
Loading summary
Rachel Nichols
Start your day with Quaker Protein Instant Oatmeal. The Instant Oatmeal ready to help you tackle whatever your day brings. Like wrangling your toddler into their car seat. That was fun. Coaching your 6th grader soccer team Go Girls. And carrying all the groceries in one trip. Try Quaker Protein Instant Oatmeal Granola and bars. Great taste and a good source of protein. Quaker Bring out the good. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast Smart move. Being financially savvy Smart move. Another smart move having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.
Dan Le Batard
Not sure how to tackle your taxes? Are you sweating the small print?
John Zaslow
You may be experiencing FOMO, the fear
Dan Le Batard
of messing up the answer using TurboTax
Rachel Nichols
on Intuit credit Karma.
John Zaslow
They help you get your biggest refund
Rachel Nichols
and then we help you do more
John Zaslow
with it with a personalized plan designed
Dan Le Batard
to help you hit your money goals.
Rachel Nichols
It's time to take your taxes to the max.
John Zaslow
Start filing today in the Credit Karma app.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.
Mike
The Michigan coach Dusty May is going to join us tomorrow. Rachel Nichols is going to join us here in a few minutes to talk a little bit of basketball. I can't believe that I did not know that Michael Mann, the director of Heat, a very good director, makes big splashy things. I did not know that Miami Vice, the TV show, not the movie he also made, but that he was not only the executive producer of Miami Vice, the television show, but I was not aware what Miami was nationally before that television show. That television show in some ways helped start make Miami an international city. And it was colorful, it was splashy, it was musical, it was loud. But I was not aware that that television show, that Miami was a bit of a national wasteland, considered much like swamps. Yeah, it was. Yeah. And so Michael Mann is. He's also involved in the Heat sequel, correct?
Dan Le Batard
The Heat sequel. He wrote the source material, the book sequel. And yes, he is going to direct the upcoming sequel that has stars like Christian Bale, Leo DiCaprio attached to it.
John Zaslow
Goosebumps.
Mike
And he's also going to do yet another Miami Vice movie, right?
Dan Le Batard
No, he's not attached to the Miami Vice movie outside of perhaps a producer credit because his Involvement with the TV series. The director that is trying to bring Miami Vice back to the big screen because Michael Mann tried it. And you know, the director's cut is good, but there was a whole bunch of things that went wrong with the filming of that.
John Zaslow
Mike. You know a place where you get some mojitos?
Dan Le Batard
I know a great place.
Mike
Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx. That movie was supposed to be. It was much anticipated and it was supposed to be good. It was plagued by a bunch of shit in the background.
Dan Le Batard
It was plagued by Michael Mann, who's an insane person too. And I think Esquire did like a whole write up on what went wrong with the filming. Jamie Foxx left the project because of something that went real sideways in a favela somewhere in South America, because Michael Mann's authentic guys. But the director that is trying to bring Miami Vice back is Joe Kaczynski, who directed Top gun, Maverick and F1, which was nominated for best picture. And the stars that are reported to be attached to it are Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler, which I don't know. I think Austin Butler might be a little too weird, but we'll see. I don't know which one he's playing, Crockett or Tubs. It could be anybody's guess.
John Zaslow
Oh, the flip flop.
Dan Le Batard
But the most interesting. But the most interesting thing that has been reported about this reboot is that Tom Cruise is being circled as the big heavy.
John Zaslow
The villain.
Dan Le Batard
The villain. And the director who's worked with Tom Cruise, helped save cinema as we know it alongside Tom Cruise with Top Gun Maverick. He'd be able to convince Tom Cruise to do this, I think.
John Zaslow
Dude, Tom Cruise, I've learned this during the Oscar season here. He loves Michael B. Jordan. Like they were telling me that he. In the middle of promoting his own movie, he stopped to promote Sinners.
Dan Le Batard
Tom Cruise. For those that know him. I don't. I do know people that talk to Tom Cruise. You don't know Tom Cruise? I don't know Tom Cruise. I don't know if you knew that.
John Zaslow
You know about the Tom Cruise.
Dan Le Batard
I know about him. But Tom Cruise is very much a caretaker of the industry and takes real deep care of people that he's worked with. The holiday cake is like a thing of legend. Apparently. Tom Cruise is a legit mentor to many in Hollywood.
