The Iconic Dance Of Mr. Met | Hour 2

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show: "The Iconic Dance Of Mr. Met" | Hour 2

Date: June 29, 2026
Location: Live from The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Main Hosts/Voices: Dan Le Batard, Chris, Tony, Zas, Amin

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Episode Overview

This hour delves into the team's usual energetic and insightful banter on headline sports news—particularly NBA free agency, notable trades, rumors, and the implications for teams like the Pistons, Hornets, and Timberwolves. The show also takes a poignant turn discussing current events in Venezuela and the personal impact of ALS, notably in the context of former NFL player Chris Johnson’s diagnosis. It balances humor—the Mr. Met dance segment, Eric Andre stories—with authentic, vulnerable moments and resource sharing for ongoing humanitarian causes.

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Key Topics & Discussion Breakdown

1. Venezuela Earthquake Crisis & Relief Efforts

[02:08 - 04:54]

• Chris introduces the severe impact of twin earthquakes in Venezuela, describing devastation, missing persons, destroyed infrastructure, and a huge number of locals sleeping outside from fear.
• Recognizes the large Venezuelan population in Miami and the ongoing rescue efforts.
• Dan urges listeners to contribute to organizations like GlobalEmpowermentMission.org, UnitedWayMiami.org, and FoodForThePoor.org.
• Quote:

  "If you are watching any of the video coming out of Venezuela, it's just unbelievably horrific... You just from one moment to the other lost people that you cared about in something that catastrophic, it would obviously be something that hits you where it hurts. So help if you can." — Dan [03:11]

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2. NBA Offseason and Free Agency Moves

[04:54 - 13:15]

Notable Trades and Player Options

• Al Horford joining Warriors in his 20th NBA season is recognized as "kind of crazy."
• Amin discusses the Pistons’ rationale for trading Isaiah Stewart to Memphis for roster building.
• Opt-In/Opt-Out News:
  • James Harden (Cleveland) opts out, likely for contract restructuring.
  • Zach LaVine (Sacramento) opts in to a $49M player option, trade rumors swirl.
  • Draymond Green opts out in Golden State, potentially enabling pursuit of LeBron or Anthony Davis.
• Amin:

  "This is Draymond doing the ultimate team thing... not even sure that's gonna happen with Draymond... this is his opportunity to give Golden State a real leg up in bringing in some reinforcements." [06:22]

Trade Values and Retrospectives

• Chris/Tony/Amin/Dan dissect the controversial Dallas trade of Luka Doncic vs. recent blockbuster deals involving LaMelo Ball, Giannis, etc.
• Amin:

  “When you trade a guy like Luka Doncic, 25 years old, five-time all-NBA first team, you have to walk away with multiple picks." [07:43]

• Unpacks the dwindling return Dallas received for Doncic compared to precedent.

On the Charlotte Hornets Shakeup

• Praise for Charlotte’s proactive trades (LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, acquiring Allen and O’Neill), despite fan frustration.
• Amin:

  "You've got to give up stuff sometimes to get stuff." [05:25]

  "[Charlotte is] doing something very like...you as you guys are worried about what the rest of the Eastern Conference is doing, look in your own division, because that one right there, got to watch it." [22:45]

Timberwolves’ Bold Moves

• Amin labels GM Tim Connelly a “riverboat gambler.”
• Debates whether dealing away size (Nas Reed, Julius Randle) for LaMelo Ball makes Minnesota better positioned against rising Western Conference powers.
• Amin:

  “Now your front court against big, you know, big places in the West...now all of a sudden, you don't have anybody." [18:44]

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3. Prankster Energy: The Eric Andre Segment

[08:04 - 10:44]

• Chris/Tony/Zas/Amin/Dan talk about Dan’s recent interview with Eric Andre on their South Beach Sessions podcast:
  • Dan reassures he did not “ruin” Eric Andre’s comedic mystique, instead getting both raunchy humor and rare vulnerability about anxiety and medication.
• Memorable Exchange:

  Tony: “I was very worried...like, what's Dan gonna...He's gonna ruin Eric Andre for me. It's gonna be like an hour of just him crying about his saddest moments. But luckily we got a dildo with a Chinese finger trap story. So I'm feeling good.” [08:20]

  Dan: “...he was unusually vulnerable, but he's sort of slapping his forehead on...I saw some sort of Nobility in not taking a pill for my anxiety. Like, I've been doing all of this work...and all I had to do was get properly medicated for it.” [09:04]

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4. The Viral “Mr. Met” Dance and Mascot Memories

[26:16 - 32:11]

• Chris introduces a viral video of Mr. Met dancing behind a reporter during a serious Mets manager firing, urging YouTube viewers to enjoy the absurdist contrast.
• The group reminisces about media moments disrupted by mascots or other forms of comic relief.
• Amin:

  “Imagine Chris Cody doing his dance moves while wearing a Mr. Met costume.” [28:03]

• Debate over “hating mascots” (Tony, Mike Wilbon, Robin Lopez named as mascot-phobic), leading to laughs and character judgments.
• Dan:

  "I think I can make a character assessment of a person based on whether or not they hate mascots. You can't hate mascots, can you?" [31:49]

• Robin Lopez’s infamous feuds with mascots are cited, contrasting with his love of Disney.

