Ep. 104 | Lakers Sold for $10 Billion, Haliburton's Heartbreak & NBA Draft Night

The business of sports took center stage this week, and the aunties are breaking down the headlines that have everyone talking.

Jen and KB react to the historic $10 billion sale of the Los Angeles Lakers, discussing what it means for one of sports' most iconic franchises, ownership in professional sports, and why valuations continue to soar. They also revisit Shedeur Sanders' recent speeding citations, exploring accountability, leadership, and why young stars can't afford unnecessary distractions.

The conversation shifts to the emotional conclusion of the NBA Finals, where Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury changed the trajectory of Game 7 and sparked broader questions about player health, workload, and whether the league needs to rethink how it protects its stars. The aunties also discuss Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's championship run, Kevin Durant's move to the Houston Rockets, early NBA Draft storylines, and the latest news from the WNBA, including the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese, and Chicago Sky.

From billion-dollar franchises to championship heartbreak, this week's conversation goes beyond the box score to explore the business, culture, and humanity behind sports.

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Two aunties. Two mics. All game.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

go okay hey everybody welcome to auntie's talk sports where we go beyond the game and explore the intersection of sports and culture for female fans we are two aunties two mics but all game i'm jennifer aka auntie jen aka jen jen b and i'm kalia uh go by kb Hey. Hey. And we have Elijah in the building. The resident nephew intern. Yes, yes, nephew. It's been a crazy week. The week has flown by and here we are. You know, life is lifin'. But it's all good. It's all good stuff. Nothing bad, all good. Baby girl had her 7th birthday yesterday. Little Cameron, my girl. Yes, so I'm TH, yes, but to have a 7-year-old, that definitely keeps me busy. So, enjoyed hanging out with her and some of her friends and I think the other thing that's been keeping me busy is the oldest had surgery on her ankle. Yeah. Yeah. To repair a sports injury. So definitely in IT mode, but mama mode too. Yes. Yes. And you're dealing with? The teen and the seven-year-old, and I am knee-deep in planning my mother's 90th birthday party. She requested to have a party in my backyard, so it's going down. Is her birthday in July? July. Her birthday is July 29th. straight up Leo that's such a blessing I'm a Leo too but that's a blessing to celebrate your mom's 90th birthday so yes she requested a party in my backyard and I said okay we're going to have your party if I'm alive I'm like don't come on now really she has a sense of humor though so tell all the jokes all the time but no I'm glad because your business is growing business is growing it is it is and all and and constantly evolving you know shout out to bright ledgers yes shout out to bright ledgers well that's good i knew you you must have been uh the the the day job must have been um must have been keeping you busy because as things were happening in the sports world you weren't texting or I usually call you but you have been quiet I was like I'm gonna let I'm gonna give Jen her space yeah I was watching everything but I I was mentally noting in it but yeah I was you know um busy with work but hey it's all good it's all good there were a lot of crazy things that happened this week um I had a few stories that caught my eye, and I would just make note of them. I have a couple, but the one that really caught my eye, and this is what I was telling you last week, Elijah, I'm always looking at, speaking of business, I'm always looking at sports and business. And the Lakers... changing hands changing ownership majority ownership hands for 10 billion dollars they the team was purchased in 1979 for 67 million dollars and they sold for 10 billion dollars yeah yeah So that's why I've been knee deep in Bright Ledgers this week. I got to get to work with my valuation. Well, it's funny because there's, you know, being kind of in a tech adjacent space, you're always talking about, right, the exit plan, the valuation, or you want a 10X, right? That's much more than a 10X, you know? And people always say that, you know, the Lakers are the most heralded franchise, but you see the difference in valuation Yes. on the front row that that counts for something. Yes. But I also thought it was interesting that Jeannie Buss is staying on. I was just going to say that. Yes. Another business move that she's staying on as governor. Yeah. Yeah. Whatever that means. Do you think it's a business move for her or for the incoming ownership to try to create stability or? Both. You know, the family legacy thing. stays and who knows how long she'll stay and then if she is she the last bus that's going to be in that role you know the last bus coming you know it's you know that's legacy she's keeping that legacy alive so you know kind of staying on so yeah I thought I also caught some comments by Magic Johnson when they announced the sale and there was something that stuck out that really struck me which is he said the incoming ownership group wasn't afraid to spend money so I feel like Magic always kind of told the He always toes the line with like, you know, always showing his love and admiration for the team and the buses. But he's also keeps it real. You know what I mean? So I was like, oh, has a part of the Lakers challenges just been also that they didn't want to outlay the money. Right. To get everything that was needed, maybe from a player personnel standpoint, because I was like, why else would he say that? Right. The Dodgers is why he said that, too.

