Takes

LeBron James is the face of the NBA until the day he retires

As long as LeBron's in the league, LeBron is not only the face of the league, but definitely has a weighted opinion on basketball... LeBron is the face of the league until he is no longer in the league.

LeBron James should go back to Cleveland to finish his career

I do think he should go back to Cleveland. I think he should finish it there. They still love him. The tribute videos, it's still home. He should go back to Cleveland.

Anthony Edwards is the future face of the NBA

Anthony Edwards is awesome. How, at what point is Anthony Edwards? Can we just say he's the face of the league... I mean, it was, it was, it was two future faces of this league. It was Victor, Victor Wembanyama and, and Ant going back to back.

Chemistry is the most underrated aspect of sports

Something very underrated about sports in general. People always underestimate chemistry. You know, we could talk about stats and the star player and this and that, but when you enjoy playing with somebody, I think those guys look, there's eight guys scoring 10 points on the bulls.

WNBA team salary caps should be increased to $3 million

I happen to agree with the shirt because I went gut check 1.5 million feels too low. It does feel like we've been talking about them more in the past 18 months. I feel like that should be like 3 million. I don't know that, that sounds like a good deal.

The Indiana Pacers were a physical and sneaky aggressive defensive team in the 2025 playoffs

I knew what it was going to be like Indiana, we knew how fast they were going to play and they were sneaky, aggressive defensively through the playoffs and nobody was really talking about it. But they were really physical.

Nobody cares about the NBA All-Star Game

NBA All Star Game. Do not care. Do not care at all. Fun to complain about, but it's just, it's the do not care at all. No one cares.

NBA free agency is officially a dud this year

NBA free agency has started and it's a dud. I'm gonna say it right now. It's a dud.

Ben Simmons hitting threes in a wide-open gym is the official sign of summer

We have the first sign of summer and it's Ben Simmons in a wide open gym hitting threes. He looked good. He looked so good... That's, that literally means summer's here.

Chet Holmgren is a two-can drunk

How many beers do you think it takes Chet [Holmgren] to get drunk? I think it's like, I think he's a two can. I think two beers and a cigarette. Yeah. And he was puking.

The Celtics are rebuilt but no longer the same core

The real NBA news though, is Hank your Celtics, the championship team that you were on a duck boat with... is no more. Kristaps [Porzingis] gone. Jrue Holiday gone. Are they done?

The Duke trio of Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach are all special NBA prospects

I like all three guys a lot. [Cooper] Flagg... anticipation, the defense, I mean it just, his passing all this stuff is that he's a, he's a real competitor... [Kon] Knueppel iss like he's, he's gonna be very good pro... [Khaman] Maluach... he stays in front of [guards] by moving his feet... Those three guys are really special prospects.

Sam Presti is one of the best GMs in any sport

This guy [Sam Presti] is one of the best GMs in any sport. And it's cool that he finally like 18 years, I think it's, he's been there and he just won with the second youngest team his way and a pocket full of picks going forward.

The Indiana Pacers will win one home game in the NBA Finals

I'm gonna say the Pacers are gonna win one at home. They're gonna win one of game three or four. And if I'm wrong, who cares?

Nikola Jokic is on an unobtainable level compared to the rest of the NBA.

To me [Jokic] is unobtainable. Like you cannot get to his level right now. And there's gonna be a lot of people arguing [SGA] just because it's better... But I don't think a sane person, a real basketball person should look at this and be like, okay, SGA is now the best in the world.

Tyrese Haliburton is the most important player on the Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton is the straw that stirs the drink. Correct. He is. I mean, without Tyrese, none of this works. The instant baskets after a made layup. Those don't happen without him out-letting the ball down the court. He's the most important player, I think on the team.

The 2025 NBA Finals is the 'Paul George Finals'

These are the Paul George Finals. Paul George was traded for, I think it was Sabonis and Oladipo. And then Sabonis became Tyrese Haliburton. And then also Paul George was traded from OKC that became SGA. It's the Paul George finals.

