In short
Lakers vs. Rockets playoff Game 4 recap and broader discussion of Kevin Durant’s absence, plus allegations about Durant’s “burner account” and what it reveals about Rockets chemistry and leadership.
Guests/backgrounds
Co-host ISO Joe Johnson, former NBA player (7-time All-Star; played for Atlanta Hawks; University of Arkansas). Co-host Ocho Cinco Johnson, former NFL player (6-time Pro Bowler; all-pro; “favorite uncle” persona). They discuss basketball and veteran leadership.
Key claims
- Lakers won by playing full-control defense, limiting Houston to 78 points, winning the glass (15 offensive rebounds vs. Houston’s 8), and starting aggressively through LeBron.
- Marcus Smart was crucial despite scoring late; his value was defense, hustle, and ball security.
- Rockets struggled without KD: no consistent playmaking/chemistry, low assist totals, and missed shots leading to shrinking confidence.
- Durant’s burner-account leak allegedly included insults about teammates and Jabari Smith Jr.
Notable examples
- LeBron’s early downhill aggression; Smart’s late threes after one-point start; Rui Hachimura’s streaky shooting and rebounds; Houston’s missed threes and a momentum swing after a Lakers turnover.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOLeBron's Performance Recap
3:43 to 4:25
Discussion about LeBron's aggressive play and the Lakers' victory.
Analysis of Lakers vs. Rockets Game
4:25 to 5:54
In-depth commentary on the Lakers' game strategies and player performances.
“Y 'all didn't do none of that the other night.”
Marcus Smart's Impact
5:54 to 8:04
Exploration of Marcus Smart’s role and contributions despite poor scoring.
“But if nobody's watching, if nobody's listening, if nobody's talking about what we're talking about or what we're saying, it does not matter.”
Young Players and Adversity
8:04 to 10:22
Discussion on how young players cope with challenges and learning experiences.
“So once we get to that castle where the dragon is at and he's blocking the princess.”
Overcoming Adversity in Sports
14:02 to 18:29
Learn how sports reflect life's challenges and the importance of contributions beyond stats.
“When things are always going your way, it's easy.”
LeBron's Impact and Team Dynamics
18:30 to 20:59
Discover how LeBron's leadership and veteran presence influence team performance.
“Your boy Rui came to play tonight, didn't he?”
Young Players and Team Chemistry
21:00 to 24:19
Explore the challenges young players face in establishing chemistry and performance under pressure.
“if Brian come out being passive again, trying to get everybody else involved, because now you try to get everybody else involved, you're throwing yourself off real.”
The Effect of KD's Absence
27:33 to 28:00
Understand how Kevin Durant's absence impacts team dynamics and player performance.
Rockets' Playmakers and Consistency Issues
28:00 to 29:10
Discussion on the Rockets' reliance on players without KD and their inconsistent performance.
“I ain't going to really, they ain't going to really give me no money if I'm scoring 12, Joe.”
Contract Comparisons and Player Aspirations
29:10 to 31:10
Analysis of Jabari Smith's contract and the pressure on players to match peers' success.
“Long-term core following his initial four-year,$35.8 million.”
Show all 18 chapters
Comparative Performance and Team Strategy
31:10 to 35:20
Exploration of team strategies and player performances, particularly focusing on the Lakers and Rockets.
“But see, unlike us, Ocho, that five years, 122, that's guaranteed.”
Lakers vs. Rockets: Season Implications
35:20 to 36:40
Discussion on the implications for teams facing the Lakers and their playoff status.
“Because one thing you can't do is let him come out here and have, like, no triple-double numbers.”
KD's Controversial Statements and Team Dynamics
40:44 to 42:00
Exploring Kevin Durant's comments on teammates and their potential implications.
“But like that part of KD when I say there's been an emotional rollercoaster with KD this season, that's obviously a big part of it.”
Discussion on KD's Injuries and Leadership Style
42:00 to 43:19
Explore the implications of Kevin Durant's injury and his unique approach to leadership.
“Y 'all think this bigger than this injury that he had, meaning like he could potentially be moved, they could move on from this summer?”
Understanding Team Dynamics and Personal Accountability
43:20 to 48:59
Delve into how personal accountability and team dynamics affect player relationships and performance.
“So if you don't, I promise you, if you didn't know what a crayon eater was, it was probably you.”
Building Team Chemistry Through Off-Court Activities
49:00 to 56:00
Learn about the importance of team bonding activities outside of basketball and their impact on performance.
“Hey, look, look, if you met her in the club, hell, don't get pissed off eight months from now, she's still going to the club.”
Team Bonding and Dynamics
56:00 to 1:04:00
Explore the importance of team bonding and how it contributes to winning.
“sometimes you have to do things that you don't really want to do.”
KD's Future with Houston
1:04:00 to 1:04:10
Discussion on whether Kevin Durant will remain with the Houston Rockets.
“Especially after that, Joe, that's hard.”
Transcript
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4:14Shannon Sharpe:We'll be right back. to be written the only story that will be written is what goat james a 41 year old went in and did he was aggressive from the jump joe we talked about this i don't give a damn what is what is the uh efficiency of me neither i need him to be aggressive yes thank you guys for joining man look the first two games were as good as you could possibly get right lakers walked the dog on them it's amazing joe when shots don't start falling now all of a sudden they looking at each other looking to the bitch. Y 'all didn't do none of that the other night. Y 'all was high-fiving and bumping.
4:50Shannon Sharpe:I wonder if y 'all still the better team, Jabari Smith. Everybody's the better team when you win, but we'll get into that just a little later. Y 'all know who I am. I am your favorite uncle. That is my partner and co-host. That's Liberty City's own. That's the bingo ring of fame honoree. He's a six-time Pro Bowler. He's an all-pro. And he's Ocho Cinco Johnson. And the seven-time NBA All-Star from I'm the Atlanta Hawks, University of Arkansas, love Little Rock, Arkansas native. That is ISO Joe Johnson. Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and do us a favor.
5:25Shannon Sharpe:Go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from. We'd like to thank each and every one of you for your eyes, ears, and your word of mouth. It's nights like this. If you're on the East Coast, it's after midnight. We can't thank you enough for tuning in and joining us. If you're on the West Coast, thank you. If you're in the Midwest, thank you again. Because all of this happens, all the awards that you see behind us, and you see the adulation and the praise, top 10, top 20 podcasts, that's all because of you. We can get on here and make it as entertaining and as informative and educational as we like.
5:57Shannon Sharpe:But if nobody's watching, if nobody's listening, if nobody's talking about what we're talking about or what we're saying, it does not matter. So we sincerely thank you from the bottom of our heart. Those looking to purchase a bottle of shade by LaPortier, Head over to laportiercognac.com if you cannot find it in a state or city near you. It is a premium VSOP cognac, the best tasting premium VSOP cognac on the market. But it drinks like a XO. Please drink responsibly and stay safe. Oh, you know what they told me? They said get your coat, your brim, and get on out of this gym. Get your coat, your brim, and get on out of this gym.
6:34Shannon Sharpe:Get your coat, your hat, and leave, people. People, people. That's what I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about.
6:45Chad Johnson:Hey, you feeling good, huh?
6:47Shannon Sharpe:You know I'm on that, hey, Joe, I'm on that poll tonight. It ain't no, oh, Joe, we might go four hours. We might go four.
6:57Chad Johnson:Hey. You on that liquor, huh? I got you. You on that yak, okay. Hey, hey, before we even start, I got a question for you, right? Now before reality said it, I know the Lakers played really well tonight. LeBron was aggressive. He did what he needed to do. Yeah. Oh, hey, Achi Moura. Did I say that right? Yeah, Ohachi.