John Zaslow
Dude, I've told this story before. Mo Daquil, good friend of mine, his sister is Tom Cruise's agent. And when a lot of stuff was happening over in Gaza, she tweeted out free Palestine. And they tried to railroad her. And Tom Cruise said, you do that. I'm leaving. So, like, to me, he's always gonna be a one in my book. As someone who looks out for the little people and looks out for people, for any other Hollywood star would've been so easy to be like, well, that's a controversy I don't need, and just kinda kicked it to the side. But he was loyal to her, and so for me, I'm always gonna have a lot of respect for him.
Mike
Do people generally know how close Tom Cruise before Tropic Thunder was to falling completely out of favor with the industry?
John Zaslow
I really.
Dan Le Batard
Because of sc.
John Zaslow
The Scientology, the Oprah thing, the Katie. Katie. What's her.
Mike
Kitty Holmes. Holmes like, for those who don't know that story. He goes on Oprah and jumps up and down on the couch talking about how in love.
John Zaslow
I'm in love with Katie Holmes.
Mike
And. And there's been a lot of reporting about Scientology.
Dan Le Batard
He had the Matt Lauer interview, which he came out better than Matt Lauer.
Mike
Yes. Eventually he rebounded better from that interview than Matt Lauer did. But Tom Cruise at the end of Tropic Thunder. There are any number of people who watched Tropic Thunder and didn't know leaving the theater that Tom Cruise had been in Tropic Thunder. He chose a role with Ben Stiller. He chose a role where he was a fat guy with hairy arms. Balding, was it? Les Grossman was the character. A movie executive that was totally obnoxious, stole every scene, and yeah, he was great in it. But there were many people who saw the movie, left the theater, and didn't know that Tom Cruise had been in the movie.
Dan Le Batard
I didn't know it was him until the credits. I was like, which one was Tom Cruise?
Mike
Is that right?
Dan Le Batard
Swear to God.
Mike
And so I'm pretty sure, though, that that movie resurrected Tom Cruise like that. He was very close to not being able to get substantive work.
John Zaslow
So he was supposed to actually play Ben Stiller's agent. He was supposed to play Matthew McConaughey's role. And Tom Cruise read the script, and he said, actually, what you guys need is a slimy studio executive. And obviously Tropic Thunder is a very inside baseball movie. But I'm sure with everyone involved, they're like, of course there has to be this guy. Cause they've all dealt with that guy one way or another.
Mike
Rachel Nichols. Next.
Dan Le Batard
Hey, Roy, buddy. Yo. You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet? Oh, absolutely, Mike. Yeah. You've been at many big time sporting events. You know that moment quite well. That's what it's like when you take your first sip of Cuervo. Oh, delicious. It's the signal that says, we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo, man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it cvo.
John Zaslow
You guys hear that? That's the sound of my calendar flipping over to March. Yes, I know March is more than halfway over. Don't bog me down with details. Just stick with me here. Because March means one thing. It means college basketball insanity. DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one sportsbook for live betting is built for March. The tournament is unpredictable.
Mike
You're kind of like me.
John Zaslow
But the rewards are guaranteed. And DraftKings is delivering some of the most generous rewards on the market. Are you new to DraftKings? Bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use code DAN. That's code DAN to turn five bucks into 200 in bonus bets instantly in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. Hey, who wants to hear me do that crazy noise again?
Dan Le Batard
I do. Gambling problem.
Mike
Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-Myret.
Dan Le Batard
New York Call 877-8-HOPE and WHY or text HOPE and WHY. Connecticut. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through. May apply in Illinois, 21 and over in most states.
Mike
Void.
Dan Le Batard
In Ontario, restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see SP kings.com promos limited time offer
John Zaslow
spring starts at the Home Depot and we are bringing the heat to your backyard this season. Fire up the flavor with our wide variety of grills for under $300. Like the next grill 4 burner gas grill that's perfect for hosting your spring cookout. Then set the scene and turn your outdoor space into the go to spot the patio sets for every budget. Bring it this season with grills that deliver flavor and patios that set the vibe from the Home Depot. Start your spring with low prices guaranteed
Mike
at the Home Depot.
John Zaslow
Exclusions applies to home depot.com pricematch for details, don Levatard.
