
Loading summary
Nick Wright
This is an iHeart podcast.
Boost Mobile Announcer
Guaranteed Human we all want the best without having to pay the most. That's where Verizon comes in. Get this now you can take your AT and T or T mobile bill into any Verizon store. They'll look at what you're paying and give you a better deal.
Chris Carter
Period.
Boost Mobile Announcer
You get the amazing coverage you want while keeping more cash in your pocket. Visit your local Verizon store to start saving today. Must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms and conditions apply.
Public Investing Announcer
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public
Public Investing Legal Disclaimer
Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes on and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Public Investing Announcer
Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures in the
Lenovo Announcer
heat of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming tech@lenovo.com Dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power up@lenovo.com lenovo
Chris Carter
Lenovo
Lenovo Announcer
wasn't that delicious?
Damanze
So good.
Chris Carter
Your bill ladies.
Lenovo Announcer
I got it.
Chris Carter
I got it. No, I got it. Seriously.
Nick Wright
I insist.
Public Investing Announcer
I insisted first.
Nick Wright
Oh, don't be silly. You don't be silly.
Damanze
People with the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card prefer to pay because they
Chris Carter
earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Nick Wright
Okay. Rock paper scissors for it.
Chris Carter
Rock paper scissors Shoot. No The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card. Visit Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Terms Apply welcome in what Driving Nick R Episode 437 this episode of what's Right With Nick R is presented to you by our friends at Boost Mobile. Good morning Demanz. Great to see you as always. Amazing night in the NBA last night, including something that has never happened before and I didn't even really think was possible, a 13 point overtime comeback. I didn't like the I said on Wednesday's TV show for the Rockets. The Rockets were in their own tier of teams and the tier was named they hate each other and I vindicated with that game. I don't. Yeah, I mean I don't know if it's helped by blowing a third. First of all, they came back themselves from 11 down very late to the Anthony Edwards list Timberwolves. Then in overtime Nas gets ejected and so the Timberwolves don't have Nas or Anthony edwards. They're down 13 and they put a 15 nothing run on IME Udoka squad and it you know, if a team ever was going to abandon all plans to trade everything imaginable for Giannis in the off season, the Rockets have a flashing red light that they could be that team. But that wasn't even the biggest game of the night. Celtics Thunder which inexplicably demands a was not a national TV game and if you didn't have league I know you right? Well I get I guess already maxed out. That's what I was going to say. You can watch everything and I have a league pass. But that was it was shocking to me that wasn't on national tv. And then you also obviously have MLB opening day on Netflix. So all of that we will get to over the course of the show. A reminder tomorrow we will give you our way too early premature NFC over under show like we did the AFC over under show last Friday. Next week a slight schedule tweak. We're going to be live Wednesday and Thursday and then with a mailbag show Friday so we won't have a show Tuesday next week. But that's another reason to like rate and subscribe review to the pod. That way you know when we do in fact go live and when that latest episodes post but first quickly straight to voicemail brought to you by Boost Mobile we're not going to Listen the Yankees won 7 nothing over the Giants despite Aaron Judge going 0 for 5 with 4Ks. We will do I think a little more baseball this summer than we've done historically because the Royals, I think are going to be good. And the World Baseball Classic got me jazzed for it. So we will do some baseball, but not today. Embiid and Paul George returned to the Sixers and they score 157 points. And Squirrels are hooked on the vape juice. Is the pictures I'm seeing. Listen, I don't really know the science behind it. I do know that. Go ahead.
Damanze
I think that the vapes have us. They're emitting a smell. I. I got this from a producer this morning. It's. It smells like fruit. They go in there, they try to eat it, and then they just happen to be smoking it because they're trying to get what's inside. Throw your vapes in the trash, folks.
Chris Carter
Throw your vapes. You know what? That's. That's the lesson to learn here. Throw your vapes in the trash. Protect the squirrels. It's like when I was a kid, they told us back when you got six packs of sod, you had to cut up the little plastic rings because the dolphins or something were getting turtles around their snouts. Yeah, the turtle something. We now have to, you know, protect the squirrels from Chinese vape juice. All right, a reminder everybody. Like rate. Subscribe review to the pod. Let's some personal news to start the show. Damanze, go ahead.
Damanze
Huge news. Congratulations to you and your show. First Things first was nominated for most outstanding sports. The most outstanding sports Dating Sports Studio. Shoemi has wimby inspired you to campaign for the award?