7:17Shannon Sharpe:Ohachi.
7:17Chad Johnson:Hey, Achi was hitting them shots tonight. You hear me? Yeah. Hey, don't connect. He showed up. He came to the party.
7:25Shannon Sharpe:No, you talking about LaRavia came in. LaRavia. I don't think he got in the game. He came in late. No, it was LaRavia came in, gave him some quality minutes. Yeah, yeah. Five rebounds.
7:38Chad Johnson:seven points.
7:39Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.
7:40Chad Johnson:Oh, brother Reeves played well tonight too. You know, he got that rust off a little bit, you know, going into his second game. So I'm going to let you have a night for the fun because y 'all won this series, it's over. But y 'all know you're no way dragging and laying in front of you now, right?
7:58Shannon Sharpe:We're not to that castle. We're not trying to kiss that princess yet. Oh, you're not worried about that yet? So once we get to that castle where the dragon is at and he's blocking the princess. We'll talk about that then. Right now, we're going to talk about them stinking rockets that failure to launch. Okay. Them duds. Let's talk about them duds. Okay, okay, okay. They're talking about rockets, they're duds, they're misfire. Yes, sir, yes, sir. Anybody know anything about fireworks? You know when you get a big old pack and half of them duds. You mad. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Hey. Joe, you look at the Lakers and they understood the assignment.
8:32Shannon Sharpe:They didn't want to play a game seven because anything can happen. They got confidence. They're like, hey, we've already won in their building before. We can damn sure go in here and win again. Lakers adopted that same mindset. JJ said, look, guys, game three. We went there and we won. We can win again. All we got to do is take care of the basketball, keep those guys off the glass. They did a great job of that tonight. Joe, what was so impressive? What you found most interesting in why the Lakers won this game and in the fashion in which they did?
9:04Chad Johnson:Well, I thought the Lakers played great defense. Uncle Ocho, I mean, as you can see, the Rockets only scored 78 points. And when you cut them young guys' ward off to where they're not efficient, they're not making shots, you see the difference, right? Yes. Yes, it's a huge difference. But the biggest key is probably the way LeBron started the game. You know, putting a step on the game early, you know, getting into the teeth of the defense, living in the paint, scoring their will. I'm like you. I don't give a damn that he went 10 for 25. I'm cool with that. Hey, bro. Yep. Hey, as long as you being aggressive, making plays, trying to score, then everybody else, they can get it off the glass.
9:43Chad Johnson:They'll catch up with you and they'll start to play off you. I just thought the Lakers were in full control tonight from start to finish. They really never looked like they was ever going to lose. Any danger. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They were never in any danger. But that's indicative to playing a young Rockets team who, yeah, they got a little experience, but hell, if they ain't making shots, okay, Ocho, how else can they affect the game to keep themselves in it at home? And they couldn't do it tonight.
10:15Shannon Sharpe:And I think the thing is that because Reed Shepard wasn't able to hit some threes early, nobody was diving to the basket. I thought they did a great job. They's like, look, we're not coming to help. They's like, Aiton, you got to anchor down. And he did a great job of absorbing that contact because Shingun, when he bothers you, he said, nah, I ain't going nowhere, bro. I'm like, hey, I dropped anchor right here. I ain't moving. And he made him – he forced shots, made him go off over the top. I thought Marcus Smart was unbelievable tonight. He did a great job of taking care of the basketball. Remember, he had six turnovers last game, Joe.
10:51Shannon Sharpe:But think about it. It's his hustle plays. Yeah. He's blocking shots from back. But, hey, I don't know who it was. Was it Easton? I don't know if it was Easton. I don't know who it was that he met him at the summit.
11:03Chad Johnson:Oh, yeah.
11:04Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, it was.
11:05Chad Johnson:Yeah.
11:05Shannon Sharpe:He met him at the summit.
11:06Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah.
11:09Shannon Sharpe:He was sensational tonight. I thought he stepped up to play. I thought, Kana, I thought everybody played really well. They got a little loosey-goosey with the ball. I thought Alster Reeves tried to pat the ball behind his back. It goes out of bounds. And the next thing you know, Houston goes on a 6-0 run.
11:25Chad Johnson:Yeah, I agree.
11:26Shannon Sharpe:Those are the type of plays that when you play a better team, now you do this, that 6-0 run, okay, see, that's 16-0.
11:34Chad Johnson:Yeah.
11:35Shannon Sharpe:But we'll talk about that, Ocho. We'll talk about that next week. We ain't going to talk about it right now. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Hey, listen.
11:40Chad Johnson:Listen. I like what you said about Marcus Smart. And for guys who enjoy playing the game, who enjoy watching the game, man, listen, when you ain't making shots, how else can you put your stamp on the game? Because Marcus Smart probably didn't score until, what, at the third or fourth quarter, Uncle Ocho.
11:56Shannon Sharpe:He had one point until those final two threes.
11:58Chad Johnson:Yeah. He had one point. Yeah, so he never hung his head. He kept playing hard. And here, you got to have him on the court because his energy and effort that he brings defensively, you know, keeping guys together on defense, I think, I mean, he's a hell of a piece, bro. You got to have guys who can really stay in the right mind frame, Uncle Ocho, when things ain't really going their way. And for young guys, that's hard, Uncle Ocho. It's very hard. Yeah, but when you got a veteran guy like Marcus Smart, who'd have been around the block here, he didn't give you 20-plus in this series. Yeah. And it's been games like tonight where it didn't look so good to him or for him until late in the game where he was able to make a couple shots.
12:40Chad Johnson:But for the most part, bro, he still played his role to the tee. Yeah. Hey, Joe, and that's something too. Joe, you mentioned it too before. Sometimes when you get to this level, you got to understand everybody can score. But depending on where you're at, depending on what your role is, they might not need you to score. So you got to be of value somewhere else outside of just being a score like Marcus Smart was tonight. Okay, I'm not scoring, but there's some other valuable attributes that I bring to my game, you know, for the league tonight. Hustling, playing crazy defense, you know. Hey, Unk, I don't know what the hell meeting at the summit is, but I know he did something, right?
Read the full transcript
13:18Chad Johnson:Yeah. He made it back to the rim. He tried to dunk it. We didn't got it. and he would have made.
13:23Shannon Sharpe:Okay. You got to go higher than that.
13:25Chad Johnson:Okay, okay.
13:26Shannon Sharpe:Hey, I'm at the penthouse too.
13:28Chad Johnson:Okay, okay, okay.
13:29Shannon Sharpe:So, unless your penthouse on top of mine, but we both at the penthouse. I like that. And guess what? This high you can go.
13:36Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah.
13:38Shannon Sharpe:I like that. I like that. Joe, that's the thing. When you're a young player, you're not used to things not going your way. Right. Because for the majority of your life, things have gone your way. You were the best player in your area. You was an all-state player. You probably missed the basketball. You're the best player on your college team. So now, and so things have always gone your way, so you don't know how to respond when things don't go your way. Absolutely. It's kind of like life. Sports is a microcosm of life. When things are always going your way, it's easy. But when you have a little setback, when you have some stumbling blocks placed in obstacles, placed in your way, Now, how do you overcome adversity?
14:21Chad Johnson:Absolutely.
14:22Shannon Sharpe:We saw DeMarcus Smart played a terrible game. And even though he didn't have but one point until probably like the last six minutes of the ball game, other things, other attributes that he contributed that he brought to the table, that is the difference in winning and losing.