Dan Le Batard
My algorithm on Instagram is. Dan. It's all boobs, stugats.
John Zaslow
It's a good algorithm.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.
Mike
So Zaz says that I'm a sucka for going to jury duty, for handling my civic responsibility. He says he always takes his jury duty paperwork and throws it immediately into the trash. There have never been any consequences that he knows of. He's never been to jury duty. Look at Rachel laughing here at just knows I'm right. How un American Zaslow is. Nobody wants to go to jury duty, but it's a civic honor and responsibility. Well, actually, Whittingham likes to go to jury duty, but, Rachel, you're saying what to Zaslow here?
Rachel Nichols
Well, I just want to know what they asked you that you got selected. What were the questions that they were like, this is a fine, upstanding citizen.
Mike
Well, I wasn't asked any questions. I've never.
Dan Le Batard
Your assistant was asked.
Mike
I've never done jury duty, but I've always gone and marched and sat in the sad room and just sat there for several hours. And then they let me go for me. And as a media member, they're not likely to select me anyway under almost any circumstances. And I. So I've never actually served, but I get summoned. Waits too often. Like, it happened. They can do it every. They could do it once a. Once a year. And so it happens to me. It doesn't feel random. You've been. You've done jury duty. Would you dare to ignore jury duty? Rachel?
Rachel Nichols
I went through some years in my twenties where I ignored jury duty. I gotta say, I was once got the thing in the mail for grand jury, which is just a nightmare, right? If they pick you, it's like two months, you know, on these, like, longer trials. But now, as a responsible, fine, upstanding citizen like yourself, Dan, I do rep. I've never gotten picked, though. So I just. I wanna know how they picked you, because normally, if you want to, while they're asking you questions, you can get out of jury duty. Just say, I believe our criminal justice system is really unfair, and I just don't think anyone should be penalized till we fix it. That's a good one.
John Zaslow
Rachel described two months doing a grand jury. That's like doing Pablo's show. One episode of that. It's like sitting in a grand jury.
Mike
I can't believe ZSAS is willing to put his name on the.
Dan Le Batard
Whatever. Come at me, bro. What's going to happen. Nothing's going to happen. Nothing.
Rachel Nichols
They can put out a warrant for you.
John Zaslow
Yeah.
Mike
For.
Dan Le Batard
For what?
Rachel Nichols
Which means you could do that. You could do the show from jail, which could be like a whole.
John Zaslow
We should do that.
Dan Le Batard
Come get me. Come at me.
Mike
I don't think they can. Is that something that they can say? Can he just say I didn't get it? I didn't get the mail.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, I didn't get it.
Mike
Nobody's ever done that before.
John Zaslow
Right?
Mike
That's not anybody.
Dan Le Batard
I don't think they have anything after that. The loophole never got to me. Mail never gets lost. Right. Never got to me.
Mike
Jeremy, look up for me, please. What's the wor. Worst possible punishment the government can put on you in the event that you are a fraud about jury duty?
Dan Le Batard
They've got their own problems to deal with. And you're going to come after me for. For missing one six minute jury trial?
Mike
Give me a break. It's. Well, it's not six minutes like they, they want you to sit in a room. I do need a break. My commitment today, this is what I had to do today because I was supposed to have it and I postponed it to April 8th. They told me when I got there expect to be here till 5. I got there at 8am and they said expect to be here till 5pm to see whether or not you're selected. Damn Szlo. Sitting here still staring defiantly at this government.
Dan Le Batard
You can be put in contempt of court in the state of Florida and a warrant, a warrant may be issued for your arrest where you could serve up to 10 days in. In jail.
Rachel Nichols
Well, that Florida do the show from jail.
Dan Le Batard
That part. I don't have a tip.
Rachel Nichols
I have a tidbit for you. My mother in law is the. In New York when you get there and they give you the instructions for jury duty and they make you watch a video. My mother in law does that.
Mike
I love that. The way you describ. That occupation was just drawing a picture frame.
Dan Le Batard
I had it as a tv.
Mike
My mother is a picture frame.
Rachel Nichols
It's a tv.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
Mike
Come on, Dan.
Rachel Nichols
That you watch. You know, I've never again, I've never served, so I've never made it to that step. I have responded however I've shown up. But then I have been, you know, kicked aside for real more responsible citizens.
