Ryen Russillo

Call for more meetings at work to make yourself feel and look important

I would encourage people to call for more meetings... people love fucking meetings. You could meet with and set a meeting... You do feel important when you got a meeting. It's like, 'Oh, I got a meeting.'

Kobe Bryant has the strongest connection to his city of any modern athlete

I guess you could say Jeter, but that doesn't feel as tight as the Kobe thing. It feels like 1990 degree Mickey Mantle shit... There's not five people in modern sports that are more connected to the way a city loves them than Kobe and LA.

Anthony Davis has bulked up too much and it has negatively affected his mobility and shooting

I feel like everybody called [Anthony Davis] a pussy last year... and I just feel like, all right, well now I'm definitely lifting more. And I think he came back and I think the bulk has actually slowed him down and it just didn't work. Anthony Davis, when he played, was arguably the worst jump shooter in the league based on how many shots he was taking.

Russell Westbrook's style of play does not lead to winning and he will never change

How many fucking years do you have to watch [Russell Westbrook] do the exact same thing that never leads to winning and think that it's just magic and it's going to work out at some point? Like most of us don't change and a basketball player that's as stubborn as he is isn't going to change... in the playoffs, it doesn't make any sense. He doesn't offer up any spacing for AD and LeBron, he's never set a screen in his fucking life.

Russell Westbrook's personality is the 'curse' that prevents him from adapting his game

I don't know why anybody thinks it's just going to change because I think unfortunately the curse of Russ is that his personality got him here, but his personality is what prevents him ever finding a way to adapt to the things that around him.

Klay Thompson is a more dependable and valuable addition than Kyrie Irving

[Clay] is a better player and Clay's more dependable and Clay's available for all games. And he's not banned for half of them.

Kyrie Irving is one of the most gifted basketball skill players of all time

When you really put all the talent parts of Kyrie together—his handle, his shot making, the difficult shot-making that is an acceptable shot for Kyrie... it's actually not crazy to talk about him being actually one of the most gifted basketball skill people that we've ever seen.

Kevin Durant is the best basketball player in the world

I agree with you on the rant being better than Giannis. Honest, if we're going to best player in the world, even though Giannis, you know, got 'em last year, sort of... if you were to watch [Kevin Durant] just play basketball and go wait, I'm supposed to think this guy's better than [Durant] who can dribble and is just like, has the same height and can shoot like this off the dribble.

Following your shot in the NBA is a strategic mistake

The funniest thing is, is following your shot in the NBA is like the dumbest thing you could do... you get a transition on your face every single time.

The Bulls' lack of defensive options against stars like Giannis or Durant limits them to an Eastern Conference Finals ceiling

I'll go Golden State and I'm going to say Milwaukee again. And it's kind of a bet against the newness of Chicago, not loving Chicago's options defensively for the size of Middleton and Giannis... I still worry about how they match up with a Giannis or Durant in a playoff game because of the personnel.

Georgia will beat Alabama in the National Championship rematch

I'm doing it. I'm going to do it and make a huge mistake. I'm picking Georgia and the rematch... I'm scared to death that I'm falling forward again. I think [Big Cat is] right, because I think every Georgia fan looks at Kirby and goes, 'Are we going to have that moment where you just can't hang with the guy across the sideline from you?'

There is no conclusive evidence that the shortened NBA turnaround caused the recent surge in injuries

I'm just not sure based on everything I've read that we have some conclusive evidence that these injuries have happened just because of what we had in the past year... Silver definitely pushed back on it, which I was just at least I guess I was even surprised because he's been so pro player as a commissioner.

I have a strong resume for giving life advice because I have been a 'guy' for a long time and have made many mistakes

I've been a guy for a really long time now... those experiences of just being an idiot and getting stuff wrong allows me to be in a better position to give people advice.

The Suns will win the NBA Finals in six games

No, Suns in six.

I am a terrific post player and would put my game up against anybody

I'm a terrific post player. Terrific. I'll I'll put that up against anybody.

The 2020 NBA Draft might be historically bad at the top

It's a bad draft at the top, and it may be historically bad. I know the closer we get to this, it happens every year where it'll be a bad draft... But at the top, you always hope every year there's maybe one or two guys that can really impact a franchise... And this one has a chance to have zero.