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5. ALS: Chris Johnson's Diagnosis & Deep Reflections

[32:11 - 41:53]

• Chris plays audio from Chris Johnson (former Titans RB), now unable to speak due to ALS, sharing his story on Good Morning America.

• Quotes:

  Chris Johnson (via device): “ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am.” [33:13]
  “If sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope, then it’s worth it.” [33:43]

• Amin emotionally describes losing a college friend to ALS, highlighting the “prisoner in your own body” horror of the illness:

  "It's awful...it feels like the worst possible death sentence because you're cognizant." [34:57]

• Discussion around whether ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) is linked to head trauma, especially in football players, and the lingering lack of understanding and funding for research.

• Zas and Dan note influential docs (Gleason), support organizations (ProjectMainStreet.org), and emphasize new tech for patients.

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Notable Quotes and Interactions

On Team-Building & Value

• Amin: “There's a level of like, no, this is serious here. Making it to the playoffs is not our goal. Our goal is a championship...that culture I think LaMelo Ball will conform with.” [19:21]

On Fan Attachment

• Chris: “A player that the fan base falls in love with...even though you guys were throwing the Kemba Walker team at me. The thing that Charlotte had...is a player that the fan base falls in love with, for better or worse.” [23:13]

On Illness and Athlete Vulnerability

• Dan: “For me though, so when it happens to an athlete, it’s not just that the body was once the tool that paid for the entire economy...These people are so pridefully self-sufficient...and there is just a breaking of the soul that happens inside of needing in a way that most people are not comfortable being that vulnerable with need.” [39:10]

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Key Timestamps & Highlights

• [02:08] – Venezuela earthquake news, relief fundraisers
• [04:54] – NBA offseason trade/free agency updates (Pistons, Warriors, Harden, LaVine, Draymond)
• [08:04] – Preview of Eric Andre’s candid/raunchy South Beach Sessions interview
• [11:07] – Criminal indictments for NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis
• [13:12] – Detailed Hornets, Timberwolves, and NBA roster debate
• [26:16] – Mr. Met’s dance disrupts somber Mets press conference
• [32:11] – Chris Johnson’s ALS news and group’s emotional reflections
• [39:10] – Broader discussion on ALS, healthcare, and caregiver resources

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Additional Resources & Calls to Action

• Venezuela Relief:

  • GlobalEmpowermentMission.org
  • UnitedWayMiami.org
  • FoodForThePoor.org

• ALS Caregiver & Research:

  • ProjectMainStreet.org
  • Watch Gleason (2016 documentary)

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Tone, Flow, & Final Take

The conversation pivots rapidly but never feels scattered—segmenting between irreverent humor, pop culture references, and raw, genuine exploration of human struggle and community support. Le Batard’s style—self-deprecating, probing, and willingness to be both playful and vulnerable—permeates the episode, making for a dynamic, empathetic, and deeply engaging listen.

Transcript

[Dan Levitar]

Lamine.

[Tony]

Yamal steps into McDonald's, looks left, sees

[Dan Levitar]

Pulisic, looks right, sees Jimenez, gives a nod to Ronaldinho in the corner with

[Tony]

a FIFA World cup meal.

[Dan Levitar]

Ronaldinho sees son in the booth.

[Tony]

Son finds Beckham going for extra Big Mac sauce. He's got Davies at the table just behind him.

[Dan Levitar]

Davies going for his collectible cup.

[Tony]

A steal by Henry, who pulls his own collectible cup. Collect one of nine legendary cups with a FIFA World cup meal at participating McDonald's for a limited time while supplies last. All rights reserved. 20:26 McDonald's at FIFA World Cup 20:26 this episode is brought to you by State Farm. You know those friends who support your preference for podcasts over music on road trips? That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance. With over 19,000 local agents, they help you find the coverage that fits your needs so you can spend less time worrying about insurance and more time enjoying the ride. Download the State Farm app or go [e-mail] like a good neighbor, State Farm is there chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more, can make me feel like a spectator in my own life. Botox Onobotulinum Toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It's the number one prescribed branded chronic migraine preventive treatment. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions including als, Lou Gehrig's disease, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eton syndrome and medications including botulinum toxins as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. Why wait? Ask your doctor, visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-844botox to learn more.

[Chris]

You are listening to the Dan Levatar

[Dan Levitar]

show in partnership with the DraftKings sports app.

[Zas]

Now live in all 50 states.

[Chris]

If you would like to help the people of Venezuela. There was an obvious calamity. Two massive earthquakes on June 24, just 39 seconds apart, 7.2 and 7.5. And the visuals out of Venezuela are just unfathomable.

[Dan Levitar]

7.2.

