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Power Two Podcast: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the OKC Thunder to their first championship while making history!
17 Plays5 months ago
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first player in 25 years to win the NBA Scoring Title, MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season. In this episode, we discuss SGA's historic season, Oklahoma City's first championship, and where Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers go after this crushing loss. We also react to LeBron's comments about the NBA's toxic ring culture.
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Transcript
NIL Educational Summit
00:00:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
What's good everybody welcome into another episode Get Defensive Sports Network's Power 2 podcast as always your host Jordan and I'm here with my co-host DJ DJ
00:00:21
DJ
Jordan.
00:00:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
I heard you're a superstar in Dallas I heard that you're killing all the conferences that you're meeting all the people that you're doing all the things is that true
00:00:31
DJ
You know, I am famous around these parts, ah apparently. Yes, I hosted a NIL educational summit for high school and college athletes through with a nonprofit called Powering Youth Foundation.
00:00:46
DJ
um And it was really cool. It was really cool. We got to meet a lot of different professionals and talk to them. And I did multiple panels. I hosted a panel on, um oh my gosh, what was the first one? I hosted a panel on NIL tax.
00:01:00
DJ
um tax um obligations.
00:01:03
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm back.
00:01:04
DJ
I hosted a panel on NIL strategy and how to brand yourself and get the types of deals that you want to get. um I hosted a panel on contract clarity and compliance.
00:01:15
DJ
And I hosted a panel on career development and life after ball. So I was I was covering all the things, all of the things.
Coaching Aspirations
00:01:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
Love that and it beautiful to work with someone who is gonna be rich and famous. Gonna do things in the sports world. So, the only thing I do in the sports world is this podcast.
00:01:34
DJ
Yes.
00:01:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
I got out of the sports as soon as I possibly could.
00:01:42
DJ
Yes.
00:01:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
Was it my ministry?
00:01:43
DJ
I, there was a lot of, um well, I was a coach, but ah stories. So, you know, lots of people who thought they wanted to be coaches and was like, this is not the life, ah me included.
00:01:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:01:55
DJ
So I get it. I understand.
00:01:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, i so I wanted to be a coach. I still wanted to be a coach, but I also wanted to have a wife. So, you know, yeah, you kind of you kind of do.
00:02:03
DJ
You know, you have to pick one. You just have to pick one. You can always do like a, what's, what's, what's, so what i um what am i looking for? Like, um like youth football coaching and stuff like, you know, on the side.
00:02:15
DJ
Monday afternoons.
00:02:16
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I may get into that eventually. Yeah, I may get into that eventually.
00:02:18
DJ
Huh?
00:02:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
But as of now, I need a little bit older than that, but...
00:02:21
DJ
Yeah, a little Pop Warner.
00:02:25
Get Defensive Sports Network
um You know, it depends on the state.
00:02:27
DJ
Actually, I don't even know how old. How old is Pop Warner? That's like seven to like 12, right? oh I don't know because I really don't know. But yeah, I'm famous. So that's cool.
00:02:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. I also don't believe 70-year-olds should be playing football. And as much as I support and love flag football, I do not plan to coach that.
00:02:40
DJ
Not tackle football.
Power of Friendship and Paige Beckers
00:02:45
DJ
Yeah.
00:02:45
Get Defensive Sports Network
I would coach, like, women's high school flag football, but I'm not coaching little kids of either variety flag football. boy, girl, or other, none of that.
00:02:54
DJ
I agree.
00:02:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
Flag football, I would only teach high school age, coach high school age. And then anything else, I really just need to deep coach high school because I really just like, I don't know what middle school,
00:03:05
DJ
He said, I just want to be around high school list.
00:03:07
Get Defensive Sports Network
Well, it's not even so much that. It's just like I don't believe that younger kids should play tackle football, and I won't do that.
00:03:13
DJ
Yeah.
00:03:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, I'm not going to coach flag football. And I don't know what the middle school situation is in New York. As I've learned, it's different everywhere else. And, like, in Ohio, you can start playing football for your school.
00:03:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
at seventh grade, but some people pop and wonder goes all the way up and until high school.
00:03:29
DJ
Same.
00:03:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
So it's just, it's a lot to figure out. But either way, that's not why we're here today. i just wanted to you know, congratulate you for being a successful black woman in sports.
00:03:37
DJ
That is no.
00:03:43
Get Defensive Sports Network
We are here to have a podcast, the thing that we do every week, the podcast of the power to where we discuss the power of friendship. We discuss the power of Paige Beckers and we discuss the power of a lot of things. So Paige Beckers,
00:03:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
Despite, actually no, no, no, missing the games doesn't matter because this is just based on the number of games you played.
00:04:03
DJ
I mean, it kind of does, but but go ahead.
00:04:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Well, it doesn't matter for this because it's not on number of games in your career, it's number of games you played. yeah.
00:04:10
DJ
Yes.
00:04:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
yeah So Paige Beckers is the fastest person ever in the WNBA to reach 200 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists. If I also remember correctly, she has had 20-point and all of the rookies combined
00:04:24
DJ
Yes.
00:04:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
have had four so she has as many as all the rookies combined and she is leading all scores in the WNBA for the month of June with i believe it was like 23 points average so she has acclimated to the W about as well as we all thought she would and if you really paid attention she did exactly what we said she was going to do which was start slow because she's unselfish and she's a rookie and she's trying to be a good teammate.
00:04:27
DJ
Yes.
00:04:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then someone's going to like, hey, dog, you're probably the best player of
College Athletic Transfers
00:04:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
the team. And she's going lock in. And she's locking in.
00:04:57
DJ
So you should do that. Yeah. And at the end of the day, Chris Coquanis is a new coach creating a new system. And unfortunately he got that job fully because of nepotism. So that's unfortunate, but, um, not nepotism. What's the other one?
00:05:12
DJ
Favoritism, just, just favoritism. Cause he's not related to anybody.
00:05:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
One of the tisms, yeah.
00:05:16
DJ
Yeah. He's not related to anyone, but Kurt Miller just loves him. Um, But yeah, shout out to Paige Beckers. I fully believe, and I've been saying this this entire time, Paige Beckers will be one of the most efficient players that we've seen since Elena Deledon.
00:05:30
DJ
um If you guys are unaware, Elena Deledon is the only, if i believe if I'm not mistaken, WNBA player that actually averaged 50, 40, 90. That was a big deal that was discussed last year. That page averaged 50-40-90 up until the last like couple games before they got to the championship.
00:05:48
DJ
um But yeah, so shout-outs. And 50-40-90, for those of you who don't speak basketball, is 50% field goal shooting, shooting, and then free throw shooting.
00:05:54
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:05:58
DJ
so Period, love that for her.
00:06:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
yeah
00:06:01
DJ
um She is unfortunately gonna have to be a workhorse in Dallas and I really hate that for her, but also Paige has carried teams before, so I don't think this is something she's not used to.
00:06:15
DJ
um heartbreaking loss the other day to Washington to the Washington Mystics it was an overtime game and Sonia Citron hit a really timely three that we were just not able to come back from so we lost that game by two points and that sucks but Paige was hooping
00:06:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. For
Lakers Ownership Changes
00:06:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
sure. Wisconsin. college football is suing Miami over tampering in the transfer portal. Essentially, Wisconsin is alleging that they signed a player who is rumored to be Xavier Lucas, a freshman quarterback.
00:06:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
They signed him to a two-year contract after the season, and Miami met with his family and said, we will give you more money. He then, like Wisconsin, tried to block him from the transfer portal. But the the weird thing with college is that, like, they can't – stop a player from just enrolling in another school.
00:07:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
And so he just left and went to Miami. And I guess he's on scholarship over there now. i am not 100% sure how all of it is working.
00:07:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
But um however it's working, Wisconsin is not happy. And so they are suing Xavier Lucas. They are suing Miami over tampering the transfer portal.
00:07:27
DJ
Just school to school. The athlete is not involved in the litigation at all.
00:07:31
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes. Next, something that, you know, I can't say that I thought whatever happened probably needed to happen and also it's just sort of interesting as a whole because this is happening frequently in all of the sports that, like, ownership is changing over.
00:07:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
So the Bus family is selling the Lakers for $10 billion.
00:07:49
DJ
Mm-hmm.
00:07:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
dollars The weird thing about it Jeannie Bus... is staying as the governor she's staying as the person in charge So it seems like this is the professional sports version of private equity.
00:08:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
They basically admitted to being broke. I don't know where the bus's money comes from. But they've never...
00:08:14
DJ
Your guess is as good as mine.
00:08:15
Get Defensive Sports Network
ah
00:08:15
DJ
I don't know rich white people.
00:08:16
Get Defensive Sports Network
So like I basically just, like I think this is them admitting to being broke and saying like, hey, we can't really fund this, but we still want to be involved. And so it was bought by the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers who can fund it.
00:08:31
Get Defensive Sports Network
And again, the last part I'm just sort of adding because it's weird that like, They sold it, but Jenny is still in charge. like She's still the governor. And so I largely really do think they just needed the money.
00:08:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
And so they went to go find it. And they got it. And the Dodgers owner, if you know anything about the Dodgers, they spend money. He has money. I mean, honestly, how the hell do you spend $10 billion dollars and then still be able to afford to run multiple franchises?
00:08:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
But if you're a Lakers fan and you're hoping that this means that the Lakers are going to be run better, I don't think so because Jeannie Bess is still in charge and they are not running that franchise well, but they are going to have more money, which means they're probably going to be able to re-sign Luka, which is a benefit.
00:09:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
So, love that.
00:09:13
DJ
always drilling.
00:09:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
Back to hockey. as As you can see that we're...
00:09:19
DJ
ah One fun factoid. I haven't given a factoid in a really long time. $10 billion dollars is the highest ah ever for a U.S. professional sports franchise. That's the first thing.
00:09:32
DJ
And then the other little factoid is that um it was the longest ownership of any current NBA franchise at 46 years with the
Sports Inclusivity and Player Roles
00:09:40
DJ
best family. So now... the set Now the longest ownership will be the Indiana Pacers, which is um Herb Simon since, and he's owned it since 1983.
00:09:49
DJ
So there's this whole conversation about like NBA original ownership, like finally dying out and then going into their next era of um ownership. But yeah, there's a lot of teams on sale. um The Connecticut Sun on the WNBA side is on sale.
00:10:04
DJ
um And so, yeah, I don't think it'll be like, dang, they got 10 billion.
00:10:07
Get Defensive Sports Network
I could...
00:10:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I could be lying, but i think Portland is on sale. The Blazers? I don't know.
00:10:18
DJ
ah They need to be on sale.
00:10:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
Someone else in the NBA is on sale.
00:10:20
DJ
They need to be on sale. Somebody needs to come help them immediately.
00:10:22
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. For sure. Back to NHL, to hockey. Florida Panthers, I believe, ah went back-to-back.
00:10:27
DJ
Yes.
00:10:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
um National championships. They beat the Edmonton Oilers and... I think it's hilarious. One of my friends lives in Florida and she like was posting about them.
00:10:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
And I said, not sports in Miami are so bad that they got y'all excited for hockey. And she was like, yes, yes, but they did win.
