Best of NBA Part 2: KD FIRES at European Players, Kuminga's GREEDY Fam

13:47Shannon Sharpe:the game and that's why you have to factor in now whether you play football or basketball is the physicality. They've taken the physicality out of it Ocho.

13:59Chad Johnson:Right.

14:00Shannon Sharpe:Especially in football. Football was built on intimidation. You try to break a man's will. Will yeah. Man they won't let you hit nobody like that. Nah.

14:09Chad Johnson:No, sir.

14:10Shannon Sharpe:I mean, you used to go across the middle, and the guy would be pointing to his head. I'm going to hit you in your damn head. Come by here. I'm going to hit you in your damn head. Come back by here. You point to your helmet now. Oh, that's a flag, and they're going to put$50 ,000 off the check. Yeah. But that's how it was. Guys would tell you, I'm going to knock you out. Come back through here again. Yeah. Yeah. That football is different. Oh, it's a different.

14:39Joe Johnson:Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen, or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comforts of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes, and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in.

15:14Joe Johnson:Redfin has over 2 ,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit Redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. When people turn to telehealth or weight loss, they're looking for real support. That's why more people are choosing orderlymeds.com. Orderly Meds connects you with real doctors and access to proven GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and terzeptatide.

15:52Joe Johnson:No guessing, just a more supportive experience. And all shipped directly to your door in discreet packaging. Do your research, ask questions, then visit orderlymeds.com slash podcast for an exclusive offer. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Individual results may vary. Now medical advice, eligibility required, see site for details. Thy ticket, Lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks, good sir. Heareth my Discover card. They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs? Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Getteth with the times. With the times? You're playing the lute.

16:32Joe Johnson:Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right? Discover is accepted at 99 % of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen Report.

16:46Shannon Sharpe:Matt McClung says he chose not to enter the dunk contest because several NBA players didn't want to compete if he was in it. McClung said, I think that was just best and back and forth for us to be like, then they were like calling me being like, people don't want to do it if you're going to do it. and I thought it's best if I just sit out this year and let it be no matter what. Man, you better tell me they scared of a guy that's in the G League. Who?

17:13Chad Johnson:Yeah, they scared of him. Yeah, he got A. That boy, he ain't about that playing. You see the past couple years. Yeah, they ain't close. Yeah, he done put them boys to shame. And they know he got the crowd behind him too. Yeah. I wonder who didn't want him in there though.

17:33Shannon Sharpe:Hell, I don't want the one that's in there in there. Damn. So, I don't know what they're talking about. Oh, man. Me. Just be real, man. Come on. Like I said, and I get it. Like, the best players really used to compete in a dunk contest. Yeah. That's what the dunk contest was. Now, every dunk contest, they're going to have Jordan, who's your best player, Dominique, who's one of your best players, or Kobe or things like Vince Carter, T-Mac, things like that. But these guys here, I'm like, hold on, bro, hold on. You can't be the 13th and 14th guy on your own team in the dunk contest.

18:20Shannon Sharpe:Larry Nansen, Daryl Griffith, Dr. Dunkenstein, Terrence Stanbury, Kenny Skywalker, those guys, yeah, like, oh, yeah, okay. Yeah. obviously Dr. J and David Thompson and those guys, Jordan and Dominique. Look, man, these guys here, man, I'm like.

18:40Chad Johnson:Hey, look, if you can fly, you got some hops. They trying to do whatever they can to make the dunk contest worth watching. So it don't matter if you the 12th man on the team, but you in warm-up line, windmill, and 360. Joe. That's me, Joe. Joe, you need to know him.

18:58Shannon Sharpe:The fans need to know him. You can't only decide who he is. Think about what they're saying. Who is this guy? Joe, you follow the league, and some of these guys are like, who is he?

19:09Joe Johnson:Yeah, you're right. That's your introduction to allowing the fans to know you. If you can jump, if you're a high flyer, you know? I mean, but, I mean, it is what it is. the fans like

19:23Shannon Sharpe:for the most part we like to have who gonna win oh man Dominique gonna get Jordan this year Jordan gonna get Dominique oh Dr. J gonna win oh yeah them days over oh no Vince gonna win nah T Mike gonna win yeah them days over now look Zach Levine and Aaron Gordon these guys here like I said once they started letting guys miss like 15 dunks

19:48Chad Johnson:it was over hey Unc That thing was star-studded back in the day. Yes. I'm talking about you be glued to the TV. You ain't missing that man dunk with them boys.

20:00Shannon Sharpe:And that was the thing, though, Joe. The All-Star Game, excuse me, the dunk contest, that was Saturday night. Lights go down. Everybody hyped. Everybody got their camcorder. Everybody had their camcorder. Yeah, yeah.

20:18Chad Johnson:I got a question. Do y 'all think we oversaturate everything because everything is kind of like right in front of us right now? It's like so like, you know, you couldn't see none of that back in the day, Uncle Ocho, unless you turned to the TV at a certain time. You know, now every game you can watch every game. You might be glancing through your phone and see everything that's going on. So do y 'all think that being oversaturated is kind of like what takes away from the pizzazz of like all-star or things that, you know, we were accustomed to being excited about. But now, because we see so much.

20:55Chad Johnson:It might be.

20:57Shannon Sharpe:Cartoons don't have the same once they started coming on every day. Because cartoons used to be fun when they only came on Saturdays. One day. Then they came out with a Cartoon Network. You're like, well, it ain't no fun if I can watch it all the time.

21:07Joe Johnson:Yeah, all the time, yeah. You know, I think, Joe, it might be oversaturated, but if the product did what it was supposed to do when it's out there, we would still be excited to see it. The fact that the product is out there and they're not doing anything to keep you excited, even though it's saturated, I mean, it is what it is. I was going to use an analogy that it's oversaturated on Twitter. You can find it anywhere and see it anywhere, but for some reason, we always want to see it, but I'm going to leave that alone.

21:37Shannon Sharpe:We still like the dog. We still talk about people getting flushed on.

