Nightcap Hour 2: Master P JOINS Nightcap + Michigan DOMINATES Tennessee + Paul Pierce believes LeBron, Steph & KD NO LONGER Number 1’s

20:32You already has LSU as one of the biggest programs in Baton Rouge. New Orleans is a Division I university, which now we don't know if it's going to go to Division II. And so my thing was I said, man, the way these coaches treat these players is different, and I can't allow it. I got to get out here. I'm talking about I get on the road. I see it. I see it everywhere. And I'm like, man, what a real love at like the old coaches I had that come pick you up, make sure you got something to eat, you know, making sure you get your grades all that time. We don't have more old school coaches like that, man.

21:13It's all about day checks. If I don't get my check, nobody would done what I've done. I spent millions of dollars. Nobody would do that. They paying these coaches to come to these universities. They paying these coaches to build a program. We had a gambling problem before I got to the school. I want to ask you guys, did you know if the University of New Orleans was a Division I basketball program before I got there? Did you hear anything about it? I didn't. No. Anyone in y 'all? No. You didn't hear about that? So think about what I did single-handedly with social media and getting out in the marketplace, going to the school, talking to the students, asking them what they want, right?

21:55We don't have them. I'm walking around with a bullhorn, getting kids to come to the game, going out there, taking care of my players. Man, I had to fight for to have a cooler in the locker room, and we got to deal with Coca-Cola. So I put the cooler in there, and then I don't have a credit card, a school credit card. So it's like they don't even fulfill the coolers with protein or Gatorade or water. I had to do that the whole year myself. I said, this is a state-funded school. Man, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this the right way because look, I'd have turned this program around. They won four games last year.

22:31We ended up hitting 15. We could have won 20-something this year. We almost made it to March Madness. We made it to the first time in eight years to the SLC playoffs. So I'm like, man, imagine now me taking this to the next level. And, yeah, I'm still working, still learning all other things, but I feel like putting the right pieces behind me that I could go take over any program because this is not about a title with me. And a lot of these coaches is about title. A lot of these ADs, I mean, I like what Will Wade did. He came in there because he understands this is title driven, right? So he got an AD advisory so he don't have to report to the AD.

23:11He don't have to report to the AD. They brought an AD from McNeese State that he know that understand him and understand the way he works because that's what this is about, man. Like a lot of these programs is based on the titles. And a lot of these presidents of these companies, ADs of these companies, they don't understand what the basketball and football program mean to the school. And yes, we need great educators. But we also need business people in these schools too to make this work because now this is all about funding.

23:55Shannon Sharpe:P, what's your pitch? When you get a job, what's your pitch when you go into moms or you go into grandmoms, you go into grandpa, you go in mom and dad's house, what's your pitch when you sit down on the couch and say, look here, send me your son. Send me your son as a kid. I'm going to return him to you as a grown man. I'm going to return you a well-respected individual in the community. I'm going to return you someone that has a college degree. Now, I can't promise you he's going to get to the NBA, but I can promise you he's going to get a college degree if he stays with me for four years, and I'll return him as a well-respected young black man that you'll be proud to represent you.

24:31Yeah, so my first thing is I'm not going to lie to the parent because I told you this is a year commitment. Now, I want your kid to be here for four years. But this is a year commitment, and you got to know that. Like, you committing to me, I'm committing to you. It's a year commitment. Because if you look at it every year, these coaches are looking for somebody else and looking to get better because they want to save their job. My thing is to be able to help young men be successful in life. So if I can do that in a year, if I can do it in four years, I'm going to do that. But I'm not going to lie.

25:12I'm going to let you know that I'm going to take your kid and treat him like it's mine throughout these relationships with your kids. So at the University of New Orleans, you know, it's almost like a great. I'm not going to hold him back. I'm going to let him go to other universities and get whatever it is that he want. But not because right now I got guys. And so this is a business. I'm going to teach your son the business. I'm going to, I'm going to be there with him through this process. I'm going to make sure he get his grades. I'm going to make sure he understand that I'll make sure we get the nutrition part.

25:52I'm going to make sure that he's prepared for whatever level it is. And I'm going to let him know it's only 1 % that makes it to the NBA. And so I'm not going to shoot because everybody's saying I'm going to prepare you to get to the NBA. And you guys know everybody's not going to get to the NBA. That's a 1 % chance. And I'm going to be real with these parents and these kids and say, I'm not saying you can't get there, but you're going to have to come in here and put the work as I get behind you and give you the pieces to go and excel in life. And that's what I'm going to do. And other than that, like, it's going to be on you to come in here and do your part.

26:27And I'm going to let these parents know your son has to come here and be a man and grow up and do his part because I'm going to do my part. And I'm already proven that I'm doing this beyond the money. Look what I've done at the University of New Orleans. I didn't get a check. I'm there. I'm there with the kids. I'm there. I'm at the games. This is not like, oh, put my name on this. No, I'm committed to this and I'm committed to your child. That's that's the most important thing.

