Takes

Kawhi Leonard will hate Toronto and his uncle will continue to speak for him

Kawhi Leonard, does he like Toronto or not? It was reported that he hates it. He didn't leave his hotel room during the All-Star game. Will he or will he not stay or play or ever do anything else on a basketball court because no one's talked to him in like 10 months and his uncle has taken his brain and is now speaking for him.

I would take five LeBrons over five Michael Jordans in a prime matchup

[Big Cat]: Five MJs, five LeBrons. Who you got? Both in their prime. [Dan Patrick]: I'll take five LeBrons. LeBron's going to be as accomplished. The fact he went to eight straight NBA finals.

LeBron James didn't play a lick of defense in the 2017-18 season

He literally didn't play defense. There was many times where he literally did not play defense. He did not play defense in 2017-18. He didn't.

Michael Jordan could not survive in today's social media environment

Mike, Mike couldn't survive in today's social media. He wouldn't have done well with social media.

LeBron is building an 'All-Blame Team' of scapegoats to avoid criticism for the Lakers' upcoming season

I think LeBron is now just putting together the all blame team. He has put together the greatest blame team of all time. JaVale McGee, Lance Stevenson, Rondo, and Michael Beasley. LeBron James has no intentions of winning next year. He just has intentions of making sure no one blames him. He has now put together literally a super team of people that can be made fun of on Twitter so that we forget about LeBron James. He is the scapegoat.

I like the Kawhi Leonard trade for the Raptors because their old core wasn't working

I actually like this move for the Raptors because you couldn't, after you lose to LeBron 4-0 in your best season in franchise history... And everyone says these guys are a mental mess. DeMar DeRozan didn't even play in game three in crunch time. You need to do something different.

Kawhi Leonard is a top five NBA player when healthy

Kawhi is, if he's healthy, which I assume he is, is a top five NBA player. And now you have one of the best defenses in the NBA.

The Michael Jordan statue is the most iconic sports statue in the world

I'm going to MJ's statue, iconic statue. It's a logo that everyone, you know, it's basically the coolest logo in the world. That's the number one sports statue in the world in my mind.

The Jabari Parker contract is a perfect risk for the Chicago Bulls

Jabari Parker, two-year, $40 million. It's actually the perfect risk by the Bulls to do that but it is very funny when you see the number 40 million and you realize that a guy who's got two torn ACLs is getting 40 million.

Kevin Durant is the most triggered athlete of all time

Kevin Durant, he is easily the number one most triggered athlete of all time, without a doubt. It's not even close.

I'm tired of the NBA being 'too in our face' during the summer

I don't need the NBA Summer League. I don't need it in my face. The NBA gets like 10 months now. I can take a break. I love the NBA... but I just don't need to talk about every single thing that happens in the NBA Summer League... I feel like the NBA is way too in our face. Like, just chill.

Kobe Bryant secretly hates that LeBron James joined the Lakers

LeBron's going to be a Laker and now Kobe is silently stewing and he's going to pretend to like this, but you know he hates it.

LeBron James will fake an injury and tank his first season with the Lakers to wait for Kawhi Leonard

I think LeBron, this is going to be a year... and then LeBron is going to do his first year where he fakes an injury. Pretty much broken hand. tanks, and then comes back. Saves it all up. That's why they signed Lance Stevenson... he just stacked the team with a bunch of guys who aren't really going to do anything, and LeBron can sit out for a year.

Phil Jackson will return to coach the Lakers after LeBron's first year

Phil wouldn't come back this year, but maybe once they add another piece or two and LeBron gets his one year of a fake injury out of the way, that is a prime Phil Jackson move to swoop in on an already established, really good team.

Adding any player to the Warriors decreases their chances of winning a title due to chemistry

Honestly, at this point with the Warriors, any addition that they make probably decreases their chances on winning another title. Because it's like they're a perfect team. So no matter who you add, there's always a small chance of it fucking up the chemistry.