Dan Le Batard
It's not for me, Dan.
Mike
Yeah, you've mentioned that the Lakers. I believe everyone who knows basketball for the entirety of the season has been saying of the Lakers, they absolutely cannot win playoff Games playing defense the way they do. However, the Laker team that I have watched play the last three or four games, I'm wildly impressed by everything that they're doing. Doing against pretty good teams. I mean, Orlando and Houston and Miami on the road, they were impressive in all of those games. Your appraisal of the Laker, Rachel, is what?
Rachel Nichols
Well, I picked them to be third in the conference, so I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now because most people pick them to be fifth or sixth. Look, this is a team with so much offensive firepower, sometimes that's the defense, right? You just. You can get out of any situation that becomes the defense. Also, they've been running a lot of his own, which during the regular season is pretty effective because teams aren't used to it. They don't have a lot of time to prepare for these regular season games. And you walk in and you throw them a defense that they're not used to seeing. And you saw, especially against Houston, it just gets guys really flummoxed and they don't kind of know what to do out on the court. Obviously, the playoffs are a different story, though. You have plenty of time to prepare for an opponent. You play them day after day after day, that kind of thing. So that'll be some of the question of do they stand up? But here's the thing, and you guys saw it in Miami, even when LeBron was at his peak, there are times where he's just not as focused defensively. But you know, when he is all of the time is during the playoffs. So his defense in particular, I always figured, was going to pick up this spring, regardless of how old he is, regardless of how those three are on the court together. But yeah, I mean, look, they don't play defense like the Oklahoma City Thunder, and eventually I think that's going to stop them. If they play the Thunder in the second round, you know, that that might be the end of them. But I think they're fine to go a couple rounds in the playoffs at least.
Mike
Kareem Abdul Jabbar played late in life because he could make the skyhook against anybody at any age. But what I'm seeing from LeBron James has no human precedent. Like I. No, I don't understand how he's able to do that. Even if you were to go the route of saying, well, it must be modern science or pharmaceuticals, and Tom Brady and Serena played well late, I still don't have context for what he's presently doing. Can you give me any history of the Game. Can you give me anything that suggests the oldest player in the league should be having a triple double when he's down here in Miami?
Rachel Nichols
Six dunks. The night before the triple double, he had six dunks. I mean, that's insane for someone his age. So many of the guys we've worked with as analysts are in their late 30s and you want them to go do a dunk like as part of a segment or something and they're like, oh, my back, I don't do that anymore. I mean, Vince Carter used to be like that. He's like, oh, I don't dunk anymore. LeBron had six dunks and then they got to Miami at four in the morning and then he had that triple double is just, just insanity. There is no equivalent, we can say,
Mike
no, no argument, no human body ever correct that. That is a human body unlike any human body there's ever been.
Rachel Nichols
Not that I have ever seen. And to your point, look, whatever is helping him get there, whether it's physio or anything else, like, you still have to be the guy who can do that. And we have seen at every stage of LeBron's career, yeah, no one else can do that. And we're just seeing it now in a way that no one else can do that, not just in the league, but through history. I mean, it's incredible.
Dan Le Batard
Rachel, what do you make of Luka Doncic 16, technical foul being rescinded so he could play tonight against Detroit?
Rachel Nichols
You know, it's, it's interesting. He's had a lot of text rescinded to not get to this point. I'm curious if at some point in the playoffs we're going to see this issue flare up because we all, of course, remember what happened to Draymond green in the 2016 Finals. And a lot of people sort of misremember that as, oh, he got suspended for the scuffle that happened at court level and sort of, you know, them rolling on the ground and that's not worth a one game suspension. It wasn't worth a one game suspension. He just got a Tech and it happened to be, I believe, his eighth Tech. I mean, is that right in the playoffs?
John Zaslow
Yes.
Rachel Nichols
And yeah, so when you get your eighth tech in the playoffs, you have to miss a game. And him missing a game was the NBA finals and it turned around a big chunk of that series. So, you know, I think that's the danger with Luka is, you know, he can't help himself. And I've asked JJ throughout this season, I'VE said, you know, have you talked to him? He's like, that's a work in progress is his answer all the time. And we're just going to have to see how much he can control himself. Even in the Mavericks run to the Finals, he did not get suspended for tax. He did not reach number eight. But he got, you know, he got text throughout that playoff run.
