Nightcap Hour 1: NEW NBA All-Star Format is a SUCCESS + Joe CALLS FOR Zion to do DUNK CONTEST + Adam Silver FOCUSED on ELIMINATING Tanking

16 Feb 2026 · 1 h 19 min · 26 chapters

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In short

Nightcap Podcast Episode Summary: Hour 1

Episode Title

NEW NBA All-Star Format is a SUCCESS + Joe CALLS FOR Zion to do DUNK CONTEST + Adam Silver FOCUSED on ELIMINATING Tanking

Hosts

  • Shannon Sharpe
  • Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson
  • Joe Johnson

Episode Overview

In this episode of *Nightcap*, the hosts delve into the recent changes and events surrounding the NBA, including the new All-Star Game format, discussions around player participation in the Dunk Contest, and Adam Silver's efforts to address the issue of tanking in the league.

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Key Discussions

  1. New NBA All-Star Format Success (Timestamp: 4:46)
  2. Overview of Format:
  3. The 2026 NBA All-Star Game adopted a round-robin format, featuring increased competitiveness among players compared to previous years.
  4. Team USA Stars emerged victorious in a rematch, showcasing notable performances including game-winning shots and high-scoring displays.
  • Host Reactions:
  • *Joe Johnson* praised the format for bringing excitement and effort back into the game, noting how players were genuinely competing.
  • *Shannon Sharpe* echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for competition in such a high-profile event.
  1. Zion Williamson's Dunk Contest Participation (Timestamp: 24:35)
  2. Call for Participation:
  3. Both *Joe Johnson* and *Chad Johnson* stressed the importance of Zion Williamson participating in the Dunk Contest to elevate its appeal.
  4. The hosts discussed how the Dunk Contest lacks star power, and Zion’s involvement could reignite interest.
  1. Adam Silver’s Focus on Eliminating Tanking (Timestamp: 37:00)
  2. Discussion on Tanking:
  3. Adam Silver’s proposal to eliminate tanking was a major talking point, with the hosts discussing the feasibility of abolishing the rookie draft or changing the format to reduce the incentive for teams to tank.
  4. *Joe Johnson* and *Shannon Sharpe* debated the historical context of tanking in the NBA, highlighting how teams have used it as a strategy for building stronger rosters.
  • Audience Reaction:
  • The hosts reflected on social media reactions, emphasizing that many fans criticize the league’s approach to tanking and its implications on competition and fairness.

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Key Takeaways

  • Competitive Spirit: The new All-Star format successfully revitalized the competitive nature of the game, drawing positive responses from fans and former players alike.
  • Need for Star Participation: For events like the Dunk Contest to thrive, they require the involvement of top players such as Zion Williamson.
  • Addressing Tanking: The conversation around tanking illustrates ongoing challenges within the league, and the complexity of implementing reforms to discourage this behavior.

---

Conclusion

This episode of *Nightcap* effectively captured the hosts' unfiltered takes on current NBA issues, combining personal experiences with critical discussions about the league’s future. Listeners can expect a lively and engaging conversation, rich with insights from the hosts' extensive backgrounds in sports.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

NBA All-Star Game Format Discussion

5:17 to 9:20

Analyzing the new round-robin format of the NBA All-Star Game.

“if you cannot find it in a state or city near you.”

Dunk Contest Concerns and Future

9:20 to 14:02

Discussing the need for star players to participate in the dunk contest.

“that when you get all the guys and you split it up east and west, you're still going to get this competitive nature.”

The Evolution of Dunking vs. Three-Point Shooting

14:02 to 17:00

Explore the shift in basketball excitement from dunks to three-point shots and the implications for the dunk contest.

“You see guys now coming down, they're launching threes.”

Challenges in Attracting Star Dunkers

17:00 to 20:30

Discuss the difficulty of getting top NBA players to participate in the dunk contest due to various incentives and personal choices.

“It's kind of like who goes to the actual Super Bowl game if you're not playing in it?”

Highlights from the Recent All-Star Game

20:30 to 24:10

Recap the thrilling moments from the All-Star game, including standout performances and exciting plays.

“He can't play defense like he once could.”

The Future of the Three-Point Contest

24:10 to 26:30

Speculate on potential competitors for the upcoming three-point contest and the excitement surrounding it.

“Hey, hey, and kudos to the NBA for letting him play in it because he hadn't played all season due to the torn Achilles.”

Zion's Dunk Contest Potential

28:41 to 30:18

Discussion on Zion Williamson's potential in the dunk contest.

“Is Matt McClung in it or is he not in it?”

The Evolution of Dunking

30:18 to 34:19

Exploring the creativity and evolution of dunk contests over the years.

“Hey, didn't Blake Griffin compete in the dunk contest?”

The All-Star Game's Changing Nature

34:19 to 37:59

Discussion on the current state and participation in the All-Star game.

“you know, play and make the All-Star game again, Uncle Ocho, I think they'll definitely think about it.”

Emerging Talents and Competition

37:59 to 40:40

Analyzing the young talents in the NBA and their competitive spirit.

“But they couldn't fly like this kid could.”
Show all 26 chapters

Tanking in the NBA: A Heated Debate

44:06 to 45:56

Explore the ongoing issue of tanking in the NBA and proposed solutions.

“Joe Varden, Adam Silver, and his advisor would seriously consider abolishing the rookie draft and turning rookie into free agents if it is the only way to stop tanking.”

Franchise-Altering Talents in the Draft

45:56 to 48:19

Discuss the caliber of players emerging from the upcoming NBA draft.

“But nowadays, in 2026, everybody got eyes on everything.”

The Importance of Routine in Achieving Greatness

48:19 to 53:28

Understand how establishing a routine can lead to success in sports and life.

“really good players right but do you see a lebron do you see a wimby you see uh uh uh i i don't know Joe.”

The Reality of Hard Work and Sacrifice

53:28 to 56:00

Learn about the discipline and effort required to attain greatness.

“I try to tell my son, Uncle Ocho, he a freshman in college, bro.”

The Hidden Work Behind Greatness

56:00 to 57:19

Explore the unseen dedication and effort that athletes put into their success.

“Yeah, they don't see the thousand shots this dude putting up every day in practice, working to shoot a thousand free throws to keep his free throw percentage at 90%.”

Resilience and Personal Sacrifice

57:20 to 59:19

Learn about the sacrifices made by athletes and the importance of resilience.

“What is it about you that's gonna separate you from everybody else?”

Hard Work vs. Shortcuts

59:20 to 1:01:28

Understand why there are no shortcuts to success and the importance of hard work.

“I told Joe Ocho, everybody want to go to hell, but don't nobody want to die.”

The Value of Struggle and Discipline

1:01:29 to 1:04:15

Discuss the significance of struggle in shaping character and discipline.

“she would always say, take all this to make a man.”

Teaching Kids Financial Responsibility

1:04:16 to 1:06:46

Explore strategies for teaching children about money management and self-sufficiency.

“Sometimes we got to get out the mindset, Ocho.”

Balancing Support and Independence

1:06:47 to 1:10:01

Learn about finding the right balance between supporting children and fostering independence.

“Because they didn't, Uncle Ocho, they didn't grow up how you grew up.”

Financial Discipline and Wealth Management

1:10:01 to 1:12:02

Learn about the importance of financial discipline in managing newfound wealth.

“Cause every time, their mom wouldn't give it to them, they called me.”

Personal Stories of Excess and Reflection

1:12:03 to 1:14:40

Hear personal anecdotes about the pitfalls of excess and the realization of true value.

“Burn through it so easily and most of the people say, oh, don't worry about it.”

The Shift in Perspective on Success

1:14:41 to 1:18:10

Understand how success and material possessions can shift one's perspective over time.

“So if I'm driving, I need my homeboys to be able to have something to drive to.”

The Journey Towards Contentment

1:18:11 to 1:20:13

Explore the journey of finding contentment beyond material possessions.

“It just like it got to a point where I understood I outgrew it in a sense, but I outgrew it so early.”

Plans for a Joint Wedding Celebration

1:20:14 to 1:23:50

Listen as they discuss plans for a potential joint wedding celebration.

“You know, we all probably come from a little or nothing.”

Wedding Reception Planning

1:24:01 to 1:26:07

The hosts humorously discuss the details of an upcoming wedding reception, focusing on entertainment and food preferences.

“Hey, y 'all sure trying to make it sound real sweet.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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4:25Shannon Sharpe:Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap. Y 'all know who I am. I'm your favorite uncle. That is my partner and co-host Liberty City's own Bengals, Ring of Fame honoree, a former Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. That is Chad Ochocinco Johnson. And the third member joining us tonight after All-Star Weekend, He's a University of Arkansas alum, Little Rock, Arkansas native, a seven-time NBA All-Star from the Atlanta Hawks, and recently nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He's ISO Joe Johnson. Joe, what it do? What's happening? What's happening?

4:59Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, we good over here, bro. Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and do us a favor. Go subscribe to the Nightcap Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts from. Again, thank you for your support and your continued support. 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. What's up, Fridge Fry? Try it, compare it against other cognacs, and you'll see we have the best tasting, smoothest cognac on the market.

5:33Shannon Sharpe:Please drink responsibly and stay safe. We got a very special guest joining us tonight, Keyshaugh Johnson, who won the dunk contest. But first, the new round-robin format of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game was an instant hit. The Team USA Stars featured MVP Anthony Ayer with Tyrese Maxey. Cade Cunningham won beating the USA Stars, I mean, excuse me, Stripes 47-21 in a rematch because the Stripes beat them earlier in the championship games. But the three-round-robin game showed the All-Star giving more effort than previous. Scottie Barnes and De 'Aaron Fox hit game winners in the first two, while Kawhi scored 31 in the third game of the team's 47.

6:14Shannon Sharpe:And the dagger three with 3.5 seconds left eliminated the world team led by Victor Weminyama and Nikola Jokic. Joe, the first three games, Adam Silver couldn't have scripted it any better. The stripes, they ran out of gas in that last game. because them three games back to back to back with that kind of intensity kind of caught up with them. But, Joe, did you like what you saw from the first three rounds, and do you like this format?