00:10:49
DJ
hockey.
00:10:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
So shout out to them. um This is a continuation of a fact that I brought up that I sort of mentioned, but I didn't have the exact thing right just because whatever. Connor McDavid is now the first player in NHL history to record 90 plus points in nine straight seasons and not win a cup
00:11:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
So as we were saying last week or the week before, he is one of the greatest hockey players of all time, and he has not, and he just has not been able to win.
00:11:12
DJ
That's really unfortunate.
00:11:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
And it's even more crushing because I don't know how many times he's been there, but I know he's been there the last two years, and he lost both times. And when you were in Canada, playing Canada's sport, to lose to a team in Florida...
00:11:36
DJ
Go home with a mask on. Just don't even show your face.
00:11:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:11:40
DJ
Don't even show your face.
00:11:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
Crazy. They don't care about hiking the South.
00:11:42
DJ
I hate that for him.
00:11:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
Obviously, Florida Panthers do that. Back-to-back championships. Love that for them. Kayla and Son, is this something we talked about before, but you wanted to talk about it again, so I will allow you to do that.
00:11:54
DJ
Yes, I just wanted to piggyback off. This was a while ago. um But Saints defensive tackle, Kaylin Saunders, ah said that he was going to host the LGBTQ friendly, inclusive youth football camp. And he released those details recently.
00:12:10
DJ
um And so this is just an announcement. Excuse me, an announcement. um If you have boys, girls, LGBT athletes, and you're in the St. Louis, Missouri area, is going to be July 5th at 9 a.m. And doesn't say where it is at, but I'm sure you can go to his social media and find out where it is. But I'm a very big fan of an athlete saying that they're going to do something and then they actually do it. So shout out to him for, you know, trying to change the culture, um, around football and kind of, you know, really breaking that, that overly hyper masculine, barrier that exists there. So shout out to the little gay boys and girls playing football.
00:12:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes.
00:12:55
Get Defensive Sports Network
And lastly, I'm going to let you talk about this because I haven't read this one.
00:12:56
DJ
And in other news, speaking of football, speaking of football,
00:12:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
What happened?
00:12:59
DJ
um the the Jags have indeed decided to do what I did not think any NFL team was going to do, and that is sign Travis Hunter for both sides of the ball. So they ended up sending out notifications a couple days ago. They sent out a notification that said Travis Hunter had signed as a wide receiver, and then they sent out another one that said Travis Hunter had so had signed as a db so This will be, as far as I'm concerned, because I'm not an NFL historian, but this will be the first time that we see this actually happening, where a player is genuinely going to be playing both sides of the ball.
00:13:36
DJ
um And that's just going to be really interesting to to watch, because... It's one thing in college, obviously. It's a whole other thing, like we've said this on this entire show, to do it professionally.
00:13:48
DJ
ah unfortunately could not tell you the last time I watched a singular millisecond of Jaguars football. So I'm not excited that he is forcing me to watch the Jags.
00:13:58
DJ
I don't even know if I can get the Jags. I don't even know, living in Dallas, if I'm even going to get the channels that the Jags are on. But...
00:14:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Not unless, because they're not goingnna really going to really be on national TV, so you would have to get NFL Sunday ticket.
00:14:08
DJ
Well... I'm not doing that. So I guess I'll just be watching the highlights online. um But yeah, Travis Hunter got to sign for both positions. So...
00:14:20
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I'm gonna look into this because I wonder how, ah wonder if this is like a ah cute little like media stunt or if they actually found a way to like do something interesting with his contract where maybe he makes more money.
00:14:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
um i don't know, I'm gonna look into that but it's interesting that they are still committed to playing both positions. We will see how long it lasts. i
OKC's NBA Championship Win
00:14:43
Get Defensive Sports Network
hope I wish the best for him. I don't think it's a good idea, but I wish the best for him. And I love that they're going to let him try it, at least because there were a lot of franchises I know that would not.
00:14:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
So maybe he will be the one to do it. But he will at least be the first person to like legitimately try. so
00:15:00
DJ
and And that's, I think, the part that's kind of cool is that, at the very least, like, he's going to try. um But per the NFL Collective bargaining agreement, let's see, blah, blah, blah, blah blah his contract was predetermined, blah, blah, blah, blah. Of course, he was going to sign, but bla but blah hold out to one but blah, blah, blah,
00:15:24
DJ
ah nobody cares um um trying to see oh okay so it's okay it's It's not clear how they'll use him, obviously, um but they're more more than likely going to use him more primarily as a wide receiver with ah Trevor Lawrence.
00:15:41
DJ
So we will see.
00:15:43
Get Defensive Sports Network
Which is his worst position, but okay. um All right, so moving...
00:15:48
DJ
Oh, wow. Okay, so that's the news.
00:15:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
I mean, it is He has to be work better at one than the other, and he's much better at corner than he is at wide receiver, but...
00:15:57
DJ
He is. He is. That's true. But I can't tell you um the name of a singular wide receiver on the Jaguars.
00:16:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
I can't tell you the name of any one of the director of the wires, but you know.
00:16:04
DJ
So I'm sure they need help. Trevor Lawrence. That's all I got for you. I said Trevor Lawrence and another boy that will, there's 52.
00:16:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:16:14
DJ
It doesn't matter. Anyways, Travis Hunter will be playing on both sides of the ball. We will see that in, I believe we have somebody calculated 10 Sundays until NFL football. So, woo.
00:16:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
Needed. right, so power sweep. Something happened.
00:16:33
DJ
Something historic happened.
00:16:37
DJ
It was historic.
00:16:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
I don't care. Something happened.
00:16:40
DJ
It was.
00:16:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
The Oklahoma City Thunder have won a championship for the first time in franchise history.
00:16:46
DJ
first championship. Period.
00:16:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
SGA, Shea Gildress Alexander, won finals MVP, and he also becomes the first player in 25 years to an mvp finals and mvp and a scorering title in the same year And so they went in seven.
00:17:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
It was a close game for three quarters, even though Tyrese Halliburton got injured.
00:17:11
DJ
Until it wasn't, yeah.
00:17:15
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then it just wasn't a close game at all. Chet Holmgren was playing like crazy on the defensive end. SGA couldn't be stopped. Jalen Williams woke up in the third and fourth quarter and and and put up some numbers.
00:17:28
Get Defensive Sports Network
And it it sort of became a rout pretty quickly.
00:17:30
DJ
And Lou Dort was
00:17:34
Get Defensive Sports Network
He was hooping.
00:17:34
DJ
Lou Dort was Lou Dorton.
00:17:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
Open floor, what what do we want to say? Do you want to talk about the game? Do you want to talk about the history? Where are we going with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning their first championship in franchise history?
00:17:44
DJ
I...
00:17:50
DJ
it just sucks, right? Because what this feels like is it feels like the moment when i watched Juju walk into Sarah ACL. Like...
00:17:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
Why are we starting with the bad? We can't start with the championship.
00:18:01
DJ
I'm just... because Because I'm going somewhere, I promise.
00:18:03
Get Defensive Sports Network
you
00:18:04
DJ
So it's hard to lock into a game where you see a catastrophic injury happen, especially as early as it did. Like... The reaction that Tyrese had because he knew he snapped that Achilles as soon as it happened. He he could you could see it on his face like he knew that Achilles was gone, which is why a lot of people don't seem to understand this on the Internet. So I will clarify the reason why a lot of athletes are sat for a really, really long time with calf strains is because.
00:18:30
DJ
The calf can no longer handle the amount of pressure required um to literally use your legs when it's strained, and then you become more susceptible to Achilles tears. That is exactly how Kevin Durant tore his Achilles.
00:18:42
DJ
So it is not recommended to play on a strained calf. Now, I'm not going fully get into the debate about whether or not Tyrus Halliburton should have played, because realistically, like, there is no right answer, but he did play.
00:18:54
DJ
And when the injury happened, it like, it just sort of sucked all the air out of the room. Like it was just kind of hard to, to like watch after that because also, you know, the broadcasters suck. And so then the whole game became a Tyrese Halliburton funeral. It was really annoying.
00:19:08
DJ
Like, I don't know. So it's hard because I wanted to watch an actual competition between SGA and Tyrese. And I did not get to have that.
00:19:21
DJ
Um,
00:19:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, but you didn't get that the whole series.
00:19:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
He played like ass.
00:19:25
DJ
Yes, but it's game seven and he scored three threes in like a minute and a half. So ah there's obviously he was going to be on another level. He was going to be trying genuinely to to contribute.
00:19:36
DJ
You know what I'm saying? Like it's not going to be like the two point game that he had the other day. He was genuinely trying to contribute. So it's like it's just hard to like watch. And then obviously like watching him slap the floor and cry and the whole team is around him and he's got to be carried out. Like it was just a lot. But like I mean like shout out to OKC obviously, but Personally, I'm to be the person to say because I don't care.
00:19:56
DJ
i don't know if OKC is winning that way if Tyrese was still playing. So that's only thing.
00:20:05
Get Defensive Sports Network
I don't think that anyone can say that when he averaged 14 points in the finals and 17 points in the playoffs. It's just like, I get it in theory, but he didn't.
00:20:16
DJ
But they lost by 14. They lost by 14.
00:20:18
Get Defensive Sports Network
Right.
00:20:20
DJ
So even that minor contribution would have put them in a different position.
00:20:20
Get Defensive Sports Network
I get it in theory. Yeah, but I mean, I just I i wouldn't say that because he didn't play good enough to say Like, truthfully, he had to. And see, this this is why I texted you earlier that the injury is the best thing that happened in his career because everyone is going to focus on the injury and ignore the fact that he absolutely played like shit for the majority of those games.
00:20:45
DJ
Because he was injured.
00:20:45
Get Defensive Sports Network
And so, like, no, he wasn't.
00:20:49
DJ
He was injured for two games.
00:20:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
He was injured last game, and he got injured in the game before that. He wasn't injured for the five before But again, that it then becomes the conversation.
00:21:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Oh, well well, he was bad because he was injured. that's why that's what they use That's what they love to like say like LeBron and other people do as soon as they have like a bad series like immediately after the injury comes out.
00:21:07
DJ
Mm-hmm.
00:21:15
Get Defensive Sports Network
My thing is, The injury's awful, and it absolutely sucks because he's going to miss the whole of next year.
00:21:23
DJ
Yeah.
00:21:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
And he's probably not going to be good until – not like good as a good basketball player. He's always going good. But he's not gonna he's not going to be healthy and, like, really feel like himself until at Christmas, all-star break of 2027.
00:21:30
DJ
Like healthy. Yeah.
00:21:36
DJ
Mm-hmm.
00:21:39
DJ
Mm-hmm.
00:21:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
No, year's – cause next year
00:21:42
DJ
No, 27. 27, because it takes a whole year to recover.
00:21:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah, because this is the 24-25 season.
00:21:47
DJ
Yeah.
00:21:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
next year, yeah.
00:21:50
DJ
We need to start we need get into the Healy's tears and how we can we can speed that process up.
