Episode Overview

Title: Local Hour: The 'Dunk On Jeremy' Show
Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Jeremy, Chris, Tony
Setting: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Theme & Purpose:
This Local Hour episode places a spotlight on the show's dynamics—snarky banter, sports debates, and Miami Heat discourse—by inviting both playful roasting and honest assessment from the crew. Today’s running gag is to “dunk on Jeremy,” leading to both lighthearted teasing and revealing discussions about Heat fandom, NBA culture, and the future of Miami’s beloved team.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Super Bowl Halftime Shows and Kid Rock's Controversy

• The show kicks off with commentary on Kid Rock’s alternative halftime appearance and his poorly executed lip sync performance.
• Dan expresses incredulity that Kid Rock attempted to compete with a visually dynamic main show ("shaken ass is better") while wearing "white shorts" and failing to sync to his track.
  • Quote:

    “He was wearing white shorts, doing an alternative halftime show... you can't be lip syncing in that circumstance when you're going opposite the halftime show, can you?” — Dan Le Batard [01:14]

• Mike Ryan explains Kid Rock’s defense on social media and threads account.
• Jeremy generalizes that "all lip syncing sucks," stirring group laughs about Greg Cody's infamous attempts during show intros [02:12].

2. Sports Post-Football Malaise & Miami Heat Discourse

• With football over, Mike Ryan and Dan lament aimless sports-watching, defaulting to Heat games and the NBA's uninspiring matchups.
  • Quote:

    “I can only be so mad at Boomer Esiason all day. Give me some, give me some sports here. All right, I'll check in on the Pelicans and see how Herb Jones is doing.” — Dan [05:38]

• Mike claims ongoing vindication for his stance on the Heat, maintaining he’s “irrefutably right” about the team's mediocrity.
  • Quote:

    “No one has been more right about this team over the last two and a half years.” — Mike Ryan [05:45]

• Jeremy expresses exasperation at Mike’s smugness (“I almost lost my mind in the morning meeting” [06:15]).

3. Zion Williamson & Changing Styles in the NBA

• Discussion shifts to NBA issues: Zion’s underwhelming career, lack of joy, and how the modern game moves away from physical play under the rim.
• Dan questions whether stars like Zion or Ja Morant even enjoy playing within today’s NBA, comparing their experience to previous generations.
• The crew muses on the hardship of playing physically in contrast to the rise of perimeter play.

4. Miami Dolphins QB Situation and Optimism Deficit

• Mike Ryan predicts the Dolphins’ next quarterback could be Malik Willis, connecting coaching staff backgrounds, but is skeptical of real hope unless Miami builds substantial offensive weapons.
• Dan and Jeremy reflect on the fleeting nature of hope for Dolphins fans, with recent coaching hires and offensive departures dampening enthusiasm.
  • Quote:

    “The fusion of hope already died when you signed Jeff Hafley...” — Jeremy [12:30]

5. Heat Fandom: Optimism vs. Realism ("Hug" Section)

• Chris, Jeremy, and Dan discuss the tension between frustration and loyalty in Heat fandom.
• Dan places Heat expectations in perspective, noting fans are spoiled compared to most NBA franchises.
  • Quote:

    “If you are an Alabama fan, what you're presently watching ... creates a hostility in you that is a bit unreasonable because it places your expectations ... in an unreasonable place.” — Dan [16:34]

• Chris defends the Heat’s effort and potential to improve, citing positive stretches sans key players.
• Mike reiterates that treading water is “flatly not working” and pushes for a tank and rebuild, arguing the Heat should take their rare opportunity in the lottery seriously.
  • Notable Mike Quote:

    “Get it out of your head that tanking doesn't work. It does.” — Mike [20:59]

• Dan counters with empirical skepticism, stating “none of the last 18 champions in the sport have benefited from tanking in any meaningful way.” [23:20]

6. Where Does Star Power Come From? Drafting and Development

• Dan, Mike, and Chris review Miami’s draft history—acknowledging successes like Wade, Adebayo, Hero, and contrasting them with busts (Beasley, Winslow).
• Detailed talk on how Boston built its championship team from gifted picks (not pure tanking) versus Miami’s preference for undrafted/late-round player development.
• Jeremy laments the Heat’s inability to secure superstar talent through the draft, stating the Heat are “a team of baseline, just, okay, guys.” [30:28]

7. NBA Player Availability and Pat Riley’s Dissonance With the Modern NBA

• Dan observes Riley’s probable perpetual frustration with “load management,” player absences, and how the Heat have maximized their middling picks but cannot find another Dwyane Wade or perennial superstar.
• The discussion reflects on injuries (Hero, Rozier, Butler) and how that limits the Heat’s ceiling.