6:43Chad Johnson:Man, I loved it, Uncle Ocho. I thought it was great. I thought it brought crazy excitement to the game, something that we all have been, as fans, that we all have been stressing about over the past few years. So those guys brought it. The main thing was they competed, Uncle Ocho. They came out. That's it. They put it on the line. You could tell the old heads, they didn't want to lose to the world team. The world team. They didn't want, so they came out and played hard. But, Unc, I think you're right. When you have to start that engine, then cut it off, and then start it again, try to get going, them young boys, hey, them young boys.

7:18Chad Johnson:Them young boys ready about to build that last game, but I thought it was fun, man. I thought the whole All-Star weekend was dope, Unc and Ocho. I'm talking about from the, I thought the celebrity game,

7:29Shannon Sharpe:ah, you know, six, seven, whatever.

7:31Chad Johnson:But I thought the Youngcast, the Rising Stars game was pretty good. A three-point shootout at the dunk contest. I thought it was a success for the NBA. It was a good look this whole weekend. Ocho? You're muted.

7:53Joe Johnson:I like the new format. It was exciting. a lot of people have been complaining about the all-star game not the players not playing to their full potential you know out there lallygagging playing around trying not to get themselves hurt but they competed and that's the one thing we ask for for you guys to compete there's only one time out the year where you get all the stars on the court at the same time and the format that they have right now the formula they finally found the answer on a way to get everybody to compete and i i it was exciting for me and you know how i feel about basketball it's not something that i that i really enjoy watching but but tonight i really did i really

8:35Shannon Sharpe:enjoyed it yeah i like this format also i thought victor women yama set the stage and he made it known i'm competing right yeah i'm i'm competing i'm block he was blocking shots he was challenging he did not they were not selling what no whole lot of you know trying to throw lobs and shooting from half court. Yeah, guys took some deep shots, but they were open. But I like this format. I think this is what we should see. Now, is it playoff basketball? No, but it's better than it's been the previous seven, eight years. I agree. There's no denying that. You might be like, well, let's get back to the east and west.

9:09Shannon Sharpe:And okay, fine, if you want to make it east and west. But if it's going to be this competitive, if this is the only way we can make the game competitive, guys, I'll say stick to this format. Because I'm not so sure that when you get all the guys and you split it up east and west, you're still going to get this competitive nature. The world team wanted to win. Neither one of the USA teams wanted to lose to the world team. That's why you saw them compete the way they did. You saw fouls. There wasn't no ease. Yeah, you got some breakaways. But when we got up under the basket and guys got up under the basket, they fouled the ish out of them.

9:42Shannon Sharpe:And that's the way it should be. I ain't giving you nothing cheap. Right, right. Go to the free throw line and make it. And then that third game, Kawhi went crazy. Joe, I don't know, and I've been watching a lot of All-Star games. I've never seen a guy, when the level of competition is like this, a guy getting this hot. He dropped 31 of their 47.

10:00Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, he was unconscious in that third game. Okay, Ocho, you know what? You know what's special about it is because it's in his house. Yes. In his arena. In his state. You know what I mean? So, in his city. So, I feel like Kawhi, he really came out and gave us what we wanted to see because I think they needed that push from him. They needed him.

10:20Shannon Sharpe:Oh, if he don't play like that, they're losing.

10:23Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah. And you can see the guys just deferring to him, too. Obviously, it was just a moment. And that's what it's about, bro. When you get a guy like that going in the atmosphere like that, you want to continue to feed the high hand. And I thought he put on a terrific show that game three.

10:38Shannon Sharpe:He was unbelievable. He was unbelievable. And it wasn't a whole lot. Yeah, I think he got a layup, and he stole the ball and got a dunk. But other than that, it was threes and middies. And like I said, I'm not saying other guys haven't been hot, but when we watched Steph put him at three-point clinic, guys, he was open. They weren't playing. They weren't competing. This was competing. In fact, when AD had fifth in, I think he had like 17 dunks. This was like NBA basketball. When you see guys, when you've seen Donovan Mitchell, you've seen Kobe, you've seen Steph and Klay guys get hot for a quarter.

11:16Shannon Sharpe:guys were competing. Wimby was hitting threes in guys' face. He was turning around, making shots. KD was making shots. And they needed every last one of those points because if they don't get them, the world team was about to beat the strike. Yeah. Yeah, they was. They was. I mean, he dropped 31 and then that three, it's like you knew it was going in. Right. You knew it was going in. Right. But unfortunately, they ran out of steam. They played the Stars team again. Because remember, they had the lead on the Stars. The Stars come back. Ant-Man thought he had done it again, just like he did in the first game.

11:51Shannon Sharpe:But guess what? They come back. LeBron hit a cutting. Donovan Mitchell, Mitch kicks at the D-Fox in the corner. What? So that is basketball. That's what we want to see. They were competing today. Go ahead, Ojo.

12:05Joe Johnson:Hey, Joe and Unc, I think they figured it out with the format in this formula that they have and getting the players to actually play without having to incentivize them with the way they've done it. But I think there's still one thing missing. The dunk contest is supposed to be the one thing that everybody really wants to see. They need to find a way to get the dunk contest being the one thing that everybody wants to tune in to see. I'm not sure what they need to do, Joe. You know what they need to do. What?

12:32Chad Johnson:You gotta have the megastars to play in it. You need the Zions. You need those dudes, bro.

12:40Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Yeah, yeah. The same thing they said about getting a star quarterback to go compete at the Pro Bowl. How many times you see Tom Brady at the Pro Bowl? You're right. You're right. Those guys ain't coming. The guys don't want to compete. So this notion where Jordan did it and that guy, this is a new era.

12:57Chad Johnson:Yeah.

12:57Shannon Sharpe:Guys are marching to their own drum, their own beat. They're doing things their way. They don't care that Kobe competed. They don't care that Jordan and Dr. J and some of the great dunkers who were the great players in years past done it. They don't care about that. That doesn't move them.

13:13Chad Johnson:You know what? I think what I really think, Ocho, is that in this era everything is magnified far greater than it was in the 90s because we didn't have obviously the social media. Correct. If you get embarrassed, they're going to continue to show it over and over. You probably can't continue to see it. I think that's one of the reasons why these dudes don't compete neither. You know, everybody has their own brand. They don't want to lose this, that, and third. So, you know, I kind of see why we don't ever get the megastars to join in. The dudes with the signature shoes, things of that sort. That's what we want to see.

13:51Chad Johnson:We want to see the megastars get out there and compete, bro, and put on the show. I would love it.

13:56Shannon Sharpe:And it used to be the great dunker. But here's the thing. What has transpired now is that the three-point shot has replaced the dunk as more exciting. Man. You see guys now coming down, they're launching threes. They're heat checking. Okay, oh, he dunked. Okay, fine, good. We've seen it. But now with the three-point shot, the three-point shot now, Joe, is more exciting than – that's because what do you see? You see guys run to the three-point line and they're looking to end the game. If you think about it today, what are we talking about? Three-point shot by Ant-Man, three-point shot by D-Fox, three-point shot by Kawhi.

14:30Shannon Sharpe:Ain't nobody mentioned nothing about no dunks. No. LeBron had a great putback. Yeah. Brunson missed the ball and LeBron dunked it on the guy's head. Ain't nobody mentioned it until I just brought it up. We saw it. But the more interesting thing now is the three-point shot. Steph has made that. Now everybody want to shoot the ball and turn it. I already know that's going in. Let me hit on that down. I ain't going to hold you. Yeah, right. That's the thing now, Joe. Right. And so I don't know if the dunk contest will ever be what it once was because, like you said, Joe, the stars used to compete.

15:07Shannon Sharpe:Jordan was actually in the All-Star Game Dominique was in the All-Star Game Guys used to beat Clyde Drexler Dr. J, Larry Nance Those guys that competed, the Colby's The Vince Carter's, they were actually in the game Now you got the bag bar and still we had to get an eye A guy that's not in the league to come up And I'm not so sure that if the dunks that he showed last night He said these were the dunks I was going to dunk He'd have been a four-time champ, Joe

15:33Chad Johnson:Yeah, absolutely He'd have been a four-time champ

15:36Shannon Sharpe:but I just don't know how I don't know Ocho if we're ever going to get the best players to compete in the dunk competition because a lot of the best players KD is not a high riser Jokic is not a high riser Giannis is 7 foot tall a guy that's 7 foot tall don't look good dunking all he got to do is tiptoe

15:58Joe Johnson:there's no creativity with that it's not even them though Uncle Joe it's about those that are dunkers that had the creativity to it you know obviously it's not the the best players aren't the best dunkers and right the best dunkers don't have the most creativity so it's about finding those that that excel in that specific area in that specific craft that's exciting Zion is one that that I can think of Ja Morant um you know those that play above the rim and I'm not sure how you can do it they make so much money where where even if you incentivize it it'd be hard to get them to compete in it, especially at a time like that, especially if you don't make the All-Star game, just to go down there just for a dunk contest, I mean, the incentivation would have to be so large

16:43Shannon Sharpe:it'd have to be worth it. The guys that's not going to compete, Joe, you know, they want that little time, they want that little three, four day, that little mini break. They get down to Jamaica or Mexico or somewhere with the wife, the girlfriend, the family, whatever the case may be. They want that. They're not going. It's kind of like who goes to the actual Super Bowl game if you're not playing in it? You might go down there because you have advertising sponsors and you've got to go to Radio Row. But other than that, you're not going. And you're damn sure there wasn't nobody that didn't make the Pro Bowl coming to the Pro Bowl.

17:17Shannon Sharpe:Right, right. So these guys are like, I ain't in it, so what the hell am I going? Why am I spending my money to go somewhere? No, I'm going to go to the NFL. I'm going to let the NBA spend their money and fly me there or get me there. Right. And then, you know, I'll participate. But I thought this was very interesting. I love the competition. I love how guys ratcheted up. Guys made shots. And we know they can make shots. You're in this league. You can make shots. But everybody was forced to make shots today. And I think everybody that watched, I think they were very excited. Look, we know the last game, 47-21, it was a blowout.

