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Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you again for joining us for another episode of Nightcap, basketball edition. I'm your favorite sports unc, Shannon Sharp. He's your favorite number zero, Habachi. The man once played an NBA game in some Dolce and Gabana. Yes, he did. Dolce and Gabana, some lifestyle, active wear, outer wear sneakers. He did that. Gil with arenas. Gil, how are you doing tonight, bro?

I'm good. Thank you for.

Laughing at me. Man, thank you for joining. We're going to get into this a little later. But you and I have been trying to put something together for quite a while behind the scenes. Both of our teams were working tirelessly trying to get this thing together because we want to show people, look, Gil has this thing going and it's doing great. I've got my thing with Ocho and Club Shay-Shay doing great. But we want to show people that we can work together because a lot of people see all because of going back and forth on YouTube and on Twitter and this and that. No, Gil is like, Hey, bro, what you want to do? You want to do something? Let's find something we can do together. Here we are. Hopefully this is a sign of many more things to come, but let's jump right into it. The Bugs beat the Pacers, 140, 126. Giannis has a career high of 64 points, breaks the franchise record that was held by Michael Redd, 57 points. He was 20 or 28 from the field, 14 rebounds and four steals. Before we get to his game, the game was overshadowed because it looked like the Pacers was holding the game ball for ransom.

What would you take away what transpired after the game, Gilles, before we get into what transpired during the game?

That's history right there. 64 point. I would have stole that shit too. I would have stolen it too. When he came back and said, Hey, bro, can you sign this? Hopefully, he forgot about it. But just like anything, that game ball is special to the people who did it. I had to do the same thing. When I hit 60 against the Lakers, I had to go fight. You had to.

Chase it down? Yeah.

They were trying to keep it because that's a game ball for them to play another game.

The next game.

That game is probably one of their favorites. So when someone does something special with it, they still want it.

Yeah, that game ball is only special to you. It's not special to the Lakers, so they're going to try to back out there again. But if you look after the game, Gile, the Bucks, a coach, assistant coach had the ball. I'm trying to figure out how did the Pacer guy end up with the ball.

Hey, give us the ball. It's just one of those things because it's part of their organization. They're trying to collect all the balls that they have out today because anything you see like anything you see X's on the ball means it has three X's. That's the game game ball. They're trying to just collect the ball and Yana's like, Whoa, no, that's me right there.

He was basically telling Laura pierce and Tyrese Halliburton, Go get that effin' ball. Tyrese is like, Bro, I'm over here talking with Dave. I'm over here. I don't want no B. I don't want no B. He's like, Go get the ball. Yonas was hot. He was even hot after the game. The interview, he was still seething because he felt that the Pacers were trying to take a part of history. You're absolutely right. 64 points. I don't care who is again. 64, 64. You look at some of the greats, Jabbar played in that uniform, and he got 64. Obviously, he won the game ball. Let's get into the game. Yon is 20 of 28, 14 rebounds, four steals. I think he was like, 24 or 32 from the foul line, Gilles. When you watch the books and you see Dames and it's only what, 20 games until the season. When you watch them, what do you like and where can they improve?

The two players that we do see and we expect them to play well, they're playing very well. Dames, out of the last 21 games for just the 21 games this year, he scored 20 points in over 16 of those games. Giannis, 19 out of the 23 games. They're playing very well. Their third option, Middleton.

Ain't doing very well.

The guy that's supposed to be the steady third option for him. It's like when Drew got traded, he got traded.

That's what it feels like. Half of him is in Boston probably. He's only scored one 20-point game in the whole season so far.

How much you think that is health related? You know he had that surgery on his knee. I think he had surgery on his wrist or another extremity also. How much do you think that is just age and attrition, or how much of that you think is related to the knee surgery that he had?

No, I mean, The health is a big thing. That is probably one of the bigger problems with him personally. But at the end of the day, when you're trying to.

Compete and win a.

Championship, that injury is hindering the movement of this team. Right? The team can only do so much. Gianni can only do so much. We need the other parts that's going to go against the Bostons and the Phillys.

I've watched the books for four years, I watched them four games. I was at the game in which the Lakers won the end-season tournament on Saturday. My takeaway is that they don't play a lick of defense. They're looking to push the tempo, make or miss. If you miss it, they're looking to get the ball off the rim and push it up the court. If you make it, they'll take it out the net and still push it up the court. Because I watched the Lakers get 86 points in the paint, and LeBron missed three or four layups. Ad, they could have had easily 106 points in the paint. It's hard when you have that offensive rating, but your dead last across the board in defensive rating. When you watch the Pacers, what's your takeaway? Because maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think they can compete. I don't think they're very serious contenders with that type of defense.