[Chris]

You've got all sorts of weird stuff happening with the earth. I was not aware that Cuba could have earthquakes. There was one felt downtown here in Miami in Cuba. But what's happening in Venezuela is their structures are in no way built for this because it'd been more than 100 years since they'd gotten an earthquake of any kind. And then they got two back to back like this. So there are thousands of people missing and there are people sleeping in the streets because they don't trust the structures. So they're sleeping outside because some of the buildings that are still up are buildings that are, you know, just not trustworthy. And in South Florida, we have a huge Venezuelan population. If you would like to help here locally, we have a couple of places where you can do so. UnitedWayMiami.org, foodForThePoor.org and GlobalEmpowermentMission.org, i will give all of those again in the event that you wish to help. Because if you are watching any of the video coming out of Venezuela, it's just unbelievably horrific. And you've got tens of thousands of people unaccounted for. You've got a whole lot of folks in Miami who work in rescue going to Venezuela. Obviously, the amount of time to find survivors, if not already having dwindled, it's almost gone. Being able to find anyone still surviving. But if you Want to Help, globalempowermentmission.org, unitedwaymiami.org and foodforthepoor.org, because what you're seeing there in terms of video is a calamity that is unspeakable. And if you just from one moment to the other lost people that you cared about in something that catastrophic, it would obviously be something that hits you where it hurts. So help if you can. And I will transition awkwardly out of that into some more of the sports news of the day. Zaslow was saying during the break that there was a flurry of NBA news over the course course of the last hour. Before we get to this latest flurry, one of the things that I wanted to get to Congratulations to Al Horford, 20th season going into a 20th season with the warriors, which is kind of crazy. And I wanted to ask Amin, do you have any idea why the Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart to the Grizzlies? Like, what was the thinking behind that?

[Amin]

Yeah, they were getting return on value. Stewart is probably not going to get a much higher return than they got right there. Duran is who they're locked in on. They're going to pay him, so you got to clear out that money. And then they were able to go out and pursue Isaiah Joe, who gives them shooting. I think. Look, the Pistons free agency front offseason has just started. They're going to be aggressive with a lot of moves. Norm Powell is a name that's been linked to them and it would help them tremendously. But yeah, you got to give up stuff sometimes to get stuff.

[Chris]

What is the other news here that we have had over the last hours

[Dan Levitar]

as so, free agency officially opens tomorrow, but players are starting to opt in and out of contracts. So James Harden has opted out of his $42.3 million final year of his deal for next season, I would assume. It seems that nowadays when you opt out of the final year, it's because you're going to restructure, you're going to sign extension with said team. I would imagine that is going to be the case with James Harden and Cleveland. Zach LaVine in Sacramento is opting in to his $49 million player option. I would imagine that the Kings would. Well, I'd imagine they're going to try and trade him. And you also have Draymond Green who is opting out of the final $27.7 million in his deal. And certainly that's one that you look at where you're like, okay, is that Draymond Green willing to take more money but less per year? Because there's a lot of smoke as far as them potentially going after LeBron James.

[Amin]

And not just LeBron James. Anthony has been linked also to Golden State. So this is Draymond doing the ultimate team thing. You know, usually like you said, an opt out is because he's gonna sign a longer deal that guarantees him more money. In this case, I'm not even sure that's gonna happen with Draymond. Not because he's not deserving, but this is his opportunity to give Golden State a real leg up in bringing in some reinforcements.

[Chris]

I know you guys talked about this some last week, but when LaMelo Ball goes for what LaMelo Ball goes for, and you just mentioned Anth Davis, is the Dallas trade of Luka Doncic somehow even worse now in retrospect than it was given our visceral reaction to the fact that all you got back was essentially Anthony Davis, who no longer plays for you and now is going somewhere else. You didn't get anything for Doncic, but

[Tony]

they got Cooper flag.

[Amin]

Well, that has nothing to do with that deal.

[Dan Levitar]

No, they didn't.

[Amin]

That's nothing to do with that deal. They got Max Christie, though.

[Chris]

They traded Luka Doncic. Think about what LaMelo Ball went for or even Giannis. While you're at it, think about the number. You've got the equivalent of seven first round picks going for Giannis. We've talked before about Desmond Bain going for four, Bridges going for five, Rudy Gobert going for five, and Doncic sits in the middle of that as something that Dallas gets nothing for.

[Amin]

Dan. This is the day of. The day of you were saying this is awful because even if Anthony Davis can stay healthy, when you trade a guy like Luka Doncic, 25 years old, five time all NBA first team, you have to walk away with multiple picks.

[Chris]

That.

[Amin]

That was the day of. And that was me not knowing whether Anthony Davis was going to get hurt or not. And obviously ultimately traded.

[Dan Levitar]

You know.

[Chris]

You did know. I saw Chris Cody's eyes light up during the YouTube break because I think he just realized that Eric Andre is on South Beach Sessions. And you're a big Eric Andre guy, right?

[Tony]

I'm very encouraged by that clip I saw. I was very worried when I saw him on the calendar last week.

[Amin]

I was like, oh, no.

[Dan Levitar]

I was like, what's Dan gonna.

[Tony]

He's gonna ruin Eric Andre for me. It's gonna be like an hour of just him crying about his saddest moments. But luckily we got a dildo with a Chinese finger trap story. So I'm feeling good. I'm gonna listen on my way home today.

[Chris]

It's a good story, right? That, that story. That, that story. That.

[Zas]

I was also scared when I saw it on the calendar. I'm like, this can go one of two ways. Either Dan's gonna ruin him or Eric's gonna show Dan his dick.

[Dan Levitar]

Yeah.

[Amin]

Did you see it?

[Dan Levitar]

Did you get to see it?

