Is Jaylen Brown Right About Stephen A. Smith And Journalism? | Hour 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Is Jaylen Brown Right About Stephen A. Smith And Journalism? | Hour 1"

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz & Crew
Date: May 18, 2026
Recording Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Overview

This episode dives into the rapidly evolving world of sports culture, focusing on the changing nature of NBA playoff unpredictability, shifting team dynamics, and—most centrally—the brewing conflict between athletes, sports media personalities, and the meaning of journalism today. The discussion features lively debate on the fallout between Jaylen Brown and Stephen A. Smith, the modern landscape of sports media, the value of journalistic integrity, and how entertainment often trumps reporting in current sports coverage.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NBA Playoffs: Unpredictable Landscape

Timestamps: [01:45]–[13:29]

• Dan observes a changing NBA playoff reality: Game 7s are no longer dominated by home teams as in previous decades. For the sixth time in seven years, at least one NBA conference final doesn't feature a #1 or #2 seed—a major departure from historical norms.

  • "Basketball has officially changed and I got a little bit left behind as recently as last week when I was saying, oh, it's going to be like it always is." (Dan, 03:17)

• Discussion on star performances and drastic postseason drop-offs; highlights Detroit’s Durant posting one of the biggest All-Star declines since Elgin Baylor.

  • "In my lifetime, there has never been an All-Star drop off like that in basketball." (Dan, 05:19)

• Analysts Tony and Dan debate the value of defense and the challenge Detroit faces in roster decisions, especially in spending on players who had poor playoff performances.

  • "You saw Tobias Harris didn’t give them very much yesterday either. But how about this from Tommy Beer? Per NBA's tracking data, when Harden and Mitchell were defended by Thompson in the series, they were 6 for 33 and had more turnovers than field goals." (Dan, 08:58)

• Reflections on Cleveland’s domination when their bigs play well, and the tactical defensive strategies employed against players like a sore Thompson.

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2. Impact of Media Leaks: Shams, Prime, and Broadcast Rights

Timestamps: [23:34]–[25:47]

• Discord around Shams Charania leaking the MVP announcement before Prime could air it, with both playful and genuine annoyance from broadcasters.

  • "Shams, his job is not to do what Prime wants." (Dan, 25:03)
  • "Go to brunch, you nerd." (Blake Griffin, 24:21)

• The hosts speculate that Prime was likely contractually guaranteed the MVP reveal as a broadcast ‘get,’ and losing this exclusivity devalued the moment.

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3. Jaylen Brown vs. Stephen A. Smith: Athletes, Media, and Integrity

Timestamps: [25:47]–[44:36]

Jaylen Brown’s Critique:

• Explosive direct quotes from Jaylen Brown condemning Stephen A. Smith and "clickbait media," calling for Smith’s retirement and a return to journalistic or at least basic integrity.
  • "Tell this mother retire. You know, because he's the face of clickbait media at the point. And maybe with his retirement, we could spark a movement to get the rest of these mother out of here or to also have some type of...integrity." (Jaylen Brown, 27:04)
  • "My obligation is to...As an athlete, I’m obligated to speak to the media. It’s my job…If I do not speak to the media, then I will be fined." (Jaylen Brown, 28:03)

Dan & Crew’s Analysis:

• Dan laments the shift toward entertainment and extremity in sports media, with ‘hot takes’ overshadowing critical, nuanced journalism.

  • "Stephen A. has become an institution that is as big and formidable and as famous as some of these athletes. So let's hear Jaylen Brown some more..." (Dan, 26:30)
  • "The evolution bothers me…this evolution journalistically into entertainment is a contaminant." (Dan, 26:30)

• Tony and others point out Jaylen Brown’s misunderstanding of what counts as journalism, noting that programs like First Take have long strayed from true journalism despite Stephen A.’s insistence.

  • "Stephen A. Smith stopped journalism a long time ago. First Take is not journalism." (Tony, 38:42)
  • "There are really good journalists out there and really good journalism out there. That is for you to absorb." (Tony, 38:58)

• Dan argues that the blurred lines between journalism and entertainment are a product of ESPN’s desire for newspaper credibility fused with TV star power, and questions whether true journalism is even necessary or wanted in today’s entertainment-streamed sports world.

  • "Why does sports have to have that [journalism]? ... I totally understand why the player is saying, why do I need that here. What does that have to do with...come in here, report and be some version of fair." (Dan, 40:15)

• Concludes that the age of sports journalism is effectively "dead" on television and streaming; entertainment and sanitized content have won out over traditionally uncomfortable journalistic truths.