Chris Carter
I'm not going to campaign for the award, but I am going to be a touch self indulgent here. But also I. I'm going to spend a bit of time on this because I think this is instructive for people in there at any. I think there are lessons. Lessons sounds patronizing. I think there might be some wisdom shared here. And that sounded pretty patronizing too as far as, yeah, the story of the TV show. And listen, I don't know if we're gonna win the Emmy. Um, but I. And I know the. Maybe the proper thing, certainly the cool thing is to say I don't care, but I. I care deeply about being nominated for this every year. When these nominations came out, I got upset that we were not included and I thought for some time maybe not even considered. Now, to be fair, there was a period of time where we didn't deserve to be considered. But for people that are, you know, newish to this show or First Things first, I will try as briefly as I can to kind of give the history of the show because again, there are some fork in the road moments that I think are instructive. So September, Labor Day, 2017, the show launches. 2017. It is me, Chris Carter, and Jenna Wolf. And in pretty short order, the show was solid. And I think, you know, it had some documented growing rating success at a time slot where FS1 had never had a show before that show. The show used to start at 6:30am Eastern, so 3:30am Pacific, and go three hours, 6:30am to 9:30am and before the end of our first football season, we had an episode where we had more than a hundred thousand viewers, which I think was way, way beyond what realistic goals were for not only a new show, not only a new show involving someone that me, that nobody knew, but a show that there had. Nobody ever Woke up to FS1, you know, historically, because we didn't have live programming on that. And. But that show was very different and people that watched it, you know, know it. The. I didn't know what I was doing. I thought my job was every day to prove to the audience how smart I was. I thought my job was every day to just be armed with all of the data, all of the facts, all of the information to win any potential debate that popped up, while also weighing that with the fact that my partner and the person fronting the show, Chris Carter, who was so good to me personally and so good to my family and my wife and my kids and who I had a real deep personal relationship and friendship with, he was not really trying to argue. And so I. And as much as I believe Chris respected my intellect and my work ethic, he certainly did not think if he and I disagreed on football or basketball for that matter, that I had a leg to stand on. He obviously was one of the greatest football players of all time and also had 100 Division 1 college basketball scholarships. His brother coached in the NBA. And so I was that first year plus always kind of doing a dance, figuring out how to as strongly as I could make my case for something, give my opinion, while never actually entering into a debate which could turn into an argument with cece, because that's just not what he was trying to do. And it was his show. And so there were a lot of moments where, and I'm not really a fold your hand guy, where I had really no other choice but to kind of fold my hand. But. But it was still great. It was on TV every day. The show was growing, and we were headed in a really positive direction along with the Network when Undisputed was really starting to hum, they were on after us. Collins been great throughout the show. On after Colin, he, at that point in time he was still a part of, he would do the Herd and then also do Speak for yourself. And the network was really rolling. And then late October of 2018, so the show's now been on for 14 months. I get a phone call that Chris and Fox have parted ways and the, you know, I, I, it's been eight years. It's something I've never really talked about but quality, irreconcilable differences. And I show up to work the next day. I think the first day was Halloween 2018. And they're like, well listen, you know, Chris Canty has been a great guest of ours. He's going to do a lot of stuff. Greg Jennings will still come in, Coach Mangini. Greg and Coach were there from day one. Those guys will, you know, still be a part of the rotation and we will just kind of do, you know, a rotating co host while we figure out, you know, who's going to be full time, what's what. And that went from the rotating co host thing From October of 2018 to we are now in February of 2020 and there is still not a full time co host. And while that was, you know, to be obviously not the best thing for the stability of the show and Chris Canty did an awesome job because he was, he was there more than anybody. We also during the NBA, Chris Broussard started being a part of it. It's how I really got to know Broussard. And while it wasn't that, that lack of stability wasn't what was, you know, really best, I think for the show's growth it certainly allowed me to put my stamp on it. And for, you know, almost by default, a show that was never supposed to be my show became my show. And then in January, February of 2020, Kevin Wilds, who was, you know, in the running and he himself bowed out of being on the show when it launched, had decided he did want to do it and they brought KW in. And then of course when I say February of 2020, we are approaching Covid. But right before COVID was the 2019 Super bowl, which was in January of 2020 or February of 2020, KW is now, you know, getting ready to be or is already a part of the show. And the Sunday night of super bowl week when we are about to do a three hour live show in basically the middle of the night from wherever that super bowl was it was Miami, I think, so it wasn't really the middle of the night, but at 6:30 in the morning we find out that Kobe Bryant's helicopters crashed. And we are going to be doing a three hour show the first day of super bowl week with a live studio audience reacting to this unspeakable tragedy. And I remember specifically requesting that Chris Broussard, who was there in case any basketball stories popped up during super bowl week, could he host the entire show with me, me with the crew, could he be there for the whole thing? And Brew to his credit, said yes. And we did those three hours together, which were just I the impossible in retrospect to think about. Kobe had lost. You know, obviously Kobe died, but it was also other adults and a bunch of young girls, including Kobe's daughter. And I remember when that show ended, hugging Brew and telling him, man, I literally could not have done this show without you out here. Like, thank you. And it felt like that really bonded us. And then, you know, six weeks later the world shuts down and we still don't have a full time co host. We still don't really know, you know, exactly what's what. And Covid hits and all of a sudden we're doing the show from our house with no live sports on. And I might get some of this timeline a little wrong. And I apologize for the length of this, but there's a reason I'm glad I'm finally kind of putting this full thing out there. And at one point during the first call it 12 months of COVID I'm told by folks who would know, not sure if we're going to continue with the show. We never landed on the co host. The, you know, there's no sports on that. If you guys remember the sports economy and advertiser economy at that time, like the show was on it. What? Not thin ice, but it was. I was given a heads up that it was probably going to be canceled three years and four years into the show. Again, I don't remember if this is late 2020, early 2021.
Daniel Cormier
This is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. All UFC fighters know power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in on all the the walkouts to the knockouts. You'll never miss a moment. That's coverage that you can count on for every single round. So when the moment happens, you're not catching up. You're already there. Now that that's a total power move. In the ufc, power isn't given, it's taken. So make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood Total Wireless Store 5G access requires a 5G capable device in a 5G service area. Monthly rates on the Total Base 5G Unlimited plan for new subscribers applies only to the monthly rate for your plan. Additional terms apply. See website for details.
Public Investing Announcer
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public
Public Investing Legal Disclaimer
Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Public Investing Announcer
Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures in the
Lenovo Announcer
heat of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming tech@lenovo.com Dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power up@lenovo.com lenovo lenovo.
