Damanza (3:03)

Finals MVP.

Nick Wright (3:04)

You won Finals MVP. Then Tracy McGrady, who evidently has a real relationship with Jaylen Brown, said on his podcast with Vince Carter, said, yeah, listen, Jaylen's got problems with the organization. Everyone's like, oh, Brad Stevens. Then asked about it. Brad Stevens like, no, no, we're all good. You know, tried to dead it. Jalen then was like another Twitch stream. Initially said it was going to be on IG with Kevin Garnett, then pivoted to later in the day on Twitch where he said, you know, I hate that Brad had to answer for this. I love Boston. If it's up to me, I'll spend the rest of my career here. Or you said another 10 years here. And then he's like, and also, by the way, I want to make something clear. I triple down on this is my favorite year of my career. And then explained why. He was like, you know, they counted us out. I got to see the young guys grow, got to see my, you know, JT come back from injury. This is my favorite year of my career. I, you know, vacationed as a Celtics fan this postseason because I picked him to win the title. You damanz are an actual Celtics fan, I think. Is this accurate? It put Demon back on. The first ever jersey your daughter has worn is a Tatum jersey.

Damanza (4:31)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (4:33)

Yeah. Like the first and only. I saw the picture. I didn't. I assumed that was the first. I mean, I had gone, I'd have gone Mahomes, but it's fine. And so the. Your thoughts as an actual Celtic fan on all of it, just get the

Damanza (4:52)

guy off the team. Like he, wow, he's. It'd be in your favorite year, you doubling down. Just the things that he says and moving forward. I just don't know what he's going to say in the future. Like I just in it. And I wonder how Jason Tatum feels about all this stuff. I wonder what their relationship is truly like. I imagine they gotta like each other at the very least. But I wonder how he feels about everything that Jaylen Brown is saying. But. But yeah. And this isn't like the first or second instance Jaylen Brown has said a few things throughout his career that just made me be like, why a little unnecessary. So like even as far as like, I'll even go back to him saying that Bronnie was a, wasn't a pro and then he like doubled down even you could have even said that. You didn't say it in that instance. You got picked up on it. I get it. Like, be a man and say what you said.

Nick Wright (5:41)

But it's just like, listen, here's what I do think is pretty clear and I feel comfortable saying it. He thinks he's the best player on the team. Yeah. And I think he's maybe thought he's always been the best player on the team and that the team has pushed Tatum and he has sacrificed in a way that he again, I don't know Jalen Brown at all. This is just my read on it. Having watched basketball and listened to him and then he has felt like, you know, he's there, you know, favorite. So I'm the one in trade rumors. I'm the one who's, you know, in second place when I'm better because he. And I think that is personally just a. I don't think there's anyone on the outside that thinks he's better. I don't think it's like a, you know, the, at the end of Shaq, Kobe, like by 03, maybe for some, even by 02, there were a lot of people like Kobe's better. Like I, I thought that was incorrect, but there were people that legitimately thought that I trying to think of other great duos where there was real debate on who's the best guy. There really haven't been many because it usually is pretty, I guess Steph KD the real debate who was better. But that was more of a temporary thing and both guys had been, you know, the number one on teams. It's Jason Tatum. Can. He's, he's bigger than Jalen Brown. He's just better than Jalen Brown. There is, there is almost nothing Jalen Brown can do that Tatum can't do. And there are a few things Tatum can do that Jaylen Brown can't do. Like, so I don't think it is controversial, but I think because of Tatum's injury and the success they had this year in the regular season and the fact that Jalen Brown was talking about himself as if I'm the best two way player in the league. There were folks pushing Jalen Brown for mvp. Wilbon, you know, is still convinced Jaylen Brown is going to be first Team, all NBA, when I don't think he is. And I think that I do think he wants to be the number one guy somewhere, which I don't begrudge him that piece of it. He's like, I've been here 10 years, won a championship, made a bunch of money. Let me go see how far I can take it on my own. It just feels like. Like I don't begrudge him that. Yeah. But it just feels like a. He is handling this oddly. And as is often the case with a lot of athletes today, I think a big. Contributor to whatever the issue is is being a little too online and I think just being a little too locked in to what people are saying on social media and all of that, which is when I heard him say, like, oh, say it again.

Damanza (9:13)

No, you even hear it in the streams. He's like, there's all these narratives being pushed. Like, I'm trying to nip, like, basically go at that and make it more clear. And it's like, you don't need to do that.