  • "I'd like that time to live forever. It's dead. Like, it's not dying. It's dead. These streamers have no interest. None of them have any interest in doing journalism." (Dan, 44:18)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "In my lifetime, there has never been an All-Star drop off like that in basketball." (Dan, 05:19)
• "Go to brunch, you nerd." (Blake Griffin, 24:21 referencing Shams)
• “Tell this mother retire...he's the face of clickbait media at the point.” (Jaylen Brown on Stephen A. Smith, 27:04)
• "Stephen A. Smith stopped journalism a long time ago. First Take is not journalism." (Tony, 38:42)
• "I'd like that time [of sports journalism] to live forever. It's dead. Like, it's not dying. It's dead." (Dan, 44:18)

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Timeline of Key Segments

• [01:45]–[13:29]: NBA Playoff randomness, team strategy analysis, star drop-offs, Detroit/Cleveland/Knicks postmortem
• [23:34]–[25:47]: Reporting scoop war—Shams leaks MVP news, Prime’s frustrations, ethics of journalistic allegiance
• [25:47]–[44:36]: Jaylen Brown vs. Stephen A. Smith—debate over journalism, athlete perceptions, media as entertainment vs. reporting
• [40:15]–[44:36]: Dan’s monologue: why journalism’s role is fading in pro sports media, entertainment/PR are winning

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Conclusions & Takeaways

• The episode exposes major tensions in modern sports media between entertainment and honest, sometimes uncomfortable, journalism.
• The Jaylen Brown/Stephen A. Smith feud is emblematic of a much larger cultural and generational clash (athletes vs. media figures vs. journalists vs. streamers).
• While legacy sports media once valued "nerd voices" from journalists, that era is finished; television and streamers now prefer sanitized, celebratory, or entertaining content.
• Athletes like Jaylen Brown want relationships with media on their terms; many media companies are now content to oblige, leaving true journalism on the fringes.

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For Further Listening

If you want the uncensored pulse of the sports world—warts and all—this episode is a snapshot of how the debate over journalism and entertainment will shape the future of how sports are seen and remembered.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan lebatar Show with the Stugats Podcast. This episode of the Dan Lebatard show is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

The Crown is yours.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's continue to just play occasionally for no particular reason. Troy Aikman, who works and is paid by the Dolphins and by espn, talking about how he has no conflict. I don't feel there's a conflict, but I will say I'm pulling for the Dolphins. That's top comedy right there. Also, top comedy is we spend all this time talking about James Harden. James Harden in a game 7, goes 2 for 10, goes 0 for 6. From 3 he's plus 31 in the game and that is as much of a demolishing as you will ever see by the road team in a game seven game. Sevens are won by the home team, the better seed about 80% of the times as but basketball has officially changed and I got a little bit left behind as recently as last week when I was saying, oh, it's going to be like it always is. Some form of 12 in the west and some form of 13 in the east. And now what you have Instead, for the sixth time in seven years, you have a conference final in basketball. Zas our most predictable sport that doesn't have a one or a two. I'm going to say that again because everything has changed with this sport. With the threes, with the absence of close games. The playoffs are not giving us buzzer beaters. They are not giving basketball's playoffs are not giving us close, interesting games. This game 7 doesn't have a whole lot of precedent. I know a few years ago the the team of Devin Booker and deandre Ayton lost to Dallas at home in a Game seven. But I'm going to give the stat again. Six of the last seven years. One of the conference finals isn't featuring a one or a two. That's not normal for this sport. And it's a place the sport has changed and I'm going to say changed for the better because it makes it less predictable, makes the regular season less relevant than it's ever been. But basically the flaw in Detroit is the flaw that you cannot have, which is they couldn't shoot. Their true shooting efficiency is so bad that if you're not in the top third in the league, you're not going to get further in the playoffs. That was still stunning to me though, to see a Game seven lost at home that way. And while we spend a lot of time talking about James Harden and Donovan, Mitchell Duran just had as bad a postseason as I've ever seen an All Star have. Like I cannot remember in my lifetime. I went and looked it up. Not since Elgin Baylor has a player gone from averaging what he did in the regular season to averaging nine points less. When you look at what it is Duran had during the regular season, he had six games where he scored 10 or fewer points. He had seven of those in the playoffs. Like, I don't understand why it is that we're focusing on all the other All Stars and this guy's going to skate. He's not going to skate regionally in Detroit. They're going to know it. But nationally, he's in a contract year, correct?

[Tony]

Yep.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like that is an uncommon disaster. I want to ask you guys, maybe you guys can offer me something here that I don't get the last couple of years. Okay. I have seen that the New York Knicks have against Cleveland and Toronto. The way they match up is Cleveland and Toronto have no shot against the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson does something to Mobley and Allen that nobody else in the league can do to Mobley and Allen. And Mobley and Allen just did that to Durant like that. The reason he looked like that is because those guys are big in their physical and they play very well defensively. And they ended up making him an All Star. I'm going to say it again. In my lifetime, there has never been an All Star drop off like that in basketball. And he's going to skate. Nobody's going to end up talking about that today. They're going to end up talking about all the other things, but they're not going to talk about one of the All Stars. For Detroit didn't show up in a historic fashion.

[Tony]

Okay, so let's preface everything and anything I say now moving forward when it comes to the NBAs, I don't know. All right? Because I, I've been wrong about everything with this playoff. I can't even pick a single game. All right? I thought that the Pistons would win game seven. I thought the Cavs would win game six. I thought the Wolves would win game six. I, I didn't have the Lakers winning a single game this postseason. I don't know. All right, all right. Now that we got that out, what's

[Dan Le Batard]

your prediction for tonight? Big one tonight.

