The Knicks Aren't Beating the Allegations. Plus, the Sixers Should Go All In on Capturing the Flagg.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ringer NBA Show – Episode on the Knicks and Sixers Release Date: February 25, 2025

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Introduction

The episode begins with brief mentions of the podcast hosts and upcoming segments but swiftly moves into the core discussions after skipping advertisements and introductory remarks.

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Detroit Pistons' Impressive Winning Streak

Timestamp: [01:52] – [06:39]

Raja Bell initiates the conversation by highlighting the Detroit Pistons' remarkable seven-game winning streak. Despite being underrepresented and often overlooked, the Pistons have been performing exceptionally well in the Eastern Conference.

Howard Beck praises the Pistons, noting, "This is their longest winning streak in like a decade. A decade. Incredible." He attributes their success to the leadership of J.B. Bickerstaff and the emergence of Cade Cunningham as a potential All-NBA talent. Beck emphasizes the team's hard work, new culture under their coach, and strategic acquisitions like Tobias Harris, which provide stability around their young core.

Austin Rivers echoes Beck’s sentiments, adding that the Pistons have found a good blend of young talent and seasoned veterans like Tim Hardaway Jr. who contribute both offensively and professionally, fostering the development of the team’s core players. Rivers remarks, "Found people to put around them that are good pros, that teach them the ropes... I’m happy all the way around for him."

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Minnesota Timberwolves' Performance and Potential

Timestamp: [06:39] – [07:55]

Raja Bell briefly touches upon the Minnesota Timberwolves' recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, pointing out a fumble that could indicate either a turning point or be inconsequential.

Austin Rivers responds by acknowledging their continued effort on the court despite challenges, stating, "They kept hooping, so I don't mean to take anything away from him."

Howard Beck adds excitement about a remarkable block by Edwards, commending it as one of the coolest blocks he's seen in a long time.

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New York Knicks: Potential and Challenges

Timestamp: [07:55] – [32:04]

Raja Bell transitions the discussion to the New York Knicks, expressing skepticism about their recent performances despite a strong regular-season record of 37-20. He points out significant losses to top teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, with an average margin of defeat of 21 points.

Howard Beck provides a nuanced perspective, stating, "This is their best period of time since the 90s... as a fan base, remember what your franchise has been through." He highlights the Knicks' resurgence, their potential to achieve back-to-back 50-win seasons, and their current standing, which places them sixth in the Eastern Conference, making them playoff-bound.

Beck also discusses the broader context of the Knicks’ performance, suggesting that while they are no longer struggling as they have for the past two decades, they are now facing the reality of competing with true contenders. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining perspective, considering the franchise's history of dysfunction and the progress they've made.

Austin Rivers complements Beck's analysis by stressing the significance of balancing young talent with veteran experience, which he believes the Knicks have managed well. He encourages the fan base to appreciate the team's current achievements, even if they fall short of championship contention.

Raja Bell delves deeper into the pressures associated with being a team that has exceeded expectations. Drawing parallels with the Atlanta Hawks' past performance, he questions how the Knicks will handle the heightened expectations after a strong season.

Howard Beck further explores the Knicks' strategy, particularly the trade for Karl-Anthony Towns in the preseason. He argues that while the trade was logical, the loss of key players like Isaiah Hartenstein has impacted the team's depth, especially in the center position. Beck remains optimistic, suggesting that the Knicks could still reach the conference finals if players like Mitchell Robinson return from injury and continue to develop.

Raja Bell shares his frustration with the team's recent setbacks, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the current success and not prematurely criticizing the team based on a few tough losses. He relates to the emotional journey of the fan base, who have endured years of hardship and should appreciate the team's progress.

Austin Rivers adds a player’s perspective, advocating for enjoying the moment and building meaningful relationships within the team, rather than solely focusing on championships. He underscores the fleeting nature of a player's career and the importance of valuing the present.

Howard Beck draws comparisons to the Phoenix Suns' successful era under Steve Nash and Mike D'Antoni, highlighting how maintaining a fun and exciting team can sustain fan interest even without immediate championship success. He emphasizes that the Knicks, much like the Suns during their peak, should be celebrated for their consistent performance and competitive spirit.

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Philadelphia 76ers: Struggles and Trade Implications

Timestamp: [32:04] – [44:48]

Raja Bell introduces a segment titled "Hard to Handle," focusing on recent struggles faced by the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold a 20-37 record after a significant loss to the Chicago Bulls. He mentions Joel Embiid considering knee surgery, which has further derailed the team's season.

Howard Beck discusses the trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, analyzing its impact on the team’s dynamics. He explains that while the trade was not a mistake, the loss of key players like Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein has left the Knicks without sufficient depth, particularly at the center position. Beck stresses that the trade’s full implications will only be clear as the season progresses and if the team fails to overcome their current obstacles.

Austin Rivers criticizes the decision to keep Joel Embiid playing despite his injury, arguing that it is detrimental to the team's chances of success. He advocates for prioritizing the team's draft position by potentially tanking the rest of the season to secure a higher first-round pick. Rivers states, "Priority number one, priority number one."

Howard Beck responds by outlining the Sixers' precarious position in the standings and the necessity of making tough decisions to protect their draft pick. He suggests that if Embiid requires surgery, the team should fully commit to tanking, even if it involves disciplinary actions like fines or investigations. Beck underscores the importance of securing the team's future through a higher draft pick, despite the immediate negative consequences for the season.

Raja Bell expresses frustration with the Sixers' reliance on players like Paul George and Joel Embiid, whom he believes have not consistently proven themselves as worthy of their high expectations. He criticizes the ongoing hype surrounding these players, arguing that their performances have not justified the optimism.

Howard Beck counters by defending Devin Booker and Paul George, highlighting their individual achievements and contributions. He argues that external factors like health have played a significant role in the Sixers' struggles and cautions against completely dismissing the players' abilities. Beck maintains that the Sixers' season is effectively over, given Embiid's possible surgery, and reiterates the importance of tanking to protect their draft pick.

Austin Rivers reinforces his stance, emphasizing the lack of viable alternatives for the Sixers and supporting the strategy of losing games intentionally to secure a top draft position. He argues that this approach is the most pragmatic way to salvage the team's future despite the immediate disappointment.

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Mailbag Segment: Personal Basketball Memories

Timestamp: [44:48] – [58:35]

The hosts engage with listener-submitted questions about personal high and low moments in basketball.

• Pasha Hagigi shares a listener's experience evolving from watching classic NBA games to witnessing the next generation of players.
• Raja Bell reminisces about memorable moments such as Allen Iverson's iconic plays and personal milestones like receiving his first NBA contract.
• Austin Rivers recounts both significant career moments, including making the Sixers roster, and challenging experiences, such as conflicts with teammates that led to personal setbacks.
• Howard Beck reflects on his early memories as a ball boy and his greatest sports fandom moments, particularly the 1982 NFC Championship Game involving Joe Montana.

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Ringer Staff Starting Five Fantasy

Timestamp: [58:35] – [65:36]

The hosts participate in a light-hearted segment where they envision a starting five composed of Ringer staff members.

• Raja Bell and Howard Beck jokingly select participants like Kyle Mann and Roger Bell without serious consideration of their basketball prowess.
• Austin Rivers introduces humor by lamenting the overuse of the term "bag" in basketball terminology, expressing frustration with how it detracts from the game's fundamentals.
• Pasha Hagigi contributes by suggesting staff members who might add comedic value rather than actual basketball skill, further emphasizing the playful nature of the segment.

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Listener Questions and Final Discussions

Timestamp: [65:36] – [75:14]

Listeners submit intriguing questions, prompting deeper discussions:

1. LeBron and NBA Eras:

   • Pasha Hagigi presents a listener's idea to classify basketball eras as "BB" (Before Braun) and "AB" (After Braun), reflecting on how eras are defined by influential players.
   • Howard Beck critiques the concept, emphasizing the multifaceted influences on the game's evolution, including executives like Daryl Morey and players like Steph Curry who have reshaped basketball strategies.

2. Top Five Least True Hoopers:

   • The hosts debate the definition and implications of "least true hoopers," with Austin Rivers passionately arguing against the term, asserting that it undermines player contributions and the game's integrity.
   • Raja Bell and Howard Beck engage in spirited exchanges, humorously challenging each other on their selections and interpretations of the term.

3. Philadelphia 76ers' Future:

   • Pasha Hagigi asks about the future trajectory of Devin Booker and the Sixers, particularly in light of potential trades involving Kevin Durant.
   • Howard Beck speculates on possible outcomes, including Booker seeking opportunities elsewhere if the team continues to struggle, and the implications of acquiring additional draft picks without substantial team improvements.

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Closing Remarks

Timestamp: [75:14] – [75:43]

The hosts wrap up the episode with light-hearted banter, emphasizing the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of the NBA. They encourage listener engagement through mailbag submissions and express eagerness for future episodes.

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Notable Quotes

• Howard Beck: "This is their longest winning streak in like a decade. A decade. Incredible." [02:00]
• Austin Rivers: "You have to enjoy the process, dude. Enjoy it." [16:27]
• Raja Bell: "It's going to have the potential to be a very depressing episode." [02:00]
• Howard Beck: "Pretend as a fan base, remember what your franchise has been through." [10:02]
• Austin Rivers: "Priority number one, priority number one." [34:17]

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Conclusion

This episode of The Ringer NBA Show offers an in-depth analysis of the New York Knicks' promising yet challenging season, the Detroit Pistons' unexpected success, and the Philadelphia 76ers' ongoing struggles. Through engaging discussions and listener interactions, the hosts provide insightful perspectives on team dynamics, player performances, and strategic decisions shaping the NBA landscape.

