Postgame Show: For Kawhi...?

Summary

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Episode Overview

Main Theme:
The Postgame Show: “For Kawhi…?” (November 3, 2025) – Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew gather at the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami for a quintessentially free-wheeling discussion. The episode flows from pop-culture nostalgia (notably, movie recaps) into NBA trade speculation, league policies, and projections for the Sixers and Mavericks—complete with the group’s trademark blend of irreverence and insight.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Movie Recaps & Pop Culture (00:03–01:20)

• Nostalgia for Movie Recaps:
  The crew jokes about how the episode is picking up like a "Rocky" sequel, referencing how those films always start with a recap of the previous installment.
• Marvel Movie Overload:
  Several hosts lament the homework-like burden of following Marvel movies and praise earlier franchises (like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man) for providing recaps.
• Memorable Exchange:
  • "Marvel movies, I love them, but you know what they are? Homework."
    — Host B (00:38)
  • "Would have made me watch more Marvel movies if I knew I would get a recap. 100%."
    — Host E (00:33)

2. Kawhi, Clippers, and NBA Trade Loopholes (01:27–02:49)

• Inside NBA Trades:
  The group discusses Tom Haberstroh’s suggestion that the Clippers could try to preempt potential league sanctions by trading Kawhi Leonard for a star (like Zion Williamson or Ja Morant) before penalties from an ongoing investigation are levied.
• Comparison to Heat/Hornets Trade:
  They cite the Hornets trading Terry Rozier to Miami as a parallel, describing it as a franchise trying to frame themselves as a victim before getting punished.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "There's something untoward...the Clippers, by the end of this investigation, may get dinged...So what you do is you go trade for Zion right now before they can ding you with all this stuff..."
    — Host B (01:29)
  • "Now you give more ammunition to another bad franchise to make more stupid mistakes."
    — Host D (02:34)
  • "You're going to take my 2040 first round pick. Take it. I'm not going to be here. Come on, 2040. I'm going to be like Brian Kelly, picking my feet up, baby."
    — Host B (02:38)

3. NBA Oversight, Tanking, and League Policy (02:55–03:27)

• NBA Stepping In:
  The Pelicans’ management is questioned, with references to the NBA’s intervention with the Sixers for blatant tanking. The group debates whether the league might take action against the Pelicans.
• Host B underscores:
  • The NBA’s problem with teams being transparent about losing on purpose, citing the Philly “Process” years.
  • Organizational incompetence sometimes being bad luck in who’s in charge, referencing Joe Dumars.

4. Sixers vs. Mavericks—Franchise Futures (03:30–06:32)

• Which Team Has a Brighter Future?
  Host C poses the philosophical question of whether the Sixers’ or Mavericks’ future is more appealing, with both teams in curious positions:
  • Sixers: Surprisingly good start post-Embiid ("…this is the first time I've ever felt optimistic about Philly…an optimism that does not include Joel Embiid." — Host B, 03:48)
  • Mavericks: Currently struggling but primed to bounce back with Kyrie Irving’s return and promising young pieces, per Host B.
• Divergence on East vs. West Paths:
  • Host D suggests the Sixers have a more defined, competitive opportunity in the Eastern Conference with their emerging guard rotation.
  • Host B lists the Mavericks’ upside with Irving, Cooper Flagg, a solid supporting cast, and if healthy, Anthony Davis, but concedes the Western Conference path is brutal.
• Memorable Exchange:
  • "…life after the divorce? Pretty good. Getting dates and everything."
    — Host B, describing post-Embiid Sixers optimism (03:48)
  • "The Mavericks are just victims of their current circumstance."
    — Host B (04:05)
  • "Is that the building blocks for a championship team?"
    — Host B (05:43)
  • "I feel like there's more of an angle for the Sixers to be competitive in the East and get to the NBA Finals..."
    — Host D (05:49)