[BetterHelp Sponsor Voice]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Let's all fade, Zaz. I mean, I, I, I think the

[Tony]

spurs are gonna win the series.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, good.

[Sports Commentator]

Okay.

Thank God.

[Dan Le Batard]

So you got the spurs tonight.

[Tony]

I think it's first to win the whole thing.

[Dan Le Batard]

So you got the spurs tonight.

[Tony]

I mean, do I have them tonight? I don't know. I got them winning the series.

[Sports Commentator]

Make a decision, man.

[Tony]

I did. I have them winning the. No, you didn't.

[Sports Commentator]

Okay, you made up.

[Tony]

There's no bigger decision then who's gonna win the championship tonight. Give me some time to think about it. Okay? Now I will say when it comes to Cleveland, like, they're at their best when their big guys play well, Allen and Mobley, we can talk all we want about Mitchell, and Mitchell was phenomenal last night. Boy, James Harden, that narrative continues. He stunk last night. My God, can you imagine? They lose that game. Harden's two for ten and over six from three.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, he was 31.

[Tony]

Well, the team was up by 40 the whole game.

[Sports Commentator]

His much maligned game seven averages.

[Tony]

He stunk.

[Sports Commentator]

Went down.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

It's crazy.

[Tony]

He's terrible. He's terrible. But Cleveland is at their best when their big guys play well. They just don't do it enough. And their big guys were fantastic last night. The darn thing. I don't even know what Detroit does there. He is going to be a free agent and you would have to assume his best regular season year of his career. He was an all star. He's the second best player on the team. Presumably you would assume he's going to ask for a max contract. Well, when you're Detroit and you're a young growing team, you now have to be really careful where you're spending your money next to Cade Cunningham. And you're going to do it by giving that guy who was so bad in the playoffs 40 plus million dollars a year. I don't know what you do if you're Detroit. I really don't.

[Sports Commentator]

Not only that, you have a sore Thompson's new contract. He can't play offense.

[Tony]

Yeah, but he's, he's.

[Sports Commentator]

I guess you're going to pay him a ton of money to play one side of the, of the game.

[Tony]

I know, but you heard Kenny Atkinson's comments after the game. Like their whole strategy was have the ball on the side of the floor where Sar Thompson is not.

[Sports Commentator]

That was on offense.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, but that was great though. When Kenny Atkinson is asked what adjustments did you make? And he's like, tactically what we did is wherever Thompson is, throw the ball to the other side.

[Tony]

It's a big deal.

[Sports Commentator]

They didn't guard him.

[Tony]

I understand. They did.

[Sports Commentator]

No, no, they did not guard him. I don't think you understand because you're saying I understand.

[Dan Le Batard]

You don't, you don't get it.

[Sports Commentator]

Obviously they're Tony Alleling him. He's wearing Timbaland boots out there.

Their front office Dan kind of skating a little bit. And to be fair, I haven't sampled Pistons fans. I'm sure it's probably a conversation point for them, but this is exactly the kind of young, superstar driven team that needed a veteran acquisition at the deadline. Some dude to like the James Harden acquisition that Cleveland made. Detroit should have looked at that like a guy like Norm Powell could have helped them a lot. They, they should have made a move.

You know what helped him? Malik Beasley. Pablo killed him though.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, but Duncan Robinson is what they tried to replace that three point shooting with. And you saw Tobias Harris didn't give them very much yesterday either. But how about this from Tommy Beer? Per NBA's tracking data, when Harden and Mitchell were defended by Thompson in the series, they were 6 for 33 and had more turnovers than field goals. What is that worth, Tony? What's that worth?

[Sports Commentator]

Not a max deal.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, but. But what's it worth? That Lee, that team prides itself. The way they got to where they got was not shooting the way they got to where they got his physical and defense. That's, that's. That team won 60 games this season, Tony. Did they win 60?

[Tony]

Yeah. There's a much better chance of him improving being able to hit a corner three than there is him being able to improve being a poor defender to maybe the best defender.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm going to give that stat again because Stan Van Gundy says he's far and away the best defender in the league. But Mitchell and Harden were sick for 33. They shot 18% when he guarded them and they had more turnovers than field goals made. They made all of six field goals. And Kenny Atkinson says after the game that's the highest compliment you can give. Right. Game seven, what was my tactical strategy? Just keep the ball away from wherever. Thompson. Yeah, like that is why Kenny Atkinson is their coach. Kenny Atkinson has unlocked some things that never get unlocked in Cleveland unless LeBron James plays for them. But that team, you tell me. Can you look up something for me, Jeremy? Because I think Jared Allen missed one of the series against the Knicks. I had to think that Knicks fans were rooting very hard for Cleveland yesterday because they have smoked Cleveland and Toronto the last three years over the run of Jalen Brunson. They just dominate those two good teams. Those are two good basketball teams. And it's because of what I'm telling you, Jared Allen and Mobley, for whatever the reason is, Mitchell Robinson does something to them that I don't, that I don't totally understand because he does it to some people. But that front line is formidable against just about everyone else.

