Nightcap Hour 1: Cooper Flagg DOMINATES in WIN over Lakers + Warriors ALMOST Traded Draymond to Lakers + LeBron gets BACKLASH for MEMPHIS Comments

15:20Chad Johnson:Oh, this specific game, did the math land so bad? Yes, yes, yes. Outside of Cooper flag, what else did they really have that really beat? Hey, nothing. What about young bull Williams? Who? Brandon Williams. Yeah, man, okay. He can play Ocho, but I'm speaking from a standpoint of game changers. Cooper Flagg was ultra-aggressive in that first quarter, and I think Bron should have matched that energy that he was drinking. Yes, yes. You know what I mean? Because you dig a hole. Man, you give up. Man, listen. They gave up 41 in the first quarter. You gave up 41 points in the first quarter, bro. Now, mind you, Joe,

15:57Shannon Sharpe:what did they give up the other night against the Thunder? Yeah. 50. Wasn't it 50, 45, 50 in the first quarter? So here we go again, and they gave up another 40 in the third quarter. Yeah, yeah. So now what's happening is when you're not aggressive, you have to be aggressive because you can't defend. Can't get stops. You can't defend. You get it within four, and guess what? They come back three, two, three. And what was a four-point lead? Now it's back to a 12-point lead because you can't get stops.

16:26Chad Johnson:You can't, bro.

16:28Shannon Sharpe:They can't get a stop.

16:29Chad Johnson:You fouling them.

16:30Shannon Sharpe:All Cooper Flagg would do, would pin him in the pick, and he'd call, hey, give me canard. He goes to the basket. Hey, he'd get LaRavia. He goes to the basket.

16:42Shannon Sharpe:He's ultra aggressive. He shot 17 foul attempts.

16:46Chad Johnson:Man.

16:47Shannon Sharpe:17. There's no way LaRabia should have one fewer foul shots than LeBron. Because that tells me LaRabia is aggressive. Getting to the back. Jackson Hayes has eight foul attempts. LeBron had nine.

17:01Chad Johnson:Yeah.

17:02Shannon Sharpe:And played 39 minutes. LeBron needed at least 15. Be like Cooper Flagg has 17 foul attempts. attempts and 27 shot attempts. I needed LeBron. We needed LeBron. We needed LeBron to be a little bit more aggressive. Look, I mean, you look at his stat line. You talk about a guy that's 41 years of age, almost had a triple double, 30 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds. And you mentioned, Joe, he turned the ball over early, but he had 15 assists, only four turnovers. Yeah, he probably had all four of them in the first half, first quarter.

17:31Chad Johnson:Yeah. And it just puts you in a deep bind, especially, you know, You got a team like the Mavericks who were front running in that first quarter. And I'm thinking, like, man, Bruin just got to put his head down, get to the bucket, make them call some fouls, put them in some unfortunate situations. And I just felt, you know, by the time he got into his zone in the second quarter, Uncle Ocho, I ain't going to say it was too late because they got back in the game. But they just don't have the firepower to be fighting back uphill. You know what I mean?

18:04Shannon Sharpe:But you know what it is, though, Joe and Ocho. When you get behind and you can't get stops, how do you get – you can't get stops to begin with. You're giving up 50 points. You're giving up 45. You're giving up 41. So if you fall behind 10, 12, 14, do you know how hard it is? Because all teams do is say, look, do not settle for jump shots. Put the ball on the floor. The initial guy, if he stops you, wide open. You see what Cooper Flagg does? He puts the ball on the floor. They come with help. He kicks three.

18:35Chad Johnson:Yeah.

18:38Shannon Sharpe:Walker puts the ball on the floor, excuse me, Marshall, and then guess what? When they come, he lobs. That is the problem. When you cannot stop anybody and you've got to bring help, you've now compromised everything. I agree. Because if I have to bring someone else to guard the front door, I leave the windows or I leave the back door vulnerable. That's the Lakers in a nutshell.

19:02Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're right.

19:05Shannon Sharpe:team defense, but their team is compromised when guys are getting beat off the muscle.

19:10Chad Johnson:Yeah, I agree with you. I think the disheartening thing, if I'm J.J. Riddick, you know, I'm going to talk to Bron. I'm just going, you know, from jump. I'm going to be honest with you. Hey, we need you to come out blazing from the start. I don't give a damn if you go 0 for 12 in the first quarter. We need you to be aggressive, Ocho, because it's going to get harder now. You got OKC on Tuesday. Oh, that's a loss. That's a loss. I think they playing in LA. They may have a chance. It don't matter.

19:44Shannon Sharpe:They can play at LA, OKC, the moon, Jupiters. This your team? You don't believe in them? He got to keep it 100. No, yeah. LeBron, my guy. The Lakers, when LeBron leave, I'm not. I still like Luka, so I still probably root for them. But they lost by 40 with AR and Luka. What do you think they're going to do? And this team blew out the Mavericks with Luka. So I just know, no, no, no, no, because LeBron is going to have a high assist total and not nearly enough. I would have not been. You know what the approach he needed to have, Joe? What was that? You remember when Kevin Love and Kyrie got hurt?

20:25Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Getting up 35, he was getting up 40 shot attempts.

20:28Chad Johnson:Yeah.

20:29Shannon Sharpe:Ta-da. Yeah, yeah. He can't shoot at a high volume like that right now, huh? At 41? You know the type of energy that take, hey, Joe? We're not asking him to slide, Ocho. We're not asking him to be in the chair. Basically, offense. Okay. Be Luka.

20:49Chad Johnson:Don't play no deep. They just can't get off to them slow starts, man. Them slow starts, kid, especially when you ain't high power offensively, Ocho. You know what I mean? You can't. Man, this Dallas Maverick thing, you should have came out and put your foot on on their neck, homie. Thank you. Right off rip? Yeah, because listen, they not playing for nothing. The one thing we know about bad teams, bro, they'll find a way to lose. You know what I mean? If you come out and compete and play hard, they play harder than the Lakers tonight. I'm just keeping real. They did. They play harder than them.

21:17Chad Johnson:They want it to be spoilers.

21:20Shannon Sharpe:I mean, and the Lakers out-rebounded them. I mean, the Lakers out-rebounded them by 49. But you let them shoot, they shot 44 % from the three. Lakers are a three-point shooting team. Only made eight of 27. Missed another seven free throws.

21:39Chad Johnson:It's tough, man.

21:40Shannon Sharpe:They picked the Lakers. I mean, the basketball guys punished the Lakers at the most inopportunity. Oh, man. Because you're 46 weeks without AR, and you're probably going to be – you're going to be – the playoff Luke ain't coming back. Luke ain't coming back.

21:55Chad Johnson:I don't think so, neither. I don't think so, neither. And you better hope AR come back. Because if he don't.

22:01Shannon Sharpe:He got four to six weeks. If he got a very similar injury to what Mookie Betts. They put Mookie Betts on the IL, the injury list. Yeah. Now all of a sudden it's a negative connotation that comes with DL. So now we got to say IL. But they put him on the IL with an oblique injury. And they listed four to six weeks.

22:23Chad Johnson:Oh, yeah. Hey, it's first round exit for them, man. Yeah. First round. First round. Because if you go down to them.