Chris Carter
And I don't know what changed over the next two months other than, you know, maybe I had, you know, the people. I don't know what changed, but I know all of a sudden it went from me telling my wife and daughters that I think we're going to probably move to la, that I Think that, you know, I've established myself well enough with Fox that even if they cancel the show, I think they will have, they'll want to keep me around. I'm under contract and, you know, but I think we're gonna have to move to la. I was, I was setting up interviews for my older daughter for LA high schools. I had my pal Maverick had, you know, made, sent, made some calls for me where, you know, his friend's kids went to school and like the, this is what was happening. Like I had kind of just come to terms with it. And then something changed in the show didn't get canceled and they were, they were adding a full time co host and it was going to be Brandon Marshall. And we were still doing the show from our house and that was the 2021, I think, football season. And we did Brandon, me, Wilds and Jenna did that show for a year with Brew being our basketball guest, coaching, Greg still being on the show as guests. And it was fine. Brandon and I had a good relationship, but it was also weird. Brandon and Wilds did a show together for a year. Never once met in person. Brandon was in Florida. It was still Covid, we were still doing it from our houses. Everything was remote. And then Brandon decided he didn't want to do, you know, renewal. And we're approaching going back in studio and this is, I gave that whole background, but this is the moral of the story and the reason I'm, I'm telling this and spending a half hour on this. In that moment we knew that Jenna was moving on. KW's role was gonna change a little bit. And they were discussing with me thoughts on who the person opposite me should be. And out of respect, all the, to these people, I'm not gonna say who they were all talented, all people I like or had good relationships with and all former athletes. And I knew in my absolute core that the best person for the show, the guy who worked the hardest, had the best relationship, we had the best chemistry with and who had the best disposition and was the most reliable was Brew. And I also knew that I had, you know, probably one time I could play the card of let's not do what you're suggesting, trust me. And it was, I really debated whether or not that was even smart to do because if you do what, you know, your bosses or whatever are suggesting and you register, I don't know if it's the best idea, but yeah, I'll go with it and then it doesn't work or something happens that's not as much on you, it's like, well, I, you know, I said, but if you say, hey, I know this is right and I'll take the hit if I'm wrong, if it doesn't work, that is on you. And in that moment, I knew Wild thought it should be brewing. I knew in my core that because I listened to Bruce radio show, I was like, these guys think he's just a basketball guy. He does a daily radio show every night, talks about football every day. Plus I also knew from my own history, I was like, I am so such an annoying person to argue with that there is something in my experience for former athletes, particularly former football players, that if every single day they got to argue with me, something in their brain activates a few months in and they're like, man, I used to put guys like him in the damn locker. He's telling me who the better quarter. Shut up. And one of the reasons I think Greg and Coach have been so great for eight years on the show is by around Thursday, certainly by Friday of a week of dealing with my nonsense, they know, all right, I'm about to get a week away from this idiot and they can reset. And so I just really didn't think going with another former athlete was going to work. And I advocated in the strongest possible terms along with Wilds, we all agree. Me, Wilds, Brew, let it run. Just see. And even after that happened once, that was like agreed upon in the 23rd hour, they, I was presented with, hey, we got it done with Brew. He's going to be on the show. But we think we are going to add a fourth person full time, not Coach or Greg. They will still be on the show in their current role, but in every segment, full time person. And we think we know who it is. And I, I laid down in traffic on it and said, let, let us have this shot. And that was August of 2020. What? Hold on, am I, do I have this? No. That was August of 2022, right? 2, 3, 4, 5. Yeah, we've done four football seasons together. Aug. That was August of 2022. And. I believe By August of 2023, me, wilds and Brew, along with Coach and Greg and the amazing folks who work on the show behind the scenes, have the best show on sports tv. And that's why being nominated for that award was so gratifying. I understand there's been a half hour of self indulgence, but the lesson, there is a real lesson there which is if, if you feel ownership over something and I listen, I Try to be very consistent and I'm being very honest when I talk about this is a collaborative effort. But I feel real ownership over this show. We are all equal part partners in it. But I, the I it's why when we were moving to the afternoons, the other thing that I was adamant about is don't change the name. They were like, yeah, but we named it First Things first because it's a morning show. I'm like, don't change the name, let us keep it. Because I felt a real connection to it. But if you feel real ownership over something and in your core, you know what the right call is, be willing to put some stakes to it. Going along to get along can be smart in certain instances. Accumulating good coworker, good colleague, not being a pain in the ass chips along the way is super valuable because I had never once played a let me have this one card and I've only played it once really since then. I mean that's the only time that I've played it, I should say, since then. And it's the greatest thing to ever happen in the show. Brew is perfect. He is works as hard as anyone in the business. He is funny, he is never in a bad mood and he is just the greatest guy to be around. The greatest guy. We've never had a real fight ever. KW is one of the smartest television, sports television creators ever. He created really good shows, was behind the scenes, has all these amazing instincts and then like we've had this, this awesome group of people behind the scenes. Matt Katanik was our original executive producer. He then moved on to Breakfast Ball. He then moved on to other stuff a couple years ago. Sam Pepper was the brains behind the show for years. He then, you know, left and now is the brains behind the Manning cast and two guys who have been with the show for the only people who've been with the show from day one as far as producers, not like Christine and wardrobe and Danielle, my wife in wardrobe, been there from day one. But the people who put the TV show together been there from