14:36Chad Johnson:Absolutely.
14:37Shannon Sharpe:He's a piece that you, more times than not, he'll contribute to you winning as opposed to you losing games because he's going to do all the little things. and he understands that, you know what, I'm never going to be the best player on an NBA team.
14:53Chad Johnson:Right.
14:54Shannon Sharpe:With that being said, that doesn't mean I can't contribute. That doesn't mean I'm not valuable.
15:00Chad Johnson:There you go.
15:01Shannon Sharpe:And so once you understand, because a lot of times, Ochoa and I sport, we only equate value to do – if I don't catch no passes, I'm not valuable. If I don't score no touchdowns, I'm not valuable.
15:11Chad Johnson:Right.
15:12Shannon Sharpe:But know sometimes that being a decoy, But sometimes getting that block, instead of it being a 10-yard run, it's a 50-yard house call. You have to understand there are other things that are valuable. Sometimes people just play things, value on monetary things. That's fine, too. We all love monetary things. But sometimes there have to be something other than that that brings you value, that brings you happiness. And so I was very excited, considering how poorly he played the other night, to see him bounce back because he had played so well in this series. And when he had been healthy, he had played so well for the Lakers.
15:45Shannon Sharpe:So it was great to see him bounce back like that. And that's what veteran players that's been in these situations before, this is what they normally do.
15:53Chad Johnson:Absolutely right. And that's why you got to have glue guys like Marcus Smart, Uncle Ocho. You know, because the game isn't – his game isn't really the sexiest. But at the same time, he knows how to be effective, bro. He knows how to be effective. He plays his role to the T. He stars in his role. You feel what I'm saying? Yes. When you got veteran guys like that playing in tough games like this, I don't know what it is about playing at home. This is what I was telling you guys. Like, when you're on the road, bro, it seems like it's just you and your teammates against the world. So, you know, it's likely that you can come out and have a pretty decent game versus being at home when you're comfortable, slept in your bed, you know, you got your family around, you let your guard down a little bit.
16:39Chad Johnson:You know what I mean? And to me, it seemed like that's what kind of happened in Houston because Jabari Smith didn't really play a hell of a game as far as scoring-wise, him averaging about 16, 17 in this series. They needed all those young dudes to play well. You know, I like the demeanor that LeBron had to start the game, just very serious and understanding and knowing that, man, I can't settle too much tonight. Oh, yeah. I got to put pressure on these boys.
17:07Shannon Sharpe:I think the thing is, Ocho and Joe, is that last game, these guys had out-of-body experiences shooting the three. Guys were pulling up with guys in their face shooting the three. I mean, Tari Eason, the way he was breaking, even his mom was talking about how he was shooting the ball bad on social media. Jabari Smith was letting it rip. Now all of a sudden, a couple of those shots, that's the difference. You see a couple of shots go in, you grow. all of a sudden you clank a couple of them, you shrink. You shrink. Now you all of a sudden, you aim at each other like, come on. And you're doing all this body laying.
17:44Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All it takes is for a couple of them to miss. And now all of a sudden, you're not nearly as confident as you once were. But that happens to young players. As an event player, you understand you're going to have ebbs and flows of the game. I might drop one and it might be a big play. I just know, hey, come back. They're going to bring you on a shallow cross. You're going to have an opportunity on a choice or an option route. Just catch that one. Just get the feel of that pigskin. Feel that leather. Then we right back in business. We right back in business. I thought the Lakers, this was the type of game that we wanted to see in game four.
18:23Shannon Sharpe:This was the type of game that we wanted to see in game five. Hey, we saw LeBron get right downhill. Let's get right to it. All right, let's get to it.
18:30Chad Johnson:Yeah. Hey, what about your boy Rui?
18:32Shannon Sharpe:Your boy Rui came to play tonight, didn't he? Oh, yeah. He was feeling good. We talked about Rui getting streaky and how he can hit five or six. Hey, Joe, we talked about that the other night. I said, Joe, he's a guy because I watched him in Memphis and I watched him in some of the series. He's a guy. He's their best catch and shoot guy from the three. Now, I think Kennard is an overall better shooter from the three than Rui. But as far as just catching the ball and letting it go, he's the best on the team.
19:00Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, and he covered for us tonight too. But when Rue is playing like this, you know, to where Bron can create and get him wide open shots and kind of get him going, you know, that kind of picks him up, gets his defense going. I just think, hey, now the Lakers got to, you know, they got to get some rest, Uncle Ocho, and see what they can throw at OKC.
19:24Shannon Sharpe:When they get Saturday off, they get Sunday off, they get Monday off, they don't play until Tuesday, Joe.
19:29Chad Johnson:Oh, yeah, they got a little time. They got a little time. They got a little time.
19:32Shannon Sharpe:Also, D.A. didn't have a big night scoring the basketball, but, Joe, on the glass, he got everything that was upcoming. He did, bro.
19:42Chad Johnson:He did. He did.
19:43Shannon Sharpe:And that's what you have to have. They didn't get – remember last time, I think they doubled them up.
19:49Chad Johnson:Yeah.
19:50Shannon Sharpe:In offensive rebounds. Yeah. Tonight, the Lakers had 15. They had eight. Now all of a sudden those second chance points that you was feasting on the other night, he didn't allow that. Guys got on the glass tonight. I thought Marcus Mark had seven rebounds. Rui had six rebounds. LeBron had seven rebounds. Right. You can live with that. Hey, LaRabia came in there in 16 minutes. He gave you five rebounds.
20:15Chad Johnson:He did. Hey, listen. For Houston, I like Torres Easton. But you needed KD, bro, in this series in order to be able to win. Yes. because these young dudes weren't going to be able to take you to victory. Not throughout the series. Yeah, they can win you a game or two. Because Easton, you need him coming off that bench, Ocho, to give you a little five-power, a little spark plug that probably could have helped you get over the hump in a couple of these games. But without KD, I mean, we didn't really think these guys was going to run the table and win two in a row against the – I know I didn't. You know, I wouldn't have been too surprised.
20:48Chad Johnson:Well, actually, it would have been four in a row. Well, yeah, four in a row. So, yeah, I really wouldn't have been too surprised had they, you know, kept it close and maybe even won this game tonight. But I wouldn't have picked them to beat the Lakers.
20:59Shannon Sharpe:Look, we thought that – my thing was, my only concern is that, Brian, if Brian come out being passive again, trying to get everybody else involved, because now you try to get everybody else involved, you're throwing yourself off real.
21:10Chad Johnson:Yeah.
21:11Shannon Sharpe:You know, sometimes on y 'all we talk, man, you helping everybody else, and now you can't help yourself. Now you find yourself in a predicament.
21:17Chad Johnson:Yeah.
21:17Shannon Sharpe:Hey, get it off the table. I'm a pilot that's on my plate. Some fall off, grab it. But I cannot run the risk of throwing myself off rhythm while all the while trying to get you in rhythm. Yeah, I agree. I thought, look, everybody understood the assignment tonight. Look, Austin Reed is, look, he's defensively challenged. It is what it is, Joe. He's not going to get any better. He's not going to get any better. He's not. He's not. The guy just don't. I mean, you can try all you want to, but he just doesn't have the lateral movement. His feet heavy. His feet just heavy. Some guys can just – it's easy.
21:56Shannon Sharpe:You look at Marcus Smart, he can just slide and just slide and just slide and retreat.