No, right now, the Pacers is a fun team. Very fun, up and down team. They're young. They don't have defensive concepts. They have miles back there, but he can only do so much by himself. But for the structure of the team itself, they don't have enough pieces that's willing to do the extra. When it comes to being a defensive.

Team.

Don't let them score on the first opportunity. No blow-wise. Right. Turn a little bit so that the help can help. But they're one of those teams where you can just straight-line the whole team.

Yeah, they don't make you kick the ball out. You just drive to the basket and just lay the ball up. Because like you said, you got Myles Turner, you got Matburn, that plays a little defense. Bunny Hills is not playing defense. Tyrese is not a defensive guy. Mcconnell, he's a scrappy guy, but he's only like 5-10, so he can only do so much. They don't have enough pieces. I agree with you. They need more pieces in order to play defense. But like you said, they are a fun team. They're the type of team that you're like, Oh, yeah, we're going to score a 100-30. We might get a 1-36, but you're going to get your money's worth. It's not going to be one of those 96-90 type ball games. That's over for them.

No, they don't even have the patience to play 96-90. It's Phoenix Suns all over again with a faster tempo. Those are the teams you score 64 on. They're going to put the possessions in the game that everyone's going to be able to eat.

Right. The Pacers are first in points for a game, averaging 128.5. Their second worst in opponents points per game, giving up about 125 games. They're fun to watch, but I just don't know how far they can go. Now they did beat the Celtics in order to advance to go to Vegas. But I don't believe they can beat bosses in a poor game series. I don't believe they can beat the Bucks in a poor game series. I definitely don't think they can beat. If Giannis got 64, Joel and B going to get 70. They got nobody to do it without locomoting. He going to get 70 killed.

You know the bad part too, about even on the Bucks side, you have two first team, all defensive players back there, and you all are struggling on.

Defense, which is we. They are.

Yeah. I've always questioned the metrics of defense. How do you gage it? Because some of these guys aren't real defensive players, but they're twin and ease of wars. This is a prime example. You lose one defensive guy, you still have two first team all- Bill Gabby.

Yeah.. Yeah.

That's the funny thing about teams where no matter how many defensive players you have individually, if they don't know how to play together, they become a bad defensive team.

Yeah. Gale, I look at it like this. What I tell people in football, if you're good offensively or you're good defensively, if you're a good offensive team and you say you're a good offensive team or a great offensive team, can you go get points? Can you go get done when you need to get it done? Okay, in basketball, if you're a defensive team, can you get a stop when you need it? Because if you can't, it doesn't tell all these great defensive staff that we're number one in steals, we're number one in block shots, yada, yada, yada. But if you can't get a stop when you absolutely have to have a stop, what good is all those stats doing you?

That's facts right there. The last five minutes, the last two minutes really dictate the outcome of the game. In basketball, we tell ourselves, make enough plays to win at the end of the game, so the stars can take over.

The Nets beat the Suns 1-16 to 1-12, spoil the Suns' big three debut. But Devin Booker, 34.6 rebounds, 12 assists. Kevin Durant, 27.6 rebounds, 4 assists. Bradley, Bill, 15 points on six of nine shooting, two or two from 3. The Suns' big three, 0-1 is a trio. What were some of your takeaways from that ball game?

How much space? Even though they lost this game, how much space was Booker open? Bill open? There was a drive. I think it was like, and there was like 67, 68. Booker came off to pick and roll and Bill was just sitting at the top to keep by himself. I'm like, Man, that's too much space for a guy like that. All three of them healthy now playing, they're going to be trouble, come down the line.

But again, Gil, who are they going to stop? You got to be able to get... Who are they going to stop? You got to be able to remember that we just said, can you get a stop when you absolutely have to have a stop? Who's going to be able to sit down in that chair? Because Nerkit is not a defender. Bill, Book, KD. Who you guys is going to... What are you going to do?

What are you going to do? You know what's so funny? At this point, man, when you're talking about real defense without any lockdown defenders, what's the concepts? Are we pushing them? We can. Are we pushing them? Keeping them on the baseline? Keep them on the sideline. As long as you're playing by principle.

Keep the man in.

Front of you. But it's hard to play defense in today's game when everyone can shoot the ball.

Yes. There's so much space on the floor. Even the bigs, you used to condense the floor because your bigs couldn't stretch it. They couldn't shoot the basketball. But with the exception of maybe five bigs in all of basketball, everybody can shoot the three. Hell, even the guys that can shoot would jack it up or to back it up. That's the thing is that when you look at... Bradley Bill only nine attempts. He used to get in at least 15-20 attempts.

