now, now, now, now, now. That's the sign that you've reach a higher plane. And I agree 100%. Yes, Khalil Ware wants to play. Yeah, he probably hates SPO for not playing him. Guess what, man, that doesn't mean he's right in the moment. And that doesn't mean what SPO is doing right now isn't part of a longer term plan to make this guy the type of player that we all think he can be. Do you think though, back to Reaves and Luka really fast. I mean, do you think you can really contend with a backcourt of two offensive first players that are cones on defense? I can't. You can if the rest of the roster is built to take care of that. If you have, if your three man is long and rangy and can defend. If you're four is a guy who can guard down and guard up. If you're five is a bonafide rim protector. If you're bringing people off the bench who bring energy, yeah, I think you can do it. And I think also more can be demanded of at least Austin Reeves, maybe Luca as well. I think Luka at this point, as I said last week, Tigers don't change their stripes, they just change jungles. I think Luka is who he is, but you can absolutely build around it. That's why I reject whenever people say defense wins championships or like, oh, you need a big three to win a champ. No, you don't need. What you need to have is a good team. And however that looks, however you build it, is how it comes about.

[Chris Cody]

Where are you on? And you mentioned this during weekend observations briefly on Jokic and Dort. It seemed like Jokic was responding to the sensitivity of that's the knee I injured more than. That's the dirtiest play I've ever seen. But it was dirty, right?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, it's a dirty play. And he responded. And Jalen Williams got right back in his face and didn't back down. And again, this is the NBA. Guys do things and guys get in each other's faces. I don't know if it's about the knee specifically. He's probably sensitive or just about getting hurt in general now that he's had his first major injury of his career. But again, I go back to, I mean, bro, you kind of did the same thing. A dirty ass play that has no place on a basketball court. And I always talk about there are ways to impose your physicality. There's ways to cross the line. I mean, look, think about it like this. We talk about aprons all the time in terms of basketball finances, but there's a first apron of physicality as a second apron. The first apron is I can hip check you, I can give you an elbow when I'm coming across the lane. I could do these things and like It's a foul, but it's. We accept it. And then the second apron is things like tripping guys, shoving guys, blindsided like sucker punches. That has no place. That is out of bounds. And what Lou Dort did was out of bounds. Doesn't make him a bad guy, but he did something that I thought was kind of dirty.

[Chris Cody]

Do you know anybody that heads into a fight the way that Jokic did? Forehead first. Because it's not that he just got in Dort's face. He literally got in Dort's face by going forehead by, first of all, coming down about, I don't know, 8 inches, and then just putting rage in everybody's face by going forehead first.

[Mike Ryan]

John Starks did that, didn't he? John Starks did that, everybody.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, he was.

[Mike Ryan]

He was leaning against Reggie, and then at some point, Reggie said one more thing, and John Starks just. He popped them. And then Reggie went, oh. And he, like, you know, he did the Reggie Miller thing, and John Starks was ejected, and Reggie stayed in the game.

[Chris Cody]

Thank you, Amin. Good seeing you. We will talk to you again next week. I will tell all of you that I am scared of the person who fights Forehead first. The person who comes in looking for the fight with the forehead and knows how to use the forehead as a weapon is not a person that I wish to be fighting with. I'm gonna go ahead and drop my sword and walk in the other direction. If you're aggressive enough that you go forehead first,