Transcript

[Austin Rivers]

What's up everybody? It's Austin Rivers here and we are back for another season of Off Guard. Me and my guy Pasha Hagigi are hitting your podcast feeds every Monday and Thursday talking everything hoops. Austin is bringing that 11 year NBA veteran perspective and of course keeping you guys entertained throughout the season.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Make sure you tap into Off Guard.

[Austin Rivers]

With Austin Rivers on Spotify or wherever.

[Howard Beck]

You get your podcasts.

[Austin Rivers]

And don't forget to follow everything we've got going on social media, the off guard podcast, Ringer NBA and of course, check us out on Ringer MBA's YouTube channel. We're getting better.

[Sponsor]

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[Raja Bell]

Foreign real ones. Love the Murdoch here, Rogerville there, Howard Beck and the Cut. Cliff on the boards. Little reunion from our sold out live show from two weeks ago. I'm still on that. I'm still on that. We're gonna talk a little. This is gonna be. This, this has the, the potential to be a very depressing episode. We're going to talk about the Knicks, we're going to talk about the Sixers. We're going to get into some mailbag questions who, like what the hell are we going to talk about there? That could be a whole another conundrum for the listeners. So yeah, great, great. Pot on deck. Before we get to all that stuff, I Just want to give space really quickly to two things. One, an incredible ending in Oklahoma City last night with the Minnesota Timberwolves. We can talk about that in a second. And I just want to also give space to the Detroit Pistons. Seven straight wins. I just want to just get. I don't. I don't. I want to give space to that. Guys, let's just, let's give compliments really quickly before we get into how bad two teams are faring right now in the Eastern Conference. Howard, what do you think about. Let's go with the Pistons first. We don't talk about them that much. Can we just give them flowers really quickly?

[Howard Beck]

Yes, we absolutely should. I think this is their longest winning streak in like a decade. A decade. Incredible. And the thing is, like, we talk about, like, we'll get into the Knicks in a little bit and there's a lot of Nick fan angst out there. The Wizards fans. I think there's like seven. Seven of them in the whole world. They've been through it. Like a lot of fan bases go through it. The Pistons fan base has just been through freaking hell for the last decade plus 15 years or so. Like, yes, they are. They are playing their butts off. Cade Cunningham is making some sort of possible bid for all NBA. I haven't done the math on like the guard corps, actually. It's not even by position anymore. I haven't done the Math on the 15 all NBA slots yet. It's too soon. But Kate Cunningham has been fantastic. Props to JB Bickerstaff for, you know, being kind of the, the. I don't know. I don't know how to frame it sometimes with a coach in the way that they turn something around. But establishing a new culture is the easy way of framing this, right? He got the buy in. He got everybody playing hard. Health has played a role in this too, in their emergence this year. Going for veterans that I didn't quite honestly think fit at the time. Like, what, what, what do the Pistons want? Tobias Harris. But they needed that stability with their youth. Like, everything has kind of fallen into place and some of this might just be natural growth from the young guys. Some of it may be just a change of voice at, in the coaching spot, but especially for Bickerstaff because, like, he's. He, he really got the Cavaliers on track. You know, they, they, they built a foundation that Kenny Atkinson is now getting to build on top of in Cleveland. And Kenny got all the love in the early couple months of the season for good reason. J.B. bickerstaff has done an incredible job, like, it's the two of them probably for coach of the year, but the Pistons have been awesome. They're fun, they're spry, they're. I thought they might make a move this season up the standings, but not this far. As we speak, they're sixth. Like, if the season ends it today, they're actually legitimately in the playoffs, not going through the play in route. And it's great to see. It's been fun.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah. I'm just going to echo some of the stuff Howard said, like, first for jb, like, you know, great basketball, family, had done a really good job in Cleveland. Like, obviously, Cleveland's great this year. Not taking anything away from Kenny Atkinson, but, like, I'm happy to see him, you know, continuing to be a great coach and continue to get opportunities. I think we talk about it a lot on the show is finding the good and right blend of, like, young, youthful, real talent and. And. And veterans that can still play that have. That have a professionalism about themselves that. That helps that young core kind of continue to grow. You mentioned Tobias and I mean, tim. Tim Hardaway Jr. Like, they. They've got guys there that. That. That have really. I mean, at other stops, not necessarily been celebrated, but are, like, really meaningful pieces to what they have going on there. And I just think that's an important. You know, that's an important thing for organizations as they continue to try to develop that young talent, is to find people to put around them that are. That are good pros, that teach them the ropes. Maybe not even teach them the ropes, but just continue to help them elevate and develop. And I'm just happy all the way around for him. So a pretty cool story.

[Raja Bell]

Pretty dope, man. And want to give space also to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

[Austin Rivers]

The bag was fumbled. The bag was fumbled last night. No. Are we like.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, the bag was fumbled. It was one of those things, like, you know, when you first see it, you're like, damn, Minnesota might be turning a corner, which they are. But I. It didn't. It could be no disrespect, nothing. It could mean. It could mean nothing. It could mean anything is all I'm saying, you know?

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, no, that's good. I didn't mean any disrespect, either. I. They're. They're playing well, and they kept playing, which, like, gives.

[Raja Bell]

With Ant off the floor.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, most teams are done. Most teams at that point are done like. Like, they're like, hey, man, chalk this shit. Up like we're just gonna. They kept hooping, so I don't mean to take anything away from him. I just. That's a weird one where. I think it. I think it's just one of those weird nights in the NBA, bro. You just fumbled it back.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

Bless the. The sideline reporter's heart in Minnesota. Who. At the end of the game that she had Ant. I forgot the other two that was there, but on a hot mic, Ant's out here cursing. And then she asked him how to deal with it. How. How did. How did he feel about the game? He was like, don't ask me, ask them. It's awesome. It's great.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah. I like that, though. Hey, man, acknowledge, man. Like, I know I get all the interviews, but, like, spread the love.

[Howard Beck]

And Edwards block, though. The block.

[Raja Bell]

And incredible on Shane.

[Austin Rivers]

That's a pretty cool block.

[Howard Beck]

That was that. That's one. That's one of the coolest blocks I've seen in a long time.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah. You know, so we were talking about the Pistons to start the podcast, and if the season ended today, you know who they would be playing in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Any guesses? Don't even look. The Knicks. That's my transition. Let's fucking go. Well done, Trip. You know what I mean? Still got it. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Now, on the surface, you know, you just look at the. The Knicks pristine 37 and 20 record. You know, orange and blue skies. Tim's are getting clocked together. Shout out to all the boroughs, People's Republic of Brooklyn, which Howard proudly resides, and you would think it's good, but it is not. The Knicks got their ass whooped on Friday in Cleveland by 37, then proceeded to get their ass whooped two days later against the Celtics on Sunday. They're 0 and 5 against the this season against the Celtics and the Cavaliers this season with an average margin of defeat of 21 points. Now, the guard, we. I think over the years, the Knicks have been a real one's favorite, probably because I just love watching the Knicks when they're great or not even great, even when they're very good. Because I don't think they've been great over the last, like, few decades, but they finally have found a consistent core to go to the postseason year in and year out. But Beck, in true Knicks fashion, they seem to have hit a ceiling of their own doing. What is. What is your confidence level that they can turn the tide against great teams? And what happens and what are the ramifications if they don't.

[Howard Beck]

Man, this is such a really interesting moment for the Knicks and I think for their fans too. Like as a franchise, as a fan base, like, things have never been better or it's been a long time since they've been better than the last couple of seasons, right? Like they're on pace to crack 50 wins again. I think they're on pace for like 53, 54 wins. If they get there, and I think they will, it'll be their first back to back 50 win seasons since the mid-90s. Like that's, that's a huge, huge thing.

[Raja Bell]

Howard, how old were you then? You're about, you're about 25.

[Howard Beck]

I was already 72 in 19. Mid 90s. They're, they're, this is their best period of time period since the 90s. Knicks, the heyday, the Patrick Ewing days, the John Starks, Oakley, Larry Johnson, like in New York, those teams did not win championships, but it never got better than that in the modern era, than the 90s.

[Raja Bell]

They didn't win championships during the 90s. I could have swore they wanted at least one title. If you talked to Nick, I've been.

[Howard Beck]

Living here for 21 years, I can tell you, like, as far as anybody here is concerned, they won all of the championships the night, like the way the 90s are discussed. But I'm not here to tweak Knicks fans, but the weird thing about this moment is here they are in the midst of this, this renaissance with a really fun, lovable team, right? Like they, they play their butts off, they, they play through injury, they play a lot of minutes, maybe too many minutes. And yet instead of them being celebrated right now as they were a year ago at this time and last spring, when they make that run to the second round for the first time in forever, there's all this kind of hand wringing, like maybe we're not good enough. I mean, you mentioned it. So.015 against Boston and Cleveland by a massive losing margin over 20 points per game. They're owing to, against the Thunder too, for, for what it's worth, because if you got to the Finals, that's the team, obviously, that everybody thinks you may be facing. And those haven't been close either. So you're owing seven by a massive losing margin against the three best teams in the NBA. And so by this point, as you're in late February, it's hard to dismiss all that and not just say, like, there's, there's a clear line of delineation, there's the contenders. And then there's the Knicks in that second tier, which is not a terrible thing, by the way, especially considering where you've been for the last 20 years. But I think this is what happens, right? The, the, the high wears off eventually of where we broke through. We're, we're relevant again, we're great again. We're in the mix. We're in, we're in the conversation to all of a sudden, crap, we might not be good enough. And then it's everything that's wrong. What, you know, it's Tibs in his rotations or his, the, the, the length of minutes he's playing guys, or it's Towns and his defense thing, something you knew at the moment you acquired him. Like it starts to become everything that you're not. And I'm just going to be curious the next couple of months how the Knicks continue to, to progress through this, how the fans deal with it. Because as of right now, like, nothing's final on February 25th. But as of right now, I think you kind of put a line above them and say like the line for true contender cuts off before you. But Mitchell Robinson's presumably back sometime in the next few days. We'll see what kind of impact he makes and how many minutes he can play and how often he plays with Katie to make up for all of Cats defensive liabilities. And we'll see there may still be another iteration of them this season.