[Sports Commentator]

But it was believed that the key part in them acquiring James Harden was specifically to address the mismatch against New York because Harden does things, he can get to the line, get even Robinson in foul trouble. And I don't know what the sample is, after they acquired James Harden, I believe they played once and Cleveland won that game.

[Dan Le Batard]

Tony, to your point though, what is defense worth? The Knicks were built to combat the Celtics on the perimeter. Anunobe and Bridges are good perimeter defenders. And so I don't know how much James Harden is going to alter that. But you do understand that the Cleveland Cavalier philosophy in trading for James Harden is we need help to get out of a game seven. So they went and got a notoriously bad game seven player who was notoriously bad in the game yesterday. And yet not since the 1940s have you seen a road team go and do that to a one seed in their building.

[Sports Commentator]

James Harden's last five game sevens, three of nine against Toronto, two of eight against Denver, three of 11 against Boston, five of 17 against Milwaukee, four of 15 against OKC.

[Tony]

Harden was available in one of the three matchups that Cleveland had this year against New York. New York won the first two games without Harden. For Cleveland, Cleveland won the third game with Harden in the lineup.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

But going back to last year, Cleveland actually dominated New York. Like since 2324, the Knicks are just 4 and 6 against Cleveland. And last season they were winless against Cleveland. So the acquisition here, those first couple of games, what you're talking about is real. Like Mitchell Robinson was a huge X factor. But. But in their most recent matchup, Jared Allen had 19 and 10 and they won that game.

[Sports Commentator]

Yeah, but this New York team is completely different than what we've seen from them in the regular season. Like they were just kind of plotting the regular season, like trying to figure everything out. Mike Brown's got everybody offense, defensively, everybody's playing great basketball. Jalen Brunson's out of his mind. Cat has been incredible in the high post. Being able to facilitate like that's opened up their offense so much. And plus Mitchell Robinson just grabs every board he sees, so it's going to be a really good frontline.

[Dan Le Batard]

I told you guys last week that the change that they made in the last game against Atlanta has made it so that that Carl Anthony towns goes from one assist every 36 minutes to eight assists every 36 minutes. Because they're playing through him.

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[Sports Commentator]

that moment at a party or a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks?

[Dan Le Batard]

I know it well.

[Sports Commentator]

It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy.

Yeah, you usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo walking like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night.

It has that effect on people.

[Tony]

It does.

[Sports Commentator]

You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hooting and hollering. Keep it Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo, baby. Don LeBatard.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you get lost on the way to Home Depot today, Dan? Like, what?

[Dan Le Batard]

What's going on with the platform stugats.

[Commercial Announcer]

But you look like you're about to ask me to, like, check the oil on my car or, like, come over and, like, look around and things in my house that need to be fixed.

[Tony]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

With the thing. I was asking you though, Jeremy, I wasn't asking about Harden. I was asking if Jared Allen missed their playoff series when the Knicks rolled through Cleveland. Because Jared Allen's a hugely important player for them and I don't remember whether or not he was healthy or not. I do remember being confused by how stifled Mobley was by Mitchell Robbins.

[Sports Commentator]

Yeah, Dan's right to bring up the postseason series there because while the regular season numbers don't really play to this narrative, the narrative exists because of what happened in that Postseason series in 2023.

[Dan Le Batard]

And I don't know if Jared Allen was actually healthy for that series. He might have played some, but I can't remember. I was wondering too, by the way, and this is off point. I don't know if you guys read the Steve Kerr article that Wright Thompson did a deep dive on Steve Kerr and why it is that he's returning to the warriors money. But one of the things that Steve Kerr did all of last season that no one noticed is that he was inserting Taylor Swift lyrics in every press conference that he was doing. And I don't think that if Jeremy had been covering the warriors that he would have been able to do that with it. Being able to escape.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

Never would have gotten away with it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Everyone's attention.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

I can't believe the lack of journalistic integrity. Taylor Swift is essentially the new Springsteen for white sports reporters. It's unbelievable that this generation's white sports reporters did not figure this out around Steve Kerr. How could this possibly happen? And all too well. Of all songs, Dan, the number one song in her catalog. I can't believe he got away with this. It's ridiculous.

[Tony]

Shake it off.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

Are you telling me to shake it off?

[Dan Le Batard]

He's saying that Taylor Swift is Bruce Springsteen. For the modern day sportswriter, that's in no way true. Cannot be.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

Put it on the poll.

[Tony]

That's a disgrace.

