Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: Greg Cote's NBA Comp
Date: November 4, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Overview
In this lively South Florida–centric Local Hour, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cote, and the crew dive into sports, media habits, pop culture, and—most enjoyably—a comical comparison of Greg Cote to NBA players with questionable attendance. The episode’s big themes revolve around how people consume media in the “video-first” era, postgame NBA talk (especially about Ja Morant), heat culture and trades, and the quirkiness of their team—led, as always, by Greg Cote’s tardiness.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Dan's ‘Back in My Day’ Media Consumption Rant
- Dan Le Batard opens frustrated by the dominance of audio/video content and his preference for written transcripts:
- “I don’t want to watch anything anymore. I want to read.” (00:10)
- He bemoans that postgame comments, especially after a big Miami Heat win, are buried in longform videos rather than easy-to-skim text.
- Zaz and others introduce him to YouTube’s transcript and third-party tools, but Dan is skeptical of AI-generated errors (“band banned out of Bio”).
Notable quote:
“I don’t want to watch no video, man. I ain’t got time for that. I want something I can look, read, refer back to… Tired of this.”
— Dan Le Batard (00:40)
2. Greg Cote's Perpetual Tardiness & NBA Player Comparison
- Stugotz launches a roast of Greg Cote’s habitual lateness, riffing on the running joke about his inability to ever be on time—even after being warned about blocked routes and big events downtown (02:18).
- Stugotz: “Even when it’s normal, Cody is always late… 10 minutes earlier, Greg, and you won’t be late. He refuses to not be late.” (03:24)
- NBA analogies erupt:
- Mike: “He’s like Udonis Haslam… You argue for his jersey in the rafters, but you could argue, why’s he still here?” (05:04)
- Dan: “I raise you Zion Williamson; when he’s here, he’s a star, but he’s rarely available.” (05:46)
- Group banter: Is Greg a star (Kawhi, Embiid) or just coasting as a vet?
- Pitcher of Coke/New Orleans food tangent: Callback to Zion rumors (06:21)—with comedic riffs about a full pitcher of soda and beignets.
3. Modern Media Skepticism: Fake News & Twitter Follows
- The crew parses why fake stories spread—people want to believe, don’t scrutinize the source, and confuse follower count for credibility (08:27).
- Dan calls out “I know the people who know people.”
- Jokes about getting followed by Taye Diggs, complexities of Twitter algorithms, and the struggle of navigating timelines with thousands of follows (10:00–11:10).
4. Greg Cote Arrives (Late!) & Surgery Week
- Greg finally shows up announcing, “It’s knee week!” (11:32), preparing for surgery but joking his lateness is through "no fault of my own."
- Banter ensues about the risks of surgery at his age (“Odds are worse than they’ve ever been in your entire life in terms of waking up from surgery.” – Mike, 12:24)
- Greg: “I am older right now than I’ve ever been in my whole life.” (12:32)
- Is he the Ja Morant of the show (fails to show up on time) or just unlucky?
- The show morphs into a playful tryout/waiver wire segment about Greg’s value to the team.
5. Has Ja Morant Lost His Joy?
- The team critiques Ja Morant’s cryptic, downcast postgame comments, playing hypotheticals with how he answered the press after returning from suspension:
- “You feel like you kept the same joy?” —Reporter
- Ja: “No.”
- Greg criticizes Ja’s professionalism: “I’m not going to be an apologist for this guy’s unprofessional behavior…” (18:10)
- Debate over: Is Morant sabotaging his value to force a trade? (“You show up and make a mess.” – Dan, 19:17).
Notable quote:
“In the NBA when you want to be out, you do show up. You show up and you make a mess.”
— Dan Le Batard (19:17)
6. Should the Miami Heat Trade for Ja Morant?
- Dan asks Greg if the Heat should pursue Morant given their strong start: (20:17)
- Greg: “Heat culture thinks it can fix anybody… If Ja Morant is available for a fair price, I’d think I could fix that guy.” (20:33)
- Value and risk debates:
- Ja’s injury history: “Ja hasn’t played seven consecutive games since 2023.” (25:41, Zaz)
- Is he a fit? Too explosive/athletic to age well? Friction with Memphis system change? (various: 23:55–25:41)
- Off-court risk in Miami vs. Memphis—can “Heat culture” contain him?
