What's Wright - Nick Wright Mailbag: GOAT of GOATs debate, could LeBron James run for president?

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd: "What's Wright - Nick Wright Mailbag: GOAT of GOATs debate, could LeBron James run for president?"

Date: August 3, 2026
Host: Nick Wright
Producer: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Episode Focus: Answering thoughtful listener mail about the “GOAT of GOATs” debate, athlete legacies, and a wild hypothetical about LeBron James running for president.

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Episode Overview

Nick Wright hosts a special "Mailbag" edition of his podcast, tackling listener questions that spun out of his recent "GOAT of GOATs" television segment. Listeners press Nick on his criteria for all-time greatness, omissions like Michael Phelps and Jon Jones, and what defines being the greatest in a particular sport. The episode also dives into athlete longevity—does someone like LeBron or Brady owe it to humanity to keep going as long as possible?—and ends with a playful but provocative scenario: could LeBron leverage his fame and career into a serious presidential run? Nick’s answers blend sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and provocative hypotheticals, all in his trademark blend of candor and humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Listener Questions

1. The “GOAT of GOATs” Debate

[02:08 – 10:57]

Messi’s Defensive Duties and the Nature of Soccer Roles

• Listener Darryl suggests Lionel Messi can’t be “GOAT of all sports” because he doesn’t play defense.
  • Nick’s rebuttal:

    "Darryl I say this with no due respect. It’s one of the worst opinions I’ve ever heard ... It’s just fundamentally misunderstanding the sport."
    (04:12)

  • Compares Messi’s lack of defense to a wide receiver like Randy Moss not playing safety—it’s not his position.
  • In soccer, certain attackers legitimately have few (or no) defensive responsibilities.

Why Michael Phelps Was Left Out

• RJ and Tyler ask why Nick included Usain Bolt, but not Phelps.
  • Nick’s criteria: Undisputed GOAT in your sport and global participation rates.
  • On Phelps:

    “Swimming is obviously done by more people than hockey or American football, but not nearly as many ... The majority of people in world history never swim.”
    (07:17)

  • Critiques Olympic swimming for inflating medal counts due to “stacking”:

    “Do you honestly think that if Bolt had five ways to win a gold medal running 100 meters, he wouldn’t have won five?”
    (08:10)

The Jon Jones/MMA Conundrum

• Listener Robert: Should Jon Jones be included given MMA’s global relevance?
  • Nick admits his own knowledge gap but notes that Jones doesn’t seem to be as universally agreed on in MMA as the true GOAT.
  • Still, Nick acknowledges fighting is a “primal” sport akin to sprinting—everyone’s done it—and maybe he was wrong to omit Jones.

  • "Maybe Jon Jones was a miss by me." (10:00)

2. Which GOAT Will Be Passed First?

[10:57 – 15:50]

• Listener Rob asks: Which is most likely in your lifetime—someone passing Messi in soccer, LeBron in basketball, Gretzky in hockey, Brady in football, or Ohtani in baseball?
  • Nick places Brady at the top, with Mahomes on pace to potentially surpass him:

    “Mahomes is ahead of Brady’s pace. Wemby had a chance ... in the next 50 years, somebody does it.” (12:55)

  • Basketball is likely second ("LeBron might be passed in 20-40 years").
  • Messi and Ohtani, due to unique contexts, seem less likely to be surpassed soon.
  • On Ohtani:

    “No one is trying to do what Ohtani’s doing ... now he’s doing it.” (13:50)

3. The GOAT’s Obligation: Do Legends Owe It to Play Forever?

[17:23 – 24:55]

• Listener Alex references Nick’s past argument about Brady feeling an “obligation to humanity” and asks if the same should apply to LeBron, Messi, Tiger, Serena, etc.
  • Nick grapples with the balance between personal ambition and familial obligations:

    “What do I owe myself... versus what do I owe my family?” (21:55)

  • He draws parallels to astronauts, military service, and his own father’s work:

    “There are certain jobs that are so important to the world that we expect the people who undertake them to put the greater good ahead of ... their loved ones.” (24:58)

  • There is no "right answer": the call to inspire or define the limits of performance must be weighed against time with loved ones.