Now, this first game, man. This first game, trying to get a feel in. He's just trying to get his feel in. You're trying to ease in. You're not trying to really do too much.

Just what.

He did, he going to catch cramps tonight.

Right. You think they can make a deep run? You think they're serious, serious contenders? Yes.

In the playoff, it's all about matchups. If they're clicking and they get the right matchups in those first couple of rounds, then they could go to the Western Conference final, maybe the Championship, especially if everyone stays healthy.

Okay, you like them. The Lakers survived San Antonio winning 122, 119. The Lakers gave up 45 points in the fourth quarter. They gave up 34 points last night and the Mavs lost in the fourth quarter. Ad was dominant again, 37 points, 10 rebounds for steals. Victorian Prince, 17 points, five rebounds, five assists. Kobe of the Ozarks, Austin Reed, 15 points, 8 assists for rebounds. Roy was 13 and seven. What did you like about the Lakers? Except that fourth quarter?

Nothing. Because that fourth quarter showed us exactly why we need LeBron and why we need to make a trade. We don't have really enough players. We have a team. We have pieces, but we don't have nothing we can hold our hat on. We're playing the Spurs.

Yeah.

Our road record is horrible, four and eight.

We're five and eight now.

Five and eight now? We need to go ahead no matter who we play. I think the next 10 games we got what? Spurs, Nicks, Bulls, Heat, Grizz, Clippers, Raptors, Suns, Jazz, Thunder. We should go eight and two.

We should. And we.

Still need to make a trade.

But okay, this is what we know. Ad and LeBron are untouchables. I believe they list Austin Reeves as an untouchable. That's cool. I believe they believe him as an untouchable. But all other are Rui, D-Low. What exactly do they need? Another score? Do they need another ball handler? What do they need?

We need another score. We need someone to take the pressure off. See, right now we're playing for the most part, two on five. That means 10 guys are really paying attention to two players, which shrinks the floor. When you have Dilo who's not shooting. When Dilo's shooting is good. But when he's taking nine shots a game, that's bad because Prince and Redish, they're doing the same thing. But between the two of them, they might take 10 shots. Prince played well later in the game. But for the most part, both of you guys are there for defense. I don't need that. I need someone to take the pressure off offensively for LeBron and AD. The trade could happen.

Prince, Rui, Dilo.

That's 39 million. Zach LaVine is at 40, swap them.

But you see, from what I've been reading, and I don't know if you're hearing the same things in the circles that you travel in, they seem to be more interested in the Mar de Rosem and maybe a Carusso than, say, Zach LaVine.

Okay, when you bring in DeMar, DeMar is a better.

Fourth quarter player.

Better gamer, better right now, today.

Right.

Zach LaVine is.

A future with AD.

When LeBron goes, he's only some with AD. He is a highlight real, so he can put people in them seats on that fast break. Right. Demar at 32, 33 years old, I need something where...

I'm looking at the gill. I think the Lakers like, we're trying to win right now. We're not worried about when LeBron is gone. We'll worry about getting somebody to pair with AD. But right now we got a 38 year old, about to be a 39 year old LeBron James who's still at the peak of his powers. Let's get someone right now and we'll cross the bridge a little later. But right now, let's start on our mark across the bridge.

Well, then you shrink the floor a little bit more because the rows in this more of a mid-range attack.

He can shoot the three, but he doesn't shoot.

The three.

He's my finisher. Damn if you do, damn if you don't. I like LaVine because he can.

Attack the rim. He can shoot the three.

He can attack the rim. He got his lob. You don't lose with it. But if I had more shooting, I'll take the mark. But since I don't, I want take the exact LaVine so he can open the floor more for LeBron and AD.

What did they say about you're going to... Because they believe last year what really hurt them is that the lack of depth. Right now they have a very deep team. Now you believe that I would trade some of that depth in order to get a better piece to put with LeBron and AD.

You say, depth, where?

I.

Don't want to be showing me you can use them.

Well, I think they're looking at defenders. They're looking at Van Do. They're looking at Tarion, Prince. They're looking at Cam Redish as your main defenders. Now, Cam has shown a propensity, and lately he's knocked down to corner three. He's really good at the corner three. Prince has gone through a hot streak over the last 3-4 game. He seemingly can't miss from the three. But if you give up those three players, you are going to shrink your bench some. Although we know come playoff time, you shrink your bench automatically anyway. We're not worried about that come playoff time. But you don't want to burn through LeBron's minutes and his legs, playing him a ton of minutes before you get to the playoff, correct?

