The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

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The Dan Patrick Show – Best Of (July 27, 2026)

Main Theme:

This episode delves deeply into LeBron James’ decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, examining reactions across the NBA landscape, the ripple effects of team trades (notably Jaylen Brown’s move from Boston to Philly), LeBron’s quest for another championship, and the evolving nature of basketball legacy and fandom. Dan is joined by analysts Jim Jackson and Dan Woicke, offering perspectives from media and former players, alongside lively audience banter and humor typical of the show.

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Major Discussion Points & Analysis

1. LeBron to the Sixers: Justified Ring Chasing or “Stacking the Deck”?

• Initial Reaction:
  • Jim Jackson expresses surprise at the move because LeBron had no Philly affiliation and notes the frequent criticism of LeBron “stacking his team” (03:44).

    “The number one knock on LeBron...he always stacking your team. He stacked it in Miami, he stacked it in Cleveland, he stacked it in LA. Now he's stacking it in Philly.” — Jim Jackson (03:44)

• Dan Patrick’s Take:
  • Dan defends LeBron’s choice, seeing it as justified for a veteran chasing one more title, especially given LeBron’s willingness to take a minimum salary and join a ready-made contender with Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey after the Brown trade (04:05–07:45).

    “At this stage in your career, you can do whatever you want...Chasing rings. We chastise him because he doesn’t have the rings that Mike has or Kobe has. And now he wants to go get one more.” —Dan Patrick (04:05)

2. The Jaylen Brown Trade: Catalyst for LeBron’s Switch

• The pivotal moment for LeBron’s decision was the July 6th trade bringing Jaylen Brown to the Sixers:

  “July 6th, when Jaylen Brown was traded...is when LeBron changed his mind. He wasn't going to Philly, in my opinion.” —Dan Patrick (06:50)

• Dan Woicke, Lakers reporter, confirms from sources close to LeBron that Jaylen Brown’s arrival was “a very big deal” (33:49).

  “The people that I've spoken to that are very close to LeBron...have said as much that, like, that Jalen Brown going to Philadelphia was a very big deal...” —Dan Woicke (33:49)

3. Legacy Talk: Jordan vs. LeBron

• The conversation addresses why LeBron’s every move is scrutinized, and whether his legacy will ultimately eclipse Michael Jordan’s in collective memory.
  • Jim Jackson predicts the LeBron narrative will grow stronger among future generations (39:40).

    “The generation that grew up watching LeBron didn’t really see Michael play...they can only talk about what they saw on tape.” —Jim Jackson (39:40)

  • Dan Patrick is skeptical, citing the “Jordan mystique” and marketing power (39:29).
  • The challenge of comparing eras and the unique aura of Jordan’s Bulls is highlighted (41:21).

4. Building and Breaking Superteams: Emotional and Practical Realities

• Dan and guests discuss the strategies behind team construction, including why trading Jaylen Brown within the division was so shocking (14:42–14:55).

  “You trade one of the better players in the NBA in your division...Still mindboggling.” —Dan Patrick (06:21)

• Dan Woicke explores the practical side of building around aging superstars and why the Lakers and LeBron needed to “mutually break up” (28:44–29:33).

5. How Will LeBron Fit in Philly? Optimism & Cautions

• All agree: the Sixers now have one of the NBA’s best rosters, but with challenges ahead (especially integrating Embiid and Brown, and managing Embiid’s health).

  “It's extremely difficult in year one to win it...This is a deep team. I put New York and Philly in the tier by themselves.” —Jim Jackson (44:14)

• Potential pitfalls: Embiid’s fitness, Brown adjusting to a new hierarchy, and the risk of slow starts as stars gel (30:42–31:13, 44:14–45:50).

6. LeBron’s Endgame: Pure Basketball, Not Legacy

• Woicke reports LeBron is no longer consumed by legacy debates and is chasing a personal challenge, akin to “Free Solo”:

  “He needs a reason, right?...this is kind of like a free solo type move for him...to put in the necessary physical and mental work it takes to be good at this age.” —Dan Woicke (31:13)

• LeBron seeks a “fun” new mountain to climb—a theme echoed throughout the show (33:30).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On LeBron’s Right to Choose:

“He could have kept it really easy, simple, and retired in a nice, polite way...He chose to go to a place he hadn’t been, and he knows the expectations are through the roof. I love it. And it’s great for the NBA.” —Dan Patrick (16:05)

On Fan Allegiances & Legacies:

“When I say I like both Michael Jordan and LeBron James, people look at me like I’m nuts...What’s wrong with Burger King and McDonald’s? Burger Donald. Burgle Donald.” —Jim Jackson & Dan Patrick (11:09–11:22)

On Social Media Era Differences:

“We don’t have that [aura]. We know too much, which is a good and bad thing about players today...I think you’ll never be able to replace that.” —Jim Jackson (41:21)

On Criticism and Polarization:

“This whole LeBron thing is interesting...we haven’t seen anybody this polarizing in sports...But does. So does everybody.” —Jim Jackson (48:55) “People, they make it seem like LeBron stole their dog!” —Dan Patrick (49:51)

LeBron’s Impact on Teams:

“People forget the Lakers weren’t any good for five years prior to LeBron getting there.” —Dan Patrick (51:36)

Lighthearted Exchange on LA Weather and Pickup Ball:

“It wasn’t a cloud, it was a marine layer, by the way.” —Dan Patrick
“That’s what the locals call it.” —Jim Jackson (52:29)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• LeBron’s Philly Move Analysis & Fan Reaction: 03:44–07:45
• Jaylen Brown Trade as Tipping Point: 06:21–07:45, 14:40–16:05, 33:49–35:22
• Legacy & Jordan vs. LeBron: 38:59–44:02
• How Philly Fits & Risk Factors: 29:33–31:13, 44:14–45:50
• Fan Allegiances & Transitioning Stars: 51:36–54:32
• Lighthearted Banter & Outro: 52:29–54:32