UNKNOWN 6:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

uh you know he they're the that's also the owner of the dodgers right yeah and so he's you know he's playing a little bit of that too oh let me they're greasing my palm over here so let me let me say i'm gonna say something real good something nice yeah talk to me nice yeah because i was like that you it could also be seen as like a little bit of a slight but um oh yeah he loving it right potter that ownership group and who knows i would also be interested to know is it and i don't i didn't really hear this if it's just one like sole proprietor or or if they also had other individuals on the cap table. So, yeah. I don't know. Is Magic a part owner of Lakers at all? Is he in that? He's not in that. I think it's just the Dodgers. Yeah, I think it's just the Dodgers. I think he, you know, I think that was a little bit of why he was hyping him up, too. Yeah. And you can't argue the Dodgers are... world series team every year so um over the last few years i won't say every year but every year they have a chance but so they you know obviously they have a good owner he's crossing sports so i think that's good yeah i'm optimistic that he'll do the right things for the organization and bring it into the 2020s yeah he said uh it's mark mark walter i guess is the new owner and that's what he said he's doing everything the right way and he will put in the resources needed to win yes and if i'm genie i'm like what you mean by that because genie genie sometimes just leaves with her heart Yeah, just a little, you know, a little tight with the money. But yeah, I mean, that's a lot of, you know, wealthy individuals or some wealthy individuals ultimate dream is to own a team, right? Because it puts you in in rare air. So it'll be interesting to see if we as fans, avid fans notice a difference in the product in LA. So yeah, so that was my one story, you know, one big story. that you know caught my eye you know I I will touch touch on something really quickly about the Shador Sanders speeding twice don't give them any headlines to write about like that like get a driver at this point get a driver because now you're just now it's it's twice yeah twice But I also, this is again the auntie in me, right? I do think, and this kind of came out in the draft where some of the pundits and kind of newscasters were saying they didn't necessarily know if they were getting all the intel about Shador's experience in Colorado and if they were keeping certain information back. So that's the first thing that I thought of because you don't just start speeding you don't just start going 40-50 miles over the speed limit and so I was like huh there was a little bit of fire where there was smoke so he may have had a couple of tickets while he was in Colorado may have had a couple of tickets in Jackson State I just don't think you just start doing that and how reckless so At the same time that story was happening, there was also a story about Henry Ruggs III from the Las Vegas Raiders. Henry Ruggs was driving over 100 miles an hour down the strip and ran into the back of a driver and killed her and her little dog. He's in prison for a year, so he was released on bail. for like a day or so to go and do you know a presentation about like why what happened to him so somebody needs to show that video to Shador because it only takes a split second for something like that to happen you know something like that to happen at this point get a driver we don't need you don't you don't need those headlines you're already getting all the other headlines don't let that be a story so yeah and that's the you know people may have forgotten but to the players in uh In Alabama, right? Who, again, driving. Georgia. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, that was a little bit disappointing because I feel like he... uh, you know, kicked off. I mean, people are going to talk, but I feel like at least he was doing a lot of the right things saying a lot of the right things was above reproach. And now you kind of giving people fodder to say that they were right about you. And, um, you know, you're not really, you know, the type of leader, right. That a team needs. And so he, he had to clean that up to your point. Uber black baby all the way. I hate driving in general. I'm like, if ever I was independently wealthy, that's the first thing that I'm getting. Pick me up. You see LeBron driving sometimes, but sometimes he in the back being a passenger prince. Let me put my feet up. I got a small taste of that life when I was at my former job after my health crisis. I was like, I can't drive two and a half hours to work they were like we'll send a car for you I was like thank you and so I would be in that bag like oh yeah I can get used to this I can take a nap I can go again a nap I can take a nap I can have a little breakfast and I would be coming out all you know hurried like oh I'm so sorry I'm so sorry like it's an Uber you know what I mean oh I'm sorry I'm late he's like no madam we're on your time we leave when you're ready to leave I said oh well let me let me calm down so I'll understand people who got money and they still trying to drive everywhere cause it is that's to me luxury and the NFL I'm sure it's with every team but they will send a car for you All you have to do is request it. It doesn't matter what hour. Because he's probably someplace he don't want people knowing. But yeah, he has to clean that up. Yeah, I wonder what Dion said. I didn't hear anything from Dion. The thing for me this week that was so funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You know how I feel about Stephen A. He grates on my nerves. I used to like him, but over the past couple of years, I feel like his ego has just balloon those like Easter suits that he wears but his white one the other day yeah but his daughter I loved it his daughter they invited her on air I loved it and oh my gosh she humanized him yeah he like loosened up it was just so beautiful to see him like in his kind of his his dad mode she was very funny yes you know and then I saw online and I don't even know where like if this was on her social media but she did an impersonation of him that went viral and it was the best thing ever I loved every second of it she had the stare she had the eyebrow that was going up and she looks just like him but in a beautiful form like a feminine form you know was telling her like oh the aunties out here think that I'm looking good and she was like oh no yes like oh no but that I mean we need more of that like she needs to be a guest it just makes him more likable and pulls him out of his like asshole mold that he's been in it's ridiculous his nephew comes on his podcast sometimes and that's another he's oh gosh I haven't seen that he is goofy his daughter is better but his nephew drives him crazy too but I like the fact Stephen A. Smith talks about the influence the people that calm him down are his sisters his sisters put him in check so seeing his daughter you know have that effect on him was not a surprise and I loved every second of it and we will get more of it it was great and she I guess is an actress so I did follow her because I was like oh she's like gold entertainment gold she could definitely have a career in sports broadcasting so when I went to her web her Instagram She's been an actress for a while. She's been in a couple movies and been in a couple of Tubi movies too. Shout out to Tubi. Shout out to Tubi, my tenant. has been in a few Tubi movies I can't with the Tubi movies I go get my nails done my nail tech is always like let me put on this new Tubi movie and it just shout out to those are worse than Tyler Perry movies but shout out to Samantha Smith got a bright future ahead thank you for calming your daddy down all America he been getting on all America all of America's nerves but um But yeah, that was great. That was ratings gold. I would say. So you ready to break my heart? Are you ready to go to the heartbreaker? What's your heartbreaker? What's your heartbreaker? My heartbreaker was seeing Halliburton on the ground crying. That broke my heart. I hate that. I would have rather to see the Pacers get blown out. I'm a wuss. okay I don't like when people get hurt and they play it over and over again I can never watch it I hate to see players like at the pinnacle of their moment and then they get injured like that just that crushes me so I am going to venture to say Indiana might have won that game had he stayed in the way they started I was like what is OKC doing like Y'all don't look like y'all were playing in a game seven. I mean, they ended up only losing by 12. I feel like he would have eked out 13 more points. They wouldn't have needed 30 from him. You only needed 13 from Halliburton. So that just, like, the whole, and you could see in the moment, like, when they went back and kind of replayed, you could see in the moment where, like, his Achilles popped. I was on the phone with my sister, and I'm, you know, games on. I called myself calling her before the game came on, but our conversation ran longer. And I'm looking, and I'm like, oh, he just... Tore his Achilles. I didn't even see the replay or anything like that. But when he went down and was like, no, no, no. I said, he just tore his Achilles. And it's that same leg that was wrapped up a few games ago. In every game, they would say, Halliburton's playing today. Halliburton's playing today. And then afterwards, they