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Dan Le Batard
You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network.
Stugotz
What is dax?
Kristen
Are you tracking all our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen. Yes, I am.
Mike Ryan
Well, I've been looking for my phone for.
Kristen
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Mike Ryan
All of them?
Kristen
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Mike Ryan
That's a great offer.
Kristen
I know. Sell.
Amin Elhassan
Sell.
Kristen
Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today.
Mike Ryan
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Dan Le Batard
Shadow Show, Shadow Show. Shadow Show.
Stugotz
Shadow Show.
Dan Le Batard
Shadow Show.
Amin Elhassan
Shadow Show.
Dan Le Batard
Shadow Show. Shadowing it.
Amin Elhassan
Shadowing it.
Dan Le Batard
I believe that Hawk and Amin are tougher than I am. They have seen me lament and whimper for a while now about, I don't think I'm a good leader. I'm bad at leadership. And I'm looking Today from the 10th floor of this building in a very nice gym. And I'm seeing. Walk across the street, okay? I got Danny Benitez, I got Mallie lugging a bunch of equipment, and I got Fuentes leading the charge. And they had to park at Bayside because I didn't know when we started this that parking would be really hard in downtown Miami. And I'm looking down there at them and I'm like, you know what? I'm starting to like my team. They're just. There are three little gorillas, you know, walking across the street carrying a bunch of equipment. It took me four years. I'm like, I haven't liked my team for four years, but I'm liking that they care like that because. Because I have said for a while, you give me people who care, and we'll try and figure out how it is that we make something with them. And I've been thinking a lot recently because Jimmie Johnson's career is over. And he chose one path at 50, right? Jimmy Johnson at 50 years old said, okay, I don't like what this shit does to me. I'm going to go be in a department over there. But Pat Riley chose to stay with it for the next 30 years. And now the whole machine comes for grandpa. Because the way they lost against Cleveland last Night where even SPO looks bad, where you're like, what are they doing at the end of the game with those rotations? And what they're doing is they're not very good and they're trying to figure it out. And when Tyler heroes out, it's like, what the hell? You know, we got Terry Rozier to do this.
Mike Ryan
Thoughts and prayers for Tyler hero. He had a vicious head cold.
Dan Le Batard
Wow.
Amin Elhassan
That's.
Dan Le Batard
That's.
Stugotz
That's his attempt at like, well, hockey player would have AIDS and still play.
Mike Ryan
No, no, no, no.
Dan Le Batard
He's got it.
Stugotz
You guys got it.
Mike Ryan
No, that's not what I'm doing.
Stugotz
Okay.
Mike Ryan
That's not what I'm doing. Dan.
Amin Elhassan
It sounded genuine. No, Dan is right.
Mike Ryan
Dan is right to point out their rotation is bad because they're bad, but the rotation is bad because they're holding out Tyler Herro for head colds. Because it's pretty obvious what's happening here over the last two games is I think, the Miami Heat and its culture trying to tank.
Jeremy Tache
They won the last game they played before this one.
Amin Elhassan
A heads colds are going around. That's. That's number one, something we cannot take lightly and should not take lightly.
Jeremy Tache
Everything's going around.
Amin Elhassan
Everything is going around. Two, the disappointment of, I guess the way Terry Rozier played last night, which I was made aware of this morning because I. There's not a person on planet earth who knows less about the Miami Heat than the guy that you're talking to right now.
Jeremy Tache
You do this every time you come in here, though. I don't know what happened last. Oh, you guys lost.
Mike Ryan
I guarantee you watch them more than I do.
Amin Elhassan
I promise. I only get the Heat news when I walk in this building and Terry Rosier.
Dan Le Batard
But you walk in the building saying, hey, guys, whatever happened with that Jimmy.
Amin Elhassan
Butler situation, I want to know.
Mike Ryan
Smiling, solid troll.
Amin Elhassan
Where did that. Where did that end up? Like, explain to me the last.
Billy Gil
He's on Golden State now.
Amin Elhassan
The last we left it activated, there was something going on with Pat Riley, a disagreement about should he play, should he not? And I'm like, you know what? We're looking for topics for the show. I don't know if we have time and can fit it in, but where did that land, Dan? Do we just.
Mike Ryan
Because Jeremy was so quick to correct me that they won their last game. Yes, they beat the 12 win Wizards.
Jeremy Tache
Yes, they did.
Mike Ryan
Congratulations to them. My apologies.
Dan Le Batard
So the Tank, it is a. It is a strange thing when you get culture meets tank. And what is the explanation for Terry Rozier playing the entire fourth quarter, well, he's the worst player in the league statistically. He shot 26% from three since January 1st. He's got 33 fouls, 33 turnovers, and 33 threes since January 1st. So you put in your worst player in the league, and you aggressively try to lose against Cleveland, but you keep it closed because everyone else has to care.
Amin Elhassan
But also, it's his hometown team, so maybe they just. Fourth quarter against the hometown, put Terry in. This one's Riley just, you know, being the good guy that he is.
Dan Le Batard
It's not Riley's fault, man. He's too busy. The ice cream is it.
Amin Elhassan
This is the Dan Levatar show with.
Dan Le Batard
The St. Spotcast the second half last night. Terry Rosier, over eight, three turnovers, plays 22 of the 24 minutes. And it was like watching somebody who doesn't know how to play basketball try to play basketball. Let's play the clip from last night's game.
Jeremy Tache
Why are we doing this?
Stugotz
Come on, guys. So for the listeners, they're playing Philip Seymour Hoffman's basketball.
Jeremy Tache
This is not a long.
Stugotz
Raindrop.
Dan Le Batard
It was. I bet it was abysmal. Like you're watching something in a Heat uniform you don't recognize. And it's like Eric Spoelstra, who called a timeout he didn't have earlier this season, was purposely putting in Philip Seymour Hoffman from Along Came Paulie to turn the ball over at the at half court with no one bothering him.