John Zaslow
Rachel, I'm curious because I feel like. I feel like it's been a big topic this year. Luka complaining, Luka technical files, Luka with the officials. And from my perspective, like, well, that's who he's always been since he came in the league. Is it actually worse or getting worse, or is it just a factor of people in LA are discovering this part of him?
Rachel Nichols
Yeah, I mean, he's on TV more and, you know, highlights go. There's more highlights of him. I mean, there's always been Luca highlights on TV and on your phone. But when he was playing in Dallas, the visibility is just. It's never as high as for when you play with the Lakers or the Knicks. Knicks when they're rolling. And, you know, I think more people are seeing it across the country. More people are seeing it in LA just every time they go out and play the way they haven't before. And when they're losing games. Right. And there's been patches this season. The Lakers have lost a string of games. You know, Luka tends to do this more. He feels more under pressure. He sort of falls back on old habits. And then you have the combination of the Lakers losing a lot and Luka doing this a lot. And then Lakers fans suddenly are like, ah, this guy's killing us. I just said that my impression of the Lakers fan was pretty good. I just want to say good.
John Zaslow
Whiny. You got to be whinier.
Mike
I didn't think it was very good, actually.
John Zaslow
No, that was good.
Mike
Okay. You're a professional broadcaster. You know how to do polish. I want your assessment here. Pussycat Dolls are getting back together. There are three of them on the Today show. And this looks like a giant choke here. What happened here? What's your assessment after they found out
John Zaslow
that you guys were coming back as
Mike
a trio, not as the original group.
John Zaslow
How did you arrive at that decision?
Rachel Nichols
Well, I mean, listen, we are just. We are like. We are so as women today. I mean, it has been an ever changing lineup and, you know, this is what it looks like now in 2026. You never know what comes next. And I think ultimately we've got to protect Our peace.
Mike
And when.
Rachel Nichols
When something like the Pussycat Dolls has so much history. We have ruptured in the past.
Mike
She's still frozen.
Dan Le Batard
She's rigor mortis.
Mike
She's still frozen. I don't think that's rigor mortis. But what's your assessment there professionally, Rachel?
Rachel Nichols
Wasn't there a Miss America contestant who did this? That, like, it went around the Internet for a long time where she just. Every word about her mouth was such a Peace, peace. You know, I think it's important that we have world. The question was about, like, some economic issue or something. She' I really think it's important we have world peace. And then she couldn't find her way, and she kept talking about world peace. I don't know. We've had presidential debates that sound like that, to be honest. So let's not, you know, let's not go out too hard on the Pussycat Doll.
Dan Le Batard
Come on screen. Why don't we do it?
Mike
Come on. Are you rooting for. Well, you can't root necessarily, but is Wemby winning this year, good or bad for the sport? Given that if he wins this year, he's likely to keep winning?
Rachel Nichols
You mean winning the title?
Mike
Yes.
Rachel Nichols
Okay. Winning defense, player of the year, winning mvp, which he's up for. I think it's nothing but good. I have been super high on Wemby since before he was drafted. I got a lot of flack for saying before he was drafted. I think this kid is going to end up being a top 10 player of all time. I have stuck with that. Less people are giving me a hard time now, which is good. Obviously, all of that is that statement is barring injury. But I just. I think what this kid can do is so different from what we've seen anyone else be able to do. And then he. In addition to those physical skills, he is one of the most sort of mentally focused, interesting, curious guys I have ever seen come into the National Basketball Association. I mean, if you have a guy who is that thirsty for learning, who's that receptive, who's that curious to find new things, who's that dedicated to what he does? And, you know, life may come into, you know, come into play at some point, but right now, all that kid does is play basketball. He reads instead of, you know, watching TV or playing video games. His teammates keep trying to get him to play video games, and he's like, no, I'm good. And it's not that fake reading some players do where, like, the first page keeps getting opened and Nothing else. He plays chess in. In Central Park.
Mike
That's a five dollar fine. He's not listening. Just watching Instagram reels.
Dan Le Batard
That's not what I'm doing.
Mike
You know what? I'm sorry.
John Zaslow
You got.
Mike
I mean, you got to get out of here.
John Zaslow
Like we know about that algorithm. The hell was that?