21:41Joe Johnson:Yeah, yeah. But that's when they actually plan for real. Yeah. They actually plan for real. Joe, with All-Star Game, dunk contest, I mean, don't nobody want to do the dunk contest no more. They lack creativity. The last great dunk contest, Aaron Gordon versus...

22:04Shannon Sharpe:Zach Levine. Levine. Yeah, I mean, McClellan was nice. Ain't no way one should have lost.

22:10Chad Johnson:They should have been co-MVPs. Yeah, that was tough. So, Aiden, but when you think about the All-Star game itself, I'm going to tell y 'all what really kills it. It's like the first three quarters, it's like Ole. Yes. You get a layup. You get a dunk. You get a between the legs. So fans don't really want to see that. They want to see you compete. You know, when that fourth quarter get here, and if it's a close game, obviously guys are going to compete. But them first three quarters be so watered down that the fans get restless. You know what I mean? They get tired of just watching layups and dunks.

22:42Chad Johnson:and like, man, lock that dude up. It's already 194 and a half.

22:48Shannon Sharpe:100 and what? 94. 94. I ain't watching that mess, man. I mean, and they've tried everything. They let LeBron and Steph and LeBron and KD and they let Giannis and LeBron and they've let so many different players try to pick and they split it up. You can pick somebody from the West even though you're in the East. When you can pick somebody in the East, even though you from the West, they've tried everything.

23:20Hey, I've been here.

23:22Chad Johnson:I heard the narrative about the blacks against the whites. What y 'all think about that?

23:29Shannon Sharpe:No. Hell, why not just make it skin versus the shirts? Y 'all take y 'all shirts off the other way. Hey, Joe, play like we used to play at the Wreck. Yeah. hey hey hey oh some of these boys got some bad oh yeah they'd be oh yeah they got them bmw body made wrong yeah but i look yeah i just think the thing is we just got the lower expectations it's never going to be what it was was and there are a lot of things that's not as good as it was once that don't mean it can't be good it's just not going to be that i think we just got we just have to lower the expectations. It is.

24:10Chad Johnson:Or we got to get a good crop of guys, man, to really come in and pick this league back up because our megastars are going out. Yes. You know, they on their last legs. The Steph Curry. KD's, LeBron's. The Durant's, the LeBron's. Come on, man. Like, we need some, we need to know that the game is in great hands going forward with the young talent. And we got some young talent in the league, but I think this draft class here is going to help.

24:40Joe Johnson:Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comforts of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in.

25:15Joe Johnson:Redfin has over 2 ,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait. this could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. When people turn to telehealth or weight loss, they're looking for real support. That's why more people are choosing orderlymeds.com. Orderlymeds connects you with real doctors and access to proven GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and terzeptatide.

25:53Joe Johnson:No guessing, just a more supportive experience and all shipped directly to your door in discreet packaging. Do your research, ask questions, then visit Visit orderlymeds.com slash podcast for an exclusive offer. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice. Eligibility required. See site for details. Thy ticket, Lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks, good sir. Heareth my Discover card. They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs? Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Getteth with the times. With the tines? You're playing the lute.

26:33Joe Johnson:Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right? Discover is accepted at 99 % of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen Report. About a lot.

26:47Shannon Sharpe:I mean, I don't know who we're going to talk about. I think we're going to talk about, what's his name? The one they just traded to Atlanta from the warrior? Kaminga. Kaminga. He got the people that the reports is that his people were taking food, all the food, taking food home. What's wrong with that? You can take food home, not your homeboys. I mean, they're going to throw the food away anyway.

27:11Chad Johnson:See, there you go. You see how this man fake a joke? Ocho, Ocho, you can't, OK, if we allow you to bring your homeboys in here when it's time to eat, after pre, you can't be having them in there fixing plates and all that. Come on now.

27:24Joe Johnson:Damn, what kind of? I thought this ain't no fake. This ain't no family environment? No, when we have family day,

27:29Shannon Sharpe:first of all, Cincinnati didn't have this type of setup. So y 'all couldn't take Ish home anyway but pizza.

27:34Joe Johnson:Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. We had that. We cater. We cater to the players and the family members as well. Mike Brown feed everybody.

27:44Shannon Sharpe:But please, you do realize I got no Marvin, right? And Marvin had to talk to Mike Brown just to get y 'all decent food. Don't do that, Ocho.

27:56Joe Johnson:Hold on, I don't know what kind of food we had, cause you know, uncle, I leave to go eat. You know where I'm at. Yeah, you didn't have no choice to leave. You didn't have nothing to eat.

28:05Shannon Sharpe:Nah. Y 'all didn't even have pizza on Friday before Marvin got there. Pizza? Don't nobody want no pizza on Friday? Everybody get pizza and wings on Friday. That's madness.

28:20Joe Johnson:Nah, I don't like no pizza. I don't want no pizza. Cause y 'all couldn't have it. You know you can catch me at. Hey Joe, I appreciate that Joe, boy we going. No, but you can't look.

28:32Shannon Sharpe:You gotta be respectful of the situation. I get homeboys, my homeboys come in town. Hey, I was like, hey. Hey, they like, man, I said, look, go in there. They sit down, we sit down, they get a couple of slices a piece and get some wings, we eat. There wasn't no getting no food and taking it out there. Man, I had to stop a dude, Ocho. This dude, I was like, damn. He done shot, what he waiting for? Yo, I'm looking up like, well damn. Man, he shot with 30 minutes ago and he's still sitting around here. Right. This joker loading up, you know how you, Ocho, you know how you put your jock and all your stuff in a bag, the laundry bag.

29:11Shannon Sharpe:This joker done went and got him another laundry bag and take my 15, 16 Gatorade home tonight. Damn. I said, my man. I said, my man. that is what we do. I say, is it worth you getting cut over? Cause that's what's gonna happen if Mike didn't find out you doing this. Why? And you doing it every day? You do it every day. I say, come on bro. Ah, you right, you right. I'm like, bro, that don't fake man. I mean, first of all, most people, most family and friends are not going to put you in harm's way because when they're gone, you still there. Right. They'll be looking at you sideways.