Amin Elhassan
Hey, I have a history of being a part of a tank. The key to a tank is that the players can't know that it's the tank. It's like you just put Hawk at X receiver, and Hawk is like, man, we're. Hey, now. Now they're finally getting it right.
Stugotz
But at that time, y'all figured this out.
Amin Elhassan
It is the. You gotta be a wizard, no pun intended, to really be able to make all the pieces.
Dan Le Batard
I mean, I'm watching Terry Rozier, and I hurt for him because it's clear his confidence is shot. Like, his shots are not even close to going in.
Stugotz
No, it's one of those situations where I've seen coaches do this too. When a guy like Hawk complains about, y'all don't run no plays for me or whatever. Okay, here we go. We're gonna force feed it every single time to prove that you're not good enough to have plays run for you. Right? Or it's evil. Yeah, it's evil, but it's like the ultimate exposure Of. Okay, you want it? All right, here we go. You think you're being underutilized?
Dan Le Batard
Wait a minute.
Jeremy Tache
Hawk's like, I'm ready.
Amin Elhassan
Throw it to Mike. Come on, let's do it. Finally.
Dan Le Batard
Let's examine this for a second. Okay. Because as far as Heat basketball goes over 15. Uh, this would represent the apocalypse of the last 15 years. For whatever Mike Ryan's complaints were about Kyle Lowry. That's the best teams they've had since 2014, the ones that had Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry trying to grit their way to the end of the line. But they've clearly been passed by, and this would have been unthinkable, unseeable a few years ago. Clearly been passed by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Clearly been passed by the New York Knicks. These were the. These were the teams that they stepped on their neck on their way to what the last 15 years of excellence has been here.
Billy Gil
It seems like one guy is the cog in that whole scenario, is the guy that you tried to get. Donovan Mitchell has made the Cavs the best team in the east, maybe the best team in the league.
Dan Le Batard
Well, there are a lot of other things in play that Amin can attest to. I mean, Jared Allen looks most like the ABA in the entire league. And him and Mobley give them a front line that the New York Knicks went through easily with Mitchell Robinson. And now it looks a little different the way they form the entire team. And Garland is your fourth best player.
Mike Ryan
Allen was hurt when Mitchell Robinson went through the Cavs.
Stugotz
Yeah. And also, I just think that time goes by, and that was like, they think their first playoffs for that group. And now they're not the same people they were a couple of years ago. And I think that this is like, Cleveland is just a team that has matured. It's taken them some time. They've taken their lumps, but they've matured. And you throw in an addition of Kenny Atkinson as a head coach, and he's got a different outlook and different way of strategizing. I think all that stuff conspires to give you a much better team, even though you look at the personnel. So it's the same guys that got ran through by Mitchell Robinson.
Amin Elhassan
So how did Jimmy Butler end up on the Warriors?
Stugotz
You. That's a good question.
Amin Elhassan
Like, what was the. What was like, the catalyst? So at the end, how did it, like, ultimately in there?
Billy Gil
Wiggins, Kyle Anderson.
Stugotz
No, no, no, no. May I? So on trade deadline day, there was like a 15, maybe like a 15 hour window where there was a Chance that was like, holy crap, Kevin Durant's coming to the Heat.
Jeremy Tache
That's what you said.
Stugotz
I mean, that's not what. Just what I said. First, I didn't say it on air. Second of all, that's not what I said.
Amin Elhassan
And can I say this? This is the honest to God truth. This is the first time I've ever heard this.
Stugotz
There you go. See, that's why I'm catching him up. This is like Cliff Notes. Cliff Notes for anyone who has missed the NBA. Like, I'll catch you up here. So the Suns were the only team that was willing to take Jimmy Butler, right? And so then the Suns and the Heat tried to do a three way deal with the Warriors. The warriors wanted Kevin Durant because somewhere along the line the sun said, you know what? We don't need Kevin Durant. Don't ask me why, right? So deal was done. Like, okay, you get a bunch of stuff and warriors you get Kevin Durant, and Sons you get Jimmy Butler. And then Kevin Durant says, I don't want to play for the Warriors. And so that deal kind of fell apart. So then the Heat and the sun started to make something happen. But then Kevin Durant said, I don't want to go anywhere. I want to finish the season in Phoenix. And then the warriors in the Heat were like, what about us now, mind you, a little bit earlier in the year, the warriors just said they don't want any parts of Jimmy Butler because they don't want to pay. It's not about now, it's about two years from now. Well, somewhere along the lines, I guess, because they started losing a lot since then. And also Steph Curry was depressed and stuff. He's like, man, every day I gotta do everything myself. It's too hard. And so the warriors are like, okay, maybe we can pay him. And then meanwhile, the Heat were like, okay, we kind of like, we'll take Andrew Wiggins, we'll take Kyle Anderson, we'll take.
Dan Le Batard
I have no idea why you were so eager to do this.
Stugotz
Because I'm catching them up. Some people weren't. You know what, Dan? You assume too much. You assume some people didn't know or just know everything. But people like Hawk are like, hey, martyr, love the show.
Amin Elhassan
So ultimately that's how he ended up with the Warriors.
Dan Le Batard
So let me explain to. Thank you for catching him up.
Stugotz
You're welcome.
Dan Le Batard
The slow report on on news that's 10 days old or more than 10 days or more than 10 days old.
Stugotz
Good.
Dan Le Batard
Even. Even. Okay, even older than I thought, thank you. I Super bowl.
Stugotz
There was a combo as a whole, the guy was missing.
Amin Elhassan
My head was deep in the.
Stugotz
Now he knows. Now he's. He's back up to date.