Mike
How did.
John Zaslow
Jury duty.
Mike
Minor penalty.
Dan Le Batard
2 minutes delay a show.
John Zaslow
You've got to be down at all times.
Mike
You can't be. You can't be not listening to Rachel talk so much that you're just watching videos on the Internet and not even hiding it.
John Zaslow
She was blaring.
Dan Le Batard
I heard a JetU holiday thing.
Mike
That's unbelievable. Make sure he pays.
Rachel Nichols
Should I feel about that?
Mike
He hasn't been paying the.
John Zaslow
I'm offended. Offended.
Dan Le Batard
I mean, it's very.
Rachel Nichols
I feel wounded.
Dan Le Batard
It's very easy to pay the fine.
Rachel Nichols
I feel wounded. I feel. I feel unloved.
John Zaslow
Rachel.
Rachel Nichols
I feel. You know.
John Zaslow
Rachel, don't.
Mike
No.
John Zaslow
He's a charlatan. Don't. Don't pay him no nevermind.
Dan Le Batard
He is a charlatan. That's true.
Rachel Nichols
I feel like the middle Pussycat girl. I don't even know what to say. I'm so.
Mike
As a woman, As a woman, As a woman.
Rachel Nichols
As a woman. I am very, very. Something about that.
Mike
Now streaming. The time traveling comedy movie of the year has arrived. Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice. Only on Hulu. The film stars Vince Vaughn, James Marsden and Asa Gonzalez in a wild action comedy about one disastrous night that spirals out of control. And here's the twist. There are two Vince Vaughns. Don't miss Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice. Written and directed by Ben David Grabinski. Now streaming only on Hulu. Rated ring
Dan Le Batard
Protein is now at Starbucks and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks. Your little one grew three inches overnight.
John Zaslow
Adorable.
Dan Le Batard
Also expensive. Sell their pint sized pieces on Depop and list them in minutes with no selling fees because somewhere a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow. And he's ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now. Consider your future growth Bird budget secured and start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details.
Mike
Don LeBatard. John Zaslo. How you love that catchphrase. Bad news for opposing teams in the triple air stugats. These all smiles till The Bloods are clutch again. Clutch again. Clutch again.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.
John Zaslow
Rachel, as you know, I'm responsible for pressuring the NBA over a decade to get the All Star games out of cold, small markets, and we finally. We finally made that happen. All right, my next. My new Crusade is the 65 game rule. We got to get it up out
Rachel Nichols
of here, dude, you know, you and I have talked about this on the air before. I think this is the most insane thing. It's kind of like tanking, right? They're trying to solve the wrong problem. Like, they're like, why are these teams playing so badly? Let's penalize them more for playing badly. The reason people tank is because they have to. They have to because there are no other good ways to get better. If you're a bad team, especially in a smaller market, fix that, and you will fix tanking. Nobody is, like, dying to lose for nine months straight and have their fans be pissed and teach young players bad habits. Solve the real problem. In this case, the 65 game rule was brought into effect because player participation was sucky. Frankly, that's a technical term. And they had guys sitting out big TV nights and Saturday night abc, and all three of the most important guys aren't playing. And they were like, TV networks are mad. They storm the NBA offices. The NBA office takes that to the owners, and they're like, yeah,
Dan Le Batard
All righty.
John Zaslow
Did we lose her?
Dan Le Batard
That was fun.
John Zaslow
We might have lost you, Rachel.
Mike
We definitely lost her.
Dan Le Batard
Either that or she's been taken over.
Mike
What. What part is it? Yeah, 100. Did Zaz sabotage entire walking back?
Dan Le Batard
I think she's back now.
Rachel Nichols
Yeah, you're here now.
Mike
Go ahead.
Dan Le Batard
All of a sudden, he walks in.
John Zaslow
Yeah.
Dan Le Batard
He turned into a monster.
Rachel Nichols
I'm here.
Mike
Yes. Yes, you.
Rachel Nichols
Wait. First he's watching Instagram, and then you guys.
Dan Le Batard
And then he pulled the plug on you. Yep.
Mike
Yep, he pulled the plug.
Rachel Nichols
Brilliant thought.
Dan Le Batard
And he's also a cuck.
Mike
Yes.
Rachel Nichols
You're treating him like everybody knows.