8. (Extended Tangent) The Justice Winslow Draft, Boston’s Picks, and Michael Jordan’s Blunders

• Anecdotes surface regarding the infamous Boston offer of four first-round picks to get Justice Winslow, Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets selecting Frank Kaminsky, and how history could have changed for multiple franchises.
  • Quote:

    “The Celtics would have invested everything in Justice Winslow, and we’d be having very different conversations about the Michael Jordan tenure in Charlotte.” — Chris [36:09]

9. Teasing Jeremy—“Eloquent Points” vs. Efficient Questions

• The crew pokes fun at Jeremy’s verbose non-question directed at Pablo Torre in a previous episode. Dan mocks the “tapestry” of a point, which could have been boiled down.
  • Quote:

    “It was an eloquent point when all I wanted was an efficient question. Like, I didn’t want a tapestry.” — Dan [37:13]

• Group laughter ensues, further satisfying the “dunk on Jeremy” premise.

10. Matinee Hialeah Stories and Food Tangents

• In classic Local Hour style, an extended digression covers old matinee JAI-ALAI experiences, the eccentric crowd, and the allures (and oddities) of bad concessions.
  • Shoutout to “Morty Fleischman,” a memorable matinee degenerate, and to Roy’s fondness for studio food.

11. Jonathan Kuminga & “Held Back” Players

• Dan wonders about young prospects like Kuminga being rightfully upset about their roles versus overestimating themselves—referencing Brunson’s jump from backup to all-star.
• Mike Ryan ends the talk, bored with Kuminga speculation, declaring “he’s got to do something now.” [42:07]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard:
  • “If you want to take America from shaking ass, you got to do better than white shorts, buddy.” [02:58]
  • “There is no worse way to start a morning...than hearing Mike Ryan crow about how irrefutably right he is.” [06:27]
• Mike Ryan:
  • “It is goddamn irrefutable that I’ve been right.” [06:18]
  • “Get it out of your head that tanking doesn’t work. It does.” [20:59]
  • “When you’re floating outside the lottery, it’s hard to add pieces that maintain any actual value.” [33:28]
• Jeremy:
  • “All lip syncing sucks, right?...all of it.” [01:58]
  • “You have all of these guys that they're able to go find and turn into good players, like in those positions. It doesn't always work out when you pick in the top five...” [29:46]
• Chris:
  • “[The Heat have] had somewhere between 50 and 60 million dollars on the bench for, like, the entire year.” [30:52]
• On Jeremy's verbose questioning:
  • “It was an eloquent point when all I wanted was an efficient question. Like, I didn’t want a tapestry.” — Dan [37:13]
• On the Justice Winslow/Charlotte Trade:
  • “The Celtics would have invested everything in Justice Winslow, and we’d be having very different conversations about the Michael Jordan tenure in Charlotte.” — Chris [36:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:01–03:48] – Kid Rock, bad lip syncing, halftime show takes
• [04:45–09:54] – Mike Ryan’s Heat vindication; NBA malaise; Zion discussion
• [09:54–13:21] – Heat vs. tanking, Zion's interest in basketball, Dolphins' QB situation
• [16:30–23:20] – Heat fandom, expectations vs. reality; roots of Miami heat culture and debate over tanking
• [23:20–25:45] – Drafting, lottery success, and the “difference-maker” conundrum
• [29:44–33:28] – Rehash of picks (Adebayo, Hero, Beasley, Winslow, Boston picks), draft luck, and limits
• [34:02–36:44] – Justice Winslow draft story, Michael Jordan’s failures
• [36:44–38:48] – Jeremy’s “eloquent” question roasted
• [39:03–41:59] – Jai-alai reminiscence, food at events
• [41:59–42:13] – Kaminga, Steve Kerr, “held back” young players

Tone and Style

The energy is classic Local Hour: irreverent, fast-talking, and rooted in Miami sports culture. The crew toggles between playful mockery, genuine basketball analysis, and references only true South Florida diehards appreciate. There's a continuous current of inside jokes, sarcastic swipes, and vintage “dunking” on each other—especially Jeremy.

Summary Takeaways

• The group bickers over the merits of optimism vs. realism in Heat fandom, centering the debate on whether Miami should rebuild or stay the course, with Mike Ryan doubling down on the need for a modern, tank-based reset.
• The episode is a tapestry of basketball philosophy (team-building, lottery luck, effort), sports culture quirks (Super Bowl halftime, jai-alai, matinee degeneracy), and show chemistry (gleefully dunking on Jeremy and others in the studio).
• The "Dunk On Jeremy" theme threads humor throughout, with the episode blending the show’s homegrown vibe and sports debate for both local and national audiences.