17:53Shannon Sharpe:The stars were fresh. They had 20 minutes off, and they could recover. The last guys, what's up, bro? The last, the stripes, Joe, they needed that break. But the play, because they exerted a lot. You know, when you're trying to win, you exert a lot of energy. These guys exerted a lot.

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18:18Chad Johnson:Yeah. And they needed to. Yeah. And when you look at it, the stripes, bro and them, they didn't really have no big they just had shooters so when you're playing against Duran and Wimby and ILM you know what I mean it's already at a disadvantage but for the most part I thought they competed except their last game was just too much them young boys ran them out to gym but it was fun man it was exciting I mean they had me glued from start to finish so you know from a fan standpoint I'm super was super appreciative of that. Yeah. Yeah.

18:58Shannon Sharpe:You get an overtime game in the first one. Oh, man. You get a game-winning shot. You get a game. I mean, the stripes had to leave for a long time, and then Ant-Man goes crazy, and he hits what he thought was a game-winner, and then they swing it, swing it, and De 'Ara Fox right up in the corner as the buzzer. Bam!

19:15Chad Johnson:Man.

19:16Shannon Sharpe:And then you get, now you got the stripes against the world.

19:18Chad Johnson:Yeah.

19:20Shannon Sharpe:And you get Kawhi going bonkers. LeBron hit a couple of logos. KD did what did what KD does, but it was Kawhi. Kawhi goes crazy. And before these injuries start to besiege him, Kawhi was a top five player. He was the best two-way player in basketball, and it wasn't close. Absolutely. When he was at his apex, those last two years, before he got the injury, before Zaza but cheap shot slid his foot up on his ankle, he twisted his ankle against Golden State. Those two years after Timmy left, He was the best two-way player, and it wasn't close.

19:58Chad Johnson:I agree. I agree.

19:59Shannon Sharpe:He wasn't close. The injuries have robbed him, but we see when he's healthy, oh, he held when he well, man. Oh, man.

20:07Chad Johnson:Hey, look, at the end of the day, Anken Ocho, you put him out there with some great talent, some guys who really know how to play. Like I'm saying, I know he's still option one on a team, but Anken Ocho, you put him on a team where he don't have to work as hard and he can just kind of get to his spot without having to bring the spot and do his thing, man, he's still going to be crazy effective. And he can still help a team win a title.

20:31Joe Johnson:Yes.

20:31Chad Johnson:Yeah.

20:33Joe Johnson:Hey, how tall is Kawhi? About 6 '7".

20:36Shannon Sharpe:6 '7"? Okay, okay, okay. He can't play defense like he once could. The knee injuries, the quad, all those stuff has robbed him of that ability. But he's still offensive. And plus, he's got the taste of offense in his mouth. Yeah. Because, you know, when it was Timmy, he deferred to Timmy. He was more of a defensive player. But once Timmy left and Pop said, well, we need you to score more, he's like, hold on. Man, I got 25 points. I'm a first team. Oh, to hell with that defense. Man, people don't be talking about that defense. Hey, they talk about this offense. And he's sensational. He got a mid-range game.

21:14Shannon Sharpe:He's taught himself how to shoot the three ball because he could not shoot the ball like this when he first got into the league. Now, he get to that midi?

21:23Chad Johnson:Cash. He's just trying to get to a spot.

21:25Shannon Sharpe:Hey, you see him dancing today? Hey, you see him dancing? Yes, sir. Well, WAP, in, out. Hold on. WAP, WAP, crossover.

21:31Joe Johnson:Hey, I got one for you, though. Hey, Joe, who got a better mid-range game? KD, Kawhi, or Shea? Ooh-wee. Yeah, yeah, yeah. See, I've been paying attention now. Yeah, yeah.

21:48Shannon Sharpe:If we just go in pure mid-range, I would say it's probably between Kawhi and KD. Over Shea? Yeah.

21:58Chad Johnson:I ain't going to lie. I'm going to go Kawhi, man. Hey, he get to that mid-range? It's automatic. Ocho, damn near. He's just trying to get to a spot, bro. He's just trying to get to a spot, and he's going to raise up. So, you know, obviously he can, he throw a few pump fakes in there, but I'm talking about a mid range assassin. Obviously they are mid range assassins, but Kawhi for some reason, bro, I don't know what it is. It's, you know, and he don't have a lot of arc on his shot neither, Uncle Ocho. It's kind of like a straight line drive, but it's cash.

22:31Joe Johnson:Yeah.

22:32Shannon Sharpe:It's cash. I think the thing is like, because we like KD had, but Kawhi has turned himself into a great three point shooter, Joe.

22:42Chad Johnson:Yeah, he has. He has.

22:44Shannon Sharpe:We know KD has always had that. Now, for me, Shea is not the three-point shot maker that those guys are. Yeah. But, man, Kawhi can hang. He can put – hey, he's phenomenal. And I hate that injuries have robbed him of some of his best years.

23:03Chad Johnson:Yeah. But when he's – He's cooking. He going – hey, look, but Uncle Ocho, he's been playing well over the past few months in the NBA. What did he average? He probably averaged about 26. Probably about 26. Yeah, I mean, he just 25, 26. You know, he's been playing a lot more lately. Yes. He's out there. He giving you at least 25 a night, man. You know, he's. Remember the other night, what, he dropped 40-something the other night? Yeah. Who they's playing against?

23:34Chad Johnson:It was a good game, too.

23:36Shannon Sharpe:That boy went off. Yeah. Yeah, but this is – I think Adam Silver probably got on the NBA plane and headed back to New York and like, yeah, I think we got something. You're excited. You're happy. Now he's probably asking, okay, guys, how do we improve upon – yes, it's great foundation. It's the first time this format we see it. How do we improve upon that? Now, Steph said shockwave when he said, oh, I see y 'all next year in the three-point competition.

24:02Chad Johnson:Hey, hold up, hold up, though. So my boy Dame Dollar, he got something to say about that, Uncle. That's why he coming back. He coming back. Hey, hey, and kudos to the NBA for letting him play in it because he hadn't played all season due to the torn Achilles. And for him to come out and put on a performance like that, Uncle Ocho, hey, that was impressive, bro.

24:23Shannon Sharpe:Oh, for sure.

24:24Chad Johnson:That was impressive.

24:25Shannon Sharpe:So you can get Steph, you can get Dame, get Klay, get Book, get KD, get Nod. Bring Khan back. Bring Khan back. Khan's got to come back. Absolutely, yes. He's got to come back. Bring him back.

24:39Chad Johnson:Yeah, I like a nipple.

24:41Shannon Sharpe:Because now we got some three-point marks. We got guys that's made a lot of threes, hit a lot of big-time threes in clutch situations. And I need the finals to be between Dame and Steph.

24:54Chad Johnson:Yeah, ooh.

24:55Shannon Sharpe:Look, I get it, Joe. It would be great that Steph is going to be in there. But I need the finals to be between Dame and Steph.

25:02Chad Johnson:Man, listen, but check this out, Ocho. If you Devin Booker, boy, you got to be kicking yourself because he missed them last three threes. All he needed was one. Yeah, he had him.

25:12Joe Johnson:And all three, the last three hit the rim and came out.

25:16Chad Johnson:Man. He had him. He had him. He had him. But it was – I ain't going to lie, that probably was the best event to me, honestly. I mean, the All-Star game was great. But the three-point shootout, I like to see the shooters, bro.

25:28Shannon Sharpe:And it's been like that for some time. Because why? Because you have the best three-point shooters. competing. You're getting Steph Curry competing. You're getting Dame competing. You're getting the better three-point guy. You're not getting the best dunkers. Nah. And that's not a knock on these guys. We're getting some good ones. It's just a fact of the matter. Go ahead. What do you want to say, Jeff?

25:51Chad Johnson:I say we're getting some decent ones, some good ones, but I want to see Zion, bro. I ain't gonna lie. I want to see him in this format in the dunk contest. I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him, Joe. Because that's who I'm going to be putting my bread on.

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26:44Adam Silver:Yes, and Elf Cosmetics went all the way there. Elf Cosmetics just dropped something wildly unexpected. A full-blown, absurdly funny telenovela celebrating positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility. It's called Melissa. And it's absurd in the best way. It stars Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez, and iconic telenovela villain Itati Cantaral. But the real star? Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. When the language fails her and her lips are dull and dry, only glow can revive her. Melissa McCarthy, who I love, fully commits by even rolling the rrs with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil is an ultra-glossy lip oil that nourishes, hydrates, and enhances your lips natural color.

27:26Adam Silver:available in ten shades at only$9 each. Watch the full episode of their new Elf novella on soyunbaño.com. Yes, and drench your lips in an addictive sheer watch of ultra-glossy color with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. We're lost. It feels like we're going round in circles. I'm going to ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the state fairgrounds. Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out. How is there signal out here? T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular are coming together, so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits.

28:07Adam Silver:And there's a five-year price guarantee, too. Okay, here's the turn. Actually, can you pull up the way to a T-Mobile store? America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T-Mobile today and get built-in benefits the other guys leave out, plus our five-year price guarantee. And now T-Mobile is available in a U.S. cellular store near you. Best mobile network based on analysis by Oklo of Speedtest Intelligence Data second half of 2025. Bigger network. The combination of T-Mobile's and U.S. cellular's network footprints will enhance the T-Mobile network's coverage. Price guarantee on talk, text, and data.

28:37Adam Silver:Exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See T-Mobile.com for details. I'm going to tell him.

28:41Shannon Sharpe:I'm going to tell him. Hold on. Let me ask you a question. Is Matt McClung in it or is he not in it?

28:47Chad Johnson:He's done.

28:48Shannon Sharpe:If you put your money on anybody other than him, you high.

28:51Chad Johnson:He had a good run.

28:52Shannon Sharpe:It's over with. Did you see? If he come back and do those dunks that he showed, he win it again, Joe. I think Zion got - Did you see this man dunk and the guy threw the ball between his legs, oh, Joe? I see it. And he caught it. I see it. He went backwards. He kicked it with both feet. He kicked it with both feet and dunked it backwards. Oh, he nice now. Why are we supposed to do that, Joe? And it looks good because why, Joe? He's six foot tall, 6 '1". So you know the show. That's why. Come on, Joe. Look at this.