22:32Shannon Sharpe:I don't think they can get past the Timberwolves. If they had to. I didn't have them going farther than the first round anyway. Even with everybody intact. They're not beating OKC and they're not beating San Antonio. So I had them with everybody intact with Luka and AR and LeBron and them. I had them getting past the first round. I believe they were going to be able to beat the Timberwolves this year. Yeah. But, no, they're not getting out of the first round. No, absolutely not.

23:01Chad Johnson:No, because if you drop, you move down to that fourth spot. Who in the fifth spot? You get the Rockets. The Rockets? Yeah. You're not beating the Rockets? No. No. No, that's why I feel like this game was so important, man. And I just, I mean, the start that they had, bro. Like you said, that first and that third quarter giving up 40-plus points. Damn, it's going to be hard to beat a team like that, bro. Yes. Especially when they ain't playing for nothing. They ain't even no playing. They ain't in the playoffs. They ain't doing nothing. You let them dudes come out here and just basically be spoilers.

23:34Chad Johnson:That's it.

23:35Shannon Sharpe:Because you know what they want to do? Joe, they don't want to have no injuries. Bro, I'm trying to get to Cancun. I'm trying to get to Jamaica. I'm trying to get to somewhere with no injuries because I ain't trying to have no surgery. I ain't trying to rehab for an extra week or two. Right. Everybody sees and everybody doesn't disperse. That's not the playoffs. And here we are. We ain't got nothing to play for. That's season over. and I got to stay here, I got to have a surgery, or I got to rehab for two extra weeks. So they were, hey, they excited to like, hey, man, hey, bro, what you got going on, man?

24:06Shannon Sharpe:Hey, I got me a tee time set for, hey, me and the missus, me and such and such going, hey, I got a balcony in Cancun or Tulum calling my name.

24:17Chad Johnson:I already got my flight in my room and everything.

24:20Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. And here they are doing this. But what I don't understand, Joe, But we shouldn't be surprised because when we've seen them give up these 40s, huge, high 30, 40-point quarters, knowing they can't play defense, the problem that you have when you do that, how do you get back in the game? Do you understand? So now if you match bucket for bucket, all you're doing is trading baskets.

24:47Chad Johnson:Yep.

24:49Shannon Sharpe:I steal your egg, you steal it right back. What have you done?

24:53Chad Johnson:You're right. because if you can't get stops

24:56Shannon Sharpe:that's the only way you can get if you down the only way you can get back in the game is get stops they can't

25:04Chad Johnson:they can't do that

25:06Shannon Sharpe:because they can't because they cannot keep the initial man, hey Williams I'm like Williams like they're looking like Kenny Anderson he started stopping right to the basket whoop whoop Cooper flag I was like well damn I understand he's a big kid, but I was like, ain't no resistance. Ain't nobody going to take it. Ain't nobody going to say, you know what, damn, F this. Hey, bro, I ain't got no offense tonight. Let me see what I can do with fella.

25:35Chad Johnson:Right, right.

25:38Shannon Sharpe:But so don't nobody care.

25:40Chad Johnson:They transit. Lakers transition defense stinks, bro. I'm talking about it stinks. I'm talking about it seemed like if the Lakers scored, they were still getting beat down the court. I'm like, damn, man, y 'all got to build a wall. the man got 19, 20 points in the first quarter. Man, we got to cut his water off. You hear me? That's the only person who's killing us. Do something. At least try to cut it off. What about pride? Oh, don't you have pride? Like, man, damn this. Chuck him one time, yeah. Yeah.

26:09Shannon Sharpe:Hold on, wait a minute. Man, this man, y 'all got to say that. You look like prime Jordan, prime Kobe. A rookie getting 19 in the quarter?

26:18Chad Johnson:Would you say Joe do what to him? Chug his ass one time. Ocho hit him in his chest. Let him know when he come running down that barrel and down that truck. Man, you got this, hey man. You got this. Hey, that boy tall, Joe. Huh? That boy tall with it, man. Man, he's young. Ocho the man ain't but 19. Hell, you chug him, he'll probably, he'll slow down. Trust me. What?

26:43Chad Johnson:Give him something to think about, huh? Man, you got to, bro. He get it rolling like that. Ocho the man had 19 points in the first quarter, bro. Like the shots he was taking, he was taking some tough shots and he was making them. But at the same time, there just wasn't no defensive resistance. Whenever he was attacking the basket, whenever he had the ball, he brought it up freely. It just seems like, man, they had nobody who could just sit down in the chair and even try to guard him. That's what it seemed like. Dang.

27:12Shannon Sharpe:I don't think, like I said, yeah, at some point in time, pride got to kick in. Yeah. And anytime you get guys like this, the great players, you let them get going, it's over. I don't give a damn what you throw at them.

27:25Chad Johnson:It's a wrap.

27:26Shannon Sharpe:The whole point is not to let them get going.

27:29Chad Johnson:Yeah.

27:32Chad Johnson:Absolutely.

27:34Shannon Sharpe:Now you done let him get going. Now he done saw the ball go in the basket. Now you saw him in the third quarter. He throwing stuff up. They followed him. He threw it up there, boop, boop, in the basket. And one. And one. I'm like, well, damn.

27:48Chad Johnson:it's hey y 'all know it's different man when you i don't know like when the season winding down and you just count down for the season to be over with and you ain't playing for nothing you don't you you have no pressure on you to play so you can go out there and just have fun enjoy the game and that's what it seemed like cooper flag was like he ain't got no pressure to be you know what i mean like you know they ain't playing no meaningful ball so he just had 51 another night. Now he bounced back with a 45. Like, bruh. Yeah, you gotta chug him, bruh. You gotta stop him in his tracks.

28:21Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.

28:21Chad Johnson:It's a situation where I'm not

28:24Shannon Sharpe:playing late in the season and we out of the playoffs. Bruh, I ain't trying to have no surgeries. I'm not trying to have no surgeries.

28:31Chad Johnson:And you got the third spot. Y 'all playing for something. You know you down two of your best guys. Hey, fella, let's try to get these boys out of here early. Let's cut they wore it off. He chilling. Look.

28:50Chad Johnson:That was a disappointing performance by the Lakers, fellas. They giving away too many points too, huh?

28:57Shannon Sharpe:134? First of all, you're not going to win a game like that without two of your best players. Arguably, you're two best players.

29:04Chad Johnson:Man, they supposed to beat these boys. I know the Mavericks scored 134, but the Lakers got They gotta be better than that, Ojo. They gotta be better than that, bro.

29:17Shannon Sharpe:But they gave up, Joe, but they gave up 80 plus points in two quarters. So if you extrapolate that, they only gave up 50 points in the other quarters.

29:29Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah. You can't, without your firepower,

29:36Shannon Sharpe:you let them advance the ball. You let them advance too much. now you got yourself in a world of trouble boy a heap of it heap of trouble

29:49Shannon Sharpe:ah the warriors reportedly almost traded draymond green to the lakers for a free future draft pick per brett siegel after making a strong pitch for yannis at the trade deadline one included all their future draft capital young players like john roll the window down Do you hear that? It's the sound of spring. So bring on the spring at the Honda Spring Event. Honda's family of hybrids and EVs are ready for wherever spring takes you. Check out the all-electric Honda Prologue, CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and Civic Hybrid. All from the 2025 Kelley Blue Book Best Value Brand. For great deals, visit your local Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Honda dealer today.