29:57Joe Johnson:Hey, Joe, y 'all don't think that's petty, though? Hell no! Team worried about, you know, your people taking food? We talking about food.

30:06Chad Johnson:Well, you got to give us more content. Did he sit there and eat and then make a big plate?

30:12Shannon Sharpe:Hold on. Somewhere around Jonathan Camigas were reporting taking too much food from the Warriors' family room per Anthony Slater. He knew management wanted to ding him for missing team requested events and alert him that someone around him was taking too much food from the family room. The gripes between the player and the organization as multiple sources said have become petty in the fifth year of the relationship and many believe should have ended years before.

30:38Joe Johnson:You heard that key word that I already said? Petty? Yeah. I think it's petty. I mean, and it's the family room. Now you're trying to chastise and tell my family how much food they could take. First of all, what is too much?

30:49Shannon Sharpe:First of all, you're not Steph Curry. Steph Curry can take whatever he want. You're not him. You have to understand, Ocho, there are things that you could do in Cincinnati that lesser players couldn't do. Yeah. We understand that. I can take advantage of that. There's a pecking order. It's called production and tolerance. When your production is high, tolerance level for BS is even higher. So this notion, the thing he can do with Steph and what Draymond can do, bro. When I can, look, when my homeboys came, my homeboys got sideline passes. Guys look at me like, hey, man, your homeboys on the sideline.

31:33Shannon Sharpe:I was like, yeah. I'm like, why don't you, man, I ain't going to even ask, because I already know the answer is no. But my family was on, my homeboys was on the sideline. John had people on the sideline. TD could have people on the sideline. There were a few other guys, but everybody's not like that. You got to understand your position in the organization. Now, he give you a 22, 20, he give you a 20, 22 a night, Joe, five and five. Hey, bro, hey, as a matter of fact, what you need to take? They going to fix you up something to take home. they're gonna have you a bag to go bag ready yeah yeah i i i understand what y 'all saying i i

32:14Joe Johnson:obviously you know there's a pecking order there's certain things you can and cannot do but family really i i just think it's kind of petty to me i mean i understand what you guys are saying and how you see it just a family room or we taking too much food hell kaminga probably had him do it on purpose to hurry up and expedite his his way up out of there yeah it's a bad

32:33Chad Johnson:relationship, bro. It was a relationship gone bad. Yeah, that's basically what it was.

32:38Shannon Sharpe:When the man wasn't even playing and then he played a little bit in the postseason last year, this relationship should have been ended. It's kind of like you bring somebody to the cookout and then all of a sudden they taking four, five plates up out of there. You ain't gonna say it's just food. You're like, hold on, bro. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. But that's how they was viewing it. The reports like Steve Kerr reportedly wanted to develop Jonathan Kaminga into a Sean Marion, Aaron Gordon type. But Kaminga viewed himself as a future all-star and wanted more on-ball opportunities. Kaminga career developed.

33:17Shannon Sharpe:Kaminga believed that he had shown enough in a supplementary role to have earned more consistent trust on-ball opportunities. Neither happened to his liking, sources said. only hardening his belief that Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy would only ever view him as a fast, run fast, jump high athlete without a requisite skill to be a lead option.

33:41Chad Johnson:Hey, look. I'm out here. I got Uncle Ocho. I'm looking for Kaminga. Where he at? I'm watching the Hawks game. I'm like, damn, where he going to play? I'm looking for him. So he didn't start line up with the Hawks? I ain't seen him play. Nah. He ain't played. I don't think he played the game yet. Is he hurt? He probably hurt. I don't know. I don't know. They probably giving him some time to get ready or whatever. Yeah, to get acclimated. But the faster they can incorporate him, the better off they'll be, man. I think him and Jalen Johnson can really make some noise. But, okay, Ocho, with him and the Warriors, with Kamiga and the Warriors, that was just a bad relationship, bro.

34:22Chad Johnson:But they couldn't let him walk away for nothing, so they had to get some compensation for him. You know what I mean? So that's why they re-signed him, and I guess they just pretty much used him for bait. And like, at the worst case, we just going to sit him down right here until we can trade him. You know what I mean? That's in basketball, man, that's how they'll do you, bro.

34:39Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Yeah. I'm just, but did he realize, like, Sean Marion was an all-star? Yeah. Sean Marion turned himself into an all-star and was a major contributor on a championship winning team.

34:51Chad Johnson:Man, listen, you didn't have to run no plays. OK, Ocho. You didn't have to run that one play, and he was going to have 20 and 10 every night.

34:59Joe Johnson:For real?

34:59Chad Johnson:Every night. You look in the stat sheet, dude got 22 points, 12 rebounds, 20. And played great defense. Great defense. And he had the fastest second jump I've ever seen in a basketball player. Like, it's like he would shoot the miss on purpose just so he could go up there and tip it in. Hey, he had the funniest shot released, too. Oh, yeah. He did. He did. Yeah, he had a little funny shot, but hey, it was cash though, in that corner, in that wing. Oh, you had three, oh, that three ball in them short porches. Yeah, he was cash money.

35:33Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, but I mean, bro, come on. First of all, Ocho, you taking stuff home is different than a family member or friends taking stuff home. You know how that go. That's just like you. You can go back to the training room, you can wear stuff up out of there, but you can't, your family, friends, like, hey, just grab stuff, you can't do that. I mean, that is so unprofessional. I don't even know why he would even want to put the, I don't even know why family and friends would, they say friends, but I don't even know why they would put him in that situation, Joe. I don't.

36:05Chad Johnson:So, hey, you gotta understand, some family members don't understand the etiquette you got to come with, Uncle Ocho, especially if some that ain't never really been to a professional game, I'm just speaking from experience, bro. Like, you know, you have to put them in they place, and he's like, look, look, don't be up in here, man, in here eating up all, everything up in here in sight.

