Takes

There are only four true superstars in the NBA: Jokic, Giannis, Luka, and the aging veterans

I have like four superstars in the whole league... so it's Jokic, it's Giannis, it's Luka, and then it's, there's like the aging group of superstars that's like Steph, LeBron, KD. It's not much. I don't go Superstar to me is if you said their name like to your mom or someone on the street, they would immediately be like, yeah, of course I know who that is.

Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum are essentially the same playoff player.

Embiid and Tatum are the same player. Their fourth quarter numbers are exactly the same. Their offensive rating is exactly the same... They're the same playoff player.

LeBron James should take significantly less money to win another championship ring

If it were me, I would say I will take significantly less, as less as it helps basically to make sure that we get other people in here who can help us win. Because here's the thing, you can't buy a championship ring after you retire all that money... He's not gonna feel any difference in his life.

It feels like the Thunder are effectively up 3-1 in their series against the Nuggets.

That [Nuggets Thunder series] to me feels like it's... it feels like three One thunder right now.

Monday night's game against the Hurricanes is a must-win for the Capitals.

This is a must win. Monday is a must win. And we're one and one in must win games in the postseason.

The Rockies firing Bud Black won't change anything because owner Dick Monfort is the real problem.

The Rockies fired Bud Black... the owner, Dick Monfort, being like, 'we're all trying to find out how this happened.' It's you, dude. You're the piece of shit.

The Lakers will have to trade Austin Reaves if they want the high-level players needed to surround LeBron James with a contender.

They're gonna have to trade Austin Reaves if they want the level of guys around [LeBron James] that they need. Because right now, [opponents] get to choose which one you go through because they don't defend at the level that you need.

Never trade for a wide receiver from Mike Tomlin

Never trade for wide receiver from Mike Tomlin because Mike Tomlin is trading his wide receiver for a reason. And that means that Mike Tomlin is done with his wide receiver and he doesn't want him anymore. And you can go back. Deontay Johnson, chase Claypool, Antonio Brown... Mike Tomlin when he's like, I'm done with the, with, with, with the wide receiver. That's, it's over, it's damaged goods.

The Knicks are built specifically to beat the Celtics

I've said for the last like three, four months, this Knicks team is built to beat the Celtics.

The Thunder are 'up' in their series against the Nuggets despite being tied 1-1

I still think it's gonna be a very good series. But this was the thunder we all expected as the one seed... I think the Thunder's up in the series one-to-one.

Derrick White needs to stop shooting so many three-pointers and focus on defense

Derrick White raising his hand like, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on guy, you got paid for defense, play defense. Right? You're not gonna be chucking 10 threes up. And that's what end up happening in this new analytic where they're trying to fill all these three point quotas.

Jalen Brunson is the closest player to the real 'Mamba Mentality' in the NBA

He's the closest thing we have to Mamba mentality, the real Mamba mentality... That killer mentality that wants to take over the world. That's what Brunson has in the last five minutes.

Nikola Jokic is a better player than Bill Russell

[Big Cat] Is Jokic better than Bill Russell? [Gilbert Arenas] Yeah.

The Pacers have alligator blood and never die

The Pacers are just, they, they, they have alligator blood, they do not die. And they, they have a belief in Tyrese Halliburton... I really think that it's like, they, they are built for this type of situation where it's like, you've seen it two times in the last three games where they're just gonna keep going at you and they're not gonna give up.

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.

The 2024-25 Pacers look like a better version of the team that made the Eastern Conference Finals last year

The Pacers went through the wars last year and they got a little bit of scars and now it does feel like they're a different team making these big time plays and never being out of it... they look like the team in that Eastern Conference finals that what the Pacers are making everyone look like [now].

Nikola Jokic is the best player playing basketball in the world

Nikola 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 performance.

The Thunder are a year away from having a true second scoring option and lost to the Nuggets because they are too young

This was just a masterclass of a young team not being through it and not knowing how to close out these games and the Nuggets being the opposite... The Thunder have so many guys, but you don't have the second guy. I think you're a year away from from one of those guys being the step up guy.