were like, if he had said he was too hurt to play, they would have called him soft. know now you're losing the whole season yeah but I feel like athletes at that level they don't always take that risk like he said if I can walk I'm gonna play we think about right because to me it was like the same thing that happened right with Durant right you in the finals you got a chance right they like you gonna play and he like yeah I'm gonna play right get out there and blow the Achilles so I think in the heat of the moment and everybody's going to be like a Monday morning quarterback and say he shouldn't have played, but I think the players are going to want to always take that risk. Unless, like he said, if I can't walk, then I'm not. But if I can walk, I'm going to get on the court. Because it's like your one moment for, I don't want to say notoriety, but it's your one moment maybe to put your name right. in the history books. So I don't think that it's the wrong, I don't think it's the wrong decision to make. At what point does the team, or if ever, does the team or the trainers make the decision to sit him down? The trainers and Etan Thomas was, he did a whole analysis about how when he was a player, he saw trainers, you know, like, push players to play when they were not ready. He was talking about Rip Hamilton going off on the trainers when he found out that they knew about an injury of his that he didn't know about until after they had finished playing. And he went off on them, like, you knew about this injury and you let me play or you were pushing me to play. And they're pushing them to play faster than they're ready to. Yeah. I didn't like the one picture that they put that all the zeros, Jason Tatum, Halliburton, and Dane. Was it Dane? Yeah. They all tore their Achilles. Well, it's funny because everybody, right? blames the trainers Bob Myers was talking about all of all of the parties who are involved in the decision making he's like it's the player it's the trainers it's the doctors it's the front office and he was like it's also the agent right so I don't I guess I don't believe that you have I would say lowly trainers but I don't believe that you have trainers who are unilaterally deciding that players play or don't play I think that you have other individuals who maybe try to distance themselves from the decisions once they go back but I don't think a trainer is overriding an agent I don't think a trainer is really overriding now could they conceal right maybe the severity of an injury but then we've also seen people bringing their own their own staff right that they which causes a lot of tension but I thought I'm trying to find what Victor Oladipo said afterwards because he went on a rant on X after the injury about you know him really wanting to advocate for different I guess policies in the NBA and then definitely people spoke out about you know the length of the season but I mean my dad tore his Achilles tendon when I was younger and was so I'm surprised that actually we don't see more Achilles injuries with the amount of jumping so I kind of nerded out and was reading all about the Achilles tendon and you know what I mean and so when they were talking about all of the torque right that that one ligament gets from all the running all the jumping all of the you know shifts in direction and pivoting like I'm actually surprised that they're not more people blowing their Achilles out, but three in the playoffs within like a month or so of one another. And they're actually happening more. I think the statistic was saying that maybe the last 30 years, you only had a handful of Achilles injuries. And then recently you've had maybe triple in the last like decade or so. So, I mean, you had Kevin Durant, We've had Clay. Who else? Now we've had Dame. Tatum. Tatum. Halliburton. Has anybody else, you know? There's a couple other players. ESPN just did a write-up today about all of that. Yes, about the expert site overuse in spate of... Achilles injuries in the NBA. And they were just talking James Wiseman, Isaiah Jackson, Deontay Murray. The three of the players were from the Pacers this year. Because Wiseman is there and then there was another maybe third player who wasn't getting as much playing time who also tore his... Yeah. So... you know, um, it's, and then they had the, um, yeah, so it, it, it is much more prominent, um, now. And I think it, and you can see it happening right after they, you know, sat out or had an, had a calf injury or something. And, um, i don't know is it did isaiah thomas what was his injury because he also posted that he was like the lower calf and injury is actually the predecessor to the achilles injury yeah and you have that there's a lot of it in the wnba too um a lot of players out you know courtney vandersloot from Chicago she was their leader their vet leader and she's out for the year with her Achilles injury and I was watching that game too and I immediately when she went down I immediately said that's her Achilles that's a whole year Cameron Brink still is not back and the season's been since May going since May and she's still not back yet she's due back soon but you know it's star players going down and for everyone who may be a growing fan we should probably say where the Achilles is Because maybe some people don't know. Oh. Like. Right. So. The space in between. Like your. calf and maybe your ankle right it's like the thing that you hate when you hate for somebody to hit when you're in the grocery store with the cart that is the Achilles that's right it was this crazy video that went viral maybe last week of this girl playing with her mother in the grocery store and like taking the cart on purpose and like hitting the back of her mother's heels and her mother was like, live it. And I'm like, girl, you must not value your life. My mother used to be so upset. I was thinking about this tidbit and I can't remember what it was. I'm going to come back to it. But that's how we had to start talking about the finals. Oh, they said that this finals has an asterisk like the 2020 bubble thing. championship because because all the injuries or because Tyrese went down and and so okay see and it didn't you know what it I don't know I don't know if it's because it's a small market town but it doesn't even feel like the championship they won the championship that this that is over I don't know it's very quiet right now because I think a part of it was that the story for the finals was Tyrese Halliburton. All of his performances in the playoffs, they built the storyline around him. So everybody was thinking, that they may pull it off right that was the story yeah then he went down then it was like oh okay c1 and i also think like they i don't know i felt like they did the um parade so soon did they do it that's what they did so they did it was so quiet it was so quick yes the parade happened so they won the championship oh my gosh i really am a sports fan but I was looking for the parade and was like oh when is the parade it's so quiet did they actually win like what happened right so they won and I'm pretty sure they had the parade the very next day that's only OKC would have a parade it was like what happened so they didn't even There wasn't any post-final story. Again, the post-final story was about Halliburton, the Achilles injuries. So it was like they were the supporting... actor in their own championship. This is the NBA, not the G League. This is bad for the NBA. It's very bad. They were the supporting actor in their own championship run. In their own home arena. And the season that they had with those amount of wins. That was disrespectful. But it's also that SGA isn't a personality. I saw his interview on Good Morning America. He was half-sleep. It was horrible. He was half-sleep. It was horrible. It was like, dude, you sleepy. You are so laid back, too cool for school. Even Robin was like- But I get it. It was early the next morning. But you got to turn it on. I don't know. You in a small market team, everybody talking junk. You got to bring some personality, a joke. is on national TV so you just rob and lean then like are you awake baby what's wrong you know but I have a classmate who lives who lives down there Oklahoma and so her she posted she went to the parade she was there for the game she moved she's from Detroit or Chicago originally she moved down there and she just talked about you know, when she got there, there was no nightlife, you know, you couldn't even go to a restaurant after nine o'clock. And so she, her whole thing was like people in other cities don't understand what the thunder did for the community. They brought an element of entertainment. How the heck did they get a team? That's what I kept wondering. Like, but wasn't that a, was it, it was an expansion team or what team relocated? Uh, Seattle. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so she was like having the team here caused more businesses to open you know um places stayed open later like you had something to do so she was like all in you know so happy posting all those pictures but um Yeah, they need to find, SGA can be the star, but they need to find a personality. Jalen Williams a little bit, because he was talking about how beer is nasty. He's going to stick to his Shirley Temples. But they need more, they just need more, yeah, they need more personality. They need more, they need a better storyline. I think SGA taking his braids down was probably the storyline.