The Rockets losing Trevor Ariza and gaining Carmelo Anthony has a bigger impact on the NBA title than Boogie Cousins joining the Warriors

I actually have a hot take. I think the Rockets letting Ariza go and somehow making it Michael Carter Williams or Carmelo Anthony has more of an impact on the title than Boogie Cousins.

LeBron James will beat up Skip Bayless at some point this year

There's a good chance that LeBron beats up Skip Bayless at some point this year.

Dwight Howard's career will end with him dominating in China

This is just one step closer to Dwight Howard's perfect ending of his career, and that's just dominating in China... Dwight Howard will go to China and be like yeah everyone loves me no one has told me to fuck off in English.

We called LeBron James signing with the Lakers before it happened

LeBron James has signed. We called that, by the way. We were way out ahead of that one, so please credit us.

LeBron James will sign with the Lakers

LeBron's going to sign with the Lakers. Paul George is going to stay in Oklahoma. No, I think playoff P is going to L.A.

Modern NBA GMs prefer gambling on high-upside rookies over reliable role players

GMs nowadays are looking for, like, the next greatest thing. They'll try like an 18-year-old, see if it works. If it doesn't, they'll try another. They're not going to stick with the solid guy because that's not going to help them get eventually a steal in the second round.

Joey Crawford is the best official in NBA history

Joey Crawford's the best official in the history of the game... I think that he controls the game better than anybody... In the second half, you rarely hear about him.

Danny Ainge's goal is to beat LeBron James, not sign him

I think Danny Ainge's whole life has been about beating LeBron... Since he got to Boston, LeBron has, you know, pseudo been in the league. How do you overtake this guy?... But he doesn't want LeBron to join. He wants to beat him.

Kevin Durant's move to the Warriors made the NBA better by raising the standard

I think [Kevin Durant] made the NBA better because he sets a standard for what a championship team would be like... The new championship level is what we're seeing with the Warriors.

Paul George is going to sign with the Lakers

[Speaker 3] (25:30-25:31) My cool throne is the Lakers. [Speaker 3] (25:34-25:38) And Paul George is going to L.A. to take a meeting. [Speaker 3] (27:55-27:58) Yeah, I think Paul George is going to L.A.

LeBron James will sign with the Lakers if Paul George goes there first

[Speaker 3] (27:58-28:02) I think if Paul George goes to L.A., LeBron is very fast behind him. [Speaker 3] (28:13-28:18) But the minute one of those two guys [George or Kawhi] goes to L.A., [LeBron] is going to L.A.

History will remember Carmelo Anthony as someone who sucked, forgetting how good he actually was

Here's what's going to happen to Melo, which kind of sucks. Because Melo, I mean, all-time scorer... He's definitely going to play for a couple more years, and everyone's going to look back and be like, Melo sucked. They will not remember that Melo was very, very good.

Carmelo Anthony has staying power because he has the coolest basketball name ever

Have you guys heard the theory why he [Carmelo Anthony] has so much staying power? It's just because he has the coolest basketball name of all time. Like if his name was like John Brown, he would have been benched years ago.

Michael Jordan is the GOAT, followed closely by Kobe Bryant

I still have to give it to MJ. With a close Kobe second. It's hard for me playing the game right now to give a guy [LeBron James] that crown because I'm still in the game. And he's still in the game, too. I cannot do that.

Super teams threaten to water down the NBA

The only thing I just hope that doesn't happen is the league becomes watered down because so many teams are trying to create a super team to where you have 10 teams of the 30 having all the best players. And then what does that do with the rest of the league? Everyone else is tanking. That just hurts the NBA at the end of the day.

I will play in the NBA for only one more year

[Question: How many more years you got?] One. That's it? Yes.

Trae Young looks like he sucks

Granted, I'm not a great basketball mind. That might surprise you at home. No, you're a brilliant basketball mind. But Trae Young looks like he sucks to me.

Luka Doncic dominated the second best league in the world and will be very good

Luka Doncic, I think, will be very good. He dominated the Spanish League. That's the second best league in the world. He's 18 years old. He won the MVP of the Spanish League in his 18. That's pretty fucking good.