29:28Chad Johnson:Nah, that's nasty. Hang on, that's nasty. Hey. Hey, boy. Hey, once upon a time. Look at this one.

29:34Shannon Sharpe:You tell me. Tell me. They got to give him a 75 on this one. Look at this, Joe. Come on, just over. He do those three ducks right there. It's over, Joe.

29:45Chad Johnson:Hey, look. Y 'all heard Ant-Man. Y 'all heard Ant-Man. Y 'all talk about the world and all this. We still the best. Don't get it twisted. If Zion going to make his mind up, man, I know he can top all that. Stop playing.

29:58Joe Johnson:Yeah. I mean, and Zion is creative with it too. He always going to come with something different. I mean, he did it in college. He doesn't do it much in the NBA. Every blue moon, he catch a little fast break. He'll switch it up. But if you give him time to think and be creative, knowing he got a dunk contest coming up, man, ain't no telling what he might come up with.

30:19Shannon Sharpe:and the thing is with this kid he's so he's so creative i mean yeah and that's what you gotta do because it's hard i mean because we've seen aaron gordon and we've seen zach levine doing some dunk he's like well damn what they gonna do not jump over the moon right we don't see we don't see the man jump over a car we saw blake griffith jump over the hood of the car mike mcclund jump over the body of car reversing

30:44Shannon Sharpe:Hey, remember when he's Blake - Nigel, we gotta pull the moon in.

30:47Joe Johnson:Somebody jump over the moon. Hey, didn't Blake Griffin compete in the dunk contest? Yeah, he jumped over the car. Over the Kia, right? Yeah. Yeah, that was exciting then, boy.

30:59Chad Johnson:It was close. It was a close one. Hey, but listen. Yeah. Yeah, Matt McClung, he's creative because he does dunks that really we ain't never seen before, and that's what we want. We want their creativity. Yes. We want to see something that we ain't never seen before. It's something that these guys can do. They got to just be creative in their dunks. And I think that's the biggest key.

31:19Shannon Sharpe:Plus, the difference is now, Joe, these guys, because like Jordan wasn't practicing no dunks. Jordan was working on his game. He's like, I'm just going to get here. And I figured out once I'm up in the air what I'm going to do. Matt McClung is actually practicing these dunks. You know, Vince Carter says, okay, the last day, okay, a couple of nights before I put something together. Now when you talk about McClung, that he has this kind of time because he's not on the G League, he probably taken a month or so like, okay, let me see what I can come up with. Because I don't know why we haven't seen somebody think or thought of the dunk yet, that he comes up and his homeboy throws it between his legs and he catches it and dunks it backwards.

31:58Shannon Sharpe:Now that was nice. You kick the ball with both hands. How you not kick the ball out your damn hand? But he kick it with both feet and still dunk it, Joe.

32:08Chad Johnson:Hey, at six feet, to be getting up like that, it looks great. It looks great on camera. It looks great in person. So I can see how he's won a few of these dunk contests. He got style, bro. You can't take that away from him. We got to give him a lot of credit. And it's just like with Spud Webb.

32:25Shannon Sharpe:We've never seen somebody that small jump that damn high. He couldn't palm the ball, so he had to slam everything up the court because he going to go up and get it. Oh, yeah. But we had never seen anything like that. Yeah. And he actually won, and Dominique was doing Dominique things, but he couldn't rival that because nobody had ever seen a guy jump that high that size.

32:47Chad Johnson:Man. Yeah, they always got advantage. The smaller dunker who can get up. That's why Nate Robinson has won a dunker. You know what I mean? Like them small guys who can leap. Yeah. They got a greater chance. It just looks different.

33:03Shannon Sharpe:because it is i mean a tall guy dunking you're like yon is dunking or jackson bro you seven foot tall yeah it's not but a guy that's a foot shorter than you that's elevating like that and he got creativity it's just hard for a guy that's seven six or six ten six you know jordan was another guy jordan was six six yeah yeah so he was a little bit he was creative with it yeah kobe was creative with it. You feel the guy that's creative? Like Joe said, they got elevators? Yeah. Oh, it's going to look crazy. And that's what those guys have. But I was, look, I don't know if we'll ever, I don't know if the dunk contest will ever get back to what it was because I'm not so sure the big guns are going to ever participate again, Joe.

33:49Shannon Sharpe:Because the best dunkers, the best dunkers don't make the All-Star game like they used to.

33:55Chad Johnson:Right.

33:55Shannon Sharpe:Vince Carter was a top 15 player. Kobe, Jordan, Dominique, Dr. J, those were top players. Right. Well, you only got to have – I mean, Zion didn't make – Now, hey, hey, just come. But I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure. Normally guys do that early in their career, Joe. If they ain't done it by the first five years in the league, they not doing it.

34:18Chad Johnson:Yeah. That's why I think if John Zion can get back to all-star caliber, you know, play and make the All-Star game again, Uncle Ocho, I think they'll definitely think about it. But like y 'all said, just to be flying down there for the dunk contest, nah, we ain't doing it. Because you only get four or five days of rest, and they play heavy minutes, so them dudes not coming down there to do that, bro. Exactly. Now, if they have to already be there, obligations for the All-Star game, then maybe we'll get some of that. But just to be coming for the dunk contest, nah. Nah, no.

34:49Shannon Sharpe:Or you get a guy like Jason Richardson. Jason Richardson. What was Rich? About 6 '4", Joe? Yeah, about 6 '4", 6 '5".

34:57Joe Johnson:He could jump, boy.

34:58Shannon Sharpe:That's my drag class. You see how it look when he's dunking?

35:01Joe Johnson:Yeah, you know who else? Vince Carter. You see how it looks when he's dunking? You know who else could jump out the gym?

35:06Chad Johnson:Who that?

35:06Joe Johnson:That goddamn Shannon Brown, boy. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

35:09Chad Johnson:He crazy. He got some pogos, boy. Yes, sir. They got some pogos. Hey, but look, what y 'all probably don't remember is that year Vince Carter won the dunk contest, bro it was so many stars in the dunk contest that year from tracy mcgrady to steve francis to jack house but vince carter was so so great that night yeah nobody even remember them dudes even being in there bro they don't yeah that's the that's the one he ended with jar green in

35:37Shannon Sharpe:that contest remember jar green was the one that blew out the candle yeah i think he was in the

35:42Chad Johnson:one with like Dwight Howard and Nate Ross and them.

35:46Shannon Sharpe:Okay. Okay.

35:47Chad Johnson:Yeah.

35:48Shannon Sharpe:But see, that's creativity. You know, you dunk the ball and you blow out the kettle in the process. You're like,

35:55Chad Johnson:damn. Yeah, G. Green, hey, he was a hell of a dunker too, Uncle Ojo. Oh, yes.

36:00Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. Yes. And the guys that we're talking about, I mean, after Vince dunked on Frederick Weiss in the Olympics, people were like, nah, he got the ball. Let me go and move out the way.

36:12Chad Johnson:You talking about when he jumped over, dude? Yeah, yeah.

36:14Shannon Sharpe:Oh, man. If he jump over something to do, what chance you got?

36:18Chad Johnson:Mm-hmm.

36:19Shannon Sharpe:He got Zo, remember, he posterized Zo.

36:22Chad Johnson:Yeah. He didn't got all of them. If you a shot blocker, Vincent, he got Zo so good. Ooh.

36:29Shannon Sharpe:And he be twisted with it, too. Because you think you got to come out the baseline, he come to the front of the rim. Dude.

36:36Chad Johnson:I said no. Whoa. Hey, Ocho, that was one dude. I swear when I came into the NBA, cause Vince Carter was Vince Carter in 2001, he was the real half man, half man. Vinsanity. Yeah. Yeah, Vinsanity. He was the one dude you could not game plan for. Like, because he shot so many unorthodox shots. You didn't even know if he was going left, right, which way he loved it. Like he was, I thought he was next up, bro. Yeah. I thought he was next up. Yeah. Yeah.

37:05Shannon Sharpe:He could flat out do it, man. He was special. but this all-star game I don't think anybody have anything to complain about

37:13Joe Johnson:you know how people are it's as great as it was for those that wanted something different as opposed to how it looked the other years and them out there lallygagging and bull driving shucking and jiving somebody gonna have something to complain about Uncle Joe always as great as all the events were you know somebody gonna find something to complain about

37:38Shannon Sharpe:I think it's hard letting go. Sometimes the hardest thing to do, guys, is to let go the pass. And a lot of times the people don't want to let go the pass. Man, I remember man, Ocho, man, you remember back in the day we was in Silver Park, we was playing checkers, talking ish.

37:55Chad Johnson:Man.

37:57Shannon Sharpe:It's hard to let that go. So it's hard to let the Jordan and the Kobe era go because a lot of times that's when people that's when the NBA was really starting you saw that early 80s with Magic and Bird the competition was ratcheted up David Stern like oh and then they get this kid that can fly no literally he can fly, Jordan can literally fly and so now he took it to a level that the NBA could have only like Lord have mercy, yeah we got Bird and Magic and their competition is the great, Lakers, Celtics the most rivalry and the most storied rivalry in maybe all of sports. But they couldn't fly like this kid could.

38:43Joe Johnson:He was charismatic.

38:45Shannon Sharpe:And guess what? Now he got a brand. He got a shoe. And the shoe didn't retire when he did.

38:52Chad Johnson:And he's probably more popular now

38:54Shannon Sharpe:than he was when he played.

38:56Chad Johnson:He set the standard. Hey, look. That's why I'm glad the Young Guns won because you know, you You get to really see Anthony Edwards' personality and who he is, Anke Ocho, and he'll tell you straight up, I'm always at these boys' neck. I'm always trying to beat these boys. That's a competition. Yeah, that's a competition that we look forward to. Yeah, you can idolize those dudes, but once you get in between those lines, man, go with them boys' necks. And that's what he do every time he play against the KDs, the Bruins, the Stephs. So I can really appreciate that. I think, you know, kudos to Ant for winning MVP.