Dan Le Batard
I'm not a cuck. Everybody knows.
Mike
You were. You were weaving a tapestry that he interrupted. Please continue, Rachel. He's not. He's not a cuck. Everybody knows that.
John Zaslow
Go to bed.
Rachel Nichols
The 65 game rule was brought in because player participation was sucky because guys were sitting out big TV games. So they were like, let's bribe the players into playing more by saying they can't have their awards if they don't play 65 games. Guess what? That's dumb. The Awards have nothing to do with player participation. These are two completely separate things. To link them together is basically ripping apart some of the integrity of the game. These awards are how we judge who are the best players in a certain year. And you can be one of the best players like Cade Cunningham. You're gonna tell me that the all NBA team is gonna go out for this year and Cade Cunningham won't be on any. The first, second or third team and someone 25 years from now is gonn look back at the record of this year and they're thinking, me, I guess Cade Cunningham didn't do anything. Rachel, come on, man.
John Zaslow
10. 10 of the 15 all NBA players from a season ago are either guaranteed not going to be all NBA or in serious jeopardy. 10 out of 15, Dan. So we're talking. It's not just about we're going to look and say, oh, how is Kate Cunningham not all NBA? It's also going to be like, hey, how did Peyton Pritchard make all NBA? Or whoever someone's going to make all NBA. Who was not one of the 15 best players?
Mike
Just for playing 65 games?
John Zaslow
Just for playing 65 games. It's ridiculous.
Rachel Nichols
And it's also the way we judged players across eras. I think that's one of the things that gets lost here. For all of the lazy who's better? Michael Jordan, LeBron James debates that people tend to start. It's hard to answer that question because you are watching players who play in different eras with different rules, with different physical knee surgeries and all of that kind of stuff. All NBA is the way you can do that. If a guy made all NBA eight times among his peers in his era, he made it eight times. And then a guy 25 years later makes all NBA 10 or 12 times in his era against his compatriots with his rules. That's how you can say, man, this guy might be a little bit better than that guy. That's it. That's the only thing we have that sort of is a way to test across eras and they're screwing with it. And I hate it. I absolutely hate it.
Mike
I've been saying that Jalen Brunson is the most beloved player in the history of the New York Knicks because of what he's doing at his size specifically. But I've also been saying you cannot win the title if your best player is a player of that size. Over the last 30 games, the Knicks have the best defense and the best net rating in the NBA. Half of those 30 games have come against the top six teams in each conference and they're eight and five in those games. Do you believe the Knicks are better than they were last year and do you believe that they are a legitimate contender to get to the finals? Because I don't believe they're a legitimate contender to win.
Rachel Nichols
Look, they're different than they were last year. Last year that team got to game six of the Eastern Conference finals, like whatever you want to say about them, about, oh, he only played six guys and they're very predictable and all that stuff. Guess what? You know how I know that that was a good look for that team? Because they got to game six of the Eastern Conference final. That's it. That's the answer. So until this team does that, I can't say they're better. They're wildly inconsistent. The Knicks, like, they'll go on a five game winning streak, they'll go on a six game losing streak, they'll go back on a ten game winning streak. I don't know if that is going to get you to the finals or even to the Eastern Conference finals over time. And I really believe in Boston this year. So it kind of depends on when they run into them too. I mean, a lot of this, how far will they get in the playoffs? Conversation is, hey, where do they hit that big team in the brackets? Do the Knicks hit the Boston Celtics in the second round? Do the Lakers hit the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round? There are some matchups where you can say that's the one that's gonna get them. And if it comes early, it comes early.
Mike
How do you do birthday parties? The twins have one coming up, do they not? Are you a good party planner?
Rachel Nichols
We just had one this weekend. We had 27 girls over at our house, 2714 and 15 year old teenage girls at my home. At one time the decibel level was so high I almost felt like, you know those people on the plane who bring a baby onto the plane and they like bring little like packets of cookies and stuff for their neighbors because they're like, oh, please don't get mad at us, we have a baby. I this morning feel like I have to go to my neighbors and bring them cookies or something like that to apologize for the sheer volume that was going on in my backyard yesterday.
Mike
Does it sound like a gaggle of geese? Like, what is the. What does it sound like?