Dan Le Batard
The. The thing that I want to analyze here is because I tried to start yesterday with a wink, wink, joke about it Wasn't cookies that LeBron had on the flight. It was ice cream. Everything I said was true. LeBron James got mad because the nutritionist took away his ice cream. He didn't like it. The moment he didn't like it, they brought back the ice cream. The story is a ridiculous one that's being told that Pat Riley was micromanaging the cookies and the ice cream. I thought it'd be funny to point out to. To the audience that right now Pat Riley is so under it that the people who care about him, the people who care about the things he built in 50 years and specifically the things he built over the last 30, are getting mad that in the new age you can just say anything and it becomes a thing that is true about Pat Riley, because everyone's feeding now on an organization they haven't quite been able to feed on in 20 years because of how obvious it is that they've been passed by Boston and Milwaukee and New York and Cleveland, but somehow not Philadelphia. And I'm asking you, too, as experts in sports and experts about what it takes to continually get to excellence in sports. I saw Jimmy Johnson at 50 say, this is too much for me. I don't like it. The life balance, what it turns me into, don't like it. I'm going to do television for 30 years. I saw Pat Riley try television with Bob Costas for a year and say, I don't like that. I'm going back to the grind. He's 78 years old. There's literally no reason for him to be doing any more of this, except he can't quit it. And now he's getting devoured by the machine because his team stinks and his coach can be questioned if indeed they're tanking because of how bad he has been this year. Mike says, no blame for spoiler. You could spread it all around. And also, Tyler Herro has a head cold and they're playing Terry Rozier way too much.
Amin Elhassan
It's going around.
Mike Ryan
Is he under it? This is not like Matt Eberfluss in Chicago. This is a very charmed existence that Pat Riley's had, as this has been predictable in that it was predicted on this show. This is the wrong course of action.
Dan Le Batard
You got it exactly right.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, but a lot of people did.
Jeremy Tache
That started before they went to the NBA Finals. I think it's important that we Conte contextualize when we were starting those predictions. I just think that matters.
Dan Le Batard
But Mike Ryan didn't want.
Jeremy Tache
Still doing that.
Dan Le Batard
You know that.
Mike Ryan
All right, we're here in the end game now. We're in the end game now. You lost.
Stugotz
You were wrong.
Mike Ryan
You sounded like a. For two years.
Jeremy Tache
That's crazy.
Mike Ryan
This sounded like an idiot.
Jeremy Tache
It was impossible.
Amin Elhassan
We're here.
Mike Ryan
You know, you don't still push back.
Jeremy Tache
This is unbelievable.
Mike Ryan
You're Terry Rosier right now, jacking up threes from half court.
Dan Le Batard
Two and a half years since the prediction started.
Mike Ryan
See what I mean?
Jeremy Tache
Matt didn't have a Jeremy T Points last night.
Mike Ryan
Eber Fl never had a Jeremy T. Never. Never had one.
Amin Elhassan
So how is Jimmy Butler doing with the Warriors?
Stugotz
You. Really good.
Dan Le Batard
Really good.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Like, the offensive numbers are a little confusing, but defensively, it's there.
Amin Elhassan
Okay, make a note.
Jeremy Tache
It's taking pressure off Steph.
Stugotz
So the big thing is, like, just the attention he draws and the fouls he draws makes life easier for everybody else, even though his shooting numbers aren't so great. But also, as Mike said, defensively, he's like another Draymond for them. So they've got a lot more flexibility.
Amin Elhassan
Sorry.
Stugotz
They've been winning.
Amin Elhassan
I'm just getting caught up slowly. I don't want to derail the conversation every once in a while. I have a couple of questions every. Every here and there.
Stugotz
It's okay, Dan. It's just Cliff Notes.
Amin Elhassan
Butler doing decent.
Jeremy Tache
We got Butler covered, though, right? You're not going to ask about that again.
Stugotz
They won nine of the Butlers. I got Butler eight of their last ten years. Excuse me. So really good.
Amin Elhassan
For sure.
Dan Le Batard
I would actually like to hear Mike and Jeremy genuinely care about being on different sides of this argument. I'd like to hear from both of.
Jeremy Tache
You one at a time.
Dan Le Batard
Do not just shout him out of the room, Mike. Do not.
Mike Ryan
I've got watch last night. Watch Terry Rosier, the Death Dress. No, I didn't. I watched the.
Jeremy Tache
I mean, I can't keep with a person who's gonna talk to me like.
Stugotz
I don't know what I'm talking about.
Dan Le Batard
But I've watched every game in those.
Jeremy Tache
Two and a half years that he hasn't watched, so. The box score, though, Dan, is this what you feel like with stugats and. Yeah, Is this it? Do I finally understand what your.
Stugotz
Whoa.
Mike Ryan
Not the defense Rest. Can't get a word in edgewise. So why would I. That's typical. Why would I even argue? Why would I even argue? Yes, I would maintain that I know more about the Miami Heat than someone that actually watches them every day. Because I've been right every step of the way. Everything that I said was going to be bad turned out to be bad. While you were there at every corner telling me no, it was actually going to be good.
Jeremy Tache
Imagine watching them every day and then being that wrong. It was good. I don't understand. Whatever you're transitioning from one era to the Next. You're having one season played 500 basketball and it's the end of the world.
Amin Elhassan
Who would they be taking the world? Cooper.
Jeremy Tache
They're not taking in their last. In their last five games. They're in their last five games. They're three and two and they've combined I believe to lose by nine points to the number one and three seed in their conference. And last night was on the road without five of their players. They're a mediocre team. Terry Rozier has played horrendous basketball. He's been really, really bad. And that trade of Kyle Lowry in a pick to get him nightmare of a deal. So what that deal, at the time, it was the right move. You wanted Kyle Lowry shot into the sun.
Mike Ryan
Yes. And I was right there too.
Amin Elhassan
Phoenix or there's a. I'm trying to just get you.
Jeremy Tache
That's where Jimmy wanted to go. Jimmy wanted to go to Phoenix originally. He ended up in Golden State.
Stugotz
Jimmy wanted to go to the Suns. Mike wanted Kyle Lowry to go in the Suns. Yeah, that's right. That was a joke he was making.