22:03Chad Johnson:You got to hope he get in a little better shape though on the Ocho. You seen all them boys hunched over grabbing their shorts. Yeah. Boy, hey, them boys were dead dog tired. Yes. I'm like you. They understood the assignment knowing that, man, look, we got to get these young dudes up out of here. We got to go back home, baby, get us some rest the next couple days. And I felt like the Lakers, they did that from start to finish. Get them down.
22:28Shannon Sharpe:Now they're going to come down and start jacking up shots. They're not going to be patient because the one thing, as a young person, you're not patient. No. Hey, as a young person, I remember when I was a young person, guys, hey, I got my chicken from cracking eggs, not by letting them hatch. I wouldn't wait. Shay wasn't waiting on nothing. Hey, that was a bar. That was a bar. That was a goal. And so, Joe, you already know, you young. I'm going to try to get it. Hey, let me come down here to three. If I hit a three, that's going to get the crowd. I come down here again. But then what happens? You go airball.
23:03Shannon Sharpe:And you go airball.
23:05Chad Johnson:Yeah.
23:05Shannon Sharpe:I may probably look at you like, what was that?
23:08Chad Johnson:Yeah.
23:09Shannon Sharpe:What was that? I think people are like, oh, you try. I'm not trying to take no shot at KD. I know they're not a better team without KD. I think some of those guys on that team think they play better without KD.
23:23Chad Johnson:That's the issue. Hey, there is some of them guys that are a lot more aggressive without KD. I mean, when you look at it, Uncle Ocho, they ain't have nobody with more than three assists tonight, the Rockets. You know what I mean? That's not who they are, Joe. I know because it's such a young team. They're not really sacrificing. You feel what I'm saying? It's like, if I got it, I'm taking it. You feel me? It's like my turn, your turn. Like there's really no chemistry and continuity with those guys. Maybe because KD is out, you know, Ben Fleek ain't playing. You don't have no veteran guys out there who can help lead this young team.
23:57Chad Johnson:And that's kind of what you've seen tonight. You know, it was guys just kind of one pass shot. You know, it wasn't really a good flow of chemistry between the guys tonight.
24:07Shannon Sharpe:What guy – look at these guys. I think Thompson is available for a contract extension. You don't make no max dollars being an assist guy. Tari Eason, those guys, Jabari Smith. Joe, I'm trying to get money. KD gonna keep money out my pockets. You don't think those guys think of that? Oh, yeah, I know. That's the only way real. You got Jabari Smith, you got Thompson, you got these young guys. They want max contract because they saw guys in their draft class getting that. Hold on, didn't Paulo Bank Carroll just sign a max deal? Didn't Chet Hongren just sign a max deal? Jamari Smith said, what about me?
24:48Shannon Sharpe:I ain't got no bank money yet. Y 'all ain't got no money for me? Y 'all ain't got nothing for you, boy? Copenhagen's Spit Free packs American-grown tobacco into pouches made from when your elbow's deep in an engine block. They're masked up, torching deep cuts into stubborn pipes. Her helmet's on, riding deep into backcountry. When there's no time or space to spit, grab Copenhagen's spit-free pouches. Find them in stores today. Not all varieties available in all geographies. Warning, this product can cause mouth cancer. When it comes to advancing your education, you have more options than you think.
25:29At Rasmussen University, we find ways to remove barriers, not build them. Like a new laptop if you're eligible and enroll in select online or on-campus programs. That means flexible and engaging online courses and resources, tuition savings options if you qualify, exceptional student support, and much more. Online nationally or check out their 20 campuses across six states. Start when you're ready and get the support you need. Visit rasmussen.edu. $30 concert tickets are on sale now. It's Summer of Live, presented by Live Nation. $30 tickets to over 4 ,000 shows now through May 5th. Tickets are going fast, so don't miss your chance to see Kesha, Kid Cudi, Luke Bryan, MGK, the Pussycat Dolls, and so many more.
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27:57Shannon Sharpe:So, KD's scoring 26-27. I ain't going to really, they ain't going to really give me no money if I'm scoring 12, Joe. But with KD out, I bumped that up to 17-18. You know what I'm talking about?
28:10Chad Johnson:It changed everything. Man, hey, they ain't got no playmakers, though, Unk and Ocho. Hey, Unk, you heard what Joe just said? They ain't got no playmakers, right? They don't. They don't have a point guard. Hold on. Let's say KD not playing. and you bump them numbers up to 17, 18, hell, it still look like fool's gold. That's all it is. It look like fool's gold. You know, it's not real gold. It's gold-plated. Because without KD, what do everybody look like, Joe? And I mean no disrespect. They don't look great consistently. They'll have nights. You know what I mean? Like, in this series, they've had games to where they've looked, you know, pretty good.
28:49Chad Johnson:You know, but like I said, man, that's when they make shots. When they make shots, they look damn good. Hey, Joe, when you get a max contract, they pay you max dollars because you what? You what? You elite at what you do. And you consistent. Damn near consistent.
29:03Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Yeah. Jabari Smith signed a five-year,$122 million rookie extension. This contract begins in 2026 season. Long-term core following his initial four-year,$35.8 million. He look at that like, man, you see what Chet got? Chet in my class yeah you see what did Paulo what did Paulo side of his back extension
29:27Chad Johnson:it was about two something wasn't it
29:32Shannon Sharpe:that's 118 million dollars more on the same year what did Chet get
29:36Chad Johnson:two something
29:39Shannon Sharpe:Chet got two something yeah he got the same thing as Paulo damn and Ocho you know the receivers in your draft class don't you Yes, sir. You know when they went to the Pro Bowl, you're like, well, hold on. He done went to the Pro Bowl? I got to get there, too. Yeah. Paulo Gatban Carroll done made the All-Star team. Chet Hungry done made the All-Star team. What you think Jabari Smith thinking?
30:01Chad Johnson:Okay, okay. I got you. Hey, I've been there. I know exactly what you're saying. I know, too. Hey, hey, that's why I tell you, look, when I was in Phoenix and I turned that 50 down, I seen Jason Richardson get 70, seen Gilbert Arenas them signing these big deals. I'm like, hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Hey, I got to get some of this here. You know, hey, hey, look, I'm going balls to the wall. You hear me? Yeah. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.
30:30Shannon Sharpe:Especially, Joe, if you and Ocho, you feel that you're better than the guy that's getting that money. I remember all the receivers that came out. I'm better than him. Okay, you got that initial money. Gotcha. Tight ends. I played with some of them that ended up, I was like, bro, I was at the East West Shrine game with you. I was at the Blue Gray game with you. Bro, you're not like that.
30:57Chad Johnson:At all.
30:59Shannon Sharpe:I'm not hating. I'm looking at him like, so now I'm thinking it's kind of like you in a relationship. She chose him over you. What is it about him? I got meat for days, too. I got meat for days, too. I got what it is. Okay, he ain't got no money. I ain't got no money. I'm 6 '2", 225. He's 6 '1", 215. I got the baby arm. I don't know what he working with. I'm saying, so what is it? I'm funny. I tell jokes. I dress pretty good. You know what I mean? I got Ralph Lauren. I got Tommy Hill Fickle. I got Lee and Calvin Klein. So what is it? Okay, them guys getting money. What is it?
31:46Chad Johnson:what what are they doing that i can't man please right are you absolutely right hey hey that's what that's that's mainly you know i i would say mainly in football basketball that's what these young dudes thinking bro they trying to contribute to where they can get a a a huge contract you know do they want to win yeah but at the same time hell i want to be i want to be involved don't worry about that money on joe but most of the time you know them boy get exposed when the time come to show up and you're the focal point and you can prove you worth whatever those MAC dollars are, half of them don't show up to the party, Joe.