36:26Shannon Sharpe:Don't be asking, don't be asking for no autographs. Don't be, hey man, can I get them gloves? Man, don't be talking about signing my football. Man, don't look here, don't do that.

36:36Joe Johnson:Hey, that's me right there. Don't do that. That's me. Hey, hey, Joe. What's up? I go to games where I get to asking, I'm talking about NFL player, Joe. Joe, I act like I never played in the NFL before. Boy, I be excited to see people. I be excited to meet new players. I be asking for pictures and shit. I'm like, and they looking at me crazy like, you want a picture with me? I say, yeah, man, I want a picture, man. Come on, man.

37:03Shannon Sharpe:I don't know what's wrong with you. This is how we behave, bro. Because when you leave, that's a reflection on me. People looking at me sideways. Man, you know, sharp home, boys, man. Them Joe, they know how to act. Man.

37:14Joe Johnson:He probably told me to do that on purpose, man.

37:17Chad Johnson:But you gotta, hey, look, you hook them up, you hook them up with a little care package though. You make sure they get a little something.

37:22Shannon Sharpe:Hey.

37:22Chad Johnson:Yeah.

37:23Shannon Sharpe:I had already done told Flip, I said, hey Flip, I got some homeboys coming. Can they get a pair of shorts? Can they get a couple of t-shirts, a couple of hats? Hey, Sharpie, no problem. I have it sitting in your locker. Cause everybody ain't gonna get that. Right, right, right. But you also understood, like I said, People that's never been in that situation, y 'all don't get it. Y 'all talk about a billion-dollar organization. Okay, you work for Microsoft. You work for Amazon. Let your homeboys go up in there and do whatever the F they want. They work way more than NFL teams and see what happens.

38:00Shannon Sharpe:Y 'all don't get it. I just wish people just got it and just stopped thinking so reckless. You're a professional. This ain't no somebody. I'm going down the street to Miss Lucia's house.

38:14Joe Johnson:Yeah. Hey, Unk, I mean, I understand you, Joe. I understand both of y 'all. But at the end of the day, man, we talk about food. We talk about food. Who they're preparing the food for? The family.

38:28Shannon Sharpe:It's in the family area. This for the team. It said family. Ocho. Remember I told you the story about how the coach said we went to the buffet? it's all you can eat, not all you can eat and take out?

38:44Shannon Sharpe:That's the difference. It's all you can eat, not all you can eat and take out. Right. And how does that, Ocho, how does that look, Joe? Joe there, Joe got four homeboys, and each of them got two plates leaving the facility. Yeah, they ain't having that, Ocho.

39:06Joe Johnson:I got y 'all. I understand. But I think, I bet he said, man, y 'all get what y 'all want, man. I don't care. I don't want to be here no goddamn way.

39:16Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, it probably was some pettiness. For sure. Evan Turner responded to the situation tweeting, I remember one time my coach said he viewed me as Richard Jefferson, and that was the first time I truly understood Latrell Sprewell. P.S. I trade the career I had for Richard Jefferson, so it ain't no shade. I just thought I was Kobe.

39:39Chad Johnson:Hey, listen, but that's the reality that you get when you come into the NBA, Arcan Ocho, I'm telling you, and you've been great your whole life on every team you've played on, you started, you've been the guy. And then you get around some real pros, dude who's been in the league eight, 12, 15 years. And then you kind of see the big difference. Like, man, I'm talented, but I ain't that damn talented. You know what I mean? Like, yeah. It's an eye opener, bro. Especially for guys who've really been held on that pedestal since they were 13, 14 years old.

40:12Shannon Sharpe:Right, yeah. And how many, and Richard Jefferson played what? 17, 18 years?

40:18Chad Johnson:Yeah, he played 18 years, won a title. With the Cavs. Went to two, didn't he go with the Nets?

40:25Shannon Sharpe:He went twice with the Nets, back to back, right? To the finals, yeah, but they lost to the Jers. He lost to the Spurs and I think they lost to the Lakers.

40:33Chad Johnson:Lakers, yeah. So. That was my draft class. He went, Richard Jefferson went 12. I went 10 in that draft, 0-1.

40:41Shannon Sharpe:See, I mean, that's the thing. Oh, look. Sometimes we are our biggest, our biggest enemy. Because everybody views themselves, Ocho. Everybody views themselves as Jerry Rice or Lawrence Taylor or Reggie White.

40:57Joe Johnson:Yeah.

40:57Shannon Sharpe:Man, just let me, just let me, bro.

41:03Chad Johnson:Only time gonna tell. That's it.

41:05Shannon Sharpe:That's it. But guys don't have patience no more now, Joe and Ocho. Guys, hey, I want what I want right now, Joe. I want it right now, Ocho. Let me get that. And if I can't get it, I'm gonna make stuff uncomfortable, and then you go somewhere else, and guess what? Never to be heard from or seen again. Right. Absolutely right. Bill Simmons spoke with the state of the NBA and Adam Silver's leadership. up. Simmons says, it's the first time I've really wondered like do we have the right guy running this league? Because he doesn't seem interested in fixing real problems that everybody can see. And it's like it's not about like, look at the NBA Cup.

41:44Shannon Sharpe:Your schedule is too long. You have to fix this. How many more games can players miss before they're disqualified from postseason awards? Anthony Edwards can only miss seven games. Kawhi can only miss four. Victor Wimanyama can only miss four. Steph Curry can only miss two. Nikola Jokic, Nikola Jokic can only miss one. Giannis and LeBron has already been eliminated.

42:11Chad Johnson:Man, listen. Okay, Ocho, I knew this was going to be a problem when they implemented this into the NBA season where you had to play. 65? How many games you had? 65? 65 games? Yeah. Man, I know it's an 82-game season. and that don't seem like a lot, but yeah, you can see, it put a lot of stars out of contention. You know what I mean? Especially if you get an injury, Joe. Yeah, you get an injury, it's a wrap.

42:40Joe Johnson:Do you think they'll change it? They gonna change it back?

42:43Shannon Sharpe:When is, Joe, that's collective bargain. So when is the new bargain, when is the agreement up? You can't do anything now.