Jeremy Tache
Man, I came in today feeling so calm and relaxed.
Stugotz
It's okay. I just want caveat about the whole tanking. No tanking. So their first round pick goes to Dan Guess where.
Dan Le Batard
Oklahoma City.
Stugotz
Exactly right. It goes to Oklahoma City. If it is outside of the top 16, it's usually a good guess. So technically there is a path for the Heat to keep their first round pick and make the playoffs, it would have to be as a play in team. So being the sixth seed for them actually bad. Being seven or eight really is the best case scenario for the Miami Heat.
Amin Elhassan
3 and 2. Sounds like it's along those lines. Question why did they take away the ice cream? If it was indeed ice cream.
Dan Le Batard
The nutritionist made that decision. That was not a Pat Riley. The nutritionist just took away the ice cream. LeBron complained about it. They brought back the ice cream.
Amin Elhassan
Did they fire the nutritionist?
Dan Le Batard
They did not.
Stugotz
Still there.
Amin Elhassan
Got it.
Dan Le Batard
I don't know whether he's still there or not.
Stugotz
That's a he. Okay. We narrowed it down.
Amin Elhassan
Okay, this is good.
Mike Ryan
So to the original point, actually, that's just my sexism.
Dan Le Batard
Shut up.
Mike Ryan
To the original point that Pat Riley feels like he's under it and has to defend himself against this ice cream.
Dan Le Batard
No, no, wait. Be clear on this. Hold on. Be clear on this. I want to be clear on this. Okay, Very clear on this. Pat Riley has not reached out about any of this. I don't know how engaged with social media of any kind Pat Riley is, but the people who care about Pat Riley and care about what he has built in Legion reached out to tell me that that story wasn't true the way that it was being presented, because they are mad on behalf of Pat Riley that things get said that aren't true. This is something. Mickey Harrison has had this complaint with the Miami media and the media in general for the entire time he's been owner.
Mike Ryan
He thinks that the Miami media is unfair to the Heat.
Dan Le Batard
He thinks the media is filled with inaccuracies, things that aren't true.
Mike Ryan
Wait, he thinks that he finally. Wait. Mickey Arison thinks that the local media that covers the Miami Heat is too inaccurate and too harsh.
Dan Le Batard
The media in general, just the media in general gets it wrong a lot. It's a frustration the Heat have had for a long time.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, I remember a very public instance and where Mickey got involved and said that the media had it wrong. It was with Shams. When Shams said Jimmy Butler wanted out, who was wrong there? Shams, the media or Mickey and the Miami Heat? So I'm trying to. I want to follow the inaccuracies of the unfair media to the Miami Heat. If it's not on the local level, it's on the national level. Well, that was one big national media story that he got directly involved with. And factually, he was wrong. He went at the guy with the most journalistic integrity and the best accuracy record amongst the insiders. And he was wrong. That wasn't unfair. Shams was right. If you're a small business owner, you know how difficult it can be hiring the right people. And it can be a real grind. It takes the right partner to make sure you're getting the most qualified candidates. Well, got the right partner for you LinkedIn jobs. When you clock out, LinkedIn clocks in. LinkedIn makes it easy to post your job for free, share it with your network and get qualified candidates that you can manage all in one place. Metalark Media continues to grow as a content studio, and we strive to hire only the best and most qualified candidates. Thankfully, with LinkedIn, they've made it easy for us to find them. So if you're a small business owner looking for the perfect hire, LinkedIn has you covered. With LinkedIn's new job posting feature, you can write job descriptions effortlessly and get your job in front of the right people using Deep Candidate Insights. Quality matters based on LinkedIn data, 72% of small businesses using LinkedIn say it helps them find top talent. Join over 2.5 million small businesses using LinkedIn for hiring today. Find your next great hire only on LinkedIn. Post your job for free@LinkedIn.com dls that's LinkedIn.com dls to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. What is Dax Are you tracking all.
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Mike Ryan
Well, I've been looking for my phone.
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Mike Ryan
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Stugotz
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Billy Gil
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Stugotz
They're gonna see a different Jimmy now. He's just. Just playing nickel back in the locker room.
Mike Ryan
And ST.
Stugotz
Threes as they chase the Nets for the six seed. These five words in his head scream my way. Winning games.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah, this is Levitar. Show with the Stugach.
Stugotz
Wait, who are we talking about?
Amin Elhassan
Jimmy Butler.
Stugotz
Jimmy Butler didn't go out of anybody.
Amin Elhassan
No, we're talking about.
Mike Ryan
No, I'm talking about Mickey. Because when Sean started reporting Mickey and the Miami Heat and Pat Riley put out a press release, they were very aggressive in that. This is not true.
Stugotz
Right.
Mike Ryan
Even Bernie Lee got involved, you know, playing both sides.
Stugotz
Well, yeah, the. I don't know how. Look, you're caught up.
Amin Elhassan
I'm getting there. Not quite yet.
Mike Ryan
That was Sean Connery about that. Tell me what I am like the one.
Amin Elhassan
There's still holes.
Mike Ryan
The one public gripe that I know that Mickey took exception to about the media and its coverage being lies ended up being true. Jimmy Butler did want out.
Stugotz
This is my opinion of every single franchise, every single owner, every single gm, every single coach, every single player who complains about the media gets it wrong. Tough shit. Yeah, tough shit.
Amin Elhassan
I like that.
Dan Le Batard
Take.
Stugotz
You don't like it. Create the narrative that works. And you know what works a lot is winning.
Dan Le Batard
Well, for you to be. To be fair, by the way, I just put words in Mickey Harrison's mouth. I don't think anyone has heard him complain.
Mike Ryan
Oh, I saw him on Twitter. No, he was complaining.
Stugotz
Okay.
Mike Ryan
He was. He was upset about the shams report.