32:26Shannon Sharpe:But see, unlike us, Ocho, that five years, 122, that's guaranteed. He can drop down to four points a game. He gonna get that money, all of it. Paulo Banqueiro got that five, 245.
32:39Chad Johnson:Yes, sir.
32:40Shannon Sharpe:He getting all of that. Yeah, yeah. It ain't no, well he's five where he got a hundred million no no no no that's five for 245 Paulo Banqueiro is getting all of that
32:50Chad Johnson:that's set in stone no matter what no matter what
32:54Shannon Sharpe:no matter what obviously anytime you're dealing with that kind of money there are morality clauses in there but as long as you go play basketball and you don't run a foul you gonna get up all that and so guys and I'm looking at it Ocho, I'm 22. So by the time I get up off this deal, guess what? I'm 26.
33:18Chad Johnson:They're going to sign another one.
33:19Shannon Sharpe:They give me another deal, I'll be 30, and I'll be getting another deal.
33:24Chad Johnson:So we're going to get another one.
33:27Shannon Sharpe:Ooh. So think about it. By the time these guys 30, they could be done signed$600 million in contracts. Oh, yeah.
33:35Chad Johnson:At 30. It's going to be something that's going to have that, yeah.
33:38Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, Ant-Man. Ant-Man go come back, make all NBA. Ant-Man can be the first guy to make$80 million a year. Ooh.
33:47Chad Johnson:$80.
33:48Shannon Sharpe:$80 a year.
33:51Chad Johnson:It's probably going to be more than that considering Adidas is endorsements and all that.
33:55Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. That's just on the court. We ain't talking about out the court. Yeah.
34:00Chad Johnson:Yeah.
34:01Shannon Sharpe:So when you look at it, you look at it like that. Guys, sometimes it – everybody says sacrifice sacrifice but i don't want to be the one to have to sacrifice right let him sacrifice hey i i need my i need my numbers it's okay you look bro you already got your money you already got yours you good yeah you said let me get my money then i think about sacrificing i'll think about i'll think about sacrificing once i get my bread yeah hey They're a young team. Do I think they're a better team without KD? No. No, no. But they play better because they're not standing around watching what KD does. They kind of reverted back to what they were.
34:43Shannon Sharpe:But if you think about it, they stayed close to home. They didn't send help to double-team Shingun. So now everybody stayed home. Now what do you do? It's like, well, damn. No, son, you got to go sit on screen. You got to go dive to the basket or something. You just can't stand there.
35:00Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah.
35:02Shannon Sharpe:He can't throw the ball through, Rui. He can't throw the ball through Austin or Smart or LeBron. You got to give him something.
35:09Chad Johnson:Yeah. Hey, you got to get a Lakers credit, though, because typically Singoon always has more than one assist, fellas. You know, they made him. They just, hey, they told Aiden, guard him straight up. We're going to guard him straight up. Because one thing you can't do is let him come out here and have, like, no triple-double numbers. Yeah, you can live with 17 and 11. Correct. All day long. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
35:30Shannon Sharpe:Don't let him have no 10, 11 assists.
35:34Chad Johnson:And hitting these guys, cutting back dough and all that, you can't let all that go on. I thought the Lakers did a great job. But, yeah, Houston got some work to do. They got some work to do. They got some work to do. They need some guys to be available.
35:49Shannon Sharpe:Look at the game that the Nuggets won. Look at Jokic's assist total when they win.
35:54Chad Johnson:Yeah.
35:55Shannon Sharpe:Look at his assist total when they don't. Yeah. Same thing with Shingun. Now, go ahead and score. If you can score 40, bless your heart.
36:06Chad Johnson:Yeah.
36:07Shannon Sharpe:But what we're not going to do is send a double, and then here you are getting guys wide open looking at threes. And they're hitting. Nah, we're not going to do that. We're not going to do that. Right. But you know what? Lakers moving on. I know what y 'all are talking about. Well, they ain't going no further. I don't know how far they're going to go. But I know they're going to play on Tuesday night. Yeah. Yeah. One team playing on Tuesday night. If your team, not the Lakers, and they were playing against the Lakers in the first round, your season is officially over.
36:34Chad Johnson:That's it. Yeah. I like it.
36:37Shannon Sharpe:Turn out the lights. Yeah. Party's over. Yeah. They say that all good things must end.
36:44Chad Johnson:Hey, they're going to be in for it. Hey, they're going to be in for a good one, boy.
36:49Shannon Sharpe:Oh, it's going to be a great game. It's going to be great. You know, Goat is going to be Goat.
36:52Chad Johnson:Yeah, he got to be.
36:54Shannon Sharpe:LeBron, 28 points, eight assists, seven rebounds. Next up, the defending champ with OKC Thunder. On Tuesday, JJ, on LeBron, to me, he's had the greatest career of any NBA player. Rick says the locker room making the goat bad noise for LeBron James after the game. He said, hey, we already know. Take this out, guys. We're going to find some very interesting takes on this one. According to Tim McMahon, after Kevin Durant's burner count was leaked during the All-Star break, the Rockets team had a team meeting. And look, that was, there was a discussion had amongst the players, us and they move. Copenhagen spit free packs American grown tobacco into pouches made from when your elbows deep in an engine block.
37:40They're masked up, torching deep cuts into stubborn pipes. Her helmet's on riding deep into back country. When there's no time or space to spit, grab Copenhagen spit free pouches. Find them in stores today. Not all varieties available in Warning, this product can cause mouth cancer. When it comes to advancing your education, you have more options than you think. At Rasmussen University, we find ways to remove barriers, not build them. Like a new laptop if you're eligible and enroll in select online or on-campus programs. That means flexible and engaging online courses and resources, tuition savings options if you qualify, exceptional student support, and much more.
38:22Online nationally or check out their 20 campuses across six states. Start when you're ready and get the support you need. Visit rasmussen.edu. $30 concert tickets are on sale now. It's Summer of Live, presented by Live Nation. $30 tickets to over 4 ,000 shows now through May 5th. Tickets are going fast, so don't miss your chance to see Kesha, Kid Cudi, Luke Bryan, MGK, the Pussycat Dolls, and so many more. Make it a summer of live music. $30 concert tickets this week only. Go to LiveNation.com slash Summer of Live. Hey, Donald. Really flying on that treadmill. I'm trying to run as fast as T-Mobile 5G home internet, Zach.
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40:45Shannon Sharpe:moved on from it as what I was told. But like that part of KD when I say there's been an emotional rollercoaster with KD this season, that's obviously a big part of it. Remember, he criticized Shingun calling him a traffic cone who can't shoot or defend, can't defend. Your franchise player can't shoot or defend. That's way bigger issue than my turnovers.
41:12Chad Johnson:He said that on his burner account?
41:14Shannon Sharpe:He said that on his burner account. Check this out. Jabari, Jabari Smith Jr. said, I can't trust Jabari Smith Jr. Huh? This is what KD said about Jabari Smith, the burner account. Allegedly, there's a burner account. That was leaked. This is what he allegedly said about Jabari Smith Jr. Said, I can't trust Jabari. To me, a effing shot or get a stop. He's low-key the R word.
41:46Chad Johnson:R word. Yeah.
41:48Shannon Sharpe:Yes. He's slow.
41:50Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:52Shannon Sharpe:He also called the Rockets teammates crayon eaters, allegedly.
