Hour 2: Spurs-Timberwolves Game 5, plus ESPN NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne

0:00Rich Eisen:You can't reason with the sun. Trust us. We've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's OmniShade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin. The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your summer at Columbia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome. Columbia. Engineered for whatever.

0:30Rich Eisen:This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. Hold up. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Victor Wendman Yama, windmill right hand jam. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Blocked. Wendman Yama blocked it on the closeout. Today's guests, ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne, ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin, plus your phone calls, latest news, and more.

1:26Rich Eisen:And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Ladies and gentlemen, Ramona Shelburne is in our green room. She will be out shortly to talk about what's going down here in this town, the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, as well as the NBA playoffs, what happened in Philadelphia yesterday, what's going on in the WNBA. Dave McMenamin, whose deep dive on the Los Angeles Lakers present and future is sitting out there on ESPN.com. the headline interestingly enough as Dave's coming in at hour number three to discuss this work and so much more what LeBron needs to return to needs to return to LA and why it's not simple that's the headline on his social feed though the headline is new story because he wrote this headline it's interesting how he writes a headline and he headlined it himself on a social and the desk writes a headline LeBron and the Lakers might need each other more than either side would care to admit.

2:32Rich Eisen:So it's never simple. He wrote that? Dave McMenamin wrote that last one. Got it. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, the headline writers there back in Bristol or wherever the ESPN.com community resides wrote a different headline. What LeBron needs to return to L.A. and why it's not simple. And the first third of the article was the night that, let me get the date right. It was back in March when, remember, this team was just crushing it? 15-2 in March. Luca was the Western Conference Player of the Month. Austin Reeves was crushing it. And LeBron took a role or began to seemingly get more comfortable in the role of being the third man in.

3:25Rich Eisen:You know, a complimentary role with which he's not very familiar. And one would think not very comfortable, but he was beginning to, you know, show that there is no eye in LeBron or James, right? Despite the narratives involving Mr. James. and it was March 31st. They just smoked the Cavaliers, 127-113. And it was 16-2 over that 32-day stretch. LeBron won the 1229th game of his career, moved past Kareem for most victories by any player in NBA history combining regular and postseasons. Luka topped 15 ,000 career points. Rui Hachimura reached 5 ,000 career points. And this was something that J.J.

4:16Rich Eisen:Redick was in the locker room afterwards reading off of a card about how this victory had many milestones. And he mentioned all those milestones. At which point, Rob Palenka, the general manager, had the game ball in his hands and he strolled up. He took the floor and mentioned how it was the 100th coaching win of J.J. Redick's career. And in advance of that, they had his two kids. shoot videos to say congratulations dad and you could see jj had tears in his eyes and he got the game ball um reading straight from here according to mcmenaman james has a great relationship with reddick sources close to him say with one telling espn that reddick's hiring is quote one thing the Lakers got right.

5:04One. Okay. I mean,

5:08Rich Eisen:it's Luca not right. Is Luca not right? You know, okay. But James, who played the last eight seasons in Los Angeles and helped deliver the franchise at 17th championship in 2020 saw Palenka's priority in that moment is yet another example of the Lakers taking him for granted. Sources said adding to James's ire sources said was the fact that the past dozen or so wins in that stretch came with James willingly taking a supporting offensive role behind Luca and Austin Reeves. It was nearly an unprecedented move and especially so for a player of James's caliber. And so without even stopping to change clothes, James marched off into the LA night simmering from another perceived indignation delivered by the organization that has won so close to him, told ESPN tried to quote-unquote push him out the door after acquiring Doncic last season.

6:07Rich Eisen:And then the next paragraph just pretty much brings you to the present day. 48 hours later, James's annoyance with the franchise was overshadowed by a disastrous season-changing game in Oklahoma City. Reeves strained his left oblique muscle in the first half, Doncic his left hamstring in the second and the thunder rocked LA by 43 points. And it did all go downhill from there. I added that last part. Dave McManaman will join us in our three. Dave's been talking to sources, but the bottom line is this LeBron did his part, man in the playoffs. He did what he needed to do and he was spectacular. and there's no way, even with all this, and if you're in any way, shape, or form in the Lakers front office rolling your eyes and going, what are we going to do?

7:02Rich Eisen:And obviously LeBron has got, if he views this moment as something that Palenka is sliding him on, you know? Weird take. Then even with all that, and this all comes out, and it looks like it's from his side willingly telling this to Palenka, I mean to Dave McMenimum. Even with all that, you gotta keep him. You gotta keep him. You're not letting LeBron James walk at age 41, 42 playing like this. No chance. No reason you should do that. Just overlook all of this stuff. You're J.J. Redick and if you're now learning about this stuff, you go to his house and go, come on, where are we going? Like, what do we need to do to bridge all this stuff?