[Chris]

I did not get to see it, no. But he told.

[Zas]

So you ruined him.

[Chris]

He told stories involving his penis, though, and being in a dangerous situation in a barber shop while locked penis to penis with a finger trap with a friend of his while doing pranks. He also. He is an anxiety riddled person, which is a place that I could have ruined the Eric Andre interview. But one of the things that he said that was interesting and I encourage you to listen to South Beach Sessions because it was a lot of fun to talk to him and he was unusually vulnerable, but he's sort of slapping his forehead on. I don't understand why. I saw some sort of Nobility in not taking a pill for my anxiety. Like, I've been doing all of this work. I've lived with this anxiety for so long, and all I had to do was get properly medicated for it. And it managed to even me out in a way that doesn't make me any less funny. So where is it that, where is it that you became a fan of Eric Andre? Because I, I, I loved him just in gemstones. I, I loved his character in gemstones. But you love his prank shows, right?

[Tony]

The Eric Andre show is where I really fell in love with him. I had seen him before that. But the Eric Andre show. Did you consider doing some Eric Andre show antics in your interview with him? Like maybe just a zebra walks out in the middle.

[Amin]

Did you?

[Chris]

No.

[Dan Levitar]

Oh.

[Amin]

So then, true story. The original, original, original pitch I had for Oddball was an NBA version of the Eric Andre show. And I wanted to do that and I wanted it to be out there. And then metal arc happened, and then here we are. Yeah.

[Chris]

As a Pulitzer Prize winning media company. Is that what you meant?

[Zas]

You're welcome. Yeah. You're welcome.

[Amin]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And then metal Lark happened, and here we are with a crazy sound like, what does that mean? Metal lark happened to you?

[Zas]

Yeah.

[Chris]

It's Meadowlark's fault that you weren't able to do an Eric Andre basketball show.

[Amin]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Was your show, though.

[Amin]

One more thing.

[Tony]

Keep our head on the ball, guys.

[Zas]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Is there any other NBA news that's worth chronicling here, like the opening of free agency? What are the big movements that we are expecting?

[Amin]

Why are we burying the lead? We have two federal indictments, Malik Beasley and Ed Davis, who hasn't played in the league in quite a while, which is kind of weird. How did they get, how did they catch him up? But Malik Beasley. Dan. Dan. This was one of the things I was coming in here hot to try. I was like, you know what? You know what's an off the beaten path option for the Miami Heat? You know who's still out there? Great shooter. Malik Beasley. And. And then this happened, and now it's like, I don't think he's on the table anymore, guys.

[Dan Levitar]

Well, and also over the weekend, you had the Hornets make another trade that a lot of people didn't see coming with Miles Bridges going to Phoenix. I really like what the Hornets are doing. I love it. And I think they're going to get Jaylen Brown.

[Amin]

They are not in the Jalen Brown sweepstakes. That's according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

[Chris]

All right, you guys love what Charlotte is doing, but they are coming off of their most relevant season since Jamal Mashburn. Like, they. Whoa.

[Amin]

Purple shirt guy would like a word.

[Chris]

Kemba Walker did not win a playoff series.

[Amin]

This Hornets team has never been to the playoffs.

[Dan Levitar]

Like, neither is LaMelo balls. Never been in the playoff game. Like, we talk all the time. Like, we did this with Jimmy Butler right where the Heat. They should have traded Jimmy Butler a year ago. You waited a year too long. I think the Hornets are making very proactive moves here. They finally got a year out of LaMelo Ball, where he played. Played a. Played 72 games. The three years before, they played 47, 22 and 36 games. This is the definition of selling high on a player who never plays and has not appeared in a postseason game.

[Tony]

And you got something for Miles Bridges, too, which after the last couple of years, you didn't think you would ever get anything for him. You were able to buff him up a little bit and then get him out the door.

[Amin]

And they got Two good players. Two guys, Grayson Allen and Royce O'.

[Dan Levitar]

Neill.

[Amin]

But when the LaMelo Ball deal happened, I was outraged. I was outraged. That's what I was outraged about. Nas Reed got traded. I thought the whole point of Julius Randle getting traded was, now this is Nas Reed's time. He's going to be there starting four. He might be an all star caliber player. And he goes out the door. I was staggered.

[Dan Levitar]

It's a great trade for it.

[Amin]

Staggered that the Timberwolves would do that.

[Dan Levitar]

It's a great trade for Charlotte.

[Zas]

For 22 years on this show, we've debated the greatest athletes of all time. Who's the goat in football? Who's the goat in soccer? Who's the goat in hoops? One thing that we all know is Dan's the goat of finding the worst possible take. But there's another kind of MVP goat that doesn't get enough credit. The friend who knows to show up with enough Miller Lights plus extra ice because they just know. The one who already has seats at the bar when you walk up. That is Miller time. Nvp. I've been on this show long enough to know that Dan is gonna make everything about his feelings and Jeremy is gonna push back on whatever I just said. But here's something nobody on this show will argue with. Miller Lite is the summer beer. The original light beer since 1975. This summer, recognize your MVPs. We all have that one friend who makes every game better. Now it's time to give them their moment. Head over to Miller Lite's social media pages to learn more about being a Miller Time mvp. 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.