42:00Chad Johnson:They did that? Mm. So, hold on, hold on, hold on. Y 'all think this bigger than this injury that he had, meaning like he could potentially be moved, they could move on from this summer?
42:13Shannon Sharpe:I told you that yesterday. y 'all didn't want to hear me when i said that but but i i know i i know the significance of
42:18Chad Johnson:all this like i ain't know how this was going i knew he had the burner account but i didn't know where he was he was going at his teammate yeah yeah yeah i mean i knew the burner account was beat was to protect himself as well you know being that he couldn't answer certain things about himself but i i heard the thing about his about his teammates as well but uh you think you think he was really injured and maybe set out to prove a goddamn point nah he i can't see him doing that i can't either i mean we couldn't see him have we couldn't see him having a burn account either talking about his teammates he's had one before though ocho yeah i remember he got in trouble with it before a while ago but i'm just saying what's crayon eaters if you eat crayons what class are you in yeah i mean you know what i'm saying if you if you eat crayons what class
43:07Shannon Sharpe:you in. You not playing with the regular students. You don't go to class with the regular students. Right. It's about 10 to 12 of y 'all in the classroom. Hey, hey. I'm just saying. Everybody knows. So if you don't, I promise you, if you didn't know what a crayon
43:25Chad Johnson:eater was, it was probably
43:27Shannon Sharpe:you.
43:28Chad Johnson:Mmm. Mmm. Hey, hey. Hey. Hey, KD play game one.
43:37Shannon Sharpe:Your grades, you didn't get letter grades. You got stars on your report card. They gave you two cookies and a carton of milk, and you went back on your cot.
43:46Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah. Hey, KD played game one?
43:51Shannon Sharpe:He played game one and two. Every.
43:56Chad Johnson:Nah.
43:57Shannon Sharpe:He was out game three. He played game one and two.
44:00Chad Johnson:And he missed.
44:01Shannon Sharpe:No, so he played game two and three, right?
44:03Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah.
44:04Shannon Sharpe:He was out game one, played games two and three. and then miss four, five, six. So he missed four of the six games.
44:12Chad Johnson:Yeah. I think he was hurt, but I definitely think he'd been a little frustrated too because his duties was – KD loved a hoop, bro. He a natural – That's all he want to do. That's it.
44:26Shannon Sharpe:Don't ask him to do all the other things. That's not what – and that's okay. He didn't sign up for that. KD don't want to leave no – hey, hey, guy, let's have a team meeting. KD don't want to be that guy, hey, y 'all come over to the crib, or let's go do that. He want to who play basketball. KD is a professional basketball player.
44:45Chad Johnson:Yeah.
44:46Shannon Sharpe:That's all he wants to do, and I ain't got a problem with it.
44:50Chad Johnson:Yeah. Hey, and not having a point guard, he had all them ball handling duties. So he only played in game two, Joe. That was the only game he played in? That was the only game he played in. The way he had 20 points in that first half?
45:02Shannon Sharpe:Had 20 points in the first half, and I think he ended up with 23. three end up having 23 in the second half.
45:08Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah. I think he was definitely frustrated, obviously, having the ball handling duties, not really being able to get to his spots because you got to understand, they had him flustered because they was trapping him every time he came across. Yeah. Making him get that ball up. Yeah. So making him give the ball up. And he knew he wasn't giving it. He wasn't getting it back. And I think he got frustrated behind all that. But I do think he was injured, too, though.
45:32Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. And here's the thing. and y 'all can't make no shots to get these guys up off me.
45:38Chad Johnson:There you go.
45:39Shannon Sharpe:See, if you, hey, Ocho, you getting a double team. If I can throw the ball to somebody else and they start cooking, now y 'all got to pay some attention to them. But because I ain't got nobody to help lift this pressure up off me, they going to double me all damn day. Yes, sir.
45:53Chad Johnson:And now you wonder why he talking about you on his burner account. Ta-da. You know, and no disrespect, you know. I hate it.
46:04Shannon Sharpe:I'm just saying. But like I said, look, he just strikes me as a guy. He's different. Everybody leads in a different way. KD is a guy, hey, watch how I put this work in. Yeah. Look at what I do on the court. Yeah. Look at what I do in the locker room as far as how I go about my business. I get my lift in. I get my stretch in. I go on the court. I have a bet. That is leadership to him. Some people want a guy that's going to, if things are going wrong, call a team meeting.
46:31Chad Johnson:Yeah.
46:32Shannon Sharpe:Some guy want to lead it. Hey, Ocho, Joe, let's get together. Hey, I tell you what, we're going to go X, Y, Z. Hey, we're going to Cancun. We're going to do this. Hey, let's get together. Let's nightcap fam, let's get together. That's leadership or something. That ain't what KD is. You can't ask him to be something that he's not because that's not the way he leads. He leads by example. Y 'all see the prep work I put in?
46:57Chad Johnson:Yeah.
46:58Shannon Sharpe:Come watch me in the offseason. Come to where I am in offseason. Let's get some work in. Let's go to the gym. Let's get some hooping up.
47:05Chad Johnson:Absolutely.
47:06Shannon Sharpe:That's how he wants to lead.
47:07Chad Johnson:Right.
47:08Shannon Sharpe:Everybody can't lead like LeBron and Kobe. I mean, LeBron and Jordan. They, A, do it or I will punch you in your effing face.
47:17Chad Johnson:Hey. Hey, that's one way to go about it.
47:21Shannon Sharpe:This is what's going on. When they run this right here, be alert to X, Y, and Z.
47:25Chad Johnson:Yeah.
47:26Shannon Sharpe:LeBron's a different type of leaver than Kobe, than Jordan.
47:29Chad Johnson:Right.
47:30Shannon Sharpe:Steph Curry is a different type of leader than LeBron, who's a different type of leader than KD. So leadership comes in all. It all depends on what your team needs. Maybe the team need KD to be that, but that's not what he is. Based on his history, it would tell you he's not a guy that's going to probably call a team meeting. Right, right.
47:52Chad Johnson:I'm with you on that.
47:53Shannon Sharpe:You've got to accept somebody as they are, not how you wish them to be.
47:58Chad Johnson:Yeah.
48:00Shannon Sharpe:Ladies and gentlemen, if you have guys, if you got a girl, accept her how she is. If you got her in the strip club, if you meet her and she was wearing risque clothing, accept her how she is. Now you want her to wear a dress down to it and she Amish. Now you want her to wear a pantsuit. When you wear her, she hat on lace. Yeah. Yeah.
48:29Chad Johnson:Hey, you know the first thing that we do, huh? You know, you get somebody, even if you meet them in certain conditions that aren't suitable for somebody that you want to spend the rest of your life with or you want to claim, you feel you can save them, Joe. Yeah. We put that cape on. We feel, I can work with this. Nah. Man, listen, listen.
48:52Shannon Sharpe:You can save her from the situation where she ain't got to pay no bills, but that's who she is. That's what you're going to save her from. But when she got that body, Joe, okay, how did she get you?
49:03Chad Johnson:Right. Hey, look, look, if you met her in the club, hell, don't get pissed off eight months from now, she's still going to the club. She want to be there. Yeah, that's where you met her. Come on, Joe. Yeah. Dead ass. You know, you got cast men who meet people. It ain't just guys, but it's women, too. You know, you meet somebody in the club, and then And eight months, ten months later, a year later, you pissed off because they keep going to the club. Well, hell, that's where you met them at.
49:30Shannon Sharpe:Or they keep going out, period.
49:32Chad Johnson:Yeah.