00:21:50
Get Defensive Sports Network
I
00:21:56
DJ
because and
00:21:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
i mean, you can't speed it up for that sport. Like, Achilles injuries aren't this bad in other sports, but the nature of basketball and the the quick cutting, the jumping, the, like, basketball, won't say of any sport because, like, I don't know where, like,
00:22:00
DJ
Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
some of the i'd like gymnastics and other ones fits in. But like, as far as the major sports, hockey, baseball, or football, basketball, basketball puts absolutely the most strain on Achilles.
00:22:14
DJ
Yeah.
00:22:23
DJ
On the Achilles. That's true.
00:22:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
The football players almost never injured their Achilles.
00:22:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
And I mean, Aaron Rodgers came back from the Achilles injury in like six months, but it's because all he does is stand there. He's not,
00:22:32
DJ
Yeah.
00:22:32
Get Defensive Sports Network
like twitchs jumping and things like that. And so I really just don't think that that's an injury that they can speed up, especially because as you were saying, when you do speed it up and you don't really take the entire thing, you're going to tear something else.
00:22:45
DJ
You're going to tear it again.
00:22:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like KD lost two years of his career because he had one injury and then he tried, he got injured and came back and then he tweaked it and he tried to play on it.
00:22:46
DJ
Yeah.
00:22:54
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then the Achilles came. And so that is also very unfortunate, but I do think it would it's disingenuous to pretend like, he was hooping in the series when he wasn't.
00:23:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like he had a bad series.
00:23:05
DJ
I'm not going to sit here and act like he was, oh my God, he was just doing amazing things. But there was a different look in his eyes. And then he literally splashed three threes almost in a row.
00:23:16
DJ
So it's like, okay, we're obviously going to get a different version of Tyrese today. You know what i'm saying? Like he outscored himself in a minute. He outscored himself in the last couple of games in one minute.
00:23:27
DJ
So that's all I'm saying is that we were poised to have ah very a very highly competitive game.
00:23:27
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Yeah.
00:23:33
DJ
And shout out to TJ McCollum. TJ McCollum? McCollum?
00:23:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
Mokong
00:23:37
DJ
Whatever. That white boy can hoop. And he was he was the only reason why the Pacers were in it for a good little minute. He went on like a 14-0 run by himself. So, you know.
00:23:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. honestly Honestly, I think the game would have been basically the exact same. It just would have been Tyrese scoring those points instead of McConnell. But I still think it's close to three and then the Thunder pull away.
00:23:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
I think when you get to that, when you get to the game seven, especially like not that the Pacers defense is trash because it's not.
00:23:57
DJ
Yeah.
00:24:04
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They play at a high level.
00:24:05
DJ
Yeah.
00:24:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
But the Thunder just had that ability to lock in. And They had the better player in the series, and then they had the better third and fourth.
00:24:10
DJ
And they.
00:24:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, if going to say Tyrese, which i agree is better than Jalen and better than Chet, it goes SGA, Tyrese, Chet, Jalen.
00:24:15
DJ
Yeah.
00:24:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, they had three of the four best players.
00:24:21
DJ
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
So I think some of that ultimately wins out. But I do agree that it is disappointing that we didn't get to see it, especially because he did have the nine points, and you hope that he would play better.
00:24:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
i just didn't like the way it sounded to be like, well, I'm not so sure about the Thunder because it's like he hadn't played good enough to earn the right to say he was going to go off because he could have easily scored those nine points and then not scored again.
Team Dynamics and Championships
00:24:47
DJ
Yeah, I mean, well, yeah, everything is is up in the air.
00:24:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
like
00:24:50
DJ
But I think I'm more so saying like, the contribution that he could have given from a scoring standpoint, I feel like would have made a bit of a difference. I still, I mean, I'm not going to sit here and act like OKC probably still wouldn't have won that game.
00:25:04
DJ
I just don't think they would have won it by as much as they did. um But also, OKC is a team that is known for going on these like ridiculous runs and scoring, you know, 12, 15, 16, 18 points in a matter of, you know, two to five minutes.
00:25:18
DJ
So it's like, there's no way, there's no real way to tell. I'm just not, I'm never a fan of like, Because now what's unfortunate is that OKC is going to be, in in a way, a little bit subjected to the narrative of like, what if Tyrese would have played? had that You know, like they're going to be subjected to that a little bit. I mean, championship still, championship it doesn't matter.
00:25:36
DJ
But I hate that. Like, I wish they would have been playing each other at full strength. And I feel that way about every every time I see a big game like that.
00:25:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, but I also think that, like, we're not that we have the biggest platform in the world, but I also think we're contributing to that by talking about it first and talking about it for so long and not.
00:25:55
DJ
Well, I was telling you how... was talking about the game.
00:25:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, so.
00:25:59
DJ
was talking about the game. Shit was depressing as hell. Like, it was hard to watch after that. Like, i was just like... dang like because i've um i've never played in a situation where i've witnessed a teammate get injured but i've been around people who have and i have friends who have and it's like that really does put you in a completely different mental state you know what i mean especially when it's your star or it's your like your leader or your main guy like it's hard to sit there and you gotta to you watch him get injured you watch him get carried off the court and now you have to try to win a championship after that like that's depressing to say oh
00:26:29
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I just think like, so I pulled it up just because i wanted to know. Tyrese Halliburton didn't score any more than 17 points in any of the finals games.
00:26:40
DJ
Correct.
00:26:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
And his highest, so I mean, he got injured, so that that was the highest, he was shooting 75%, but he had games shooting 28%, 37%, 14%, and 0% in this series.
00:26:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
fourteen percent and zero percent and this series
00:26:56
DJ
Yes, but I mean, SGA's efficiency also went down as well.
00:27:01
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, but he was scoring 30. Like, this is just not something that you can compare.
00:27:04
DJ
He scored 30 once or twice. He wasn't scoring 30 every game in the finals.
00:27:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
no Now going to pull it up because he was.
00:27:07
DJ
so
00:27:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
I think he scored 30 in almost every game except...
00:27:12
DJ
but No, what?
00:27:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
Hold on. I'm up to pull it right now.
00:27:23
DJ
SGA's legacy. We don't need to talk about his legacy. He's literally 12.
00:27:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
You know what saying?
00:27:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
Okay, where... don't i Don't you hate when you like pull something up and it's like perfect and then you try to do it for someone else and it like just doesn't come up?
00:27:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
like I literally found a playoff game log for Tyrese Halliburton that showed me everything that he did.
00:27:46
DJ
He literally went 27. Like what the heck? Hold on.
00:27:54
Get Defensive Sports Network
Let's see.
00:27:54
DJ
In the final, in the last game, he went eight for 27. Like we have to be for a hold on.
00:28:02
DJ
I don't know how to pull up the whole series. I don't know how to navigate this website.
00:28:08
Get Defensive Sports Network
I think.
00:28:09
DJ
ah
00:28:10
Get Defensive Sports Network
What the hell?
00:28:10
DJ
Can I just look up like all playoffs box scores?
00:28:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I found it.
00:28:13
DJ
Like what in the heck is going on here?
00:28:15
Get Defensive Sports Network
OK, so he did only score 30 But he also only scored under 20 once. but he score he only he also only scored under twenty one
00:28:25
DJ
But when i I'm talking about his efficiency, though. He had a lot more attempts that got him there. So his scoring percentage went down just as much. Like, both of their scoring percentages went down in the finals is what is the point I'm getting at.
00:28:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, but it's it's still not a comparison you can make when, except for this game where he shot 29%, his lowest shooting was 42%. Where
00:28:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
Tyrese only had two games over 40% total. Like, that's what I'm saying.
00:28:50
DJ
Fair.
00:28:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, it went down, but it's not the same. Like, he was scoring over 20 points in over basically 43% shooting in all the games. Tyrese was scoring 14 points on like 25% shooting. Okay.
00:29:04
DJ
Ugh, how ghetto. Poor thing. Anyways, the point I'm getting at is I wanted us to watch the teams at full strength. I didn't get to have that, so it's like, whatever. But I'm happy for OKC.
00:29:16
DJ
I foresee them being a problem for the foreseeable future, especially because they're all going to be back next year.
00:29:28
DJ
So...
00:29:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I think that's interesting. And we won't get into it because I don't know enough about it to do it, to be honest with you.
00:29:37
DJ
What?
00:29:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
But I think it's interesting that like we haven't had a team win back-to-back since...
00:29:43
DJ
In seven years.
00:29:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
Did the Warriors go back-to-back?
00:29:47
DJ
um i don't know who would the last team to go back-to-back was, but we've had a different champion for the last seven years, which is something that has not happened. um I do not know who the last back-to-back champion was.
00:29:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
It would have had to been the Warriors.
00:29:59
DJ
I want to say was the Warriors.
00:30:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
Didn't they go back to back the year with KD? Because
00:30:03
DJ
I want to say it was somewhere... and want to say it was somewhere
00:30:05
Get Defensive Sports Network
KD has two wings, right?
00:30:06
DJ
Around 2018-29. No, did the Lakers go back-to-back?
00:30:10
Get Defensive Sports Network
No.
00:30:10
DJ
Because they won. No, they didn't.
00:30:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
No.
00:30:11
DJ
Okay, because I was like, they won bubble, but they didn't win in 2021.
00:30:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, it was... it was the Warriors.
00:30:17
DJ
Okay, yeah. So...
00:30:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
They went back back with KD. Yeah.
00:30:21
DJ
What was that? 2018 and 2019, right? yeah.
00:30:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
seventeen eighteen
00:30:25
DJ
seventeen eighteen yeah So, I mean, I think that they had the potential to be the to to repeat.
00:30:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
yeah
00:30:29
DJ
I don't know why anybody ever thought Boston was going to repeat. That's crazy. But...
00:30:34
Get Defensive Sports Network
Boston has a better team.
00:30:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
I mean, listen, I don't like Boston at all. But like in general, like Boston, there is a good reason to think like if you if you like Jason Tateau, and I'm a big Jalen Brown fan, like Boston repeating made sense.
00:30:42
DJ
i I like Jason Tatum. don't have problem him with Mr. Tatum.
00:30:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like they, in my opinion, I don't know. I don't know if Oklahoma City is going to repeat either. It's just hard, especially coming out of the West. um Like, it's going to be tough.
00:31:02
DJ
Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
I guess technically we can get into it, but, like, you're going have to consider if the the Rockets are going to be good, if Luka loses some weight and LeBron still has it, can and the Lakers do anything, can they do anything?
00:31:15
DJ
Not if Luka loses some weight, child.
00:31:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
He needs to. He can't go deep in the playoffs. um Anthony Edwards has had two trips right now.
00:31:22
DJ
Apparently he has. Allegedly.
00:31:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
So, Anthony, like, I don't know. I don't know. Oklahoma City repeating is going to be tough, but they're absolutely going to be a contender for a very long time.
00:31:34
Get Defensive Sports Network
And they could easily do um what the – they could easily do what – no.
00:31:39
DJ
The Warriors dance?
00:31:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
well That's not what i was trying to say. They can easily do what like the Warriors, the Lakers, not the Lakers, sorry, the Heat, the LeBron's Cavs, where maybe they don't win, um but they get to the finals.