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Summary Table: Key Figures & Opinions

| Speaker | Main Points | Tone | |-----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------| | Dan Patrick | Defends LeBron’s move, lauds Philly’s prospects, nostalgic yet fair about Jordan-LeBron | Humorous, analytical | | Jim Jackson | Surprised at move, cites ring-chasing history, details superteam challenges, nuanced legacy | Balanced, reflective | | Dan Woicke | Confirms Brown trade’s impact, details LeBron’s motives, discusses Lakers’ breakup | Insider, explanatory |

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Conclusion

This episode provides a candid, multi-perspective look at LeBron James’ late-career shift to Philadelphia, with detailed insider discussion on the motivations behind the move, the significance of the Jaylen Brown trade, preparation risks, and the evolving narrative of basketball greatness. The hosts and guests blend insider context, historical comparisons, and a sense of humor, all while sketching out a bigger picture—how legacy, modern fandom, and championship ambition intertwine in today's NBA.

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Transcript

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[Dan Patrick]

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We're breaking down the biggest headlines.

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Naomi Osaka showing out shout outs to you, Naomi. The viral moments. I've been obsessed with Chrisean Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. Her combos are swift.

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And the stories everyone's talking about across

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[Dan Woicke]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Patrick]

Charles Barkley, former Sixer, didn't mince words. He was on the Stephen A. Smith show on Friday.

[Dan Woicke]

Your initial reaction upon hearing the news that LeBron James is going to Philly?

[Jim Jackson]

Shocked. Because I wanted him to go back to Cleveland. I mean, he has no affiliation with the 76ers. The number one knock on LeBron. Yo, man, you always stacking your team. He stacked it in Miami, he stacked it in Cleveland, he stacked it in la. Now he's stacking it in Philly. He's always stacked his team.

[Dan Patrick]

I have no problem with what LeBron James did. None. At this stage in your career, you can do whatever you want. You want to go back home just to go back home now, you do have a great chance of winning with that lineup. If he wanted to go back to Miami because why not go to Miami? You want to go to Philadelphia because you have the best chance of win. You've earned that right chasing rings. If Giannis didn't want to go to Miami, he would have told the Bucks, I don't want to go to Miami. Why did he go to Miami? He probably thought he had a better chance of winning there if the Knicks didn't win the title this year. I think Giannis would be a New York Nick and Carl Anthony Towns wouldn't be there. Or LeBron might be a New York Nick, but I don't know if you go, I have a chance to decide where I want to go. Let me go to a worst situation. Who does that? You know, I'm thinking about going to the Nets. If he had gone to the Nets. Well, he's just going to pat his stats. Michael Jordan went to the Wizards. Why? Because he wanted to have part ownership of an NBA team. Is anybody critical of Mike? Because he went to the Wizards. It wasn't for basketball reasons. It was for business reasons. And the business of winning another title is what LeBron is all about. I have no problem with it. If he had gone to Golden State, we would have said, oh, okay, Durant had to go there to win titles. You, you're going to go. It didn't matter if he had gone to Cleveland, I think people would have been okay with it. Philly hadn't been to Philly. They haven't won a title in over three decades. Haven't been to the finals since what, 2000, 2001? I don't have a problem with it. Chasing rings. We chastise him because he doesn't have the rings that Mike has or Kobe has. And now he wants to go get one more. He took the minimum. There are quarterbacks in college making more money than LeBron James salary with the Sixers. I'm okay with that. You sacrificed. And yes, he's going to a lineup, and it'll be similar to when he went with Miami. It'll take a little while for them to kind of feel each other out, understand what you do, how you do it, when you do it. I can take over. You take over. But I'm not worried about touches with LeBron. He already proved that. With Luca and Austin Reeves, I can figure this out. We marvel at his basketball IQ. Let's give him credit for that basketball IQ. He wants to win and also knows he's 41. He also knows that he's got Tyrese Maxi, who is wonderful. And now you bring in Jaylen Brown. This doesn't happen without an assist from the Celtics. Still, mind boggling. You trade one of the better players in the NBA in your division, and I think July 6th, when Jaylen Brown was traded to the 76ers, is when LeBron changed his mind. He wasn't going to Philly, in my opinion. Here is his agent, Rich Paul. When did it start? The scale start tipping toward Philly, like 55%. You know, when it was like, you know what? I'm leaning toward Philly or. Or now it's more and more and more. I think, I think that.

[Dan Woicke]

I mean, the eyeball came after, obviously,

[Dan Patrick]