[Raja Bell]

Roger Beck brought up a good point. Just about, you know, when a team is good, we always talk about when they, when a team is a year ahead of schedule. Right. And I think that definition you can loosely put on last year's team. But can you describe that pressure that comes with what you have to do in the seasons after that year ahead of schedule? Because we saw that with the, with the Hawks a few years back, right, where they make this conference finals run out of nowhere, darlings of the league. Then they kind of falter in the seasons after that. The Knicks haven't necessarily done that, but just against the top teams. But that speaks to the pressure though, right? Like what, what is that like on a year in and year out after you have the year ahead of schedule year?

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, well, I mean, I mean, there, there's. There's always been an element of pressure. Anytime you have a, a good, a good season as a core and you're excited about flowing into the next year and the trajectory, there's going to be some pressure. I, you know, obviously haven't lived under the, the pressure Cooker that is social media and, and media in general today, where everything is in, everything is an immediate knee jerk. Blow it up. They can't do it. Or, you know, there used to be a day and a time where the pressure was. Was there, but it wasn't. It wasn't a final indictment on who the team was. You were, you were allowed a little bit more space to kind of grow and maybe not get it done this year. I mean, in today's sports culture, like, if you're not winning it when they want you to win it on the time frame that they expect you to win it in, blow it up. This can't work. Gotta scrap it and try again. And so really, Logan, to answer your question, I don't know how difficult it is, but there is always an element of pressure when you achieve playoff status or maybe overachieve playoff status coming into that next year. I would just for kind of all the reasons Howard and you described in terms of what Nick Fan has gone through over the last decade or so. Look, just, just, you know, Mike D'Antoni used to say, like, only one team's going to win a championship, but if you're not going to win a championship, at least be exciting and be a product that the fans want to come see and the city can rally around because there's so much more than just playing basketball that goes into winning a championship. We've, we've gone through that on this pod before. So enjoy it. Like, do I see them winning a. The Eastern Conference and coming out of it? No, I think they're squarely in the tier below, you know, Cleveland and Boston. That doesn't mean that they can't find a way to do it. But, but let's not, as a fan base, not enjoy what's going on right now because we're.

[Raja Bell]

Gardening is on fire right now.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, dude, come on, man. Like, let's enjoy that.

[Raja Bell]

I want to go to a Knicks game. I. What Howard says.

[Austin Rivers]

But I mean that, like, I really do mean that, like, as a fan base, I mean, especially a fan base, that's, that's, that's dealt with what they've dealt with, you know, in recent past, like, enjoy this. Maybe they don't get it done this year and maybe there are some fundamental flaws in the team that have to be fixed and we'll address that. But enjoy the, Enjoy the process, dude. Enjoy it.

[Howard Beck]

I always said about. Just real quick, I just want to play off one thing Roger said about the Suns. It was really interesting at the time when the, when the, when Steve Nash and Mike D'Antoni got together and the Suns take off and they did, they went this, this narrative path from being the darlings of the league. Oh my God, they're so exciting. They're so much fun. They're, they're, they're winning in a way that we really haven't seen in today's NBA. They're, you know, they're, no, they don't play much defense, but they're blowing teams off the court now they've got a puncher's chance, you know. Can they beat the spurs ultimately? Not sure, but we'll see. And at the end of it all, by the time that era ends and Dantoni is dismissed and everything else happens, it became about all the things that they couldn't do right. And especially, you know, the defense part of it, which by the way, at the time we did not have defensive efficiency. We were still in a points per game era. And so it was like, oh, they're giving up so many points. Yeah, because they played a faster pace than anybody else. But when you adjusted for pace, as we do today, wisely, they were like middle of the pack most of those years in defensive efficiency. But the bottom line was, was what Raja just said, they were fun, they were exciting, and they were a perennial 50 to, to high 50 win team. I think they cracked 60 one year. Like, if you asked any fan base, especially one where they had not won championships in a long time or had not been relevant in a long time, I'm going to guarantee you a four year span where you go to the conference finals twice. You are, you were the most fun team in the league by far. You're going to win 50 plus games a year. You're not gonna win championship. Would you take it? And most fan bases, I think in a, in a heartbeat. Unless you were Laker fans who expect nothing but championships or you know, Bulls fans of a particular era or the spurs of that era, most fan bases would take that. And I think that's where the, where the Knicks are right now, where it's like you need the perspective of history here. Remember what your franchise has been through and if you're old enough to have experienced some of the torture and dysfunction, if you got a four year span of 50 wins a year and maybe, you know, an appearance or two in the conference finals, even if you didn't win a championship, if you, if you knew that ahead of time, you would take it based on where you'd been. And I think that's the perspective that's necessary in these conversations.

[Austin Rivers]

I'm just to add to that, like, you have a team. You have a team that's. That's out there playing, producing, no glaring issues with. With, you know, someone not giving great effort or, you know, not. Not putting forth, you know, the level of intensity that you. You want as a fan base, like, you don't have those issues and you just can't get over the hump. I would ask you to look at it from, like, a player's perspective, because you said most fans. Most fans would sign up for that. Howard. I don't know that players would, because players, like, always want to win the championship. But I'm here to tell you definitively, like, those were the most fun years of my career. Like, I was having a blast playing in that, competing, you know. Do you want to win a championship? Sure. But. But the reality is, like, you have to enjoy it. Like, it's fleeting, the career from a player side, too. So when you're on an exciting team that has a puncher's chance, that could win on any given night, and you have a crowd that respects that and enjoys it with you and isn't, like, you know, booing you prematurely or, Or.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Or.

[Austin Rivers]

Or pressure in the organization to blow it up in a way that makes working, you know, not fun. That's a. That's a fun experience for everyone. Like the Valley. Like, people ask me who. Who. Who I would associate with as a. As a player. I always say Phoenix because, like, I felt like part of that town. Like, we all enjoyed that together. Not just the fans, but the players, too. Like, sure, we want to win a chip, but, man, this shit is fun and we're on this ride together. So, you know, I would just say it, even from the player standpoint, like, echoing what you're talking about, like, like, hey, man, enjoy that. Enjoy the runs. Yeah, yeah, we have to tinker. We got to get better. There's some shit we have to do defensively. We trust organization to make the moves, you know, to shore us up. But, man, enjoy the run. Because, like, there are no guarantees even as players that you're going to get that championship.

[Raja Bell]

Question, though, Raja, in the moment, how likely is it for a player to be in the moment and enjoy that run while it's happening as someone that was in that position?

[Austin Rivers]

Well, not. Not likely. I mean, perspective is everything, right? So, like, I'm sitting here at. At closer to 50 than 40, and I can tell you that. But, but, you know, that's why I Say it right? Like, for. For anyone that would be listening to this, like, in my younger self, I would have appreciated someone saying to me, hey, dude. Like, yeah, there's always going to be something that you can complain about leaving X, Y and Z game or leaving X, Y and Z season, but, you know, take a step back and appreciate all the good. Like, you. You guys just won 17 in a row. Like, maybe. Maybe they didn't swing. Swing that ball to the corner. But is it that big of a fucking deal? Like, maybe you guys lost in the Western Conference finals, and that sucks, and we're going to go back to the drawing board. But. But look at. Look at. Look at the season. Look at the meals. Look at the time spent together. Like, those are. Those are real things. These are people's lives, right? Like, from a player's perspective now, I'm not talking about the fan now, this. This is. This is your life. So if you're not going to enjoy it and soak it in and enjoy the people you're with and try to make meaningful relationships, you know, you're wasting your life. Like, that's. I mean, we're hooping, and if the only thing that matters is winning a championship, we are wasting our life there. Like, we have to enjoy that, and we have to find the balance between, you know, producing at a level that can help us win a championship and enjoying ourselves. And that's. I mean, that's a. That's. That would be for anybody, I guess, in any workforce I've been fortunate enough to. You know, most of my life is revolved around sports, but, like, finding the balance between being productive and doing what you need to do for whatever business to be successful, but enjoying yourself and soaking that up like that, that's life, right?

[Raja Bell]

Look at you waxing poetic, man.

[Austin Rivers]

Hey, man, I'm just saying.

[Raja Bell]

In your fucking bag, dude. You're in your bag.

[Austin Rivers]

Saying that shit goes really fast. It goes really fast. And if you. If you. Look, listen, this is going to be to some degree, I think, Kobe, if he were here, people talk about how he, you know, some of the younger generation got to see him in a different light when he stepped away from the court, right? And he was able to kind of take some of those guys under his wing and impart wisdom and shit like that. But he spent his entire career being, like, a maniacal, like, winner and stuff like that, right? And it worked for him. But I bet there's a part of him that would have been, like, if looking back at it with 20 years in the rearview, maybe. Maybe open up.

[Raja Bell]

Maybe I would have took that dinner with my teammates. You know, maybe I would have.

[Austin Rivers]

No, like real talk. Like, we all have that.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah. Okay. I hate to ask this question on the, on the heels of Raja just speaking so eloquently about life and basketball and perspective and. But Howard, obviously this season is going to be defined by the move that they, that the Knicks made preseason to get Carl, Carl Towns. How much will that haunt them if things go awry this season?