Dan Le Batard
Okay, so. No, but I'm just saying, in general, over the last 25 years, when I tell you that Mickey Harrison's gripe is complaining about media inaccuracies, I don't know that anyone has heard him say that in his voice publicly.
Mike Ryan
No, he's got a Twitter account. He's spoken for himself on this front, and it ended up being wrong. Now, he may turn around and argue, well, at the time, I was right. But you went at the guy that once reported Trump had Covid before anybody else.
Dan Le Batard
Well, psycho. So that people just understand, since Hawk is asking. So whatever it is to have a poisonous work culture, you guys help me here because you guys have worked in professional sports. But I will tell you that the relief in that building that Jimmy Butler is gone, not just because of what's happened over the last couple of months, but because of how things were bent to him. And if you talk to enough Heat people, you will know that they felt like they were dealing with something and they were not saying this publicly in any way. An unstable ingredient that they used as a furnace and fuel to get to the championship. And then when it became about money problems, nobody wanted to be at work. Like, nobody wanted to be at work around this person who was an unstable element.
Mike Ryan
As I understand it, even when they were cooking, that was the case.
Dan Le Batard
This is long before even the recent mess of stuff. Just a bunch of. Look, I don't know. How do you guys. Let me just ask you guys. I want to know how I can do any of this stuff responsibly, this stuff that I'm about to do when Kevin Love is talking to you about panic attacks or when DeMar DeRozan is talking to you about depression. These are places where people are dealing with mental stuff that's difficult, and they're volunteering it to you. How will you guys recognize outside of Antonio Brown and some stuff when one of these ingredients that could you that in. That is burned through this furnace of sports has become what it is? And if you ask that person, hey, should you get some help here? Just like some help. It's not an insult. It's just, can you get some help? Can you get some help in a place that, like, how do you. How do you navigate that conversation privately? How do you navigate it publicly if somebody doesn't actually want to have it with you?
Stugotz
You're a little vague here, Dan. What exactly are you talking about?
Dan Le Batard
I am talking about whatever difficulties are presented by Jimmy Butler in private that we'll never have any idea about, because you've got one of the most private organizations in sports, and they cannot. And they certainly can't do it now because it would be smearing. But for somebody to tell the real story with all the details that would make known what it's like to ride the furnace of Jimmy Butler in Chicago and Minnesota and in Miami without it being a protection or both. A defense of the Miami Heat and a smear of Jimmy Butler. How do you walk that line?
Mike Ryan
You're reminding me of something where I think Mickey Arison has a point, because after the trade, was it in the Athletic, the very pro Jimmy Butler kind of spin POV on what went wrong in Miami that I thought was very unfair, invoking his father. Having known behind the scenes exactly where the Miami Heat organization met Jimmy on those things, I think that's ripe for Mickey to have a gripe with how that was Presented.
Dan Le Batard
Let's just make it this way. Okay? Let's just do it this way. Hey, Jimmy Butler's grieving. A person who may or may not be introspective about this. Jimmy Butler is grieving. How do we handle that as an organization? Just make it that simple. Don't even make it any more complicated where the combustible stuff is just. Jimmy Butler's a little broken. How do we tell him to go get help or go talk to somebody about what he's going through? How do we. How do we assist that person?
Stugotz
I don't know if that's the organization's place to do that. I think you say, hey, we're here for you. Whatever you need. Hey, whatever resources you need, you could talk to us. Hey, I've been through the same thing.
Dan Le Batard
But what if it means not working all the time?
Stugotz
I'm just saying, like, look, man, what.
Mike Ryan
If it's a convenient thing to hang on to, I mean, for Jimmy Butler's camp? Because the Miami Heat were very considerate of Jimmy when he was going through that and well, after. This is something that has dragged on and was once again invoked when this thing happened a while ago.
Amin Elhassan
I mean, I don't want to minimize anything because people go through things, really. And obviously we've all, you know, have had our own struggles and moments of, you know, mental health situations, because life is hard. It's hard for everybody. But I would say if I'm the organization, I can't tell them exactly how to handle those situations because I'm not an organization. They are. And this is not their first time going through that with all the history of dealing with athletes. But it does come along with the territory. And I would say the same thing to athletes, like, for any player that has to go through certain mental health situations, yes, that. That is a tough thing. That doesn't mean it's. It's. It's not valid. But to play in this game, it comes along with the territory. The same with the media and accuracies. This is where we are in life. Pat Riley or whoever, because this is a part of it. The same time, they'll love you. When you're winning championships, you'll get the other side. If a player is going through it, much like any injury history or anything like, you have to navigate that. That's not an excuse.
Mike Ryan
If I may, this. This may be a crude view on it, but the things that we're focusing on right now as a result of that, that was very slanted in the direction of Jimmy Butler. That's what you brought on by putting your backups against the wall and saying, this is not true. We're gonna keep Jimmy Butler. This was all of this mess is what you brought on yourself by not capitulating on the Jimmy Butler thing when you probably should have a year ago or over the summer when he was saying, purple and gold looks good, or when the Shams report came out. At every turn, Miami was stubborn and said no. And at every turn, they made the wrong move.
Dan Le Batard
Okay, and let's do it this way now. Let's make it human and take some of the pieces out on some of the details here, okay? The entire Miami media and the Miami Heat protected Jimmy Butler's privacy when his father died, protected how Jimmy Butler needed to be in and out of games, did a bunch of stuff for Jimmy Butler that they usually don't do, and did a lot of stuff over the time. Jimmy Butler was here in five years to serve his needs. But in this one, where the relationship breaks apart, what does the organization think it's owed from its relationship with Jimmy Butler when it holds his hand through that situation? What does it think it is? Buying in the relationship? So that when Riley and Butler are meeting in the meeting, and this was in that athletic piece as well, you didn't get this information. It was leaked that Pat Riley was crying to Jimmy Butler, crying to Jimmy Butler, trying to connect in places where the. Where the father. Where the relationship with the father is gone around grief. And then it was used to smear Jimmy Butler. And then after that, both sides are accusing the other of. You're unhinged. You're unhinged. And I'm legitimately asking you where feelings reside. You guys are just on this tough stuff where it's like, doesn't matter that the media is getting everything inaccurate. Doesn't matter that you're grieving and that your dad died. Doesn't matter that you're just suffering and broken and think you need more from the organization than it's giving you. That relationship broke apart at the end with Jimmy Butler mocking that Pat Riley was crying about the death of the father. Stuff like, that's where that broke. That's the last stain on that relationship. That was the punctuation.