[Amin]

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[Tony]

Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with power boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.

[Amin]

Dan Levitar analytics have Slash are ruining the game. We're playing AI Hoops.

[Dan Levitar]

That's his team. His team's at the forefront of all that.

[Amin]

Dan's ass. Don't steal my thunder.

[Dan Levitar]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. Jonathan Sasselo. I get carried away. This is the Dan Levata.

[Chris]

Is that a rod? What's happening there? Because a rod, as soon as a rod got there, before all of that arbitration stuff started happening with the owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, a Rod was said to be involved with, you know, the five draft picks traded for Rudy Gobert. What. What is happening there? I. I'm assuming that a lot of people are wondering, well, how is that going to work? LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards together.

[Amin]

Tim Connolly is something of a riverboat gambler. He likes big, bold moves. The ability to give five first round picks up for Rudy Gobert is because a Rod said, yes, be bold. And Tim Connelly, finally someone lets me go wild here. A lot of people are excited, Dan. They've been targeting LaMelo Ball for a while. Minnesota has like they, they look at him. They obviously needed a point guard. Well, because Anthony Edwards having to do so much playmaking takes a lot out of him, not only offensively but also defensively. He doesn't have a as much energy on the defensive end. So Lamelo ball as a playmaker frees him up to do that stuff. And let me tell you, if they had done this deal and Nas Reed was still a Timberwolf, I would have been like home run. But the part where they gave up Nas Reed and Julius Randle, they went from one of the big teams. We talk about size in the west, right? The Thunder and the spurs, and, pardon me, Minnesota was one of those teams, and now they go from one of the biggest teams to Jaden McDaniels as your starting four. I don't like that at all.

[Zas]

Does Minnesota deserve the benefit of the doubt? Because previously they made moves like Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, and I do think that they spun those into wins when a lot of people were questioning those moves in very similar fashion.

[Amin]

Absolutely. Tim Connolly is one of the most respected front office guys, but he is a riverboat gambler. And so telling me that the Riverbow gambler has one on two consecutive bets or however many consecutive bets doesn't mean that the next one is going to win. It means he's probably due for one that's going to fall flat on its face.

[Chris]

Oh, but what I saw happening here almost has less to do with Minnesota than it does with the symbolism of Wemby hitting Nas Reed in the face. And all of a sudden Minnesota realizing, yeah, we were close, but now those two teams are younger and they're going to keep getting better, and we have to do something. The team that we have is not good enough to compete with OKC as the team that we have is not good enough to actually compete with OKC and the Spurs.

[Amin]

I just don't believe that. You know, they've been to the conference finals twice in the last three years. Last year they didn't make it because, in part, Anthony Edwards is hurt. Dante DiVincenzo is out for the entire series. Ayo Dusuma, who had a great game in that series, was also playing injured. So it was a compromised version of them. But also, if we're trying to compete with the spurs, with the Nuggets, with the Thunder, all these big teams, how are you going to tell me trading away all your size is the answer?

[Tony]

And obviously, they had a strong need for guard, for playmaking and stuff, which Lamelo and Iodesumu cover. But now your front court against big, you know, big places in the West, Chet Holmgren, Jokic, Wemby, anybody like that, now all of a sudden, you don't have anybody. Lamelo does do a great job of creating for others, though. He Created how many? You know, hundreds of threes for Concanimple, for Miller, for Bridges in Charlotte. So I'm interested to see what he does for Ant.

[Dan Levitar]

You're in it. Like, Minnesota has championship aspirations. They've had championship aspirations for the last few years. You're in a big playoff game, and the ball is in LaMelo Ball's hands. Give me. Come on, give me a break.

[Amin]

So this is what I'm going to say. And I'm not like the biggest LaMelo Ball fan, but I am a big fan of Anthony Edwards. And we thought a certain way about Karl. Anthony Towns, and then Anthony Edwards got around him and he became way better. Right. And way more focused. We thought a certain type of way about Julius Randle, and then Anthony Edwards got around him, and then he played the best ball of his career. I feel like LaMelo, however wild or crazy, unreliable he is, you put him next to Anthony Edwards and there's a level of like, no, this is serious here. Making it to the playoffs is not our goal. Our goal is a championship. And that culture I think LaMelo Ball will conform with.

[Chris]

You guys objected to what it is I was saying about this Hornets team. I was using the second half of the season, they just broke up the best team lineup offensively that there was in the sport. The second half of last season. Lamelo, Knipple, Bridges, Miller and Diabate, Their net rating was 26.4 in 509 minutes, plus 26.4 the second half of the season. You guys are much higher on what it is that they're doing than I am.

[Amin]

Dan, all of that is true. Also, they barely squeaked by in a Miami Heat team that all you guys say is terrible, and then they got their asses annihilated by Orlando. So all of that's nice, but this is what I always say about regular season statistics. They're built on the corpses of all the awful teams.

[Dan Levitar]

Yeah, like a third of the league that wasn't trying this year.

[Amin]

When you. When you play against a team.

[Chris]

Yeah, but everybody was playing the bad teams, and this was the best lineup statistically. Everybody was playing those bad teams.

[Tony]

Sure.