day one are me, guy named Stephen Hubbard and Dustin Waite. Dusty started as my researcher and now is the producer of the show. And Hub started as, I don't know, an ap, like a low level producer and now is an executive at the company and the executive producer of the whole afternoon block. We've been working together for eight and a half years, the three of us. And, and so I again, maybe this is a bad use of time and maybe people have skipped ahead or they've tuned out. However, I don't know if we're going to win. I do know that nominated for that best sports studio Show Emmy is ESPN's flagship NBA show, ESPN's flagship NFL show, ESPN's flagship. This is where all the biggest guests in the world go rate, you know radio/YouTube/tv show and McAfee and SportsCenter the defining sports highlight show of you know in television history. Those four shows and us and I am, I'm really, really, really proud of it and it is a gratifying thing every day to work on something where so many people work so hard and I didn't mention all the behind the scenes folks because I terrified that I will, you know mention 9 of 10 and leave someone out and but people work really hard and people care and it's just really gratifying to work on something that you feel like is good and I feel like it's good and I don't think we not I don't think I know the only way first things first is ever nominated for anything is if it's me Wilds and brew out there doing it. And I'm really, really really grateful. Those guys are my partners. Deeply grateful. Today's show is brought to you by presenting sponsor Hard Rock bet, Florida's sportsbook. If your brackets already busted, you're not alone. But don't worry, you can still call the next big upset and turn your picks into payday on Hard Rock Bet all tournament long. Hard Rock Bet is rolling out daily dancing boosts to featuring a live profit boost and a parlay profit boost every single day. That's more ways to shoot your shot and cash in with boosted odds. And you know those heart stopping zero on the clock moments. Now they pay. Hard Rock Bet is giving out $25 bonus bets throughout the tournament if a team you bet to win or cover hits a buzzer beater. If you haven't joined Hard Rock Bet yet, now's the time to check in the game. New signups can double their winnings on their first 10 bets max $50. That means if you would have won a hundred bucks on your bet, now it's 200. So don't sit on the bench. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today and let's get the party started. Payable and bonus bets. Not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play, terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-833-PLAY-WISE in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler Arizona, Colorado Illinois Michigan New Jersey Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia this is Daniel Cormier from
Daniel Cormier
the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. All UFC fighters know power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in on all the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. You'll never miss a moment. That's coverage that you can count on for every single round. So when the moment happens, you're not catching up. You're already there. Now that that's a total power move. In the ufc, power isn't given, it's taken. So make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood Total Wireless Store 5G access requires a 5G capable device in a 5G service area. Monthly rates on the Total Base 5G Unlimited plan for new subscribers applies only to the monthly rate for your plan. Additional terms apply. See website for details.
Public Investing Announcer
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public
Public Investing Legal Disclaimer
Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Public Investing Announcer
Complete Disclosure is available at public.com disclosures
Lenovo Announcer
in the heat of battle your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming tech@lenovo.com dominate every free match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power up@lenovo.com lenovo lenovo
Chris Carter
damanze I my well you can explain it but sweet 16 tonight we got some. We got some stuff still live from before so go ahead.
Damanze
Yes sir. It is time for a special edition of Knicks picks brought to you by our friends at Hard Rock bet.
Chris Carter
Yep.
Damanze
So both your pre tourney picks are still alive. Houston will win it all at +9 900 and Arizona to win its region at +155. So ahead of round 16, sweet 16 starting today, what's something that you like?
Chris Carter
So I'm gonna, I'm gonna pile on more on Houston. Houston to win the south at +110. One of the reasons I liked them before the tournament was I thought they had the weakest one seed to deal with in Florida. I think that was confirmed by the fact that Florida got clipped by, pardon me, by Iowa. The added bonus of Houston. I don't know if you know this demons a Houston's Round of 16 and Elite Eight game. If they get there, Rice is the host. So it's in Houston and so it's, you know it's at Rice's gym and so you know they will have a massive home court advantage. They also dominated their first two tournament games start finish. So I like Houston plus 110 and I also like tomorrow St. John's getting six and a half against Duke. So Duke has really played, I don't know, maybe 15 combined good minutes in this tournament. The last five against Sienna in round one and the last 10 minutes in their round of 32 game. I I think St. John's defense is so good and they're so well coached that I think, listen, I picked them to go to the final four so I obviously think they can win this game. But I would be, I would be shocked if this is a blowout. Now what is definitionally true about the tournament is you have never seen more instances of a team down seven with six seconds left still fouling and they will. There are a lot of they were down one or two the entire second half. Lost by nine due to 11 free throws in the final minute because teams will Never give up. So that's, you know, maybe the smarter bet would be St. John's plus like four and a half for the first half. But if I think they're gonna, you know, win the region, if I picked them to be in the final four, I'll take them. Plus the six navigants. Duke knowing that I could get a little screwed there, I kind of have that baked in. All right, so let's talk about the huge game last night.
Damanze
My Celtics handed OKC their first loss in February.
Chris Carter
Or since February.
Damanze
Or since February. I'm sorry. They've got J Dub, we still got Jason Tatum wrapping up. Is there a big gap between the Celtics and Thunder, if any?
Chris Carter
I don't think so.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
And so Tim Bond. Tim's had an insane stat that that starting lineup OKC had yesterday. Their preferred starting lineup of Shea, J Dub, Chat, Dort Hartenstein in the last two regular seasons. Last two years.
Damanze
Yep.