UNKNOWN 30:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

I mean, it was, right? He was walking in the parade. I think his braids was out. And people was like, oh. I don't know. I missed the whole parade. I got to go back to watch. I got to go to YouTube or something. And he should have kept the braids in. I felt like his mama needed to pull him aside or something. I don't like braids. I think they look nice. At least his are always clean. They obviously match his style. Even what he has contributed. to the league this year as far as fashion, and he's been on all the GQ- I just wanted to get him some pants that fit. That's a part of his look, that street wear, oversized. But I didn't even really see any of his fits from the finals. I think he had the Chrome Hearts thing. Maybe that was in the last game. No, that was in Indianapolis. But again, what he's known for, I didn't even really see. I saw a couple. See that much. Yeah, they need more viral moments. They need maybe a better content team or something. I don't know. it didn't used to be they didn't used to have all that I mean but now this used to come with a short way guess what you know why because the Lakers sold for 10 billion dollars that's why right so you the owner of the team it's like hey he's like this is all work we not here for show we here for work but that's not true I know that's why he wears the outfits because he knows that the tunnel he gonna be on the tunnel they gonna take the pictures then he gonna be at men's fashion week you know what I'm saying them pairs then that's gonna lead to hopefully more endorsements it's you know but yeah that it was just an underwhelming and you know um but you know let's talk a little bit about who did what you know um Shea, oh, the first time he didn't score 30 points that I knew of. He scored 29 points in 40 minutes. 29 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists. Who would have, like you said, the Pacers only lost by 12, right? Yeah, they made a run in the fourth quarter. They made their run. You know, Matherin had 24 points. He played 33 minutes. That's a lot, you know, for him. But what, okay, looking at this roster, next season, what are they going to do?