30:28Based on 2025 Consumer Choice Awards from Kelley Blue Book, visit kbb.com for more information. Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the underexplored pockets of F1, including the astrology of the current grid. Lewis Hamilton, Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. Wouldn't you know it, Michael Schumacher is also a Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. The story of the sport's most consequential driver's strike. We have one man who, upon hearing that he was going to be fired, freaked out, and apparently climbed out the window of the bathroom.

31:04And was Daniel Ricciardo's illustrious F1 career a success story, a cautionary tale, or some combination of both? He started getting all this attention, and he maybe started to think, I'm bigger than this, I'm better. And plenty of other mishaps, scandals, and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

31:54life they are proud of. Direct center of our happiness or our regrets is whether or not we're taking action on the things that matter to us. They're not selfish. They're so important. They actually lead to our greatest contributions because when we're living fulfilled, we actually show up better everywhere. We lead better. We're better friends. We're better relationships and collaborators and all those things because we have passion about the things we're doing. If you're trying to build something of your own this year, join us in these conversations that will make you braver and smarter with your money.

32:24Listen to Dos Amigos as part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Real talent is defined by what people can do, not where they learn to do it. So by stopping at the education section of a resume, you might throw away the perfect hire. Skills First Hiring helps you see talent others miss, like more than 70 million stars, skilled through alternative routes. Let their story unfold and gain a competitive advantage because hiring managers who start with skills are 60 % more likely to find a successful hire. Hire skills first.

32:57Learn why at tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault in Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years, since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team.

33:37Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer is the most important. Listen to The Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

34:03Shannon Sharpe:The Kaminga, Moses, Moody, as well as the possibility of flipping Draymond for an extra draft pick. The Bucs signal that they weren't ready to move the superstar big man. At one point, there was a proposal put together by the Doves that would have sent Green to the Lakers for a future protected draft pick, sources said. Joe, Lakers get Draymond. Is this moving the needle?

34:30I don't know.

34:31Chad Johnson:I'm going to be honest with you. But what I will say is, you know, he'll bring an element to them, to the Lakers that they don't have. You know, that toughness, that nastiness, that emotional leader. They need that, bro. If they had that, maybe it would help them out to some degree. You know what I mean? They got that with Marcus Smart, but he can't stay healthy.

34:53Shannon Sharpe:He can't stay healthy. Go back and look at his last couple of years. Look at his last in Memphis. How many games did he even play? How many games did Marcus Smart play in Memphis?

35:04Chad Johnson:He didn't play a lot.

35:06Shannon Sharpe:He's injured. And you know what, Joe? You know what happened, Ocho? You never had this happen. But if you're injured, as you start to get older, those injuries start to come with greater regularity, and they keep your ass out for extended longer periods of time. It's as simple as that. You don't get healthy as you get older.

35:23Chad Johnson:Right, right, absolutely. Absolutely. Hey, look, check this out, though. But if they was going to get Draymond for just a draft pick, it probably wouldn't be bad. You know what I mean? You ain't really got to give nothing up. You give up a draft pick. Unprotected, yes, so you're right. Yeah, you get a guy who knows how to play. Is he a scoring threat? Nah, no. You know he going to defend, he going to play hard, he going to bring a little dirty element to the game. I'm just being real. It's a guy who you'll probably hate to play against, but I promise you, you'll love him on your team. You know what I mean?

35:56Chad Johnson:One of those type of dudes.

35:59Shannon Sharpe:They needed something. I mean, Jackson Hayes is playing hell, playing out of his damn mind, 8 of 10. He shoots a high percentage because he's rolling to the basket. He's doing these 7 of 8 on free throw attempts. gave you 23 points in 27 minutes.

36:16Chad Johnson:Yeah.

36:18Shannon Sharpe:23 points in 27 minutes.

36:20Chad Johnson:He playing hard as long as well.

36:22Shannon Sharpe:I thought Rui played well. I need a little bit more out of you, Rui. With that body you got, Cooper Flagg shouldn't be able to walk you down like that. I agree. He shouldn't, though. No way in hell,

36:35Chad Johnson:Isle. No, I agree. I agree. I thought Rui got out to a great start in that first quarter, Unc. I think he had probably 10 to 12 points after the first quarter. Yep. And I ain't going to say he tapered off, but he played a fine game. He played well enough for him to win. I just think defensively, without anybody out there taking a challenge, I don't care who you playing, man. It's going to be hard to win in the NBA. I mean, you're giving up way too many points.

37:00Shannon Sharpe:Easy points.

37:01Chad Johnson:Yeah.

37:02Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. And you know the one thing the Lakers don't do, they don't stop the initial drive and they don't defend the three. They don't. How do you win like that? I don't know. Guys, now guys shoot the three ball too well, Joe, to have uncontested threes. You're right. They shoot the ball too well. It ain't no, hey, hey, he with us. Okay, you lead the guy, the worst guy that you think?

37:24Chad Johnson:Knockin' it down.

37:25Shannon Sharpe:Boom, in your face. And now, plus the fact that the matter is, like I said, off the dribble, you're not stopping anybody. You're not stopping anybody. Damn.

37:36Chad Johnson:It don't get no easier for them now, fellas.

37:38Shannon Sharpe:Hell no.

37:41Chad Johnson:That's probably the easiest game they had to end the season. How many more games left? We about four. It's about four.

37:55Shannon Sharpe:Well, it's games like when they had – who did they lose? They lost a couple of games, Joe. They had the lead and they ended up losing. Remember, Luka didn't get the shot up at the three. They were leading the whole game and ended up giving that game up. They gave two games away that they should have won. that should be their cushion. So now you win two games and now you got the cushion and you're still in the third seed. But because you lost those games and now you got a scratch, here's where we are. LeBron was asked about the backlash from the comments on Memphis. Here's what he had to say.

38:35Shannon Sharpe:Did I say I don't like black people? No, I don't dare say that. But there were people who were wondering why Memphis was targeted. Like, Milwaukee was too. You didn't miss that one too? They didn't see that? Not as much time to play. Oh, yeah, okay. They said Milwaukee as well. 41 years old. It's two cities I do not like playing in right now. That's Milwaukee and that's Memphis. What is your problem? I don't like going home either. Shit, and I'm from here. What if people do? You are ridiculous. They also get mad at my son doing things too. So what are we talking about? People need to figure out other ways to put their energy to other things that's important.

39:16Shannon Sharpe:Like seriously, I'm not talking about the city, like the people in Memphis.

39:23Shannon Sharpe:Spring showers bring epic off-road adventures. So bring on the mud and bring on the spring at the Honda Spring Event. Honda vehicles are built for exploring. With the rugged Honda Pilot, Ridgeline, CRV, and Passport, The road might stop, but you're not done. All from the 2025 Kelley Blue Book Best Value brand. For great deals, visit your local Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Honda dealer today. Based on 2025 Consumer Choice Awards from Kelley Blue Book, visit kbb.com for more information. Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series.

40:00Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the underexplored pockets of F1, including the astrology of the current grid. Lewis Hamilton, Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. Wouldn't you know it, Michael Schumacher is also a Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. The story of the sport's most consequential driver's strike. We have one man who, upon hearing that he was going to be fired, freaked out and apparently climbed out the window of the bathroom. And was Daniel Ricciardo's illustrious F1 career a success story, a cautionary tale, or some combination of both? He started getting all this attention, and he maybe started to think, I'm bigger than this.

40:36I'm better. And plenty of other mishaps, scandals and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. If you are a founder or a freelancer or the friend who always says, hey, you know what? What if I started that? This is for you.