Chris Carter
That was only their 21st game starting together because Chet and Hartenstein missed so much time last year. JDubs missed so much time this year. That was only their seventh game this season starting together. So we haven't really seen them fully whole. Yeah, a bunch. But we did in the. Here's the thing about okc and I'm not going to, you know, kill him for last night because it was J Dub's first game back. He plays 24 minutes at seven points. He's 2 of 9 from the field. You know what I mean? Like he. He's going to have to work himself back. However, they were not dominant in the playoffs last year. They won and they're deserving champions. But two of their series went seven games. One of them, you know, that was very nip and tuck early on in the game seven of the finals for Halliburton goes down. They. Even when they were at full strength, they didn't seem unbeatable. And Damanze Tatum's just going to get better. And listen, he still has not shot 50% from the field in a game. I understand that. But he's rebounding like crazy last night. You know, you wish he didn't have all the turnovers, but he also had seven assists. He also had three steals in a block. And Jalen Brown is playing with a chip on his shoulder. And I think it's a multi layered chip. I think it's that he knows he's, you know, his best case scenario is finishing fourth or fifth in mvp. I think there is still a, you know, friendly but rivalry. He and Tatum as Far as you
Damanze
know, I'm the reason we're here. I held it down all regular season. You're back and.
Chris Carter
Yeah, right. But I think that could be good for Boston.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
Like, I think Boston's great.
Damanze
But we say that there is a little bit of a gap with. Okay. Like, I think that Jason Tatum has a lot more ramping up to do than J Dub, in my opinion. And with the fact that we. We barely lost them a couple weeks ago and then, you know, we just beat them with Tatum. Barely. I think the Tatum's got a lot more ramping up to do and J Dub has a little bit less.
Chris Carter
Well, listen, so Tatum's a full strength. Tatum is definitively better than a full strength J Dub.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
However, the Tatum we saw Yesterday was like 60% Jason Tatum.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
And the J Dub we saw Yesterday was like 10J dub.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
You know what I mean? So even so, the. I. I know that that was kind
Damanze
of I was doing.
Chris Carter
You understand what I'm saying? Like, that was he. That was J Dub. His first game back in months. The chat also didn't play well. But here's what I'll say. I don't think Boston is, quote, a better team, definitively unquote, than okc over the course of, you know, Boston versus San Antonio, OKC versus San Antonio, Boston versus Detroit, OKC versus Detroit over the course of a season or. However, I do think Boston's a very tough matchup for okc. If this were to be the finals, I would pick Boston even though OKC would have home court. Now there is the other home court piece of this, which is. I don't know what the. I don't even know if Hard Rock has these odds, but I don't. You know, I probably should have made this announcement earlier. I think San Antonio is going to be the one seed, and I think because of that, WIMBY is going to pick off Shay in the MVP race. Whether or not I agree with that is a separate discussion for another day. However, demands a. OKC has nine games left. Two against Tankers, Chicago and Utah. The other seven games OKC has is Detroit, the Knicks, the Nuggets, the Suns, the Clippers, and two against the Lakers. Okay, so they have. They have the second hardest schedule remaining.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
Only Utah is harder. San Antonio, on the other hand, they also have nine games remaining. Okay. Four against Tankers, Dallas, Chicago, the Bucks. The warriors aren't a tanker, but the warriors are without Steph. They might as well be.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
And their other five are Portland, the sixers and then three hard ones, Clippers two against Denver. San Antonio is the way to look at it is they are one and a half games back of okc. OKC has two fewer losses. If they finish with the same record, San Antonio gets the one seed. So the. If we think. What do we think San Antonio is going to go in their final nine? Give them four wins already. Golden State, Milwaukee, Chicago, Dallas. Give them the. Well, let me. Before I can just quite give them Golden State, I just want to check and see when that game is. If it's soon. Okay, then give them Golden State because Steph won't be back by then. The. If it was like April 10th, then it might be a little different. So four games. There's four wins, two against Denver, one against the Sixers, one against the Blazers, one against the Clippers. What do we think the worst they go there is seven and two or a three and two in those five, which would put them at seven and two. Let's put them at. Let's put them at seven and two. If they go seven and two, OKC has to go six and three or better with again, they have two against Tankers, the Jazz and the Bulls, and then Detroit, the Knicks, two against the Lakers, the Nuggets, the Suns and the Clippers. I think, I think because of this loss, OKC might get run down. And if they, if the spurs get the one seed, Wimby's going to win mvp. I don't have to like it. I don't have to agree with it. But. And by the way, if the spurs get the one seed, I don't even know that I won't like it. The, the I that's there was like a triple negative, but right now I think Wimby is third in the MVP race. The one seed historically matters so much for this, and they would be considering, you know, the, them overachieving their preseason expectations so much. I think it would be something. And I wouldn't, you know, I. So I don't know that I have a big issue with it, but I do think that the spurs right now gotta be even money to catch them. And so let me ask you this real quick. Who do you think the Lakers want to be the 2 seed? The spurs of the Thunder?