42:53Joe Johnson:No, I mean, you can?

42:55Chad Johnson:Nah, not like, nah. Oh, wow.

42:58Shannon Sharpe:It's got to be collective bargain. It's just like the league can't go to 18 games as much as they want to. That'll be something you'd have to put to the union. So if you want to change it and say, okay, instead of 65, we'll make it 72. So you're going to miss 10 games. But the thing is that if a guy gets hurt, he's going to be out of it anyway. Jokic got hurt. Yeah.

43:25Chad Johnson:Yeah, and still got these crazy numbers. Yeah, but they put this in play because they want guys, they want to stop the tanking, I think, and they wanted guys to have to play versus all this sitting out, these national televised games, guys sitting out. They tried to put it in all that.

43:44Shannon Sharpe:They did. And what rest, what did they call it, Ocho? I mean, Joe, with San Antonio, what did they call that? Load management. Load management. The guys were low managing Saturday night games. They were low managing ESPN games. They were low managing TNT games. And I say, nah, bro. People paying$15 ,000,$20 ,000 to sit courtside. They're bringing their family, and the stars are not out. I mean, just imagine if you went to the Lakers game last night. No Luka, no LeBron, no AR.

44:18Joe Johnson:Damn. You got to be a true fan.

44:21Shannon Sharpe:No. stars sell the league. That's why everybody wants one. That's why you want it. That's why you put up with a lot of that BS, Ocho, and you give them the keys to the car because you need that. Right.

44:37Chad Johnson:And okay, Ocho, this is why all these teams, they talking about these teams out here tanking. They tanking because this draft class is going to be one of them ones. Yeah. They know they can get you a superstar that can put your head in the next 15, 20 years.

44:54Shannon Sharpe:You got Cameron Boozer, you got DeBanza, you got the kid from Darien Peterson. I don't know about him, I see a lot of red flags. You got Kayla Wilson. I see a lot of red flags, Joe. Because of the injury history. No, because of, maybe that's injury, but he's done missed some time, suspension, things like that, the kid from North Carolina.

45:15Chad Johnson:I'm saying because, like, you know, he's been out due to, like, little minute injuries. So, you know, if you, you know, he's been great when he's played, but he may have 22 points in one half and don't play the next. And I think on the professional level, you're thinking, man, you're going to be playing 82 games a season. Right now in college, you're only playing, what, 30, 35 games a season?

45:38Shannon Sharpe:That's if you go all the way through this. That's if you all go all the way through, Joe.

45:42Joe Johnson:Yeah, you can't make it through this. It's going to be teller. Which one is Young Bull that's from BYU that's really good? DeBouncer.

45:49Chad Johnson:AJ DeBouncer. Yeah? Yeah, he nice. He ready. I think, OK, Ocho, you can put him in the league right now. Like, if he was on that Mavericks team and he took Cooper flag spot, he'd be averaging about 22, 23 a game. He good.

46:04Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Carlos Boozer's son. Man, he a dog, too.

46:09Chad Johnson:Which camera? He a monster. A walking double-double. Yeah. He balling. Cameron Boozer. I like Caleb Wilson too from North Carolina.

46:18Shannon Sharpe:Hey, I don't know if you know this, but Gil's son, Elijah, game winner, long-ranging, can handle the ball, can score three different levels, the mid-range, he can get all the way to the rim, he can shoot the three. He good. He really good. Yeah, he ain't got no weaknesses.

46:36Chad Johnson:He just got to stay healthy, continue to get stronger. Put a little weight on. Gil, get that man in the weight room. Man, yeah. Yeah, but look, Gil, okay. Hey, you know, he just had like 29 in the game. Yeah, against Penn State.

46:47Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, I watched it.

46:48Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So he out there getting money. He like a little late bloomer to the party. But hey, look, y 'all can't overlook my Razorbacks now. You know, led by them two freshmen, Darius Acuff and Malik Thomas. Yeah, we got some boys over there getting money, Ocho. You hear me? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, we got some boys out there getting money, man.

47:07Joe Johnson:These young freshmen getting to it. Hey, we on basketball time now. so you know I gotta lock in. I'm ready to talk basketball. Hey Joe, I thought we was going to a Hawks game. Amar, you gotta do it.

47:20Chad Johnson:Tell me when you coming down. I mean, listen, I mean - Pick a game. You wanna pick a game? Pick a game, man. I'll make sure we get some, put your foot on the wood, get you right. Oh Joe, we gonna sit cross side? Yeah, man, get you right.

47:33Shannon Sharpe:I just like the - You gonna come down? Huh? You know you get a haircut, Joe, at the Hawks game? Oh, they cut hair?

47:43Chad Johnson:Yeah, they got bougie in there now, Ocho.

47:46Joe Johnson:Hey, Joe, but for real, we going to be cross-eyed though?

47:48Chad Johnson:Come on, man. Come on. I'm going to get us right. I'm going to have us right.

47:52Joe Johnson:Hey, Joe, you got money, Joe. Hey, you got to chill.

47:55Chad Johnson:You got to chill. Hey, Joe, got to chill. I can't wait. Hey, when the next good game, though? We got to look at the schedule and see. Hold on. You ain't no true fan here.

48:03Shannon Sharpe:Hold on. Ocho, did this man not just say he a true fan when I say people play to see superstars? and now he's saying win the next good game. You see that? You see that joke?

48:14Joe Johnson:Hold on. But you have to understand, I'm not a basketball enthusiast. I'm still getting into the game. So I don't know anyone. I know Trae Young. They go to see Steph Curry, LeBron,

48:25Shannon Sharpe:Giannis. They go to see the stars. Yeah. That's why it's a star-driven league. You need that.

48:37Shannon Sharpe:Kevin Durant spoke with Akeem Olajuwon about how much longer he wanted to play. Somebody asked me if I could play five more years. I'm like, damn, that's a long time, man. Five more years? I'm 37. That played that long and kept his mental stamina and physical stamina to come in every day and want to get better. I mean, you can't beat that. It's inspiring. You got to respect that. Joe Inoccio, how much longer do you think KD plays before he hangs it up?