Nick Wright (9:24)

And when you also. The other one is whenever someone's like, gets criticized for saying something and then the response is, I'm doubling down. I'm tripling down it. To me, that is usually a pretty big signifier of you're very online. Because to me, what that if. If in. If I say something on tv, I'll use myself as an example. If I say something on TV and the Internet comes after me for it, I do want to be even more entrenched. Like, I'll bleep you. I'm a. You faceless, nameless folks. I'm going to the. If I say something on TV and Brewer Wilds or your mom say to me, I don't think that was right. I am that. I pause and I'm like, okay, maybe I need to adjust. And so my guess again, don't know the guy. My guess is if someone had come to Jalen Brown personally and said, hey man, you saying this is the best year of your career is whether you mean for it or not, it's going to be taken like this. It could, you know, hurt some feelings of people that matter. Like the. Is there. Do we think you want to clarify that? My guess is, even if he was like, no, I said it, I want to stand by it. I don't think it would be as I'm tripling down.

Damanza (11:17)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (11:18)

But because it was.

Damanza (11:20)

I've evaluated. I've thought my head. Yeah. This is really how I feel. My favorite season.

Nick Wright (11:25)

Yeah. The. And so it was so I don't I the only tricky part is this demons a what if Giannis isn't available either because he gets traded elsewhere or Milwaukee somehow just says we're keeping him? Can you get fair value for Jalen Brown without Giannis being on the other side of it? That's the part I don't know. I don't know. And so I think we gotta wait and see. Okay, there's the Jalen Brown piece. Now let's f we've got a mailbag to get to. But before we do that, a reminder. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet Florida Sportsbook. The second round of the NBA playoffs are here. Lights are brighter, pressure is higher. Every possession can change a series, and our Hard Rock Bet every night is your shot to score a major bucket win or go home. Energy on the hardwood and I love building same game parlays. You might like the hot hand to drop 30, the big man to control the glass with a double double, the point guard to dish out five assists. However you draw it up, Hard Rock Bet gives you tons of ways. Stack your picks into a same game parlay built for the playoffs. If you're ever late to tip off, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet lets you live bet all game long, from the first bucket to the final buzzer. Try your first bet on Hard Rock Bet today and you can score $150 in bonus bets. If you win, just place a $5 bet and if it hits, you get not only your winnings, but also an extra $150 in bonus bets. But the welcome offer is just the beginning. Hard Rock Bet has new promos daily, so open the app right now to see what promo you've got today. And 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 Bets live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan, with more states on the way. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today and get the party started. 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. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1833 play wise in Indiana. 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- my reset gambling problem, call 1-800-

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Nick Wright (14:25)

Express it now. Just pop yourself.

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Damanza (15:50)

Next time skip the pain and get

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Nick Wright (16:01)

all right Damanze, let's go through the NBA mailbag if we can.

Damanza (16:04)

Anthony says. What was the first moment Slash game where you thought Lebron had a real chance to be the goat?

Nick Wright (16:11)

Listen, I think this is probably the same for everyone that spends real time thinking about it the first time where you're like holy shit, I might be watching the guy. The greatest player of all time was the 48 special against Detroit when 22 year old LeBron James scored 29 of his team's final 30 points to take control of the series against the Pistons that he had no business winning en route to the NBA Finals in 07. That was the moment where it felt. And I really don't think here is the only downside to Monze too playing. As long as LeBron has played, people feel like they saw LeBron like you, you're probably a really good example of this. You probably feel like you've seen LeBron's career.

Damanza (17:11)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (17:12)

And you didn't see a second of him when he actually was peak athleticism. LeBron like, oh, six. The final three years, four years he had in Cleveland the first time when it was just as simple as, well, I'm faster than everyone and I can jump higher than everyone. Why don't I just dunk on you every time? Yeah, it was like, it was so unlike anything because he didn't really have a jump shot yet. And so everyone, they played off him, daring him to shoot was like, doesn't matter, I'll just drive past you and dunk on you. And so that, that was the moment. All right, next, Sam said, how far

Damanza (18:01)

can, how far can an individual player go up the all time ladder without ever being the best in the world?

Nick Wright (18:09)