Mike Ryan
I think we're overanalyzing. Sorry. I mean, what we're talking about right now is the joker, Jimmy, walking away from the hospital that's blowing up behind him. Like, he makes a mess when he wants to get his way out. He got his way. And Miami is still dealing with the mess.
Stugotz
All of this can be summed up with as Jeremy and I said a month ago, now, if they had paid Jimmy when he said, I need to get paid, would we be talking about any of this?
Mike Ryan
No.
Stugotz
All right. That's it.
Mike Ryan
No. But if they also, when they made the decision that they weren't gonna pay Jimmy, if they had moved him. If they had moved him there.
Stugotz
Either or. Right. Either or.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, but hold on a second.
Stugotz
But then it really boils down to that. All this other stuff is window dressing.
Dan Le Batard
You can boil it down to that. But even if he plays and gets his money, they're still not good enough. My point from last night's game is, hey, Cleveland's better. And they would have been better with Jimmy and the Knicks kind of better now.
Stugotz
But Danny, whatever it is, Danny, you went around about story about people crying and fathers dying and therapy.
Dan Le Batard
He did that. He did that to me by bringing up Jimmy Butler again.
Amin Elhassan
I literally have no idea whose father died. So the idea that I said it doesn't matter. I don't know. Jimmy's father died, My father passed as well. But I don't know who's crying about who's dad in this damn situation. I'm gonna read the Athletic article. I will get around to it. But I'm just trying to figure out also with those connections be being made, and I get, like, it feels like from the lack of information I do have that you're saying that whenever a team or an executive or if it's Pat Riley, he makes these concessions that he never makes with a player in an effort to connect, like, where is the loyalty or the return of that grace in these situations? Correct.
Dan Le Batard
I'm saying that I'm guessing that Pat Riley expected a return of the grace and didn't get it.
Amin Elhassan
And I would say, would he be giving the grace if Jimmy Butler wasn't as good of a basketball player as he is?
Dan Le Batard
Oh, but this is the poison of being in charge your life. The amount of ego that must be on Pat Riley making all of the decisions for 50 years. Like, I just. You think Belichick and Brady had a disconnect on where player and management meet? Like Pat Riley when. When I'm describing to you, I've had three people in sports show me up close what real sports excellence looks like. It's Ricky Williams, it's Jimmy Johnson, and it's Pat Riley. Jimmy Johnson didn't actually show me he wasn't introspective enough. It was the people around him who showed me what it is that it took to be Jimmy Johnson's of excellent, but he got out at 50 because all of this shit was too hard and he didn't like who it. Who, who it made him. This person is 78 and has no legitimate reason to do this. Give me all the 78 year old leaders who are still doing this in sports. At the top of the food chain. At the top of the food chain in sports. Give me all the 78 year olds still allowed to be in charge.
Mike Ryan
That's. That's a. That's a great point. I'm just trying to get a clearer idea of the gambit in the history of South Florida sports. Three people showed you what greatness was in sports.
Dan Le Batard
Look like. Let me see the insides of it.
Mike Ryan
Okay, because of your relationships there.
Dan Le Batard
That's right. I'm not talking about Dwayne Wade or not.
Mike Ryan
Because I was gonna say, like Dwayne.
Dan Le Batard
No, no, I'm talking about. I'm not talking about Dwayne LeBron. Shaq. No. I'm talking about getting to see the insides of how these things are made and what it does to your family to be at the center of like the furnace. It was too much for Jimmy Johnson. Pat riley stayed there 30 years later and is. And is now trying to make it work with Terry Rozier. And I'm asking you guys, as we walk through all of this, how's this going to end? Because suppose having a bad year, suppose having like the hit they've taken on, where it is that Jimmy walks out the door and he takes the culture with him. Like he goes 9 and 1. He takes the culture with him. The way LeBron took the culture with him.
Mike Ryan
I know the way that I want it to end. As someone that's been critical of their approach over the last couple of years, even coming off, off of the NBA Finals, which feels like a crazy outlier. It ends however Pat wants it to end. He made this franchise relevant. He's won three titles. This is probably. This isn't that bad. They're still in the mix for a possible playoff spot. And I would say in terms of like a vibe check, this is probably the worst it's ever been. And that includes the year that they were tanking for Beasley or Derrick Rose. It's really bad right now. But he deserves all the time that he wants to get it right. And if he decides that he wants to bow out gracefully, he's entitled to that too. There is no one here on this show, and I don't even think it's a real good faith argument on the Internet. You may find like an egg or two on social media, but I think South Florida is pretty much a consensus opinion that Pat Riley gets to write the end of his story however he sees fit.
Jeremy Tache
The organization is in a weird place right now because they didn't get the ending that everyone would have wanted with Jimmy, whether that was a championship or whether that was moving on before having to have the ugly divorce. But Riley put himself now in a position with that trade or not. Whether the rest of this season is any good or not is is a separate question. But he has one more opportunity this off season to leave the team retooled or see through one more build of this however he wants to go about it. But they're not in shambles as an organization. They're not even in shambles as a, as a team outside of their health at the moment.
Stugotz
Yeah, Dan, the. This is cyclical, right? There's no team that gets to be consistently awesome every single year. This is how this thing works. You're going to have down years, right? If we look at what is. What is the. What are we looking at? Are we looking at a snapshot? Are we looking at a calendar? Are we looking at an almanac? Right? If we're looking at a snapshot, yes. The Heat are down. The Knicks are up. Up. If I give you the last five years, I'm not even like a long time. Five years. I think we can agree that the Heat have had a better five years.