4. On Being a Doubter: Is Skepticism a Crime in Sports?

[28:55 – 33:58]

• Listener Brian from Zimbabwe wonders if it’s wrong to doubt greatness until it’s proven.
  • Nick: “I do not think there is anything wrong with having the ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ stance ... If you do have that stance, you obviously don’t get the same level of bragging rights.” (31:50)
  • Admits to being wrong on Jokic, says it's fair for people to give him heat for late conversion.
  • With Brunson, he was among the first to flip mainstream skepticism to belief.

5. Could LeBron Run for President? (The “Delegate State” Theory)

[35:50 – 40:30]

• Listener Connor pitches the “Four States Title” theory: If LeBron wins a title in Texas (with the Spurs), he’d have championships from Florida, Ohio, California, and Texas—the largest and most delegate-rich states for a presidential run.
  • Nick loves the idea but doubts LeBron could sweep 400 electoral votes:

    “I love the Galaxy Brain version of it ... sadly don’t think we’ll ever—someone getting 400 delegates, I don’t think we’re that country anymore.” (36:30)

  • Predicts the era of “celebrity presidents”—LeBron, Steph Curry, Mark Cuban, even actors like Brad Pitt or Matthew McConaughey have genuine political customer bases:

    “I do think we might be a country of celebrity presidents ... not every cycle, but maybe every other cycle.” (37:50)

  • On his personal ambitions:

    “Once upon a time... my entire career plan was to do sports, build a big enough name for myself in sports to then switch over to either political commentary or run for office. I softened on that over the last decade. My wife is adamantly opposed to it.” (40:30)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Messi’s Defense Critique:

  "It’s fundamentally misunderstanding the sport." — Nick Wright (04:12)

• On Swimming’s “GOAT” Problem:

  “If Bolt had five ways to win a gold medal running 100 meters, he wouldn’t have won five golds? ... Swimmers get a little extra oomph that I. I don’t think is fair.” — Nick Wright (08:10)

• On the Longevity Dilemma:

  “There is no right way to answer it, but I think it’s one of the most fascinating questions there is.” — Nick Wright (24:55)

• On Doubters in Sports:

  “If you do have that stance, you obviously don’t get the the same level of bragging rights as someone that says ‘I knew it all along’ ... but I think it’s fair for people to give you a little shit for it.” — Nick Wright (31:50)

• On Celebrity Politicians:

  “We might be a country of celebrity presidents ... Bron, Steph, Mark Cuban ... Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey, if they wanted to, would be viable.” — Nick Wright (37:50)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• GOAT of GOATs debate introduction: [02:08]
• Messi & defensive roles discussion: [03:20]
• Why Phelps isn’t included, medal inflation argument: [07:14]
• Jon Jones/MMA & global sports criteria: [09:45]
• Who is most likely to get passed (GOAT question): [10:57]
• GOAT longevity and “obligation to humanity": [17:23]
• Balancing profession vs. family, personal stories: [21:55]
• Being a doubter and bravado in sports analysis: [28:55]
• LeBron/Spurs/presidential run scenario: [35:50]
• Nick’s political ambitions (past & present): [40:30]

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Episode Summary

This mailbag episode of “What's Wright” with Nick Wright is an in-depth, thought-provoking dialogue between Nick and his audience, tackling the very idea of greatness across sports and the wider world. From dissecting the real definition of “GOAT” in different sports—and why swimming and MMA present unique challenges for ultimate supremacy—to the personal costs of sports stardom, Nick is open about the complexity and ambiguity of these topics. He also shines a light on modern sports skepticism, defending the right to “wait and see” while acknowledging that those who believe first earn special status. The conversation concludes on a playful but insightful note about LeBron's hypothetical political future, in which Nick ultimately contemplates the growing intertwine of celebrity, sports, and political power in America.