00:31:55
DJ
But they go back, yeah.
00:31:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
ah Maybe they win. The point that I was actually trying to say is they could win two in three years, where maybe they don't win next year, but they could go back and win the year after that, which is what the Warriors did, the Miami Heat did with LeBron,
00:32:03
DJ
Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:32:08
DJ
Yeah.
00:32:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
um and things like that where it's hard to go back to back, but you're in contention.
00:32:12
DJ
Yeah.
00:32:16
Get Defensive Sports Network
And so they could I could easily see them maybe stumbling next year, maybe getting to the finals and losing to a team in the East and then getting back. um But the West is really hard. so But I definitely i don't.
00:32:26
DJ
Yeah, no but that's what I mean by that they're going to be a problem. That's what I mean is that I foresee them being a finals opponent for at least the next two or three years or for however long their core three is together, Chet, Jalen, and SGA, which I don't know how long their contracts are.
00:32:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:32:42
DJ
I'm i'm not sure. i think I think they only have two more years together, if I'm not mistaken. I think.
00:32:48
Get Defensive Sports Network
I couldn't tell So one thing that I want to talk about, SGA, I just think it's interesting, right?
00:32:50
DJ
Yeah.
00:32:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
So we've sort of talked we've sort of talked about this before, about how the and NBA is bad at marketing their young players. And then you also sort of get into the conversation of like, yes, they're bad at marketing, but they have...
00:33:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
Anointed is the wrong word, but they have like sort of put the focus on certain players or certain players have earned the focus in their own right. And so they and in my opinion, and I could be wrong, and I'm welcome for someone to tell me that I'm wrong, but and the amount that I follow basketball,
00:33:32
Get Defensive Sports Network
you hear names more than others, right?
00:33:33
DJ
which is not a lot.
00:33:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like you get this sort of casual perspective.
00:33:36
DJ
Yeah.
00:33:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
And that's what I'm talking about. I don't want anyone to tell me, you've been hooping for a long time. He's been really good. I'm not talking about on the court. I understand I'm talking about how SGA is talked about, especially in casual circles, media darlings, that sort of thing.
00:33:50
DJ
The media darlings. Yeah.
00:33:54
Get Defensive Sports Network
I just thought it was interesting that SGA wins an MVP and a championship before, and I just wanted to go enlist some players. And this is no shade to them. i just... This is to hype his accomplishment in sort of the almost coming out of nowhere nature of it, even though that's not entirely true if you paid attention strictly to his game.
00:34:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
So some of the people that you would have potentially expected or i have been hyped to do it before him, obviously Jason Tatum has a ring, but he's never won an MVP.
00:34:21
DJ
He has no MVP. Mm-hmm.
00:34:22
Get Defensive Sports Network
um Luka does not have an MVP or a ring. Anthony Edwards does not have an MVP or a ring. um Those are three big ones.
00:34:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
um I don't know that this is to this level, but people have really started to like him recently. ah Who's the guy on the Knicks? Jalen Brunson doesn't have an MVP or a ring.
00:34:43
DJ
Jalen Brunson. Yeah.
00:34:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
um Who else?
00:34:46
DJ
And he won't get an MVP. I don't mean to be funny.
00:34:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:49
DJ
I don't think he's going to get an MVP.
00:34:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm trying to think, who am I missing?
00:34:52
DJ
Not as long as he's with the Knicks.
00:34:54
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, who am i missing that's in this sort of class of players?
00:34:58
DJ
um
00:34:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
um Because they haven't – Paolo hasn't been there enough, and they don't talk about him.
00:34:59
DJ
There's not anybody...
00:35:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
um
00:35:05
DJ
There's not really...
00:35:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
would you Would you consider DeMonte Savonis? He had a little bit of hype like a week.
00:35:11
DJ
For like 10 minutes.
00:35:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
But, no, i don't I don't know if I would count him. Donovan Mitchell?
00:35:13
DJ
I think about the guys who are in all the commercials, right?
00:35:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
Donovan.
00:35:16
DJ
Donovan Mitchell, to kind of. like I think about the guys who are in all the commercials. like I think about the guys who are really, really being pushed in like other spaces.
00:35:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
So who am I missing out of that group?
00:35:25
DJ
And I feel like you caught them all because I always see Anthony Edwards.
00:35:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:35:28
DJ
I always see SGA. I always see... um I think Obi Toppin. They try to do it a little bit with Obi Toppin.
00:35:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
But he's not to that level.
00:35:37
DJ
But he's not to that level. that's um like they They put him in commercials, but I'm like...
00:35:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
i just think he has good management.
00:35:41
DJ
Okay.
00:35:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
he He's not in the same caliber of player.
00:35:43
DJ
Yeah. Like he's just, yeah. So that's something like there's, there's a difference with that, but Jason Tatum for sure. I know there's this whole weird thing about like, he's not the face of the NBA. Cause he's weird. I'm not having that conversation. He's, he's ah you know, so yeah, I think you caught them all. And I think when it comes down to it though, out of all the people that were mentioned, I still would have said that SGA was going to get those things before the rest of them.
00:36:08
DJ
Truly. I mean, maybe Jason Tatum was the only one who I thought would have might have gotten the MVP prior to SGA getting one. But like, I, that makes perfect sense that he got MVP and a championship before Anthony Edwards. It makes perfect sense that he got it before Luca, especially given Lucas like circumstances.
00:36:25
DJ
Like it makes, it makes perfect sense.
00:36:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. MVP, I think. you could i could You could make the argument to me. The championship, I don't think you could make that argument to me. mean, that I'm surprised that the SGA won championship before Anthony Edwards.
00:36:37
DJ
Wait, what do you mean?
00:36:43
DJ
Really? With the way that Oklahoma City has been playing for the past two years?
00:36:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
00:36:48
DJ
Really?
00:36:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes.
00:36:50
DJ
Because I thought they could have won it last year. I was shocked, honestly, that we, I believe they lost to, who did they lose to? Us?
00:36:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
No idea.
00:36:59
DJ
I don't know. My memory is terrible. I don't know who they lost to.
00:37:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
couldn't
00:37:04
DJ
Last season.
00:37:05
Get Defensive Sports Network
But yeah, and and
00:37:05
DJ
It doesn't matter. But I'm saying, like, they're, I mean, realistically, they were, they're a more well-rounded team than the other teams that were mentioned. Like, the Timberwolves are close, but, like, the problem is they don't have no offense outside of just give the ball to AE. They can't do, that's just not how that's going to work. That's not going to win you a championship. Even in the OKC situation, SGA had to be a facilitator in order for them to actually win.
00:37:32
DJ
Because if it was just the offense was just go to SGA, that wasn't – I mean they were throwing like four bodies on him. So that obviously wasn't going to work eventually. i don't know what's going on with the Timberwolves now that they find their coach. I think they have a new coach now. So – that's a whole and nother thing like i think that i definitely think that ae has a potential to win an mvp within the next couple years but i don't think he was in the championship for little bit and then as far as jason tatum i don't know because now and we'll get to this but he also has a torn achilles so who knows about his mvp chances jaylen brunson like i said i don't think he's winning mvp as for as long as he is a nick he's not winning the mvp sorry um and then who was the other person you mentioned um
00:37:45
Get Defensive Sports Network
I didn't tell you.
00:38:14
DJ
Luka should have already gotten an MVP. So realistically, like if we're going go in order, that makes sense that SGA won an MVP first. Maybe Luka's next. maybe ah Maybe AE after that. And then as far as championships goes, that's that's a team conversation. And I still think the OKC had the strongest potential of winning a championship out of all the teams mentioned as well. The Lakers weren't.
00:38:35
DJ
The Lakers ain't winning no championship. Like respectfully.
00:38:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, the Lakers will probably win championship
00:38:39
DJ
like
00:38:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
But, um, looking at having an MVP,
00:38:44
DJ
with But, like, it would have to be with LeBron.
00:38:50
DJ
It would have to be.
00:38:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
how soon are we talking?
00:38:53
DJ
Tomorrow, literally. Like...
00:38:55
Get Defensive Sports Network
No, no, no. No, I'm not talking about, like, when you say, like, AE may win one, but the Luke is not winning one of the Lakers, how, like, what is the time frame that you're saying?
00:39:04
DJ
I don't think the Lakers, as they're currently constructed, is winning a championship.
00:39:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
Is it three years? is it five years? But that's not what I'm asking you.
00:39:10
DJ
So...
00:39:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
Is it three years? Is it five years?
00:39:12
DJ
It's when the contra is when they're able to get some draft picks and kind of shake it up. So within probably the next like few years, like they that's what I'm saying.
00:39:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
Right. But okay. So let me, let me rephrase this. You said could win one, right? Like in this timeframe of like,
00:39:25
DJ
Yeah.
00:39:27
DJ
Sooner than Luka within the next like five years.
00:39:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
okay. So you're saying, thank You're saying you don't think the Lakers will win a championship within five years.
00:39:35
DJ
No. I don't.
00:39:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
Okay, I disagree with that.
00:39:39
DJ
Because when LeBron retires...
00:39:39
Get Defensive Sports Network
But...
00:39:42
DJ
because he will, unless they win a championship on his last year, which we're all, of course, presuming is next year, but we don't really know. But we're all going to presume that his last year is next year. If they don't win the championship, then they're not they're not winning a championship for a good little minute. like Luka needs somebody else.
00:39:57
DJ
So unless they're going to be able to pick up some other star, whether it's either through drafting or through free agency, there's the Lakers, as they're constructed, is not winning a championship.
00:40:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, I think...
00:40:07
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, but you can't say as they're constructed and look at five years. That's what I'm saying. I think that I would say five years because the NBA moves too fast.
00:40:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
Because five years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't have SGA and had picked.
00:40:24
DJ
Yeah.
00:40:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
fifty and nobody thought they would ever want a championship
00:40:27
DJ
Yeah. Not picks through 2050.
00:40:29
Get Defensive Sports Network
five years ago People thought the Brooklyn Nets were going win a championship. So that's why I just wouldn't say five years.
00:40:33
DJ
I know.
00:40:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
But either way...
00:40:36
DJ
Well, that's why I'm giving it time. That's why I'm saying I'm giving it time. Like if we're saying who's going to win a championship within the next five years before the other, I think Anthony Edwards has stronger potential to win a championship before Luka.
00:40:48
DJ
But I, because like,
00:40:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
but To that point, though, that that makes that statement makes my point on Luka was not supposed to be in this position. And now we're like...
00:40:58
DJ
Yeah, it's unfortunate.
00:40:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
I tried to tell y'all Luka wasn't LeBron, but...
00:41:05
DJ
Yeah.
00:41:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
that's not like Like, you have to stop comparing people to the GOATs because now it's why Luka this, why Luka that, why he hasn't this, why he hasn't that.
00:41:10
DJ
You do.
00:41:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then you get, again, not on the court, but you get SGA who didn't have that hype, who didn't have that expectation, who just found, I mean, like, the Thunder finally figured it out and they built a good team.
00:41:26
DJ
Slaughter them all.
00:41:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
And here we go. Last thing I want to say about this, there's this conversation that like, oh, are the Thunder the blueprint? Are the Thunder the blueprint? And I just love that everything is cyclical because what is the Thunder's blueprint?