26:50Shannon Sharpe:P.M. I hear you correctly. are you saying that you're okay if a kid comes to wherever you are and he balls out and he wants to get into the portal you're going to be supportive of that you're going to make sure that he's getting the best he's going going to go to the best situation he's going to have the finances taken care of if i'm hearing you correctly you're going to be okay with that

27:18i'm at a mid-major i'm definitely okay with that i'm not a major university college and found the players that i have i had to go out there and sort the talent out i'm not gonna hold a kid back if my program can't sustain him that's what i'm talking about being truthful yes for the level that i'm at i'm gonna do the best i can do then i'm gonna find the next player but i'm building up players to go be great and if it and if and if and if it take that you're going to another university to go be great because i'm at a mid-major think about it so these kids i came they came because of me they believe in me and i and i told them that if you could take this to the next level before i get to where i'm going i'm not gonna hold you back i can't do that i'll be feeling the kids that's why i say the universities the media where I'm at, feeling the kids because nobody's asking the kids what they really want.

28:15And it's time to ask the kids now, what do you want? What are your goals? So when a kid come to me, I'm asking them his goal. So if you got three years left on your eligibility and you come to me as a freshman and you surpass a mid-major, I'm not holding you back. I'm not holding a black brother back that he could go take care of his family because I come from a poor family. My whole why was to get my grandmother out the project and get our house. So these kids know I could come here and take my parents and my family, my grandmother, the people that raised me, that invested in me all these years.

28:52If I could go buy them a house and get them a car or something, and I could still go to school and then I could up that somewhere else, man, go do it. I'm not that type of coach, man, that I know that my university is a mid-major. Like, it's a difference, Shannon. And I think that a lot of these coaches got to be real with themselves. So I'm going to stop you from going to a bigger university. No, not me. And I don't care who don't like it. I don't care if my school don't like it because now I'm feeling the kids. The kids that come in here, that invested their time, that I done went to junior college, I done found diamonds in the roughs.

29:25So think about it. We beat TCU. We beat Tulane. TCU made it to Mars, man, and it was one of the top teams. My program, we beat this team. And I just had all dogs. I had dudes that I went to junior college because I'm sorting out talent. The same way I sorted out DeMar, all these other different players, I went in these gyms myself. And the players that people told me to go look at, when I got to the gym, these were players that I never even thought about taking. I grabbed some of the players. I'm like, no, who is this kid right here? And the coaches was like, no, I thought you wanted to see. I said, no, I want to see that kid right there.

30:00And that's the way the roster we had. And so now I'm not going to hold these kids back. No, I'm not going to hold him back, Shannon. I don't care who don't like it because I'll be feeling the kids. Then that'll be selfish. It'll just be about me.

30:15Shannon Sharpe:Let's talk about Mercy. He came off the bench. I forget what game it was, Peter. He came off the bench, had a quick 10, hit a couple threes, feeling good. I know you was probably going crazy. I don't know if you were at the game. You probably was somewhere in the tunnel, but you were probably doing backflips, seeing your son and seeing – because you always used to – when he was in high school, you would see me at Clemson. hey, check out young fella. Check out young fella. And to see the maturation, to see where he's come from as a high school, even as a middle school player, and to see where he's gotten to as a high school player and not college, that has to do you proud.

30:48Shannon Sharpe:But here's the thing, no P. You know, old Pop get a job somewhere. Mercy, he tagging along with Pop. Now, so with me, right, Mercy has his own journey. So if whatever he want to do, I'm never stopping him. Like he got to go on his journey. I'm going on my journey. Like mercy going to get in the lead soon. He going to have to, you know, do what he got to do. And so think about it, Shannon, nobody gave us nothing. Mercy created his own name. And I should tell you that back in the day, it was getting up five o 'clock in the morning working. He, he was the, he won two state championships with Chet and Jalen Suggs in, in, in, in Minnesota.

31:30Minnesota. Yeah. Then he come back to California and win two at Notre Dame with him and Caleb. So he scored 60 points in the game. Everybody know he a scorer. Then he waited his turn. He didn't, like, give up when he thought, like, you know, oh, they put me on the bench. Last year, Samson wasn't putting in freshmen. So he know that – you know what Mercy did, y 'all, that nobody that I've seen do, he killed in practice. Every time a coach say, every NBA scout tell me, you know what, your son ain't playing, but he's the best player in practice that I've seen at Houston. And so that's what made me proud.

32:06Then he's an A student. He made the Big 12 academic list. And so I'm like, you know what, my son is a killer on the court, but he's also an A student, and he's on that. A killer in the clan room, too. Yes, and so that's the thing. The thing about people look at me being a hip-hop artist, they probably say, oh, well, his son ain't doing it. just came there for basketball no like my thing is we breaking that generational curse and yeah we could be killers on the court but we got to have brains because now if your goal is to get to the nba you need to know what to do with what you're building your empire this is not about me all the time shannon we all have 75 summers on this planet that's what we guarantee but none of us might not make it to that 75 some of us might make it beyond that but we guaranteed at least 75 summers and so we got to stop worrying about what other people think and i love that's what about mercy he ain't showing no mercy he don't care about what you think he's just trying to get better he going after the best place so think about it in the kansas game he checking peter he not going to say i'm gonna go check the worst player every game you look at in houston mercy is checking the best player on the floor and and he'll kill it like and he's that that's how i I raised them like that.