[Howard Beck]

So a little while after we stop or we finish this pod, I'm doing the Knicks film school pod with my buddies Jonathan Macri and Andrew Claudio, and they, I asked them for some topics ahead of time and right off the top, it's about the, it's the Town's trade. It's. It's like, it has to be right. Like if you, if you hit a moment like this, if it looks like you just hit a brick wall, which is what it looked like this weekend was the Knicks brick wall, the Cavs and Celtics getting blown out both times. It's. Oh, shit. We, we had a breakthrough season. We added two big pieces in Towns and Mikhail Bridges, hopes of a title run. And as of right now, it just looks like, like we've, we've hit some impassable obstacle here. And I think it's natural to then start questioning the moves made. But the perspective is, is important here. How far were you going with Julius Randle as your second best offensive player? I think they've probably already gone as far as they were going to with Julius Randle. I think Minnesota is already grappling with what, what, what to do to, to move on from Julius Randall. So Towns was an upgrade. Towns was an obvious upgrade overall and certainly offensively. But I've said from the beginning, the biggest thing that happened to the Knicks last summer was not necessarily trading all the picks for Bridges. That was a big bet that they made. We can judge that on its own. It's not necessarily trading Randall and DiVincenzo and a pick for Towns. It's that they could not keep Isaiah Hartenstein, and that was a cap thing. They did everything possible to keep him. They didn't choose to let him go. They did not underbid him, undersell him in any way. They just couldn't pay as much as the Thunder could. It happens in a salary cap league, and so the rules worked against them. When you lose Hartenstein, now you had this great one, two punch at center with him and Mitchell Robinson. Mitchell Robinson's on the shelf because of surgery. He's still not back yet. So you lost your great one, two punch. That gave you a ton of stuff at center, shot blocking, rim protection. Overall. In Hartenstein's case, just a ton of offensive rebounding and passing playmaking. And then the character of last year's Knicks team was a lot of Brunson hart. I think DiVincenza was part of that. Hartenstein was part of that. So you lost two of the guys who were kind of the glue guys who got you deep in that second round series, despite all the injuries, with all their toughness and hustle and good vibes. So the character of the team changed, the personnel changed, and you couldn't backfill the center part of it, especially the defensive element. And so I don't think it means that the Town's trade was a mistake. Like you're, you're. As of right now, you're no better or worse off than you were last season. And by the way, we're still months from the playoffs. You might actually get to the conference finals. It could happen. Maybe you even get to the finals. Things are weird in this league. Things break your way. So it's too soon to judge it. And under the circumstances, I'm not going to say it's a deal they had to make, but it was a deal that was logical to make. I actually think if you're going to start second guessing either of the big trades from last summer for the Knicks, maybe it was all the picks for Bridges, that's the one that's going to haunt you more because you don't have any assets left to spend. One of the other questions that, you know, I'm going to probably be dressing on the Knicks pod later today and that the Knicks are going to have to grapple with this summer is if we don't get where we want to go, what's next? Who else can we get? Well, you're capped out for years to come here and you don't have a lot to trade because you sent out most of the assets to get Bridges and to an extent, Town. So, like, there's not a lot of flexibility or optionality, as we like to say in the NBA left for this team.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, I was, I was gonna. Just to. Just to kind of. I was. I'm with you on that, Howard. Like the Carl Anthony Towns trade, we could do that. But like Julius Randall, that's an aesthetics thing for me. Right. You're basically in the same place as, as an organization as it relates to winning the East. So, like do you like to see more of an offensive, like, productive type of team, or do you want to see one with. With less of a ceiling in that regard? Like, I don't think it moved the needle much, but the, The. The Mikhail Bridges one kind of strapped you in a way that doesn't give you a ton of flexibility. I do think it's interesting though, like, as much as I love Jalen Brunson, like, this is you. When you have a relatively small guard that is. That is so integral to your team's success offensively. I mean, historically, I mean, you got to pair that with like an elite type of wing or, or. Or it's hard to win. We. We had this conversation about Dame and CJ McCollum.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, right. Like, that's just also a Memphis with Ja.

[Austin Rivers]

Word. Like, I'm not taking anything away. That's just a very hard recipe to get right. Like, now, Steph was able to do it to, to. To some degree the last time they won the chip, but like, you know, he had an. He had a great Clay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins was playing really well. Like, you know, he had some support. Like, he did it way back in the day, but then he had KD riding with him shotgun. Like, it's just way harder for teams to do it when that's the focal point of your offense. And that's. That doesn't mean they can't. It's just what it is.

[Howard Beck]

I also think there's just too much on Brunson still. Right. Like, quantity. Towns is an elite offensive player, but he's not a shot creator. Right? Like, he's not the guy you. You like. Brunson goes to the bench and it's fine. We'll just give it to Towns for the next 10 minutes. They don't have that second guy. Like, look at Boston's got Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum and Derrick White and Drew Holliday at a different level, you know, step down. But like so many guys who can handle the ball and do something with it, right? The CAVs have the 1, 2 punch of Mitchell and Garland, and then you're going to get some stuff out of Evan Mobley too. The Knicks don't have anywhere else to go. And I actually thought when they first got Bridges, because Bridges can play a little kind of. I don't want to say point forward, but ish. And played a little bit that way with Brooklyn. I thought you could maybe have him be in a little bit of that. That role where Brunson goes to the bench. And maybe Bridges runs the second unit a little bit the way that Iguodal used to with the Warriors. I, maybe that's just not, you know, I haven't seen it much and I, and I think that like if there's anything I think the Knicks still need. Yeah, of course they could use a shop blocking center rim protector next to Towns. Of course they could use you know, various other elements. But I think more than anything it's the hardest thing to get which is you need one other great to elite shot creating scoring player and probably a bigger wing and those just aren't that easy to come by.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, that's a better, that's a probably better way to put, put it Howard. Cause it's a little unfair. He just needs help. Right. And it needs to be in a bigger, a bigger, like someone who can get to the cheese. Like he gets to it offensively in a, in a bigger body to compliment what he does. Cause he's, he's fantastic. That's just a lot of work for a dude that size to beat NBA teams like that almost single handedly some nights offensively.

[Raja Bell]

This got depressing. It's got sad.

[Howard Beck]

They're going to win 53, 54 games and they're going to. And they're going to have a chance in the playoffs to make some noise. Like I actually don't think it's that sad.

[Raja Bell]

You know, it's sad though the opponent that they're going to have on Wednesday night, who we are going to talk about on the other end of the break.

[Austin Rivers]

You're so proud of yourself. Look at that.

[Raja Bell]

And we are back, ladies and gentlemen. And now it's time for today's hard to handle segment presented by State Farm. Life's big moments like buying a house can trigger big reactions like man, I can't handle this dang. Or oh come on. But what you should say is like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. So let's talk about this week's biggest hard to handle moments. AKA some on court occurrences that stirred up some strong reactions like, like the reactions that the Philadelphia 76ers fans have had over the last few weeks in months and dare I say years. Cliff, earmuffs, buddy. All right, man. So The Sixers are 20 and 37 after losing big to the Chicago Bulls last night. To add insult to injury to injury to injury, Joel Embiid is considering surgery on his knee. This is after a summer where the Sixers acquired Paul George. And I had people telling me that, you know, hey, there's Going to be two celebrations down Broad street in Philadelphia. We got one of them with the Sixers, which is what I've been, I mean, with the, with the Eagles. So what I've been trying to tell Cliff, but he was at that Nets game where Embiid sat out some extended time and ruffled some feathers and furled some brows. Howard, where are we with the Sixers? Also, I should note that it's not all bad for the Sixers if they continue this to these losing ways. They will be in prime position to keep their first round pick, which is top six protected.

[Austin Rivers]

That's priority number one right now. Priority number one.

[Raja Bell]

Wait, question, Raja, before I get to Howard. Roger, right now, do you have your, do you have your military grade hat? Do you have your military instructions? And are you in the tank right now? Are you ready to go? Are you just. Are you, are you just driving through places?

[Austin Rivers]

I'm sorry, I hijacked that a little bit. I'm sorry, Go ahead.

[Raja Bell]

You did hijack. I went to Howard and then you.

[Austin Rivers]

Got to your point.

[Raja Bell]

I said, fuck out of here. So I'm giving it down. Go ahead.

[Austin Rivers]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I just wanted to like. For me, priority number one, go Howard.

[Raja Bell]

They say the segment supposed to be two to five minutes and you went towards the two minutes of this segment. Roger, what the fuck? We're trying to get, we're trying to have some, some discourse here. Can you just. When I get to the tank question, can you answer the tank question?

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah, let me, let me do that. Like, look.

[Raja Bell]

All right. Why. Okay, all right, all right, my bad.

[Austin Rivers]

I'll go. Like, I'm sorry. But why, why is he still playing? I got a couple. Like, why is he. Who would have, who would have thought, right? Like people told you this summer, like, who had any idea Joel Embiid was going to come back looking like that? Starting the season off with all the, all the silliness in the media and everything like that and I guess catch.

[Raja Bell]

Phase with journalists and stuff.

[Austin Rivers]

But the, but the average fan wouldn't have known his knee was, was as bad as it is. So, so I, I thought that there was some cause to be optimistic and think that adding Paul George would, would help them get to another level. At least I was in that camp. I would at this point. Why is he still playing? Right? Like that? That's. I have no idea why you're still playing him. Go ahead and shut him down and get him. Right? And then when that, when that domino falls. Yeah, I'm in The tank. Like, let's, let's not. This tick. This, this pick that we have is protected and we're going to make sure we protect it.

[Raja Bell]

Sit Paul George as well, while you're at it. Listen, but you can't explicitly do that though, in the new, in the modern NBA. Like, they have to actually be injured. Like, NB can sit out. I don't know. Like, and I know that Paul George is.

[Austin Rivers]

Paul George told you he got an injury.

[Howard Beck]

Okay.

[Austin Rivers]

He's got a finger. He's got a finger. He's been telling you about it.

[Raja Bell]

Easy money.