UNKNOWN 33:30

Pshh.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

They just going to lose until Tyrese come back. No, you can't just lose. But they can. I mean, folks tank, right? So they can get in the draft, get in the lottery, and get another young player. But my issue looking at these stats here, and you got zero points from Obie Toppin. Zero points. You only got six points from Miles Turner, right? Mm-hmm. He got three points from Aaron Nesmith. He was at foul trouble, right? Miles Turner, how many fouls did he have? I mean, he didn't play well the entire finals. Yeah. But you think, you know, against the Celtics, Nesmith, right, had that game where he went off and hit all those threes. I mean, this was still in arm's reach. It was still in arm's reach. And I think... to your point about it being more boring it was only boring because in some ways the Pacers lost right which is unfortunate because on their side it's the one that got away right this is probably the closest but Obi Topan said right after Tyrese went down he was like I'm just going to be honest I couldn't think about anything else right the whole game so just the emotional toil that that took um But what's funny to me is Alex Caruso is a two time champion. I love it. I love it. I got another ring. That just don't sit right with me. I mean, it's valid. He was on the team, but I think that's weird. Did he ask to leave the Lakers? I mean, he didn't ask to do, you know, no, but that's why sometimes the ring conversation does have to have an asterisk because you have NBA greats that don't have a ring and you got an Alex Caruso that's a two-time champion. at the end of the day Charles Barkley even you know Steve Nash have done more for the game than Alex Caruso has ever done but he has two rings so I think that shows the limit of the ring conversation but he's alright with me I mean I like him as a player but two time champ yeah I don't know so you know I saw something that was like you know They always say the champion. Is this the start of a Thunder Dynasty? No. No, I don't think so. No, I don't think so. It would take a lot for them to repeat. It would take a lot for anybody to repeat, but I don't see them having the season that they had this year. It's so hard to get back, and I hate that Halliburton is out, but I don't see any way that they... get back to the finals. Who, the Pacers? The Pacers getting back to the finals. And I don't know that OKC would win the same number of regular season games that they won. I mean, the West is always way more competitive than the East. I was going to say, the East is about to be in shambles. And so I don't see... I don't necessarily see them repeating, but I do want to give a shout out to SGA. He was only the fourth player in the history of the NBA to win both the NBA MVP, the scoring title, the Conference Finals MVP, and the NBA Finals MVP. was shared with only Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. So he is in Rare Company. Yeah, he is, he is. So do you think he should have gotten the MVP? Because some people felt like Jalen Williams should have gotten it. It's just like Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown last year. I could argue for both. And so... I do. It's SGA's team. But they didn't give it to staff. they gave it to Iguodala. So, you know, so it don't always work out that it's like the person's team who gets it. I mean, I'm just hating a little bit. This is the lowest scoring game that he's had in forever. I'm just hating a little bit. I mean, I can acknowledge that. Look, I thought this, I don't really go for Indiana. So I'm like, Indiana stand glazing. So this is what I will say. I appreciate the Indiana brand of basketball. Okay. I was invested in Tyrese's trajectory as a leader, as a player in the league, and as a story. It was a better story. Somehow, it pivoted, and then I was all in. I was emotionally invested. I see. People love to hate Halliburton. They love to hate on him. But you know why? Oh, yeah. He a little corny, and he a little too happy with his back oh those pictures at the at the uh afterwards with yeah it's like girl this ain't about you right it's just it's a little a little much but i feel like above all, he got a real black daddy. So I think once his daddy came on the court... It reminds me of Patrick Mahomes. That's what I'm saying. People was like, oh, okay then. I see who his daddy is. But let's just think about the East. I mean, Celtics. Yeah. So I was talking about the rosters because... It's trade time right now. That's right. So Celtics kind of in a mini rebuild. So they're not coming out the east. Milwaukee got their one championship. They traded away Middleton. Brought in Dame. He's out. You know they keep saying Giannis might come to Detroit.

UNKNOWN 39:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:58

Well, I will say Detroit is better than Milwaukee. I will say that every episode to y'all. Detroit is better than Milwaukee. So if he gonna stay in the Midwest, then come on down here, Giannis. Who else? I mean, Orlando could come out of the East Coast. I like Orlando. I like Orlando. With all of the injuries. Now you got Halliburton. I still think Orlando needs another piece, but I like, I mean, I don't know. So, trades and the new season, I might actually have to watch a lot more NBA games this year. Because this is how excited, I'm excited now about NBA like I am about NFL games. All these players have traded teams. I cannot wait to the new season. But NBA. So let's talk about the trade. These huge trades. Kevin Durant to the Rockets. So what was funny to me was when I had my hot take about why he and Jalen Green wouldn't be a good match together, I wasn't thinking that they was going to ship Jalen Green. Yeah, yeah. They was like, oh yeah, we see it, we understand it. They had to give that up. Other teams weren't giving up enough, the other teams that he was with. And I was saying in the last episode, his connection with... the coach from being in Brooklyn that was a very realistic trade destination and that was a huge trade I don't care if he's 36, 37 I'm tired of the Durant trades though look he's a journeyman he's the best shooting journeyman they were like he completed the rainbow colors of the jerseys now but he's a he's a The best shooting journeyman I've ever seen. I would trade... I would trade... Your right arm. I like to trade. You would trade your right arm for Kevin Durant. I just love to see him shoot. He's one of my favorite people to see shoot. It's like butter. Like, it's real smooth. I'm not, I guess. I don't like pabs. So... Why do you keep saying that? Because I just feel like he is so... He... His personality... he's so what is it called just mercurial but also just he tries not to be emotional but in his trying not to be emotional he still is really emotional oh there's no doubt he had the ghost account he got the fake account and made a mistake and didn't log out so I feel like journeymen though they keep their head down they do the work they ain't complaining they're not this Kevin Durant he's a quote on quote journeyman okay go ahead but I think the biggest thing for me was the fact that they gave up Jalen Green but kept what's the the twin I mean the Thompson yes To me, that's a big story. So basically they better defender. I mean, I know. But again, you talk about the draft. The draft is coming up. Right. Jalen Green was the more touted draft pick. And they came through. He and his brother came through like the wasn't the G League, but whatever the you know what I'm talking about? They didn't come through to the league through the traditional way, you know, but they've. I mean they're gold right so you went for the lesser quote unquote ranked player who's actually turned out to be more consistent but I still don't think that Phoenix is going to be in any better position with Jalen Green and Devin Booker and I think Devin need to be trying to figure out what's his exit plan yeah I don't know that he'll even leave but Didn't he just sign a new deal recently? I don't know, but he should come home. He should come to the Pistons. He's always here anyway. He should come to every Lions game. He should come to the Pistons. But I don't really think that that was a blockbuster, Trey. Everybody knew Durant was leaving. to me it didn't catch too many people it was a it's a big trade but i don't think that it caught people off guard it wasn't really too many places no uh he could have gone he only requested what three to three teams yeah was it miami houston san antonio and san antonio um so then the other trade who was who porzingis Prazingis. And so they're kind of in a mini rebuild. Yeah. Um, so not, not a lot of movement, but enough, but, uh, people are still out. People are still looking. Right. Yes. Um, um, I will say, let me see. Prazingis got traded. He and Terrence Mann and, um, For his young. Yeah, I don't know. Or traded. But, okay, the piece in the Houston-Phoenix trade that was interesting to me was Dylan Brooks. Oh, yeah. I feel like that's a big loss for Houston. For the team, yeah. That defense, that tough defense. The tough girl. Toughness. Yeah. Well, maybe Thompson is going to fill in. He's so thin. He's a good defender, but somebody needs to be that strong, though. He ain't trying to fight. He too pretty to fight. Yeah. I don't know. Now, Dylan Brooks, to me, his career... I think it's surprising to a lot of people, especially once he left Memphis. People didn't know if he was going to end up someplace else. But I don't know. In looking at the league, I don't really know if... It seems like people need key pieces that don't really exist yet or they can't really get them from anywhere. So I think what's interesting to me is with the draft coming up and you talk about kind of the talent pipeline and people leaving. Are we seeing enough talent?