Damanze
I. I'd say it's the Spurs.
Chris Carter
I, I think that's right. I also do feel like last year the Lakers, once they got Luca, seemed to match up well with okc. They beat the shit out of them one game and then the other game they were playing Remember, Luca got kicked out with like six minutes left and it flipped it. The last team to beat the Thunder in a playoff series was a team led by Luka Doncic. The. When the Mavs beat the Thunder two years ago, I don't know. I don't know what they would rather. I do know that they oddly actually will have a say in it because they do play OKC twice.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
And the. The Lakers are also in a very interesting spot as far as their stranglehold now on the three seed because they are two losses clear of Denver and the Timberwolves. Three losses clear of the falling apart Houston Rockets. And they have the tiebreaker with all those teams. So you know, the Lakers don't have the three seed locked up, but they, they have Brooklyn and Washington next and that then leaves them Cleveland, okc, Dallas, okc, Golden State, Phoenix, Utah. So again for the Lakers, Brooklyn, Washington, Dallas, Utah, those are wins. So how many games do they have left against teams trying Cleveland, okc, okc, Golden State, Phoenix. So that's five if they go just two and three in those five, Minnesota or Denver would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to catch them. So the Lakers are in great shape for the three seed, which you think will give them Houston in round one, but I don't know what that means for round two, which is kind of what we're going to talk about here. I got into a little bit, but go ahead and ask me this and then we'll get into kind of four, five, six more more.
Damanze
Yeah. So the Rockets are free falling. They were on the other side of a comeback in OT J. Yeah. Kevin Durant missed a high leverage free throw. Let's talk about the state of the Rockets right now. What's going on over there?
Chris Carter
So I just don't think they like each other. And I think that.
Damanze
Who doesn't like who? Just everybody.
Chris Carter
I don't. It seems like maybe there is, at least for the time being, an Udoka problem. I don't think he's done a great job.
Damanze
Okay.
Chris Carter
I think he's a good coach. I don't think he's done a great job holding this team together. The fact that they, after, you know, they lost to the Bulls, which is unconscionable. And then to blow that lead to the Timberwolves is going to have real ramifications. It doesn't seem like they are getting what they need out of Reed shepherd. And some of this does have to fall if the. It feels like the team doesn't like each other. We can't ignore the KD burner stuff from All Star weekend. Just can't. The. It is. It is hard to. They were 33 and 20 going into the break. Since then they're 10 and 9. They have lost four out of six. Their wins post All Star break. Demons A. Okay. They beat Charlotte first game out of the break. They then beat Utah, a tanker. Sacramento, a tanker. Orlando, which has been so hot and cold. Washington, a tanker. Portland and Toronto, good wins. New Orleans, kind of a tanker. Not. I mean, they're trying to win, but they're not good.
Damanze
Yeah.
Chris Carter
And then after the two losses to
Boost Mobile Announcer
la,
Chris Carter
they beat Atlanta and Miami. Those are solid wins. That's fine. Miami was by one. They just haven't looked connected. And once they stopped being this dominant offensive rebounding team, they, their offense, you know, regressed massively to the mean. And again last night I. If people, you know, understandably didn't watch the game or didn't see the end of it, I just do want to set the scene for what happened in overtime. Okay. They are up 10895 in overtime with under three minutes remaining. They are up 108, 95. The possessions then go like this. Mike Conley, shout out. Mike Conley hits a three. Now it's a ten point game. Rockets next possession, Jabari Smiths, you know, ice cold shooting continues. He misses a three. The Timberwolves then tip in a miss. Julius Randall layup. Now it's an eight point game. Okay, on the tip in Shingoon, fouls Kyle Anderson. So it's an and one. Now all of a sudden to seven point game. Next possession, Houston eight second violation. DiVincenzo layup. Now all of a sudden it's a five point game at the two minute mark. At the three minute mark it was 13. At the two minute mark, it's five rockets timeout. Out of the timeout. Alfie misses a layup. Next possession, Julius Randle driving layup. Now it's a three point game out of that possession. Amin Thompson misses floater. Rockets get the offensive rebound. KD turns it over. Out of that possession, Dante DiVincenzo hits a three. Now it's a tie. Alpi misses another one. Julius Randle hits the game winner with nine seconds left. However, and this is what Demanze was alluding to. Fouls. KD Two free throws to tie the game. Misses the first so then misses the second on purpose. Game over. So Katie didn't get a single shot until he got fouled with three seconds left. They blow a 13 point lead in overtime and you just don't recover from that. Like I don't know what Houston has left. I'll look at it at it real quick. Obviously Phoenix is not going to catch them and they get a nice little respite tonight at Memphis. But and they still have Memphis, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Utah and Memphis again in the season. So they'll stabilize as the six seed. But that team cannot wait to go home. Can't wait to go home. And so what we're going to get in the west pretty clearly is a round one Rockets Lakers series, which is just the best case scenario for the Lakers and around two Nuggets Timberwolves series where those two teams are fighting for home court in that series. And that should be awesome. The if we're assuming that Ant is going to be back and what the heck is this? If we're assuming that Ant is going to be back, which I assume he is, then Nuggets Timberwolves, which is, you know, was one of when Denver was the defending champ and gave us that classic seven game series that shocked everyone. The Timberwolves won it two years ago. That should be great. So that's going to be our Round one. We know we're getting Lakers, Rockets, we know we're getting Nuggets, Timberwolves. The rest of Round one. We have no idea on the sun should be involved. We don't know if OKC or the spurs are going to be the one or the two seed. The west though, is a in a bit of a jumble at the moment in that regard and I'm super excited to watch it down the stretch. All right, Remind you guys, you ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rents going up, streaming services going up? Even your favorite burrito spots think Salza should cost extra. Both Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the Will this Go Up Soon Game. Why? Because Boost Mobile has unlimited talk, text and data plan at a price that'll never go up. In fact, it's the same price you'll pay for Life. So switch now for unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up. Only at boost mobile. After 30 gigs, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 per month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.