the trade, like the Brown. Yeah. To even be really, really considered. Max Kellerman on there, on the podcast. Yes. July 6th. July 6th is when all of this started to formulate, I think, because LeBron went, okay, Embiid, I can't prop him up. Maxi and Edgecombe, they're really good. This team isn't better than Miami's going to be or Cleveland's going to be or Golden State's going to be. Now I get Jaylen Brown, top five, top 10 player. I got something here. I got it. I got a chance to win at least one more title. The basketball world would explode if he got to six titles. But it just feels like LeBron's doing it. Therefore, there has to be a negative attitude. What's the negative part of this? Oh, he's chasing titles. Okay. That's what you play for. If he said, hey, I want money. Oh, don't you have enough? You made a half a billion playing in the NBA salary wise. So he's not going to win no matter what. But, but that's. You have to accept that if you're LeBron, you know, it's not going to be popular. You know, people are always going to have a negative slant on this. Well, Mike never did this. Mike came back to get part ownership of the Wizards. Great business decision. LeBron's chasing a title. I think that's admirable. If you look at, he goes to Cleveland, he doesn't win. Yeah, but he went back home. If he went to Miami. Oh, you know what? Maybe going back feels bad about leaving them in the first place. Hey, you know, it'll be a great story. Hey, when you're old, you go retire in Miami. Philly. Wait a minute. He actually cares about winning. Wait a minute. How dare him? Oh, he knows nothing about Philadelphia. Okay, remember the story that came out before he made the decision? LeBron and his wife were touring schools in Philadelphia. Remember that big story? He was there for a charity, I think, thing, But I think they were like, hey, he's looking at schools. Maybe he looked at those school systems and now he's coming back because maybe his daughter can go to school in Philadelphia. But I loved it, thought it was great. I think it's great for the NBA. The NBA was the big winner, in my opinion. I get LeBron at 7:30 Eastern TV prime time for everybody. This is great. Schedule's gonna come out. Knicks, Sixers, probably opening night Christmas, LeBron again. Maybe against Golden State, maybe against Miami, maybe against the Lakers. And this is great. This is this perfect for the NBA. So I loved it. Now, okay, do I appreciate LeBron more than the average fan or media person? Yes, I do. Do I think Mike's the best player I ever saw? Yes. But I can think both. I mean, it's okay to think both.

[Jim Jackson]

How dare you.

[Dan Patrick]

I know. It's okay. Oh, yes, Marvin.

[Jim Jackson]

When I say I like both Michael Jordan and LeBron James, people look at me like I'm nuts. Like, man, I just like both of them.

[Dan Patrick]

What's wrong with burger king and McDonald's? It's okay. Burger Donald burgle. Donald.

[Jim Jackson]

LeBron Jordan.

[Dan Patrick]

I like him. Yes. It's okay. Best and worst of the weekend. What you saw that you liked, you didn't like. 8, 7, 7, 3 DP. Show operator. Tyler sitting by. He'll take your phone calls. It was fun. It was fun. Just talking basketball possibilities here. And it still went back to the Celtics. I know you got a couple of first round picks, I know you got a couple of second round picks, but it was a salary dump. Like if you would have said to the Sixers, how do you get out from underneath James Harden, Paul George. And they did it. And I truly believe now, once again, I don't have any information on this. If Darius Garland was still on the Cavaliers and not James Harden, that's. I think LeBron would have gone to Cleveland now. It would have been close because I got Jaylen Brown now. So LeBron can kind of see this. And he doesn't have to be the lead singer. He can be the bass player. It's. Oh, some nights he can play the tambourine if he wants to. He doesn't have to be the lead singer here and I think Cleveland, he could have done that. And Darius Garland I like. And Donovan Mitchell resigns. And you got bigs up front. I understood that. But having James Harden, that's a non starter for me if I'm trying to win a championship. Miami, I don't know what the roster is going to look like. Pat Riley always does a wonderful job in filling out that roster. Phillies ready to win now. And I got the odds. These are the updated odds from DraftKings. Just got them this morning. Spurs and Thunder still the big favorites to win the title next year. Sixers in. The knicks are tied at plus 900. Spurs, Thunder plus 270. Then the Celtics plus 1300. But it was fun, you know, big surprise. Even when Paulie said it, I was like, man, the way he's saying it, I'm going to be surprised. And then I thought, is it Golden State? Because I never had Golden State in the picture. I know there were people host who had that last week. They're like, I'm hearing, I'm hearing there was no information. So whoever you were hearing it from, you weren't hearing it from the people who were going to make the decision. And LeBron kept it in his head or I'm sure his house, but he's not letting it out. But I think July 6th is when LeBron went, wait a minute, let me look at that lineup. I wouldn't be surprised if LeBron didn't have a whiteboard with all the lineups, starting lineup, roster, how much money like a GM would and said, that gives me the best chance. Now it looks like he'll play one and he had that other option. So he might look at this as a two year window if he wins the title this year. Let's just do that. Bigger picture now he's got five. There is no way he's retiring without one more shot to get six. We'll come up with a poll question. Yeah, Paulie, going back to that trade

[Dan Woicke]

with Jalen Brown from the Celtics to

[Dan Patrick]

the Sixers, those draft picks that the Celtics are getting, it's a 2028 first round pick. So it doesn't help them for two more years. And you would think that the Sixers are going to be really good. So that pick might be the 26th

[Dan Woicke]

pick of the draft.

[Dan Patrick]

I mean, even if you don't like Jalen Brown or you didn't like him in the locker room or Jason Tatum, or send him to Sacramento, send him to Phoenix, send him somewhere. I, the only way he can hurt me is in the Finals. But a salary dump. I understand it, we said it at the time, you're going to have two guys, you're going to be really top heavy. But they are good. They can get you to the East Eastern finals, they can get you to the NBA Finals, they can help you win a title. But still mind boggling out of all of this, you trade him to the Sixers, well, you now get to see Jalen Brown and you get to see LeBron James because you sent Jalen Brown to the 76ers. Brad Stevens does a wonderful job. I just, maybe I'm not smart enough to understand how brilliant this move was. Yes, Todd, is there Even a small part where LeBron's like, been there, done that, winning in Miami and Cleveland, or

[Jim Jackson]

it's strictly like, you just go.

[Dan Patrick]

He would have gone back if he thought Cleveland or Miami had a little

[Jim Jackson]

bit better of a chance than Philly.