[Sports Commentator]

Other white guys have to have some other guy, right? It can't be that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, as I mentioned, Colbert is having his final show on Thursday. It bums me out for a number of different reasons. He's got a hell of a guest list obviously all week and Bruce Springsteen is going to perform at at some point. But what I have noticed over the last couple of years with Colbert because he's over 60, is there are an awful lot of dad jokes in everything that he's doing. And so Springsteen, Springsteen is brought out by the old people to celebrate our oldness and no one likes springst more than old sports writers, but this does not escape the attention of the reporters in Golden State. If it's Springsteen, if he had been doing Springsteen lyrics, there's no way that he's able to do this. But in the article, one of the things that I found interesting, I remember we didn't talk at all last week about how prosecutors are indeed going to be able to get Tiger Woods's prescription history. But allegedly it's going to be something that is not going to be able to be in the public's eyesight. Public records requests aren't going to be able to summon it. I don't know if that's going to be able to stay quiet. I would think attorney client privilege would make it so that legally and ethically it should stay quietly, but I really don't know whether that's going to stay quiet once it gets into some hands. But I was telling you that Tiger woods, through all of those back surgeries, must be in a great deal of pain. And the thing I took away from that Kerr article is I had no idea how much physical pain he's in. He's in physical pain all the time the way Phil Jackson was in physical pain all the time because his back is all screwed up and it causes an assortment of pain, including like pressure behind his eyes that causes migraines because he's always in physical pain. And he's had three back surgeries. Tiger woods has had how many back surgeries? It's more than twice as many as that. And that's just on his back. So I assume that whatever prescription problem that Tiger woods is dealing with, and I've read that he is doing his. His rehab in another country in order for it to have privacy. He's not doing whatever is rehab here in terms of attending to his problem. But I would assume that the amount of pain that Tiger woods is is the reason that he's having trouble with prescription medication. I don't think it's an unreasonable leap to make given that you're talking about that many back surgeries.

[Tony]

I think seven.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's at least seven. Okay, thank you.

[Sports Commentator]

And on Steve Kerr, remember, he missed an entire season. Like Luke Walden came in and stepped in and was a coach for the Golden State Warriors. Like where, where was Steve Kerr? He was out.

[Dan Le Batard]

He couldn't coach. I think all the time we underestimate pain. Steve Kerr having this kind of pain and flying around all over the place. He must really love Steph Curry in order to you say it's money related but Steve Kerr could have made $7 million broadcasting and reportedly the deal that Steve Kerr was going to have meant that he didn't have to do any of the hot take stuff. Like he didn't ESPN wasn't going to make him do all the shows all he fun stuff.

[Tony]

I mean I see Kenny Smith's on first take all the time. I bet that's the only thing he wanted to do when they moved inside over to ESPN.

[Sports Commentator]

Wilbot has like 14 layers on noticed

[Dan Le Batard]

that he's been wearing three layers shirt zip up. Studios are cold. I have. That's true actually that's a good point by Christopher none colder than ours in order to keep me from sweating or making my sweat freeze. Anyway, there are a couple of people who have issues right now with a couple of ESPN people. We've got Shams is has evidently pissed off the people at prime because he announced the MVP yesterday. How are we feeling about SGA as a two time all star? He's going to, he's going to be an. I'm sorry two time mvp. He's going to be one of the most decorated players before the age of 30 and I don't think people regard him that way. Do I have this wrong? Like I know he's great, he's obviously great. There are, there's no such thing. Except maybe Steve Nash on two time MVP who's not like all time, all time great. Top 10 in all the categories that you would look at. But he's going to be an all timer. He's already an all timer. That what, what what SGA has on his resume already says. Do you regard him the way that the trophies regard him?

[Tony]

Yes, yes, I think so. Because not only is he putting up the numbers, but the team, you know, at least for regular season wise has been so far and away better than everyone else. It's not like he's putting up the numbers since like their third in the conference. Like the team is dominant. He doesn't even play fourth quarters. You look at the point differential, it's in the double digits each season. So yeah, I think so. I think I do regard.

[Dan Le Batard]

What did you think of this though? Because prime was upset that Shams broke the news before the NBA wanted it announced. They're playful with it. You've got Dirk and Steve Nash and Blake Griffin and Udonis here and Taylor Rooks as well. Let's hear the sound.

[Commercial Announcer]

Dirk and Steve.

[BetterHelp Sponsor Voice]

You all both won MVPs but I

[Commercial Announcer]

don't remember Sean spoiling it way back then.

[Jaylen Brown]

I Don't think he was a real shot. He was a baby.

[Dan Le Batard]

Then what are we doing, man? It's Sunday. Shams go to brunch, you nerd.

[BetterHelp Sponsor Voice]

Come on, there are other things to do.

[Tony]

They're mad. Yeah, they're definitely mad. Like, that feels like that was. That was them responding to. It feels like that was them responding to the management at prime being angry where they were supposed to announce last night the mvp, but they. Not even. They got scooped. Like, I'm sure a lot of reporters knew what the end result was. And Shams decided, hey, I'm going to let everybody know.

[Sports Commentator]

Can we assume that it might have been a deal point in the broadcast rights and you get the MVP announcement?

[Tony]

I think so, yeah. Because it's like, why does prime get it? I absolutely think that. That.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, where are you guys on this? Because Shams, his job is not to do what prime wants. I know Ariel Helwani pissed off Dana White and everybody in MMA when he announced the Brock Lesnar fight. They don't have any use for journalism. But Shams doesn't work for prime and Shams allegiance has to be to the. I wanna get into another portion of this, though, because you have. What is happening right now is a genuine war between the Blake Griffin attitude where he says, go to brunch, you nerd. And here's Jaylen Brown now going after Stephen A. Smith. Because you have a real disconnect right now between athletes and how they feel about the people covering them.