Michael Porter Jr. fell in the draft because he doesn't have a spine

Michael Porter Jr. doesn't have a spine because that's the only reason why he fell all the way to the 14th pick. People actually thought – like he obviously was injured at Missouri... I'm just convinced he just doesn't have a spine.

The best you will ever see Mo Bamba is the first time you lay eyes on him

Our friend Matt Jones from Kentucky Sports Radio... had a great line about Mo Bamba. He said the best... The best you'll ever see Mo Bamba is the first time you lay eyes on him. Because then from that moment on, you're like, wait, he can't really play basketball?

Donovan Mitchell and Dante DiVincenzo are the grittiest backcourt in history

I'm also psyched about the grittiest backcourt, perhaps, in NBA history with Dante DiVincenzo and Matthew Dellavedova. Ooh. Try driving to the hole and not drawing a charge with those two on the court.

Dwight Howard is the worst teammate of all time

Dwight Howard, the worst teammate. Can we say he's the worst teammate of all time? Embrace the bait... Dwight Howard just being the worst teammate ever and no one wanting him. He alienated his teammates before we met him.

Dwight Howard would work on the Celtics

I actually think he would work on the Celtics. Call me crazy. But they wouldn't let him be the alpha. And if he didn't fit, he wouldn't fit. But I think he could fit.

Luka Doncic is the best NBA prospect ever

I'm officially a Luka guy. I've never seen a second of film of him... I'm going to go with best prospect ever.

Wendell Carter Jr. is better than Marvin Bagley

We actually have Wendell Carter Jr. coming on Friday. I think he is better than Bagley.

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.]

Colangelo's burner accounts are the weirdest NBA storyline of the season

I still got to go with a general manager in the NBA getting fired for someone in his family, possibly him, burner tweeting his own players. Collar gate.

Kyrie Irving is waiting until 2019 to sign an extension to get $80 million extra

When [Kyrie Irving] said that he wasn't going to stay in a contract extension this summer with Boston, that is because if he waits until next year, he can get $80 million extra from Boston.

LeBron James playing all 82 games at age 33 is highly suspicious

LeBron James, 33 years old, 15 years in the league, played all 82 games. Seems like his durability's going up at 33. Most athletes, their durability goes down. [Implying HGH use].

LeBron James has the prototypical NBA body, not a super jacked one

LeBron's a big, strong guy, but he's not like... I feel like people think he's just jacked from head to toe, and I feel like he's got big shoulders. He's got the prototypical NBA body, like a smaller chest, skinny waist, and big arms.

LeBron James will not go to the Western Conference because he wants to make the Finals every year

I'm not buying the idea that LeBron wants to play in the West. I think that it's still very – LeBron's, like, claim to fame is that he always makes the finals. And that's very much in jeopardy.

LeBron James will not sign with the Houston Rockets because he hates the city

Houston is my hot seat because the word on the street from, directly from LeBron James' lips. During the season when they were in Houston, he hates Houston as a city... The strip malls? The congestion? When you pull up Google Maps and it's just a ring of red... I believe that he hates Houston. I'm taking them off. We're officially taking them off the Pardon My Take big board for LeBron.

LeBron James is signing with the Lakers now that Bronny has enrolled in an LA school

Gary Payton, recurring guest Gary Payton, is saying that LeBron, Bronnie Jr. has enrolled at a school, private school in L.A... My two favorite things about free agency... is school updates where the kids are going to go to school and then realtor updates. Who's looking for houses where?

Kyrie Irving wants to leave Boston for the New York Knicks

There's a lot of rumblings coming out of Boston right now that Kyrie Irving might be thinking about going somewhere else after next season... Kyrie has always had his eyes on New York, and so he's always wanted to be a Nick.

Teams should hesitate to sign LeBron James to a Supermax contract due to his 'compound fracture' hand injury

how does lebron's like terrible terrible very very painful looking um displaced compound fracture hand injury affect his free agency status because if I was a team, I would hesitate against paying a guy with an injury like that a Supermax contract.