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Transcript

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I'm Mangesha Teagadur and I'm back with a new season of my podcast Skyline Drive. This time I talk to scientists, biopunks, curmudgeons, blue zoners, super seniors, and Goa's top cryotherapy lab to try to understand this obsession with living forever and what it means for all of us. And I get into a bit of trouble along the way.

[Nick Wright]

I'd say probably start bone smashing.

[Mangesha Teagadur]

That doesn't work.

[Nick Wright]

To make it look more defined. They say it works.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

I don't know.

[Mangesha Teagadur]

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[Nick Wright]

welcome in what's Right with Nick Ride episode 483. This episode of what's Right with Nick Wright is presented to you by Boost Mobile. This is our Mailbag episode and you can send long listening, put questions in the chat, you can reply to us on Twitter with questions and if you want to send long questions. You can email us what's right mailbagmail.com Again a reminder to you guys, we're going to have a couple quick, very quick episodes next week where we try to hit on all 32 NFL teams. Just kind of one minute a team quick stories as next week I'll be on vacation but that way something actually shows up in your guys feed. The way you don't miss it is to subscribe to the pod. So we have some very long and thoughtful emails that I've been waiting to get to and we also have some quick hitter ones. And I'm just going to start with this from Daryl. Daryl writes these these first few are in response to our Goat of Goats segment on TV where I talked about how if Messi, if Argentina were to win the World cup again and be the first team to go back to back in more than 60 years and Messi were to have all of the records and career that he has that he would have, you know, an argument that of all the goats, he is the goatist, the goat of the goats. Darryl writes, messi cannot be considered the goat of all sports as he plays no defense. Yesterday versus Spain, the dude stood at midfield for over seven weeks from the match. He's literally the James Harden of soccer. Darrell I say this with no due respect. It's one of the worst opinions I've ever heard. The comp is not for Messi, James Harden and being like, why doesn't he get criticized for not playing defense? The comp would be Randy Moss. Like how many passes is Randy Moss broken up? It's not his position. I understand that in soccer everyone's on the field at the same time, but different guys have different roles. It is that is no different than one arguing how good was Rodri in this World Cup. Look at how few goals he scored you or maybe a better example would be a killing a goalkeeper for not adding more to the offense. It Messi's a right winger. His job is to be the engine of the offense. So unlike I understand you say, oh, James Harden's job is to be the engine of the offense. Yes, but in basketball you have to guard your position. In soccer you really don't. If you're a striker. If you're the position Messi plays, you don't have defensive responsibilities. So that's just, I think it's just fundamentally misunderstanding the sport. So more goat of all goats conversations. RJ and Tyler mentioned that I left out Michael Phelps and that if I was going to include Bolt, I was going to include Phelps. I. I didn't forget Michael Phelps. I intentionally left Michael Phelps out for two reasons. One is my criteria for being in the goat of all goats discussion was multifaceted. One of them was, you have to be the undisputed goat of your own sport. Which is why, sadly, I couldn't include LeBron in the discussion. He's not the undisputed goat of professional basketball.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

True.

[Nick Wright]

That was just as a for instance. No, no baseball player made the discussion because I don't think there is an undisputed goat amongst baseball players. Another qualifier was, you got your goat case was graded on a curve that was directly correlated to how many people worldwide are playing your sport. It really hurt Brady's go to Volgoat case, because American football is really only played here. It really hurt Wayne Gretzky's case because hockey is played by so many fewer people than sports like basketball, soccer, track and field, that Michael, Swimming is obviously done and by more people than hockey or American football, but not nearly as many people. Like, I know it's going to sound basic, but in world history, the vast, vast, vast, vast, vast majority of people at some point in their life ran.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

And

[Nick Wright]