39:34Chad Johnson:I thought he was amazing the night he came out, he set the tone. Like he said, when he seen Wimby playing hard, he tapped in. He tapped in, and that's what we wanted to see.

39:43Shannon Sharpe:But that's what it takes. Because when you see all the guys taking all – hey, if you see two or three guys taking half-court shots, Joe, you know when I get my hands on the ball, I got to get me one too now. I'm just letting you know. I'm just saying, Ocho, I'm just saying. Yeah. You see a guy try to catch the ball with one hand? Let me show you. Well, he missed his – they missed theirs. I'm going to get mine. So I got to try it. and then it's a snowball effect. Everybody shooting logo threes. Everybody shooting half court threes. But this was very entertaining. Kudos to the Mish. Kudos for Wemby.

40:20Shannon Sharpe:Hey, striking up the band. The party started. He got it started. Like, I'm going to make shots. I'm going to challenge everything. Don't you bring your ass up in here. I'm going to throw it out.

40:29Chad Johnson:That's crazy, bro. 7 '5 moving like that. I'm talking about anchoring a whole defense by yourself like he gonna be running the league guys and you gotta worry about him Joe because you like

40:43Shannon Sharpe:oh man he can't damn where he come from you like hey Joe hey hey when back there he guarded somebody with a three I get me a rebound I'm getting ready to go back and he done slapped it to the board

40:56Chad Johnson:starting to break with that

41:00Shannon Sharpe:But this was a very good game.

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42:02Adam Silver:Not medical advice. Eligibility required. See site for details. There's drama. And then there's full telenovela level drama. Yes. And Elf Cosmetics went all the way there. Elf Cosmetics just dropped something wildly unexpected. A full-blown, absurdly funny telenovela celebrating positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility. It's called Melissa. And it's absurd in the best way. It stars Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez, and iconic telenovela villain Itati Cantaral. But the real star? Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. When the language fails her and her lips are dull and dry, only glow can revive her.

42:38Adam Silver:Melissa McCarthy, who I love, fully commits by even rolling the R's with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil is an ultra-glossy lip oil that nourishes, hydrates, and enhances your lips natural color. available in ten shades at only$9 each. Watch the full episode of their new Elf novella on soyunbaño.com. Yes, and drench your lips in an addictive sheer watch of ultra-glossy color with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. We're lost. It feels like we're going round in circles. I'm going to ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the state fairgrounds. Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this here road.

43:21Adam Silver:Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out. How is there signal out here? T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular are coming together, so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five-year price guarantee, too. Okay, here's the turn. Actually, can you pull up the way to a T-Mobile store? America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T-Mobile today and get built-in benefits the other guys leave out, plus our five-year price guarantee. And now T-Mobile is available in a U.S. cellular store near you. Best mobile network based on analysis by Oklo of Speedtest Intelligence data second half of 2025.

43:57Adam Silver:Bigger network. The combination of T-Mobile's and U.S. cellular's network footprints will enhance the T-Mobile network's coverage. Price guarantee on talk, text, and data. Exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See T-Mobile.com for details.

44:06Shannon Sharpe:Joe Varden, Adam Silver, and his advisor would seriously consider abolishing the rookie draft and turning rookie into free agents if it is the only way to stop tanking. this set up social media with many criticizing Adam Silver. How you gonna do that though? Dan Walker said, I'll continue to say the NBA is thinking about is thinking on tanking is completely wrong. As long as you allocate talent by the draft you'll never stop tanking. The goal should be fewer teams to tank the shortest amount of time possible. The answer to that is obviously get rid of the lottery and draft by reversed order. The worst teams get the best players, improve, move out of the tank phase.

44:49Shannon Sharpe:But he said, Joe, if you don't mind me asking, how did San Antonio get Wemby?

44:59Chad Johnson:They got lucky.

45:00Shannon Sharpe:They tanked.

45:02Chad Johnson:Yeah, they were trash.

45:03Shannon Sharpe:And they got Stephon Castle, they tanked. Duh. The same way the Houston Rockets got Elijah on.

45:13Shannon Sharpe:Tank has been going on.

45:15Joe Johnson:So how do you eliminate it? If it's been going on this long.

45:19Shannon Sharpe:Is it even possible? Let me ask you a question. How do you eliminate sports betting? You can't. You can't. Thank you. Okay, there you go.

45:30Chad Johnson:Yeah. You can't eliminate the tanking phase because, I mean, kind of similar to like I was saying about this draft. You know, teams will play the players that they have. That don't mean they're trying to win. You know what I mean, Uncle Ocho? They understand what's coming up, bro. They understand how deep this draft is. And everything is magnified nowadays. Yeah, tank has been going on. But nowadays, in 2026, everybody got eyes on everything. So we know everything is going on. We see. The microscope is a little

46:07Shannon Sharpe:They tried to do away with tanking. That's why they instituted the lottery. Because the Houston Rockets tanked so bad, they said to hell with this. We ain't allowing this no more. So they came up with the lottery in 85. And lo and behold, Patrick Ewing somehow ended up at the Knicks. Even with the lottery.

46:25Chad Johnson:Yeah.

46:28Shannon Sharpe:Shaq goes to Orlando.

46:32Chad Johnson:Brown go to Cleveland.

46:35Shannon Sharpe:Wow.

46:37Chad Johnson:Cooper flag go to Dallas. Yeah. Come on.

46:43Shannon Sharpe:Cooper flag after they made one of the hugest blunders. Now, Luca's gone. How did they get another guy that has the same complacent as Luca to go right back to Dallas?

46:55Joe Johnson:It almost make you think, and I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but it's funny how everything aligns to work out in their favor. Yeah. I'm just saying. I could be wrong.

47:11Shannon Sharpe:But it's, look, and Dan Wogan also said, fans of bad teams don't mind tanking. They will support tanking. The issue of tanking without a payoff does multiply the number of teams trying to tank. Adam Silver has created that problem and made it worse. They need to reverse course and stop coming up with stupid ideas to fix what can't be fixed. You're right, it can't. They're not fixing it.

47:35Chad Johnson:I think Adam Silver, he's a little ticked off probably about the Washington situation.

47:45Joe Johnson:Yeah.

47:45Chad Johnson:With Trae Young and Anthony Davis over there not playing no more this season. Obviously, Jaron Jackson, they say he has surgery. So he's going to be out the rest of the season for the Jazz.

47:58Shannon Sharpe:He probably had a toenail removed.

48:01Chad Johnson:Yeah. And what Memphis is doing with Jai? When Jai is coming back?

48:08nobody knows bro but but joe when i look at when i look at these guys and i'm not saying they're

48:14Shannon Sharpe:not gonna be good but i don't look at franchise altering players coming out in the draft in this draft coming out yeah yeah i'm talking about franchise altering i think there's some really good players right but do you see a lebron do you see a wimby you see uh uh uh i i don't know Joe.

48:33Chad Johnson:Yeah, Ocho. I see some guys who can change the trajectory of the superstars and megastars in this league. That's just me personally. I think we got some guys who, y 'all gotta understand, a lot of these dudes, just freshmen, man. They just one year removed from high school, so they still in this little boy body that they have. They ain't feel that like LeBron was when he came out. Them dudes, they ain't built. They not built like that. They don't have

48:59Shannon Sharpe:that. You see an Ant-Man in this draft? Ant-Man was a guy that spent one year in college, University of Georgia, and came in. Supreme athleticism. Ant-Man was a football player that decided to say, you know what, hey, I'm done with football. A lot of these guys just – I don't like guys that just concentrate on one thing, Joe.

49:17Chad Johnson:What you mean?

49:19Shannon Sharpe:Just play basketball year-round. Oh, you're talking about it. I like guys that play multitude because each sport helps a sport. Right. Track helps you, and football helps you with speed. It helps basketball with your hand-eye coordination. Football helps you with physicality. So it's a mesh.

49:34Chad Johnson:Yeah, I agree.

49:35Shannon Sharpe:And it used to be, Ocho, man, you couldn't, I've never seen a guy that just all he did was play like one sport.

49:41Chad Johnson:Yeah.

49:41Shannon Sharpe:Everybody played basketball. If you played basketball, you played football, or you played baseball, or you ran track. Those were the only options.

49:49Chad Johnson:Yeah.

49:49Shannon Sharpe:At a small school like what we had, we didn't have a wrestling team, a golf team, or a soccer team. But you played baseball, football, basketball, and you played two of the four.

49:58Chad Johnson:Yeah.

49:58Shannon Sharpe:Most guys played three of the four.

50:00Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, most guys played multiple sports coming up. Mostly it was a lot of cats who I played with, even though they played basketball, they grew up playing football. That's just kind of what it was. Some ran track, some did all three. But, yeah, I agree with you, because you're more filled out, it seems, like when you play football and you move over to basketball, them guys play with a little different edge.

50:26Shannon Sharpe:And that maybe has something to do with LeBron, because LeBron was a football player until his sophomore year. That boy had a nice – he had a nice – He was an all-state wide receiver. Yeah.

50:34Joe Johnson:Hey. Ant-Man was a football player. Yeah. Go ahead, Ocho. Young Bull. Young Bull. I mean, obviously, you all saw Cooper Flagg play, right? Yes. So, Young Bull, that's at BYU. You don't think he is a – DeBonza. Yeah, DeBonza. You don't think he – A.J. DeBonza. Is Cooper Flagg that much more polished than him? You don't think he can go to a team and do the same thing Cooper Flagg is doing?

50:54Chad Johnson:I do, Ocho. I think he's going to come into the league. Ocho, I think his first year, I got him averaging at least a dub. He's going to average a dub his first year. If he go to the right team, meaning if they're going to feature him, right? Like he's going to go to a team the way he can get featured, to where they play through him, let him play through his mistakes, let him make mistakes, let him learn from his mistakes. You know what I mean? That's how guys like LeBron, Melo, D-Wade and them came in. They was able to play through their mistakes. They was ahead of their time, but those guys learned at an early age.