[Dan Patrick]

I think he wanted to go where he could win. That's what this came down to, plain and simple. Family, his wife and daughter stay in la. He comes out here for business. Bronnie's still going to be with the Lakers. This is a business trip. He's on a business trip this entire season. His business is to win another championship. I have no problem chasing rings. If anything, he could have kept it really easy, simple, and retired in a nice, polite way, and everybody would have given him a round of applause and say, thanks, it was great seeing you. You're no Michael Jordan. He chose. He chose to go to a place he hadn't been, and he knows the expectations are through the roof. So he. He. He had attacked that. I love it. I think it's great. And it's great for the NBA and great for. I can't wait for this. Opening night, they play the Knicks. They beat the Knicks. 70 wins, question mark. Or if they lose. Yeah, I knew this was going to be a failure. I knew it can't, you know, sharing the ball. And let me see how you're playing in April and May and June, because it's going to be rough at times, It'll be ugly at times, but if they get magic like they did late in the season when Embiid started to play really well and maxi, and all of a sudden you go, philadelphia is gonna beat the Celtics. And now you get LeBron, and you get a good LeBron with those kind of glimpses, those hints of being great again. I wouldn't be surprised if he's top five in assists this year, because he'll want to. He led the NBA in assists before. If he wants to do it, he can still do it. Yes, Marvin.

[Jim Jackson]

I think the underrated part is I think he's going to help on the boards. I think he's gonna average eight or nine rebounds, where I think that's such an underrated part, where it's like, man, he's gonna help on the glass. I think he's gonna play the five, play some small ball. Okay, I'm excited.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. Well, we were kind of on a roll there, and you gave me rebounds here. I mean, what is this? Angel Reese.

[Jim Jackson]

So watch what happens if they lose a game. Oh, man. If they had somebody on the Glass. It always comes down to something small.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, Has Angel Reese scored yet in the All Star game?

[Jim Jackson]

Be nice.

[Dan Patrick]

She was the wrong person to be in that kind of All Star game where they're athletically talented on the offensive side of the ball. Yes, Paul, all star games in all sports but basketball, they're not conducive to power forwards like lamarcus. Aldridge isn't running the show at an All Star game and he was a good player. Doesn't get the ball enough.

[Dan Woicke]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

[Dan Patrick]

Hey, we're Covino and Rich, Fox Sports radio every day, 5 to 7pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to. And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two hour show. We never get to everything honestly, because this guy is over promising things we never have time for.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, you blubberlips.

[Dan Patrick]

Blaming me. Well, you know what it's called Over Promise. You should be good at it because you've been over promising women for years. Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show and we want you to be a part of it. We're going to be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Over Promised. Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you check out Over Promise and also uncensored by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Over promising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to Over Promised with Covino and rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts this summer.

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[Dan Patrick]

Dan Woicke covers the Lakers for the Athletic, and he joins us on the program. Great to see you again. If I ask you a week ago where you thought LeBron was going to go, you would have said.

[Dan Woicke]

I think I would have said Cleveland out loud, but deep down thought it was Miami, if that makes sense, that there was a lot of evidence. Well, it wasn't good evidence. That was like there was some momentum building to the Heat that they were maybe the most confident, certainly outwardly confident team in this mix. But I think I would say Cleveland because that's what I always thought, right? Like, I was wrong. The thing that I thought that mattered to him most, right, was this narrative, this story that he's built for himself in a career. And I misread it, Dan, in that way because that was not the most important thing because he went to a place that, quite frankly, I think puts the most pressure on him out of any of the available options and would potentially, like, offers like the Jordan Wizards potential more so than like any of these other places, if that makes sense, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, I thought Mike went to the Wizards because he wanted to be a part owner. I think that for sure, yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

I think the better example, right, is like, you know, we've seen LeBron James in three jerseys, right? And that whenever we watch highlights of him in the future, like, you know, there were questions about, like. And I've talked to LeBron about this. We've had conversations about, like, you know, the Elijah 1 Raptor stint and like, he's not at that stage in his career, right. Or anything like that. But, like, I did think that, like, maybe part of this was like, not introducing like, another city, another character and different things like that.

[Jim Jackson]

But.

[Dan Woicke]

But then I. People, people won't believe this. Like, one, like, I don't think he spends a lot of time thinking about legacy anymore. I just, I think, you know, there's a stretch in his career where it was very important to him, and I think it is. I just think he knows that nothing he can do will change the Jordan people's minds and quite frankly, nothing he'll do will change his fans minds. Like, so it's like this feels very much just for him.

[Dan Patrick]

Help me understand this. Was it the Laker fans or Kobe fans that maybe didn't welcome LeBron with open arms?

[Dan Woicke]

I think they welcomed him. I think it was always just like a little strange, right? You have these two massive brands, right? Like, because, you know, you do have Laker fans and then LeBron fans. And LeBron fans are almost its own entity. Like when I covered the Chargers years ago, Derwin James was in the back of the room the, the day after he had gotten drafted. I think he was there to watch the second round picks press conference and he was doing like the basketball like shooting thing. And I was like, I'm going to go in gratiate myself and tell Duran. I used to cover the NBA. And I was like, Duran, Dan, Wy, whatever. I used to cover the Clippers. Like, who's your favorite NBA team? And he like, didn't blink and he's like, oh, LeBron James is my favorite NBA team. Was like, basically what he said, right? And I think so. There was always like some unease and that stuff. But I mean, look, if you're LeBron, I mean you, you knew you were never going to be loved the way that that city and that fan base love Kobe Bryant. And that's okay. But I think like, yeah, it made for some like some pretty awkward Twitter moments, like between fan bases. And there was, I think at times, like, you know, there are certain people, again, to the point, Dan, about legacy. There's certain people that will just like never forgive him for the decision.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, too.

[Dan Woicke]

Right. Like my wife is one of those

[Dan Patrick]

people Forget like the five years prior to LeBron getting there, like he. Well, they should, right?