Well, if you're talking literally like how high up is the highest guy who was never the best in the world, or if you're asking theoretically, theoretically, the answer is a guy just from a logical perspective could end up being the second best player of all time and never be the best player in the world if his career directly aligns exactly with the greatest player of all time. You understand what I mean? Like, let's just alternate universe where Carmelo Anthony is the second greatest player ever and same draft. You know, I, I obviously believe LeBron's greatest player ever, same draft class as LeBron. They could play for the same amount of years, all of it, and just he never, you know, passes that guy. So in theory, the answer is, I guess second as far as on my list. And man, this is, this will be something I'm telling Paul right now, use your judgment on this will get aggregated, clipped and it will do numbers. People get so mad at this take. But the problem with this take is I know it is correct and it's why I. But it is so it makes people so mad that I don't really lean into it because I don't really have the. What's the word? I just sometimes get tired of arguing about it. But greatest players ever. Let me just in Bron Kareem Michael, Russell, Magic, Wilt, Duncan, Kobe. So I guess the answer is number eight. Because Kobe's the eighth greatest player ever and he was never the best player in the world. I know people get mad at that take, but here's the problem and the reason Kobe was never the best player in the world, because once Kobe got great, call it 99. He wasn't great yet, but I'll give him 90. Once you started seeing flashes, from 99 until 2002, Shaquille O' Neal was the best player in the world. And then from 2003 until 2007, Tim Duncan was the best player in the world. You know how I know Tim Duncan was the best player in the world at that time? Because he won three championships in five years. He won two MVPs. He was the best player. He was the best player until that 48 special by LeBron in 2007. LeBron was the best player in the world from that moment until 2018. So it was Shaq, it was Duncan, it was then Braun. At no point was Kobe the best player in the world. 8th greatest player ever, never the best player in the world. People get very mad at me. Show me the year, show me the season, show me when he was. And people will be like, what about 2006? It's like, well, I don't know. Best player in the world losing round one. What about 2007? I don't know. Best player in the world blow a 31 lead in round one. What about 2005? I don't know. Best player in the world missed the playoffs? Probably not. So the answer's Kobe. Next.

Damanza (22:04)

What's I know. Ball. What's your take on the delay causing voters to change their votes after the play?

Nick Wright (22:10)

Listen, I think it's the NBA's fault if they thought that wouldn't happen. The NBA must have been okay with it. I'd be super pissed if I were con canipple. But it is what it is. The NBA was okay with it.

Damanza (22:22)

Next, Joey YouTube. Nick, the NBA has not had an American MVP since Harden and it looks like there is no end in sight. Do you see an American player winning MVP anytime soon? And if so, who?

Nick Wright (22:35)

So you're talking about this off the air the other day. Who? Damanza? Who would be your number one draft pick for the next American to win mvp?

Damanza (22:49)

Next American to win MVP would have to be for me. I gotta go, Ant. I gotta feel like I gotta go. I mean, just.

Nick Wright (22:59)

I think. Go ahead.

Damanza (23:03)

You know what? Maybe. Hey, man, I don't know what Tyler Your salon is going to be looking like when he comes back. What about Tyrese Halberton? If he comes back super healthy, the

Nick Wright (23:14)

Pacers go from the worst team and they're great again. He gets a Steve Nash style mvp. That's an interesting one.

Damanza (23:22)

Are you leaning Brunson?

Nick Wright (23:25)

No. Oh, okay. No, I don't think Bronson be NBA mvp.

Damanza (23:28)

Okay.

Nick Wright (23:30)

I do think I, I, I think ant's a good pick. I think Tatum, you know, would be on the list, but I just feel like Tatum probably maxes out at like, third. Yeah.

Damanza (23:44)

I'm just voting. Right.

Nick Wright (23:45)

That and especially if they get Giannis, it probably actually hurts his chances of winning mvp.

Damanza (23:52)

I guess he got hurt after Tyrese Halliburton. Right. Or Tyrese Halliburton got hurt after Tatum.

Nick Wright (23:57)

Yes. Um, I think my answer to Monze, and this speaks to the fact that I think it's going to be quite some time until an American wins MVP again. My answer is Cooper Flag. Oh, wow. I, I think it'll be like five years from now, you know, so, like, it's just, it feels like next, like Wimby just leads the pack going into next year.

Damanza (24:25)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (24:26)

Shea's still in his prime. You God. We know folks are going to say Joker's the MVP every year.

Damanza (24:34)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (24:35)

I don't know if there's, if Giannis, if he gets traded. Does Giannis have one more like, bam, I'm back season? So it's just in the short term, and that's what hurts Tatum the most. In the short term. I think the international guys are going to have it. Is Luca ever going to win one? I would think so. So you might need some of these international guys to get a little older. And that's when Cooper Flag could swoop in. All right, let's do Alan's question on Isaiah Thomas.

Damanza (25:09)

Allen says, Nick, I love your content. Quick question. Do you think Isaiah Thomas is the most underrated sports figure of all time? His resume is incredible, but he's not really adored in history, in my opinion.

Nick Wright (25:21)

Yeah, listen, I don't know about the most underrated sports figure, but I do think there's an argument he's the most underrated NBA player ever. I think that all Isaiah Thomas did was win at every level. And he was the best player on all those teams. I mean, he goes to Indiana, they win the national championship. He is the Final four most outstanding player. He goes to Detroit and has a winning playoff record against Jordan's Bulls, Bird Celtics and Magic's Lakers.