The Thunder lose their home court advantage by wearing dark t-shirts that don't pop on TV

You're taking away your t-shirt advantage when you wear a dark muted color. Like was it navy blue or was it, was it black? It was a very dark color and it didn't pop. Usually you get either the white or the blue... and you know that it's a t-shirt game. I didn't even know it was a t-shirt game at first.

Jokic is the most skilled big man we have ever seen

He's the most skilled player in the world. He does everything at a very high level... the best floater in the league, but he is also an incredible jump shooter. And that's not even a strength. So long story short, he's just the most skilled big man we've ever seen.

Tyrese Halliburton is the most underrated player in the playoffs

That take [him being overrated] is aging very poorly, very poorly. They are five in one in the Playoffs... he might be the most underrated player in these NBA playoffs. I think he deserves some flowers. He deserves some of those media cycles where we're like, he's 25 and he's three wins away from bringing his team to the conference finals two years in a row.

The Houston Rockets have a very bright future despite their Game 7 loss

The Rockets, as I expected going into this series, they're a very good team. They have a very bright future... they will be back. They could make a move for Giannis.

James Harden stops playing in big games because he simply doesn't want to work anymore

I don't think it's necessarily even an insult to say that to him. Because I, I actually believe that James Harden is like, I don't wanna work anymore. I'm, I'm gonna get paid essentially the same if I, if I get eliminated now or if I get eliminated in two weeks... He doesn't really have any upside besides the glory of winning, which I don't think he necessarily cares that much about.

The 2012 Thunder only reached the Finals because James Harden was their sixth man

[Harden] was the sixth man on that team though, wasn't he? Yeah. So it wasn't like they were counting on him for anything. No, that's that's why they were able to get the finals.

I wouldn't be worried about the Knicks even if the Celtics go down 0-2

Not worried about the Knicks. Even if we lose, I'll say it right now. If somehow we lose game one, we could lose two games and I wouldn't be worried. [Down 0-2?] Still not worried. I'll say it.

The Rock is the best movie ever made

The Rock is Back. And if you haven't seen The Rock it may, it might be the best movie ever made... It is the perfect movie. It's got everything. Sean Connery, Nick Cage, prisons, terrorists.

LeBron James only releases post-elimination injury reports to build a protective narrative for his legacy

With LeBron it's interesting because the, the whole like you know, build, building in your narrative. Your excuse after the fact. It's something he's done a couple times... but he always has to remind us that he's injured always. And to not play a hypothetical game, it was just so extra to be like, if game six had happened tonight, yeah. He would not be playing.

Jamie Benn is the player who deserves a Stanley Cup more than anyone else in the league

Number one, Jamie Benn. That's kind, that's kind of my, my player right now. Who doesn't have one that, that I feel like, God, that guy deserves one. He's, I mean, I think, 16 years in 17... a warrior, a beast, a true captain, a leader, and he is done it like teammates love him. He's done it for so long that if Dallas were to get one, that's kind of my guy.

Florida is the perfect team of rats and dirtbags that can bully anyone

Florida is just the fact they added Brad Marchand guys... I don't know if I've ever seen a player fit more perfectly into a team than the way he's kind of come into this team of rats and dirt bags. And that's a compliment by the way. And they bully teams.

Dallas is the best warm-weather hockey town in North America

I think Dallas... those playoff games. It's crazy that arena gets loud, sneaky La Kings are, are awesome... but LA and Dallas kind of stick out and the, the, the Panthers fans have come on here. They, they've made these games a complete party.

I am committing to eating one salad every single day to improve my health

I've committed to eating salad every day. Having one salad a day is a pretty good compromise that you can make with yourself.

I'm excited for the Celtics to beat the Knicks because New York fans never win anything and are too loud

New York fans are the loudest fans and never win anything and it's just fun to shut 'em up. I'm excited to beat New York.

Despite losing to the Knicks, the Pistons have a very bright future because Cade Cunningham proved he is a playoff-level star

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.

Anthony Edwards is the new face of the league if he wins a title

He is, he's the face of the league if he can win a title and the Timberwolves are just a really good team all around.

