The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3

Date: February 12, 2026
Main Theme: NBA’s Small Market Revolution, NBA All-Star Weekend, and Ben Roethlisberger’s impact on the Steelers locker room

Episode Overview

This hour dives into three main themes: the coming NBA All-Star weekend (and suggestions for livening it up), a discussion of the NBA’s small market teams thriving by building from within rather than by luring superstars, and heated fallout in Pittsburgh from former Steeler Joey Porter Sr.’s comments about Ben Roethlisberger. The show retains its signature blend of banter, humor, nostalgia, and listener engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NBA All-Star Weekend: Nostalgia, Contestants, and Fixes

[01:49–10:36]

• Dan Patrick expresses curiosity about the All-Star Weekend, wondering whether this year’s format will make the game more competitive (or if it will just be another "layup line"). He reminisces about past dunk contests, expressing a wish for integrating shooting legends from the past with current stars.
• Creative Idea: Dan suggests a tandem three-point shootout with NBA legends (e.g., Steve Kerr, Larry Bird) and current stars (e.g., Steph Curry, Klay Thompson), and incorporating WNBA or additional legends.
• Dunk Contest Quiz:
  • The hosts quiz each other on the teams of this year’s largely anonymous Slam Dunk Contestants (Jackson Hayes–Lakers, Jace Richardson–Orlando Magic, Carter Bryant–San Antonio Spurs, Kashad Johnson–Miami Heat).
  • Nostalgic references to past competitions with eight participants ("like back in the day with Terence Stansberry" – [04:41]).
• Funny Anecdote: The crew jokes about travel stories, e.g., visiting Mount Rushmore ("the rock structure;" [08:26]), and muses about living in Sioux Falls versus Miami ([07:52]–[08:50]).

2. NBA “Small Market Revolution”

[12:09–16:08]

• Dan highlights how the best teams in the NBA currently (Oklahoma City, Detroit, San Antonio) are doing so without superstar signings or big-market advantages:

  “None of them built their teams by landing big free agents. ... These are teams on the periphery in these big cities who have built really good teams.” ([12:09])

• Marvin challenges whether market or star power matters more in the NBA. He notes LeBron did it in Cleveland, Steph in Oakland.

  Marvin: “Isn’t it more so the stars than the market that they’re in?” ([14:06])

• Dan adds that Cade Cunningham of Detroit has elite skills but lacks media star power, which impacts recognition in smaller cities.

3. Phone Calls: Load Management, All-Star Fixes, and NBA Debates

[10:39–16:08; 28:50–41:07]

• Caller Jordan recalls how the Spurs "managed" David Robinson’s injury to draft Tim Duncan, sparking discussion on early load management and tanking. Seaton: “The Spurs are like the original load manager.” ([11:52])
• Caller Don suggests a generational All-Star tournament; Dan fears it’s a “torn Achilles waiting to happen” but likes the idea of stationary three-point contests featuring legends ([29:15–30:20]).
• Caller Eric suggests the midseason tournament could replace the All-Star Game, calling current attempts “just not working.” ([32:34])
• Caller Paul proposes an All-Star Dunk "HORSE" competition to boost creativity and lessen missed dunk attempts ([38:58]).

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Sr. vs. Ben Roethlisberger

[20:48–24:19]

• Joey Porter Sr. appears on the “Not Just Football” podcast, strongly criticizing Roethlisberger (“Seven definitely broke the brotherhood… he’s not a good teammate… we protected him…” [21:10–21:53]).
• Dan and crew are surprised at the timing, parsing whether this is about Ben as a player or as a person.