[Dan Woicke]

They should forget it. Yeah, they should try to do whatever they can if they remember it. Yeah. 100%. Like this isn't like, I mean, he saved that franchise, right. And gave them a new sense of legitimacy, a new sense of purpose. Certainly shotgunned any trip into contendership. Right. Like you can look at like Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, navitasubots and you know, Kyle Kuzma, Alonzo Ball, and you can dream on some, some imaginary championship that would have come in 2029 or something like that. But. But look, I mean, LeBron picking the Lakers put them back in this position and it caused some real awkwardness along the way too. Dan, building around an aging superstar is a very unpleasant position in the NBA. And I think if you talk to anybody in San Francisco, this is going to be a conversation. It's hard, it's hard to know what to push in, what not to, you know, what not to put on the table and trades. But like, I mean, anybody who tells you that LeBron's stint with the Lakers, like, didn't help the Lakers isn't paying attention.

[Dan Patrick]

But could he have stayed? Was there any scenario where he would have stayed with the Lakers?

[Dan Woicke]

I don't think that. I mean, I, I don't think so. I just don't think so. I think it had run its course. You know, it's been termed to me as a very mutual breakup. I know from the Lakers standpoint, like not being involved in these last 28 days has been like a nice, like sigh of relief for them in some ways. But look, I think like they're gonna miss the player. They should absolutely miss the on court player. I do think though that like eight years with the most scrutinized, most talked about, you know, biggest main character in the league, like it has costs and it can be a little tiring, it can be a little exhausting. And I think LeBron also too, Dan was a guy that was very open to the possibility of new challenges.

[Dan Patrick]

Dan Woinke covers the Lakers for the Athletic. How does this not work out in Philadelphia?

[Dan Woicke]

I mean, I think the most obvious one, right, is like, you know, where are they at with Joel Embiid and Joel Embiid's health, right? Like, that's the biggest part of this and also maybe the riskiest bet, right? So, so there's that. I do think, you know, and you guys are smart to bring it up like this is going to take a little time. When you put really, really talented, you know, ball in hand, basketball players together, there is awkwardness. Slow starts are. You should probably expect some version of a slow start. Very rarely do you roll the ball out for one of these teams and say, all right, now they're great. Like, it takes a little time. A LeBron James team in year 24 doesn't get a lot of on court practice time together. You don't get a lot of shoot around time together because you have a 42 year old that you're trying to monitor time in Minnesota, this is all going to happen on the court. But look, every scout I talk to, every exec I talk to always says the same thing. Bet on talent but on brains, you know, you know, they'll figure it out.

[Dan Patrick]

Go back to what you just said. They didn't have typical normal NBA shootarounds because they're managing LeBron.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, no, I mean, I think. Yeah, I like, it's just the reality of like, part of this being in this business with him, right, Is that you have to prioritize his health and you can do things with. With the rest of your team and different things like that. And like, for the Lakers, it wasn't a huge problem. Like, I don't think that, like, had they practiced more, would they have beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder? Like, no, no, I don't think that.

[Jim Jackson]

But.

[Dan Woicke]

But I think, like, it's just one of the things you do. Like, that's how you manage, you know, a player this deep into his career. You have to. Right? Like, it is a. It's one of the things, I mean, as we think about, like, why he picked Philly. And I know people might be like, kind of over that part of this, but that's the thing I keep coming back to Dan is like. Like, he needs a reason, right? Like, I was talking to a GM yesterday and we were talking about the movie Free Solo, right? With a guy who climbs mountains without a. Without a rope. And it's like, well, like, why would you ever climb a mountain without a rope? It's because it's the only way you can feel the challenge. And I think this is kind of like a free solo type move for him, right? Like, he could have done safer things other places, but to put in the necessary physical and mental work it takes to be good at this age, right? Like, meaning I just saw he posted he's up at 4:30 in the morning, right? Like, he's going to go work out. There'll be recovery after that. There'll be dietary sacrifices. There'll be all this stuff that it takes just to get him ready to try and play in October if you have a net and he had a net in L. A, right? Like, it was safe there. Miami would have been safe enough. Cleveland certainly would have been safe. Philly, like, go, go, go. Not have a great month in Philly and let's see what happens, right? And I think he needs that and I think that's really attractive to him in this process.

[Dan Patrick]

I. It's weird what I thought of when LeBron went to Philly, and I'm thinking, if Jalen Brown's not there, LeBron's not going to Philly in my correct. But I couldn't help but think the Rams went all in on Miles Garrett. And I'm thinking if I make something like a move like, that. Can I entice Aaron Donald to come out of retirement? Like, moves that lead to other moves. And that was the thing that I thought of is, you know, Aaron Donald doesn't want to go back. And, like, I have to take on the entire offensive line now. I got miles. This might actually be fun. LeBron going, Damn. I got Jalen Brown, I got Maxi Edgecombe, and I got a minutes restricted. Joel Embiid. I got a coach who's won an NBA title. I got to get by the Knicks. I kind of like this. Like, I can have a lot of fun and try to win another championship.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah. I mean, I think fun's an important word again. Now, this is a guy who's done it, done everything, seen everything. Right. And 23 seasons, I mean, he's played literally more basketball, more NBA basketball games, minutes, regular season playoffs, than anybody else. Right. So the stimulus is really important.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

I don't think he's on the Sixers without Jalen Brown. The people that I've spoken to that are very close to LeBron, that are in the. The circle or around the circle, you know, have said as much that, like, that Jalen Brown going to Philadelphia was a very big deal and this. Right. And I think, because it gives him a credible, like, a really, really credible chance. Now, do I think that, like, on, you know, June 1, as LeBron is, like, figuring out what it is he wants to do, do I think he's putting word out to Philadelphia, like, go get Jaylen Brown and I'll come? No, I don't think so at all. I think it's more like. But. And I don't even think Philly was like, oh, let's go get LeBron. I know he can do it. We can trade for Jaylen Brown. I don't even think it went like that either.

[Jim Jackson]

Right.