[Amin]

But my point is, once we get to a place where. Okay, now it's serious, where it's not a divided attention. Everyone on the staff, everyone on the team is geared to just beat your ass. They didn't perform quite as well, and LaMelo Ball was one of the biggest culprits. That's why Zaz is saying, big playoff game. You're trusting him. The ball in his hands. That's why he's saying that. Because his track record is they haven't been to playoffs, but they've been to the play in a bunch of times. He's not good there.

[Tony]

I mean, they're also a byproduct of white hot shooting for that stretch after the All Star Game where they kind of take what Boston does and the principles that they do and brought it over to Charlotte. We're like, we're going to shoot a trillion threes with everybody here on the floor. And it's also shades of, of that Heat team that went, what, 30 and 11 or whatever. And you're like, all right, we can run this back. Charlotte looked at it and said, there's character guys that we don't really like. There's guys that can show us that this is a bit of fool's gold. Let's be proactive like Zaz says, and get something for our return.

[Dan Levitar]

And they did just replicate in the aggregate what they lost in the three point shooting with Royce o' Neill and Grayson Allen.

[Amin]

It's an amazing roster that they're putting together. It's really deep. It's if, like, if we're going to take like the Knicks as an example of, hey, maybe I don't have the best player in the league on my team, but I've got nine to 11 guys who are all really, really good bonafide rotation NBA players. Now Charles Lee's got to bring it all together. He's got to get everyone to buy in in the same way that Mike Brown did. But if I'm a Hornets fan and they're pissed. Rod Boone of the Charlotte observer was on the radio show with us yesterday. He let us know the fans are pissed because they feel like Dan does. Like, wait a second, we had the best season ever and you guys are breaking up the Beatles. But the reality is, it's what Tony said. They know, hey, this isn't real, what happened. That's not real. That's not sustainable. We got good. And now it's the time where we can sell a mellow ball high and we could sell a guy that was unsellable. Unsellable. Miles Bridges because of the domestic violence, very graphic, very well documented incidents. He was untouchable even when he came back to the Hornets. People like, what are you guys doing? So them being able to trade him for two rotation NBA players who are really good shooters. And now you're surrounding Brandon Miller with Kyra Knippel and Royce o' Neill and Grayson Allen and Nas Reed, who I think, again, I'll say it again, I think this guy's an all star caliber big man. They're doing something very like you guys, as you guys are worried about what the rest of the Eastern Conference is doing, look in your own division, because that one right there, got to watch it.

[Chris]

But it's not just, though, that I'm looking at the second half of the season. If I'm a Charlotte fan, why it is that I'm bothered by this when I say the best team that they have had since Jamal Mashburn was there, even though you guys were throwing the Kemba Walker team at me. The thing that Charlotte had that they probably haven't had in two decades is a player that the fan base falls in love with, for better or worse. This was a star basketball name that they had in Charlotte, and they haven't had one of those, like, it's been a long time since their fan base can celebrate. Oh, we have someone who's a star name. Whether you like his playing style or not. I don't trust him either. I think he's reckless in general. I think he's inefficient. He does a lot of stuff and did a lot of stuff before that Orlando game that is as smothered as you can be as an offense. He did a lot of stuff that was dumb, Just flat dumb. It's not the way we're playing basketball anymore. We can extend the range of these players to 30ft if you like. Like nobody's playing basketball the way Lamelo, as sloppily as Lamelo Ball is, yes, you're right.

[Amin]

But he is a star. Undeniable, very popular, one of the biggest sellers of sneakers out there, one of the most watched on social media. And he is a product of the social media generation. Right. Lavar made him a star as like a sophomore in high school in that way. In a way that probably far surpasses actual basketball achievement. And so they're going to have to reckon with that in a market where they've already had to struggle to sell tickets and get people excited. That never really healed after George Shin moved the team to New Orleans. And so they've always been kind of climbing this massive uphill back, but basketball wise, I feel like this is a great thing. And to me, all of that stuff, they'll trade it all in for success. They'll trade it all in for a winner. And I think this is going to make them into a winner.

[Dan Levitar]

You know about that big ball brand.

[Amin]

Thank you.

[Chris]

Thank you the balls. They became famous with a generation of social media kids while playing in Lithuania as high schoolers, right? Like it was just they were very young and a generation of kids grew up with a different kind of social media star. Because this family came in and rattled the cages of the NBA where you have the Lakers as an example, Magic Johnson being bothered because you know Lav, their father is doing press conferences outside of the locker room.

[Amin]

Did you see it? He's back. Lavar had a press conference the other day. He sat there with the big bowler brand stepping repeat behind him. And he said, Minnesota, you made the best move ever. Now you can make it even greater. You get Lonzo, coldest move in the game. Trade him for that mellow, get that Lonzo and that jello, right? And you bring them together because you know what's better than one ball, three balls.

[Chris]

Let's go to some video here. I wanted to show you guys that reminded me of one of the funniest press conferences I've ever been around. It was back in Shea Stadium. It wasn't Citi Field back then, but let's go. The Mets fired their manager, Carlos Mendoza. And for those of you who are not watching video, I would urge you on YouTube to watch what's happening in the background here. As a mascot shows is this Mr. Met. A mascot is ruining what is a very serious, serious report from a reporter or making it better, depending on what angle you look at it from the reporter is very serious. The mascot is not. Answer for how the team got here. If there was, you know, they fix it. There's a lot of layers to this. But what I will say is it's become clear that the Mets simply changed too much this offseason. At one time, there's every reason in the world both to say that last year's team collapsed. We're going to make some changes. But when you turn over the entire roster, the entire coaching staff, you. So for those of you who are just on audio, Mr. Met was doing an assortment of dances including. What is this one called? Where you sort of.