- Comparison to past Heat 'reclamation projects': Jimmy Butler, Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters, Birdman. Most had short, productive windows, but long-term fixes are rare.
- Ja’s value at a low point—is it a buy-low or avoid-the-mess scenario?
Notable quotes:
“You’re hanging your hat on this culture being strong enough to change Ja Morant. And you’re cherry picking from examples that are pretty long ago.”
— Mike Ryan (23:03)
“In terms of talent, [Ja] is greater than Jimmy Butler was, anytime. Like, he’s younger.”
— Mike Ryan (23:55)
7. NBA Trade Machine: Other Destinations for Ja Morant
- Mike proposes a Trae Young/Ja Morant swap with Atlanta (28:04)
- Sacramento Kings suggested as a plausible, desperate buyer (“They would absolutely give the sun, the moon, and the earth…” – Dan, 33:52)
- Greg wonders if Ja would buy in anywhere: “If he doesn’t want to play for Sacramento, do you really want him if you’re Sacramento?” (35:05)
- Final analysis: Heat fans just want a winner. Are they willing to root for a blue-collar, scrappy team again? Or will star acquisition always be the expectation? (37:00)
- “It’s all about winning for Heat fans. They don’t care about anything else.” – Greg Cody (38:47)
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
-
On Greg’s lateness:
“Greg Cody would show up later. Ten minutes later after the Doc got shot.”
— Dan Le Batard (04:15) -
On Ja Morant postgame:
“He’s taken the Jimmy Butler seminar on how to behave when you don’t want to play there, when you want out.”
— Greg Cody (18:10) -
On Heat “culture” myth:
“Most of those reclamation guys…never really got fixed for good. We just got a season or two.”
— Mike Ryan (paraphrased, 22:31+) -
On Miami’s basketball needs:
“Every time we have these debates and we’re like, no, we don’t need that guy—it’s come back to haunt this franchise. The something might’ve been Norm Powell.”
— Mike Ryan (36:11) -
On Heat fanbase:
“It’s all about winning for Heat fans. They don’t care about anything else.”
— Greg Cody (38:47)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Dan on reading vs watching media: 00:10–01:36
- Roast of Greg Cote / Late NBA Player comps: 02:18–07:14
- Twitter/Fake News & Media Skepticism: 08:17–11:32
- Greg Arrives & Surgery Week: 11:32–13:17
- Ja Morant Postgame Audio & Debate: 16:38–19:57
- Should the Heat Trade for Ja?: 20:17–23:11
- Heat ‘Culture,’ Ja’s health, & Miami fit: 23:11–26:14
- Ja Morant destination brainstorm (ATL/SAC): 28:04–35:46
- Are Heat fans OK with ‘scrappy’ teams?: 37:00–38:47
Tone & Style
The episode features the show’s trademark blend of sarcasm, quick wit, pop culture references, and inside jokes (“Cinephobe,” “pitcher of coke," “Back in my day”). There’s equal parts sports insight and comic relief—a convivial roast of Greg alongside a real, nuanced look at NBA star drama and South Florida fandom.
Recommended for listeners who enjoy:
- South Florida sports culture
- NBA trade speculation with humor
- Media criticism (“video vs. text” debate)
- Classic Dan, Stugotz, and Greg Cote banter
Skip to:
- 04:00 for the Greg Cote NBA comp
- 16:30 for the Ja Morant “lost his joy” audio/discussion
- 23:00 for serious Miami Heat/Ja trade hypotheticals
- 37:00 for Miami basketball fanbase talk
“Back in my day… media was readable; Greg was late; and Heat trades were always wild.” — This Local Hour has all those flavors, plus Apple Time, blue-collar pride, and a sideways glance at every viral NBA headline on your feed.