[Dan Woicke]

Like, I do. I do think, though, that by putting the pieces in play, by being aggressive, by showing the league that, like, you're serious about, like, going for it, you don't care about the narratives, you don't care about any of that stuff that's out there, that you see an opportunity when you're going to be aggressive and going to.

[Jim Jackson]

That.

[Dan Woicke]

That is absolutely appealing to LeBron because a big part of his Lakers tenure was marked by that lack of aggressiveness. Right. I mean, we. You can remember what he posted about let's need and less needs draft picks thoughts, right? Like. Like, there was a very specific letter that LeBron liked in front of those picks.

[Dan Patrick]

And.

[Dan Woicke]

And I think, you know, Philly is not in any. Like, they are going right now, and I think that's appealing to him, too.

[Dan Patrick]

I think it's awesome. I'm still trying to figure out what the Celtics did. I. Was there any other option, Dan, to trade Jaylen Brown to, like, the west coast or Phoenix is always willing to take on. I mean, somebody.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, yeah. It's a really good question. Right. Like, you wonder about a team like the Clippers. Like, what the Clippers have gotten involved. Like, you know, I hadn't heard anything that was like, other than just sort of like, idle speculation. The general sense. Right. Is that they move too quickly. I. I could not be geographically further from the Celtics, so I don't know what it's like every day to be around in that situation. They obviously felt like they had to do something, and it was really, really drastic. And I think. Right. Like, if they knew the ripples of this, would they have still done it? It's a pretty interesting question to me. I think the answer is probably no. Like, yeah, like, I mean, maybe. Maybe you trade him to a place we know LeBron will go. Maybe Jalen Brown's on the Memphis Grizzlies, something like that.

[Dan Patrick]

No. Although I've been.

[Dan Woicke]

Every time I made that joke. Dan, anybody in Memphis, they say our hotels maybe not so great.

[Dan Patrick]

Our houses, we have.

[Dan Woicke]

We do have wonderful houses.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to talk to you. Your dog obviously not impressed with you being on tv.

[Dan Woicke]

I'm very happy he did not bark. I'm very happy he did not scratch. Yes. This is like what typically happens when you listen to me for 20 minutes. Blather.

[Dan Patrick]

What's his name?

[Dan Woicke]

Mr. B. Arthur. This is a golden guy. He's a. He's our golden guy.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, not a golden girl. Okay. Wow.

[Dan Woicke]

He was supposed to be Arthur, but they were out of There he goes,

[Dan Patrick]

Mr. Mr. Bea Arthur. Come here.

[Jim Jackson]

They were out.

[Dan Woicke]

They were out of female dogs. So we just threw a Mr. In front of the name we liked.

[Dan Patrick]

Ah, that's awesome. Thanks for joining us, Dan. We appreciate it. Always great to talk to you. Dan Woinking.

[Dan Woicke]

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app.

[Dan Patrick]

Search FSR to listen live, let's bring in Jim Jackson, the former NBA player, Clippers lead analyst. What do you make of what Charles Barkley had to say, that he's stacking his team and chasing rings here?

[Jim Jackson]

Well, I mean, a lot of it is true. He is. He wants to win I mean, LeBron wants to win whether you like it or not. The way he does it for a lot of older players doesn't make a lot of sense because the mentality back in the day was you played against your enemy, quote, unquote, until you couldn't beat him anymore, they couldn't beat you, and that was it. I mean, the, the mentality of, you know, he's been there, done that, we talked about. I mean, it's exhausting talking about it with regards to LeBron and his decision making and why he does things. And again, Dan, in his defense, he's supposed to do what he wants to do and how he wants to do it, and he'll deal with the ramifications that come with that. Whether that's not viewed as, you know, the all time best player in the league by consensus of people. But I will say this, the further we get away from the Jordan legacy, kind of like Kareem and Wilt Chamberlain, the narrative, I think, will change. Because the people who will be writing the narrative ahead of the narrative are the ones that were in the era of LeBron James, who saw LeBron James play, actually. And that story may sound a little different with regards to who the best is, you know, 15 years from now. I just really think it does.

[Dan Patrick]

I would agree with you to a certain degree with that. Mike still got his shoes out there. Mike strategically put out the last dance. Mike. Mike sent a message after LeBron won that title. That was not an accident. That was a reminder documentary. And he still has the best selling shoe that's made him a billionaire. I think we'll be hard pressed to go. You know, I remember LeBron and I think he's a better player than Mike.

[Jim Jackson]

Well, that's. But all things do change, though. I mean, at some point it's going to happen.

[Dan Patrick]

Now you think 15 years from now you got people saying LeBron was a better player than Michael?

[Jim Jackson]

I think so. Because the, the generation that grew up watching LeBron didn't really see Michael play or you caught it on the back end. The people that are going to be writing the stories are going to be talking about the exploits of LeBron James. They can only talk about what they saw on tape on Michael Jordan or what they can look up. It's like, how dominant was Wilt Chamberlain?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but all the games are on YouTube. You can see every one of Mike's performances.

[Jim Jackson]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean that people are going to watch him. They didn't grow up with the. See, we were, we were fortunate. Dan. It was different with Mike during his era. It was something special about not having social media, because when the Bulls came to town with Mike, it meant something. It was almost like once in a lifetime. Even though it was once in a season and you knew Mike was gonna be there, Even playing against him at that time, it was just different. You can't recreate that aura. I don't care how good Steph is, how good LeBron is, KD these young players, because it was an anonymity for the Bulls and Michael Jordan. You knew stuff about Mike, but you didn't know intimate details. Okay. And I think that lended itself to his aura and his mystique. Mystique. We don't have that. We know too much, which is a good and bad thing about players today. And I. I think you'll never be able to replace that. I think that's one thing about Mike that nobody will, you know, moving forward, will have. Hobie didn't have it close. Cole, he was close, but he was on that back end of when social media really started to really hit.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

Okay. And so that, you know, gave us a little bit more in depth into Kobe's life, but not like he was on social media like that, though. You know what I mean? It was just so different during Mike's time.