7:56Rich Eisen:What do we need to do to bridge it? And I don't know if it's money. The guy's got nothing but that. One more ring. That's what it is. Do we need to have some sort of offsite with him and. Offsite, nice. You know what I mean? Some offsite. We can have it here. We're just up the road. Yeah, we're down the street. You know, LeBron, Palenka, Reeves, Doncic. They're closer than the Chargers are to us. That's true. We'll host the offside. I think this hinges on Reeves, the Lakers offseason. How much money does he want? Does he care about getting every last penny from wherever he decides to play? Or does he want to stay and be part of this trio that was playing as well as they were in March?

8:43Rich Eisen:Does he like living out here? That's a big part of it. That's a big part of it. I do. Do you like living out here? Because I do. And I'm also going to say this, of Luka and LeBron and Reeves, who's hitting it for the first time? He is. Yeah. So I would take every penny I could possibly get. Yeah, you got to take that money, man. So if someone's going to offer you, you know, I don't know, $200 million to go wherever. Well, what's the wherever looking like? Miami, Dallas, I don't know. Well, 200 in Miami is. Well, you also named two states that are not taking state tax from you, too. Yeah, but that's going to be enticing.

9:22Rich Eisen:But Miami is what I'm saying. I hear you. But you're not playing with Luka and maybe LeBron. Who goes first? Reeves goes first, right? Or it's LeBron goes first. Like, somebody's got to sit everyone down. It seems like an air needs to be cleared. Well, if the Lakers, you care about Reeves first. Because he's younger and he'll be around longer. Right. he's your running mate with Luka for the next... Yeah, but you're the Los Angeles Lakers. Six, seven, eight years. You're going to give LeBron... The jersey goes up. You maybe even put a statue of him out front. They don't need LeBron. They're the Lakers.

10:01Rich Eisen:They should go after Giannis. They acquire... They do it all the time. Who are they going to give up for Giannis? Here's where you give up for Giannis, right? Who? Who is going to be? Who are you trading to Milwaukee for Giannis? Whatever. That you currently have under contract. You know DeAndre Ayton is apparently going to opt out. And he's a guy like. The thing is they acquire stars. Who does? The Lakers do. In their late 20s, early 30s. They don't let him go. LeBron's the biggest star there's maybe ever been. He's 41. They don't need him. They need it. They need him. The defending champs, who, by the way, ruined their season on a night that they whipped him by almost half a century of points, and both of these players get hurt, and then they sweep him out in front of God country and for whatever reason, Dylan Brooks in the front row.

11:05Rich Eisen:Well, that's a guy showing up to the funeral meme. That's great. That's great. And then you go on. everyone goes on with their lives and he's still Dylan Brooks I mean the Lakers season ended when Luka got hurt who cares okay they were not winning the title after that correct I understand that so that's kind of a fluke thing but I you don't let LeBron James walk out the door you just don't star of stars come come down to crypto watch him play maybe one last two seasons in the same way and I know this is a terrible analogy but I don't care in the same way that the Browns are going to see what they've got in Deshaun Watson over anybody else is because they're already pot committed.

11:45Rich Eisen:They're already kind of pot committed here. I don't know how you figure out the money. Don't you want to see what LeBron and Luka looks like in the playoffs, playing a full season together? Everyone's healthy. Don't you want to see what that looks like with Austin Reeves too? Your franchise has got more money than God. You own the Dodgers already. You've got more money than God in the bank for whatever the hell the Guggenheims have, all of it. Who the hell cares about a second apron if you're if you're them and i know that they still are money conscious everyone is because they told half the dodgers and i know i'm exaggerating uh defer your money so we can not pay a luxury tax but it's different you're not paying a luxury tax to you know half the major league baseball franchises that are just pocketing the money i don't know if that's the same way in the NBA, but you got more money than God.

12:38Rich Eisen:Go into the second apron. What the hell do you care? And go get Austin Reeves and go get, you know, and again, I'm saying this without being fully familiar, admittedly, with the cap rules and what the second apron means and whether you can sign other people and whatever. I know it is very prohibitive to go into that second apron. but whatever you have to do to keep these three guys together with jj reddick clear the damn air so lebron's not looking at a game ball and sitting there and going what's with this guy's malfunction rather than obviously he's a dad we understand what he knows about being a dad and he's seeing jj reddick's boys if you see the video of it it's very moving i haven't seen videos out there but clearly something is up clear the damn air and keep everyone around whatever you got to do

13:39now then

13:41Rich Eisen:the San Antonio Spurs are one game away from meeting the Oklahoma City Thunder in a Western Conference finals that I will tell you is going to be some good eats right certainly if victor wimbanyama shows up like he did in game five fully restored and we're all wondering what's he going to look like in the first quarter coming back not suspended coming back in a pivotal game five how does 18 first quarter points sound to you um that's what he did and it wasn't even close last night well it's close after the first quarter let's put it that way 34 30 but then it just spiraled out of control as when bunyama came up with 27.17 rebounds five assists and the one assist that made it everywhere was him ball faking and putting the stifle tower as our friend chris weber calls Rudy Gobert in a spin cycle.