51:26Shannon Sharpe:and I think the thing is Joe also is that you go back and look at the guys that you mentioned they had veteran players except D-Wade because D-Wade he ended up getting Shaq yeah and then you know the Shaq I think Shaq was there for like three years yeah but for the most part you look at LeBron they had a team and then all of a sudden it says you know what in order for this kid to be what we think he could be we're gonna have to remove some of these players right because he's never gonna be that because they still want to show that they're better than he is and so he's And you hear guys, he's competing against guys on his own team because they didn't think he was that good.

51:58Chad Johnson:Right.

51:59Shannon Sharpe:So they had to remove those guys and say, here, this is really the key. This is the key. Yeah. This is the master key. And he took off from there. But you're asking, everybody just doesn't have the maturity. LeBron James had grown man maturity at 18 years of age. I agree, man. And you don't have a whole lot of guys like that. and he's followed, I don't know, you know, the man laying in his room at night. And to be great, let me tell you something about greatness, guys. Greatness is boring. Man. You know why greatness is boring? Because you do the same thing over and over. It's very mundane. You wake up in the morning, if you're a basketball player, and you get your thousand shots in.

52:41Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. And you go through your drills, and you do that over and over and over and over and over.

52:47Chad Johnson:Routine.

52:48Shannon Sharpe:Tom Brady did the same thing over and over and over again for 23 years. Peyton Manning, greatness is boring. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, it's boring. It's monotonous. Everybody can't handle that. Ant-Man was talking about it today. He said, man, the one thing I learned about the U.S. team, he said they do the same thing. I watch Steph, I watch KD, and I watch LeBron. Do the same thing over and over and over and over again. He said that's the one thing that I took away from it. Get a routine and stick with it.

53:19Chad Johnson:Yep. Yep. He said it this summer, too, when he was training. He said he go to the gym every day. He go home. He say it's boring. But I come here. I come to the gym. I work every day. And you're right. Greatness is boring. That's why I try to. It's monotonous. I try to tell my son, Uncle Ocho, he a freshman in college, bro. I try to tell him, bro, you got to develop. You got to have a routine that you stick by. I'm talking about I don't care how you feel. I don't care. You know, I don't care about none of that. If you play good, if you play bad, man, you got to have a routine, and you got to stick by it.

53:53Chad Johnson:That's what the great ones do.

53:56Shannon Sharpe:That's it. I remember, and the thing was, like, if it rained, now I couldn't go outside and run. I got me a Woodray treadmill. Go up to 20 miles an hour, incline to 25, 30. Guess what? I'm running. It rains, so you can't stop me.

54:12Joe Johnson:Right.

54:13Shannon Sharpe:You can't stop this. But it's very boring. man you oh what your way to say man oh you boy you do the same thing over and over you damn right i do right and i'm great at what i do because i want the same level of success that i've been enjoying because this this works hello so you go back and look what lebron say i get up i work out i come home eat i take a nap yeah routine you have to sacrifice yeah you want to be successful I want to do X, Y, and Z. Okay. Well, Q-U-R-S-T is what you're going to be able to have to do to give up to get X, Y, and Z. It's really that simple.

54:53Joe Johnson:It's so funny. People think they can take shortcuts. They think they can cut corners to reach that end goal. It's unbelievable. I don't think people understand the discipline it takes to be successful at anything, not even basketball, just in general, Uncle. Yeah. You can't cut no corners and nothing happens overnight. Everybody's looking for instant success. Anything that you get overnight that's instant success is going to be short-lived. It's temporary. I guarantee you. No matter what it is. It's temporary.

55:28Shannon Sharpe:And so you just have to keep working at it. And so I'm saying great. Look, everybody doesn't want to be great. And that's okay. I don't knock anybody. I want you to be as great as you want to be or as sorry as you want to be. I wish you the best.

55:42Chad Johnson:Nah, they want to be great. If you want to be sorry, have at it. They want to be great, Unc. They just don't want to put their work in like the great ones do. They want the finished product, but they don't see the stuff in between. They just want to see what's finished. That's why when you see these kids, they watch TV, and they emulate what they see on TV. They emulate the finished product. They don't see the thousand shots. What he did to get to that point. Yeah, they don't see the thousand shots this dude putting up every day in practice, working to shoot a thousand free throws to keep his free throw percentage at 90%.

56:15Chad Johnson:Like, it's a lot that goes into it.

56:18Shannon Sharpe:Joe, everybody wants to go to heaven. Nobody wants to die. The Bible teaches that's the only way you can enter the kingdom. Right. Everybody wants greatness, but nobody wants to put the work in or the sacrifice that it takes to get to that greatness. Man. hey what are you doing when nobody's watching what are you doing when nobody's watching

56:40Joe Johnson:and not only that are you working on the right things that make you special and the funny thing about it when it comes to sports on it's a lot of receivers right joe it's a lot of basketball players yeah there has to be something about you if there's if there's there's 32 teams and there's one number one on each team. What is it about the number one on each team that makes them special and different from everybody else? You need one niche. Uncle Joe, you need one niche that separates you from everybody else that makes you special. Gotta outwork them. That's it. Gotta outwork them. One thing. Everybody can run.

57:21Joe Johnson:Everybody can catch. What is it about you that's gonna separate you from everybody else? Absolutely. You need one thing that's special.

57:29Chad Johnson:And what is it that you're doing when you're not on the field or on the court or at practice? The things that you do outside of that arena, outside of that gym, off that field, bro, is going to determine how successful you're going to be once you get on the field or the court. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. That's got to be different, bro.

57:52Shannon Sharpe:I look at it like when I got to the league, probably like my second year, probably about my third year, so 90, 91, 92. I made my first Pro Bowl in 92. I started thinking, oh, Joe and Joe, I said, you know what? Man, there's some damn high school kid. He's going to get my job. Damn, the guy that's in the league. There's a high school kid who want this job.

58:12Chad Johnson:Yeah.

58:13Shannon Sharpe:Oh, bro, you can't get this.

58:14Chad Johnson:Yeah.

58:15Shannon Sharpe:I already know your mama and grandma ain't starving like mine.

58:18Chad Johnson:Yeah.

58:18Shannon Sharpe:I know your mom and grandma ain't growing up like mine. Right. I know you ain't growing up like me. Right. I already know you ain't going to put your body through what I put my body through to achieve to stay here.

58:27Chad Johnson:Right.

58:28Shannon Sharpe:I already know that.

58:30Chad Johnson:Yeah. Different types of attachment.

58:33Shannon Sharpe:The easiest thing I've ever done in my life is play football because God blessed me with that ability. And that's what I wanted to do. Now imagine getting up for the next 20 years and doing something you don't want to do. Working in those fields, cropping tobacco, catching chickens, loading watermelons, bailing hay, clipping onions.

58:53Shannon Sharpe:and you're doing that for$250 a day you're doing that for$15 a week and you're working 12 hours and you're in the hot ass sun and you don't get no health care and if you don't work you don't eat guess what if I get injured they're still going to pay me my money during the year so football was the easiest thing Shannon Sharpe has ever done because I wanted to do it and God blessed me with that ability i don't want to catch no damn chicken 16 000 chicken for 16 dollars after i just worked 12 12 hours in the hot ass field cropping tobacco right oh yeah by the way i made another 10 doing that different type of attachment and then and you know what oh he sold his soul so what soul what the sun in that hard-ass field didn't take.

59:48Shannon Sharpe:The NFL did. Man. I told Joe Ocho, everybody want to go to hell, but don't nobody want to die. Everybody want success.

1:00:00Joe Johnson:But they want the shortcut.

1:00:03Shannon Sharpe:Man. Ain't no shortcut to success. The only place you will find success before work is in the dictionary. Hello. I don't know what you look at. I don't know what type of, you know, if you look at Webster, Merriam, or Thorndike, Barnard. Whatever one of those, whatever dictionary you choose to use, but that's the only place you're going to find success before work.

1:00:28Shannon Sharpe:What would you want to say? Man, man, I can't do that. Man, I don't know how you eat the same thing every day, huh? Shit. One plea. Yeah. I don't know if you ever had a go on a day when you didn't have anything to eat, you be gladly to have the same thing that you had yesterday.

1:00:48Shannon Sharpe:You ever been so hungry, Ocho, you swallow and your stomach say thank you?

1:00:53Joe Johnson:Ooh, I am.

1:00:53Shannon Sharpe:Ain't nothing went down. You just got hungry.

1:00:56Joe Johnson:Goddamn, you was starving like that?

1:01:02Shannon Sharpe:I ain't went through that one never, boy. People say you got lucky. You know what luck is? When preparation meets opportunity. There you go. Come on now. It seemed like the more I prepared, the luckier I got.

1:01:13Joe Johnson:Man.

1:01:15Shannon Sharpe:That's amazing.

1:01:16Joe Johnson:Hey, it's funny how that work, huh?

1:01:17Shannon Sharpe:You notice that old joke?

1:01:19Joe Johnson:It's funny how that work. Yeah.

1:01:26Shannon Sharpe:The one thing I've never been shy about, and my grandma used to always tell my brother and I this, she would always say, take all this to make a man. She'd say, hard work won't break your son. but she knew helping her pick these peas doing all that carrying a roll of tobacco by myself I've been working in the field since I was five years old I didn't know my grand used to give me a dollar to stay out the way I gave him that dollar back because I need to be out there with my cousin and them working didn't know that soon enough I was going to be in that damn field working wishing I could be home but I had to gave that up, Joe, because they had to see OP will work.

1:02:09Shannon Sharpe:I didn't know, Joe, if that like, you know what? If I did a poor job, they might send me home, but my pride wouldn't let me. Man, I couldn't let my cousins. I was the youngest by two years. I couldn't let them beat me. I carried a row by myself. That row 150 yard long. I'm carrying that row by myself. Sand lugging, first picking, second picking, always stripping the stalk. I can do it. I'm going to carry them big old feed sacks. I want to do whatever my brother and big cousins were doing. I wanted to do it. Man, I got you in the NFL. Hot. What? It felt like 70 degrees out there to me. Man. Hey.

1:02:59Man.