[Dan Patrick]

But the thing with Mike is you have moments you remember. You don't necessarily. How many moments of LeBron do you have where you go, oh, yeah, with Mike, I mean, we're littered with moments that we had not seen before or, you know, he put up whatever, you know, the regular season or postseason. LeBron's most famous play is a block.

[Jim Jackson]

Well, but, you know, in Detroit, you know, scoring 25 plus points.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, but that. Yes, but nothing that was a signature, like, moment he.

[Jim Jackson]

To you. Well, I. I mean, you know what? I mean, it depends on who's. On who's making that argument, because I'm sure they're LeBron fans that can litter you with stuff that happened with LeBron and key moments and. But Mike's art, again, because the time, the timing was so. I'm not saying that LeBron's is better or worse. I'm just saying it's different.

[Dan Patrick]

No, his resume is better. Mike's a better player. That's how I. I approach this.

[Jim Jackson]

Yeah, yeah. And it's. It's one of those things, too, because. Because of the. Everything surrounding the Bulls at the time, I mean, it was a traveling circus, bro. I mean, it was just ridiculous. So those moments with Mike were special because at his time, he took the banter from Bird and Magic and kind of just exploded from a. Not just from the United States, but worldwide. Magic had a touch of international success, but Mike's was just totally different. It was just something. You know how some people come into the room. You can be in a room full of billionaires, millionaires, superstars, but it's that one person that comes in and their energy just changes the room. I don't care who it is. That's Michael. It's just something different. It's not one thing, Dan. It's not one moment, it's not one action. It's not one shot. It's a culmination of a lot of things leading from North Carolina to his Olympic team, to the Bulls. You know what I mean? It's just this whole plethora of. Of things that have happened in his life that he's been a part of. That, that. That folds into why Michael Jordan will always be at the top of the conversation. More so basketball wise. But just what he meant to the game.

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Jim Jackson, mba, college basketball analyst. Tell me how it doesn't work in Philadelphia.

[Jim Jackson]

It doesn't work as far as what, winning the championship?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

I don't know, Dan. You know this. It's extremely difficult in year one to win it now. That doesn't mean that they can't get to an Eastern Conference finals. That doesn't mean that they can't get to a finals. We saw them, they did it in Miami. But a lot of things have to go right now. This is a deep team. I put New York and Philly in the tier by themselves in the Eastern Conference. And then you have Boston and Chicago. I mean Boston and Cleveland, Detroit probably below that. And then another tier with Washington, Atlanta, Orlando, stuff like that. One Embiid health end of the year, if I'm Philadelphia, I am low managing his minutes. Not that he's not playing because you need continuity, but his minutes, 20, 32 minutes a game. Sometimes he doesn't play back to back so he can be healthy. Two, how does Jaylen Brown going from probably being the second option now? Maybe still the second option, but in a different way with LeBron. That's the key to me is that Jaylen Brown, LeBron mix. Not Maxi, not Embiid. It's those two. This team has set itself up to be as deep as anyone in the Eastern Conference. And I think we'll really get an idea of this team and where they're at right around All Star break Or right after All Star break, going into the last month and a half of the season, we'll get a real good indication of where this team sits.

[Dan Woicke]

And I.

[Jim Jackson]

And I figured at that time, they'll be at the top of the leaderboard, you know, hovering around there in the Eastern Conference.

[Dan Patrick]

At that time, I mentioned, if Jalen Brown doesn't go to the Sixers, LeBron's not going to the Sixers.

[Jim Jackson]

You don't think so?

[Dan Patrick]

No way he wants to win a title like that's, you know, everybody wanted. Oh, you're going to go back family and bookend your career to Cleveland. Hey, you've been to Miami. This is about winning a championship. And Jaylen Brown, when he was traded July 6, I think LeBron James realized, if I'm going to win a title, I got a better chance of winning a title there than any other place.

[Jim Jackson]

Well, he does. You know, the ceremonial swan song would have been great in Cleveland, but then it kind of would award itself out because it's the third time, you know, we kind of seen this before. Yes, it's special. Yes, you're at home. But. But can you get over the top? Golden State would have been great for us as fans just to see Stephen LeBron play together. Yeah, but from a competitive perspective, I don't think they're getting out the West. Philly is intriguing because of all the components there and the opportunity to get to a Finals and win it. Now, New York is still going to be tough. I know, you know, losing Mitchell, Robinson himself, but got Andre Drummond. They bring everybody back whole and healthy, and plus, they have the institutional knowledge, so to speak, of playing with each other and winning it, that gives them the edge. But for talent, for talent, roster for roster, if you look at the starting five in depth of Philadelphia, you cannot deny that this is a team that if everything comes together, that come near the end of the season is New York, Philly, Eastern Conference finals, trying to figure out who they're going to play in the Western Conference for the NBA championship.

[Dan Patrick]

And I do believe if Darius Garland is still on the Cavaliers and not James Harden, you've got a better chance of getting LeBron to go to Cleveland

[Jim Jackson]

because of the way James plays.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

And because of his history.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah,

[Jim Jackson]

yeah. I mean, I. I get what you're saying in that aspect, because it is some. Some dirty baggage that James does carry with him, despite all of the accolades. And again, I covered him those years here, you know, in la. And one thing I will say, despite some of the flaws that have perpetuated with James throughout the his career. My man wants to hoop when it was time, when guys were out back to backs, he wanted to play. Now, was it always pretty at times, maybe not yet older. But one thing I, I will always say that he did want to play. And that's an interesting thought process because I, I heard other people saying the same thing. Some pundits, some people inside the NBA that talked about if Garland was there and the fit with James Harden just didn't quite match what LeBron was looking for.