[Howard Beck]

We're long past the days of Gregg Popovich putting down DNP old for Tim Duncan once upon a time and getting a good lashing from David Stern and a big old fine. There's a time for just cold hearted pragmatism in this league and, and this is it. This is the moment for cold hearted pragmatism. This is the moment where if Embiid needs knee surgery, like, there's no point, the season's toast. It's gone. It is lost. And I was a Sixers optimist. And as Raja knows, because we talked about this while you were still on leave, Logan, even after the rough start the season, even after all the nonsense in the locker room with Embiid shoving a columnist, even after everything I said, listen, calm down, everybody. If the Sixers just get healthy for a stretch of time with their big three all healthy because they're very top heavy with Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, they just need to be healthy and those three should be really good and they just need to stretch a time where they're healthy. Well, they haven't had any real stretches of time where all three have been healthy and functioning. And yeah, it does look like things have pretty much gone off the rails at this point.

[Raja Bell]

Hold on, Howard, I just, I just got to say this, man. And I'm. And I, I appreciate your Turtle optimism and I appreciate.

[Howard Beck]

I'm off of that. I'm telling you right now, I'm off of that. I'm just noting that that was my stance in November.

[Raja Bell]

Getting on your head from the shit that you said in September is all I'm saying. I never had, I never had optimism for this group. Man, if you watched him be over the.

[Howard Beck]

Run your. Run your victory laps when you weren't.

[Raja Bell]

Even on the pod, I couldn't say this. I couldn't say this. But then you put your, your trust in Paul George as your savior like he was going to. Not a savior no, he just had to be complimentary. No, no, fuck all that you got. They put all these things. Paul George tells you who he is every time in May and April.

[Pasha Hagigi]

He's.

[Raja Bell]

We can't even say what he does in June because he's never showed you because he's never gotten to that point. Right? And then you pair him with. Indeed. Who's also never showed you that he can make it to the promised land ever in his career. Right? So then you. You put. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Because I got to get this off, man. Because I'm sorry, man. A lot of people have been saying that the Sixers. And this is what we do every time in the summertime. Sorry, Cliff. We always anoint these teams that ain't got no business being anointed based on the players they have. Nobody anointed them. Howard. Howard. Let's go back to. Let's go back to even our contender.

[Howard Beck]

That's not anointing.

[Raja Bell]

Nah, nah, nah, nah. People was out here blowing smoke up the Sixers ass saying that they were going to be good and they were going to compete. And by compete, they're at the top point right now in their trajectory where its finals are bust. They were second round or. And that was it. That was their ceiling based on the top players that they had on their roster. And Paul George and Joel Embiid. I refuse to believe that they are going to be a team that contends based on what I have seen from the top players that you are relying on to be pushing you to contendership. I am tired of trying to give these two people the benefit of the doubt year in and year out when they have not earned it. I'm sorry, that is my rant for October edition of Real Ones because I am sick of. Tired of the smoke being blown up the ass of the Sixers because they have not earned it based on the players that have been on their roster. In Paul George and Joel Embiid, we keep giving them the benefit of the doubt when they don't deserve it. I am tired of it. I'm sorry. Rare Logan rant. But I am sorry. It's. This always happens every offseason when everybody's like, oh, Paul Jordan is going to be it. He's going to put this team over the top. Oh, Joel Embiid, if you just had a chance. No. Every season it goes down the way it goes down and we keep blowing smoke and it's. I'm just tired of it.

[Howard Beck]

Cool.

[Raja Bell]

Sorry.

[Howard Beck]

I'll just say this.

[Raja Bell]

Go ahead Sorry. No, I'm not. But.

[Howard Beck]

We do live in an era of, like, every movie is a fucking multiverse. There's a. There's some version of the Sixers in the multiverse where they stayed healthy and there was a higher ceiling.

[Raja Bell]

Lose in the second round because.

[Howard Beck]

No, you could, like, you could. Dude, you can bag.

[Raja Bell]

Don't meet the moment.

[Howard Beck]

Bag on Embiid and Paul George all you want. Both guys have had very credible, remarkable careers. Joel Abid was MVP two years ago. Paul George has been all NBA a number of times. He led a couple of teams to the conference finals against LeBron in. Early in his career. I know it was a long time ago. I'm just saying, before you just, like, completely destroy these guys. Guys just. I just want to note for the record here, in a world where Joel Embiid stayed healthy and plays at the MVP level that he was playing at before he got hurt last season. In fact, he was exceeding the level that he played at in his MVP season. The problem is health. More than anything you can say, it's about character and whatever else you want to put on him. Logan. But, like, it starts with the health problem. And so let's just get back to the present. The present is this. The season's toast. Joel Embiid, whether he needs knee surgery or some, they'll call it a procedure because they don't like collecting surgery. Shout out, city slickers. They're going to end up doing something, and we'll see what Joel Embiid is next season. But this season is done. It's gone. And so, yeah, of course you should lean into the tank. Of course you should shut down Joel Embiid. Of course you should. Either, you know, whatever Paul George is, he's banged up. Everybody's banged up. If he's not, give him an injury, find something, let the season go.

[Raja Bell]

And you've got to find Howard Beckford. Telling a team to just fake to just put an injury on a player. Can they. Can they do that?

[Howard Beck]

Just try it. Just go ahead, try it. But it's. But. But the six goes to Oklahoma City if it's outside of the top six, Right? So right now, the Sixers are right on that line. They're at six, six, worst record in the league. So six spot in the lottery odds rankings. The nothing is guaranteed, right? Like, you could finish bottom six and have the lottery balls get away from you, and you could drop to eighth in the pecking order if somebody leapfrogs you and suddenly you're losing the pick anyway. But you got to give yourself the best chance to actually keep the pick and draft the top six guy, because if it becomes the seventh or eighth pick or whatever it's going to be, and it goes to Oklahoma, like, I mean, I don't. I'm trying not to depress producer Cliff too much here or.

[Raja Bell]

He won a Super Bowl 2. Two weeks ago. He's fine.

[Howard Beck]

He's fine.

[Raja Bell]

Get out of here.

[Austin Rivers]

But.

[Howard Beck]

But Philadelphia is going to come unglued if this team crashes and burns as hard as it is and loses the pick. And you've got to salvage something from all of this, and that's the way to do it. Like, that's it. It's lean into the tank. Lean as hard as you have to. If that means fines from the league, if it means, like, league investigators, like, you know, setting up camp in your facility, fine, whatever. Just do what you got to do. Keep the pick.

[Austin Rivers]

I don't know what I'm supposed to add to that. Like, that's. That's it. That. Why get him the surgery? This is. There's no room for debate about this. Like, there's no room for debate if. If the man is banged up to the point where that knee won't get healthy without a procedure. Whatever. Whatever you want to call it, get that done. Priority number one, once that happens, it is a wrap, and we need to get as low as we can get in the. In the. In the. In the standings to try to protect that pick. Done. However that happens. I mean, if you got another way around it, and you can assure me that we'll go with that option, but as of right now, I see losing basketball games is the best way to do that. And that's what I think is the. Damn. The call for the Sixers right now. It sucks, but that's where we are.

[Raja Bell]

You know, man, Roger, when things feel hard to handle, like, when you need help, when things feel hard to handle, like when you need to help protecting what matters most, remember to say, like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. With State Farm, you can talk to your agent to help choose the coverage that you need. Select from coverage options to protect things you value most. File a claim right on the State Farm mobile app and reach a real person when you need to talk to someone. Visit state farm.com to learn more. Cliff. What's up, buddy? Cliff, Are you.

[Howard Beck]

Have you.

[Raja Bell]

Are you.

[Howard Beck]

Are you calling. Are you conjuring Jake from State Farm to your apartment right now just to, like, give you something, like, maybe a hug?

[Raja Bell]

File a claim on Your team?

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah, man. Y'all just got me even more depressed. I just want to see my Sixers ball out. But you know, we got to rely on a part time.

[Raja Bell]

Cliff said he has. Cliff said the saddest pre pod. He said. I have no basketball to watch in the spring.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Dog. I just want to watch the Sixers games and watch it be good. Like, I don't want to watch Nick Claxton hit game winners, hit game winners on us and watch Trenton Watford go.

[Raja Bell]

Off for 20 on HBCU night of all nights.

[Pasha Hagigi]

HBCU night of all nights, man, they had Lincoln, Cheney, Del State. The building was popping the lot, the dance, the band was going crazy, man. It was lit in there, man. And then that happened at the end of the game. But still we on Cooper flag watch, so it's all good.

[Howard Beck]

There you go. Silver lining.

[Raja Bell]

Cliff. Cliff.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah?

[Raja Bell]

How many tears will you shed if. If the ping pong balls give you all the eighth pick and it goes to okc.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Oh, man, if it go, man, I don't even know what I would do, bro. I'll just.

[Raja Bell]

I don't know where you're gonna be, but you're coming on the pod that day. You're coming on a pod. I don't care who's producing that day.

[Pasha Hagigi]

100.

[Raja Bell]

You're on the pod.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I definitely would. But you know, it'd be great though, if they added Cooper Flag to. To the city because him and Cooper De Jean and then like Reed Blankenship, they already got the exciting white things going on, bro. That'd be lit in Philly, bro.

[Raja Bell]

You talking like you talking this talk on Black History Month, bro. The last one we might have left. Wow. We already got the Renaissance in la now you talking about it coming on.

[Pasha Hagigi]

In Philly, it's crazy. It'd be crazy though, man. That'd be a good look. And plus the Phillies team is already like all white anyway, so, you know, maybe they might do something this spring too, so. It'd be lit. It'd be lit, man. Anyways, y'all want to get to some questions?

[Austin Rivers]

Yes, we do. Yes, we do.

