PMT DB
PMT DB
Chris Bosh on LeBron and the Lakers' Exit, Coach K Retires, and the Brad Stevens Promotion
The NBA landscape shifted under our feet this week. LeBron James and the Lakers are officially out of the playoffs, marking the first time the King has been sent home in the first round. Big Cat and PFT stayed up late to watch the Suns finish the job, and the fallout is already massive. While some want to credit the Suns' dominance, Big Cat couldn't help but look at the injury report.
Big CatThe Lakers would have beaten the Suns if Anthony Davis stayed healthy
I do think – I'll say one nice thing about the Lakers. I do think that if Anthony Davis stays healthy in this series, it's totally different. They were up 2-1, tie ball game, game four, and he gets hurt.
With the Lakers heading to Cancun, the conversation immediately turned to what LeBron does next. He’s 36, he’s banged up, and for the first time, he actually looks human. Big Cat thinks the days of 100% LeBron are gone for good.
Big CatLeBron James will never be 100% healthy again
He's old. He's 36. He's not as dominant as he used to be. He's never going to be 100% again. He said it himself.
PFT has a theory that we haven't seen the last of the retirement drama, even if it's mostly for show.
PFT CommenterLeBron James will pull an 'Aaron Rodgers' and publicly flirt with retirement this offseason to get people talking
My prediction for this offseason is that LeBron James, he's going to pull like an Aaron Rodgers. He's going to publicly flirt with retiring, but privately he's going to be like, I'm going to come back. But he wants people to talk about whether or not this is the end of the road for him.
The End of an Era in Durham
If LeBron being out wasn't enough, Coach K decided to drop the bombshell that he’s retiring after this upcoming season. Hank, our resident Duke alum and second-gen Blue Devil, was in full defense mode. He wasn't having any of the jokes about the "K-R-Z-Y-Z-E-W-S-K-I" legacy.
HankCoach K is the greatest college basketball coach of all time
This is the greatest coach in the sport, and all you guys do is make jokes and mock him. Most wins of all time. 12 Final Fours. 15 ACC Tournament titles. 97 NCAA Tournament wins. 126 weeks ranked No. 1.
Big Cat and PFT weren't quite as sentimental. They spent time looking back at some of the more... tactical moments of Mike Krzyzewski’s career, specifically how he manages to avoid losses on his record when he’s feeling under the weather. There’s also the convenient timing of the retirement coinciding with players finally being able to get paid legally.
Big CatCoach K is retiring because of NIL and changes in the sport, despite claiming it's for 'family'
Coach K made it clear in his press conference that he's doing it because of family, not due to changes in the sport. So let's just all respect Coach K... [but] maybe because the likeness, you know, the players actually get paid. So paying them under the table isn't going to have the same effect.
Regardless of the motive, the farewell tour is going to be a spectacle. PFT is already calling the shot on how the selection committee will handle the Blue Devils next March.
PFT CommenterIf the Duke Blue Devils are anywhere near the bubble next year, they will definitely be in the tournament for Coach K's final season
There's no chance whatsoever that [Duke is] getting left out of the tournament next year, no matter what. If they're anywhere close to a bubble... you are putting Duke Blue Devils in that fucking tournament.
Celtics Shakeup and NHL Hits
While Duke is handing the keys to John Scheyer, the Boston Celtics are doing their own version of a succession plan. Danny Ainge is out, and Brad Stevens is moving from the bench to the front office. Hank is surprisingly optimistic about the move, believing that Stevens is the only one who truly knows how to fix the roster he’s been coaching for seven years.
HankBrad Stevens is the right person to run the Celtics front office
If there's anyone that knows exactly what this Celtics roster needs to be and beat these teams that are on the next level, it is Brad Stevens. Obviously, Danny Ainge said that he was like, there's been moves that me and Brad didn't agree on, and now Brad has full control to do whatever he wants.
On the ice, the NHL playoffs are delivering the usual chaos. Mark Scheifele’s hit on Jake Evans led to a four-game suspension, which sparked a debate about how the league handles discipline. Big Cat has a proposal to make these suspensions a little more interesting for the viewers.
Big CatThe NHL should suspend players for dirty hits but allow them back for one 'grudge' game
I think they should do this more often... suspend him for enough games where he can come back and then everyone can tune in to watch him have fights all night. I think the rule should be if you get suspended for a dirty hit in the playoffs, you should be forced to start the next game, skate one shift, and then after that point, your suspension begins.
Chris Bosh on the Heat and the Hunger
Our friend Chris Bosh returned to the show to talk about his new book, *Letters to a Young Athlete*. He gave us a great perspective on what it’s actually like to be the team everyone is trying to kill. He explained that while the climb to the top is fun, staying there is a completely different animal.
Chris BoshIt is harder to stay at the top than to reach it in professional sports
It's always easy to have the hunger before you get it... But then when you are successful, in our case, when an NBA championship, you know, you understand what it takes to be able to stay at that level. And it's not easy... Now you're not the hunter anymore. You're the hunted.
We also had to ask him about the infamous "AC Game" in San Antonio during the 2014 Finals. We’ve all seen the footage of LeBron being carried off the court, but Chris Bosh confirmed that the conditions were even worse than they looked on TV.
Chris BoshThe San Antonio Spurs stadium was excruciatingly and miserably hot during the 2014 'AC Game'
It was excruciatingly hot... We went back into the gym and was like, oh, oh, my God. We start playing and it was miserable. It was miserable.
We wrapped things up with Fyre Fest of the week. Hank is getting bullied by Sixers fans on Twitter, PFT has a sprained ankle and is being forced to help a friend move, and Big Cat has officially reached the "Dad Nap" stage of his life where any pillow within a five-mile radius is a threat to his productivity.
Big CatAnyone over the age of 25 must hire a mover
Over the age of 25, you should hire a mover. I agree. I am that mover in this case. Yeah. Well, are you hired? No. Okay. You need to get hired.
Next time you see a kangaroo in the wild, just remember it’s trying to drown you.