00:41:45
Get Defensive Sports Network
The Thunder's blueprint is they just have a good basketball team.
00:41:46
DJ
is the way that all teams should be built.
00:41:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
it's They didn't go star hunting.
00:41:49
DJ
it's
00:41:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
It's just like, wow. Get good players and don't play.
00:41:55
DJ
Oh my gosh.
00:41:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
And here's the thing. I know everyone's going to blame this on LeBron, but I need y'all to understand this. One, it's not LeBron's fault. Two, LeBron, they constructed a team that made sense together.
00:42:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, they had a center. they they they put they They got shooters. LeBron and D. Wade alternated when they played other, and they still had ah point guard. They had Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole. like they That was a well-constructed team.
00:42:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
the read the the As much as I hate to say it, the Warriors, well-constructed team. They had Steph as a ball hander. They had KD as a secondary ball hander. They had Klay as one the ah the second most lethal shooter in that generation.
00:42:39
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then they had Draymond, And what's the dude's name? Andre Iguodala as the dirty word. Like, that was, yes, that was a big three.
00:42:50
Get Defensive Sports Network
But it was a team. It was constructed. And the people did different things.
00:42:53
DJ
big four, but yeah, yeah.
00:42:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then you look at. the Nets and you look at the Suns and you look at some of the failed experiments, you look at the 17 versions of the Sixers, you can't just put stars together.
00:43:10
DJ
a bunch of stars together.
00:43:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
but Like they have to play different positions.
00:43:11
DJ
They need to make sense.
00:43:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
They have to do other things. And everyone's like, oh, is this going to be the is this goingnna be the model of the future? You mean fucking common sense?
00:43:20
DJ
You mean the way that teams were built from the beginning?
00:43:20
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes, common sense should be the model of the future. you like you You mean to tell me that basketball is not actually positionless?
00:43:28
DJ
Like, wow.
00:43:28
Get Defensive Sports Network
Basketball is positionless in the state that like your four can play the five and your one can play the two. And if you have a unicorn like LeBron, he can play one through five. And if you have a guy who can shoot but is slightly bigger, maybe he can play the three and the four.
00:43:37
DJ
Right.
00:43:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
And worst absolute case scenario, KD can play the five, but you really don't want that to happen.
00:43:42
DJ
Correct.
00:43:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
It's positionless in that individual players can do multiple things. It is not positionless in that you can have a team of four fucking guards who all want to hold the ball and think you're going win.
00:43:55
DJ
And think that what? What? Or, or, or, good its it comes down to the coaching, too, in those sorts of situations as well. Because I was concerned with the WNBA example. I was concerned about the Phoenix Mercury because I said all of these people who they acquired for the Phoenix Mercury are very ball dominant.
00:44:13
DJ
So who the hell is about to run this offense?
00:44:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
are
00:44:16
DJ
And who, like, how is this about to work? And it's all in the coaching. And the way that Nate Tibbetts has set up the offense, it's set up in a way where he's Yes, all of these people are ball dominant, specifically Satu Sable, Kalia Copper, and Alyssa Thomas, but you still have Alyssa Thomas as that point forward who's actually running the offense, distributing, but still able to score. But also Satu now gets open because the defense is going to collapse on Alyssa every single time. And if they collapse on Satu, then you also have Kalia.
00:44:41
DJ
But that's coaching, right? And that's scheming at that point. and I feel like that was the problem too, specifically with the Brooklyn Nets. Steve Nash is not a coach who needs be coaching.
00:44:53
DJ
that number of superstars. That was a mistake as well. No shade to Steve Nash. But there's there's a lot of things that goes with that and with the positionless basketball of knowing like, okay, yes, these players may be positionless, quote unquote, but like where what are they where do they shine off of one another?
00:45:09
DJ
I also feel like
00:45:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
Also, the Nets wasn't positionalist. That was very clearly a one, two, and a three.
00:45:13
DJ
the Nets was not – the Nets was literally a whole bunch of stars.
00:45:15
Get Defensive Sports Network
James Harden can't play the one. Kyrie never plays the two. And Durant plays the three. you Like, it was like...
00:45:21
DJ
Like the Brooklyn Nets, I can't wait for the 30 for 30 about this because there's going to be one, like the failed superstar experiment or whatever they're going to call it. But yeah, I think it is kind of funny that people are wow, OKC is successful off of draft picks. Like, yeah, girl, like.
00:45:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
and And the funniest part about it is it's like legitimately the most like it like basic structure team. You have a ball dominant one. You have a really good three and D player who's a spark.
00:45:51
DJ
Yep.
00:45:54
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And then you have a center who can kind of sort of stretch the floor, but is an awesome defender. And it's like, wow, the three most important positions on a team. And it worked out.
00:46:03
DJ
Whoa.
00:46:03
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It's like if you have a center and you have a 3 and D and you have a, like, that's, you can do that, right?
00:46:03
DJ
And chat is a true center.
00:46:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, like that really works out. it's It's kind of amazing how that works out, how building a team in a way that a team should be built.
00:46:13
DJ
It's also about giving guys a chance. Yes. And it's also about giving guys a chance. Like, I feel like we're so like obsessed with stars now that it's like the guys who really have strong potential. And I saw this happen a few times throughout the series where they were putting rookies or like second year, third year guys out if they're clearing their benches or things like that or whatever was going on.
00:46:34
DJ
And these guys are like lights out, like amazing players, but they're not getting even, they're not getting any touches because it's gotta be all about the stars, all about the stars, even when the stars are stinking it up. Like there was a point, and I can't think of that young man's name, but there was a point where there was a person on the Timberwolves who was actually playing better than AE.
00:46:52
DJ
And like realistically, any coach in their right mind is sitting AE down and having this player, having this guy play instead. Cause he was playing better.
00:46:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
No, they're not.
00:46:59
DJ
He was scoring more. He was defending better. He was doing better. But of course, They're not going to that. So it's just like, yeah, but if you give people a chance and you allow chemistry to build, which is the other thing that was OKC's advantage is that they've been playing together for what? This is their third year together or maybe third year together, whatever.
00:47:18
Get Defensive Sports Network
Maybe Essie and Chad, there's no way Jalen Williams been in the league for four years.
00:47:22
DJ
Jalen Williams isn't his third year in the NBA. This is his third year currently. So either way, they've been playing for longer than a year together is the point I'm getting at.
00:47:29
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:47:30
DJ
Chemistry building, all that stuff, that that shit matters. So yeah, that's...
00:47:34
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. and And the last thing as we i go on our Boomer tape, the reason why, you know, um the the reason why the heat worked is that they took less money so that they could also have a team.
00:47:39
DJ
Yeah.
00:47:48
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Like everyone was like, yeah, we need, we need a a big three, but nobody's taking a pay cut. And then it's like, oh, wow, I can't afford nothing.
00:47:54
DJ
yeah
00:47:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
And it's like, hmm, you forgot that like LeBron was never the high.
00:47:56
DJ
Yeah.
00:48:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
I don't know if he's ever been the highest paid player in basketball.
00:48:02
DJ
on his
00:48:03
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like,
00:48:03
DJ
I think he has been a couple times Not in basketball, but maybe on his roster a couple times.
00:48:07
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, he's typically the highest kid on his roster.
00:48:07
DJ
But definitely not in basketball.
00:48:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, LeBron James, the best player in Indian history, has never been the highest paid player in basketball because he takes discount. Like, that's that's how it works. Like, you can't just also have the stars and not have anyone else.
00:48:20
Get Defensive Sports Network
And, like, it seems like we forgot that, like, you needed a bench. It seems like we forgot, Lakers, that you needed an Alex Caruso. Like, damn. out Well, I guess the Lakers sort of have an Alex Caruso in the other whiteboard.
00:48:31
Get Defensive Sports Network
But, like, we forgot that you needed role players.
00:48:31
DJ
Oh, well, of course, he is obviously the highest paid.
00:48:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
We forgot –
00:48:35
DJ
Go ahead.
00:48:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
There's no way he's the highest paid player in the league right now.
00:48:37
DJ
Well, I was about to say he's obviously the highest paid as far as career earnings, but um he's not always been the highest played paid paid in like a single season.
00:48:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm
00:48:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
not sure.
00:48:46
DJ
um
00:48:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
you Has he ever?
00:48:49
DJ
It says he has been the highest paid in terms of career earnings while he has not always been blah, bla blah, blah, blah. As of May 2025, he's made over half a billion dollars in on-court earnings.
00:48:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. I don't i don't think in any singular season LeBron has been the highest paid player.
00:48:59
DJ
But again, it's because he's played for a long time. He's only topped the league in salary one time, and that was in 2016, 2017. twenty sixteen twenty sixteen twenty seventeen Yeah.
00:49:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
Oh, was that the first year with the Cavs? 2016, no, no, that's...
00:49:12
DJ
No, that's the
00:49:16
Get Defensive Sports Network
But that's the... Okay. Yeah, so one year in 22. Like, that's crazy. Like, so...
00:49:21
DJ
Yeah, like, but it's, but again, it's because you have, he's a team focused player. Dirk Nowinski also a lot of times was taking team friendly deals in order to keep the team together because that's what matters more.
00:49:29
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes.
00:49:33
DJ
a lot of the times, if you really want to win a championship, like you want to get down to the nitty gritty and you want to win a chip. It's about having the right people around you, not about who's getting the best check out of
Rings Culture Debate
00:49:43
DJ
the team. Like what's
00:49:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, and that's why Carmelo's of my favorite players. Carmelo said, I'm from Baltimore. The check is more important. And he stood on it.
00:49:52
DJ
And that's fine. And that's fine.
00:49:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
And he stood on it. But don't lie to me. Don't tell me you want to win a ring, KD, and then not take a pay cut.
00:49:57
DJ
Yeah.
00:50:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
Don't tell me you want to win a ring. right like like And KD has his tube, of course. but like is is like
00:50:06
DJ
Yeah.
00:50:08
Get Defensive Sports Network
But that was in an era that was like really weird because the TV market had exploded and they hadn't put anything else. So you could...
00:50:13
DJ
It's a superstar.
00:50:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
afford it, but it's just, it is what it is.
00:50:14
DJ
Yeah.
00:50:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
Shout out to Oklahoma City Thunder. Shout out to SGA. Shout out to Tyrese and the Pacers and TJ McConnell and all of them.
00:50:21
DJ
Period.
00:50:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
This was some real hoops. I'm going to be very, very interested to see sort of, honestly, I just i just want to know what the league is going to look like next year to transition out of this when you have
00:50:29
DJ
It was.
00:50:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm not going to talk about Damian Lillard. He needs retire. But when you have... Actually, no, no, no. No, no, no.
00:50:46
DJ
so
00:50:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
Because he's on the Bucks. And they thought that was work. When you have JT, when you have Tyrese, and you have Damian Lillard, like stars in their own right, all out with Achilles, all going to miss the year...
00:50:49
DJ
Damien Lillard and Giannis.
00:51:01
Get Defensive Sports Network
um you have KD in a new situation.