James Wiseman is the best player in the 2020 NBA Draft

I like Wiseman... I like him this much in comparison to everybody else... The thing I like about him is yes the size and all that stuff he catches everything... Wiseman also has another level that I don't know if he's going to get to, but he'll show it with his handle. He'll show a really soft touch where he almost has some of these offensive small forward skills that you start to get really, really excited about.

The younger a prospect is, the higher their expected improvement and draft value should be.

How much stock do you put into the difference between a 19-year-old and a 22-year-old... I do. I do. There's just enough information that backs it up... the younger you are as a prospect... the expected improvement, and it's really not even debatable... the better players end up becoming the guys that are drafted when they're younger.

The Bucks trading multiple unprotected first-round picks for Jrue Holiday is irresponsible

When you look at the Bucs and say, wait, in 2027, part of that Drew Holiday deal is a 2027 unprotected pick? That, to me, is insane slash irresponsible... To think here we are seven drafts from now, there's this pick that's completely unprotected... I don't understand why people think this is like normal.

I benched 315 pounds for three reps today just messing around

Fucking put the microphone down. I put up 315 three times today fucking around. Get back to me in a couple years.

Kyra Lewis from Alabama is a top 5 prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft.

I love Kyra Lewis from Alabama... I'm going to put him five [in my top five] just to be. So, you know, in a few years, if I kill it with this, he'd be like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe Russillo called that.

James Harden's production is inflated by about 25% due to the Rockets' system

I also think Houston's style is almost like the best Instagram filter... where when you go play in Houston's system when it's Harden... you're 25% better... it's very clear, at least to me, and I don't know why more people don't say this, that you almost have to shave off like 25% of it [Harden's production].

Kyrie Irving might not want James Harden on the Brooklyn Nets

I'm wondering if Kyrie is signing off on this. Because you would – I mean, look, I can never forget trying to figure out Kyrie, but I could actually see him not loving it at all because now all of a sudden he's going to be off the ball a lot more.

No matter how smart you think you are at 20 years old, you are actually an idiot

No matter how smart you think you are, you're an idiot... This is why everyone older than you hates you, because they all went through the exact same thing where it's like I got everything figured out, and then you just realize you don't. And it doesn't mean you're not smart. It doesn't mean you're not creative... [but] you can't have any of this perspective that you're going to need.

Creative people usually peak in their 20s

When I think about creative people, usually those peak years are in those 20s. You know, you're seeing things for the first time, you're experiencing them in new ways and you're reacting.

When you turn 30, you will realize you were an idiot in your 20s

The safest bet in the world is that when you turn 30, you're going to go – Can't believe I thought the way I did about everything. It's not like your political beliefs change or your morals change. It's just... another third of life experience makes you realize like all the shit that I thought was so important [isn't].

I can instantly tell if someone hates me or if they are full of shit

I think I'm great at being able to tell if someone hates me, if someone's full of shit. I want to say like FBI level lie detections... I can leave a room and go, that guy doesn't like me... I've just been around long enough... that I just think I've honed that skill.

Blue suits will be out of style in two years

I think in two years, everybody's been looking at their closet going, why do I have seven different blue suits? So I would get out of the blue suit game right now.

The Odell Beckham Jr. hair trend is officially over because Zac Efron has it now

How do we feel about Odell Beckham hair? Is that going to be around two years? No way. That's over. Zac Efron has it now.

Steph Curry is the most disrespected superstar in the NBA by his own peers

I think [Steph Curry] is the most disrespected by his peers superstar, which is weird... I feel like a lot of the athletes hate Steph. In some way, it's some bad thing because he had this awesome upbringing... it felt like all five of these guys had ad campaigns built on addressing the haters.

LeBron James will never win another NBA championship

The easiest thing to do in these shows is you just sit out there and you go, I'm guaranteeing it right now LeBron's never winning a championship. It's actually the better bet to make because these are really hard... People at the end of [Kobe's] run don't want to go play with him now. And that was real... I can see where it could go that way [for LeBron].

The Denver Nuggets are actually a good basketball team, not just a regular season mirage

No, the Nuggets are good. I just can't take them seriously until... I just have a hard time with things that are new. [But] the Nuggets are legit.

James Harden will be officiated differently and less favorably in the NBA playoffs

I also think Harden's going to be officiated differently in the playoffs because people are just going to harp on it and be like, all right, so what's the story with this guy? You're just going to let him travel for seven games? You can use your right arm and chuck defenders to the ground?