[Dan Patrick]

I wouldn't want to play with James Harden. I can't win a title with him. Like, yeah, like, if we're playing pickup, then, all right, I'll take you.

[Jim Jackson]

Right.

[Dan Patrick]

But I'm playing, you know, Eastern Conference finals. I get a little nervous there.

[Jim Jackson]

No, I get you. You know, and, you know, this whole LeBron thing is interesting, Dan, because you've been around us for a long time. We haven't seen anybody this polarizing in sports. I don't believe with. With regards to one, coming out with the high expectations. Okay. To exceeding those expectations, but three, being very critical of everything. Now, we can't exclude LeBron from adding to this himself. He has. He has some equity into how people perceive him. So let's not get that twisted. But does. So does everybody. Okay. But it's just an interesting dynamic with LeBron James, and it's a polarizing name when it comes up.

[Dan Patrick]

But I don't get a group. He's polarizing. I don't know why we don't root for somebody like this who lived up to the hype, surpassed the hype, grew up in a single parent household. I mean, there's issues on the way, but not all.

[Jim Jackson]

Like everybody. Like everybody, yes.

[Dan Patrick]

But people, they make it seem like LeBron stole their dog. I know, I got, you know, I just don't understand, you know, maybe some. Sometimes he's passive aggressive, but damn this.

[Jim Jackson]

Well, here's the dad, here's the thing. If he's passive aggressive, people don't like him. If he's a Kobe like, person that just goes at his teammates, where you're too hard on your team, you can't win. Okay? And I always said this. You can't take greatness for granted because it doesn't come around like this that often. And for the last, I would say 10 years, we probably a lot of people have taken LeBron's greatness for granted.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

Okay. When it's gone, it's gone. It ain't coming back. This is not country Music, this is not entertainment where you can go, come back and do tours, you know, once a year, twice a year, and you come out and see once you're done playing, you're done. And then all of that you accomplished, all of that that you brought to the table, all that excitement you brought, whether it was in Cleveland, Miami, the Lakers, and now Philly, you're not getting it back. But people, as human beings, it's. Well, if it was me, this is what I would have done. Well, it's not your circumstances. Looking at it today, don't dictate how you would make that decision because you haven't been through those steps. You got to go through a litany of steps in order to make certain decisions and think the way you do and why you do. But a lot of people think about it on the cuff, what if it was me, I would do this and I wouldn't. Well, it's not that simple. I'm not saying that it's right. I'm not saying that it's wrong. And that's why we're human, and that's why we make our decisions based on what we want to do a lot of time, not what everybody else expects us to do.

[Dan Patrick]

People forget the Lakers weren't any good for five years prior to LeBron getting there.

[Jim Jackson]

Well, I mean, you can't say that to Laker fans because, you know, he was. I'm here in la, he was never accepted like that. Like that. It was still a Kobe standard. And I get it here in la. True. Like the LA fans, they rooted for the Lakers, but they weren't rooting for, really, LeBron. Yeah, I mean, they wanted the Lakers to be success, don't get me wrong. But it was this cloud here in LA, despite what LeBron brought to the table, that it just wasn't good enough. It wasn't Kobe. Kobe would have did this. Kobe would have did this. And you forgot, Kobe had some flaws while he was here in la. Kobe wasn't perfect, but he was perfect for la. He was perfect for the environment and community here.

[Dan Patrick]

And it wasn't a cloud. It was a marine layer, by the way. Just let you know there, Jim. All right. That's what the locals call it.

[Jim Jackson]

That's what they're. Okay, you're right. I get it, too. I get it in the morning, bro.

[Dan Patrick]

Are the Lakers better today than they were a month ago?

[Jim Jackson]

Little deeper?

[Dan Patrick]

Are they better?

[Jim Jackson]

I think they're. I mean, went to the first round in the playoffs, they won. I don't think they're better.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Jim Jackson]

I think they, I think what happened, though, Dan, in order, if you're going to pass the Mantle to Luca, LeBron couldn't be there. His, his, his, his aura is too big. His presence is too big. Even though he may be on the back end of his career, if you're going to give this thing to Luka, Luka has to have full reign. He can't be looking over his shoulder. And not that that was a LeBron thing or whatever, or Luka was uncomfortable, but it, it is. And so it was time to. To make that change. It's going to be interesting to see over the next year and a half how they really build out this roster with the restrictions that they have.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to talk to you, as always. Thanks again.

[Jim Jackson]

Always, man.

[Dan Patrick]

All right.

[Jim Jackson]

Hey, no Marine lair today is beautiful out here.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, it is.

[Jim Jackson]

Oh, it's beautiful.

[Dan Patrick]

Maybe go down to Venice beach and get in a pickup game.

[Jim Jackson]

You know, they have three on three this week. They had big time three on three this weekend in Venice. I missed it. I was doing ice cubes. Big, big three, but always muscle beaches. Come down and work out a little bit on the beach there.

[Dan Patrick]

I, you know what? I did that a couple of times with Schwarzenegger and.

[Jim Jackson]

Did you?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. People name drop.

[Jim Jackson]

Name drop.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, the problem is I was wearing short shorts when I was doing the bench press, and people were walking by, and then, you know, they got sick. They got not. They. They. Apparently. I? Re too much. Yeah, they. I was revealing too much. That's. But, you know, I thought I was showing off the guns. I was showing off the buns.

[Jim Jackson]

Hey, man, too much leg hair, man. You got to cut that leg hair, bro.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Jim. All right, Jim Jackson, One of our favorites.

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