UNKNOWN 46:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:47

We've seen enough talent, whether that's from the G League come up, is that from overseas, or is that through the more traditional round? Because a lot of teams are like two pieces away, right, from being really competitive. Yeah. Yeah, but the East is looking raggedy. Yeah, CJ McCollum got sent to the black hole. That's right. You said that was another blockbuster. Poor CJ. My boy Jordan Poole got out of the black hole. Poor CJ. He went to New Orleans. Is Street Clothes Jr. going to play? Zion, is he going to be in New Orleans? Is he going to play? just can Jordan Poole revive his career in there and see what can happen but and my boy Sadiq Bae, former Piston Sadiq Bae he's involved in that goes to New Orleans and then why can I never pronounce Kelly Olenek Olenek he you know a role player um A good shooter. A good role player. The Trailblazers used to be my team when I appreciated CJ McCullough and Dave together. They both should have stayed. I don't think that the Trailblazers got anywhere and that's the gamble, right? Making these trades thinking that you got the next pieces and then they don't pan out. I think CJ started off really good in New Orleans and it seemed like when they had B.I. there and then zion was still playing it looked like it could be something and then you know i can't believe that brandon ingram isn't there anymore um and zion is still there but at least he'll have fun in the dmv because uh because they now i mean you don't have pool anymore and uh your boy got out of purgatory too and went to milwaukee um Boston also traded Drew Holiday for Anthony Simons Drew Holiday is one of my favorite journeymen and they just be doing him so wrong when he got traded but then he went to Boston I was like yes and now he's in Portland so speaking of journeymen so that's a two time NBA champion that I'm okay with. Wow. I feel like Caruso. It's just the caliber of player. So again, you talk about... He and White from Boston and Holiday, they kind of remind me of each other. Who? Alex Caruso and Drew Holiday? Not Drew Holiday. Drew Holiday is more of the... But White from... What's the name? First name? Not Derek White. Derek White. Derek White and Caruso kind of remind me of each other. Like the scrappy, you know, go dive on the floor for the ball. You know, they kind of remind me of each other. So I'm... I'm okay with Caruso. I mean, it's just, again, it's hard. I think Drew is probably, again, very well respected in the league, right? And a true journeyman. I feel like Alex just kind of lucked up. Right place, right time, but still two NBA championships. So we'll see. You know, I'm going to have to switch hats now for the NFL so that I can be prepared to engage with you in these football conversations because I'm definitely more basketball-centered. And I'm way more football-centered. I look, look, look. I was watching Aaron Rodgers talking about this might be his last year. I was like, I hope so. He's about 50 years old. Go sit down. I still don't think he's married. I think he was trolling. I still haven't seen anything about that. He was wearing his, what's the ring you got on now? The aura. Yeah, he was wearing his aura ring. I'm going to move it to my ring finger. Make y'all think I got married.

UNKNOWN 51:19

Stop.

SPEAKER_01 51:20

that is hilarious um but yeah so the trades the draft is tonight you know cooper flag is gonna go number one yeah that's the worst kept secret in the world um and who has a number one oh i'm sorry uh so The draft already started. The 76ers are on the clock. So the draft is shaping up like everybody expected. So what do you know about Harper? We all know about Flagg. What do you know about Harper?

SPEAKER_00 51:59

Well, actually, from what I've heard, he's actually one of his... Player comps is Cade Cunningham. That's what they say his ceiling is. A kind of bigger guard who is obviously a three-level scorer, but can facilitate, but also be an offensive engine. If that is his ceiling, him paired with Stephon Castle, that could be scary. If they all hit their potential, that could be a very scary team. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 52:34

What pick do the Pistons have? Because we need a center. What are we doing? What are we doing?

SPEAKER_00 52:43

The Pistons have

SPEAKER_01 52:49

the... They might not. I think they don't have it because of a trade.

UNKNOWN 52:54

Yeah, I think.

SPEAKER_01 52:58

So on the clock we have the 76ers. I know that's your team. Right. So who do the 76ers need? If you were in the front office, who you picking?

SPEAKER_00 53:11

I was on team Ace Bailey before all the drama. He don't want to interview with anybody. Like declining every single interview. Yeah, what's

SPEAKER_01 53:22

going on with that? I

SPEAKER_00 53:23

don't know. I think what Ace Bailey wants... is he wants to be he wants to be allowed to take a lot of shots to be you know a primary scorer on a team he doesn't want to go to a team where he's going to be an ancillary player or a role player he wants to have a very very um a very very large role wherever he goes immediately and so that's why

SPEAKER_01 53:52

So do they still take him? 6'8", 203. I doubt it. I

SPEAKER_00 53:56

doubt it. Edge cone? I think, yeah. 6'4".