Daniel Cormier
This is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. All UFC fighters know power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in on all the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. You'll never miss a moment. That's coverage that you can count on for every single round. So when the moment happens, you're not catching up. You're already there. Now that that's a total power move. In the ufc, power isn't given, it's taken. So make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood. Total Wireless Store 5G access requires a 5G capable device in a 5G service area. Monthly rates on the Total Base 5G Unlimited plan for new subscribers applies only to the monthly rate for your plan. Additional terms apply. See website for details.
Public Investing Announcer
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type in any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public
Public Investing Legal Disclaimer
Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Members FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Public Investing Announcer
Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures in the
Lenovo Announcer
heat of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming tech@lenovo.com Dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power up@lenovo.com.
Chris Carter
All right Damanze, Ask me about the I want to talk a little bit about the Nuggets here for a second before we get to the NBA Player association stuff, because I jumped around a bit, but go ahead. On the Nuggets.
Damanze
So Jokic had a near 20, 20 and 20 game. Murray went over 50. Where would you rank these guys in the list of duos over the NBA?
Chris Carter
So here's the thing. I mean, if we're talking about like contemporary right now, they're obviously as good as anybody, right? Historically here, the. Here's what I'll say about Jokic and Murray. It's hard to rank them anywhere historically because Murray is simply not consistently that caliber of player to where he. All of the great, the truly great duos that we talk about, you have a legend and an all time great and whether that's magic and worthy. Bird and McHale, Jordan and Pippin, Shaq and Kobe. That's two legends there. Duncan and Tony or Duncan and Manu, Braun and Wade, Braun and Kyrie, Stephen, Clay, Katie and step. Jamal Mert. When Jamal Murray is rolling like he was last night, they are. They look as good as anybody ever. He's just not consistently that guy. And it's a testament to Joker's greatness. And I'm. Listen, Jamal Murray scored 50 last night against the tanking Mavs. I, I'm not taking anything away from the guy, but I don't, I don't look at them as anything close to an all time great duo. Now maybe they peel the title this year from the four of the five line. Maybe we look at them differently. But right now I don't look at them like that. I know you have another Joker question.
Damanze
Yeah. So he's gone 60, 50 and 50 over his last three games. Are we forgetting about him in the MVP race, you think?
Chris Carter
Listen, I don't. I think I have him fourth. I know a lot of people have him third over Luca. I would like to just, if I may, for a moment make the Luca. Well, let me talk Joker and then I'm going to pull up this Luca note. Okay. Are we a little numb to Joker's consistent offensive excellence? Sure. I think that's fair has because he has been so. It's not like he's short on accolades. The guy's got three MVPs. Okay. He's got the same number of MVPs as Larry Bird. He's one short of LeBron. So he's not a guy that was like, well, you know, he's disrespected. Far from it. He is to a point in his career where there is not Much to do other than win more. And that's why, that's why we are somewhat numb to these crazy numbers. And speaking of being numb to the numbers, Luca just averaged 40 a game on a road. A six plus game road trip that has not been done since Michael Jordan 40 years ago. 40 a game over a six game road trip. Last guy to do it. Jordan in 1986. Luca also is going to average 33 plus on a 50 win team. And this is where I will get a little upset, so to speak. Demons A In the last 60 years here are the guys who averaged 33 or more on a 50 win team and their MVP finish. Wilt in 1966 he won it. I want to make sure I'm right about that. Yeah, of course I am. Wilton 66, 33 and a half a game on a 50 win Sixers team. He won it. Kareem in year two. 35 a game on a Bucks team that went on to win the title. He won the MVP Jordan in 88. 35 a game on a 50 win Bulls team. He won the MVP. Jordan in 90, 33 a game on a 50 plus win Bulls team. He came in second. Okay. James Harden 36 a game on a 50 plus win Rockets team in 2019 he came in second as the defending league MVP. So Jordan and Harden, when you first
Damanze
said I was like James Harden didn't do it recently?
Chris Carter
No, no, he did it in 2019. He came in second in voting, but he had won it the previous year. Jordan did it in 90 after doing it in 88 and winning MVP there. Joel Embiid in 2023 average 33 a game for a 50 plus win. Sixers team, he won it. So we have in the last 60 years will Kareem, Michael and Embiid won the MVP for 33 plus on a 50 win team. Jordan came in second another time when he had already won an MVP. Harden came in second when he had already won an MVP. And then Luka Doncic two years ago, 34 a game on a 50 win team came in a distant third. Four first place votes out of a hundred four. And Luka Doncic this year, who people think is going to finish third or maybe even fourth. Every other person to do this, this high volume of scoring on this good of a team either has won the MVP or come in second. And the guys who came in second had already won MVPs except for Luca who did it once already before and that year came in third in MVP voting, but it was 79 votes. Yacht or Jokic 15. Shay, four for Luca. And Luca this year, who people think is going to finish either a distant third or fourth, probably with only two or three first place votes for. I think that's. I think we are approaching a bit of lunacy when it comes to recognizing his utter and complete dominance as an offensive player. And I think we've overstated. Here's the thing. Is Luke a good defender? No. Do the Lakers. Does the Lakers defense go from an average defense with Luke on the court to a horrific defense with Luke off the court? 115 versus 121. They do. So I just, I. Luke is going to average 33 a game on a 50 plus win team and nobody cares but me. It's weird. All right, let's skip everything to Monze until we get to public defender. Let's just do public defender real quick.