Bolt's fastest guy to ever live, the majority of people in world history, not only did the majority of them not swim, or not not, not, not only did the vast, vast, vast majority of them not swim, the majority of them never swim. And I don't even know what the numbers are right now. Like, of the eight billion people, seven and a half billion people we have, how many of them can actually swim? So that hurts Phelps at least a little bit. But the real thing that hurts Phelps, in my opinion, is my own personal crusade that we vastly overrate swimming Olympians because of their ability to stack up medals in the same distance race just by doing it in so many different disciplines. Like, whenever I hear greatest Olympian ever, and it was Spitz, and then it was Phelps and. Or it's Ledeck, it's like, man, do you not think, do you honestly think that if Bolt had five ways to win a gold medal running 100 meters, he wouldn't have won five golds in the 100 meters? Every Olympics, it's like, all right, this one's a sprint, this one you run backwards. This one's side saddle, this one's skipping. He's just faster than everybody. And so I've always felt that swimmers get a little. A little extra oomph that I. I don't think is fair. Robert, on the goat of all goats discussion writes, big fan of yours. And first things first. This week you talked about goat of all goats. Unless I miss that. I feel like there's an obvious one in Jon Jones. He'd be my pick. I feel like it's a perfect fit as MMA is worldwide and it's based off pure talent. So this is where I'm just going to, I guess, admit my own knowledge gaps. I. And so people might say I'm way wrong on this. I always thought Jon Jones was considered the most talented fighter ever, but not only is he not undisputed as the greatest fighter of all time, but I don't even think the majority of people consider him that. And that might be his own demons. It might be his own issues. The Daniel says he's pretty much. He's pretty much the goat. Okay. So like I said, I might have my own. So this is where my own knowledge gaps on the sport mix in. So maybe I should have included him. I just didn't feel as comfortable in the history of that sport. Now fighting does have get the huge bump that track and field get gets, which is people have been doing it from the beginning of time. Almost everyone in the world can do it to a degree. So that helps that that would help his case a ton. Boxing's, you know, one of the oldest sports. But there is an undisputed goat. So that's why, like Ali or whomever, because that one, there's big disagreements on who the goat is. But maybe Jon Jones was a miss by me. All right, Rob writes in. Nick really enjoyed the Messi retrospective on the Thursday pod. What do you think you're most likely to see in your lifetime? A soccer player you regard as better than Messi? A basketball player you consider better than he wrote Jordan, but he meant LeBron. A hockey player better than Gretzky? A football player better than Brady, or a baseball player better than Ohtani? You can answer however you like.

[Mangesha Teagadur]

Fear.

[Nick Wright]

There's a good July August question. Thanks. Love the show. I think the most likely is a football player better than Brady, and the second most likely is a basketball player better than LeBron. Doesn't mean you'll have a longer career, but it feels like those sports. And again, this is where I might. My hockey knowledge really hurts me here. But it feels like those sports are just evolving. It's such a fast pace that if I'm lucky enough to be around for another 50 years. Do I think it's likely that in 50 years. I mean, in 50 years the odds are all these guys get gets get passed. But Messi has really separated himself from the field, and there's no one that's like pacing to beat him. Mahomes is pace. It's going to be a very, very, very long road. But as far as mile markers and accomplishments, Mahomes is ahead of Brady's pace. Wimy had a chance, had they won the title to be ahead of LeBron's pace. Which makes you think that in the next, if it's not him in the next 50 years, somebody does it. Otani is a tough one because Otani's doing. No one is trying to do what Ohtani's doing. People did it 100 years ago. No one did it forever, and now he's doing it. So I think the, I think the most likely is Brady. If for no other reason than there's a guy. It's on the board. It's on the board. Brady gets passed in 10 years. It is not on the board. LeBron gets passed in 10 years, but he could get passed in 20. And I think the odds are he does get passed in 40 or 50. I don't know enough about hockey and Messi. Could Mbappe pass Messi in 10 years? I guess he could. I don't think he will, but I guess he could. But I think it's unlikely, in which case it's like Lamin Yamal, who has a, you know, just had the greatest teenage run arguably of any soccer player since Pele, or someone we don't know yet. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock BET Sportsbook. Some sports fans call this the slow period until football season. But on Hard Rock Bet, we call it baseball season. Full slate almost every day for you to bet on your favorite teams and players. Build epic same game parlays, even live bet every inning from first pitch to the final out. However you like to play ball, Hard Rock Bet has you covered. If you think baseball's too slow, think again. The average first inning lasts just 17 minutes, making first inning bets one of the fastest, most exciting ways to get in the action. Will there be a run? Will it be a no run? 1st inning? You need parlay 1st inning bets for an even bigger potential payday. So if you're ready to step into the batter's box, sign up with Hard Rock Bet today and place a $5 bet. If it wins, you get $150 in bonus bets on top of your winnings. That's right, an extra $150 in your account. Plus, Hard Rock Bet gives you new promos every single day. No sweat bets, profit boost, bonus bets and more. Open Hard Rock Bet now and see what you've got today. Sure, Hard Rock Bet is Florida's only legal sportsbook, but you don't have to be in Florida to join the party. Hard Rock Bet is also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan, Oregon with more states on the way. So download Hard Rock Bet and swing for the fences today. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC in Alder 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. Concern about gambling in Florida, call 1833 play wise in Indiana it if you or somebody you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it in Arizona, Ohio, Virginia, call 1-800-myreset gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler at Edward Jones we believe rich is about taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your financial advisor personalizes your plan to help you preserve your progress and create something that lasts. Let's find your rich Edward Jones member