49:33Shannon Sharpe:Why you still going out? Why you feeling you didn't? What you mean? Oh, you thought that was going to stop because I met you? Is that what you would stop? Right. I tell you what, get you a pet boa. Get you a reticulated python, a rock python, an anaconda. If you keep him in captivity, does he still not need to eat rats, rabbits? He doesn't change because you changed his environment. It is what it is.
50:00Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah. It's all about understanding that.
50:03Shannon Sharpe:Carnivores still eat meat, whether they're in the wild or they're in a zoo.
50:07Chad Johnson:Yeah.
50:09Shannon Sharpe:Seals, whether they're in the wild, they still go eat fish.
50:12Chad Johnson:Yes.
50:15Shannon Sharpe:I'm confused why you get somebody out of that environment and want them to change there have been times look there's not a 1000 % some people are willing to change some people hey if he come get me he she come get me
50:34Chad Johnson:out of this yeah I'm gonna change yeah
50:37Shannon Sharpe:but I should I don't want you to be mad if he or she doesn't and I think that's where the problem is. So if you want KD to lead the team meetings, you should have probably left him where he was. If you want somebody to show the young guys how to do it, how he's been able to stay elite for two decades, that's your guy.
51:00Chad Johnson:There you go. Yeah. That's your guy. Hey, be the first guy in the gym putting their work in. When them young dudes come in, you see him working his ass off. That's how he's going to lead, and he's the last one to lead. You feel what I'm saying?
51:14Shannon Sharpe:Joe, let me ask you this, though. Ocho, and I want you to chime in also.
51:18Chad Johnson:Yes, sir. One of your teammates, Carson.
51:23Shannon Sharpe:Man, Ocho's slow. He – Joe, one of your teammates. Man, Joe a ball hog. Man, Joe ain't passing. Joe worried about Joe.
51:38Chad Johnson:Yeah.
51:39Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, Joe will get to 20, but the guy he guard will get to 24. How does the locker room come back from that? Ocho, I go to you first.
51:48Chad Johnson:I say, for me, Bernard Count Carson saying I'm slow. I'm going to tell him, oh, this is how you feeling. But this is something you could have just, you know, you could have said to me personally. You ain't really had to, you know, go that route. But this Sunday, I'm going to show you what slow is. See, that's the only way I can fight back. That's the only way I can fight back because now you discrediting my game and how you feel, you know, I'm not as a value or an asset to what I do. Well, I'm getting paid millions of dollars to play a sport. Yeah. You take a shot at my craft. Oh, he's slow. Okay, I'm gonna show you.
52:32Chad Johnson:I don't give a fuck if you are the quarterback. I'm sorry, my bad. my bad but yeah i'm gonna show you i i like that challenge joe that's how i take it now maybe his teammates might not take it that way but my mentality is a little different but is that
52:49Shannon Sharpe:is that ocho in year five or six or is that ocho in year one or two oh that's ocho year five and
52:55Chad Johnson:six yes sir yeah hey hey one and two i'm snapping joe i mean i'm i'm snapping man pussy egg yeah Yeah, I'm snapping boy. I'm talking about Ocho, yeah. Matter of fact, not even year one to two, year four and on. Oh, are you challenging me? Okay, bet, I'm gonna show you. Joe, how you handle that situation? Man, hey, it's tough because, you know, like you said, you got guys who lead in many different forms and facets. You know what I mean? And if you a guy who are labeled a ball hog, and you don't play no damn defense, yeah. At some point, they're going to have to get rid of you because the team ain't following your lead, bro.
53:41Chad Johnson:Correct. You know what I'm saying? Yes. So it'll be a huge division there. Hey, look, the one thing that I've always known on good teams that I've played on, bro, are that guys who really enjoy playing with each other and they hang out outside of just the court. Exactly. Off the court. You know, when you don't hang out with your teammates, bro, it tells them a lot.
54:06Shannon Sharpe:Yes.
54:07Chad Johnson:It tells them a lot. It tells them to hell that you don't fuck with them, that you don't mess with them. My bad. That you don't mess with them. So I understand exactly what you're saying. And for me, I've always kept it in perspective in my professional career. Because even as a young guy, Arkin Ocho, like when I played on veteran teams, man, them dudes always invited us out. We all hung out when I was in Boston playing with Twan and Paul, when I was in Phoenix playing with Steve Nash, Sean Marion, Amari Stoudemire. And when I got here to Atlanta, I tried to do the same. You know what I'm saying?
54:40Chad Johnson:We didn't just hang out when we was at practice. Yep. We did a lot of stuff outside of the gym, going over each other's house, playing games, going out, hanging out, going out to eat, doing things like that. So I definitely understand what you're saying. And I think it helps the relationship. When you build off the court, it helps the relationship on the court. Yeah, yeah.
55:01Shannon Sharpe:I totally agree. When I was in Denver, I was like, look, I got my mom, I got my sister in town, I got people in town, we win, let's go get something to eat. Yeah. Me and Brian, because it's like, I said, hey, we going to get something to eat. So, hey, we call head, hey, we got 25, we got 30 people coming.
55:17Chad Johnson:Yeah.
55:18Shannon Sharpe:Even sometimes, hey, they got people coming in, they're like, Sean, man, hey, I know you ain't got nobody, because a lot of times I was by my damn self. All right, I come hang out with y 'all. Yeah. You know, get some jokes in. He was in Baltimore. You know, it was me, Ray, Rod Woodson, Corey, Corey Harris. A lot of times it was Jamal. Hey, hey, hey. Jamal Lewis. Yeah. So we, hey, we did things together. We go over to Ray House, Buffy, Ray's mom would cook. Yeah. We'd go to DC, hang out. They're like, man, come on. I said, man, come on, man. Come on, Sean. Come on, man. So they got me out. Yeah.
55:56Shannon Sharpe:So, you know, but it's a part of it. And sometimes to build a team, you got to do – sometimes you have to do things that you don't really want to do. Absolutely. To show that you're not above them.
56:07Chad Johnson:Right.
56:08Shannon Sharpe:That you are part of them. And it all goes to winning. We were really, really close, guys. I'm talking about really, really, really close. Yeah. I mean, we went to movies together. We had bowling. week eight and even Mike we'd have bowling as a team offense versus the defense we'd have gambling at Mike's house Mike would have Mike would have real life we'd have poker tables we'd have blackjack tables we'd have crap tables yes and so you got there everybody got like paper money whoever had the most money you got jewelry you gotta buy necklaces or you gotta deal with a jewelry store so you had the most money you get a gift card at the end of the night you could go buy a five thousand you get a five thousand dollar necklace or ten thousand dollar ring or something like that that's how mike had it yeah yeah yeah we we did a lot of stuff together and i think that is very very important it's very
57:05Chad Johnson:conducive to winning about to winning yeah that team bonding team building yes yeah it helps it goes a long way and when you look at the the top echelon teams in pro sports that's typically what you have bro you you you pretty much had that i mean outside of probably who kobe when he played for the lakers because he didn't really hang with nobody like that no you know what i mean but outside of that for real like guys really they really really hung out with each other they really mess with each other like that hey he really wasn't on that friendly stuff huh yeah cool yeah he won't keep hey he always wanted to keep one up you have an edge on you you know what know your weaknesses, but he didn't want you to know his type.
57:49Chad Johnson:You know what I mean?
57:50Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.
57:50Chad Johnson:Yeah, that's how he was.
57:52Shannon Sharpe:Yes. But let everybody tell that Kobe was their best friend. Right. After he could no longer be the Kobe that he once was, he became your best friend.