  Dan: “Is this about him as a teammate or him as a person?... But this feels like it’s more about the person that Joey Porter Sr. doesn’t like.” ([23:06])

• Seaton interprets Porter as saying former teammates protected Ben, and now resent him talking about “Steeler business” publicly after retirement.
• Marvin quips, “this type of dirty laundry is for other franchises, not the Steelers.” ([24:13])

5. Additional NBA Topics & Humor

• The team riffs on LA Lakers internal drama: potential shake-ups under new ownership (Guggenheim Group), Rob Pelinka’s future, and whether LeBron will stay (“Most Laker fans are okay with [potential changes].” [24:34])
• A light segment on defense, where Dan jokes about how players only play defense after making a shot:

  “I played some of my best defense—well, my only defense—after I made a shot.” ([27:19])

• Humorous nostalgia on high-school basketball cheers and potential for the Dan Patrick crew as “male cheerleaders” or “yell leaders.” ([27:33–28:13])

6. LeBron Load Management: Fact vs. Memory

[33:49–37:37]

• Caller Eric claims LeBron once took a midseason break to work out with Dwyane Wade; the crew fact-checks, concluding LeBron has seldom missed games and was given days off by the Cavs, not skipping games to vacation.
• Paulie: “In LeBron's first seven seasons... he never played fewer than 75 games.” ([34:25])
• Dan: “He wanted to show the younger players that he could play all of these games.” ([34:25])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the All-Star Game’s declining gravity:

  “Maybe we just want to see our guys out there, running up and down and, you know, shooting some threes or dunking or some fun passes... I'd like to see a little more.” – Dan Patrick ([01:49])

• On the Slam Dunk Contest contestants:

  Paulie: “Jackson Hayes, who does he currently play for?”
  Dan: “He plays for the Lakers.” ([05:11–05:18])

• On NBA’s small-market shift:

  “Small markets are not supposed to dominate this way... They’ve done it the right way so far.” – Dan ([12:09])

• On “Steeler business”:

  Joey Porter Sr.: “He’s not a good teammate. Won a Super Bowl, woop-di-doo, but as a person, he’s just not a good teammate... we protected him because... that was my quarterback. So do I love my quarterback? Yeah, but is he a good person? No.” ([21:18–21:53])

• Defensive cynicism:

  “Nobody is more excited about playing defense than the guy who just scored.” – Dan ([26:54])

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:49] NBA All-Star Weekend: Hopes, contests, participants
• [05:11–07:04] Slam Dunk Contest team guessing game
• [08:25] Mount Rushmore anecdote
• [10:39–11:52] Load management and Spurs “tanking” to draft Tim Duncan
• [12:09–16:08] Small-market teams’ NBA rise and the star vs. market debate
• [20:48–24:19] Joey Porter Sr. slams Ben Roethlisberger; Steelers locker room culture
• [24:34–27:19] Lakers’ future and defense as an "illusion"
• [28:50–31:41] Fixing All-Star Weekend: Generational tourney, legends’ reluctance, 3-point contest
• [33:49–37:37] Debunking LeBron “banana boat” midseason vacation
• [38:58–41:01] All-Star Dunk “HORSE” suggestion, Mac McClung's path, G-League gap
• [41:07–44:44] Pablo Torre, Jerry West, the “Meadowlard” saga, show in-jokes

Summary Takeaways

• All-Star Fatigue: The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is losing luster, with even sports radio legends struggling to recognize the dunk contestants. Dan and crew favor injecting more legend-versus-current-player dynamics (especially in shooting contests).
• Small Markets Rising: Dan and Marvin’s debate about whether stars or markets make NBA success reflects OKC, Detroit, and San Antonio’s rise—which bucks the “big market big star” trend but also raises questions about media visibility and star perception.
• Steelers Locker Room Rift: Joey Porter Sr. torches Roethlisberger’s record as a teammate—a rare airing of Pittsburgh’s “dirty laundry” that surprises the crew for its timing and force.
• Humor and Insight: Classic Dan Patrick banter on sports radio tropes, high school cheers, and the very importance of “staying in your lane” with fan opinions.
• Listener Participation: The show thrives on callers pitching All-Star game fixes and weigh-ins on NBA or NFL culture debates.
• Old School vs. New School: Whether in discussing NBA shooter legends, team-building, or the sanctity of the locker-room, Hour 3 embodies the show’s blend of nostalgia and up-to-the-minute sports world issues.