33:25They're not going to give you nothing, son. When you look at who you are, people think you're just a celebrity kid. They don't realize what you done paid to do. So my son be sitting back. He like, I say, son, why are you so ready to go? He said, man, because you know what? Whoever I play, they made me put this work in. So now I'm taking out on them. And so when you look at the dunk against Iowa State, I mean, on the seven-footer that he done that made the you know top top 10 plays

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38:11playing for Houston is

38:17Samson is put out a chance to do you know so I mean he committed to

38:31and then and then and then he's old so the thing about he don't is I mean he's just into this pro yes can you hear me yeah can you hear

38:43Shannon Sharpe:yeah we have we have a we have to take it we have to cut hey when you get a job this when you get a job in the next month come back and tell us about it I got you my brother Appreciate that, P. All right, P. Tell the family hello. Stay well, man, and we'll talk to you down the road, P.

39:02Chad Johnson:All righty. Man, I had a story I wanted to tell y 'all about P, man.

39:12Go ahead.

39:13Chad Johnson:Go ahead, Joe. What were you saying? I had a story I wanted to tell y 'all about P. Back in 2003, Uncle Ocho. This was my boy, Gennaro Pargo. He's the assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers right now. But he was playing with the Lakers back then. And everybody know back then, this one, Paul Pierce and Baron Davis, they used to have these open runs at this community college in L.A. Man, listen, let me tell you something. Hey, I'm talking about any and everybody being there. I'm talking about, like, all pros. Master P was probably one of the only dudes who used to come in there and hoop with us.

39:48Chad Johnson:I'm saying, I know he a pro. He made it to the league. But he used to come hoop with us, like, every day. I got me three cats I went to college with Janero Pargo Teddy Gibson, Brandon Dean it's kind of hard for Dean and Teddy to get on the court at times because they wasn't in the NBA so once we did get on the same team we pressed and picked up Arke Ocho we played hard so look there's one particular day bro we won three games in a row Master P walked in soon as he walked in he jumping on the team he ain't waiting he ain't getting no damn he like i'm on i'm on we had we we had one big man we had to let him go so we all out there look me master p brandon d uh teddy gifts and janela parko man we ain't win another damn game oh damn p p came out there shooting that over hey hey i appreciate that p man i appreciate that bro

40:51Shannon Sharpe:Hey, P say, hey man, look here. Some M.A. scouts might be in there. Let me get these threes up.

40:56Chad Johnson:Let me get these threes up right quick. Hey, P was in there every day, bro. Every day. Every day I was in there, P, I seen you in there. Yeah, but that's what people don't realize. That's what it's about, y 'all. Like, you got to put the work in. And it don't matter. You ain't got to win all the time. It ain't about winning. But you putting that work in, and you come and doing what you do. And so for me, man, it's just been a God thing. It's been a blessing. And then I'm able to go and chase my dreams and do what I got to do and to be able to do this at the highest level and to be able to take care of us.

41:27Man, I know people don't understand it now, but, you know, when they see what I done done at this college level, what I've done to help the kids in the community. I know that, you know, when we're not here, they'll talk about it. But right now, nobody's going to talk about it because doing positive stuff don't make good media. Think about it. If I was doing something negative,

41:51it would be world news. And then, you know, I'll let y 'all lay it, man. Y 'all stay blessed.

42:01Shannon Sharpe:All right. Appreciate that, B. All right. Yes, sir. Duke-UConn. Back-to-back years. This is the first time I think in Duke history they won back-to-back, had 35-win seasons. you look at the All-Americans they got, you look at the guys, they probably got three guys that's going to be lottery picks. We know Booz is probably going to be a top three pick, Joe, and he's probably going to be college player of the year. But when you look at the talent that they've had, they've underachieved. I don't care anything about this. They're young, and that's what we talked about this. UConn is a veteran ball club.

42:38Shannon Sharpe:Michigan have veteran players. Illinois, it's not an accident. Because when the rubber need to meet the road, you got to have somebody to be calm, cool, and collected. Yeah.

42:49Chad Johnson:Absolutely right, man. Absolutely right.

42:51Shannon Sharpe:And you see, there's no way. And it seemed like when UConn started to make some shots and started to make that run, it seemed like Duke got tighter and tighter. Man. Duke got tighter and tighter. Man. He got tighter and tighter. And when old boy hit that and one and cut him to two, with like two minutes to go, now we got a ball game. All right. Now we're going to see if those shots that you were making when you was up 10, 12, 14. Let's see if they go in now. Let's see if you still have the same conviction to shoot them when you was up double figures. Now you're only up two. Let's see if you'll pull.

43:23Shannon Sharpe:Hey, Joe, let's see if you'll pull from 22 now. Let's see if you try to snatch it from 16 now.