SPEAKER_01 54:00

6'8", 6'4". I

SPEAKER_00 54:03

think, honestly, he could drop out of the top five because with all the drama, teams now, they don't want to deal with all that drama. Especially with Ace Bennett, the drama about his height, the drama about how much he wants to ball, the drama about his interviews. I think he's honestly really confusing what his draft strategy is. Maybe he goes to Washington, like you said, the quote-unquote black hole. And listen to go-go music. So if that's where he goes, then he could probably take a lot of shots there. So that might be... A destination for him. But I think the Sixers do take edge call. I think he's a great player. Explosive. He can shoot. He can shoot. He'll have to adjust NBA rings. That might take a little bit. I think he could definitely fit into what the Sixers need. But, yeah, Ace Bailey has been a

SPEAKER_01 55:06

crazy star. What's the controversy about his height?

SPEAKER_00 55:10

His height? The controversy about his height is not really a controversy. It's just... One of the things early on before even the drama about his interviews was he was listed in college at Rutgers at 6'10". At the Combine, he was measured at

SPEAKER_01 55:29

6'8". Okay, 6'7". 6'7", like 3'4",

SPEAKER_00 55:31

I think it

SPEAKER_01 55:34

was.

SPEAKER_00 55:35

Yeah, somewhere around there. And teams, a lot of teams started, you know, questioning, you know, whether or not, you know,

SPEAKER_01 55:44

why they, why they was lying, why they was lying about his

SPEAKER_00 55:49

height. Really, really big shoes, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 55:57

Okay. But that, that controversy kind of happened during the Olympics. when they took all the team photos and they were like, no, this ain't adding up. So people were like, okay, look at BAM. Right. And then look at everybody else in comparison to BAM. But the other thing is I haven't really heard about, again, who was hosting the draft this year. Who wears the draft? New York. Do they rotate it? They don't rotate it for the NBA. Oh, okay. I don't know. Like they do for the

SPEAKER_00 56:34

NFL.

SPEAKER_01 56:37

Oh, yeah, yeah. I did know that because they kept saying we'll be at the Barclays. Yeah, well, it'll be an exciting time. I got to get my mind right for the NFL season. I'm ready. I am ready. So are you going to make a... We need to get you on record for a prediction for the Lions. So, you know what? The other night, game seven, I was going to text you and Elijah, like, I'm picking OKC to win. And then at the beginning of the game, I started... I said, ooh, I'm so glad I didn't text them because I think they're about to lose. And then Halliburton got hurt and... then I was like okay we got a chance but in the first half they were still you know neck and neck and I was like oh no they better adjust in the second half so when they came out and started you know started you know putting They played better defense in the second half. Just getting their hands up and deflecting balls. There was a lot of turnovers in the game. Yes. So my prediction for NFL? Oh, I don't know. For the Super Bowl. Oh, Super Bowl? Yeah. I got to... Look, I could see Philly going back. Okay. I could see... I'm never going to... really bet against kc you know kansas city and philly um perennials a rematch yeah so i don't know it's so early to you know i actually need to sit down and see what all the changes that have been made because a lot of a lot of players changed teams this year so i gotta see i have to look at that so do you feel like the lions are gonna get back to no they they they They have a very tough schedule. How about next episode, I'll come and tell you. I'm going to run down my prediction of every game of the season. For the Lions? Yeah. And I'm going to try to pick with my head and not my heart. Edgecombe. Yep, he just went. You called it, you called it.

UNKNOWN 59:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 59:06

So, yeah, so that means Ace Bailey's going to fall. It'll be interesting to see where he goes.

SPEAKER_01 59:12

Did he have a team? Maybe he has a team that he secretly wanted to go to, because I know he, you know, canceled visits or whatever, but maybe, you know.

SPEAKER_00 59:24

He has a team, and he's doing a very good job of hiding it, because it seems like he's just, you know.