Tyrese Haliburton needs to be more consistent to take the next step as a superstar

This is kind of the knock on [Haliburton] is that he has nights like Tuesday, which are out of this world good... and then you have nights like tonight where he doesn't really, like, can't really tell that he is out there. I think to take that next step, you can't have nights like tonight.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are significantly better than the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA finals. Absolutely curb stomped the Timberwolves in Game five completely. Like that series wasn't really competitive... the Thunder are significantly better than the Timberwolves.

Alex Caruso is the smartest player in the league and will be a great coach one day

The guy's a crash dummy man... He's one of the smartest dudes. He's going to be a great coach when he's done... he would help lead some of our meetings [in Chicago].

OKC will win the NBA title

If I were to, you know, guess... I'm going with OKC.

Carl Anthony Towns is at his best when he remembers he is seven feet tall and can drive to the rim

You know when Carl Anthony Towns is going to that next level where he realizes, oh yeah, I'm seven feet. I could just go to the rim and score on these guys. It feels like the threes happen, he can get into that groove of threes after he reminds himself like, oh yeah, I can drive on these guys. He got like a big and one and it almost like unlocked something in his brain. He's like, I'm Carl Anthony Towns. I'm big purr.

Aaron Nesmith went into 'God mode' during the Pacers comeback against the Knicks

To say the next [Knicks] choke though does a disservice to Aaron Nesmith going into God mode. That was God mode. What he did in those three minutes or whatever it was, maybe a little more was insane.

The New York Knicks are a cursed franchise

I was just in shock. Yeah. The Knicks are just cursed. 'cause like if OG [Anunoby] makes that free throw and then Tyrese [Haliburton] steps on the line and gets it too... over time Ty, you don't get the goal end now you just lose.

The 2006 NBA Championship is my favorite title

I have my own [trophies]. Got three of 'em... My born. Okay. 2006. All right. Yeah. That's my favorite one. Yeah, that was a good one. That was a real good one.

NBA parity is officially back with seven different champions in seven years

Parody is back. NBA parody is officially back this now with the thunder beating the nuggets in game seven. There are going to be, it's guaranteed seven different champions in seven different years in the NBA. And we also have the chance for two franchises who've never won a title in Indiana and Minnesota.

The Celtics will defeat the Knicks in six games

I feel good. I'm happy. I said I wouldn't be worried if they went down oh two. They came, they came out, they showed what they needed to do. I feel like that's gonna be, they're gonna win this series in six.

The Celtics will win the NBA Championship

Before the season I picked the Boston Celtics. With the Boston Celtics down two to one in this series, I still pick the Boston Celtics... they're the best complete team and they just won last year.

Cavs fans poking the bear by calling Tyrese Halliburton overrated was a dumb move

Then you poked the bear to start the game. That was the dumbest move that the Cavs fans could have done is to chant overrated at Halliburton before it got started. Why would you do that? He already knows that his fellow players talk about him being overrated. You don't have to remind him of it, that's gonna piss him off a little bit.

Nikola Jokic is the best player playing basketball in the world

Nicole Jokic is the best player in the world. He is the best player playing basketball right now in the world. He had 42, 22 and six. It was an MVP off with him and SGA who also was very good with 33, 10 and eight.

NBA Finals prediction: Celtics vs. Thunder

I'm sticking with the Boston Celtics, Bing bong hanky. I still support the Celtics and you know, I'm sticking with the with the thunder and I'm a little bit nervous today. I think Boston has a much easier path to the finals than OKC.

The Detroit Pistons have a very bright future because of Cade Cunningham

The Pistons have a very bright future because Cade Cunningham stepped up, stepped up like that level playoff series, young team getting their first taste of it. It sucks to hear, but the Pistons have a very bright future.

LeBron James will not retire silently; he will have a massive farewell tour

LeBron James is not going to retire outta the blue and just walk off the court and that'll be it. He is going to have the retirement tour. Yep. He's going to go across the country and there's gonna be like a documentary crew that follows him everywhere.

The Cavaliers will beat the Pacers in six games

I'm gonna say Cavs in six Cavs are really good. I think the Cavs I respect the hell out of the Cavs.

Steph Curry demolished and ruined the Houston Rockets franchise twice in two different eras

Steph Curry broke and demolished the rockets. The James Harden Rockets... The Rockets then bottomed out three years in a row... And guess who's still there demolishing these new rockets, Steph Curry. Yeah. It's very, that's so brutal. They literally went through an entire rebuild and the guy who who who, who tore them down the first time is still standing there tearing them down this time.