43:29Chad Johnson:Hey, you're absolutely right. When you look at it, UConn playing with juniors at the point guard at the one and two, and Duke got a freshman out there who ain't never been in that environment. Yeah. He's been in that situation. I don't want to say he ain't been in an environment because he's been playing with his twin brother. And we know they've been under a microscope for quite some time. But the significance of this game, to have that turnover, and it leads to – come on, bro.

43:55Shannon Sharpe:Sometimes you just hold on to the ball, Joe. Yeah. Make them foul you.

43:58Chad Johnson:Hey, I know you got two dudes wide open, but let them foul you. Man, you're going to have to shoot them free throws. That's the one thing you don't want to do is turn that ball over. All over. That's the only way, really, you can get beat. Bro, you can't even sleep at night behind something like this. Nah, it's tough. Like, keep it 100. You can't. But Uncle Ocho, I was just telling y 'all the other day about Evans. This is why I was skeptical. He can't have a hell of a game like he had the other day and then turn around and give us seven points, man. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Like, they need him.

44:28Chad Johnson:They needed him to at least give you 15, 16, bro. Like, booze going to be booze. Like, you can tell. Hey, like I was going to say, he's going to be a top three pick. But he's going to have to have somebody come along for the ride. You know, you got a guy out there playing 17 minutes, got a donut. He didn't even take a shot. You know what I'm saying? What is that? Huh? He got great cardio. He got 17 minutes with the cardio in. That ain't enough, man. Like, I know they played well. They played well enough to win. Shot 52 % from the field, 40 % from the three. And UConn didn't play great. They played great when it mattered.

45:06Chad Johnson:You know what I mean? When they needed it, they came through, bro. That veteran presence that they have over there, it prevailed at the end.

45:16Shannon Sharpe:Man, and Mullins. Bro, that joker shoot all them threes. He was coming off picks and was wide open. I was like, bro, I say, Hurley, if you call one more pin down and let this dude come out this pick and shoot a three, and he air ball, I say, him and Caravan.

45:34Chad Johnson:Yeah. I say, man, god dang.

45:37Shannon Sharpe:Now you don't know how to shoot, Karen, man. You been knocking down three of your whole damn career at UConn. And now you get in this game, you can't make one. Mother, you keep coming off of pick after pick after pick. And missing. And missing. And then from 35 foot, he pulled and banged nothing but bottom of the net. Hey, shoot or shoot, Joe. Ain't that what they say?

45:56Chad Johnson:Yeah, shoot or shoot. Hey, shooters keep on shooting. Hey, look, they ain't really have but like two. they had one guy who played pretty good, Reed and Smith. Oh, Reed played out of his damn mind. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But outside of that, okay, Ocho, did nobody else. I mean, Smith off the bench, 18 minutes, 9 points, 4 for 7. But for the most part, man, this was a – it got to be an ugly game.

46:19Shannon Sharpe:But Duke kicking himself with all them damn turnovers. Yeah. You can't keep turning the ball over like that. And I felt like, okay, what concerned me was Duke on the glass. But it wasn't that big of a discrepancy. 34 to 28, you know normally Duke is a plus 10, plus 15 on the glass because they kill you. Boozer normally has that. What's the other big guy's name? Another big guy. He might have got hurt. But nah. But this, I mean, it's crazy. You're never going to be able to look. And I hate it. I hate when it's happened to young kids. We see it happen to professionals. And, you know, we talk about the Billy Buckner situation when he played the Mets and they all went through his leg at first base with a red sock.

47:08Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

47:08Shannon Sharpe:Jackie Smith went to the Hall of Fame. But he's known for dropping a touchdown that would have beat the Steelers for the Cowboys. Things like that linger for – because they're going to play this, Ocho. And I don't know why Boos just didn't hold on to make it come foul you.

47:22Chad Johnson:Yeah. He had two guys ahead of him that was wise. Yes. I know he was trying to get off the ball so they couldn't foul and they could get something easy. But, bro, that little tip, that deflection that they got, that was the deflection of the season, bro.

47:35Shannon Sharpe:Yep. They was out of there. Hey, Joe, if he do this, you know what, Joe? I just sometimes instead of throwing it, you know what I'm saying, Ocho? Instead of maybe he drop it, you know what? I'm just going to slide down and let the clock keep moving because the clock is my friend.

47:56Chad Johnson:The clock is not my enemy. The clock is my friend.

48:00Shannon Sharpe:Going out of bounds is the enemy. Turning the ball over is the enemy. Look, and I understand, it took a bro, it took a shot from God. Come on. It took a I mean, come on. That's what it took. Bro, I mean, bro had missed every three he'd taken. He took and then he banged that one from 35 nothing but net hey Joe his release was so goddamn quick when he let that thing go too he had no choice because he deflected it and got it to the other guy but you know what Joe what it is is that trailer remember the trailer in Villanova North Carolina the guy bringing it up to court the guy that took it out of bounds was the guy hit the shot yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah you see brothers was the trailer he the one that deflected it he got it up to the court they come to get him they kick it back to him back they needed mike green on the call that would have been a triple bang bang bang bang maybe have john witherspoon rest his own bang bang bang bang bang

49:19Chad Johnson:Hey, that was devastating, fellas. I mean, it's not like I was sitting here rooting for Duke, but when he made that shot, that hurt me, bro.