00:51:01
DJ
Yeah.
00:51:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Spoiler alert, even if it works out, it's not going to good enough to win a ring in year one um you have like Boston's done, right?
00:51:10
DJ
No.
00:51:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
like Boston's not winning without JT. ah The Phoenix, that little thing is over. like no like like You can't say that that like when Phoenix had this little thing. So like what is the storyline going to be?
00:51:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
It's going to be Luke and LeBron, even though it shouldn't be. It's going to be Oklahoma City, but like...
00:51:27
DJ
Oh, yeah. It's going to be LeBron versus Steph.
00:51:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
what what what What comes after that when you, you know? So I think that's going to be really interesting to kind of see what happens.
00:51:38
DJ
I do think that there will be a bit of a push of storyline with Anthony Edwards and this whole like superstar takedown thing um that he did this season where it was like first it was Nicola Jokic, then it was Stefan Niem, then it was whatever.
00:51:53
DJ
um So I think they might try to push that a little bit like him playing against his idols thing.
00:51:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, SGA needs it. Yeah, SGA needs, I mean, not SGA. Anthony Edwards just needs a set. He needs a Jalen Green. Williams. Jalen Green's on the, Jalen Green.
00:52:08
DJ
I was like, who?
00:52:10
Get Defensive Sports Network
There's so many Jalen Cadens, Kalens.
00:52:12
DJ
There are so many Jalen. There are so many.
00:52:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
Jalen Green is on the Rockets.
00:52:14
DJ
I was like, in my mind, like Jalen Green, Jalen Green, Jalen Green.
00:52:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
He's on the Rockets. He does exist. He's on the Rockets.
00:52:19
DJ
Jalen Green does exist.
00:52:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
Jalen Williams.
00:52:20
DJ
But I was like, wait, what?
00:52:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
He needs a Jalen Williams.
00:52:22
DJ
He needs another score. He does.
00:52:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
00:52:24
DJ
And and that's what I'm talking about. That's when I'm like, the way that they're constructed, like it's just going to take a couple years because realistically had him and Kat had one more year, I don't know. We could be having a different conversation because again,
00:52:36
DJ
I still stand one.
00:52:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
Cat likes to disappear in the
00:52:37
DJ
The Mavericks didn't have no business winning that series against the Timberwolves. We have no business winning that. So it's like,
00:52:44
Get Defensive Sports Network
It was legitimately just youth. I know we like to pretend that youth doesn't count, but like it was.
00:52:48
DJ
yeah.
00:52:50
DJ
Yeah.
00:52:50
Get Defensive Sports Network
Honestly, like I don't know who's in.
00:52:52
DJ
On Anthony's side, because that has been at the league for 20 years.
00:52:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
I don't know who. I don't know who. Yeah, I don't know who is in free agency this year, but, like, he just needs another consistent scorer.
00:53:02
DJ
Yeah.
00:53:03
Get Defensive Sports Network
Because Anthony Edwards is currently in a place that a lot of superstars get where, like, they he can't have a bad game or they lose.
00:53:03
DJ
It can't just be him.
00:53:10
DJ
Yeah, it can't just be him.
00:53:10
Get Defensive Sports Network
um And, yeah, so we'll see.
00:53:13
DJ
Yeah, but that's who I'm talking about is the other play.
00:53:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
um
00:53:16
DJ
I'm going to have to look him up. going to have to look his name up because to me, i i don't know.
00:53:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
Are you talking about RJ something?
00:53:22
DJ
i'm gonna look up the Timberwolves roster because I know who I'm talking about.
00:53:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
and you If you are... I think he's a rookie. And he also plays the same position.
00:53:28
DJ
ah he's either He's either first year or second year. He's very young. But I'm like, he actually was ah spark. like he was I was like, I really wish that they had actually played him more. um Is it the one with the ugly locks? somebody I'm sorry, some of these young men, these locks, I can't.
00:53:52
DJ
um I think it is the one with the... ah I think it is the one with the ugly locks. Yes. His name is um Terrence Shannon Jr. um
00:54:01
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm fairly positive he's a rookie or a second-year player.
00:54:04
DJ
He probably is. he He probably is, but he's, he's really good.
00:54:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
but that's that But that's one of those things where like he could be the reason they get there next year because you need that other year to gel and to figure it out. And I think they have a good coach. don't think they fired it.
00:54:16
Get Defensive Sports Network
don't know what they did. It doesn't matter.
00:54:18
DJ
Yeah. He had 32 games, so he's definitely a rookie, um but fantastic.
00:54:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. um That's one of those things that just sort of happens. But the NBA season is over. It'll be back in two weeks because they do not believe in having an offseason.
00:54:31
DJ
They don't take breaks.
00:54:32
Get Defensive Sports Network
um and speaking of the nba
00:54:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
this so we kind of hinted at this the suns traded kd to houston the suns got fleeced they got robbed they got like they traded kate they traded kd and they got back a couple of players in one pick like
00:54:55
DJ
I thought it was a couple picks. It wasn't a couple picks.
00:54:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
It was one first. I don't know what else was in it, but they got fleeced. I can tell you that for sure. um They gave up KD for some crumbs.
00:55:04
DJ
I'm crying.
00:55:06
Get Defensive Sports Network
I don't know how much it helps either of them, but like for Jalen Green.
00:55:07
DJ
So they sent Kevin Durant over to Houston and for Jalen Green, Dylan Brooks, a number 10 overall pick in the draft, this upcoming draft later in a couple days, and five second rounders.
00:55:22
DJ
um
00:55:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
Scraps.
00:55:23
DJ
Very interesting. Not
00:55:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
Especially when you see that old boy got traded to the Magic for everything and he's not good.
00:55:31
DJ
for
00:55:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, so...
00:55:34
DJ
It says that it's surely, clearly the Suns are looking for kind of to make a a roster, do a roster makeover because they do have five of the highest paid players in the league.
00:55:45
DJ
So they got to, whoa, I know.
00:55:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
Wow, it's almost like that doesn't work.
00:55:50
DJ
um So they got to, they got to do, they have to do the new wave, which is build through picks. Oh my goodness.
00:55:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
Crazy.
00:55:58
DJ
However, will they survive?
00:56:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
Shocking. Who knew? Who knew?
00:56:01
DJ
Oh my gosh. However will they survive?
00:56:03
Get Defensive Sports Network
So, no idea. To wrap up the show, we're going wrap up the show with a conversation about rings culture because I don't know what we're going to talk about the NBA game because it's almost football season and we are getting very, very, very, very very very very close to our previews as in we're going to record some of them this coming weekend.
00:56:22
Get Defensive Sports Network
So,
00:56:23
DJ
Yes.
00:56:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
We got to get basketball of here. So LeBron James opened his mouth, which means everyone hates everything that he said because he can't be an intelligent person that makes any sense. And anytime he says anything, it ruins his legacy because toby would never.
00:56:34
DJ
Yep.
00:56:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
And he's...
00:56:39
Get Defensive Sports Network
Not competitive.
00:56:42
DJ
All right.
00:56:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
So LeBron is on his podcast talking.
00:56:42
DJ
So anyways, now that we're done,
00:56:45
Get Defensive Sports Network
I mean, that is literally what they said. LeBron on his podcast talking about football, basketball, talking about rings culture. And he is quoted saying this. I don't know why it's discussed so much in our sport and why it's the end all be all of everything.
00:57:02
Get Defensive Sports Network
You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Steve Nash weren't fucking unbelievable. They can't be talked about with these guys because they won rings. It's like saying Peyton Manning can't be in the same room with Tom Brady and Mahomes because he only has one ring.
00:57:15
Get Defensive Sports Network
That's a mistake. Peyton Manning has two. They don't ever discuss that in their sport of telling me or telling me Dan Marino is not the greatest slinger of all time because he didn't win a championship.
00:57:25
Get Defensive Sports Network
They don't discuss those things.
00:57:26
DJ
Mm-hmm.
00:57:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
Barry Bonds never won a World Series, and you can't sit here and tell me that he's not the greatest baseball player to ever touch the bat. Someone continues, ah Barry Bonds, Den Marino, Jerry West. the LeBron goes on and says, Jerry West went to like nine straight and NBA finals and only won one ring, and he's the logo of our league. So you can't sit here and tell me that. Okay, because the only one won, the guy can't be in the room with the guys who won two, three, or four.
00:57:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, why not?
00:57:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
Okay.
00:57:57
DJ
Fair, very fair.
00:57:58
Get Defensive Sports Network
And so a bunch of people are hating on this. um Draymond came out speaking in favor of this. And Gilbert Arenas, who people like...
00:58:09
DJ
Can he please stop talking?
00:58:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
okay but like, here's the thing. he was What he said actually was right and made sense.
00:58:15
DJ
Everybody doesn't deserve a platform. Go ahead, though.
00:58:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
But like, that's fine. That's fine. I... and not going to stand for his platform because I think he says a lot of stupid things.
00:58:25
DJ
Oh, my God, all the time.
00:58:25
Get Defensive Sports Network
I think what he said about the rings thing actually did make sense though. um But it's Gilbert Arenas, nobody cares.
00:58:30
DJ
Fine.
00:58:34
DJ
He only makes sense. A broken clock is right twice a day. Anyways, go ahead. What did he say?
00:58:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
Okay, but like, we're going to be here forever if we start yelling at Gilbert Arenas. We agree he's stupid.
00:58:43
DJ
I'm not, I'm just saying a broken clock is correct twice a day.
00:58:43
Get Defensive Sports Network
Let's get to what he's saying.
00:58:45
DJ
So what did he say?
00:58:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
So he said, of course, he said, of course, Bron is right. Y'all wasn't treating Kobe like a three ring player. you You're treating him like a sidekick.
00:58:53
DJ
Yeah.
00:58:54
Get Defensive Sports Network
He was considered a sidekick. He was considered a Robin. He was considered the next Pippen in 2002 with three wings. We were still comparing him to T-Mac.
00:59:04
DJ
Yeah.
00:59:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Gilbert added that as a team sport, one cannot judge the player's greatness just by looking at it rings. Citing the example of Kobe Bryant, he clarified he was meaning to look like a sidekick with Shaq leading the Lakers at three straight titles.
00:59:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
And then T-Mac says in the same thing, he says, i'm not one of the greatest of all time. because i don't have a ring. T-Mac then says, if you put me on that Kobe team, i.e.
00:59:34
Get Defensive Sports Network
the Kobe and Shaq team, he says, you're telling me that we don't win a ring, that I don't help contribute to a ring? Like so much of it is also where you're at in the situation you're in.
00:59:41
DJ
Yeah.
00:59:45
Get Defensive Sports Network
And everyone went crazy, but I'm sorry.
00:59:45
DJ
Yeah.
00:59:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
T-Mac and Shaq is also winning a ring. Maybe they don't win three. But T-Mac and Shaq is winning rings. like and And so it's one of those things where people hear and they just want to like not listen.
00:59:53
DJ
I agree.
00:59:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
But it is true. There is no other sport where we talk about rings like this. Literally, we're talking about LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time. And the the only rebuttal is resume.
01:00:09
DJ
The dividing factor is that, yeah.