SPEAKER_01 59:30

He's acting like an NFL draft. Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Like, I don't really see this in the NBA too much. Exactly, yeah. So we talked about the finals, you know, the quiet finals. We talked about trades. I want to see, was today the last day? I thought it was July 1st was the last day of the trade deadline. But maybe it is today. I don't know because the draft is today. But I really want to see. I have been, so I'll tell you what I've been watching. I've been watching the finals, and I've been watching as many WNBA games as I can. It is great. It's a great season right now. There's a lot of player drama. Lots of drama. There's a lot of S-talking. Somebody is getting into a fight every single game. The thing that made me mad was Marina Mabry. who used to play for the chicago sky with angel reese last year she body checked caitlyn and the headline said angel reese's former teammate caitlyn clark it's like y'all y'all doing the most but the the story today was dewana bonner who's uh what is she maybe 30 she's been in the league for many years she's a vet she's making about $200,000 a year so she's one of the higher paid vets she's been away from the Indiana Pacers she was traded from the Connecticut Sun to the Indiana Pacers this year I mean the fever the Indiana fever she was on the Pacers but y'all didn't see her play she filled in for Halliburton y'all didn't see her out there no but She was traded to the Fever. And it was kind of an odd fit anyway. She's more of a steady, slow and steady. Indiana wants to run this year. They want to be fast-paced. And so the last couple of games, she's been out. And it's been for quote-unquote personal reasons. And everybody's speculating, oh, she's going to retire. She doesn't want... So today, she was waived from the Indiana Fever. And... she you know she hasn't really said she just said it wasn't a good fit so conspiracy theorist Jennifer Auntie Jen has been like oh she didn't like how you know the the dynamics of the team or like the The culture of the team. There's a lot of divisiveness with this team and other teams. And, you know, the Tress Leches, who are Sophie Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, and Lexi Hall, who are like... And Sophie Cunningham is like the enforcer of the team now. And so there's like this... you know, she's made some controversial comments about like, you know, why do y'all let this stuff happen to Caitlin, you know, playing into that narrative. But, So there's some drama happening in the WNBA. And I saw that Stephanie White, the coach, too, was in the absence. Her partner's mother has been sick. So it's a little shaky, I think, from an organizational culture standpoint. Yeah. And they haven't really... That's why I think people were really shocked that Natasha Cloud went there. You know what I mean? And... they need to figure it out from an organizational culture standpoint. Because I think to your point, players in the WNBA have been more justice focused, just as a league, definitely more in the forefront. And so then you come to Indiana and there's this meta narrative. And so for a lot of those players, I'm sure, some of them don't really like that undercurrent. And then I feel like also that's why Aaliyah Boston and really get a lot of respect. I feel like people be punking her all the time. Yeah, she does. Well, she doesn't really play physical ball. So, but I'm going to tell you what, she gets her points and her rebounds. And so she's a quiet assassin is what I call her. But Indiana, I watched, so I watched, last night I watched the Sky game. Sky played. Didn't they play the Sparks? they played the sparks yeah and at first they were losing but they got it together and they are gelling they're gelling angel reese double double and she's it's not because it's not me she only had like three me bones but high double doubles like 17 rebounds 18 points only thing about them so they talk about Tyler Marsh the coach being a player development coach he is getting them to play better together better player development the bad thing is last night was Camila Cardozo's last game for a while because she's going to play with the Brazilian national team and I'm like Just when they're hitting their stride. So I have to see how they're going to adjust to that. She's a huge part of their offense and their defense. She's got to step up on the defense. But she was career high last night. And so Chicago looks like they're getting better. But now it remains to be seen what happens with Cardoza gone. But that's why I was saying that fight between Rekia... and what was the the play i was i was shocked by that i feel like that yeah rakia usually is you know very finessed you know but she was she was hot detroit came out if the detroit came out and it was interesting too because angel was trying to be the peacemaker yeah in the exchange and she was like she tried to tell this girl you don't want no smoke right don't do that she pulled her teammate way off that's right and then she was like just chill and right here was like they they want them not to like each other. I don't I keep trying to look for signs like do they do they rock with each other I don't know I mean I don't think because they used to play AAU ball together and stuff like I don't think there's hate but Rekia was like we ain't on the same team tonight so don't be trying to touch me don't tell me I think you know people are like hyped up sometimes they don't want people trying to call them down they want to stay hype and she definitely wanted to stay hype last night but so I'm loving um you know there have been some concussions you know so we talk about the achilles there's been a few concussions you know even asia wilson and um um asia wilson um had a concussion she was out for a few i love how bamonte bam trolls her he trolls his woman she had on the uh um uh uh what do you call it like the zebra print and then you put the little meme up yeah the zebra dance and stuff he trolls her every game like her outfits i just love it but i'm loving um and i'll do more deep dives on the wmba because it is very exciting right now um the valkyries are an expansion team And now we know who the brains were behind on the Las Vegas Aces because their coach is aiming for coach of the year. She has a great team out there. They are not playing like an expansion team. So I'll do some more deep dives on WNBA because it's awesome. And then when that season ends, I'll do even more deep dives into Unrivaled because... women's basketball is is the future and oh goodness the all-star game the WNBA all-star game is coming up and They have some controversy there. Caitlin Clark is leading by a large margin in the voting. But there were some reporters that said that they got confirmations that they voted and they didn't vote. So there's some controversy going on there. So stay tuned for that. The game is July 19th. And I think then probably maybe two episodes from now, I'll also get into the U.S. Open. It's one of my favorite sports events of the year. So kicking off May in August and see if Coco can bring it home again. Yeah, Coco might have been partying a little too hard after the French Open. She lost the qualifying round of the Berlin Open. But, you know, she was like, eh, I'll be there. Now you see her taking pictures at Wimbledon. She's like, I was looking forward to Wimbledon. Ain't nobody worried about no Berlin Open. So, shout out to Coco because Let's go. Let's get Wimbledon. Yeah. Well, this was a good episode. Yes. Lots of storylines. Lots of sports. Yes. what is the ABC or no was it the Olympics where they would say the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat the agony of the Achilles that's right the agony of the Achilles the emotional rollercoaster of seeing your favorite teams and your favorite players go down so yeah but yeah anything you're looking forward to this week I want to see the draft. I want to see where players go. I want to hear a little bit more about the... Most of the rookies have signed their contract. There's one holdout. I'll talk about that. I want to see if the Cincinnati Bengals are fumbling right now. on their players and their contracts. But my boy Travis Hunter signed his big $30 million deal. So shout out. So we'll have more stories like that. No, but I do have to give a shout out to Indiana. So played basketball with a woman named Allie, Allie Pankle. Her son is showing out down there in Jacksonville. So he ended up playing at Duke. Eli Pankle went to high school with him. with his mom and his dad his father was a good friend of mine he passed away several years ago and so Eli was always an athlete two sport athlete ended up going to Duke wide receiver had two injuries two ankle injuries but got picked up by Jacksonville and so by all accounts he's out there showing out they feel like he may be you know make the team and be another you know kind of long term wide receiver to pair with Travis yeah so definitely you know high character kid but loves the camera loves the cameras always dancing around at Duke all the content was really you know a lot of it was focused on Eli and kind of his you know tunnel and his fits and everything so it's a good fit for him so shout out to Allie and his family yes shout out shout out I love to hear it I love to see it yeah so yeah so we signing off yeah thank you to our statistician prognosticator elijah uh thank you very much for all your input and keeping us up on the stats that we need to know um yeah so signing off um aunties talk sports two aunties two mics all game Peace. Remember to follow us on all socials and subscribe on YouTube and send us topics that you want us to talk about, questions that you want to ask. But yeah, signing off. Peace. Peace. There's a red meaning that already stopped. I'm what? What the?