5. Quick Hits & Side Tangents (06:20–end)

• Marlins Mention:
  Shout-out to Marlins rookie Javier Sanoja for a Gold Glove—echoing the episode’s larger motif of “growing up in front of our eyes.”
• Callback Gags:
  • The group riffs on flubbed phrases (“right before our arrival…our eyes”), poking fun at each other’s slip-ups.
  • Signature Le Batard Show banter, keeping the tone irreverent and self-aware.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 00:38 | B | "Marvel movies, I love them, but you know what they are? Homework." | | 01:29 | B | "So what you do is you go trade for Zion right now before they can ding you with all this stuff..." | | 02:34 | D | "Now you give more ammunition to another bad franchise to make more stupid mistakes." | | 02:38 | B | "You're going to take my 2040 first round pick. Take it. I'm not going to be here. Come on, 2040. I'm going to be like Brian Kelly, picking my feet up, baby." | | 03:48 | B | _"...this is the first time I've ever felt optimistic about Philly…an optimism that does not include Joel Embiid." _ | | 05:49 | D | "I feel like there's more of an angle for the Sixers to be competitive in the east and get to the NBA Finals..." |

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Section Timestamps

• [00:03] – Movie recap nostalgia & Marvel fatigue
• [01:27] – NBA trade strategies and the Clippers/Kawhi speculation
• [02:55] – Tanking & the NBA’s role in policing franchises
• [03:30] – Sixers vs. Mavericks: Franchise futures and potential
• [06:20] – Marlins' shoutout and wraparound banter

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Tone & Language

• Playfully irreverent with moments of sharp NBA analysis.
• Typical for the Le Batard show: Part sports insight, part clubhouse riffs, and pop-culture tangents.

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Summary Takeaway:
This episode delivers on the signature Le Batard postgame format: unscripted, incisive (if indirect) NBA analysis, hijinks about superhero movie fatigue, and classic banter about bad franchises, all while wrestling with the question, “For Kawhi…?” The hosts’ chemistry and quick pivots from sharp to silly keep the discussion fresh, even for listeners who missed the full episode.

Transcript

[A]

For Kawhi.

[B]

Right? Welcome to the post game show. We ended the show with a cliffhanger and a cliffhanger. This is like Rocky. We're the beginning of every Rocky movie. They recap, right? Like, they recap what happened in the last Rocky movie. I love. I love.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

I love those little recaps. Right? So I ended the local hours and the thing that the pelicans could do.

[C]

Why don't movies do that anymore? Who doesn't love a good recap?

[A]

Tobey Maguire's Spider man movies did that.

[B]

Did a recap. Yeah, they did it in recaps.

[D]

That was super helpful.

[B]

Well, the Marvel movies needed that, for sure.

[A]

Thank you, Sam Raimi.

[B]

We're like, what's going on on? I don't know.

[E]

So many characters would have loved that for Marvel. Would have made me watch more Marvel movies if I knew I would have to recap 100%.

[B]

It's too many. You know what? Marvel movies, I love them, but you know what they are homework.

[A]

I totally forgot. Winter Soldier killed Tony's dad.

[B]

What? Tony.

[A]

So did he.

[B]

I rewatched Civil War.

[E]

Spoiler alert.

[B]

I re. I rewatched Civil War over the weekend, and that was the time I went, oh.

[C]

I was like, what?

[B]

The whole time?

[C]

That's like the whole plot of the movie.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

Like.

[B]

But I'm like, the whole time I'm like, why is Tony Stark so hell bent on fighting Captain America over. Over the logistics of the Sokovia Accords and all that? And then it's like, oh, because Bucky.

[C]

And he knew and Steve knew.

[A]

No, it definitely tempers. Definitely flair after that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He was already properly pissed.

[B]

He was pissed.

[A]

But we were talking policy, and Baron.

[C]

Zemo is orchestrating the whole thing.

[D]

And Zemo makes him watch it.

[B]

Yep. And.

[A]

And he goes like, you knew about this?

[B]

Wow. And then we start fighting.

[A]

Yup.

[E]

For Kawhi.

[D]

For Kawhi.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Kawhi. So Tom Haberstow wrote about this in his substack the Findry, months ago, right. When we first started talking about Kwai and this aspiration deal. And there's something untoward. And the Clippers, by the end of this investigation, may get dinged with a bunch of stuff. A bunch like, pics and all that stuff. They might get dinged. So what you do is you go trade for Zion right now before they can ding you with all this stuff, which is basically what happened with Terry Rozier and the Heat. The Hornets allegedly knew this was happening. So what do you do? You trade Terry Rozier immediately to a team that's like, uh. And it's just like, I'm a victim. Absolutely. Just like Steve Ballmer.

[D]

So you trade Kawhi to the Pelicans or change for Zion Williamson or Ja Moran or whomever, and then they can't ding you because the player's no longer on the roster.