40:59Chad Johnson:I'm telling you, I had nothing to my name. I didn't know a single person in New York. And somehow I'm dressed by Oscar de la Renta walking down that red carpet. This month, we sit down with entrepreneurs and creators who actually did it, who turned this scary leap into a business, a paycheck, and a life they are proud of. Direct center of our happiness or our regrets is whether or not we're taking action on the things that matter to us. They're not selfish. They're so important. They actually lead to our greatest contributions because when we're living fulfilled, we actually show up better everywhere.

41:30We lead better, we're better friends, we're better relationships and collaborators and all those things because we have passion about the things we're doing. If you're trying to build something of your own this year, join us in these conversations that will make you braver and smarter with your money. Listen to Dos Amigos as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Real talent is defined by what people can do, not where they learn to do it. So by stopping at the education section of a resume, you might throw away the perfect hire.

42:01Skills First Hiring helps you see talent others miss, like more than 70 million stars, skilled through alternative routes. Let their story unfold and gain a competitive advantage, because hiring managers who start with skills are 60 % more likely to find a successful hire. Hire Skills First. Learn why at tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault in Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids.

42:36My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old, I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years, since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.

43:14Listen to The Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

43:24Chad Johnson:Man, Joe, one thing Bron knows, I know he has to know this, his words weigh heavy on an Ocho. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, you speak on these cities, yes, it's going to be some backlash because of who you are. you are arguably the greatest player to ever play this game. Yeah. They always, so they hang on to everything that you say. I don't care what it is. And he knows it. You know what I mean? So I could see he was a little frustrated in there. But, you know, this is part of, you know, his greatness, man. This is what comes with it. It's unfortunate, but y 'all know this is what comes with it.

44:04Yeah. I understand what he's saying, Joe. You understand what he's saying? And I think he knows exactly how powerful his words are. But, I mean, sometimes it's okay to be honest. I don't have a problem with the people in Milwaukee. I don't have a problem with the people in Memphis. But when it comes to playing basketball in Memphis and Milwaukee, I don't enjoy it at my age. I just don't. He's just being honest about it. Now, it's people that live in Milwaukee and people that live in Memphis, they'll probably take it the wrong way and take it out of context instead of understanding the perspective in which he's saying it by.

44:40But, I mean, I kind of get it. I've never been to Milwaukee. I've never been to Memphis, so I'm not sure what it's like. I mean, Joe, what's the problem? What's wrong with playing in Milwaukee and playing in Memphis?

44:52Chad Johnson:Shit, hey, the thing for me, I enjoy going to Memphis because I'm from Arkansas. That's an hour and 45-minute drive. So anytime I played in Memphis, hell, I had to get 15. You had a full house. I had to get 15, 20 tickets. So it's a different feeling for me than it is for Bruin. You know what I mean? Versus, you know, playing in Milwaukee. No, it's not a lot to do in those cities, bro. But, you know, we understand what we signed up for. We understand our job. And these are cities that we have to stop in and play in. It's just part of it. Look, this Bruin, 23rd season. Y 'all think this is the first time he done played in Milwaukee or Memphis?

45:26Chad Johnson:He's been playing in there for 23 years.

45:29Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. When you used to. Think about it. But for 23 years, he stayed at the Ritz Carton. He stayed at the Four Seasons. He stayed at the Montage. He stayed at the Beverly Wilshire. Y 'all got to see what people got to do is that, man, bro, when you worth a billion dollars, and there's nothing wrong, I stay at Hyatt's. I stay at Marriott's.

45:54Chad Johnson:Yeah.

45:55Shannon Sharpe:But you can't put yourself in that situation. You keep saying, oh, no, you too good for the Hyatt. Yes. Yes, everybody that made that kind of money, they're too good for the hire. I'm not too good for the hire. I ain't made that kind of money. I'm gonna keep it a stack with you guys. I'm not too good to stay in the hire or Marriott. Hey, hey. A best Western or days in if I got a savvy, whatever. Hey, hey, hey, I'm not LeBron. But y 'all, but people are looking at LeBron like he are everyday Joe Smoke. When you get used to a certain thing. Right. It's hard. That man, he going from city to city.

46:36Shannon Sharpe:Let's just say for the sake of argument, he's on a seven, eight game road trip. And he's at Four Seasons, and he stayed in the presidential suite. That's where he stayed. He's at the Ritz-Carton or the Four Seasons in the presidential suite or the montage. I think they changed the montage that was in Beverly Hills, or it was right down the street from where we had the lunch at DePont.

46:55Chad Johnson:Yes, sir.

46:56Shannon Sharpe:They changed the name of it. I don't feel it. Somebody from L.A., y 'all know, tell me what it is. So you go presidential suite, Ritz Carlton, presidential suite, four season, presidential suite, montage, presidential suite, Beverly Wilshire, king size room at the higher. So you go from standing three, I don't know if y 'all noticed it, but see if you can pull up what the presidential suites look like at the Ritz Carlton and four season and look at what a king size room.

47:30Shannon Sharpe:I'm just speaking like from him what he's thinking and what he said. He said it out loud. Yeah. He said it out loud. But you know what? This is why Michael kept his mouth shut. Yeah. And y 'all criticize him because he didn't take a stand on nothing. LeBron is taking stands. Yeah. And a lot of these guys didn't take stands and you beat them up. So when the man is honest. So in other words, if you like what he's saying, yes, yes, that's what I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about. But if you don't, shut your mouth.

48:01Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah.

48:02Shannon Sharpe:You can't have it both ways. You just can't, people. You can't. I understood what he was talking about. He said, bro, I'm 23. I don't want to play in there. He can't. I mean, for the most part, I don't know. Joe, you could speak better than this because in football, I didn't go out. I didn't go out to the city. I didn't go. We got the Ocho. You know, we have a whole lot of damn time. We ain't getting there till 4 o 'clock. You got damn meters at 7.30. So it ain't like you got a whole lot of time to do anything. I'm assuming like if you get there early enough for the city, y 'all probably want to go out to eat.

48:37Shannon Sharpe:And he's probably like, man, I really can't go out to eat. LeBron ain't going nowhere without his guy. He got his guy with him. Man, Randy is always going to be with him, and he always has a security guy with him.

48:46Chad Johnson:Yeah. You ain't going to matter.

48:48Shannon Sharpe:I think, Joe, honestly, I think he was talking about, man, when you get used to something and then all of a sudden, like, the way we grew up and what we ate, we could eat that now if we wanted to. Right. But we tried to get out of that situation because we don't want to eat that because we have to.

49:08Chad Johnson:Right. Well, LeBron is like, bro, I done got – man, I done got used to this, bro.

49:13Shannon Sharpe:I ain't trying to stay in no regular king room. King room suits me just fine. Yeah, yeah. Hey, Jordan, we got enough room to sit up? Yep. I'm good. That's all I need. I'm just, hopefully y 'all don't get to bed in the background. Other than that, other than that, it is what it is. But me, nah, nah, I ain't going to ever be too big to stay at one of them. Yeah.

49:37Chad Johnson:Hey, I will tell you, though, you ain't going out doing nothing in Memphis nor Milwaukee. You're not going out in the city, period. You may not even.

49:46Shannon Sharpe:If Memphis, if Milwaukee, are they open past 10? Is anything open, Joe?

49:52Chad Johnson:I don't know. I'm going to be honest with you.

49:55Shannon Sharpe:10 o 'clock?