[Jaylen Brown]

Stephen A's job and it's Kendrick Perkins job and my job to talk to the media. It ain't your job to be a clown. It ain't in this whole playing the game, this delusion that y' all got that y' all running with, y' all making it seem like I'm playing the game and I'm pulling the ladder down. Y' all ain't doing nothing but helping y' all mother selves. And I'm tired of that shit. Y' all not being the brother. And that's why people calling that out. And that's why people. I've came to that conclusion. And I'll tell Stephen A, whoever else, when they see him, when they see me in person, I will let you know that it's Stephen A, Stephen B, Stephen C, directly to your face. So you don't even know. Like, you don't even gotta be no. You know what I mean? It is what it is.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's not all he had to say about this. And they've been going at it pretty good. And this evolution bothers me, and it's bothered me since Stephen A. Smith basically challenged Kevin Durant, threatened Kevin Durant on television. There has been an evolution here journalistically into entertainment that is a contaminant. And it's not the way that we're supposed to cover these people. But Stephen A. Has become an institution that is as big and formidable and as famous as some of these athletes. So let's hear Jaylen Brown some more. He's got some more for Stephen A.

[Jaylen Brown]

Tell this mother retire. You know, because he's the face of clickbait media at the. At the point. And maybe with his retirement, we could spark a movement to get the rest of these mother out of here or to also have some type of. Have some type of. Forget journalistic integrity, actual integrity, in order to hold themselves accountable to the bull takes they put out with no basis, no bias, no information, just narrative. Just for the sake of just pushing a weak narrative just purely out of

[Dan Le Batard]

that,

[Jaylen Brown]

I'll give it up. I'll pass streaming. I'll sign some streamers or some. You know what I mean? It ain't a big deal. I never went. Y' all ain't never heard from me before this. Think about it. I don't do no media. No podcast. I don't do no. None of that. I barely post on social media. But the fact is that my obligation is to. As an athlete, I'm obligated to speak to the media. It's my job. Like, he thinks the media is his job and so is. It's my job too. It's in my contract. If I do not speak to the media, then I will be fined. So when they use that comparison where it's my job. It's your job to play basketball. It's also my job to speak to the media.

[Tony]

Okay, I. I can actually report something. Can I report something here and now?

[Dan Le Batard]

Is it a happen to know? Do you. Do you need the happen to know? Like, are you breaking news?

[Tony]

I am breaking news.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, let's hear it. I don't know a breaking news sounder. He happens to know. Great Scott. He happens to know.

[Commercial Announcer]

He happens to know.

[Dan Le Batard]

Gather everyone.

[Tony]

Get the children.

[Dan Le Batard]

He happens to know.

[Tony]

So wise. Yeah. I'm reporting no matter what Jaylen Brown says. No matter what Jaylen Brown offers. Stephen A. Is not retiring. Retiring.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's not a report. That's report that you've diluted that happens to know.

[Tony]

Too much money.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, that's not wise. That's a report unwise and it's not news.

[Tony]

He's not retiring.

[Sports Commentator]

He's credible.

[Tony]

He's not doing it. That's the first thing. Now. Okay, let me give a little context to what Jaylen Brown's doing. Jaylen Brown, like the crux of what Jaylen Brown is angry with Stephen A. Smith right now about is when Jaylen Brown came out on the Twitch and he was, you know, saying really weird things about the, you know, this being his favorite season. And Stephen A. Thought he was giving him like advice and he told him, stop talking. And Jaylen Brown apparently has taken that to like a level of no, I'm not going to just shut up and dribble. When Stephen A. Was just saying, stop talking like this. Stop saying these things. And so now Jaylen Brown is like, I'll stop talking when you retire. So I don't know. It's not really the context of what Stephen A. Was saying. But here's also the thing. There's a lot of deflection from Jaylen Brown is what's going on.

[Sports Commentator]

Very curious. Off season. Jaylen Brown is there telling you he's acting different this offseason. He's doing all these streams. Jeremy mentioned that he's kind of acting like a wide receiver in the NFL

[Tony]

that's unhappy like Jaylen Brown is. Jalen Brown is saying things. No one asked him these questions. He went on Twitch and he is offering up this information, these thoughts, these opinions. Jaylen Brown is saying things. He doesn't like the reaction that it's gotten and now it's Stephen A. Smith's fault.

[Sports Commentator]

And the beautiful part about the wrestling of all this is I'm actually more interested to see what Stephen A. Has to say now that the gauntlet has been laid down. Now what is Stephen A. Gonna say? Because you don't want to make an enemy out of him.

Chris Cody, when you come over to my house and we put on the games, I got basketball, I got baseball going on, but what do I lay out for you and the boys for entertainment and drinking?

[BetterHelp Sponsor Voice]

Miller Line.

[Tony]

Uh huh.

[Sports Commentator]

Those beautiful white cans or on draft or the bottle if you prefer.

[Tony]

Oh, when you open that with the can though, and you.

[Sports Commentator]

One of the best sounds on the planet. You pair that with the right game. You take that first sip, we both look around. It's not a bit.

[Dan Le Batard]

I have goosebumps thinking about the first sip.