[Pasha Hagigi]

All right, Jacob Tyler here tortured Mav saying here. In 2006, I was nine years old and my dad was gifted tickets to a basketball game. It was my first memory of ever watching sports in any capacity. Mavericks first, Spurs, Dirk Nowitzki versus Tim Duncan. Western Conference semifinals, Game seven overtime. Classic basketball history. From there, I fell in love with basketball and Dirk would go down as my all time favorite athlete. Then Luka comes along and I get to witness my goat directly pass the torch to the next 20 year franchise guy. And now here we are. I say all that to say, what are your personal highest and lowest moments you've experienced or, or witness from the game of basketball? Jake, can I actually go first with this one?

[Raja Bell]

Is it right now?

[Austin Rivers]

Go ahead.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The highest of the higher. Raja Bell, you was there. As a Sixers fan, you witnessed Allen Iverson, Game 1 NBA Finals, get busy, step over Tyron Lou and the Lakers. That is the highest of the high.

[Raja Bell]

Defense that game, Raja.

[Austin Rivers]

Yep, yep. Thanks, man. I hit a couple tough shots in that one, too.

[Pasha Hagigi]

You did too. You did too. The lowest of the low. I think it's Kawhi Leonard in that shot, circling the basket about 80 million times before the Sixers get eliminated in a Game seven. Yeah, Game seven in Toronto and the Raptors go on to win the championship after the warriors lose. Kd, Clay, guys like that. And that was probably the best Sixers team we had in a long time. So, yep, that was probably lowest of the low.

[Raja Bell]

Sorry, buddy. Hey, yo. If I remember correctly, in that Game 1 NBA Finals in 2001, I feel like Eric Stowe hit some, but it was a beautiful shot. He hit like a, like, it was a wild, like, runner. Was it? Yeah, it was like a runner. And it went up and it went in. Did I get that wrong?

[Austin Rivers]

I don't remember all of that.

[Raja Bell]

Cliff, do you remember this? He hit like a. I feel like.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I do remember something like that.

[Raja Bell]

Running shot. I'm gonna send it in the shot chat. I'm sitting in the chat. I'm still thinking, Raja. Go ahead, buddy.

[Austin Rivers]

Let's see. Highest of the high, probably for me, I'll, I'll go with, with two. I mean, they both, they both are Sixer centric. Like, I, I. The time when I got called for my first 10 day to join the Sixers, I was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and that was a pretty. I was at a Denny's. That was a pretty cool call. Like, that was, you know, I had finally got it done. I had been to a bunch of camps, I had even gotten a contract that was guaranteed, but I had never made the team to play in a game. And this kind of solidified that I was going to be on the roster for a real game. So that was a high for me. Only to be topped probably by game seven of the Eastern Conference finals that year in Philly. I had my parents there, I had my grandparents there. I had aunts and uncles in the Building. And I got the call early in that game and had 11 and kind of sparked a run. That. That was. That was, you know, probably launched my career to some degree. So, like, that was probably my, you know, a 1A and 1B. My lowest moment as a player would have probably been that. That night in. Shit. This was in Philly with the Utah Jazz when.

[Raja Bell]

When.

[Austin Rivers]

When Tyrone Corbin and I got sideways and our fireworks happened, because that was the beginning of the end of my career. I didn't know it at the time, but. But, you know, that. That was. And. And I was. I was guilty of. Of not being a good pro that night, but I let dysfunction get to me in a way that. That brought out the worst in me. And so that was. That was probably the lowest.

[Raja Bell]

Damn, Howard.

[Howard Beck]

I got nothing on this one, Austin.

[Raja Bell]

Honestly, I was never a fucking fan, bro.

[Howard Beck]

I'm not a fan. I'm not an NBA. Like, I'm a journalist. I'm not a fan. I've been doing this.

[Raja Bell]

You were 28 years in your life. You were never a fan in your life.

[Howard Beck]

My biggest, most memorable, like, emotionally, like.

[Raja Bell]

When the warriors, like, traded in, like, what's his name? Who they trade?

[Howard Beck]

You're gonna. If you. You pull something out from the 60s out of your ass.

[Raja Bell]

No, I was gonna say, what. When Robert Paris got traded to the Celtics, that was. That wasn't heartbreaking for you? Fuck. Like, you were a fan then, weren't you?

[Howard Beck]

I was really small, but during that time story, I haven't told that often. I won a contest from, like, a children's shoe store to be ball boy for a day. My first ever NBA game, Warriors game was. I was honorary ball boy for a day. I got, like, a. One of those bright yellow Warriors T shirts that said, like, ball boy or something like that on it. All I remember is, like, pushing the broom around in the key or whatever, rebounding pregame. And I believe Parrish and I think John Lucas were both still on the team then. Yes. Very, very long time.

[Raja Bell]

That's all we asked for.

[Howard Beck]

Very cool. But I wasn't really, like, I knew nothing. Like, I was. I was, like, so small. I was not. I. I had no idea what I was doing. It was all a haze. My actual, like, highest high as a sports fan was not NBA, but as you know, Logan, I was, like, a huge Niners fan as a kid growing up in the. In the time of Joe Montana. So Montana to Clark, the Catch, 1982 NFC Championship game against the Cowboys, like, that's the highest high and that's actually like, my. That's my moment. Like, that's the moment that puts me on a path that eventually sends me down the road to becoming a sports writer. So, like, I always cite that as, like, being, like, a really just important moment as a sports fan, but also just as a person and for my career. So that's the highest high, lowest low. Like, Jim Burt once knocked Montana out cold. Jim Burt from the Giants, like, just absolutely destroyed him.

[Austin Rivers]

Negative.

[Howard Beck]

Look it up, kids.

[Raja Bell]

I didn't know who the fuck we were talking about because he did the. That's when I know Roz is like.

[Howard Beck]

Roger, who's, like, the biggest football head on this pod, and it's like. But no, he does not know who Jim Burt is. Look. Look it up, dude.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, look it up, motherfucker. Yeah. Like, Howard had to look, by the way. Howard's fucking street cred is dwindled, by the way. Guys, just as you know, it wasn't Cudi who said, the old days is the old days. I didn't say he did.

[Howard Beck]

I quoted Cudi accurately. I thought you meant the old days.

[Raja Bell]

It was Slim Charles who said that shit.

[Howard Beck]

And I didn't remember that line, but I did remember Cudi accurately saying, the game done changed, which is the same basic sentiment. It's the theme that ran through that part of the series.

[Austin Rivers]

I'm not taking the points back, Howard. I like it.

[Howard Beck]

Okay, thank you.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, whatever. Anywho, there's so many, like, memories that are. Because I want to get to the other questions.

[Austin Rivers]

Well, then spit it out and so we can get to it.

[Raja Bell]

Hey, hey, hey. When you was about everybody, I wasn't telling you to hurry up. I wouldn't tell you to wrap that up. I was enthralled. What you were saying when you were talking about, like, oh, bam. Well, family was here. I had 30 tickets, man. I didn't even have no bunch of money to get into all the. In the Eastern Conference finals game. But I did it. I was enthralled. And now you always, man.

[Austin Rivers]

Jesus.

[Raja Bell]

Anywho, I think as a kid, my highest moment as a fan, because, you know, I was a fan. Howard, before I got into this was 2010. We the contingent of Laker fans in the Bay Area in Berkeley. I was at Berkeley High at the time, and we all went to Burgermeister on It's not even There Anymore on Shattuck to watch game seven in the 2010 finals. It was my junior year of high school, and a lot of those guys are Warrior fans now. So it's weird, but they were Laker fans. There's a lot of Kobe jerseys up in there, and they beat the Celtics. And that meant something to. That meant something. And so I was really excited about that. Lowest, probably shit, man. I don't know. It's not. It's not as a fan. Like, I was a Lakers fan growing up. It wasn't a lot of low moments. So the lowest one was the Raiders leaving the bay. Wasn't a lot of low moments, probably.

[Howard Beck]

Which time, Logan? They left like 17 times. All they do is like, fuck with your emotions there.

[Raja Bell]

Well, they only left once for me, sir, because I'm only. I'm 12 years old, so, as you know, professionally, though, I will tell the story. That was really cool. That was like a high in this business. I remember when I was still trying to figure stuff out in my career and school wasn't going Great. This is 2017. School wasn't going great. I kind of hit like a ceiling in terms of career stuff. And I put a lot of eggs in a basket to. To get hired by the San Jose Mercury News. And I thought, this is, like, one of the last opportunities. And I remember after I, like, applied, I interviewed for it. I went to Baker Beach. It was a rare, like, 75 degree day in San Francisco, so I went to Baker Beach. No, it wasn't Baker Beach. It was. It was Ocean beach in San Francisco. And Raj will appreciate this. I just did ladder drills on the beach in the sand because I was like, you know what? Gonna clear my head. And I did some parachute too, as well. And midway through the workout, I got a call from the editors of the San Jose Mercury News say, hey, man, we have this beat writer job available. We think you'll be perfect for it. We want to hire you. This is after. After I interviewed, and they were like, the salary is shit. And I was like, I don't care. I will see you tomorrow. And I ended the workout, and that shit changed my life. And I remember that. So that was a high moment being a sports writer. So I wouldn't be here with you today if that didn't happen. So shout out.

[Howard Beck]

Shout out to the Merck, my hometown paper place. That. That was my dream job, and I never got it. I never quite got there.

[Raja Bell]

You did all right. You got the top. You did okay. You did fine. Their loss. Cliff, what is the next question?

[Pasha Hagigi]

All right, the next one is from Oluwa. Jomi Loju, AKA Jomi, first time caller, longtime baller. The Lakers are not tourists for having great players. On their rosters like George, Mike and Jerry West, Kurt Rambis, Slava Mevidenko, Sasevujicic and Alex Crusoe, for starters. What would Luka Doncic have to do in his Lakers tenure to be considered among those greats? Also, an unrelated note, Happy Black History Month.