01:00:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
no like I could still make the argument that Peyton Manning is the best quarterback of all time. You can make that argument. Yes, you then have the the Brady rings, but, like, you can make the argument. Like, people respect Drew Brees, who only has one, and he only got his because Hurricane Katrina happened.
01:00:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm sorry. They gave him that one. Like, basketball is the only sport where it is deemed... Like, I mean, I didn't even know Barry Bonds never won a ring.
01:00:38
DJ
I don't know.
01:00:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, that's how, like...
01:00:38
DJ
Barry Bonds never won a ring either.
01:00:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
You know i mean? Like, it's it's just not talked about to the same level. um And even still, even in basketball, like, Charles Barkley, and please be mindful of what i say because I have a feeling of what you're to say, and I hate to make this comparison, so don't shit on the comparison.
01:00:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
Charles Barkley is going to be looked at more favorably than James Harden because the ring's culture has shifted
01:01:05
DJ
Yeah.
01:01:07
Get Defensive Sports Network
even since Charles didn't win a ring. And this is, I'm not saying is if Charles is better than James, like that's not what talking about.
01:01:10
DJ
Yeah.
01:01:13
Get Defensive Sports Network
I'm just saying in the basis of not having rings and the basis of winning MVPs, I don't even know if Charles Barkley has any people. I know James has one or two.
01:01:21
DJ
I think he has one.
01:01:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
And this conversation of who was hooping at the time and who po potentially does or will have a Hall of Fame career, Charles Barkley going to be looked at better. And another thing that Gilbert Arenas looks at is like, when you talk about the six rings,
01:01:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
You talk about Michael Jordan. You don't talk about the fact that Scottie Pippen also has six rings.
01:01:37
DJ
Yeah, he got one MVP. Yeah.
01:01:41
Get Defensive Sports Network
like Like, nobody's like, Scottie's one of the greatest all-time because he has six rings. And so the other thing that Gilbert says, no.
01:01:44
DJ
Yeah, of course. People are not talking about Bill Russell and he has the most out of everybody.
01:01:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
And the other thing that Gilbert says is that we don't can so we don't talk about the second fill. Like, we don't. Again, no one talks about Like, everyone everyone acts like Michael Jordan.
01:02:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, everyone forgets that Michael Jordan didn't win a ring until they got Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
01:02:01
DJ
Wanted by himself.
01:02:05
DJ
Hello? Wake it up.
01:02:07
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, that was a big three. Like, like they literally, the the year that Jordan retired, they went to the finals or almost went to the finals with Scottie Pippen without Jordan. That was a good team. Like, no one talks about the fact that the triangle system, right, that the triangle, yeah, like the triangle system has won like 15 championships.
01:02:18
DJ
And they had a good supporting cast as well. Steve Kerr is not trashed.
01:02:29
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It won six m one six for the Bulls.
01:02:29
DJ
Yes.
01:02:33
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It then won five in L.A.,
01:02:33
DJ
A few for the Spurs.
01:02:36
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And the Spurs don't really run the triangle.
01:02:38
DJ
They don't.
01:02:38
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I don't think. I don't think.
01:02:39
DJ
who am i Who am I thinking about?
01:02:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
I think they were running something slightly different. but And then it won four in Golden State because Steve Kirk was on the Bulls team that was running the triangle, so he remixed a little bit and then won four rings with it.
01:02:43
DJ
Whatever.
01:02:49
DJ
Hello? Yeah.
01:02:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
It's just like basketball is it is legitimately the only sports where rings matter this much. Every other sport, and typically – You have to get one ring at least.
01:03:05
Get Defensive Sports Network
like In general, you do want to, unless you're otherworldly like Barry Bonds, you do typically have to get one.
01:03:10
DJ
yeah
01:03:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
But like once you win it, like it's like rings only account for so much. And in basketball, they account for everything. 100%.
01:03:21
DJ
and And what's sad is rings are a team accomplishment.
01:03:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
to the
01:03:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
ah hundred percent
01:03:27
DJ
Rings are a team accomplishment. So I've never understood what, well, and I'll tell you, personally, I feel like the culture shifted when it became clear that LeBron could potentially not win as many rings as MJ.
01:03:43
DJ
And people were starting to grasp for reasoning as to why MJ is still the GOAT over LeBron. And I feel like that's what even prompted this toxic ring conversation.
01:03:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
6-0, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.
01:03:54
DJ
Exactly.
01:03:55
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, okay, what about the other years that he's played?
01:03:55
DJ
That's what prompted this toxic ring conversation because people were, it was becoming clear, what, maybe seven to 10 years into LeBron's career that he is one of the greatest basketball players that we've ever seen. And people kept trying to cut him down by saying, well, no, he's not the best because he didn't win as many rings as MJ.
01:04:13
DJ
That's when we started having this toxic, ridiculous, stupid ass conversation about rings because I'm like, It should never in in a team sport, but such as basket, the ball, it should not matter how many rings somebody has because rings is also circumstantial.
01:04:27
DJ
It also is very, very heavily dependent on just you being in the right place at the right time, i.e.
01:04:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
01:04:32
DJ
Bill w Russell. He has 13 rings, 12 rings, whatever, because he was in the right place at the right time on the right teams.
01:04:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
blood time
01:04:38
DJ
It's not because Bill Russell himself was putting these teams on his back and dragging them into championships.
01:04:39
Get Defensive Sports Network
Playing against the new kid, yeah. But as soon as you say Bill Russell is the GOAT because he has 11 rings, it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
01:04:50
DJ
I sound insane. I sound insane for saying that. And that's why i'm just like, this ring conversation happened when people started to get too attached to the idea that there could be somebody better than Michael Jordan who has come through the and NBA. Get over it.
01:04:50
Get Defensive Sports Network
who walk who who who whoa
01:05:04
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes.
01:05:05
DJ
realistically get over it and then the media started to feed into it as well which is why Stephen A.
01:05:05
Get Defensive Sports Network
And... Yeah.
01:05:09
DJ
Smith needs to stop being on TV because and not just him but the media started to feed into this as well and then they started to prop this up as like the ultimate pinnacle of whether or not you are a goat or whether or not you belong in the goat conversation is how many rings you have like What MJ did is otherworldly, and it's something that somebody may not ever do again, and that makes him a GOAT.
01:05:31
DJ
But it's not about the rings. It's about the way—it's about the method in which they won them.
01:05:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
yeah
01:05:36
DJ
It's about the double three-peat. That's the big deal. Not the fact that he has six rings. It's about the way it was done. It's the same thing with LeBron. LeBron is in the GOAT conversation because of his longevity. There's not going to be another player ever who's going to play basketball for as long as he has.
01:05:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
nine straight finals.
01:05:51
DJ
And nine straight finals. No one's going to do what LeBron James has done. Period. I also believe, because I hate that he kind of gets it entered in the conversation, that he kind of gets taken out. Because personally, I always felt like Kobe was the GOAT.
01:06:05
DJ
If all this LeBron and MJ stuff, I always felt like Kobe was the GOAT. And Kobe is the GOAT for both reasons. Because he's repeated in a championship as well, but he also had longevity and he played for 20 years. And he stayed with the same franchise the entire time.
01:06:17
Get Defensive Sports Network
That means nothing to me.
01:06:17
DJ
That's legendary That's legendary behavior to me. So, you know what i mean? Like, because no one's also going to sit here and say that Dirk is not one of the GOATs just because he only has one ring. He's still one of the GOATs.
01:06:27
DJ
He literally changed the way that that threes play basketballth three and fours play basketball. He literally basically invented the one-foot fadeaway. Like, we're not going like Dirk didn't have an impact on the game.
01:06:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah. but it's also But it's also like when we're talking about the GOAT, right? If Kobe's in the conversation, you know who else should be in the conversation that is never mentioned in the conversation?
01:06:48
DJ
Who?
01:06:49
Get Defensive Sports Network
Mr. Fundamental. Who also has?
01:06:51
DJ
Oh, Tony Parker. Yes!
01:06:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
No.
01:06:54
DJ
Wait, who? Am I stupid?
01:06:56
Get Defensive Sports Network
but Same right team, wrong player.
01:06:59
DJ
Who did I say?
01:07:00
Get Defensive Sports Network
You said Tony Parker. Yeah.
01:07:03
DJ
and I stupid? What is his name?
01:07:05
Get Defensive Sports Network
so I'm going to let you, you know.
01:07:07
DJ
I'm having a brain fart, you guys. Am I dumb? What the hell is that? Oh, Tim Duncan.
01:07:12
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There we go.
01:07:13
DJ
Tim Duncan. I was like, Tim, Tony, whoever.
01:07:15
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Like,
01:07:18
DJ
but But to me, he could be a part of the conversation as well.
01:07:18
Get Defensive Sports Network
because Tim Duncan has five. Tim Duncan is arguably the greatest.
01:07:22
DJ
The Spurs is one of the best franchises in NBA history.
01:07:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah, did it multiple times.
01:07:25
DJ
Greg Popovich is one of the best coaches.
01:07:28
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, like and and so and and it's also like, if we're talking about rings, so then is Steph Curry, and like, some people may, I don't, but some people may think that he is, and that's fair, but I think part of the reason he gets put in this conversation is because of the rings, is Steph Curry the greatest point guard of all time?
01:07:28
DJ
Like,
01:07:42
Get Defensive Sports Network
Because he has four?
01:07:43
DJ
No, he's one of the greatest shooters of all time.
01:07:46
Get Defensive Sports Network
Right, but that's, and that's what I'm, like, the ring conversation doesn't even get put equally, because Tim Duncan
01:07:52
DJ
It's only gets a put on LeBron. If we're being honest, and this is why he's complaining, it only gets put on him.
01:07:57
Get Defensive Sports Network
And it's like, and honestly, I don't even view it as him complaining. i think like the point of his podcast is to really just talk about the sport and he can finally have a voice. And what he's saying makes sense because
01:08:06
DJ
Yeah. Yeah.
01:08:08
Get Defensive Sports Network
and this would be my final argument. If I, and I, I do think this, I think that Tim Duncan has a legitimate argument to be considered a better player than Kobe. And every time I ever say that people lose their fucking mind, but they both have five rings and Tim Duncan has more finals MVPs.
01:08:17
DJ
Yeah.
01:08:22
DJ
yeah
01:08:24
Get Defensive Sports Network
And I think he has more regular season MVPs. And he's also like, like you can argue that Kobe's the greatest shooting guard of all time, but you have Michael Jordan. I don't think that you can say that there's a better power forward in the history of the game than Tim Duncan.
01:08:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
But I can't consider him better than Kobe, but they both have five rings. Like, it doesn't go there. Steph Curry is not considered the greatest single the greatest point guard of all time because he has four rings. um Scottie Pippen doesn't get the respect that he deserves when he has six.
01:08:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
Bill Russell doesn't get the respect.
01:08:52
DJ
Yes.
01:08:53
Get Defensive Sports Network
like like It's just like there's ups and downs of all of these things, and it's not even.
01:08:55
DJ
You are correct.