1:03:01Shannon Sharpe:But I was just, and I mean, Me and my brother, we get together. He came out here, and I told Joe, I don't know if you – Ocho, no. He came out here for Christmas. It was the first time that he and I had spent Christmas together in 38 years. 38, yeah. 1987 was the last time because after that he goes to the league and, you know, I'm doing my thing. I'm at Savannah State. I'm at Denver. I'm at Baltimore. I'm working at NFL – I'm in CBS. CBS, I'm working at Fox and I'm doing my own thing now. So he's like, and we just thinking. And I'm showing him around the house. He's like, man, he put his arm on my shoulder.

1:03:41Shannon Sharpe:He said, bro. He said, bro, I'm proud of you. He said, you ever think we'd be here? I looked him down in his eye. I said, yep. I said, because Barty Mayer-Portus made sure. If they didn't give us anything else, they gave us the ability to work hard and to be disciplined. Right. If you're willing to work hard and you're disciplined, take it a long way. You can go wherever you want to go.

1:04:11Shannon Sharpe:And that's what I try to tell my kids. That's what I want my kids. You know, look, ain't nothing wrong with your kids struggling a little bit now. See, we got the mindset. Sometimes we got to get out the mindset, Ocho. Man, I don't want my kids. So you don't want your kids to work hard. So you want to think they can swing their feet. Shit.

1:04:27Joe Johnson:Hey, it gotta be a healthy balance to it, Uncle Joe. Yes! There got to be a healthy balance to it. Healthy balance to it. Listen, I'm going to lead you to the water. I'm going to do that part. I'm not going to help you drink. You're going to have to learn something. Because when I'm no longer here, ain't nobody going to give you nothing. Nothing. You hear me? At all. Nothing, Nathaniel. And most of the time, parents that continue to give their kids everything where they have no drive, where they have no inspiration, where they have no motivation to do anything, once that water's cut off, you got to be able to survive for yourself.

1:05:07Joe Johnson:Yes. You got to be able to defend for yourself. So, I mean, I do enough. If you're in dire need and it's an emergency, I got you. I understand that. I understand that situation.

1:05:19Shannon Sharpe:I'm last choice, not first option.

1:05:21Joe Johnson:Oh, come on.

1:05:22Shannon Sharpe:There you go. There you go. Let me write that down. I'm last choice, not first option. because my kids had it good because guess what? They got a free education. They got a car paid for. They had no debt coming out. None. And I said, choose whatever you want to do. I'm going to support you$1 ,000. I don't want you to worry about it. And I gave money monthly. Now, my oldest daughter, I don't know how, she would be overdrawn. She'd get the money at noon. One o 'clock, she overdrawn$30. I don't know how, but she was overdrawn. but that day she's gotten a lot better now but but I was like hold on because and this is what I told him I said look if something something happens to me and I I pray I leave before you guys do ain't nobody gonna give to you like your daddy does man now if what I leave you if you're not careful you'll spend it all and people be looking like your damn fool.

1:06:27Shannon Sharpe:Like your daddy left you all of that and what y 'all got to show for it.

1:06:31Joe Johnson:I think that's the hard part right there too, Uncle Joe.

1:06:34Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.

1:06:35Joe Johnson:Yeah, I can't get my kids to have my mindset. I can't get them to think the way I think when it comes to, you know, being financially savvy. Because they didn't, Uncle Ocho,

1:06:51Chad Johnson:they didn't grow up how you grew up. Yeah. Yeah, they didn't go through the things that we had to endure, you know, as kids, things that we had to go through. We struggled, made it, and we created this environment for our kids so they didn't have to struggle.

1:07:08Joe Johnson:Yeah.

1:07:09Chad Johnson:You know what I mean?

1:07:10Joe Johnson:Yeah.

1:07:10Chad Johnson:That's the hardest part. Like y 'all said, man, that's the hardest part, bro, having a healthy balance in what to give them and what not to give them.

1:07:17Joe Johnson:Not to, yeah. I say no plenty of times, Zunk. if I can just if there's one thing I would love for my kids to understand for my oldest even to goddamn french fry every time we go on to target you ain't got to get a goddamn toy every time we pass a restaurant we don't have to stop and get you something to eat okay yes we do but I'm just saying stuff like that I wish my kids will understand the value of a dollar man it don't like my grandma don't tell me money don't grow on trees hey listen it's coming in it's coming in but every time something come in don't mean we got to be spending it

1:07:51Chad Johnson:man listen Uncle Ocho that first semester my son calling me down there every week asking for some money I'm like look bro you better go get you some bread some sandwich meat and you better try to learn to make you some sandwiches or something up in there nigga I mean my bad dude you need to learn to make you some sandwiches up in there cause let me tell you something if you think you finna be hitting me every time you get low boy you got thing coming man hey hey when i was in college i had this i had some bread some sandwich meat and i had that little grill you put on you smash it down and make you two sandwiches man listen you

1:08:28Joe Johnson:better go get you something stop playing hey this one this one here um this one here my son my son freshman in high school he go to north and he just just came on camera real quick birthday came up you know i say i say but what you want what you want for your birthday man i want a shopping spree Boy what the hell is a shopping spree What A shopping spree So I call his mom I say man listen Savvy say he want to go on a shopping spree What you think I should give him for his birthday Well you know what I think you should give him $1600 $1600 that's it Okay we'll bet I gave him$2000 I gave him a little bit extra Hey boy about a week went by Burned rubber through that didn't he Hey pops Hey you said you were going to give me an extra$1000 and wasn't you?

1:09:15Joe Johnson:I see, nigga, it's been six days with your money. Hey, go on. And you know how they are in high school fashion, gotta be fly, you know you gotta be, you know. I'm like, come on, dawg.

1:09:29Shannon Sharpe:You know what got me, guys?

1:09:31Chad Johnson:What was that?

1:09:31Shannon Sharpe:And I don't know if you guys experienced this. Because I sacrificed spending time when I was young, I was trying to buy back time. Mm. I was trying to buy back time. And so every time they, from life size Barbie to scooters to this and to that. And then I think, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I can't buy back time. Yes, sir. I'm your dad, I ain't a bank. Let's work this thing out here. Yes, sir. That's what I had to do, Ocho. Cause every time, their mom wouldn't give it to them, they called me.

1:10:10Chad Johnson:they got it

1:10:11Shannon Sharpe:they got it

1:10:12Chad Johnson:well she telling them to call you call you that y 'all know how this go man stop playing oh yeah absolutely absolutely

1:10:22Shannon Sharpe:but like I said the thing I said look I work so you guys I say I've got everything I've wanted I say God has been God has been too great to me yes sir man I want a Ferrari I want a Rolex I got all that man I say but I say but guys I say now come on now understand like i said i hope i go before they go but i say if whatever i leave you guys if y 'all not careful it's gonna be gone because the thing is is that i make money i have money saved and i got money coming in so i don't i say but at the way y 'all blow through money with none coming in to match this because i already know what y 'all gonna go get what they gonna do on what they're gonna do Y 'all gonna go get some fancy ass cars, multiple cars.

1:11:06Shannon Sharpe:I know what you gonna get.

1:11:10Chad Johnson:I already know.

1:11:11Shannon Sharpe:I know you. They gonna be in some trouble, boy. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I said, but y 'all gotta, hey, you gotta be smart. I said, if you think you can come into a large sum of money with the spending habits that you guys have and it's gonna stay, you sadly mistaken.

1:11:30Joe Johnson:No, absolutely not. You sadly mistaken. absolutely not if you don't have financial discipline just for example obviously i know we all have bills we all have overhead every month but if you don't have the financial discipline with a hundred dollars you ain't gonna have it with a thousand if you ain't got it with a thousand you're gonna have with a hundred thousand you ain't got with a hundred thousand you're gonna have it with a million it doesn't it it always starts small it starts small and you work your way up. So many of us, a very, very large percent of us burn through it so easily. Burn through it so easily and most of the people say, oh, don't worry about it.

1:12:06Joe Johnson:Spend it anyway. We're going to get it back. We're going to make it back. Every play, Unc, ain't going to always hit. Nope. Every play or every move, whatever you do, have you getting it, ain't going to always hit. Which is why it's so many people I can think of during my time that had money and it's gone now because you always thought it was going to always hit i mean at some point

1:12:31Shannon Sharpe:time mocho like i had i mean i had cars i mean i had so many cars i gotta drive i gotta drive cars down the hill to be able to back the cars out the garage i'm like jojo i'm laying in my bed one night yeah and i'm thinking to myself i got to be well first it started in i was at my grandmother's house. I'm staying with my grandmother. I'm in the back room with my grandmother. I got a Ferrari, 600 Benz, parked out in the driveway. And I'm sleeping in the room in my grandma's house. I ain't even got my own house.

1:13:05Joe Johnson:Hold on. You did that too?

1:13:08Shannon Sharpe:Yeah.

1:13:09Joe Johnson:I stayed with grandma in the city my first three years in the league.

1:13:13Shannon Sharpe:And I'm thinking to myself, then I went to Freak Nick. I went to Freak Nick a couple of times. Yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Me and my brother, we go to the freak neck. Okay. I call my agent. I said, hey man, I'm moving to Atlanta. He said, I thought you were one of the places in Savannah. I don't no more. I'm moving to Atlanta. Find me somebody, find me somebody can sell me a house. But, and so now I'm in Atlanta. I got this house. Joe, I'm laying the bed. I got a Ferrari, a 512 Tuster Roadster. I got a one of 10 Bentleys, Azure, Mugler, Drop Top. I got a 600 Benz. I got a Range Rover. I got a Yukon Denali.

1:14:00Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. I got a Rolls Royce. Yeah. I was like, and I'm like, I mean, you know what I'm saying, Joe? I mean, you know, I walk around, I walk, hey, I let the garage up, guys, I got my hand in my pocket. Shit in my pockets. i say man what i need a million to have two million dollars with the cars a million

1:14:21Joe Johnson:yeah hey you know hey and you know what's funny we all done been there we're all about joe i'm not sure if you've done it yeah during during my younger days too those that i grew up with i i never forget the stories i always wanted a chevy growing up joe yeah i always wanted to don't as we call it down here mommy i always wanted to don't my grandma but you know she's a church lady she's not having that right he's not having that she's not you ain't finna be like them dudes out there running the street and driving them fast cars making all that noise coming down my goddamn block ain't happening first time i got some money on first time i made it to the league what you think i went and got me i went and got me a donk i never forget my dog shabby yeah yeah donk shabby my homeboy down here in Miami.