[Raja Bell]

I knew he was going with this.

[Pasha Hagigi]

You got me talking about exciting whites in Philly. Meanwhile, he's talking about some happy Black History Month. First of all, happy Black History Month, man. Let me. Let's get that clear.

[Raja Bell]

And illustrious sports writers like Dan Woi and Howard Beck and Mike Bresnahan.

[Howard Beck]

Jomi. Just erasing Mark Madsen, by the way.

[Raja Bell]

I know the mark.

[Howard Beck]

Mike Penberthy, Joe Crispin. Come on.

[Raja Bell]

Jerry West. What do you say? Jerry West.

[Howard Beck]

Gail Goodrich.

[Raja Bell]

Oh, my God.

[Howard Beck]

Jerry was in there.

[Raja Bell]

Jerry was in there. Okay. Hot Rod Huntley. What does he have to do?

[Austin Rivers]

Hot Rod was the dude, man.

[Raja Bell]

Are we still talking about white players and white people?

[Howard Beck]

Blame J. I don't know what Joe, I'm not exactly sure what Jamie wanted with the answer to that question.

[Raja Bell]

What does Luca have to do in.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Order to be a Laker? Great.

[Raja Bell]

Exist. Exist. Do what he did in Denver. You know what's going to be hilarious? And Roger will back me up on that? The amount of Omega Sci Fi members who are going to be at the Clave with Luka downstairs, jerseys on.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah, it's going to be nuts.

[Raja Bell]

I know a lot of my homies that are Omega Sci Fi out here plotting for that Luga jersey, and it's going to be insane. Speaking of Black History Month, Howard, did you get the reference? No.

[Howard Beck]

Which?

[Raja Bell]

Okay, never mind. It's fine.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I'm kind of chilling now.

[Raja Bell]

What's the next question, man?

[Pasha Hagigi]

All right, man, let's get to it. Let's get to another question. This is.

[Raja Bell]

Is this question gonna get us fired, too?

[Pasha Hagigi]

No, no, no, no, no. This is actually a fun one. This is actually a fun one. So it says you two are team captains. This is for Beck and Raja, but obviously Logan, chime in on here. It says which ringer staff? Which ringer staffer would you pick in your starting five? Beck goes first, and then you alternate picking four other ringer staffers to go five on five. Who you picking? Alumni is allowed if staffing is low. Thanks, Kelly Allen. Aren't Kelly said, like, 20 questions? By the way, I'm gonna.

[Austin Rivers]

I'm gonna let Lolo and Howard back.

[Raja Bell]

Take this, because he don't know nobody. Roger don't know nobody.

[Howard Beck]

I mean, if we're Assuming this is, I assume 5 on 5 basketball. I've never seen anybody at the ringer play, so they all claim they can hoop.

[Pasha Hagigi]

A lot of. When we was at intro days, Howard, a lot of them was in there talking. We about to do a pickup game. We can go there.

[Raja Bell]

The pickup game happened. I don't think. I don't exactly.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I got out of. I had to get out of the west coast. I got out of there, but I'm not sure, man.

[Howard Beck]

Doesn't Mahoney have a rep for actually being like, legitimate?

[Pasha Hagigi]

I think it's Kyle Mann that does now.

[Raja Bell]

Kyle man is the one. Kyle Mann is the one.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I don't think it's my homie. I think it's Kyle Mann.

[Raja Bell]

I'm gonna pick Kyle Mann. I'm gonna pick Kyle, man. Who you gonna. I'm gonna pick Kyle Mann. I'll take my starting five. Or do we alternate?

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah, you alternate. Yeah, so how.

[Raja Bell]

I'll pick Kyle, man.

[Howard Beck]

Sorry, I just drafting absolutely blindly because I have absolutely no idea what anybody can do. I'll just take the aforementioned Mahoney in the spirit of Jomi's email from a minute ago.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Okay, so. Okay, you got three more each?

[Raja Bell]

No, we have two more or not three more. We have four more each, including your start.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Like you two are.

[Raja Bell]

Oh, I'm on the team.

[Howard Beck]

Oh, we're on our own starting fives. Yeah, yeah, my team's already toast. I'm gonna blow up my knee again.

[Raja Bell]

Yo, who am I gonna take? I need. I'm taking Raja. What the fuck? Sorry. Right now. Take a Raja.

[Howard Beck]

I'll take Austin Rivers.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I'm about to say, yeah, Austin.

[Raja Bell]

I'm taking Pride.

[Howard Beck]

Roger, Austin's shutting down.

[Austin Rivers]

Raja, Doc and Roger Bell both just stepped in as the Manning father did on draft night. We weren't the first picks. We're not coming to your teams, bro.

[Howard Beck]

Wow.

[Raja Bell]

We're not.

[Austin Rivers]

We're not number two picks in this draft. I went undrafted once. I'm not a number two pick in this.

[Raja Bell]

My bad, buddy. Well, he's gonna be watching.

[Howard Beck]

I think our mistake was like immediately thinking like full time staffer ring or whatever. Like, like. And not like there's. There's the expanded ringer universe here. We should have considered.

[Raja Bell]

Who would I pick? Taking Van. Taking Van Lathan just as a body, right? He's like 6:5, you know, might be taller than that.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Honestly, Van's tall as hell and he said used to hoop too.

[Howard Beck]

I need some. I need some. I'm taking Priscilla if we need. I'm going for size then.

[Raja Bell]

Ooh, Resillo's. I don't know, man. Resillo might be good. I've be seen on his Instagram. He'd be pulling and stuff, but I don't know if he's actually good or if he's.

[Howard Beck]

I don't know if he could.

[Raja Bell]

I don't know if he can play.

[Howard Beck]

But I'm not messing with the dude.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I'm gonna say this. I'm say this. I know we're still for a little minute now. He said active on. Allegedly. He said he'd be getting active on the court. Ces my man too. They said they both used to get buckets back.

[Raja Bell]

Look like bro just looks like he's gonna around and just give elbows for no reason. Like he's gonna take it too serious.

[Howard Beck]

He's Charles Oakley.

[Pasha Hagigi]

He be in the gym? Yeah. Cause he be in the gym.

[Howard Beck]

I don't know if he can score, but he'll do some damage.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Imagine him setting screens.

[Raja Bell]

He'll make my life hard as hell. I know I'm not guarding him because I can't flop in a pickup. Who else? Who was my. Oh, damn you. You're probably gonna kick my ass. You know, I'm gonna get you said alumni. I'm gonna take Chuck Holsterman. This has a great. Like, I would take him. I think that's it. Who. That's why Roger couldn't participate.

[Austin Rivers]

Chuck Klosterman. That's a great shout out, Chuck.

[Pasha Hagigi]

If.

[Howard Beck]

If we're just. If we're just pulling names on vibes, then I'm. I'm closing my lineup out with this. The great Shay Serrano.

[Raja Bell]

All right, I got rember Brown coming off the bench. He's gonna be my bench. He's gonna be my Mateen Cleaves. But that's it. That's all.

[Howard Beck]

Give me Concepcion off the bench as my six man.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I like that. I like those lineups.

[Raja Bell]

I want to do one more. Yeah, let's do one more.

[Pasha Hagigi]

All right. This is from the Kill. All right. Hi, Real Ones team. Long time listener from across the pond. I write on behalf of Tom Hansen and myself, inspired by a recent post on X. Sorry, Howard. We are Boo sky guys, but addictions are hard to kick. The post said that we need to find a way to properly commemorate LeBron and NBA folklore and language once he retires. More specifically, we should refer to the eras of basketball as BB and AB Before Braun and after Braun. Thoughts? What do you guys think of that?

[Howard Beck]

The problem with that is if we're Actually talking about, like, this era, like, it's. It's so much defined by LeBron. But when we talk about the game at large, like, who's the one who changed the game? It was staff. Right. We talk about stuff is changing the game. Right.

[Pasha Hagigi]

So after that, real quick, later in the email, I want to get your thoughts on that first. But later in the email, he does say, so the most recent error would be AC or AM after Curry or after Maury. How would you break down the errors before that? Can we make this, or at least after Braun, a thing?

[Howard Beck]

I don't think I'm endorsing any of this, frankly. Sorry. We are in the analytics era. That will largely be attributed to Daryl because he was the first NBA GM who came from that background specifically. So there's gonna, like, he's gonna have a place in this discussion, but Dan, Tony's gonna have a place in this discussion for the pace and space era and then the proliferation of the three. And Steph, of course, because of the way he changed the entire geometry of the game. Like, there's a lot of hands in reshaping the game the way we know it today versus 10 or 15 years ago. And so, you know, I'm not. I'm not. I'm not acronym in any of those guys. And saying it's. They're. They're the ones who get the ERA named after them.

[Raja Bell]

I don't know how to answer this question. Okay, I guess let's do one more because I don't know. Roger, you have anything to add?

[Howard Beck]

We had some pretty abstract questions.

[Raja Bell]

Let's do one more, bro. Let's see if we have, like, one.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Like, got one good one.

[Raja Bell]

One good one. Except one good one.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Let me find something here. This dude Kelly sent, like, 30 of them.

[Raja Bell]

Shout out to our fans. Tight, bro. I appreciate that, dog.

[Pasha Hagigi]

All right, this is a really weird one.

[Raja Bell]

Amazing.

[Pasha Hagigi]

This is off the cuff, too. This is another one from Kelly, who sent, like, 20 of them. Like I said, who are the top five least true hoopers? Like, they are opposite to Katie and Kyrie, but still really good.

[Raja Bell]

Wait, what's the question? What was the question?