49:27Shannon Sharpe:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because of what happened, what transpired. Look, if he didn't turn the ball over and the guy made the shot, I'm okay with it. I'm okay with it. That's an awful lot for a young man to have to live with, Joe. It is. It is. It is.

49:44Chad Johnson:It is. They got all these State Farm commercials now, the Boozer twins. Hey, damn, boy, that's a bad way, because you know they probably would have had more come out. Oh, what? If they would have made it to the final four. Final four. Oh, they done probably shot a few commercials. I was just gonna say, they didn't already shot them commercials already. Oh, man, look, look, my favorite ones are Samuel L. Jackson and Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson now. Oh, yeah. Hey, them from Capital One. Yeah. Man, that hurt. Oh, that hurt. That hurt.

50:17Shannon Sharpe:I ain't hurt for Duke. I ain't been here to lie and say, man, I do not feel bad for Duke. And I told y 'all, hey, ABD, anybody but Duke. Right. I don't give a damn who wins. They not winning. And my homeboy won't even call me. I've been calling Burr and Joe. I've been calling him all day. I called a man. Oh, Joe told him I'm in jail. I said, this is my one call, homeboy. Hey, Duke, man. Please pick up. He ain't answer you yet? He ain't answer. I called back. I said, man, I got this burner phone. This dude had this burner phone in jail. I tried it. Because when North Carolina lost, man, that joke blew my phone up.

50:57Shannon Sharpe:So I'm like, hello. I pretend like I'm sleeping. So anytime our team lose, we always pretend like we sleep. I'm like, hello. Tell me, Ian, you ain't sleep. I said, yeah, yeah, what's going on? Hey, what'd that bracket look like now? Oh, my bracket tore up. Hey Joe, what yours look like?

51:16Chad Johnson:Man, I don't know. I don't know, Ocho. I know who bracket's still intact though. I ain't gonna lie to y 'all. Your bracket's still intact.

51:23Shannon Sharpe:You just got Arizona to win. Hey, hey, hey. But you got Arizona, you won, cause you got Arizona going to the final four.

51:30Chad Johnson:Hey. Hey, Ocho. Ocho. Hey, I'm happy for you, Ocho. What you doing putting that?

51:42All he did was pick animals. All he did was pick animals. Hey, King Ocho, respect me. Respect me.

51:52Shannon Sharpe:Hey, look, I can't believe my old boy did me like that, man. He came out the phone, I was in jail, had to get a burner phone. He still won't answer for it. I sent him a text, asked him, is everything okay?

52:03Chad Johnson:He still ain't hit you back? Ain't hit me back yet. It's going to take him about two, three days before he get back at you.

52:09Shannon Sharpe:Oh, he ain't calling me no time soon. That's all right. I'm going to call.

52:17Chad Johnson:I'm going to call Michelle. Hey, but I'm going to tell you all something. I'm going to say Michelle, can you have Burns call me? Hey, these teams left in the final, going to the final four, boy. Hey, if you ain't got your no seven-footer down there, you're going to be in some trouble. Hey, it's going to be a long day.

52:30Shannon Sharpe:You know what I hate? Man, I hate Michigan. I hate Michigan and Arizona playing. I need them to cross. You want that to be championship? You want that to be a championship? Yeah, because both of them got some guy A. Man, Michigan. As a matter of fact, let's go ahead and talk about this Michigan game. What game? That wasn't no game. Hey, the Dominican LeBron, Yaxel Lindenburg. Oh, man, 27, he was doing it all. Scored, rebound, assisted. They rolled, making the most size of the athleticism on both sides of the front court. Michigan advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 and the nighttime overall.

53:09Shannon Sharpe:Next is a showdown with fellow number one seed Arizona in Saturday's national semifinals. Man, look, this wasn't even close. I was like, look, bro, hey, Texas, y 'all need to get back, and y 'all need to make some shots because they weren't getting back, Joe, and they were laying the ball up, dunking them on the end. I said, this thing about to get bubble sparks. It's about to get ugly.

53:31Chad Johnson:Yeah. Hey, hey, go ahead, Ojo. Now, I was, man, that Bubba Sparks reference, boy, that caught me off guard, bud. What you know about Bubba Sparks, bud?

53:41Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, you know, Bubba from, where Bubba from? Uh, uh, uh. Wasn't he from? He from Georgia, no, he from Georgia. Oh, is he? He might be from Tifton. Goddamn Bubba Sparks, boy. Oh, you brought back memories with that one. Yeah, that thing, well, that's what they got for Tennessee, because they got ugly in a hurry.

54:01Chad Johnson:Yeah, hey, hey, hey, Michigan got some size. They got some experience because Lindenburg, that's his name? Yeah. Hey, he a senior. Hey, he look like a young Joe Johnson out there, the way he lifted Louis up through that thing like that. Oh, you seen him? Yeah. Hey, Joe, you can move like that still? Man, come on, man. Stop playing with me, old Joe. I'm not playing with you. I'm just saying you're a little older. I'm just asking if you can still move like that. Yeah, see, because of the hot yoga that I do, it keeps me nimble. You know where I'm light on my feet. Right, right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, Joe, I done seen you do it now.