14:46Rich Eisen:He was spinning around two different ways before he dished it. I mean, this Dylan Harper, I love watching him play basketball, 12 and 10 off the bench, and he is a meme machine. His facial expressions are fantastic. Did you see the one that he made after the Vic? The Victor Wimbanyama ball fake dish? Yeah. He just was like, I love watching him play, man. He's great. NBC, there needs to be a Dylan Harper camera. I think they have one on him. That look that he made after the elbow, right? Heard around the world. I will tell you, I did see two Spurs fans making fun of Timberwolves fans about crying over an elbow.

15:36Rich Eisen:I mean, that elbow was not right. But I understand he's trying to defend himself. I get it. He's being mugged all over the place. And the two Mowolves are in trouble. They're in trouble. Now they go home and hopefully even the series enforce a game seven where anything can happen. But that was just a home court advantage galore with a different kid that showed up in Victor Wimbanyama in game five. And this was the soundbite that's going everywhere about what type of player the Spurs were expecting to show up last night. Yeah, whether it was stemming from the flagrant two or not, something Devin said at Shooter on this morning was that the Spurs were going to need upset Vic to come out tonight to get this win.

16:23Mitch called it more of a mature Vic. I'm just curious if there's either one of those that you prefer, maybe another word. They ain't mutually exclusive, so I'm looking for both.

16:38Rich Eisen:Mature and angry. Pissed Vic. Why not, man? Good luck. There's no one like him. Don't you want to see him versus Chet? Yeah, they hate each other. It's awesome. You know what I mean? Then they'll throw Hartenstein at him. Then they'll run Lou Dort at him. Yep. They're just going to run. If he thinks he's getting beat up in this series. Right. I like watching the Spurs team play. They're very fun. And I love this storyline. I mean, Greg Popovich apparently was the one who met him at the airport. Do you see this video? I saw Pop at the game last night. No, Pop showed up at the airport. He greeted Wembenyama when he arrived fresh back from getting ejected from Minnesota.

17:30Rich Eisen:Nice. And talking to him. Just standing there, delivering a message. That's cool. And then the guy goes out and torches the place. And he was asked after the game what that was about. I feel like, I'm not going to leak anything he said, obviously, but he maybe wanted to make a statement or make his talking even more impactful by being there. But he gives feedback and talks to us regularly, throughout series, throughout games. so as always when he speaks everybody listens what a secret weapon huh can you imagine you're 22 years old your head might be spinning i don't know he seems to obviously have his head properly snapped on his shoulders right yeah and he's he comes off the plane and there's Greg Popovich, it's like frigging Yoda shows up to personally deliver a message to you.

18:38Rich Eisen:This is not going to be a phone conversation. This is not a Zoom. It's not a FaceTime. I'm going to put myself in a car where obviously he doesn't get around very easily and I'm going to stand there and you get off the plane. I'm going to be there and I'm going to say something to you. That's significant. I can't get enough of that. man, do I miss that guy. But then again, I also wasn't the one with a microphone on my hand trying to get a soundbite out of him every single night. But I miss him. I miss what he has to say about real life, too. My gosh, what a secret weapon that is. And the Timberwolves are, like I said, they've got their hands full here.

19:24Rich Eisen:We'll see what happens, obviously, in that game six. We'll talk about that with Ramona Shelburne and Dave McManaman, and that story that he popped out there on ESPN.com and we just led our second hour with. We'll talk to Ramona about this as well. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. We'll take your phone calls also on this very busy Wednesday program. PayPal is proud to be the official peer-to-peer payment sponsor of the NFL. When fans come together on game day, PayPal makes it easier to split ticket costs, cover tailgate supplies, parking, or even food. Now maybe even splitting airplane tickets, right?

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22:22Rich Eisen:everybody back together as one happy family we're live on espn radio now along with disney plus and espn and ramona shelburne is here uh dave mcmenaman our colleague is showing up in hour number three what's going on down the street do you think in the lakers offices right now look you know i think they're all digesting dave's story from today um which was uh you talked about it a little bit earlier, which was essentially LeBron was offended when Rob Palenka, the general manager, came in there and gave J.J. Redick the game ball for his 100th win. But it wasn't so much that I have had people describe when I drive down here, I was calling around about it.