[Austin Rivers]

That's cb Top five least true Hoopers.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah. Like, they get, like, they're good, solid NBA players, but they're not like, like, you know, like, Katie and Kyrie. They have enough in their bag to where they can just get any shot, any bucket that they want. Where, like, who are the top five, like, Hoopers outside of that that are still really good? Like, maybe like a. Like, A OG and an OBI type or somebody like that, where they might not have the deepest bag, but they can, you know, still get you a bucket. Play some defense. You know, play defense on the floor, stuff like that.

[Austin Rivers]

I'll rant. I'll rant. You got me. You got me. You got me, Bucket. You got me. You've been looking for it. You got me.

[Raja Bell]

Here I am. I didn't want to do it.

[Austin Rivers]

I'm here. You know what's ruined basketball?

[Pasha Hagigi]

What's up?

[Austin Rivers]

The fucking word bag. The three letters B, a, G, have ruined basketball. Who gives a shit what a bag looks like? No, I mean, listen, you got me. We're gonna do this now. But, like, people are brainwashed. People in these streets are brainwashed to. To respect a bag because someone. Because someone can throw basketball and get nothing done with it. By the way. Nothing accomplished by. By your bag. This. This. This metaphorical bag that you're holding on to. I don't have shit in it by way of producing anything valuable except a clip for Instagram. And are judging people's game based on whether or not they can do it.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yo, y'all talked about this guy for a month, Lamelo Ball. Like, number one bag. Bag guy.

[Austin Rivers]

But listen. But listen. Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean, Lamelo would kind of fall into that, but, like, I look any. Let's just. Let's take it. Let's take it back. Like, anybody in the NBA, bag or no, is a unfathomably good basketball player. You can't even understand the depths of which that person is good at basketball. Your brain can't comprehend it. I promise you that. Go in a gym with them. Like, you watch him on tv. I always rail on this. You watch him on tv, you think it's cake.

[Raja Bell]

You.

[Austin Rivers]

You sitting at your keyboard talking reckless. Go in a gym with that dude and see what he does to you. But let's take it outside of the NBA, where, like, we got kids and. And college players and people. People running programs, like, real reputable programs that would look at this kid and that kid or this player and that player, and one is clearly a more productive basketball player that contributes to winning, and the other has this bag and grown fucking adults will miss over and over again for the bag. It's ruined basketball. The word has ruined basketball. Like, it's. It's. It hasn't ruined it. Let me stop. Like, that's really. It hasn't ruined it, but it is really, really a dangerous word in the landscape of youth, of youth basketball. I promise you It's a dangerous word because people are worried about that more than they're worried about learning how to play more than they're worrying about, you know, learning how to contribute to winning. Boxing out, playing sound, weak side defense, you taking charges, making reads out of pick and roll. Understanding what happens when your man goes under a screen when it's time to. When it's time to fade. If he shoots the gap versus if he's trailing you. I. Curly. Like, ain't nobody worried about that. They're worried about a bag.

[Pasha Hagigi]

So you gonna.

[Austin Rivers]

Yeah.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Green. Is Draymond Green on your top five? Like, who we talking about?

[Raja Bell]

He didn't fuck out of here, Cliff.

[Austin Rivers]

Bro, Draymond Green would eviscerate somebody. Them.

[Raja Bell]

Like, also, bro. Let me. Let's shoot Draymond some bail, bro.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Like, I like Draymond.

[Raja Bell]

No, no, like, prime. Draymond was like, an offensive weapon, bro. Bro.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I think.

[Austin Rivers]

Give me any name. Give me any name.

[Pasha Hagigi]

All right, all right, all right.

[Austin Rivers]

Give me any.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Give you. I'm gonna give you a name. I'm gonna give you a name. Let me think.

[Raja Bell]

I don't even know.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Chris Paul.

[Raja Bell]

Chris Paul.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Chris Paul.

[Austin Rivers]

Chris Paul.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

One of the greatest. One of the greatest point guards of all time.

[Austin Rivers]

What? I should have. I mean, I should have clarified. Like, give me. Give me any name of someone who you don't think is good. Like, we need to do.

[Pasha Hagigi]

No, no, no.

[Austin Rivers]

All right. Who doesn't have. I. I was not. I had no bag. I had no bag. My. My. My high school son, my freshman high school son just. Just had a very, very, very good freshman year in high school. Like, he was one of the most prolific scorers in Florida as a state. As a freshman, that mofo would not score a point against me.

[Raja Bell]

Talk your.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I like that. I like.

[Austin Rivers]

At 50, though. No, I shouldn't. Like, he's a little quick. Like, but if. If he. If he could. If he ain't make his first shot or if I got the ball first, he wouldn't score a point. And I'm 50 years old with no bag, so, like, that's what I'm trying. Like, people get that twisted all the time about, like, your. Your favorite NBA bum that you like to call. Well, I used to argue with the Cleveland Cavs, like, front office about this shit. We'd be sitting around and we'd be looking at our Doing our little grading sheet, and I'd be hearing from across the table, he can't play. He can't play. And I would be like, oh, that is what I'd stop meetings like, bro, don't say that. Don't say that shit, all right.

[Pasha Hagigi]

What do you mean? How about two guys I can think of up top, PJ Washington, Najee Marshall.

[Austin Rivers]

Bro, what Glue guys that would hold your favorite rec ball player at the LA Fitness that you see, like, dominating that comp.

[Pasha Hagigi]

They won't score.

[Austin Rivers]

They won't score.

[Pasha Hagigi]

They would not score.

[Austin Rivers]

Would not score.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I loved it. I loved it. All right, I want to do one more question. Just one more.

[Raja Bell]

Is it good or is Roger gonna like.

[Austin Rivers]

No, that was good. That was good.

[Raja Bell]

I like this.

[Howard Beck]

I don't know how we can top Raj's ranches now.

[Raja Bell]

There's nowhere to go, you know, it's crazy, man.

[Austin Rivers]

You guys see that with bag, right? Like, I know I went off crazy and I do what I do, but, like, you guys see that, like, the bag is the ridiculous. It's.

[Howard Beck]

Dude, no, I'm. I'm absolutely with you.

[Raja Bell]

You know, they always omit the score whenever they show them highlights of people, right? They all. They, they. They crop the video to where you can't really see the score.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Yeah, bro, you're down by 30. Yeah. No, you can. 100%. All right, all right, all right. So this is Raja's Phoenix Suns, Matt Ishb's war crimes against Devin Booker. This is, this is. This is the title of this email. Cedric Serrano here. Hey, guys, Cedric here from Puerto Rico. Big fan since day one and super excited about the heights you guys have reached, especially Howard Beck being aggregated and how much it irritates him.

[Raja Bell]

Listen. Hell yeah, listen. Keep aggregating us, by the way. Keep doing it. Lolo said it.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Listen. What the hell is Devin Booker waiting for? Matt Ishbia clearly doesn't care about him, and they've only rewarded his finals run with the league's most expensive dumpster fire. Why do we never hear his name when it comes to trade rumors or guys possibly wanting out? I wanted to see what you guys thought about Book and what his next few years may look like.

[Raja Bell]

It depends on him. Depends on him. Is he gonna. Have we heard any whispers of Devin Booker saying this is some BS and I want to leave? Have you heard that?

[Howard Beck]

No, and if we did, I wouldn't say it, because then fucking Legion hoops would aggregate it and make it sound like a report.

[Pasha Hagigi]

Sideline sources, sideline sources.

[Howard Beck]

I will say this. You know, there's also.

[Raja Bell]

Real quick, Howard, you knew you was getting aggregated because you told people not to aggregate you. He knew the Vibes he knew the zab was dangerous when he took it.

[Howard Beck]

If Kevin Durant gets traded, as everyone is speculating right now, right, like, this is one of the most prominent bits of speculation across the league is like, this is it. The Suns are circling the drain. The time to do this is now. Like, it didn't work. It's time to pull the plug. Whether it's by Durant demanding out or whether the sun's proactively or whether it's mutually. Whatever it is. But if Durant's gone, like, what is Booker staying for, right? Like, I'm not predicting anything. I'm not saying he should. But, like, if. If Durant's gone and it's just Beal and Booker and whatever a bunch of flotsam, like, is Devin Booker going is? Isn't that the net? The natural next thing to happen, the next domino, would be book saying, get me out. Unless you got something good enough back for Durant. And probably what you're getting back for Durant is picks. You're trying to replenish your.

[Austin Rivers]

Your.

[Howard Beck]

Your stash of draft picks because you have none. So if that's the way you go, like, what's Booker got to look forward to except for watching, you know, Bradley Beals contract just plod on for another couple of years. So I do think that one thing could follow the other.

[Raja Bell]

Whoa. Not Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Howard Beck]

Don't, don't, don't. Don't encourage them.

[Raja Bell]

Logan Donut curse. What are you gonna do, Roger?

[Austin Rivers]

What? What's up?

[Raja Bell]

He goes horb in that corner. Whoa, whoa. Video for that, right? He dropped a video for that. I didn't even know. Yeah, very recently.

[Pasha Hagigi]

I think Wayne is on the remix actually, too.

[Raja Bell]

It's terrible. Wayne verse. Sorry, Roger, don't listen to the remix. It's gonna hurt your feelings. All right. With that being said, we gotta go because in a few hours, I gotta watch Lamello Ball play basketball. So.

[Howard Beck]

He's got a bag.

[Austin Rivers]

He's got a bag.

[Raja Bell]

Howard beat me to it in more ways than one. All right, this has been great. Tap in real onesmailback gmail.com romansmailbagmail.com Rowan's [e-mail] Thank you, Howard Beck. Thank you, Rob. Roger Bell. Thank you, Cliff Augustine. We'll see you Friday. Ah, all this shit's bye.

[Austin Rivers]

Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 + and present in D.C. gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler or visit rg-help.com call 1-887-89-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MDG help.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gambling helpline ma.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-87-7-8, Hope NY or text Hope NY in New York.