Damanza (26:11)

Pretty good.

Nick Wright (26:12)

And he does it Without. It's not like he had these unbeatable super teams, right? He, the, he had, he had great teams, but he also understood exactly what his guys needed on any given night. And he depressed his own numbers in service of that. As a point guard and for the first 65 years of NBA history, he was the only little person to lead a team to a championship. Steph was the second like and Steph 6, 3 and Isaiah's 5:11. He called him a little person. No, I, no, I mean I just meant. Yeah, I guess that sounded weird. I just meant like the small guy.

Damanza (27:13)

No, I know exactly what you mean.

Nick Wright (27:14)

First small guy and the only small guy to be the best player on a champion. And they in 88, they're up three two. In the finals, he sprains his ankle. He scores 25 and a quarter on a sprained ankle. They're about to win the championship. Kareem gets a kind of soft foul, down one with eight seconds left, makes the free throws. They lose that game. He's a shell of himself in game seven. They lose that championship. They come back the next year and Sweet Bird, Sweet Moncrief and Milwaukee beat the hell out of Jordan in six. Then sweep the Lakers who beat him the year before. They come back again the next year. They gentlemen sweep Ewing's Knicks. They beat Jordan in seven. They beat the hell out of Portland and Clyde Drexler in the finals and then come back the very next year and Jordan finally gets them in the conference finals and that's the end of it. But they were competing with boss like so. Yeah, I love Isaiah Thomas. I think he's an. And his, his advanced stats are just overall stats are nothing like he's a career 19.9 assist like guy who never finished top four in MVP voting. But the guy was an absolute monster. Just a monster.

Damanza (28:59)

Sounds like he does.

Nick Wright (29:00)

You ever notice how everything. So he does but he the advanced analytics numbers. Like the more the advanced analytics take over, like the more he'll be pushed down. David Robinson will be elevated. Historically, he's an all time great player. But his history, the numbers say he's one of the like 20 greatest players. 15 greatest players ever. And the numbers say Isaiah Thomas wasn't that good. They're wrong on both accounts. You ever notice everything keeps going up? Rents going up, streaming services going up. Favorite burrito spot thinks salsa should cost extra. Not with Boost Mobile. With 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 they'll never go up. In fact, 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 lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 per month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan. All right, Damanze, let's go to a couple NFL questions.

Damanza (30:04)

I go says you forgot tight end in your NFL club superstar who would claim that spot.

Nick Wright (30:10)

I did forget it. And it kind of speaks the fact that right now there isn't anybody like Brock Bowers is the answer. But. But you know, like it just doesn't. You gotta see it's not really his fault. Gotta either he's either gotta do it longer or play in bigger games for people to really take notice. Like Kelsey Gronk, Kittle, all those guys. Unbelievable. I'm talking about the last decade or so also on these unbelievable teams. So it's just hard for a non glamor position if it's on a team that's not playing in big games to really pop. But Brock Bauer is the best tight end in football. Let's do. All right. Let's do beef durkee Turkey.

Damanza (30:59)

Are there any outside the box strategies you think coaches could try could try for onside kicks such as just trying to kick it very hard at a player on the hands teams in hopes of a ricochet.

Nick Wright (31:12)

So I would like to see that exact strategy tried.

Damanza (31:16)

You agree?

Nick Wright (31:17)

Just absolutely. Like I don't think it's a bad idea at all.

Damanza (31:22)

And trying to hit a player like trying to kick it like right at him, like off his helmet or something.

Nick Wright (31:27)

Yeah. Yes, absolutely. Just absolutely fire it now. Because I mean football, not a soccer ball or a dodgeball or kickball. I guess so it's going to be harder. But I, I would. Here's what I think on that and that's why I like this question. There has to be a way where you have better than a 1 in 15 chance. And like the current recovery is like 1 in 15.

Damanza (31:55)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (31:56)

And so I would just think the randomness of if you could teach. If the kicker could master the accuracy of just firing it off somebody. I gotta think you recover more than 1 in 15.

Damanza (32:20)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (32:20)

Which is like what the current onside kick recovery rate is. All right, we gotta run. Demonte's got to get to work. I do as well. A big thank you to Blue Duck and the volume. Huge thank you to Boost and Hard Rock bet. Enjoy the games this weekend. Also, one programming note, I'm going to be doing some commentary on no Gamble, no Future this weekend on poker. Go on YouTube if you guys want to check that out in between NBA playoff games. Uh, so you guys, if you're a poker fan, you can check that out there. All right, talk to you guys later.

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