49:56Chad Johnson:Yeah, that's kind of like Utah. I mean, I would at least say 2 a.m. Hell no. Milwaukee? Yes, everything closed. I mean, I'm assuming either the cutoff is 2 a.m. Yeah, it got to be. It should be 2 a.m. everywhere. That's universal. No, it ain't. Except for the big cities. I ain't. No, it ain't. Miami, Houston. Yeah. They late. I ain't never been out in Milwaukee. I've been out before. This is a long, long, long time. This is back when Memphis in May. I don't know if y 'all remember Memphis in May. Y 'all ever heard of Memphis in May? I have not. It used to be jumping back then. Like the whole month of May, Memphis used to be jumping.

50:35Chad Johnson:I've been down there a couple times, but for the most part, nah, man, it ain't a whole hell of a lot to do with no city.

50:45Everybody, but everybody have said that, man,

50:48Shannon Sharpe:Memphis is not a place that I want to go in. Memphis is not a place that I want to be. Everybody say that, but LeBron said, now it's a problem. Yeah, yeah. And I guess people say, well, he got upset because they talk about moving the thing from Nashville. Okay, Nashville has four seasons, I'm assuming, and Riz Carlton.

51:07Chad Johnson:Nashville.

51:09Shannon Sharpe:They do because, you know, I may or may not have stayed in one, but I'm going to say it.

51:14Chad Johnson:Oh, okay, okay.

51:15Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, you had your little hostage down there in Nashville. No, no, we went down to Tennessee State. So ESPN, that's really the only time I've ever been to Nashville. Oh, okay, okay. With Tennessee, well, with ESPN, and so that's where they put us. But, no, I mean, for me, but you got to realize, I mean, me is different than LeBron. Yeah. And different from, you know, like celebrities, You gotta realize, they used to sleeping on 10, 15, 20 thousand dollar bed, don't you? Man, they ain't trying to sleep on no regular bed in no regular hotel.

51:53Chad Johnson:What'd you say, that three count gotta be a little bit? Yeah, that thing, they, hell, I wouldn't be surprised

51:58Shannon Sharpe:if Oprah brought her own sheets.

52:03Shannon Sharpe:They probably treat, they probably treat, they probably treat them like, no, I was like, ah, nah. Nah, me?

52:10Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah. Mm-mm.

52:13Shannon Sharpe:Nah. But everybody, I just think the thing is LeBron is that he's just a hot button. And no matter what he says, they talk about, well, he said it. Look who he said it in front of. So if he said it in people, if he said it in front of me, Joe, and Ocho, y 'all would have felt something. Y 'all wouldn't have felt that way, huh? I mean, listen, it hit the same way regardless of who he said in front of. It's just the fact that he's the one saying it. Yeah. Right message, wrong messenger. That's all. the problem is that you always want guys to say you want them to jump out on topics we talk about this talk about George Floyd and talk about this and talk about Philando Castile and talk about Eric Garner and talk about Sandra Bland and talk about this okay he talk about that but the moment he say one thing that y 'all don't agree with off with the head

53:03Chad Johnson:they take it and run

53:06Shannon Sharpe:what about all the things that he said that he stood on what about the millions of dollars that he gave his hometown to akron for people to go to school

53:18yeah don't nobody remember that unless it direct unless it benefit them directly i mean they'll clap they'll clap for you you know they congratulate you but most of the time hey if it don't benefit them they don't care and they can't there's a lot of stuff that don't

53:36Shannon Sharpe:benefit them Ocho?

53:40Shannon Sharpe:It doesn't. But what makes us unique is when things don't benefit us. We still stand for it.

53:49Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah. I mean everybody

53:54Shannon Sharpe:in the civil rights movement didn't have a job or didn't have access to certain things but a lot of people put their lives and put their careers on the line because it benefited others.

54:09Chad Johnson:Right.

54:11Shannon Sharpe:If only the people that are impacted, there ain't no movement that's ever going to be successful. If only the people that are impacted protest or have an outrage. Only when the people that not as impacted, that is not impacted, are as equally as upset as the people that are, That is the only way that anything can get done.

54:40Shannon Sharpe:If I only gave to a cause that benefited me, Ocho, what am I doing? So only money I'm going to give if the cause don't benefit me, to hell with y 'all. Hey. I mean, maybe there are some people that think like that. I don't think like that. Right. because there are some causes Ocho that's not going to impact me okay but I think they're worthy causes so I give I got a simple thing Joe when I give Ocho and I told you this Ocho don't mention where you got this from because I'll never give it to you again because I don't give I don't give I don't support for you to advertise in what I've done because if you do that, you won't praise, you won't adulation.

55:30Shannon Sharpe:You're giving for the wrong reasons.

55:31Chad Johnson:Right. I agree.

55:32Shannon Sharpe:I agree with you on that. But I got what LeBron said. LeBron is basically saying, look, and I guess that when you make the cup, people still think that you okay sleeping on a – I just wish people, for like the people that's complaining, I wish they could get accustomed to a lifestyle for let's just say 20 years. And all of a sudden it go away. How do you think they respond, Ocho? Well, hold on. Yeah, you right. You right when you put it like that. But then the people going to say it ain't nothing but a day or two. You talk about a day or two. You're in one city in a bed that you're not used to and a lifestyle that conveniences you for less than 24 to 48 hours.

56:17Shannon Sharpe:Well, when you're an athlete, everything impacts you. You know. Yeah, I absolutely know. But I'm just putting myself in those shoes. Yes. Like, God damn, you can't last. You can't last a 24, 48 hour period without that damn lifestyle, without your bed, without your whatever it may be. They can't they can't understand it. You can understand another day like I grew up. I can't last another day. I could do a day right now. Right.

56:44Chad Johnson:Right. No, no. From what you from what you done told us, how you grew up using the bathroom in the woods and all that. I ain't gonna lie, boy. Hey, that's tough. That's tough.

56:56Shannon Sharpe:Like I said, Ocho, for me, they good enough for me. Have I stayed at those high-end places? Absolutely. Sometimes I've been places they ain't got that.

57:08Chad Johnson:Yeah.

57:12Shannon Sharpe:Go on and make me that king-size room. I'm good. Hey, Joe, Unk used to a certain lifestyle and staying there and never coming back home. Like my, I can do that, but I have no problem doing the others.

57:30Chad Johnson:Yeah. I have no problem. You know, I ain't, listen, when it's time for me to go to work, all businesses, they book me on Spirit and Delta. When I want to go somewhere and I got to take a trip, I'm on Spirit, exit road, seat 13-8. So I have a best of both worlds where I, at times, if there's an inconvenience, a situation that inconveniences me, I'm okay, I'm comfortable. Because I know it ain't that long. Yeah. I know it ain't that long. Okay, damn. I can't stay in a king suite or I can't stay in the suite. Oh, you got double beds for me? You know what? It's only one night. Nah, I ain't doing no double.

58:01I can do with that.

58:03Shannon Sharpe:I'll do a king. I mean, I'll bid on, well, I'm sorry, Mr. Sharp, we don't have a king. The best we could do is a queen. Okay. Yeah. But the double, hell no.