54:36I ain't saying. I done seen you do it. I just didn't know you could still do it at this point. I'm going to show you better than I can tell you.

54:41Chad Johnson:Don't worry about that. Hey, look, check this out. Check this out. Check this out, though. Man, Michigan got them big boys down low. Okay, Ojo. You know what I'm saying? That big boy Mara down there. They ain't got no stiffs. They got a bunch of guys. No, no, no, he played well. Yeah, they got a bunch of guys.

54:59Shannon Sharpe:He's a transfer, Joe. You know, he's from UCLA. Is he?

55:03Chad Johnson:I think he's going to be a first-round pick. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, well, Michigan got a chance. This is going to be a good game against Michigan and Arizona, though.

55:11Shannon Sharpe:It's going to be a great game.

55:13Chad Johnson:A battle to beat.

55:14Shannon Sharpe:Both of them got size. Yeah. Both of them got size galore. Both of them got guys that they get out and run and transition. Yeah. Both guys got guys that can make shots.

55:23Chad Johnson:Yeah. Yeah, this is going to be a good one. I agree with you. I wouldn't mind seeing this as a championship title game. But hey man, Tennessee.

55:33Shannon Sharpe:But that UConn, that UConn, Illini gonna be a good game. Yeah. You know UConn gonna take that one. No disrespect to Illini. You think so? Hey, I'm telling you, man. Hey, Joe, hey, I'm telling you. Nah, nah. They got some jokers down in that paint down in the block. Well, you know UConn, come on now.

55:50Chad Johnson:Hey, Ocho. Who got the better, I got one for you, Joe. Who got the better guard play out of Illinois and UConn? Shit, Illinois. Who got the better bigs? Illinois got good bigs. They ain't got no stiff down there. They got 7 '1", 7 '2", down there who can do something. And they play great defense, Ocho. They ain't just an offensive juggernaut. They sit in the chair. They play defense. I ain't going to be surprised if I look up and see Illinois in the title game. Okay. All right. All right. You want to put a little wage on it? Rob Markman, Jr.: Huh? Rob Markman, Jr.: Oh, okay. Okay. Don't worry about it.

56:28Chad Johnson:Rob Markman, Jr.: I thought we were going to save our money for when we play Oak and Jordan. Man, you stay and hollering by Oak and Jordan. I'm talking about me and you, partner. We ain't no worry about Oak and Jordan. I'm talking about me and you. What we going to do? Rob Markman, Jr.: How much you going to put on there, Joe? It ain't got to be nothing, you know? Just a little something, you know? Rob Markman, Jr.: Make it light on yourself. We got to make a little friendly wage or something. It ain't got to be but like a hundred or two. I ain't trying to get you for no grand or nothing. 100 or two?

56:55Yeah. Hey, Joe, we gonna bet, man. You ain't put your money up, man. What you talking about, man?

57:00Chad Johnson:Oh, now you Big Bang Hank. Huh? Hey, Joe, that's what they called me. Okay, all right, all right. Okay, 500, 500. 500, friendly wager. Illinois versus Connecticut. I got you condo. Bet, bet. I got Illinois. Look, 500. You want to get in there though?

57:19Shannon Sharpe:No, I want none of it. My bracket destroyed. The mere fact that this man picked the animal, wild animals in the head and beat both of us. Hey, listen, listen. Listen, I can't help it if I know basketball better than y 'all. Oh, man. Ain't nothing I can do about that. You don't know basket or ball. You know peach basket. It's football. And this joker, all that joker did, it looked like, who got an animal as a mascot? I got Yukon. Right, hey, that's why he going with the husky. bill yeah yeah come on man hey i i don't i don't like the fact that y 'all look y 'all insulting my back my basketball knowledge and prowess huh i knew what i was doing that's why i won hey hey

58:00Chad Johnson:i'm happy for you oh joe i appreciate that joe thank you ain't gonna lie if i didn't win i'd rather you win versus uck win because he gonna have you had him putting on the show when we get on if we got you right you're right hey they ain't make me no kind of graphics or nothing joe yeah Yeah, you don't need them though. You don't need them.

58:17Shannon Sharpe:See, I said, don't joke. You see, I just stabbed you in the back just that quick. He's talking about, hey, Unk would have had graphic, but just told you, you don't need no graphic. Right, right, right. Hey, hey, Joe, matter of fact, do me a small favor, yo. Hey, send me that crown you got over there. You don't need it no more. Who? Who? Who? Who's here?

58:35Chad Johnson:Once you king, you always king. That's the anointed that comes. No, no, no, no, no, no. Hey, Unk, if I'm not mistaken, didn't the Roman Empire fall?