49:06Joe Johnson:Hey, Joe Inoccio, I think he can play. he could play another five if you want to, even at 37, you know, depending on, depending on the supporting cast around him, he don't got to have the ball in his hand. He can play off the ball. You know, I mean, he doesn't have to, what's the word I'm looking for? He doesn't have the pressure of having to lead a team, depending on the situation he's in. He got enough young bulls around him over there in Houston. We could last, he could last another, another five. Yeah.

49:35Chad Johnson:So he don't have to take, he don't have to take so much of a beating.

49:38Shannon Sharpe:His game is not physical like that. LeBron's game, I mean, for LeBron to play that long, to dominate, and finishing at the rim and finishing at the rim and falling on the floor, that's not Kevin Durant's game. Kevin Durant is a mid-range. He can shoot the three. He's looking at one, two, three dribbles, one, two dribbles and pull up. So he's not playing physically. I mean, obviously, you're out there every night. You're playing 35, 37 minutes a night. It's demanding. but he's not playing the style of basketball that say, and he doesn't have to have the ball. He's not initiating the offense. So that's what, and my thing is, I think, you know, he can play another five years.

50:17Shannon Sharpe:The question is, I mean, playing five years is one thing. Are you in championship contention those five years? And I think with I may be in Houston and with that team they got, I still think they need a point guard. It would have been great if Van Fleet could have stayed healthy, but I love Shingun. I love Thompson. KD, obviously. So, I don't think they can come out of the West. You don't think they can come out of the West? I don't believe they can beat OKC. I don't believe they can beat Denver. I don't.

50:59Chad Johnson:Man, listen. With KD's body type, Ocho, I definitely think he can play another five years. They call him, what they call him, the Slim Reaper. Yeah, I think he can definitely play another five years because his shooting is still going to always be a premium. You know what I mean? Look, in today's game, you can shoot that rock. You can play, bro. And with him being 6 '10", 6 '11", 7 '0", it's hard to guard that anyway. So, you know, that's going to be tough.

51:27Shannon Sharpe:Hey, he jump, he shootin' from down, he shootin' from down to nine foot high.

51:32Chad Johnson:Hey, hey, we call that that tall man. Ain't but a couple guys got that tall man jump shot. That's that Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace.

51:39Joe Johnson:Ocho. Katie, huh, Ocho.

51:43Chad Johnson:But, I think they got a chance, but I think they, you know, they still tweakin' some things because, I mean, Thompson, I think he's pretty good, but yeah, when the playoff comes and it slows down, him playing the one the entire time, that probably will bring some problems. But that's why I think the West is going to be a dogfight. Like the first round to the second round all the way up to the Western Conference Finals, man, they're going to beat each other up

52:13Shannon Sharpe:by the time whoever makes each other. But if you think about it, Joe, look at the Nuggets. Once they get back healthy with Peyton Watson playing the way he's playing, with Jamal Murray, Jokic is Jokic. Ain't nobody stopping him. Just go ahead and chalk it up. Okay, you can get your 25 to 30 and your 12 to 15 rebounds and your 12 to 15 assists. He's going to get that. Now, you get playoff Jamal Murray, who's going to give you 25. And then you get Aaron Gordon. You never know which Aaron Gordon. He won him two games last year against OKC. But Watson, Mr. Peyton Watson. Yeah.

52:56Chad Johnson:Yeah, I think he's like a wild card for them, because he done kind of sprouted this year, and he been balling, Uncle Ocho. So, you know, for him to gain their confidence, when they get fully healthy, the thing is, with Gordon, you don't know, I mean, y 'all know, man, them hamstring, they linger, bro. Yeah. He's an athlete. He's not just no standstill shooter. You know what I mean? So it plays a part to his game. But it's gonna be tough coming out there west, bro. Ocho, you got yours? What's up? Huh? That's all right, man, I like that. Mine up still. Show some tea.

53:36Shannon Sharpe:Man, they got the gravy and that thing. They got the soul patch, yo. They got my neck. Well, they got you right. Hey, look. You don't see that chat. Uncle, what you know about the soul patch? Man, they got your boy good, man. My brother said, I like that, so I'm going to send him one.

53:56Joe Johnson:Yeah, that's what's up. Ocho, you get you one? Yeah, I got one. I got my little soccer jersey on it. Oh, Joe.

54:02Chad Johnson:That's what's up, man.

54:03Joe Johnson:Hey, whoever, I'm not sure exactly who drew it, but when they drew it, they were very detailed and meticulous on exactly the things that I, you know, I mean, my features and what I always wear. It's pretty dope.

54:15Shannon Sharpe:Hey, your other guy that got your boy hands.

54:22Shannon Sharpe:Oh, yeah, they ain't miss on them, boy. Oh, man, they got the gray and everything, man. I said, well, damn. I told my shoulder to my daughter. I said, that look like me. She told me she got laughing about it. She told me, yeah. But I do. I think Kevin Durant, I mean, I think Kevin Durant, he definitely can play five more years. Kevin Durant spoke with Akeem Olajuwon about how much longer he wanted to play. Somebody asked me if I could play five more years. I'm like, damn, that's a long time, man. Five more years? I'm 37. That played that long and kept his mental stamina and physical stamina to come in every day and want to get better.

55:05Shannon Sharpe:I mean, you can't beat that. It's inspiring. You got to respect that. Joe Inocho, how much longer do you think KD plays before he hangs it up?

55:16Joe Johnson:hey Joe Anuck I think I think he can play he could play another five if you want to even at 37 you know depending on depending on the supporting cast around him he don't got to have the ball in his hand he can play off the ball you know I mean he doesn't have to what's the word I'm looking for he doesn't have the pressure of having to lead a team depending on the situation he's in he got enough young bulls around him over there in Houston we could last he could last another another five Yeah, so he don't have to take so much of a beat.