58:12Chad Johnson:You can't do a double? Hell no. Hey, imagine being in there and your feet always hang off the edge of the bed and all that. Like I'm saying, so I can understand the uncomfortableness in that. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you. You, Joe. Yeah, but I'm just speaking to NBA players in general. I'm average height for NBA players. 6 '7", 6 '8". Y 'all know there's average height in the NBA, right? Right. Yeah, so imagine guys who taller than me. I'm like, damn, bro, how you take a shower in there? How you even lay in the bed? You know what I mean? Because I'm struggling with my height.

58:46Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, his face ain't got washed. His neck ain't got washed yet. You see him, foot? Your neck dirtier than the mud.

58:52Chad Johnson:I hate to see your college shirt. It's plenty of hotels I done been in from when I played in the NBA, Uncle Ocho, that my head can almost touch the ceiling in the shower. You know what I mean? So imagine having to deal with that over and over or guys who have to be in that dug down. Yeah. So I can understand. Go ahead, Ocho. Hey, Uncle Joe, why don't the NBA specifically have hotels in the cities specifically for NBA players?

59:22Shannon Sharpe:At the NBA, you have to stay at a four - or five-star hotel if it's available.

59:27Chad Johnson:Yeah. Memphis is not available. Pacific Hotel strictly for NBA season where NBA players travel, where the beds, the showers, and everything is predicated. Man, the people ain't doing that, Ocho.

59:40Shannon Sharpe:You think the people are going to put custom beds in there just for somebody to come six months out of the year?

59:46Chad Johnson:Right. That's what I was going to say. They ain't doing that.

59:49Shannon Sharpe:Hell no.

59:50Chad Johnson:They ain't. Look, I do them. because I feel like we abnormal people from the jump. So you know the hotel ain't going to be packed with people 6 '8", 6 '9". Exactly. Right. Yeah, so they going to cater to the normal-sized people. We just got to deal with whatever the hell it is they got.

1:00:07Shannon Sharpe:Like you said, Ocho, they only coming there for a day or two. So you want me to accommodate somebody for a day or two when people coming with this convention and they staying a week. Yeah. It's like, hold on, why we in this big-ass bed? Yeah. I mean, I understand. I understand. But no, the NBA hasn't set up, Ocho. If it's available, a four - or a five-star hotel. They have to stay in a rich car or a four-season if it's available.

1:00:32Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah.

1:00:35Shannon Sharpe:You know, they kept us in, we stay in Westerns. We stay in Marriott. We stay in Hyatt. That's what we are.

1:00:42Chad Johnson:It's a lot of y 'all, though, man.

1:00:44Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, yeah. See, man, y 'all got to understand. Yeah, we're probably getting a – well, I don't know how it was in Cincinnati. but in Denver, we had our own rooms. Everybody had their own room. Yeah, of course. You don't share a room. Some teams, I don't know if they still do it, but they were double A, two people to a room. That's some college stuff. I think the younger players, the veterans, the veterans got a room to themselves. I mean, the veterans got a room to themselves. I think the younger players, they doubled up. Yeah. No, but everybody, it didn't matter. And I was so glad, but Dan, it had two to a room.

1:01:17Shannon Sharpe:and then Wade came, it was two to a room. If, now if you wanted, you could pay extra and get a room yourself, you know what I'm saying? Get your own room, but you had to pay extra for it. Right, right. Hey, French fry, when Mike came, everybody had their own room.

1:01:32Chad Johnson:French fry, what's happening in French fry? French.

1:01:38Hey, say I had fun getting Easter eggs today? Uh-huh.

1:01:43Shannon Sharpe:Oh, man. Yeah, I saw you, what you call a mocho? Huh? they getting makeup getting nails done getting all that stuff done we were rocking out a friend of mine Rashad puts on a nice event every Easter in the inner city everybody comes out you know it's really dope what I really like it's not your normal Easter egg hunt they have a helicopter and they drop the eggs from the helicopter not real eggs but you know with the candy and stuff like that but they have candy in them right yeah they got candy in them so they line all the kids up by age. They drop all the eggs out the helicopter onto the field.

1:02:22Once they open the barricade, all the kids rush and get whatever they can. You got some Easter egg french fry? Did you get some eggs? You got a lot. You get two, you get three. Oh no, daddy was holding her. I had her by the waist running through the thing. I said, pick up baby, pick up. He was in that thing moving because I didn't want her to get trampled.

1:02:47Shannon Sharpe:Hey, you have an Easter basket? Where your Easter basket? Where your Easter basket?

1:02:55Shannon Sharpe:Hey, look at all the emojis in the chat. Look at all the French fries. You see all the French fries for you?

1:03:04Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, tell them thank you. Say thank you. Thank you. Say I love you. All right. They got to finish.

1:03:13Shannon Sharpe:Ojo, man, you know you got to get that baby a big-ass basket. the basket right there go we're a basket baby how big is let me see how big that basket is hold on let me see me grab it yeah man hey me and hey me and my kids out there today

1:03:27Chad Johnson:you was out there too i didn't do that what ocho did hell i just went out there in the yard and put some each days out there i ain't gonna do all that oh joe's the hell no we went out there hey

1:03:41Shannon Sharpe:Get that baby a big old behind basket next year. Nah, this is the basket to get the candy. Look at the candy. I would have got me a laundry. If I ever have a candy, I would have got a laundry basket and put some grass in the bottom. I would have got about 15 dozen eggs. Nah, but look, I think the thing is that he's like, look, man, and I don't know if there's a whole lot. Do a whole lot of players, when they come to Memphis and Milwaukee, Do they even go out? Do they like, like when they go to LA or they come to Atlanta or they go to Miami or do other, you know, decent things?

1:04:17Chad Johnson:Oh, now you talking LA, Miami and all that. Hell, the whole team out. We all out together. You get the Memphis and Milwaukee, it's dead noise around there. Ain't nobody doing a whole lot of nothing. I'm going to just be 100 with you.

1:04:31Shannon Sharpe:Okay.

1:04:32Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:04:35Shannon Sharpe:Shams just put out an update on Luka. after consultation with the Lakers doctors and his own medical team, Luka will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his grade two left hamstring in an attempt to expedite the return to play.

1:04:52Chad Johnson:Luka going home chill, man. He ain't standing there. Hey, they ain't fooling me, Unc. I see what's going on. Luka like, you know, I'm going through some things with my family. Let me just go home for a little while. You know, hopefully I can solve this thing, get it out of the way. but come on now. He gonna shut it down, Joe? Yeah, he ain't got no choice. Oto, that hamstring ain't gonna let him come back and be able to push off and go and stop. Go like you want to.

1:05:16Shannon Sharpe:No, not with all the herky-jerky movement he be doing.

1:05:19Chad Johnson:Yeah. Think about the animation he had when he went down and just laid there. He knew off-dump, like, man, this probably be over with this year. Like, I just, I'm just reading his body language and his facial expressions, you know, when you had those type of injuries, because I've dealt with them, and I know y 'all dealt with them because of the sport that y 'all play. Hell, I felt mine pop. I hit the deck. You hear me? Woo! And hold on. You had that same? You had a grade two? Yeah, man. Let me tell you. I think I already told the story, but this is my first year here in Atlanta. 2005, before the season even started, probably about a month before the season started.

1:05:55Chad Johnson:I'm back home, Ocho. We playing flag football, Ocho. Hey, they got about two people guarding me. I think I'm mossing T.O. out there. Yeah. Hot telling through that thing. Boy, that thing pop, I hit the dirt. I hit the dirt. I hit the dirt. It was over with. Hold on. You didn't get a chance to catch it before it pop? Because most of the time, you feel that little, hey, unk, you know you feel that little pinch, that little grab?