DeMarcus Cousins will be the downfall of the Warriors' chemistry

Last night was the beginning of the end for DeMarcus Cousins fitting in. He was so bad in that game... Afterwards, a reporter actually said, like, hey, what do you think about your defense? He's like, what do you think? ... I just think that the Boogie thing's going to get worse and worse.

I could beat up Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in a fight

I don't think Klay would care. Klay would be like, dude, I'm just going to tap out. Is that cool? ... Steph, the thing is, is what if Steph beats me? ... I don't think Steph would beat you. I think you could use your dialing... I'm going to give you two and a half out of five [starters].

The Netflix Fyre Fest documentary is more entertaining than the Hulu version

The Hulu one has the advantage because the whole mastermind of the Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, is in it... I find the Netflix one, though, more entertaining. I think it's because it may have been the footage or the editing which really tells you something because they don't even have the guy in it.

Most people are not inherently trying to deceive or screw others over in daily life

I still would like to believe that most people don't wake up trying to find a way to deceive everybody as they interact with in society. These [Fyre Fest] stories get publicized... but I don't really blame the person for just having the faith that, hey, if they're putting on this massive festival... this is an awesome sort of scam.

Most sports media coverage of NFL contracts is based on lies because they don't look at the real numbers

I can't believe how bad everybody still is with contracts. NFL contracts, the first headline's a lie. and then it's the guaranteed money, and then it's what's paid out in the first three years. So if Odell's asking for a certain number, what he's really doing is manipulating the media because the media doesn't seem to want to put in the time to figure out what's really being asked for in the contract.

Media personalities should get things wrong on purpose once every few months to move the needle

I had somebody to pull me aside. I was like, you take it too seriously when I was younger. And he said, get something wrong on purpose. Just be so wrong once every few months that it kind of registers with people.

The 'clutch gene' is a real phenomenon because athletes can 'tighten up' under pressure

Why is it that we all accept that a certain golfer standing over a major putt four feet out to win the Masters... Everyone would agree that you're tightening up there a little bit, right? ... So if we all accept that that exists, why couldn't there be players that are more comfortable, therefore clutch, in those moments?

LeBron James will win exactly one more NBA championship in his career

I'll go under [1.5]. I think he has one more. But usually these guys, this means they're done. Remember the Kobe stuff? We're like, oh, nobody wants him more than Kobe. You want it all you want. This is over.

Kawhi Leonard might stay in Toronto long-term because he'll realize how great the city is

Kawhi could be sitting here going, I'm not staying in Toronto. And then you're there. Toronto's awesome. Currency. Exactly.

Men should never use 2.5-pound plates at the gym

Men shouldn't use the two and a half plates ever. Ever. ... You went up two and a half pounds today. Like, men shouldn't use the two and a half plates ever.

A team outside of the lottery will trade up to draft Luka Doncic

A team outside of the lottery trades up for Doncic. [Big Cat: Ooh, I like that.]

Joining MMA classes is a major sign of a midlife crisis

I would say MMA classes are high up there for midlife crisis. And it would happen to me. I was like, you know what? I used to do this a little bit when I was younger... I signed up. I went to the class.

The Celtics' offseason priority will be keeping Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum over Gordon Hayward

I think their priority is to keep Jaylen Brown and Tatum because they're younger and because it's contract control as opposed to [Gordon] Hayward's number. But Stevens usually can figure this stuff out because the only real overlap you have is the rotation of those three.

The Golden State Warriors will win the NBA Finals in six games

I'll say Warriors in six. Yeah, I'll say, like, something, you know, a couple of a game there. The Warriors are an incredibly, like, arrogant team, for good reason, but... They will screw around. They will screw around in a game and lose it.

The Celtics can't guard Joel Embiid

You're going to have to continue to get it to Embiid, who has moments in the game where he's like, enough of this crap. Like, none of you guys can guard me. I'm just going to do something stupid and get to the hoop and score.

I would take LeBron James for the next five years over Brad Stevens

I'm going to go ahead and take whatever LeBron is probably for the next three, knowing that year four and five, I would imagine at some point this dude is going to slow down. As great as Brad [Stevens] is, I still think that this is a player's league.

Brad Stevens is the perfect personality to be a head coach in today's NBA

I think the most important attribute you can have as an NBA coach is your personality. Most of these guys do understand X's and O's. But if the team doesn't listen to you, you have to do it in a way now where the guys don't totally shut you off. And [Stevens] has this unbelievable passive confidence that it's like the perfect combination of personality to be a head coach in today's NBA.