Rachel Nichols
It's just they talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. And it goes over each other and then over each other. It's like A jet engine taking off for two and a half hours. It's. You shouldn't do it.
John Zaslow
Nobody actually listens.
Rachel Nichols
I would say if. If you have 30 teenage girls that you have to do something with, you know, take them to a movie theater where they can be quiet. We made an unforced error here just having them in our backyard.
Mike
Fox Sports Sports. All the smoke. She's a longtime NBA reporter, host and analyst. She's also an Emmy award winning journalist. How many Emmys won? Loves to say that he put the Emmy in. Jeremy. How many of those have you won?
Rachel Nichols
Rachel, is it bad to tell you? I don't know offhand, it's. It's multiple.
Dan Le Batard
That many?
Rachel Nichols
I'm sorry, you win.
Mike
It's a great, humble brag. These old things.
Dan Le Batard
And a hair flip. I can't even count.
Mike
And a hair flip. I don't know.
Rachel Nichols
Wait, wait, wait. Did you guys talk about what Bam said after the Lakers game, after they lost to the Lakers? Because that was one of the best tumble brags I've ever seen.
John Zaslow
Not so easy to score. 80 is right. I loved it.
Rachel Nichols
I was like, I know how good it was what Luka did, because, I mean, man, it's so hard to score 80, 83. Like, I mean, it's just. It was perfection.
John Zaslow
I would do that every day of the rest of my life. Every scenario I could bring up the number 83, I would bring it up. I would change my birthday to 1983 just to remind everybody.
Mike
Rachel, good talking to you. Thank you for stopping by. Before we get to the post game show here, can you just give me a sound, please, from the Twins spring training broadcast?
Dan Le Batard
So good start for the Twins here in the fourth inning. You ever seen Buck with his pants down? No.
Mike
Like his shorts?
John Zaslow
No. Like he's got.
Dan Le Batard
He doesn't have his nose socks showing. Ah, I see what you're saying. Oh, that way. Because in baseball, when you, I mean, you seem confused. Pants up, pants down. You know, the stirrups where they show you. Also, you could just change your birthday to August 3rd.
Mike
Hey,
Released: March 23, 2026
Hour 2 of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" features NBA analyst Rachel Nichols joining the crew for a fast-paced, humorous journey through NBA hot topics, sports media, celebrity anecdotes, and March Madness energy. Broadcast from downtown Miami’s Elser Hotel, the segment is punctuated by the crew’s signature banter and playful irreverence, including the supposed "sabotage" of Rachel by John Zaslow (Zas), lively references to pop culture, and a candid discussion of NBA issues old and new.
Teen Birthday Pandemonium: Nichols describes hosting 27 teenage girls at her twins’ birthday, comparing the noise to a jet engine and advocating future parties be held in movie theaters to preserve sanity.
Emmy Humble Brag: Admits she’s lost count of her Emmys, leading to chuckles and a "hair flip."
Best "Humble Brag": Group cracks up over Rachel’s recounting of Bam Adebayo subtly reminding everyone he’s scored 83 points before.
Final Gags: Show ends with riffing on Twins spring training and classic baseball terminology.
| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|-----------------------------| | 01:38 | Michael Mann, Miami Vice | | 04:20 | Tom Cruise as Miami Vice villain | | 10:56 | Jury duty antics | | 15:02 | Lakers' playoff chances | | 16:54 | LeBron's historic longevity | | 18:33 | Luka Doncic technical discussion | | 22:36 | Wembanyama’s stardom | | 24:11 | Dan’s Instagram distraction | | 27:15 | NBA’s 65-game rule critique | | 31:31 | Knicks playoff analysis | | 33:07 | Rachel's twin birthday chaos | | 34:43 | Bam Adebayo humble brag |
This episode encapsulates the show’s signature blend of sharp sports insight, open-armed irreverence, and meandering pop culture commentary. Rachel Nichols brings experienced analysis—delivered with warmth, wit, and that subtle ability to keep up (and play along) with the guys’ comedy—and provides several standout moments, especially in her defense of NBA tradition and players’ legacies. The banter about pop culture, the gentle roast of Zas for “sabotaging” content, and the open admission of on-air distractions season the conversation, making for an engaging listen or read.
Perfect for listeners who love NBA talk, inside sports media, and the unpredictable energy of the show’s rotating cast and guest stars.