55:48Shannon Sharpe:His game is not physical like that. LeBron's game, I mean, for LeBron to play that long, to dominate, and finishing at the rim and finishing at the rim and falling on the floor, that's not Kevin Durant's game. Kevin Durant is a mid-range. He can shoot the three. He's looking at one, two, three dribbles and pull up. So he's not playing physically. obviously you're out there every night you're playing 35, 37 minutes a night is demanding, but he's not playing the style of basketball that say, and he doesn't have to have the ball he's not initiating the offense so that's what, and my thing is I think he can play another five years, the question is playing five years is one thing are you in championship contention those five years, and I think with Aime being in Houston and with that team they got, I still think they need a point guard.

56:39Shannon Sharpe:It would have been great if Van Fleet could have stayed healthy, but I love Shingun. I love Thompson. KD, obviously. So, I don't think they can come out of the West. As currently... You don't think they can come out of the West? I don't believe they can be I don't believe they can be

57:06Shannon Sharpe:OKC. I don't

57:09Chad Johnson:Man, listen, with KD's body type, Ocho, I definitely think he can play another five years. They call him, what they call him, the Slim Reaper? Yeah, I think he can definitely play another five years because his shooting is still going to always be a premium. You know what I mean? Look, in today's game, you can shoot that rock. You can play, bro. And with him being 6 '10", 6 '11", 7' it's hard to guard that anyway. So, you know, that's going to be tough.

57:37Shannon Sharpe:Hey, he jump, he shootin' from down, he shootin' from down to nine foot high.

57:42Chad Johnson:Hey, hey, we call that that tall man. Ain't but a couple guys got that tall man jump shot. That's that Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace.

57:49Joe Johnson:Ocho.

57:49Chad Johnson:Katie, huh? Ocho. But, I think they got a chance, but I think they, you know, they still tweakin' some things because, I mean, Thompson, I think he's pretty good. But yeah, when the playoff comes and it slows down, him playing the one the entire time, that probably will bring some problems. But that's why I think the West is going to be a dogfight. Like the first round to the second round all the way up to the Western Conference Finals, man, they're going to beat each other up by the time whoever makes each other.

58:24Shannon Sharpe:But if you think about it, Joe, look at the Nuggets. Once they get back healthy with Peyton Watson playing the way he's playing, with Jamal Murray, Jokic is Jokic. Ain't nobody stopping him. Just go ahead and chalk it up. Okay, you can get your 25 to 30 and your 12 to 15 rebounds and your 12 to 15 assists. He's going to get that. Now, you get playoff Jamal Murray, who's going to give you 25. And then you get Aaron Gordon. You never know which Aaron Gordon. He won him two games last year against OKC. But Watson, Mr. Peyton Watson. Yeah.

59:05Chad Johnson:Yeah, I think he's like a wild card for them, because he done kind of sprouted this year, and he been balling, Uncle Ocho. So, you know, for him to gain their confidence, when they get fully healthy, the thing is, with Gordon, you don't know, I mean, y 'all know, man, them hamstrings, they linger, bro. Yeah. And he's an athlete. He's not just no stand still shooter. You know what I mean? So it plays a part to his game. But it's going to be tough coming out there west, bro. Oh, Joe, you got yours? What's up? Huh? That's all right, man, I like that. Mine up still. Show some tea.

59:45Shannon Sharpe:Man, they got the gravy and that thing. They got the soul patch, Joe. They got my neck. Boy, they got you right. Hey, look. You don't see that chat. Oh, what you know about the soul patch? Man, they got your boy good, man. My brother said, I like that, so I'm going to send him one.

1:00:06Joe Johnson:Yeah, that's what's up. Ocho, you get you one? Yeah, I got one. I got my little soccer jersey on and all, Joe.

1:00:11Chad Johnson:That's what's up, man.

1:00:13Joe Johnson:Hey, whoever, I'm not sure exactly who drew it, but when they drew it, they were very detailed and meticulous on exactly the things that I, you know, I mean, my features and what I always wear. It's pretty dope.

1:00:24Shannon Sharpe:Hey, Joe, look out who got your boy hands.

1:00:31Chad Johnson:Oh yeah, they ain't miss on them, boy.

1:00:36Shannon Sharpe:Oh man, they got the gray and everything, man. I said, well damn. I told my shoulder to my daughter. I said, that look like me. She got laughing about me. She was like, yeah. But I do, I think Kevin Durant, I mean, I think Kevin Durant, he definitely can play five more years. I think a blessing in disguise was that he got hurt and missed that time, Joe.

1:01:02Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, talking about when he was playing in Brooklyn.

1:01:04Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, when he left Golden State, he took a whole year off.

1:01:07Chad Johnson:Oh, yeah.

1:01:08Shannon Sharpe:And then he got hurt. Was it in Phoenix he got hurt? You think he missed like 20 games? And that helps in the long run.

1:01:18Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah.

1:01:22Shannon Sharpe:KD has shown no fall off. He's averaging 25.9, so he's averaging 26 points a game, five rebounds a game, four assists a game.

1:01:32Chad Johnson:And he's efficient. What are you shooting from the field? Probably 53.54%. Yeah, yeah. Like, that's a premium, bro.

1:01:42Shannon Sharpe:That boy, nice. The Celtics acquired Nikola Vucevic, has people believing that Jason Tatum could return for a postseason run, per Jake Fisher. Sources say the Celtics' decision to acquire Nikola Vucevic from Chicago before the trade deadline in exchange for Anthony Simons' expiring contract was a clear indicator that Boston believed Tatum will indeed return for a postseason run. Joe, this is your level of expertise. What you thinking?

1:02:10Chad Johnson:I thought that quietly, Anka Ocho, this was probably the biggest acquisition during the trade deadline. Because Boston not only do they get a pretty good bid who can pick and pop. You can play through him. He can pass. He don't really have many weaknesses. He might be a little deficient when it comes to defense. But for the most part, he's going to be surrounded by guys where he can really flourish. He gonna be a great, that's a great spot for them. OK, Ocho, they were lacking in that area. So to give up Simons and get Vucevic, man, listen. I don't know if Tatum, I'm still skeptical about him trying to come back, Ocho.