Mavs GM Nico Harrison was right about Luka Doncic being out of shape and a defensive liability

Nico Harrison's a fuckhead. But was he kind of right? Everything that Nico Harrison was standing on—Luca being outta shape, defensive liability—did kind of come into play in this game. I still would rather have Luca on my team. But it was for one night, Nico Harrison went to sleep happy.

LeBron James should opt out and take a pay cut to help the Lakers build a better roster

He could opt out and then take less. He can opt out and then willingly take a pay cut and say, I would like to get paid 35, $40 million next year. Which would be smart. Use that money to get a center, fill the roster around, get someone over seven feet.

The Monfort brothers are terrible owners and the Colorado Rockies might be the worst team ever

We gotta get on the radar of the Colorado Rockies maybe being the worst team of all time... officially the Monfort Brothers, Dick and Charlie Monfort, we're looking at you, we're watching you, we're on your shit. We're just gonna say you fucking suck ass once every couple of months.

If I were the Rockets, I would give Fred VanVleet the ball for the final shot over Jalen Green

I think I'd give it to Fred [VanVleet]. Or I might just give it to Dylan Brooks and just be like, this is gonna be funny. The real answer would probably be Fred.

Draymond Green is special because he brings a fearlessness and energy that goes beyond stats

What Draymond [Green] brings to the team is so much more than just what you see on a stat line. It's so much more than just the surface. You know, he's the one who's bringing the energy and making sure that everybody's ready to go. Steph [Curry] can be Steph. Nobody's fucking Steph up because Draymond is gonna be right there putting you in a choke hold if you try.

The European basketball development system is superior to the US AAU system

Great development system out there [in France]... They coach it as a team sport. It's not the superstar thing. And if you have a shot to be an NBA prospect, you have like the top French general managers coming to your house... For the development of the game, there needs to be a change [in the US].

Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Thunder would ruin the NBA

I heard people talking about Giannis to the Thunder that would, that might ruin the NBA. Well, if Giannis goes to the Thunder next year, they would have to trade players.

The Bucks are in a weird spot where they can't even fully tank if they trade Giannis

The Bucks don't own any of their own picks for the foreseeable future. So they're in a weird situation where they can't really tank... if they trade Giannis for picks, you're now, you have to hope that the other teams stink... the bucks are kind of stuck in a spot where it doesn't help for them to just be bad.

Tom Thibodeau is an idiot for his clock management in the Pistons loss

I think Tibs is an idiot. He should have called the time out... You have to fucking get those guys in the game. You can't let a minute and a half go by with both those guys standing and watching at the scorers table.

I'm officially on the record for leaving a Capitals playoff game early

I have a confession to make... I did leave the game early. Oldie and I were sitting there we're depressed caps are losing... There's about three minutes left in the game... I wanted to let you guys know that I did regrettably leave the game about two and a half minutes early.

Remote sports broadcasting for playoff games should be abolished

Abolishing in studio broadcasters. Celtics had it tonight. The two guys were not in the garden... It sounded like a dead arena... that just needs to not be a thing. I dunno how much money it saves. It's good for golf. It's bad for real sports.

Errors in the outfield are significantly worse than errors in the infield

Errors in the outfield are way worse than errors on the infield for whatever reason. 'cause anytime you're like backed to the field, you are chasing the ball after.

Robot umpires should only be used for challenges, not for every pitch

I think that would be like the furthest extent that you'd want see it. I don't want it like full, I, I just, yeah. Don't think it would be good... I think in big spots if like there's an egregious miss or something like that, like I think even the umpires would probably want it to be corrected.

The Home Run Derby has lost its luster and isn't cool anymore

Home run derby's not even cool anymore. I don't even You messed up the format... the camera work's gone. I don't think Chris Berman's even doing it. It's lost a lot of its luster.

Live human performances will never be replicated or beaten by AI

It could never replicate the live experience though. So maybe AI can make a Spotify song... but you can't, you can't beat a live show. And that's the one thing I think some DJs lack is that they just, you know, I think adding in all these extra elements will make it dope.

AI can make a song for Spotify, but it can never replicate the live performance experience

It could never replicate the live experience though. So maybe AI can make a Spotify song... but you can't, you can't beat a live show. And that's the one thing I think some DJs lack is that they just, you know, I think adding in all these extra elements will make it dope.