[Mangesha Teagadur]

SIPC I'm Mangesha together and I'm back with a new season of the podcast Skyline Drive. This time I'm diving into a rabbit hole of peptides, organoids, blood boys, blue zones and brain replacement to try to understand what this longevity obsession is all about and what it really means to live forever for all of us. I learned about some rad science.

[Nick Wright]

I can make a brain for you and then we can test what draw is the best for your brain as

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

opposed to his brain.

[Mangesha Teagadur]

Here are some hard truths.

[Nick Wright]

I would expect Indians to age faster, but I did not expect it to

[Mangesha Teagadur]

be almost a four to five year acceleration and get myself into a world of trouble.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

I'd say probably start bone smashing.

[Nick Wright]

That doesn't work.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Make it look more defined.

[Nick Wright]

They say it works. I don't know.

[Mangesha Teagadur]

Listen to Skyline how to Live Forever on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Nick Wright]

Alex says, do goats have an obligation to humanity to play forever? Love it is a long email. Hey Nick, years ago you were talking about Tom Brady's decision to keep playing late into his career, especially after the reports that his decision to play late into his career was a major factor in his eventual divorce from Gisele Bundchen. Let me pause this real quick before I get to the rest of the email. This take that I did that he's referencing had a lot more resonance than I thought it would at the time. The great Jim Gray, who at least used to do a podcast with Tom Brady, talked to me about this take. I don't want to reveal confidences here, but an NBA superstar who I had no reason to think liked me at all and I would have thought probably didn't like me even though we hadn't interacted. Reached out to me like two years after I gave did this Tom Brady segment about how he saw it that made him totally reconsider what he thought of me as a broadcaster and had been following my work ever since. So that Tom Brady segment that Alec is referencing, like, had more of an impact than I thought when I was doing it in real time. So Alec now recaps it for me. Back to his email. Your argument was one I've always thought was really interesting. You said that Brady was in such rare territory as the greatest football player ever, that normal human standards didn't fully apply anymore. A normal person might look at it and say he should have retired and prioritized keeping his family together. But your point was Brady was the only person who could answer a question nobody else could. How far can the greatest quarterback of all time actually push the limits of longevity and performance? He wasn't just playing for another season. He was showing what was possible. He was exploring the outer limits of human performance in football. And because he was the only person capable of doing that, there was almost a greater purpose seeing how far it could go. You called it an obligation to humanity. I believe that seems extreme, but maybe I did call it that. I'm curious how you think this philosophy applies to other GOATs. LeBron is about to start his 24th season. Why shouldn't he try to get to 50,000 career points if his body allows it? Could Brady have played until 45 like he said? Quick note. Brady played to 46. Brady not playing to 46. He asked could he maybe have even played to 50? Messi's still playing an absurd level at an age where most players are long retired. If he wants to try for another World cup in 2030, why not? Tiger keeps coming back even though he's not the same player. And people watch because we want to see if there's one more impossible moment left. Serena came back after retirement. Could Phelps have kept swimming at some point? Do these athletes become more than just athletes? Are they the only people capable of showing us the true limits of what's possible in their sport? It really feels like they have a job that only they can do. Do you think the Brady argument applies across the board to guys like LeBron, Messi, Tiger, Serena? Should these once in history athletes keep going until they physically can't anymore because they are uniquely positioned to redefine the limits of the human mind and body? Or do you think there is a point where walking ways the right choice. Would love to hear you discuss this. All right. I'm super interested in this, Alec, because I don't think it just applies to sports and I think I told this story when, When I talked about Brady the first time. But one of the reasons the Brady thing, you know, touched me to a degree was I think there are different levels of all of us that are. I'm not put myself in the bucket of Tom Brady, but just follow me here. Anyone that considers themselves elite at something or a high achiever or someone with very lofty aspirations where assuming you have a family, assuming you have a significant other, children, where it starts to be a delicate balance of what do I owe myself? And we'll get to the humanity piece of it. A moment but myself in seeing how far I can actually push this thing versus what do I owe my family as far as time, attention, all of it. And there's, you know, a hut. There's a hundred accurate anecdotes of some of the most successful people in the world as they're dying or in their old age saying I wish I had spent more time with my family. And you very rarely hear people say I wish I had, you know, gone to more meetings. I wish I had ach, you know, run one more company. Yet in real time, it's very difficult for people to make the decision that it seems like we all know that at the end of our days we will wish we had made. Because part of what makes someone able to achieve at a very high level is a mentality that makes them the evaporating finish line that there's always something next to go accomplish. Then there is. So that's your own Personal what I want to see what I can do versus what I owe the people I love. There is, there is then extra levels to it, right? Which is in Brady's case, he had literally. There was. There was nothing left to accomplish. You could just keep accomplishing it. Again, the question of inspiring those you love, or as the ALEC writes, quoting me back to me, I guess, inspiring the world as a whole. And at some point for certain people, does that obligation become greater than. Everyone's number one, in theory, obligation, which is to their family. And I think that that is. There is no right way to answer it, but I think it's one of the most fascinating questions there is. That.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Is,

[Nick Wright]