1:06:22Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. And it lets you know, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. But don't, hey, but like you said, if that grab mid-stride, oh, the, ah! Ooh!

1:06:36Shannon Sharpe:Hey, man. I did that. I did my growing. Actually, my first year going to Baltimore. On the track, running. Got dehydrated. And it started tingling at first. You know, I drank this water. I said, I'm going to be okay. Man, I tried to open up. Had to put that blink on. Don't you slide on off the track? Yeah. Here's where I get off at, fellas.

1:07:03Chad Johnson:Hey.

1:07:03Shannon Sharpe:Man, it's hard. It is hard, man. Them hamstrings, man. They the muscles. Anything soft tissue, groin, hamstring. What else? What else, huh? Groin, hamstring. Cam, quad, hamstring, groin.

1:07:21Chad Johnson:Man. Oh, they growing something else. Oh, yeah, man. They're growing and lingered forever. Yeah, man.

1:07:28Shannon Sharpe:and i did my growing i told him i did it i did it in the pool because you know at training camp man hey that was hello that was a long time ago that was in like that was 93. so statute of limitations right

1:07:47Shannon Sharpe:like new gainers i thought i was dragging new gainers up there i'm hitting up there like the chinese women what no splash man i went up there i said man i'm gonna see how i can jump see if i I'm trying to touch the top of this place.

1:08:03Chad Johnson:As soon as you dumped up the board.

1:08:07Shannon Sharpe:Man, Joe, I tried to jump. I was trying to touch the top of the roof. Whoa.

1:08:16Shannon Sharpe:Hey man, hey, Greek, I think I tweaked my groin in practice or something.

1:08:24Shannon Sharpe:Hey, that's crazy.

1:08:27Chad Johnson:ain't no lateral movement

1:08:29Shannon Sharpe:ain't no movement but everything hurt man you're dragging you're dragging that leg because your normal gait your normal motion yeah that's a no go oh man yeah Joe I never got to the point I know what it feel like I know what that pinch feel like you know in the groin I had a little soreness before but it never got to the extent where I would miss time and I just in that cold tub, that stem, remember the stem treatment on? Yeah, that electric stem, yeah. Yeah, this little stem put the ice there and I would do, I don't know how but I was very fortunate Joe, I ain't had no injuries you know, I was on the cusp of having something but it was never enough where I had to miss any time.

1:09:13Chad Johnson:Boy you lucky Ocho cause that's right man you know playing that gladiator sport like that and not ever having to deal with an injury bro. Yes sir. Well, hey, you better thank the man above, cause my boy love. I done been on that knife a few times. It ain't pretty.

1:09:27Shannon Sharpe:It ain't. And man, you know how much DMSO I done put on my body? Who? That DMSO. That horse thing? Yeah. That work? Hey, it took the soreness out. I mean, you smell like you ate garlic or stuff, but that's okay. Ah. You know, man, what's that smell? Girl, shut up and go to sleep. I'm trying to get back out here, man. I done bathed in here. I got two, I'm talking about I put it on my knees, I'm putting on my ankles, my groin, my hamstring.

1:10:00Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:10:00Shannon Sharpe:So it's going to seep out your pores now. I mean, you're going to smell it. But, hey, man, we try, hey, man, you know, you get back out there and play, Joe. You trying red clay, vinegar. Hey, whatever you got to.

1:10:13Chad Johnson:Yeah, because that's how it was for me. When I first started dealing with tendinitis, man, they putting apple cider vinegar, soaking the little stuff, putting it on my knees. I'm like, man, what is all this? Well, you do anything to get back out there on that field or that court now.

1:10:26Shannon Sharpe:That red clay, you get, hey, you enjoy it. They got red clay down there. Have your family send some red clay. Red clay and vinegar and put that on, yeah. Wait, red clay, what, what, what, I ain't never heard of that. They said red clay's supposed to get red clay and vinegar supposed to take the soreness out. Yeah.

1:10:46Chad Johnson:They got all that.

1:10:47Shannon Sharpe:They're gonna make you take out the soap to get that ish up off you. That's the only thing. But you try anything, man. Yeah.

1:10:55Chad Johnson:Oh, yeah.

1:10:56Shannon Sharpe:How y 'all think I broke down like this, man? There's times like guys not Ocho ain't no way they play with the stuff I play with.

1:11:03Chad Johnson:No. No. Hell no. You got some dudes ain't.

1:11:08Shannon Sharpe:I'm shooting it up, huh?

1:11:09Chad Johnson:Yeah. You got some dudes who ain't playing unless they're 100%. 100%. Yeah. It's hard to be 100 % once season starts. Season?

1:11:17Shannon Sharpe:Man, once you get out of your training camp. the freshest, the healthiest you'll be the day you walk your ass in the training camp. Because after that, ain't no more 100%.

1:11:26Chad Johnson:I'm telling you, hey. They can't take it out of you.

1:11:30Shannon Sharpe:Ain't no more 100%. And you just deal with it, Joe. Yeah, you do. You ain't got no choice. You ain't the only one that's going through it.

1:11:39Chad Johnson:I think what a lot of people don't understand, professional athletes, bro, we have to go through a lot. We have to deal with a lot. Hell yeah. And I think, you know, the average person wouldn't understand it, bro, because they only see Sunday games, NFL games. They only see the NBA when it comes on ESPN and things of the sort. But, bro, it's a whole buildup before we even get to that. Do you know what it's like? Do you know what a game day is like? Boy, you got to know.

1:12:08Shannon Sharpe:Boy, especially for an injured player that's going to get out there and play.

1:12:12Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:12:13Shannon Sharpe:Man, you over there four, five hours before the game. You getting treatment. You getting massage. and they still gonna put that needle in you.

1:12:19Chad Johnson:Yeah, there you go.

1:12:21Shannon Sharpe:You still gonna get that, you do all of that. You over there all that time. Oh, Charles, you mentioned you getting stimmed, you getting therapy in the cold tub, the hot tub. You doing all that. But you best believe, an hour before that game, 30 minutes before that game, they gonna put that needle in your shoulder, your ankle, your ass, your shoulder, your rib. You still gonna get that needle. Even after you did all of that.

1:12:44Chad Johnson:Yeah. There ain't nothing nice. We ain't nothing to play with. I'm serious.

1:12:53Shannon Sharpe:Hey, you ain't got to do a choice, don't you? You don't, you don't. Hey, for me, what was my choice? Oh, you got to do whatever you got to do, huh? I got to do what I got to do. Yeah. Granny living, I got kids now. You think differently once you got kids. You got grandma living, you taking care of grandma, you taking care of family. Just me by myself, I'm like, man, I'm good, hey. Nah, man, I don't think I'm going to be able to go today. And you know how they do it. Hey, trainer, you know, I know, hey, we got time, but if the game was the day, you think you could go? I mean, I know you, Sharpe.

1:13:32Shannon Sharpe:I know you good. You be able to go. Damn, you ain't let me ask. You told me I'm going to be able to go.

1:13:37Chad Johnson:Hey, they put them jumping cables in your back.

1:13:40Shannon Sharpe:Oh, yeah, yeah. Hey, the coach is coming in the training room, Joe. How you feeling? Yeah, you ain't a Greek say you looking good. Is that what he said? And I'm damn here, came here with crutches. I'm looking good. Hey, don't worry about practicing this week. Bro, practice was the last thing on my mind. I couldn't practice if I wanted to. Y 'all said we got$100 million. I still wouldn't be able to do anything. Damn, I ain't going to be this big.