[B]

Well, not only that, but, like, the picks. You got to throw picks in there. I don't have the picks. Yeah, we're going to take your first round.

[D]

Like, I traded them all.

[B]

Good luck. Send them to Zion. Boom. God. Ass.

[D]

Now you give more ammunition to another bad franchise to make more stupid mistakes.

[B]

Exactly. And meanwhile, you're like, okay, you're going to take my 2040 first round pick. Take it. I'm not going to be Lawrence Frank's. Like, I ain't going to be here. Come on, 2040. I'm going to be like Brian Kelly.

[D]

Picking my feet up, baby. But, like, to the point of, like, the Pelicans, is somebody going to step in and do something?

[B]

Step in and do what?

[D]

I don't know.

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

They stepped in with the guy. NBA stepped in with the Sixers.

[B]

First, two things. Number one, the Sixers were on purpose being bad, which, as we talked about, it's like, the one thing you can't do is tell the customer that we are purposely giving you bad product. Like, that's the one thing you can't do. And so that was the impetus behind that in this case. A, the guy just got the job. B, yeah, some people are always going to be not good at the job. And it just so happens it's Joe Dumar's turn right now.

[C]

So can I ask you an interesting question?

[B]

Yes, please. I love interesting questions.

[C]

The Philadelphia 76ers are 5 and 1.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Embiid has not played the last couple of games. They're obviously better without him. Sixers are 5 and 1, the Dallas Mavericks are 2 and 4.

[B]

Hello.

[C]

Which team's future would you rather have?

[B]

This is a good question. You know why? Because after, like, a couple of games of me watching the Sixers, I was like, this is the first time I've ever felt optimistic about Philly. An optimism that does not include Joel Embiid. Right. Before that, it's always been like, well, if Embiid's healthy. Well, if you don't put it together now, it's like, oh, wow, this looks like, what's life like after the divorce? Right? Like, pretty good. Getting dates and everything. Right. On the other hand, I think The Mavericks are actually just victims of their current circumstance. Meaning when Kyrie Irving comes back, which, by the way, Jason Kidd. Don't know if you guys saw this, don't know if you guys heard this. He kind of dropped a little hint. Kyrie, whether he comes back in 26 or 25. 25. We've only got a couple months left in 25, but somehow maybe Kyrie's back. You add Kyrie Irving to these Mavericks, who, by the way, have gone point guardless and it shows. It changes the dynamics massively. Right? Plus you've got Cooper Flagg, who's an elite talent. He looks pretty good. He looks apart. Plus you got a good supporting cast. PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Derrick Lively, plus Anthony Davis. When he's healthy, he's one of the best players in the league. I'm going.

[A]

It's crazy.

[B]

I think I'd rather have the Mavericks future. Really. They got more.

[D]

You got more for now, though, right? Like Kyrie, Ad those guys are on the other side. Right.

[B]

But they give you a chance. Like I, like in the Western Conference.

[D]

Gives a chance to do what?

[B]

VJ Edgecombe, which was another. Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it.

[D]

Keep holding.

[B]

I'm still edging. Hold it. Oh, now comes the other part of the name. Right? Like, he's exciting and Maxi is blossoming and growing right before our arrival. Right.

[C]

Right before our what?

[B]

Our eyes.

[D]

Ah, you don't get it.

[E]

You don't get the show.

[B]

You don't get the show. But it's like. Tony, is that the building blocks for a championship team?

[D]

No, but I would say that I don't think the Mavericks have a really good building block for their build in the Western Conference for a championship. Right. Like, I feel like there's more of an angle for the Sixers to be competitive in the east and get to the NBA Finals with this three guard rotation. Once McCain comes back, then I do see, like, Cooper Flag, who's playing point guard right now, but it's not his natural position. Well, we got to wait till Kyrie comes back. But then, like, DLO is kind of there too. Like, PJ Washington gets the ball sometimes. Like, they don't really have a ball handler. They got a bunch of bigs, the guys that kind of fit mold.

[B]

Kyrie comes in all of a sudden.

[D]

Sure.

[B]

You know that they actually. You know what they need, Jeremy? They need the Heat offense.

[E]

That's a wide open offense, by the way, speaking great futures, Javier Sonoha, rookie for the Marlins.

[A]

What a Gold Glove Who?

[B]

Huh?

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

That fool Marcus.

[A]

Mariota. Growing up right in front of our eyes.