[Sports Commentator]

We take that first sip, we open it up and we're looking around. There's just that five seconds of almost eerie silence where you're just soaking it all in like, man, did we make the right call or what? That's why we reach for Miller Lite. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste, with simple ingredients that golden color. Just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975 and it still hits different I love you, Miller Lite. Cheers to legendary moments with Miller Light Grape 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.

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[Dan Le Batard]

Don LeBatard. Doesn't matter. Anywhere. We could do it in Buffalo or Baltimore. Either you say you could do it where?

[Jaylen Brown]

Anywhere.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, whoa.

[Jaylen Brown]

Oh. That's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's crazy.

[Jaylen Brown]

That's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

He said he could do it anywhere.

[Jaylen Brown]

That's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Murder. Murder. Tell him Stugach.

[Sports Commentator]

I had no idea Mean had that in his locker.

[Dan Le Batard]

That might be his best.

[Sports Commentator]

That's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm not kidding.

[Jaylen Brown]

That's crazy. Killer.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's two America's dead. You don't get it.

[Tony]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

So the evolution of this to me is really interesting and I don't know how and where the people listening to this side because I and we came up in a generation where ESPN decided to give the journalists the nerds voices that mattered and that became the norm. But the way that we use those voices are now different. And Stephen A in order to Stay ahead of everybody else has to evolve the way things are said in order to stay ahead of everyone else that he's competing with. And that is a contaminant that makes the divide even larger than it's ever been before. The storytellers are there or have always been there, to chronicle, to celebrate, to ask questions and to critique. But there is no disputing that the critique has gotten rewarded for. The more extreme that it becomes, the more cartoonish that it becomes. And I understand when Jaylen Brown is saying nevermind journalistic integrity, how about just integrity in general? It is click bait stuff to criticize the athlete with such zeal that it's poisonous. And the athlete then feels the need to respond. Zazzle. It's not surprising to me that you say Jaylen Brown is the one acting weird. You have the bias of you want to be able to continue to not be called a nerd by these people. We spent the first hour talking about Messi, acknowledging the song of the fan base. And what's happening right now is the journalist is being pushed to the fringes by the people at prime who do not care about Shams's journalism, whatever it is. They do not care about what Shams is reporting and getting it first.

[Sports Commentator]

Dan, you mentioned Shams has a responsibility to the journalism, not not to Prime. Can you counter that by saying he has a responsibility to his employer who is a league partner, who if Adam Silver wasn't a nothing, would probably be hearing from Adam Silver saying, hey, they don't crap on your deal, they don't take things from your deal. Why you doing this?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, Shams responsibility is to his employer, to his paycheck. And they are paying him the way they're paying very few people in their industry, anywhere in the industry to do specifically that. That is his job more than anything else. His job is not perspective, it's not context, it's not the articles that he likes to write. His job is get the news first. That's what he's known for.

[Sports Commentator]

Adam Silver needs to pick up the call and complain.

[Tony]

Nothing. That's not going to happen.

[Sports Commentator]

He needs to complain to ESPN because you're a league partner. We're not going to take shots at other league partners right here. This was a deal point and you just took some value from it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, but when I got in trouble with espn, when Manfred was calling espn, you take that call, you listen and then you hang up and you keep doing your job the way that you did it before.

[Sports Commentator]

And then you got fired.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. That is Well, I didn't.

[Sports Commentator]

Neutral.

It was neutral.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

Espn.

[Sports Commentator]

No, but it's just a funny example to cite, like. Yeah, well, we showed them. Mayford won.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, well, I got fired. Hold on a second. Hold on a second. Hold on. I'm gonna make a. I agreed with that initially. I did not get fired by espn. If. If you think them giving us all of our intellectual property and all of our money is us getting fired, that's not fired. That's not the way most people get fired. I got fired.

[Sports Commentator]

Right? They got you out of there.

[Dan Le Batard]

They got me out of there after I lost the protection that could fight Silver. Because partners aren't always partners that agree on everything. Partners are business partners that sometimes understand that you can be at odds on certain things. And so if you think that on my list of offenses at ESPN, the Manfred thing doesn't even rank in the top 10 in terms of.

[Sports Commentator]

Really?

[Tony]

You were that bad.

[Dan Le Batard]

I should put. I should put together a list.

[Sports Commentator]

We should put the kids in cages.

[Dan Le Batard]

Auto parts, battery.

[Sports Commentator]

Yeah, I don't see what Dan thinks. The top ten is the billboard.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come up with your own top ten. And I'm going to come up with my top ten to find out. Let's see. Let's see who gets closer to the truth. We'll do it before the end of the show. Actually, we should do it as a top five. You come up with your top five, and I'll come up with my top five. And. And absolutely. Manfred. Manfred. Getting Dana White mad at me was a lot worse than getting Manfred mad at me. And that's not the reason that we were let go from espn, either.

[Tony]

I think my. My biggest problem with what guys like Jaylen Brown are saying and complaining about is so many of these guys, they don't know what journalism is, and they definitely don't know what the media's responsibility is. And in this case, like Jalen. Jalen Brown keeps talking about, you know, in referring to Stephen A. Smith. That's not journalism. That's not journalism. Stephen A. Smith stopped journalism a long time ago. First take is not journalism.