[Zas]

Smith did that in the video where

[Chris]

you karate chop on both sides up into the air. What is that dance called? Mr. Met is doing an assortment of dances.

[Amin]

Dan, this is one of those times where I tell. I realize you have a big audio audience while they're driving, while they're running, while they're doing the dishes, whatever. They can't watch. I'm gonna tell you right now, stop and go find this video. Cuz we cannot do it justice. Describe it, because again, the report is about the manager got fired. Like this is as dire a report as you can have now.

[Dan Levitar]

Awful season they're having.

[Amin]

Yeah. And in the background, Mr. Met. All I could say is like, imagine Chris Cody doing his dance moves while wearing a Mr. Met costume.

[Tony]

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[Dan Levitar]

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[Tony]

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[Dan Levitar]

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[Chris]

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[Chris]

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[Chris]

Dan Levitar, I don't think.

[Dan Levitar]

Strange for me, but like Mike Ryan.

[Zas]

Oh boy.

[Dan Levitar]

This is the Dan Levatar Show.

[Chris]

Play it again here. And Chris, look up for me. That. That dance has to have a name. It has to have some sort of.

[Dan Levitar]

How would you describe it when you're putting it in Google right now?

[Chris]

Yes. Go ahead and see if you can find the Karate Chopping the Sky dance.

[Amin]

That's a lot. That's.

[Chris]

That's the dance answer for how the team got here. If there was, you know, they fix it. There's a lot of layers to this. But what I will say is it's become clear that the Mets simply changed too much this offseason. At one time, there's every reason why to say that last year's team collapsed. We're going to make some changes. But when you turn over the entire. He's using excellent use of his giant head, which is three times larger than a human head. But the story I was going to tell you, I have rarely laughed. Okay. In a sports setting, more inappropriately than being on the field at Shea Stadium. And the Mets manager at the time, Dallas Green, very serious man, comes out and he was talking about some very serious controversy. I think at the time. I'm going to guess here, I may have my timelines mixed up. But. But I believe at the time, the Mets were dealing with dual controversies. One, Vince Coleman had thrown. Not what Vince Coleman was saying was a firecracker, but it was like an M80 kind of bomb. He had thrown it at a fan. And Brett Saberhagen, the pitcher had used a water pistol to spray bleach on a reporter. And so Dallas Green came onto the field and was surrounded by the New York media, by. But I could not hear anything that he was saying because on the jumbotron, Fred Flintstone was talking way too loud as Dallas Green was very serious. And so the reporters were like complaining, but Fred Flintstone would not quiet down. They could not get him to quiet down. And Dallas Green couldn't be heard addressing the controversy while surrounded by reporters. And I'm the only one giggle, snorting with laughter at the absurdity of what it is that I'm watching, which is this manager under duress like this was viewed as the worst team money could buy. They had the highest payroll in baseball and all of their players were behaving like idiots. And Dallas Green couldn't be heard because Fred Flintstone was behind him. Wilbourne hates mascots. I don't. I think I can judge a person. I think I can make a character assessment of a person based on whether or not they hate mascots. You can't hate mascots, can you?

[Tony]

I also famously hate mascots. We have had this conversation famously. Yeah, we talked about this.

[Amin]

I've heard about it.

[Tony]

None of us know.

[Amin]

Is it that famous? I knew and I didn't know because Tony told me. I know new because the Internet let me know famous people who hate mascots. Mike Wilbon, Robin Lopez Tende.

[Tony]

Tony, Robin Lopez hates mascots.

[Amin]

He hates mascots. He beats them up.

[Tony]

Really? Because he loves Disney.

[Chris]

So he's got feuds with various mascots. Yes, he's got an assortment of feuds. Can I ask you guys here on Good Morning America this morning there was this was with Michael Strahan and Chris Johnson, former fastest man in the NFL, a running back. A lot of you guys remember the lost art of the breakaway run. It doesn't seem like those are available to us as often as they were during Chris Johnson's time when he was viewed as the fastest guy in the NFL and a game breaker. He shared the news with America and Michael Strahan that he has been diagnosed with als. And I don't know what to do with somebody who is this young getting the prison sentence that this particular disease is. But let's hear from Chris Johnson as he decides to share this with all of America.

[Amin]

You've chosen to share some personal news

[Chris]

today, and it takes a tremendous amount of courage to share it. What would you like for people to know? First, I want people to know that I'm still me. ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am.

[Amin]

In 2025, at the age of 39, Johnson was diagnosed with ALS, the disease progressing so rapidly that he now uses his eyes to trigger a speech generating device to speak. Why do you want to share this now?