are there certain. Certainly we all understand there are certain jobs that are so important to the world that we expect the people who undertake them to put the greater good ahead of, you know, themselves and their loved ones. Whether it's. You're talking about astronaut, you know, someone who is. It's like, I have to leave my family for three years to go try to push humanity forward. Folks who, you know, there are certain things in the medical field, I assume, where you put yourself at massive risk, but you're trying to, you know, save, you know, countless lives. Obviously, there are people who put their life on the line in the military who think that they are, you know, who their kids might grow up without a father or a mother, but it's for the greater good. We all, we all understand those. Then there's the trickier ones, which is you're in the entertainment business, like Tom Brady, you're in sports, but you can just be the greatest in the history of the world at something. Can that ever trump your responsibilities as a parent? Obviously, kids are always going to be taken care of. They're. They're going to have different benefits from you being that person. But the benefits that they were going to have, those are, you know, those stop increasing at some point, like the wealth and the fame, the notoriety at some point that's diminishing returns, and it's still just less time with you. And so I, I think when I did this four years ago, I'm in the similar spot that I am now, which is. I don't have the right answer, but I don't think it's easy. I don't think it's as simple as, oh, my God, this guy, what was he thinking? He put his profession ahead of his family. I think there was a bigger feeling of obligation. And I think one of the. And now this is, again, I'm mixing metaphors. But I think at one, one of the anecdotes I gave was my dad. My dad, who's still around and I adore him and is a great man. My dad, as you guys have heard me talk about, ran the Kansas City Fire Union for my entire childhood, like for, I don't know, better part of 30 years. And there were hundreds, maybe thousand, I don't know, hundreds of people relying on him all the time. Negotiate the best contract, get us the best benefits, get us the best retirement, give us the best pension, all these things. And again, I, I, I had and have a great dad, but he unquestionably felt like, like that was his calling and that was his obligation to the world, almost more so necessarily than going to all of our stuff. And not only do I not like resent him for that, I get it entirely. I totally get it. And it's such an interesting thing because I see a lot of that in how I go about my work while also recognizing as I'm doing it. Yeah, I'm probably going to regret this. So it's a fascinating thing. I don't know if that was the answer to the question, but that is a very interesting topic for me. Brian from Zimbabwe writes in hi, Nick Damanze and what's Right Team. Big fan of the podcast. And first things first too. So big fan. So big of a fan that even though I'm Zimbabwean and have very little interest in the NFL, I still tune into both shows, even when the topics are just football related. I'd love a shout out to Zimbabwe one of these days. You got it right now your show really does have a global audience. Thank you. My mailbag topic is Is there anything wrong with being a doubter? I think it's unfair to act like doubting a team or player is some cardinal sin. Most times, in fact, doubt is the most logical stance. Like, sorry, I didn't immediately believe Jokic or Brunson could be number one options on championship winners. When the history of the sport says you're typical, your best player typically needs to be at least good on