1:14:12Chad Johnson:Damn. Man, hey, y 'all ever heard of it? I had, well, Ocho said he ain't never been hurt, but I had a severe case of plantar fasciitis before. Oh, under your foot, Joe? Under your foot. How you walk, Joe? The first steps out the bed, you on your knees crawling. I'm gonna keep you 100 with you. Your first steps out the bed, boy, you on your knees crawling to the bathroom. You hear me? Damn. You gotta warm that thing up, boy. That thing has down. I had it during the playoffs, so I couldn't practice. I couldn't do nothing. I had to save all mine for the game. Hold on, how you play? When they shot you up?

1:14:48Chad Johnson:Yeah, you had to shoot me up in that foot, Ojo. The worst pain I ever had in my life, bro. Outside of going to the dentist, because ain't no pain like that dentist, boy. That dentist pain and that foot pain? Yeah.

1:15:02Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. You ain't got to tell me nothing. I done had them. There ain't a whole lot of places that I ain't had to need them. Butt cheeks, shoulders, both shoulders, ankles, ribs. God damn. You damn near a pincushion. I was, Ocho. Hey. I'm telling you, Ocho. I shot my ankles up in 93. The last eight games, I shot both ankles up. In 94, I shot my ankles up every single game. To start the season, I shot the mofos up every game. 95, I did it for about four weeks. 96 I ended up having the nerve in my left ankle dead so I couldn't feel no pain I said man look here I know all that down the road and 25 30 years from now I cross that bridge when I come to that bridge 25 30 years guess what Ocho and Joe here I am I'm getting ready to cross that bridge knee knee knee replacement

1:16:10Shannon Sharpe:I bet that bridge when I said 25, because he told me. I mean, I went to the doctor in 2000, 2009. Yeah. And he said, he said, Mr. Sharp, probably the next 15, 20 years, you're probably going to have to have this knee replaced. Maybe even both. That was in 2009.

1:16:34Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:16:35Shannon Sharpe:I'm 16, 17 years. I'm right there.

1:16:40Chad Johnson:Hey, look.

1:16:41Shannon Sharpe:I've tried to hold it off. I've tried to hold it off.

1:16:45Chad Johnson:Man, listen. Hey, I know what you mean. I'm going to be honest with y 'all. That's another reason why I got into hot yoga, because I wasn't flexible, and I was subject to injury because of that. And if it wasn't for that ultra angle, I couldn't play ball right now today. If it wasn't for me being in that hot room, letting it heat my muscles joints up there's no way i could play i got i had uh before i stopped playing like my last year in the nba i had bone spurs at the top of my foot so they hurt like a man so boy look when i go to hot yoga though when i come out of there i'll be feeling good i'll be feeling like a new person i can move i'm good so i'm a huge advocate of it bro so i try to find stuff to kind of help me as i age because i still like to get around and do stuff you know what i mean hey that's crazy i I'm not flexible either, Joe.

1:17:36I can't even. I was flexible.

1:17:39Shannon Sharpe:It's still F'd up. Hey, Joe. Hey, Joe. I can't even. You stand still and touch your toes?

1:17:46Chad Johnson:Yeah. I can't even touch my damn toes. Do you ever have low back problems, Ocho? I ain't had nothing yet, Joe. Honestly, I mean, thanks to the man upstairs, I ain't had no problems yet. I'm sure. Maybe later on in life. I don't know if it's because I'm still active, running around, playing soccer and stuff. That helped. That helped. Don't stop, bro. Maybe that's why. Don't stop. Yeah, I think that helps you. If you're still active and you do a lot of running. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Obviously, soccer is a lot of running.

1:18:13Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.

1:18:13Chad Johnson:You just can't stop. You stop, boy. Hey, the muscles and joints tighten up on you. It's a wrap. Yeah.

1:18:19Shannon Sharpe:We got bad joints in my family. My sister had both of her hips replaced. She ain't played no ball. My brother had his hip replaced, about to have a knee replacement. I've had both my hips. Gon' need a knee replacement.

1:18:30Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:18:31Shannon Sharpe:It is what it is. Yeah. but uh i sure don't be like it i gotta get another shot in my knee on tuesday i showed over hey it is what it is i thought you're gonna go under the knee under the knife huh i'm trying to hold off

1:18:44Chad Johnson:ocho and how big that need and how big that needle is they gotta put in your knee uh it's about this bone oh that ain't bad ain't bad no well the one on the one on game they be like this though well

1:18:56Shannon Sharpe:that's what that's well that's when they uh uh like me that's the big one where they try to they put a, the lower the gauge, that's like a pull, a pull, what's called a pull needle. Right. Because they were draining fluid, so it's a big, so they got to, you know, they got to move it around. Okay, okay, okay. Try to squeeze the knee and get all the fluid out. Yeah. And, you know, they move the needle around, and you feel it, it's touching bones. That cold spray, all that cold spray do is stop the initial thrust.

1:19:25Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:19:25Shannon Sharpe:Once they get in there, and they start moving it around, and they start squeezing that and he's trying to get all that fluid. So I'm just trying to, I'm just trying to, look, I know it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen, but I'm just trying to delay it.

1:19:38Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah.

1:19:39Shannon Sharpe:Man. I appreciate it. Hey Joe, he trying to delay it for us, Joe. So we can go out. I really am. Hey, hey, hey, hey, Joe, we finna be outside with it, Joe. I really am. We ain't, we definitely ain't gonna be going far though. hey hey I'd rather get me a scooter get up to the top or something cause I can't walk that far man ready for a different take on Formula 1? look no further than No Grip a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series join me Lily Herman as we dive into the underexplored pockets of F1 including the astrology of the current grid the story of the sport's most consequential driver's strike, and plenty of other mishaps, scandals, and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent gumster fire for more than 75 years.

1:20:33Listen to No Grip on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Peace to the planet. Charlamagne Tha God here, and listen. We are back. The Black Effect Podcast Festival is back in Atlanta on April 25th at Pullman Yards. Yeah. And the full lineup is nuts. We got the Grits and Eggs podcast. Deontay Kyle and Big Ice Cup Cat we got Club 520 with Jeff Teague and the gang. Don't call me white girl. Mona will be there. Keep it positive sweetie with Crystal Renee. We got reality with the king

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1:21:30I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend who's much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co-host of the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer is the most important. Listen to The Away End with Daniel Alricone and John Green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How much do you weigh, Wanda? Right now, I'm about 130. I'm at 183.

1:22:04We should race. No, I want to leave here with my original hip. On the podcast to match up with Lalia, I pair prominent female athletes with unexpected guests. On a recent episode, I sat down with undisputed boxing champ, Clarissa Shields and comedian Wanda Sykes to talk about Wanda's new movie, Undercard, the art of trash talk and what it really means to be ladylike. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the matchup with Aaliyah and listen now. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I am Greg Rosenthal. I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and Free Agents, the podcast that owns the NFL offseason.

1:22:39This is where teams are built. Free agency, combine, pro days, trades. Every move matters. From my draft boards and mock drafts. To my vaunted top 101 free agents and how rosters come together. Quarterback movement. Surprise signings. We'll tell you what it means and who really wins. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search 40s and free agents, and listen now.