58:48what you said huh what you talking about once you always what what you lost oh joe jay because you

58:55Chad Johnson:won and and picking the team where you ain't done nothing physically to deserve the the crown hey i didn't beat you physically i beat you mentally joe send me the crown oh oh you know when you take somebody build a crown you got to really really you got to really beat them i really beat you joe What are you talking about? Your bracket is destroyed. I beat you fan square. So you're so losing that. You ain't won yet Ocho. You know what? Don't worry about it. I go get my own crown. I go to Party City. Don't worry about it. Party City ain't around no more partner. They closed. They go? Getting the crown out of there.

59:29Okay, Party Source. I know one of them party stores. Let me get my own crown. Go to Burger King. Nah, come on. That disrespectful. Get your little paper crown. That what you need? That disrespectful. Look at that. I'm going to get me a crown from the Halloween store.

59:46Shannon Sharpe:You're going to have to wait until October. Yeah. Joe, let me know what you think. Paul Pierce believes Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant are no longer good enough to lead team to glory and now need someone better than them on their team to win a championship. Paul said, at this age, KD doesn't influence winning like he used to before in KC and Golden State. He can't be the best player on your championship team right now. I say that about him. I said that about LeBron. I also say that about Steph right now. They can't be the best players on championship teams at this stage of their career.

1:00:20Shannon Sharpe:They need to play along somebody that's better than them. That's why the Lakers look better because they have a player that's better than LeBron on there, and that's hard to do. No matter what his stats say, it's just like LeBron. They need players that are better than them that can influence winning because I think they're at the stage of their career. It's just hard for them to do all the things necessary to help them win outside of scoring.

1:00:43Chad Johnson:Yeah, I think it's some truth to that, fellas. Yeah, I agree. I think they definitely because, you know, you put so much on Bron, you put so much on Katie and Steph to lead these teams. And right now, as you get up in age, I'll notice, man, you get up in them late 30s, bro. Yeah. You know, things just kind of start to happen out of nowhere. But you just can't have that physical and mental wear and tear on you that you had in your 20s and 30s. You know, they all run 41. I know Katie and Steph is on the brink of 40. Yeah, I agree. I think they need some – that's why I even thought – I even figured if they even teamed up, they can help each other.

1:01:23Chad Johnson:Right. Yeah, I think they do need to be playing with some cats who can really help them out or complement their game. Let's say that. because I think if you get them close enough to the Western Conference Finals or to the Finals, I think those guys could potentially win the MVP. Or like a Finals.

1:01:42Shannon Sharpe:I think they could potentially do that. Yeah, because that's seven games. Yeah. So if it goes seven games. But I think P is talking about over the course of a season. Yes, I agree. Because think about it. At that age, we never ask someone at their ages to be the best player on a team and lead them to a championship. Right. Right. You're right. So now we're asking him to do something that I don't know if we – how was Jordan when he won his last championship? So Jordan might have been like 36, 36, 37. Maybe not because he retired three years and he came back the last two years. He was 40. So he might have been 35 at the – He was 35.

1:02:27Shannon Sharpe:He was 35. Okay, he was 35. Steph Curry is like 36 or 37. KD is saying LeBron's 41. So we've never asked someone at their ages to be the best player. And it just goes to show you just how great they are. That we just have that level of regard for them, that them at that age that we still have a level of expectation. And sometimes I do think it's unrealistic. And he's right. Those numbers that they normally get up, normally KD score 30, that's damn near automatic win. the 30 doesn't doesn't have the same input yeah yeah i agree i think i think a lot of people when paul pierce says something like this i think and they would agree it just it's it's the right message with the wrong messenger it's the right message with the wrong message so a lot of people are going to have pushback because it's paul pierce actually saying it even though there is some truth to it and obviously again like to piggyback off what you said it is a testament to how great they are.

1:03:25The fact that they're still doing it at this level, at their age. And, man, shit.

1:03:30Shannon Sharpe:And we have an expectation. Yeah. We never had – I mean, if you go back and study history, we never had an expectation of a guy at these ages have, okay, y 'all going to lead a team. That ain't – no, we never had that. But that just goes to show you just how great they were. But also, it happens. Dude, you don't have the same influence. Look at Brady's numbers. He was throwing numbers, but they didn't impact the game. Right. Hey, I got a question too. Yes. Is, excuse me for my lack of knowledge, if LeBron wanted to, is LeBron, I mean, is Luka really better than LeBron? Or is it the fact that Luka's allowed the green light to take as many shots as he does?

1:04:15Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, at this stage, he's better than LeBron. LeBron, just sustain it. I mean, LeBron is only playing like 34, 35 minutes. He's only taking about 16 shots a game. You heard what you just said? He's only taking. Yes. If he was to have the same output he did when he was with the Miami Heat or when he was at the Cavaliers, if we could still just – He can't sustain that. He can't play 38, 39 minutes anymore. Can't.

1:04:42Chad Johnson:And not give you that productivity to where he giving you 30 and 10 and 8. Nah. I think that's challenging. I think he'll definitely have games like that. You know, they'll come, you know, every so often, but for the moment. You can't do it consistently night in and night out, huh? No. Man, what we talking about the other night? Man, this is a young man's game, bro. Yes. Yeah, you're right.