01:08:59
Get Defensive Sports Network
Either rings matter or they don't. And if they do matter to the level that they do when we talk about LeBron and MJ, which is why i didn't want just focus on that, if they matter to the level that we talk about LeBron and MJ, then there's a whole lot of people
01:09:01
DJ
Again.
01:09:11
DJ
should matter for everyone.
01:09:12
Get Defensive Sports Network
who need the who need to be flipped in our narrative and and reframed and spun around, and they need to be in different places if rings matter to that level.
01:09:12
DJ
Yeah. Yeah.
01:09:22
Get Defensive Sports Network
And it's just not even consistent.
01:09:22
DJ
Yeah. It's because they don't.
01:09:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
And so they don't, except in one conversation.
01:09:24
DJ
It's because they actually don't. Exactly.
01:09:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
And it's it's crazy that everyone went nuts on LeBron and on Gilbert Arenas and on Draymond Green and all these other kind of things.
01:09:27
DJ
That's what
01:09:35
Get Defensive Sports Network
Draymond has four. I think Draymond can have an opinion on if ring culture is toxic or not.
01:09:40
DJ
Yeah, because no one's going to call Draymond the GOAT.
01:09:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
right He got four.
01:09:42
DJ
Like, that's just not going to happen. No one's going to say Draymond is a GOAT because he has four rings. Everybody's going to say they're going to lump him in with just the Warriors dynasty like the rest of us do. So, like, that's why I even brought up the MJ LeBron thing because I know...
01:09:58
DJ
that conversation was disingenuous from the jump. It was never a conversation that was something that was going to be an even match across the board because, again, Bill Russell is the GOAT by that logic.
01:10:01
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yep. Yeah. Yes.
01:10:08
Get Defensive Sports Network
yeah
01:10:09
DJ
So, no, i've never I'm not drinking this Kool-Aid that all of a sudden in rings matter in a way where they don't matter for any other sport. Of course, do championships matter baseline? Yes. Duh. No one's saying that they don't matter.
01:10:21
DJ
but it's also to me it is very heavily um what's the word i'm looking for heavily what's the word like picked apart it's very heavily um scrutinized there we go in just one particular conversation and it's it's disingenuous it's ridiculous it's stupid and it's like let's actually talk about the and i think the reason why players like gilbert and draymond have the opinions that they have is because They're actually in it.
01:10:30
Get Defensive Sports Network
scrutinized.
01:10:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yeah.
01:10:47
DJ
So they understand that getting a ring is about so much more than just you as a player.
01:10:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes.
01:10:52
Get Defensive Sports Network
And nobody ate. And like you said broken broken clock, right? Twice a day? That Kobe argument gave me real. It's real because Kobe wasn't Kobe till he won with Paul. Like Paul Gasol. He wasn't Kobe till he won. I'm sorry. Like we could pretend that it it didn't happen, but Kobe wasn't Kobe. Cause if Kobe was Kobe, Shaq would have stayed.
01:11:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
They wouldn't have been beefing. Kobe wasn't Kobe till he won his fourth ring with Paul Gasol.
01:11:15
DJ
Well, think that they were beefing also because their egos are humongous and they both will not fit in the locker room.
01:11:19
Get Defensive Sports Network
But a part of the ego. Yes. But a part of the ego was who was the reason for the rings.
01:11:25
DJ
Yeah. But again, why are we arguing about that?
01:11:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
And a lot,
01:11:27
DJ
Let's just go win another one. Shut up.
01:11:29
Get Defensive Sports Network
Exactly. But so it's just all of these things. and And my last point on this is you want to know who just won a ring?
01:11:36
DJ
You know, you're like a preacher who said you're about to do the benediction and then they don't actually do the benediction.
01:11:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
Jalen Hurts.
01:11:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
No, I am. I am. You know who just won a ring? Jalen Hurts. You know what you're not going to hear this year? You're not going to hear that Jalen Hurts is better than Lamar Jackson. You're not going to hear that Jalen Hurts is better than Josh Allen.
01:11:51
Get Defensive Sports Network
You're not going to hear that Jalen Hurts is better than Justin Herbert.
01:11:52
DJ
Oh, you were talking about NFL. I was like, who?
01:11:55
Get Defensive Sports Network
You're not going to hear that Jalen Hurts is better than these quarterbacks, even though he has a ring and they don't. Nobody's going to say that Jalen Hurts is better than Josh Allen.
01:12:00
DJ
No, of course. But there's no toxic ring conversation.
01:12:02
Get Defensive Sports Network
No one's going to say that he's better than LeBron. But that's that's how I wanted to end it. And you know what is probably going to happen?
01:12:07
DJ
Yeah.
01:12:09
Get Defensive Sports Network
i I understand this is too close, but if there are people who thought last year that Luka and Anthony Edwards were better than SGA, and now that SGA has a championship, SGA is going to be better.
01:12:21
Get Defensive Sports Network
And maybe he is, but I'm saying people are going to change their mind on those players solely off the ring.
01:12:25
DJ
yeah
01:12:27
Get Defensive Sports Network
Nobody is going to say that Jalen Hurts is a better quarterback than the people that I mentioned because he won a Super Bowl this year.
01:12:30
DJ
Thank you.
01:12:32
Get Defensive Sports Network
Basketball ring culture is toxic.
01:12:35
DJ
Yeah, it's too circumstantial. And it's also just obviously directed just towards one person. And realistically, like, are we done? Like, but like, are we done? This man has played basketball for 23, 20, almost 23 years.
01:12:48
DJ
Are we done with this conversation? Because I personally would like to be done. I personally would like to be done with this whole, well, he's not the go because whatever, shoving none of y'all mofos is playing basketball for 23 years straight. So I don't want to hear what you have to say about it, actually.
01:13:04
DJ
respectfully that man could never win another championship and he will be the go oops oh well your your go the person who you love and adore and admire so much he can still be the go there's shoot me but I do think there there can be multiple shoot me but how many thousands of people have played in the NBA I think there can be multiple goats like it's okay maybe not thousands but hundreds like it's okay y'all it's okay there's Mount Rushmore is four people not just one it's okay
01:13:35
DJ
That's my last point.
New Segments and Personal Reviews
01:13:37
Get Defensive Sports Network
All right, so to end the show, we're going to go to our last two-minute report. We are changing the name of this. One, to make it more inclusive with more sports. And two, because it really just didn't make sense if you really thought about it where they were where they were put.
01:13:48
Get Defensive Sports Network
disability It really just didn't make sense.
01:13:48
DJ
Where they were, yeah.
01:13:50
Get Defensive Sports Network
The last two-minute report, if you don't know what that is, the last two-minute report is when the NBA officials at the end of games get to say, these are all the mistakes that we made. These are all the things. Essentially, this is them talking after the game is over.
01:14:00
DJ
And those documents be pages long.
01:14:03
Get Defensive Sports Network
This is the refs talking after the game is over. And this is us talking after our podcast is over. The podcast is over. We're going to talk about something random. Mine is very, very, very, very very very brief. And that you all know that I don't consider myself a gamer, even though I play video games, because I don't typically play games other than sports games. I tried to play golf. It pissed me off. I deleted off my PlayStation.
01:14:23
Get Defensive Sports Network
And doing that, I went looking for a new game to play. And I realized that with the level of PlayStation Plus that I have, I got har Hogwarts Legacy for free.
01:14:33
Get Defensive Sports Network
So I've been playing it.
01:14:34
DJ
You're going to play through that in about two days. That game is short.
01:14:36
Get Defensive Sports Network
Am I?
01:14:37
DJ
Yeah, that game short.
01:14:38
Get Defensive Sports Network
Oh. Well, either way.
01:14:39
DJ
Now, maybe they did maybe they added more to it, but when ah a person who I used to know played it, they played it through it real fast.
01:14:47
Get Defensive Sports Network
don't know. I've been playing it for a little bit. And it says I'm only 6% done. Either way, it doesn't matter. I just wanted to say that the game was interesting. And I've never been in into Harry Potter. I didn't watch Harry Potter until I was 27. They're decent movies, but like I'm not like a you know really big into it. And the game is fun, especially if you just want like if you like RPG, those sort of things. The game's fun. It has some action.
01:15:11
Get Defensive Sports Network
It's cool. So I've been playing Hogwarts Legacy.
01:15:16
DJ
Come on, Hogwarts. um Speaking of legacy, I went to go see the new Ballerina movie from the universe of John Wick. um Not sure if you're a John Wick fan. I personally am a John Wick fan.
01:15:26
Get Defensive Sports Network
Yes. Yes.
01:15:28
DJ
And I'm hilarious because I hate violence.
01:15:28
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, yes.
01:15:31
DJ
Like, I hate violent movies. I don't like watching violence. I don't like... John Wick probably is some of the most violent movies, but I love them.
01:15:39
Get Defensive Sports Network
yes like yes
01:15:41
DJ
I love them. It's something different about John Wick because... The production of it is so good. And obviously, Kanu Reeves, like he did his own stunt. So it was very, very like entertaining in a different way because the choreography is really good. And I know it's like, you're so lame. You're watching John Wick for the choreography. Yes, I am. Shoot me.
01:15:57
DJ
don't but so with being said connie reeves is 82 years old and so i was always wondering how they were going to if they were going to ever continue the legacy of john wick especially if you've seen the fourth chapter then you kind of know that it's like where are we going um but if you haven't watched ballerina
01:16:14
Get Defensive Sports Network
Supposedly he's not dead.
01:16:17
DJ
Allegedly. So if you haven't watched Ballerina, timeline wise, it is situated between the third and the fourth movie of ah John Wick. And it is about a basically side character who ends up going to the same um like facility that John Wick went to to learn all of the the martial arts and things like that. It's called Ballerina because the girls, when they learn that master martial arts, they also our ballet. They also do ballet.
01:16:41
DJ
um Fantastic movie. fan Fantastic movie. If you are a fan of John Wick, you will like this too. I know everybody feels like, oh, the movies are getting too woke now. Why do there have to be girls? indeed you This was the, in my opinion, this makes the most sense to keep the John Wick legacy alive because she basically is going to be, like, I could i foresee them probably having about two, three more but ballerina movies where she kind of has a similar story to John Wick, but it's a little different because they they have opposite
01:17:13
DJ
feelings about being assassins um but yeah really really good movie highly suggest very creative the choreography was fantastic and there was even like little comedic moments that i really enjoyed so go see ballerina
01:17:29
Get Defensive Sports Network
see that
01:17:30
DJ
huh it's so good you should go on tuesdays when movies are six dollars because the economy is crashing you gotta save some money
01:17:31
Get Defensive Sports Network
I said I will absolutely be going to see that movie. And with that,
01:17:40
Get Defensive Sports Network
Look, I'm just fine. With that, that's the show. Thank you as always. We'll catch you next week. Please follow the show on YouTube at Get Defensive Sports Network. Follow us on Instagram at Get Defensive Sports Network. Follow us on TikTok at GDSports Network.
01:17:55
Get Defensive Sports Network
Like, leave a review, comment, all those good things. And we will catch you next week as we will be nine. ish weeks away and I actually think it's eight weeks away from college football because I think that 10 was for the NFL we'll catch you next week
01:18:06
DJ
I'm college football.