[Chris]

Because if sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope, then it's worth it. For those of you not watching the video on that Chris Johnson is not moving, as those words are computer generated, as they explained in the video, and it is really hard to watch. I was not actually aware before this story that this is something that could move that fast on someone this young. I did not know. I was simply shocked, shocked to see Chris Johnson in the condition that he cannot speak for himself because of the way that he is trapped inside of his body.

[Amin]

Then last Saturday, we had to bury one of my best friends from college who died of als. And it happened very quickly. It progressed very rapidly for him. And, you know, like Chris is saying, it's. It's my, my buddy Ken. He was completely aware and everything. It's just, he can't move. And at some point, he needed life support to, to work his lungs for him. And at that point, he made the decision that we're gonna, you know, go ahead and transition. But it's.

[Tony]

It's awful.

[Amin]

And it feels like the worst possible death sentence because you're cognizant. And I just feel like any other kind of condition where you're not all the way there, at least there's some solace in that. You're not recognizing what's happening to you. But in the case of als, he's there. He's cracking jokes up until the very end. And it's the weirdest thing. We were talking about it before the show. Mike is like, how does ALS happen? We don't even know. We have theories, but we really don't know what the cause of it is. And that's why the research is so needed. And that's why what Boog and Tom Havisham and all those guys do to raise money for research purposes is so important.

[Chris]

ProjectMainStreet.org is where you go if you want to help with this. This is Obviously humanizing, okay. And it's. It's startling as an illness in general, but it is made to me all the more startling when you're someone who has made their living with their body being a picture of health that is healthier than the rest of us, that is bigger, stronger, faster. Anytime this makes an appearance, obviously in people of any age, you can see for yourself what a prison this illness is. But it's even more startling to me because in my mind, when I associate Chris Johnson with word association, I'm associating him with, he's faster than all of the other guys. His body works more efficiently than all of the other bodies, and putting those things side by side and seeing him as someone who cannot even speak for himself. Thank God, by the way, that we have the technology to help these people communicate this way, because that was amazing. I mean, this was even worse 25 years ago when you didn't have the ability to even write things down for yourself or communicate.

[Zas]

It was worse two years ago. AI will help in some of these cases, but also, there have been incredible developments through the Ice Bucket Challenge. That's why researching and funding these programs is so important. If you guys want to watch a documentary, watch Gleason from 2016 and he It. We know how aggressive and how quick this can change and ravage someone's body from that documentary, because it happened very quickly, quickly to Steve Gleason. And, yeah, as Zaz said, you are imprisoned in your own body. You are fully aware of what you can no longer do.

[Dan Levitar]

I know we talked about this, what, last month? Because June 2nd was Lou Gehrig Day, earlier this month, and we had fun with it, where I think this is the worst disease. It's not a competition, of course, but this is why I think it's the worst thing out there. You're literally a prisoner in your body. Mentally, you're 100% okay, and you can't do anything. But I know we don't know what causes it, but it's really hard not to look at the football players who get it. You know, we're talking Chris Johnson Now, Mongo McNichol who died last year, Steve Gleason, who is still out there doing tremendous work. I forget the one player's name. He played for the Dolphins and the Ravens. He had ALS as well. Where are the basketball players? Where are the baseball players? No, it's the football players who are. Now, I know there's other people who didn't bang their head against the wall for a living, Specifically Tom Habershow's mother But it's football players, it's not the other sports.

[Zas]

Yeah, head trauma seems to be a pretty clear indicator that increases your chances of getting this horrific disease people would point to. Well, isn't this named after a baseball player? And I think I saw it on real sports because they did plenty with head trauma and als. Lou Gehrig, famous ironman. Right. Well, there were actually chronicled instances in which he suffered severe head trauma, cracked his skull while playing baseball and continue didn't get the appropriate rest. So it can't be rolled out with him either.

[Chris]

ProjectMainStreet.org helps caregivers have the funds that they need to take care of people. I told you that when my brother was dying I just spent a great deal of time in hospitals where I just felt the weight of people loving someone who was sick all around us in the hospital and not being able to afford health care in a way that makes Americans led by Bill Burr come out and be some kind of okay with the murder in the street of a healthcare CEO because of how frustrated people are with the poisons of the insurance industry and the horror of not being able to afford basic care when a loved one of yours needs basic care. So Boog and Tom Haberstrough and others are helping through projectmainstreet.org if that is something that moves you to donate because the caregivers, many caregivers need help with what ends up becoming. You're just taking care of somebody as if they're an infant, as if they're a toddler. So it's for me though, so when it happens to an athlete, it's not just that the body was once the tool that paid for the entire economy that funded your lifestyle. So that's one portion of it. But these people are so pridefully self sufficient like what their body does in order to be professional athletes makes them proud of their self sufficiency and there is just a breaking of the soul that happens inside of needing in a way that most people are not comfortable being that vulnerable with need. But especially within the, you know, the huddle, the place that they're always comparing to war and you know, your teammates are at your side and the most important thing is can you count on the guy next to you? And that's as far as need goes, right? Can I count on that person? Not for basic, for basic needs of any kind. So again, if you're interested in helping a couple of different causes around here that we are asking you to help with projectmainstreet.org helps the caregivers take care of the people with ALS who need that help. And also in Venezuela today because and over the last week. Among the places that you can go to help globalempowermentmission.org, united, waymiami.org and foodforthepoor.org

[Tony]

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