Damanze
All right, so on tv, you came out to the defense of golf course alligators and saying that LeBron was in no danger. That was pro bono work. You were officially on the clock. Counselor, defend your client. Course allocators.
Chris Carter
Go. Let me ask the ladies and gentlemen of the jury a question. Think about dangerous animals, dangerous wild animals. I mean, there's, you know, there's the. Go to Lions, tigers and bears. Obviously. There are some ones that you probably think of. Hippopotamus, the Nile crocodile, which has a lot of blood on his little tiny hands for the defaming of alligators, maybe even some other big cats, a puma, a jaguar, a lynx, even possibly a mountain bobcat. Hell rottweilers for some cane Corso, wild dogs. I ask you this. What do people do if they are walking around maybe playing some Frisbee, maybe hitting a few golf balls and see one of those animals? Do they take a picture? Do they point it out to their friends? Do they decide whether or not they should hit their shot? Or do they turn and run and call the authorities? We all know the answer. You know why? Because those are legitimately dangerous animals. Those and one could never be like, hey, I'm going to put $100 million into this land in South Florida, build a golf course, put a country club on it. One small thing, there's between 12 to 15 silverback gorillas roaming around that folks are going to have to, you know, be aware of. You know why? Because those things, to misquote Dave Chappelle, might rip your own arm off and beat you with it. And then there's alligators, who. There's hundreds of golf courses around America. You know what a feature of it is alligators. Now. Part of this is Adam Sandler and Happy Gilmore's fault because of chubs got his hand bitten off by an alligator. But that's cinema. That's make believe. Part of that is the fault of alligator, you know, genealogical relative crocodile who are vicious, vicious creatures. And they are. Pardon me here we'll you up.
Damanze
Yes.
Chris Carter
Alligators on the other hand, if you're driving through south Florida, want to stop and get a corn dog, might be able to get dinner and a show. Watch some guy for 18 bucks an hour stick his head in an alligator's mouth. Nobody's doing that with tigers. Last folks to try were Sig Freed and Roy. Didn't go great. Alligators just got bad priority. They're not bothering nobody. That's why Braun think about this. A million dollars a year on his body. Nobody cares more about physical health maybe in the entire world than LeBron James. He saw the alligator 15ft away and was like, ah.
Damanze
Turned his back on him.
Chris Carter
I'll be fine. Alligators, I can't say they've never hurt anybody, but I can't say if they have. It likely wasn't their fault. Huge thanks to Hard Rock bet and to boost reminder, we have our NFC over under show tomorrow and next week we're doing shows Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We will see you there. Thank you so much to Blue Duck into the volume. A reminder everyone like rate and subscribe review. Talk to you guys tomorrow for the NFC over Under show.
Daniel Cormier
This is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. Power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's just as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. Now that's a total power move. Make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood Total Wireless Store. Additional terms apply. See totalwireless.com for details at CVS it
Nick Wright
matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcome and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit us@cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.
Lenovo Announcer
In the heat of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming tech@lenovo.com Dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming, and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power up@lenovo.com lenovo
Chris Carter
Lenovo
Venmo Announcer
with the Venmo Debit card A taco in one hand and ordering a ride in the other means you're stacking your rewards nice. Get up to 5% cash back with Venmo Stash on your favorite brands when you pay with your Venmo debit card. From takeout to ride shares, entertainment, and more, pick a bundle with your go tos and start earning cash back at those brands. Do more stash get more cash Venmo Stash Bundle terms and exclusions apply. See terms at Venmo me stash terms max $100 cash back per month this
Nick Wright
is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Date: March 27, 2026
Host: Nick Wright (with Damanze and Chris Carter)
Presented by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
This episode centers on fresh NBA storylines—highlighting the Boston Celtics snapping the Oklahoma City Thunder’s win streak and Jamal Murray’s 53-point performance—while offering sharp analysis on shifting Western Conference playoff dynamics. Nick also makes his Sweet 16 college basketball predictions and shares a candid, detailed history of his show “First Things First” following its recent Emmy nomination. The episode is packed with insider analysis, data-driven opinions, and the blend of irreverence and intensity that defines Nick Wright’s voice.
Timestamps: 06:56-38:12
Timestamps: 40:47-41:46
Timestamps: 43:43–49:17
Timestamps: 49:17–55:21
Timestamps: 55:21–63:38
Timestamps: 66:19–75:05
Timestamps: 75:05–79:28
On Team Chemistry & Leadership:
On Luka Doncic’s Place in MVP History:
On Alligators At The Golf Course (Public Defender):
| Segment | Start Time | End Time | |-----------------------------------------------|------------|------------| | First Things First Emmy Reflection | 06:56 | 38:12 | | Sweet 16 (“Nick's Picks”) | 40:47 | 43:43 | | Celtics Snap Thunder’s Streak (NBA Analysis) | 43:43 | 49:17 | | West Standings: Spurs, Thunder, Lakers | 49:17 | 55:21 | | Rockets Collapse & Playoff Setup | 55:21 | 63:38 | | Jokic, Murray & NBA MVP Race | 66:19 | 75:05 | | “Public Defender” – Defending Alligators | 75:05 | 79:28 |
This episode blends in-depth NBA breakdowns (playoff jockeying, stat breakdowns, and candid team criticism) with thoughtful personal stories about ambition, teamwork, and sticking to your vision. Whether you’re tracking NBA playoff races or just enjoy Nick Wright’s high-energy, stats-savvy sports talk, this episode delivers rich analysis and offbeat commentary perfect for sports fans and show-business aficionados alike.