1:02:52Chad Johnson:I'm gonna be honest with y 'all. It's too early, Joe? Well, it's an Achilles, man. Like, you gotta, like, before he get out there, he probably, he gonna be gonna have to rev that thing up to really, really see. Y 'all know how tender that is, man. And then now we talking about this playoff basketball from here on going forward. Right. He's going to be playing at such a high level. It's like, that's going to be a lot of wear and tear real quick. So I don't know if it's really worth it, honestly. So they probably brought Bigfell over there so he can help JB contribute offensively and see what type of run they can make.

1:03:27Shannon Sharpe:I don't think they thought they would be with the injuries that they had. I think that's why they moved, because JT was going to be out. And so you see them break that team apart. They let Allen Horford go. They traded Holiday and brought Simons in. They traded Chris. For Zingers. So they were probably looking at Ocho from a standpoint like, you know what, there's going to be a down year. Let's get some relief. They sold a team. The New Orleans like, yeah, get some relief because we ain't paying all this money to be out of the playoffs. And lo and behold, JB is playing like an MVP. Peyton Pritchett has been sensational.

1:04:04Shannon Sharpe:White, Derrick White has been Derrick White playing both ends of the court. And so guys are playing, Hauser's coming off the bench and playing really well. So guys have played above what maybe even Joe Mazzulla thought they could be in the level. Damn.

1:04:18Chad Johnson:I agree.

1:04:19Shannon Sharpe:Man, hold on. I agree. We might could. It ain't no foregone. Ain't no invincibles over here on the eastern side. Yeah. Yeah. The Knicks look good. Okay. Yeah. You know, Detroit, Toronto, Philly kind of been up and down. but it ain't no invincible it ain't no 60 win teams over here nah

1:04:43Chad Johnson:so I think that's how they're looking at it yeah I'm with you on that I think a lot of us didn't I know I didn't have the Celtics in the top of the east you know I thought Jalen Brown would still be an all-star on Calucho but I didn't think that they would be playing collectively as a team playing this this grade of basketball that they've been playing they really surprised me And I think they got a chance, bro. They got a chance. They got a shot. They got a shot.

1:05:13Shannon Sharpe:Joe, the Cavaliers have won 10 of their last 11, including five straight. They're 34-21 now. What are you thinking, Joe? The Cavs back. You know they made the trade for James Harden. You got Harden. You got Donovan Mitchell. You paired with Evan Mobley. And what's the big kid with the throw? Jared. Jared Allen. You know, you got Merrill coming off, shooting the ball really, really well. You like the Cavs? Are the Cavs in play here, Joe?

1:05:47Chad Johnson:No, I love it. Okay, Ocho, I love James Harden kind of orchestrating everything because he going to make sure Donovan get off. So Donovan going to give you 30, 35 a night. I'm talking about when we get to the playoffs, he going to be able to orchestrate, he going to be able to control the games, control the series. and the beneficiaries will be the Evan Mobleys, the Jared Allens. Because he's a willing passer, Uncle Ocho, and he made guys around him better. You put him in a pick and roll with any of those two dudes, man, you're bound to get something good. And then not on top of that, you know, James wants to continue playing.

1:06:24Chad Johnson:He wants a new contract. So you're going to get the best out of him this second half of the season. You're going to get the best James Harden you can possibly get. So I put the Cavs up there as well, man. They've been playing great basketball since he's been acquired to the team. I'm talking about he's been doing what he's always done, making big shots, getting guys involved, and, you know, just being James Harden. So I think it's not going to – when you get to the playoffs, it's not going to be based on him to have these huge performance nights. Now, he'll – you know, he's going to win you a couple games in a playoff series, if not a series.

1:06:58Chad Johnson:But with all those dudes surrounding him, Cleveland going to be something to reckon with.

1:07:04Shannon Sharpe:And I like the fact, Joe, you have a Donovan Mitchell. And because James, you know, Kobe said that James Harden style, one guy dominating the ball is just, it's impossible to win like that in the postseason. And I think with him and you have Donovan Mitchell, you have another option. We know Donovan can go crazy in the playoffs. We've seen that. He can go haywire. but if the thing is with James if he can just be consistent because we've seen him give you 51 game and then come back and give you 9 the next game and that's what they can't have but if this kid Merrill keeps shooting like he shot he got to start off the night 7-7 from the 3 and 9-9 from the floor he keep playing like that and with Donovan Mitchell like you said Donovan's going to give you somewhere between 28 and 32 on a nightly basis you got the two rim protectors they're going to make it very hard inside and you get hard doing what he does, yeah, they got a good chance.

1:08:03Them bigs got to be consistent too.

1:08:07Chad Johnson:Jared Allen and Evan Mobley, when they get in the playoffs, they got to be dominant, man. They really got to be dominant because the deficiencies that you have in guarding the basketball out on the perimeter,

1:08:19Shannon Sharpe:they got to be able to cover for some of that. I think they can. I mean, we saw Jared Allen the other night, good 40 and 16 against Portland. and you know, Eben Mobley was Defensive Player of the Year, so we know he can protect and can defend. Jared Allen, look, you might dunk on him, but he gonna get you a couple of times now. He gonna block your shot. Yeah.

1:08:37Chad Johnson:As a shot blocker, that's kinda known. You know, you gonna get got, and you gonna get a lot of people. That's just part of it. That's Nate Jones. Mutombo got flushed on the bus, but he got,

1:08:48Shannon Sharpe:hey, not in the house on Mutombo.

1:09:13Joe Johnson:We'll see you next time.

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1:10:03Joe Johnson:We all seem to be in a rush these days, from work to driving our kids around. But when you're behind the wheel, please do not speed. A few minutes saved by going faster is never worth the risk. So follow the speed limit, enjoy the drive, maybe bring some snacks for the kids, and know that along the way, you're getting quality time with your family. Paid for by NHTSA.