1:15:10Joe Johnson:His name is Van Dyke. He sold me my first donk. After I got one, Uncle Joe, now. You had him getting five. So if I'm driving, I need my homeboys to be able to have something to drive to. Unk, I had seven Chevys. As great as I am when it comes to being responsible with money, I had seven Chevys. When I move, I need everybody else to be able to move with me too. man listen man I did it it's the thing I like about the people I surrounded myself with growing up where I'm from is they understood when it was time to pull the reins back

1:15:50Chad Johnson:it wasn't no push back

1:15:53Joe Johnson:it wasn't no oh man he acting funny everybody understood they understood he done enough he done showed enough love I done gave back to my area and those who I grew up with to make sure they could experience the Pro Bowls. They could experience all the events I used to have to go to, the red carpets and all that. So they understood when I got to about year five in the league, I pulled back the Marines and started doing all that cheap shit. And ever since then, from like 2005 on, I've been the same way the whole time.

1:16:24Shannon Sharpe:Joe, I go home for a cookout.

1:16:27Joe Johnson:Yeah.

1:16:27Shannon Sharpe:I shipped to Bentley.

1:16:29Joe Johnson:Oh, yeah.

1:16:30Shannon Sharpe:I put it on the back of a truck. Hey, take that down. I need people to see this. For real? Yeah. I get to the house one day. After I done shipped everything down, I'm walking in the house. Am I supposed to say, Chateau. They called me Chateau. She called me Chateau and she called me Shane. That day she called me Chateau. She's like, Chateau, when is enough or no? And I'm looking, I'm like, what you talking about? She like Shannon. Now she done changed. So when she called me Shannon, okay, now I know she's real. She like Shannon. You really need all those cars? I said, I know. She's like, Shannon.

1:17:20Shannon Sharpe:Everybody know you got it.

1:17:22Chad Johnson:Right.

1:17:23Shannon Sharpe:That's it. That's all she said. Because the one thing about my brother and sister, they're going to shoot me straight. Right. Like I said, and I don't look at them like my sister and brother. and my brother and sister is more like my mom and dad because they did everything for me. They taught me how to tie a shoe. They taught me how to bathe myself. Taught me how to tell time and things like that. So they're more like, and so I listen to them. I've never, you know, I don't raise my voice to them. I don't get mad and go back and forth with them. They say something, I listen. Even though I might get upset, I don't change words with them.

1:17:56Shannon Sharpe:I got rid of all that stuff. Now, I got a Range Rover. Joe, I got a Range Rover. I got that Range Rover in 20, it's a 2013. I got it in October 2012. So what that is, about 14 years.

1:18:10Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:18:11Shannon Sharpe:I got about 39 ,000 miles on it. I got a BMW and I got seven years. It just turned 10.5 on it. I don't go nowhere. I don't drive. So why I need all these cars?

1:18:22Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:18:22Shannon Sharpe:God done gave me every car. I wanted a Ferrari. I wanted a Ferrari. I wanted a Rolls Royce. And I wanted a Mercedes.

1:18:29Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:18:30Shannon Sharpe:he done gave me that tenfold so now cars don't as my granny just said they don't razz my barrier like they once did so I'm cool

1:18:39Joe Johnson:hey I wanted to you know how it is Joe and Unk you work that hard as a kid you dream of having certain stuff and you're reaching you get it and it feels real good for a little bit but after a while I had all them cars, man. It just like it got to a point where I understood I outgrew it in a sense, but I outgrew it so early. I wasn't even in my prime yet. And that light bulb it clicked. Why the hell I'm driving a Ferrari? Why I got a Lambo? Why I got this big, remember that big diesel truck I bought, that big semi truck? Yo had a big semi. I had one of them too, Ocho,

1:19:26Chad Johnson:like six doors on it yeah the international yeah yeah yeah i had one on i'm like what the hell am

1:19:33Joe Johnson:i doing because i had gotten myself to a point where my name was more valuable than anything i could purchase whatever it is i was driving i ain't really need it because whoever see me they already knew who it was i was the value right so i at it got to a point where i understood Well, goddamn, I'm tripping because it's me, so I don't really need it no more. And once that light bulb hit, man, it was perfect. It was perfect. And I'm like, why am I trying to press these women? And all they got to do, they can Google how much I'm making, so there ain't no need to be driving no Ferrari or no Lambo no more because, bitch, it's Ocho.

1:20:13Joe Johnson:What's the point?

1:20:15Chad Johnson:Yeah, you burn out. You burn out after a while, guys. You know, we all probably come from a little or nothing. And then once you get - Yeah. I had less than that. Hey, hey, hey, once you get a chance to really splurge on yourself, man, listen, I had a time, bro, I ain't gonna lie to you. I'm still - Oh, you owe. Yeah.

1:20:37Shannon Sharpe:Ocho, when we first started, Joe, I told Ocho, my grandma said, boy, good times, they gonna know you nothing.

1:20:42Chad Johnson:They don't.

1:20:44Shannon Sharpe:Good times, they gonna know O'Shea Sharp. Yeah. Y 'all talking about he ain't done nothing, he ain't been nowhere I've been every place I wanted to be yes sir I've done everything I've wanted to do I promise you yeah yeah man look here I've been blessed beyond blessed but hey but you have to go through that and you know and sometimes I'm like yeah you know when is enough enough yeah what's enough because when it came to success it was never enough I'll go to the Super Bowl. I'm a first team all pro. I make the Pro Bowl. That wasn't enough.

1:21:23Joe Johnson:Yeah.

1:21:24Shannon Sharpe:I got a thousand yards. A thousand yards. Let all tight ends and catches. Yards, touchdown, first team all pro. Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. What did I do? I need something else.

1:21:35Chad Johnson:Yeah.

1:21:37Shannon Sharpe:I mean, I'm being for real. Yeah. I'm trying. Everything else. I mean, I was greedy. I was selfish about that. because and then I just you know I wanted my kids to see just how hard their daddy worked so they could appreciate it you could say hey you know I wish my daddy and they would be they would have all of them would have valid valid arguments but the one thing they will not all my kids will tell you they still daddy you still disciplined and you still just work just as hard is when you was in your 20s yes sir And I'm down there, I'm headed towards 60. Damn!

1:22:24Chad Johnson:Yeah, yeah.

1:22:26Shannon Sharpe:After you get to a certain point, Ocho, you realize the only thing left to do is to get old. Don't let nobody tell you otherwise. After you reach to a certain point of your life, you've gone everywhere you wanted to go, you've done everything you wanted to do, and you had some of the most gorgeous and beautiful women in the world. Now it's time to just sit back and say, you know what? Okay, Lord. I'll take every week. I'll take every month that you give me.

1:22:56Joe Johnson:And you got me thinking. I like how you say that, man. What do you got you thinking, Ocho? I mean, everything, the way he put it. I mean, he put everything into perspective. Now, we done did it all. We done been all over the world. We done had some of the best. They say you only live once, Joe, Ocho.

1:23:12Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do. Praise God. You were right. And once is enough I don't want to live this life again I don't need to live like this The way I live Joe

1:23:21Joe Johnson:You think I want to live like this again Take your time

1:23:25Shannon Sharpe:Oh no Once is more than enough

1:23:31Joe Johnson:There's one thing y 'all ain't done though What's that Joe

1:23:34Chad Johnson:Y 'all ain't jump the broom

1:23:36Joe Johnson:Oh we finna have a double wedding Joe It's coming Joe I'm finna get married I'm finna get married Joe When? It's coming, Joe. Yeah, I'm going to get married, Joe. I know my baby watching, too. Hey, Fluffy. Yeah.

1:23:50Shannon Sharpe:Joe, we going to triple this thing up? I'm sure we get a good... Hey, we get a good large. We can do a triple win. We get a good deal.

1:23:58Joe Johnson:Get a good deal. A free for what? What? Can you imagine that? That's a joke. Hey, that's never been done before. Three wins in one, all in one? Hey, Joe, we streamed up a lot. Oh. Hey, y 'all sure trying to make it sound real sweet. I'm telling you, I'm in charge. I'm in charge of the reception, the entertainment.

1:24:27Shannon Sharpe:Oh, Lord, have mercy.

1:24:28Joe Johnson:I'm in charge of the entertainment. I already got it. Y 'all can take care of the food and the guest list. I'm in charge of the entertainment.

1:24:35Shannon Sharpe:Man, you don't care about no damn food.

1:24:36Joe Johnson:Huh? That's the thing that I care the least about. You don't care about the food? No. Well, you know, people will talk about you. You got the right kind of food at your reception.

1:24:45Shannon Sharpe:First of all, I guarantee you, won't nobody be there for the sharp party that's going to talk about sharing the sharp. I promise you that. Okay. Okay. What about open bar?

1:24:55Joe Johnson:We going to have open bar? Yeah, you have open bar. Yeah, you have open bar. Hey, I can't wait to get some of that 1948, boy. You mean 1942? But close enough. You six years off. That one right there. That one right there. Hey, a little Desperado?

1:25:13Chad Johnson:Nah, we gonna have Katie the wedding with that La Poitia.

1:25:18Joe Johnson:Oh yeah, we gonna have La Poitia too, but we got to have a variety of things that everyone likes to enjoy. A little bit of Julio Don.

1:25:27Shannon Sharpe:Yeah. You talking about Desperado. Huh? Reposado, not Desperado. That's what I said. I said, I said, I said, Reposado. Yeah, okay. Close enough.

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From the publisher

Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson & Joe Johnson react to the NBA’s new All-Star Game format, Joe Johnson wants Zion in the Dunk Contest, Adam Silver wants to eliminate tanking and more!

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4:46 - New NBA All-Star Format Success
24:35 - Zion Stop Ducking Dunk Contest
37:00 - Adam Silver Wants To Eliminate Tanking

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