Billy Gil
Oh.
Dan Le Batard
But I'm looking at the next five years like I'm looking at half a season.
Stugotz
But that's my point.
Dan Le Batard
But Mike Ryan's been telling you for two years, he's been telling you. And we've watched this happen. It's pretty rare for it to happen this way. In the bubble, we saw Boston and Miami met at the rim. Tatum was blocked by Adebayo. These were equals. This is. They somehow were equals. And then Boston just passed them in a way that right now leaves them in a place we have not seen in 15 years in this market.
Stugotz
I would say that a talent wise, they were never equals. They were always. And I said this and everybody got mad.
Mike Ryan
I said it's a great point.
Stugotz
They're way more talented than the Heat. The Heat win because they're disciplined, because they execute, because they get people who fit the way they want to play better than any other organization in the league. And they were able to extract value out of we do it right more often than you do it. And you guys are talented, but you'll wilt underwater. The pressures. Now, what Boston did over time was A, their talent just got stronger.
Mike Ryan
They took the lessons from it. They had to change the dynamic of their team.
Stugotz
They made changes in. I won't call it the margins. They made little changes here and there, but also Tatum and Brown got better. They, the already more talented players got even more talented because they got more mentally talented at this.
Mike Ryan
And it should be noted, this was five years ago. This isn't like. I know we're microwaving some of the discussions that we've had since then, but it's been a while.
Stugotz
So when you talk about the Miami Heat, first and foremost, the day Jimmy Butler got here, when all you guys, what's Jimmy Butler? And I'm like, this guy's a superstar, right? I also told you, the reason you get Jimmy Butler is A, he's a superstar, and B, he makes it so that the next superstar is like, okay, I'll come play over there, because now you already got one. They never got that next one. They never got the next one. So if you want to sit here and adjudicate how everything happened is. Because it was always an incomplete grade. It was always. There's still one more submission that never happened. Not due to any lack of effort by them. They tried to get Donovan Mitchell. They tried to get Damian Lillard. They tried to get Kevin Durant. But guess what? None of these teams are beholden to helping you. So I hate when Mike was like, these guys can't land anybody, dog. It's not up to them. It's not like it was a free agent visit. And they said, I'm going over here. Okay, that one. You can drop the ball. Yeah, but when you're talking about acquiring a superstar via trade, you are dealing with the superstar. You're dealing with the other team, and you're dealing with every other team that's offering things that you may not have, like a zillion drafters.
Mike Ryan
Totally understand.
Stugotz
So, Mike, while you're right in saying, hey, this team isn't talented enough, Dan, you are also right in saying, hey, they're trying everything. But when you ask how it happened, it's because this is the NBA. The Lakers were down, and then they got Luka Doncici said, guess what? We think they're going to be great for the next 10 years. The Dallas Mavericks took to the Finals, and guess what? They did something dumb. And now it might be a while, right? The Knicks were awful forever. And then, dude, think about how crazy it is. They signed Dallas backup guard and that turned into the greatest bet ever, right? Both in how much they put down and how much they received in the game.
Mike Ryan
That's another name that could have been invoked around Miami. I think this is just the longest stretch of time. And since they acquired Jimmy Butler, which was majestic. They acquired Jimmy Butler with no room and no real assets. And it was an amazing coup in getting Jimmy Butler is. Ever since that acquisition, the blueprint has always counted on getting someone better than Jimmy.
Stugotz
So Dan, I'll give you a great example. The Golden State warriors went to the playoffs in 1994 with Chris Weber, who was this incredible talent, number one overall pick. Everyone was like, Chris Webber is going to be dynamic. They go to the playoffs, they give a good run against the Suns, they lose. Whoever says I don't want to be here anymore gets traded. And then from 1994 to 2013, they made the playoffs one time. They were a laughingstock. They were awful, right? What happened in that stretch other than the we believe warriors? In 2009, they drafted a guy named Steph Curry. At the same time the Phoenix Suns, who had been pretty successful by metrics, gone to the conference finals and 50 win seasons and all this. And at that time I'm working there and we were a team that had been competing for a championship and we were ready to trade Amar'e Stoudemire for Steph Curry. The lowliest of the low had the draft pick where they wanted to be. We're like, I want that guy. And guess what? Don Nelson changed his mind and in changing his mind changed the course of history for so many people. The Suns had one more good year and then went into their own long ass drought.
Dan Le Batard
I didn't know that. I didn't know that that was Amari for Steph was a thing.
Stugotz
That was the deal all along. It started the February before they even had the. We even had the draft. It started when Steph Curry was sold junior at Davidson, right? Obviously Steph Curry gets there and then boom, a little bit a few moments later we get a dynasty. It happens that quickly, Dan. So. So to look around and say, well, how are these guys passing us? Well, because they have the talent that's going to take them to the next, the next era of whatever this is. And at the current moment, the Miami Heat don't. But that's how basketball works. Sometimes you got it, sometimes you don't.
Amin Elhassan
So I'm good on the Jimmy Butler situation. Organizationally, I know it was turmoil when Jimmy was with the Heat. How did the warriors feel about Jimmy being there?
Stugotz
They love him.
Amin Elhassan
Like fan base.
Stugotz
They love him because. Because.
Amin Elhassan
Update.
Stugotz
He's no, because Jimmy Butler only has one problem.
Dan Le Batard
He wants to write professor here. Wait, can we just cover. I'd like all his notes here. I feel like he's caught up. We can put a bow on the segment.
Stugotz
Well, he asked the question, but check.
Mike Ryan
Back when his contract's expiring.
Stugotz
Yep, that's it. Y.
Amin Elhassan
So that's another good point because that's a casual basketball fan. There's only a couple moments that I hear about Jimmy Buck, and that is when he's making runs in the playoffs or. And. Or something crazy.