58:04Chad Johnson:Yeah. Now Jordan was different.
58:07Shannon Sharpe:Jordan take you out to golf, keep you out on the golf course, you play at 36 holes, and then come drop kick you off. Keep you up all night playing poker, playing all kind of card games. Yeah. And drop 100 on your head. How he do that?
58:22Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah.
58:23Shannon Sharpe:I mean, everybody tell the story. They don't know how he was able to play like he played on two hours of sleep.
58:28Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah. Three hours of sleep. Go play golf.
58:32Shannon Sharpe:He go play 18, 36 hole and come give you 40. The same day that he played 18 to 36 hole. How in the hell this man gave us 40?
58:43Chad Johnson:Yeah. That's crazy. Hey, you remember when Pat Riley was coaching the Knicks, Arkan Ocho, and he was saying that Jordan was buttering up his teammates. I mean, the opponents. You know, so they weren't.
58:56Shannon Sharpe:Hey, Pat, let's go out.
59:01Chad Johnson:Hey, Ocho. Yeah. Hey, he buttered them up so they wouldn't play as hard against him. He come out here and tear their heart out. You know what I mean? Yeah, man. So I think that's the kind of guy MJ was too, Ocho. Yeah. You know what I mean? Smiling in your face. Hey, what's up, baby? How you doing? How the family doing? Y 'all all right? Everybody good? Yeah, man. Tell your mama I said hello, man. Hey, and then he come out there and give you 50. Yeah.
59:27Shannon Sharpe:But I was like, when guys come to town, Joe, I don't know if you did, I ain't pick nobody up.
59:32Chad Johnson:No, I ain't either, bro.
59:34Shannon Sharpe:I ain't gonna see you at the game. Hey, man, how you doing, Sharp? I thought, no, you didn't think that. I ain't talk to you and tell y 'all I was going to come scoop you from the hotel and I even went on the road I didn't go out of the hotel I didn't leave my hotel
59:51Chad Johnson:I remember them days
59:52Shannon Sharpe:we only got like two hours what the hell we going to do by the time you come pick me up we get to point A it's already time to get back they ain't giving us no time like y 'all got Joe y 'all get in the night before stuff like that we ain't do that We getting in, we gonna probably land 3.30, 4 o 'clock. By the time we get out of the plane, get to the bus, they load the buses up, get to the hotel, it's 5.30. Got me to the seven o 'clock.
1:00:21Chad Johnson:Yeah. Hey, any time I had homeboys come in town, you know, it was about, we did maybe two, three games a year. We always put, they always pick the games based on the schedule, on who we planned, The better the team, or we all coming. Oh, yeah. I'm talking about 30, sometimes 40 dudes, unk. Yeah. And I had everything. Now, you know, I'm going to have my people get the flights, your hotels and rental cars, everything taken care of. It's three to four, two to four people to a car. Yeah. Everything's straight. Yeah. So I know you in town. I'm not going to see you when y 'all get here Friday. I'm not going to see you Saturday.
1:01:02Chad Johnson:Mm. After that game, when that game, when the game going on, when I come out that tunnel, when I look in the family section, I'm going to see all them boys out the alley, all them boys out the alley, everybody out of Liberty City. Oh, hold on.
1:01:16Shannon Sharpe:Whoa, whoa, whoa. That's different now. Hold on. When the homeboys were Bucket, the big cow. Oh, yeah. They came on the Friday. Hey, we went out Friday night. Oh, you went out with him?
1:01:27Chad Johnson:Did y 'all play on Sunday?
1:01:29Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.
1:01:31Chad Johnson:Oh, nah.
1:01:31Shannon Sharpe:Nah, nah. He told me to get off my feet come Saturday. He didn't say nothing about Friday. And I wasn't on my feet, trust me. Hey, listen. I can't say the same.
1:01:43Chad Johnson:But I wasn't on my feet. I was off my feet. I was. Hey, in basketball, bro, in basketball, there's nights that we get in a different city. It may be 12, 30 at night. Oh, yeah. Oh, guys stepping out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:01:57Shannon Sharpe:Oh, no, no, no. I'm going to the end.
1:01:58Chad Johnson:Hey, look, we stepping out. Hey, look, we can have a day in between, or we could be playing the next day. Dudes will still go out, Arke Ocho.
1:02:07Shannon Sharpe:Oh, no.
1:02:07Chad Johnson:Yeah, because look, especially on games you have back-to-backs, you may not have shoot-around in the morning, so we may just meet, we just, the bus may be at 4 o 'clock in the evening, so you got the whole day to kind of rest. Ooh. Oh, yeah, there's plenty of loopholes in there.
1:02:22Shannon Sharpe:Oh, no. Oh, no. Like I said, Bucket, with Bucket, Big Cal coming, it's like, look, man, look, I know my family was coming early because they don't do it with that cold. Right. Baltimore, I had a box. Me and Ray shared a box, shared a suite. So they come anytime. And they came early. And then when I was getting ready to break the record, they came back later. They was in the box. Everything was cool. But my mom, my sister, them, the kids, they coming early. My mom would do it. My mom would come because she would go see my brother play in November, December in Chicago. It was easy for her to drive to Green Bay.
1:02:56Shannon Sharpe:But my sister, I don't give a damn who we played. We could play Tampa Bay. And Tampa Bay was terrible. Cincinnati. My sister coming those first two weeks, those first two home games, preferably we had two games back-to-back because my sister would come in on that Friday. She would stay all the way through, and then she would leave that Monday. So she'd shoot two games. That's it. My mom, kids, every once in a while, like the kids, my girlfriend would go pick them because back then, you know, the parents could walk the kids down, you know, be at the game and stuff like that. It was cool.
1:03:30Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah.
1:03:31Shannon Sharpe:Kids come to – kids didn't matter. Kids didn't care nothing about no cold weather. Kids ain't know nothing about it. But, you know, my sister like, nah, I ain't. I go get them in September. Big sense ain't coming out there in November, December.
1:03:43Chad Johnson:Yeah.
1:03:44Shannon Sharpe:So I sent my girlfriend on that mission. Go bring Kiara. Kayla would come. But, nah, it's just a different scenario now. So I think there's a greater chance KD is not on Houston next year than he is.
1:04:03Chad Johnson:Do you really? I don't think that, fella. I'm going to tell you. Especially after that, Joe, that's hard. That's hard. How do you come back and knowing how somebody really feel about you? Man, listen. Houston trying to win. They ain't studying that. They want to win. And they know KD a bucket. Now, if they had them a decent point guard this year, hell who knows what could have happened in this series. You know what I mean? And I think that's how they gonna look at it. You know, despite what everybody may think about KD, the one thing Houston knows is that he loves playing the game of basketball.
1:04:36Shannon Sharpe:He loves the game of basketball. Everybody, there's never been a debate about his devotion and desire to the game of basketball. Yeah.
1:04:43Chad Johnson:Yeah, look, hey look, he ain't got no kids, Uncle Ocho. Yeah! Yeah, that man ain't got no kids. That man damn little father ain't got no kids. He ain't got no kids. He ain't got no distractions. That boy, hey, he love the game, bro. He married to the game.
1:04:57Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, that we don't know of. Nah, bro. When you make that kind of money, you know about him. Yeah, trust me. Unless he got a real one. He got to have a real, real one.
1:05:10Chad Johnson:Yeah. You know, you got enough zeros. They all real. Yeah.
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Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Iso Joe Johnson react to LeBron James turning back the clock and eliminating the Rockets and Rockets had team meeting about Kevin Durants Burner
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