defensive end or or not be a small guard. I've seen a lot of comments from Knicks fans, Nuggets fans, et cetera, telling Knicks stay on that side or clowning him for not immediately ranking their team's players high enough. Even though what we all presumably want people watch sports and sports pundits is for people to continually update their positions as more information comes in. Which is something I've seen Nick do a lot. Yes, it's Great if you're a true believer from day one. But I think it's, I don't think it's a crime to wait until the person has proven something before believing in them. All right, great email, Brian. So I, I'm going to hedge on this a bit and I'm going to defend some of the people who attacked me about Jokic, not so much. Bronson. I do not think there is anything wrong with having the I'll believe it when I see it stance. If you do have that stance, you obviously don't get the the same level of bragging rights as someone that says I knew it all along. I believed all along you were late to the party. I think that is that that's typically how this goes. I also think it is totally fair for if you were very vocal and very loud in your skepticism that when if you do finally come around, people are give you a little shit for it. So that's me with Jokic. I was one of the biggest Jokic skeptics and then I did fully come around and people still hold it against me to a degree. I think that's fair because I was one of the loudest yards skeptics. That's a separate bucket than Brunson where my opinion on Brunson was very, very mainstream when the Knicks signed him. Nice player, maybe a bit, probably a bit of an overplay pay and obviously is not ever going to be the best player on a champion. I was vocal in that, but it was that was the mainstream opinion. We just all were wrong. And the other thing about the Brunson that bothers me a bit when people try to throw that old clip in my face is while I was in the mainstream then I came around far quicker than the majority of people. I didn't wait to see them win the championship. I put them in Club Superstar a couple of years ago where I think people will get can get in trouble and where I do think, you know, not being they're not allowed to change their opinion, so to speak. Where I think that's fair is if you definitively say a guy will never win or will never do something and then they do it. I don't think with Joker as harsh as I was and skeptical as I was, I don't think I ever said he it was impossible or he never would. If you do that and then they prove you wrong, you just kind of gotta eat it. That's at least where I stand on it. Boost Mobile's proving that you don't have to overpay for great wireless Unlock the Savings with the 25amonth Forever Unlimited plan Permanent price with no contracts and no price hikes. You can keep your phone and your number, but you save up to $600 a year compared to the major carriers. Stop overpaying and switch to a fair price@boost mobile.com today based on average annual single line payment of AT&T Verizon and T Mobile customers compared to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan as of January 2026. For full offer details, visit boost mobile.com the declaration, which is full of these beautifully rendered, you know, sentences and paragraphs about Enlightenment ideals, does also have this darker history to it.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Why is it important for the darker part of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution? Why is it important that Americans know about it?

[Nick Wright]

Well, if we don't understand the full context in which our nation was founded, we won't understand the full context in which our nation now finds itself.