[Dan Le Batard]

He would not agree with that. He would not agree with that. He identifies first and foremost as journalist.

[Tony]

Well, he is a journalist, but first take is not journalism. Okay, so Jaylen Brown thinks that what he sees on television is Jaylen Brown. Is Stephen A. Smith doing journalism. No, it isn't. And then he lumps all of that together, and we need to change. We need to get back to this journalism. That'd be like. It'd be like if I was Watching Jaylen Brown play a game of basketball. And I then say, wow, NBA players shouldn't be allowed to dribble with their left hand because that's terrible. Like, like, no, there are other really good players who can dribble with their left hand. There are really good journalists out there and really good journalism out there. That is for you to absorb.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

The problem with that though is that Stephen A. Says he's a journalist, right? Like, because if he's saying Jaylen Brown

[Tony]

doesn't have a good understanding then of what journalism is, he doesn't have to.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

It's not his job. The way that we present this stuff on television and the way that we talk about all of it, not, not one person in this room outside of Dan would say that they're a journalist.

[Sports Commentator]

Like Stephen A.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

Is a former. But like you're doing.

[Tony]

What am I doing?

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

You're not a journalist. You're not a journalist. And to be able to run with the hot takes that we do, it's a different thing than what journalism is. And the problem generally with the masses with quote unquote, fake news media and all of these things is we've spent so much time distorting what's a journalist and what's a media personality that people like Jaylen Brown, who's an intelligent guy, can't articulate the difference.

[Dan Le Batard]

I disagree with you guys on a couple of fronts. First of all, I do think Jaylen Brown does understand what journalism is and I do understand how he would view what Stephen A. Smith is doing and say that's not journalism. Because I would say much of what Stephen A. Is now doing is not journalism, even though some of what he does is still journalism. But let's go back a step and let me ask you this question. Just because ESPN made it the norm and the way that ESPN made it the norm is because they decided they wanted the credibility of newspapers in their facility. That's what they wanted. Why do sports have to have that? Because Dana White is saying, I don't want that in my sport. Get it out of my sport. I don't want it in here. Why does sports have to have that? I understand why we're arguing on its behalf. It's selfish and totally self serving for us to argue that, that we should have a voice. But I totally understand why the player is saying, why do I need that here? What does that have to do with like come in here, report and be some version of fair. Now we will have different disagreements about what's too personal, what's over the line. We cannot argue that what First Take is presently doing is journalism just because a journalist is sitting there, any more than I can argue that what we do here daily is journalism just because I'm sitting here. Been a long time since I did journalism. And I understand why these athletes would look at. Hey, Shams, nerd, get out of here. Don't need the news 10 hours early. Look, man, I did something yesterday. I don't know if you guys have gotten used to this. I'm checking in with the Marlins, Rays game on Peacock at noon. I'm checking in with Game seven on Prime. And please don't lose sight of the fact that it is hard to do what prime is presently doing where Game seven goes off without a hitch. And it's normal. Like they. They just got into this business. They're hosting a Game seven and they're doing it exceptionally well. There aren't glitches. There's nothing there. Like they're. And they don't need to do journalism. Where the people objecting to Shams there. Where were the journalists on that screenshot when you saw you, Donna, Steve Nash, Blake Griffin, Dirk and Taylor Rooks. Where was the journalism? Taylor's the journalism. But that's how Taylor is the way that athletes would like the media to behave. Come in here, ask me questions, get along, don't say anything inflammatory. Don't be too critical. Celebrate us. Why does prime have to do journalism? Where is the journalism on Prime? Where is it? I'm telling you in the documentary sphere that all of these big corporations are seeing less and less importance in doing things that are going to bother the masses because they're uncomfortable truths. They rather do antiseptic stuff than do the stuff that's a little dangerous because it's the truth. I happen to want the undistilled truth. I want. I want it pure. But that's not what everybody wants. And I come from a different time.

[Sports Commentator]

But then prime doesn't do journalism, they do entertainment, which is why they have the ex athletes, which is why they have Taylor Wilkes, which is why they have those kinds of personalities surrounding the game. You want journalism, go somewhere else. Like, we're not gonna break the hardcore X's and O stories.

[Sports Analyst/Commentator]

This is what we've talked about forever with espn is they like laundered the reputation of journalists and then turned them all into entertainers. And so when you're watching television, and again, we've decided to merge what those two things are, there's still great journalism being done in, in written form. In all sorts of different places. Hell, for that matter, what Pablo did to win a Pulitzer is so rare in audio reporting in the way that he's done it around sports. And there's a reason it's been such a sensation, because we don't see it that much where you can actually watch it or listen to it in the way that we are now. But we need to understand that television is about entertainment. CNN did the same thing, Dan. Like, they stopped doing journalism on air because they wanted to entertain and make money.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'd like that time to live forever. It's dead. Like, it's not dying. It's dead. These streamers have no interest. None of them. None of them have any interest in doing journalism. And that's why I'm telling you, this war, the journalists have already lost it.

[Commercial Announcer]

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