22:59You know, I think people in the room knew that night that that didn't go over particularly well because there's actually videos that you can watch of that moment of the Lakers do an announcement after games. Like people have career milestones. JJ makes it. This is like something they do after every game. So if you watch it, you go, oh, really? Got his 5 ,000th point. Luca, you know, the only player ever to score 600 points in March. And LeBron, this is a big one, you know. He became the all-time wins leader. So it was like JJ made these announcements. Then Rob Palenka comes in and gives JJ the game ball.

23:34I heard, you know, LeBron clapped. But people who saw him in that moment could tell he was a little upset. Now, he'd been taken out of the game at a weird moment in the game. And so maybe you thought he could have just been upset that they took him out of the game. But I think it was more a function of, you know, it's confirmation bias. So when you have a feeling of how somebody feels about you, and I think LeBron has felt taken for granted, you know, in L.A., at least this year, maybe for the whole time he's been here. He's never been embraced the way Kobe was. he's never really been appreciated.

24:07Like even the championship he won, it was in the bubble. And so there was no parade here. That connection with him in the city never materialized the way that it did in let's say Cleveland or Miami. And he's been here a long time. I think, you know, I host radio here in LA. I mean, you wouldn't believe the amount of people who call in all the time and are like, let's get rid of LeBron. Like people, you hear it. And you're like, do you not recognize that this is one of the greatest players of all time that came to LA after this franchise had been in the wilderness forever. They'd been in the wilderness.

24:39I mean, how many years did they were in the lottery? Just totally irrelevant. He came of his own volition. They barely had to recruit him. He just wanted to be a Laker and turned the whole franchise around. Now, has he leaned in to LA? Has he done all the things that you would do to say, this is my town? I think Luka's probably done more in two years or one and a half years than LeBron has maybe done in eight to be out in the community, to connect with people, to feel like this is my town. And like, Luke, remember when he was paying for people's parking in the playoffs, right? He was doing all those things pretty quickly.

25:11But it doesn't, like, although that's just personal style. And I think that you have to evaluate on the court. LeBron James turned the franchise around. He restored them to glory. And I don't think he's quite felt appreciated. Plus, it sucks when somebody is brought in, even if he appreciates Luka, even if he understands, like, how good Luka is, why the franchise made that trade. even if you appreciate it doesn't feel good to kind of be moved out dynamics change i understand

25:38Rich Eisen:that and um you know not many a story like the one that again that dave uh put out there and he's coming in to talk about in hour three uh very very few look good yeah in this story i'll say this um i think that there had been a real repairing of the relationship that went on this year last summer was pretty bad right LeBron issued that statement that was pretty you know shot across the bow uh they did not offer him an extension I think LeBron sort of said oh I didn't ask for an extension but the truth is he's never been in a situation like this where the the signals had been sent like your time here is ending and it may not be your choice like that's that's a really hard thing to swallow for anybody I I know he's he was the time he was 40 but there the the empathy that I think he was expecting for how he digested the Luka trade, how he tried to embrace him.

26:36I don't think that was quite there. And I think he was, you know, you can have a pity party if you want. I think there was some pouting and, you know, that the relationship was frayed last summer. But that relationship had largely been repaired during the year to the point where I think there was going to be more of an embrace of him this summer. Like the path back to the Lakers is probably there if he wants to still be in LA. The question is how much money and how do they go about it? But I thought today, and I'll be curious to see what Dave says, what his read of it too is, I think LeBron wants to be appreciated and he wants to be respected for the fact that he did sacrifice.

27:15He did step aside. He did embrace that third role. And then when things changed and they had all those injuries, he embraced that role again too. And I think there's a sort of, I don't know, you know, You want to get him a domination with a DeAndre necklace? You want to get him one of those? Right. Is that what he needs? I don't think so. I think you can't fake. You can't do lip service. You feel it when someone respects you or you don't feel it.

27:39Rich Eisen:Ramona, it's all about communication in this world. Certainly when you're dealing with somebody who's in the spotlight like LeBron or in front of a camera in our business, management talking to either one of us, for instance. right and and and you know here i am equating myself with lebron james in that regard but it's okay rich no but it's a big deal thank you ramona we you need to come out i felt it too no but but but it seems to me like is it like let's just go way back to this now is it true lebron found out about the luka trade just like the rest of us i did nobody give him a heads up because that would be the beginning of something yeah hey lebron guess what and i know it was deep dark secret because they had the greatest pocket listing in the history of NBA trades.