The Pistons finally winning a playoff game signals that all of Detroit sports are trending in the right direction

This is something that Pistons fans should enjoy and revel in and be like, yes. Like it is now trending towards the right way. All of Detroit sports, by the way, besides the Red Wings... the lions have been bad forever. They've obviously the last few years have been really good. The Tigers were bad for a really long time. They've been good. And now the Pistons.

Rudy Gobert's defensive value to the Timberwolves cannot be overestimated

Rudy Gobert is just so impactful on both sides of the ball. I think, you know, Rudy is a very polarizing player in the league, but, having been with him now for three years, like he just, his value cannot be overestimated. It's just so important to everything that we do.

A 71-47 score is the largest possible 24-point deficit in basketball

The halftime lead for the Heat was 71-47 and that is pretty much the largest 24-point deficit you can have... It feels like 30. If you can jump over multiple digits of 10, that's when it appears so much larger.

Kawhi Leonard is currently playing like a machine

I watched Kawhi go through some pre-game shooting routines where he was as impressive... all Kawhi does is look like a machine. I remember watching him make like 96 out of a hundred 17-footers. That's what Kawhi looks like right now.

Zach Edey needs to stop bringing the ball down on rebounds to avoid being stripped

Zach Edey, he shows me like he's improved still... but that guy, somebody needs to pull him aside and be like, youngster, you need to quit taking the ball down on rebounds. You put that ball up higher, you're taller than everybody else. 'Cause he's addicted to it. He does it every single time to get stripped.

Soccer cutting and spacing tactics translate directly to basketball

Cutting a place. You know, the way you cut can open up a two on one, you know, for the guy next to you... to move the defense. That stuff comes from soccer. That's my favorite sport to watch.

The Clippers are a threat as long as Kawhi Leonard is healthy

The Clippers scare me as a Nuggets Fairweather fan. Anytime Kawhi is healthy. Yeah. You have to be scared of the Clippers because he still will like the Clippers could absolutely beat the nuggets.

You cannot fire Michael Malone if he wins two NBA titles in three years

If he then comes back and wins a second NBA championship in three years and your team's never won one before... That is a good thing. Yeah. No matter what like concerns you have about his coaching style or whether it's built for long-term success. If he wins two in three years, you cannot fire him.

The Celtics' loss to the Cavaliers was a 'statement loss' that will motivate them for the playoffs

A fully healthy Celtics team is not loose to the Cavs. It was an absolute ref show, but it was, it was. I mean it's good. It's, it's a, Mazzulla loves those games. He loves having things that he can use to motivate the team and and losing to a team that's gonna have a better record than them going into the playoffs like that. That's good. That was a good statement loss.

The Celtics are officially 'all the way back' as title favorites

The Celtics waxed [the Knicks]... it's back on. All, all the way back on. The last five, they've won each by minimum 13.

The Denver Nuggets are the fourth-best championship contender when healthy

I think Denver's the fourth team when Denver has Aaron Gordon and this version of Jamal Murray. Even with a diminished bench, it's like you can't rule, especially, you know, you look at the depth, the extra days off depth isn't as big of an issue.

The NBA will expand to Las Vegas and Seattle

They're gonna add two more teams, I think is my takeaway... Vegas and Seattle.

I love the NBA Cup courts and the point differential incentive

I am a full NBA cup guy... The courts I love. I like something different. I also love the fact, and this is probably because I like to gamble on overs that teams are playing for point differential. That makes it fun.

The specialized NBA Cup courts are bad for casual fans and confusing to watch

I do not like the court. Okay. I don't like, I don't, I think for a casual fan it's gonna take a while for them to get The NBA a cup. It just doesn't help. It's like, what is wrong with this court? Then you have to explain this whole long NBA cup thing. Not a fan of the court.

Nikola Jokic is the best player in the NBA right now

Who is the best player in the NBA right now? Yoki. Yeah. He is. Yoki. I honestly think it's his feeling for the ball. Right. I know a ton of motherfuckers that can pass, but like a one second pass is worse than a 0.3 pass... His feel for the game, his feel for the ball I think is one of his best attributes.