1:05:07Shannon Sharpe:Think about it, Ocho. You're asking the man 41 years of age to go out there and give you that number to exert that kind of energy on a nightly basis. Luca 26. 26 SGA probably 26 27 look at Ant-Man look at these guys look at Wimby look at JT look at these guys all these guys in their early to late 20s that's 41 you know it's funny when you say that too and when I look at Luka I look at his style of play he doesn't play above the rim you know the movements to me Joe maybe I'm tripping they look slow maybe I'm tripping it looks slow as hell but every goddamn thing always work everything always work I don't understand what it is I don't know what kind of goddamn training he do but it looks easy to stop from the naked eye watching from home yeah but nobody could goddamn stop it hey Ocho that's called being deceptive you know meaning it may look like I'm not moving

1:06:10Chad Johnson:fast and it may look like you can stay in front of me, but the way I take angles and cut you off, you know what I'm saying? When you guard me, having a quick first step, using my pump fake, using my pivot foots, bro, you can't, ain't no one player guarding that. What you have to do is hope that he have an off night, but he's going to take enough shots to where he's going to get 25 or 30 with what. You know what I mean?

1:06:34Shannon Sharpe:Because he's got to be shooting. He's got to be, if Luka taking the most shots, Luka got to be taking 20 plus shots, 22, two, 23 shots a night. I mean, in order to be leading the league like that, hell yeah.

1:06:44Chad Johnson:Hey, that's his, his offense is his defense, bro. And that's why when he play against certain cats, whether it's Boston or whoever, or Minnesota, he wants to try to get the guy who's guarding him, he want to get him in foul trouble. He want to get in the bonus. He want to get to the free throw line. He want to get himself going. And being deceptive like that, Ocho, you ain't got to be the fastest, the quickest, the most explosive. You just have to have a high IQ and an understanding On how to manipulate the game In your favor And he does that every night bro Every night

1:07:18Shannon Sharpe:He's taking 23 shots a night Hey him and Young Bull Young Bull from Denver Who be moving in slow motion too Slow motion I don't think Young Bull Might be taking like 19 shots How many shots Young Bull is taking Young Bull is taking 17.4 shots a night After 29

1:07:39Chad Johnson:efficient as hell. Hey, listen, how many you say Luca taking?

1:07:43Shannon Sharpe:23.

1:07:45Chad Johnson:He's shooting 16 of them in the first quarter.

1:07:47Shannon Sharpe:For sure.

1:07:49Chad Johnson:He's shooting 15. You ain't lying. He's shooting 15, 16 shots in the first quarter, bro. In the first quarter, he getting this off. He ain't playing. Oh, hell no. Hold on. I got his bathroom.

1:08:03Shannon Sharpe:Go ahead. Yeah, but look, and that's it. It's a young man's game. And like you said, in the role that they got LeBron in, I think they could get out the first round. It all depends on who they get in the second round. But, yeah, he doesn't need to be that guy.

1:08:21Chad Johnson:Nah, he don't need to be that guy. And I think the beautiful part about it is he knows that. That's why he comes out and he plays that role. He plays the role that he knows the Lakers need. That he know they don't need him coming out shooting 22, 25 shots a night. He know they don't need that. He need to be more of a glue guy, and then there are going to be opportune times that's going to come or that's going to present themselves, and he know he's going to have to step up. And him having big games, it makes them a more dangerous team. So I don't mind seeing the stats that I've been seeing for LeBron because I know when it's time to turn up another notch, he got another notch or two he can go.

1:09:02Shannon Sharpe:I don't think LeBron has a problem being the third option. as long as Austin Reeves is doing what he's doing.

1:09:10Chad Johnson:Absolutely.

1:09:10Shannon Sharpe:Giving you those 24, 26, 28. Luka's going to give you in the mid-30s. So LeBron pulling up the third slot with 20, 21, 22. Okay, fine. It's when they might get into trouble if they're all of a sudden, Austin Reeves have an off night. Yeah, yeah. Because Luka's going to shoot enough and going to get to the foul line that he's going to get 12, 13 free throws.

1:09:34Chad Johnson:Yeah. Hey, but man, listen. And AR has been consistent over this season. I'm happy for him. I want him to get paid. I want him to get his money. I want him to continue to keep playing well. Because if he, like you say, if AR is playing at this rate, Bron can kind of be free safety. You know what I mean? He can kind of roam. He can be the playmaker. He can score when need be. You know, he can be that demon in transition every now and then. man. I enjoy watching the Lakers, man. They showed me a lot. I hope they've grown from, you know, the last postseason getting swept. So I'm sure that's left a sour taste in their mind.

1:10:13Chad Johnson:And when they get back in the postseason, I'm sure they're going to be looking to, you know, make some noise and try to advance as far as possible.

1:10:20Shannon Sharpe:They lost 5-1, didn't they, last year? 4-1 last year, didn't they?

1:10:23Chad Johnson:They lost 4-1?

1:10:24Shannon Sharpe:I think they lost 4-1. I think they won game two.

1:10:35Shannon Sharpe:I think they won game two.

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