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I'm Rebecca Nagle. Gohin Tawa Don Jaleka Yetli Que la citizen of Cherokee Nation.

[Nick Wright]

Are you guys big Chiefs fans? Hell yeah.

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This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Stephanie Young. The hit podcast Love Trapped is back with new updates in the case of Laura owens.

[Nick Wright]

This is CR2025 State vs Laura Owens.

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still has an out. I'm quite confident that they're up to something.

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We're following the case live as the criminal charges finally come to a conclusion.

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Trust us when we tell you as the victims of Laura Owens, she will not stop.

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Listen to Love trapped on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Nick Wright]

This is from Connor about LeBron's decision, but not really. Dear Nick, I've been a fan of yours since the first time I saw you go undisputed and debate Skip. Wow, that's 10 years ago. I think your sports takes are brilliant. I would like to share a take with you that I hope you will love. Here it is. LeBron should go to the Spurs. He would be an excellent addition to a team that seemed to only play Wimby and four guards. And his ability to play the forward position and be surrounded by young athletic wing talent, combined with his knowledge of the game, passing abilities, ability still be a number two scoring option, I think would lead to a title. However, that's only part one. Here's my wind horse moment. He writes, if LeBron goes to San Antonio and wins a title, then he will have won a title for four different states. Florida, Ohio, California and Texas. Those are four of the most. Four of the five most populous and largest delegate, counting states in America. In the general election, LeBron has shown to be politically active and has taken a lot of care of his community in Akron, having built the I Promise school and many other initiatives. If he ever thought of something greater than team ownership, he could definitely consider a run for president on a generic progressive, populous platform. I know the Democratic Party would welcome his fame and I genuinely think he could win 400 of the 538 delegates in the general. If he just won the state he won the title in, that would be 141 of the 270 necessary to carry him to the White House. I hope you enjoyed this taken. If you did, please use it as your own. I won't use it as my own, but I do love it. I won't tell anyone I gave you that take. Keep making great content and someday I'll stop by. Trintage, thank you so much from Connor. Listen, I love the Galaxy Brain version of it. I sadly don't think we'll ever like, I think someone getting 400 delegates. I don't think we're that country anymore. However, I do think we might be a country of celebrity presidents. Not every cycle, but maybe every other cycle. And so Braun, Steph, if we're talking about guys who I think would run as Democrats. Braun, Steph, Mark Cuban, I think all if they wanted to do it are viable. I think, you know, I don't, I don't know his politics, but I, I think this is gonna sound so crazy. I think like Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey, if they wanted to, would be viable. I do love the idea that if LeBron wanted to do it, him deciding, you know, Texas people have been talking about flipping Texas forever. It's. It hasn't happened. It hasn't happened. If I win a title for a team in Texas, does that put me over the top? Thing is this the, the sant. The cities and even these red states are Democrat already. So a lot of the spurs fans live in San Antonio. They're already voting Democrat. It's the outlying areas that really give you trouble if you're trying to win a Democratic nomination. But I love that idea. I mean it's a very, I don't it's not going to happen. But it is. I shouldn't say it's not going to happen. Who the hell knows? And what celebrities the only celebrity that I could see like sports related celebrity that I could see maybe running for president on the Republican side, I think it's Dana White. I think he's the only one. But that's a fun email. And you know, once upon a time, I've talked about this before, but once upon a time my entire career plan was to do sports, build a big enough name for myself in sports to then switch over to either political commentary or run for office.

[Mangesha Teagadur]

And

[Nick Wright]

I softened on that over the last decade. And my wife is adamantly opposed to it. So it's been tabled. But here's what, here's the commitment I'll make to you, the audience, if all of a sudden forget sports figures, but sports media figures start actually getting on debate stages. I'll find my way up there. NFL shows next week. Hope you enjoyed the mailbag. Thank you to Boost. Thank you to Hard Rock. Thank you to Volume. Thank you to Blue Duck. Talk to you guys soon. We'll try.

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This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.