Dan Le Batard
That's it.
Amin Elhassan
That's going on organizational. And this is like every three to five years. And so when I hear that Pat Riley feels a certain way about Jimmy Butler and how it ended, it sounds a little crazy to the casual who is like you took in a pet bobcat and you're now upset that he bit your daughter. That feels weird to me.
Billy Gil
Me to close the loop, whatever happened to the FBI investigation with Terry Rosier?
Stugotz
Did that just go away?
Billy Gil
Like what happened to that?
Mike Ryan
Because they just admitted last night's game into evidence.
Amin Elhassan
I was going to say they if.
Mike Ryan
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Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: So... What Ever Happened With That Jimmy Butler Situation?
Release Date: March 6, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the hosts delve deep into the recent developments surrounding Jimmy Butler's trade from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors. The discussion explores the ramifications of this move on both franchises, team dynamics, leadership decisions, and broader implications for the NBA.
The conversation kicks off with a detailed breakdown of how Jimmy Butler ended up with the Golden State Warriors. Stugotz provides a comprehensive timeline of the trade negotiations:
Stugotz [09:25]: "The Suns were the only team that was willing to take Jimmy Butler. So then the Suns and the Heat tried to do a three-way deal with the Warriors. The Warriors wanted Kevin Durant, but Durant ultimately declined, causing the deal to fall apart. Eventually, the Heat maneuvered to acquire Butler, leading to his trade to the Warriors."
This segment highlights the complexity of NBA trades and the interplay between multiple teams vying for star players.
The trade has stirred significant debate about the Miami Heat's current trajectory. Dan Le Batard expresses concern over the team's leadership and performance:
Dan Le Batard [05:21]: "It's not Riley's fault, man. He's too busy…"
The hosts discuss whether the Heat are intentionally tanking, citing recent poor performances and questionable coaching decisions, such as over-reliance on Terry Rozier:
Mike Ryan [03:12]: "Dan is right to point out their rotation is bad because they're bad, but the rotation is bad because they're holding out Tyler Herro for head colds."
This suggests underlying issues within the team's strategy and player management.
Jimmy Butler's addition to the Warriors has been a focal point of the discussion. The hosts analyze his performance and the strategic advantages he brings to the team:
Stugotz [14:37]: "He's really good. The offensive numbers are a little confusing, but defensively, it's there."
Amin Elhassan adds that Butler has alleviated pressure from Steph Curry by drawing fouls and adding defensive prowess, likening his role to that of Draymond Green.
A significant portion of the conversation revolves around the Miami Heat's possible tanking strategy. Dan Le Batard criticizes the team's approach:
Dan Le Batard [05:30]: "The Players Championship…"
(Note: Skipped advertisement sections)
Later, Le Batard elaborates on the negative impact of relying on underperforming players:
Dan Le Batard [05:32]: "Terry Rozier, over eight, three turnovers, plays 22 of the 24 minutes. It was like watching somebody who doesn't know how to play basketball."
This underscores the frustration with the team's current lineup and strategic decisions.
The show's hosts critically examine Pat Riley's leadership amidst the team's struggles. Dan Le Batard draws parallels between Riley and other veteran leaders:
Dan Le Batard [34:00]: "How do you guys help me here because you guys have worked in professional sports…"
The discussion touches on Riley's longevity in the role and the challenges he faces in adapting to modern NBA dynamics, questioning his ability to lead the team effectively in its current state.
Mike Ryan defends Riley's tenure, suggesting that despite current setbacks, Riley deserves support:
Mike Ryan [36:51]: "Pat Riley gets to write the end of his story however he sees fit."
A contentious topic is the relationship between the Miami Heat and the media, especially concerning the accuracy of reports about Jimmy Butler wanting out:
Dan Le Batard [19:03]: "He [Mickey Arison] thinks the media is filled with inaccuracies…"
Mike Ryan recounts instances where the Heat organization felt misrepresented:
Mike Ryan [19:09]: "He was wrong. Shams was right."
This segment highlights the tension between team management and media narratives, raising questions about transparency and communication.
As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the future prospects of both the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors. Stugotz emphasizes the cyclical nature of sports performance:
Stugotz [37:59]: "There's no team that gets to be consistently awesome every single year. This is how this thing works. You're going to have down years, right?"
Dan Le Batard remains skeptical about the Heat's ability to rebound swiftly, pointing to their historical performance and current issues:
Dan Le Batard [38:03]: "It's really bad right now. But he [Pat Riley] deserves all the time that he wants to get it right."
Meanwhile, the hosts acknowledge Jimmy Butler's positive impact on the Warriors, suggesting that his presence could bolster the team's defensive and offensive strategies moving forward.
Stugotz [09:25]: "The Suns were the only team that was willing to take Jimmy Butler. So then the Suns and the Heat tried to do a three-way deal with the Warriors."
Dan Le Batard [05:21]: "It's not Riley's fault, man. He's too busy…"
Mike Ryan [03:12]: "Dan is right to point out their rotation is bad because they're bad, but the rotation is bad because they're holding out Tyler Herro for head colds."
Stugotz [14:37]: "He's really good. The offensive numbers are a little confusing, but defensively, it's there."
Dan Le Batard [34:00]: "How do you guys help me here because you guys have worked in professional sports…"
Mike Ryan [36:51]: "Pat Riley gets to write the end of his story however he sees fit."
Dan Le Batard [19:03]: "He [Mickey Arison] thinks the media is filled with inaccuracies…"
Stugotz [37:59]: "There's no team that gets to be consistently awesome every single year. This is how this thing works. You're going to have down years, right?"
This episode provides an in-depth analysis of Jimmy Butler's trade and its broader implications for the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors. Through spirited discussions, the hosts explore themes of team management, leadership, media relations, and the inherent unpredictability of sports dynamics. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the challenges facing both franchises and the evolving landscape of the NBA.