No, the facts, that's the real problem right now is just like tonight's game, you're up 18 in the fourth and a sorry team comes back, because you don't have the debt that you think you have. Yeah, they're good when LeBron is on the four, but they're not good by themselves.

I mean, the.

Fact that they didn't shoot for that, no one else shot free throws until the end of the game.

When Prince got filed.

When he was filed at the end, other than that, that means for 47 minutes, no one attacked that basket to get filed.

How? That's impossible. If you really look at it, the only people that's really capable of attacking the basket is D. L. And Austin Reeves. Once LeBron is out, those are really your only two guys that's looking to put the ball on the floor, put their head down and can get to the rim, finish on either side. Now, obviously, they don't have the layup package like a Kyrie or a Steph Curry or Luke or something like that, but they will attack the basket. We know LeBron is looking to attack at every time. But what I did like about AD, AD kept pressure on him. Ad is not settling. Last year, AD was shooting that fall away. He's falling away. Nah, AD, get your big old butt down there on the block. You're not Joel L. And Bee, but get down there and punish them smaller guys. I like the fact that I understand you're a shot blocker, Wembley, but you ain't ready for this. You need about four, five more years on you get seasoned because you're not right now.

I got to give it to AD because he's doing what he's supposed to do against weaker...

Hey, take this book.

That's what we've been complaining about. When you have other players on.

You, punish them.

That's what they in the game for.

In the game.

To get this whoopin to make better players later on life.

Correct. Yes.

I think that since AD is playing the way we expected him for the last three years to play, we can lay off of him a little bit and look at the rest of our line. I think because we paid attention so much to Anthony Davis that we really haven't been watching what we've been collecting over the years.

I think the biggest thing is that we expect so much of him. We saw what he was given because when they traded for him, before the Pelicans and they fell out with each other, AD was averaging like 29 and 12. We know what he's capable of doing. We saw the man get a 60-20 game, so we know what he's capable of. Nobody just care because he's in New Orleans. But when you come to the big stage of the purple and gold, and that's the home of the big man, Mike and Chamberlain and Jabbar and Shaq, bro, you got to play on a nightly. But there are no off nights when you play for the Lakers. Any other team you might can have an off night, but not the Purple and Gold.

If Giannis, Yokeish, and Embiid, if they wasn't balling, getting the MVP, he's. I think we wouldn't be on Anthony Davis so much. I think it's an American thing right now.

But, Gil, do you remember what AD did to Yokish in the bubble? I know. Did you remember what he went down to that playoff right before and what he did to Giannis and what he did to Embiid?

I know.

Those are the expectations that you can't give us 40 and 16 one night and give us 11 and eight the next deal. We just can't have that. I'm not saying give us 40, 20 back to back night, but you can't give us 40 and 16 one night and 11 to make the next one.

Yeah, them young boys, you giving them young boys that headache and they're growing up now. Now they want that smoke bags. They want their smoke bags. That's the parliament. They'd be like, Hey, you kill them when they're young, when they get old enough to defend themselves. They want that smoke bag. That's all.

Oh, yeah, I got to get my lick bag. I got to get that bag. No, you're not going to drop 40, 15 on me if I can't get my lick bag. Someone named Chad Johnson just donated $200 saying, I love you guys. Oh, Joe.

Hey, man, stop running around. Hey, stop running around telling everybody you beat me. We know. We're supposed to to keep that.

On the low. No, they call him Tell It for a reason. Because if he do it, he going to tell it.

I didn't know he was that fast.

He fast now.

I ain't going.

To lie.

I got that work by some football players. I'm not going to lie because I wasn't expecting them to do what they can do.

They're a lot stronger than the average basketball player.

Was it Porter? The rod receiver from Oakland.

Oh, yeah, Jay Porter.

Man, he drop-stepped, monkey-dunked on me like I was a little kid, man. I was like, Oh, man, who is dudes, man? We're playing some little all-star game, and he.

Drops them just boom.

Like.

Oh, no. I'm not taking this shit from these craps. No.

I'm not taking this winby step before the game, he prefers bronze nickname of Alien over unicorn. He said, I hated when people called me a unicorn. I must rather people call me an alien. Unicon really isn't original. What did you like about Wmby? What did you saw in light? Because he was going to get one of the better players and AD can score and he could defend. And he gave him what, 30 and what? 30 and 13? 30 and 12?

Hey, he's coming. He's tapping into his ability. He's tapping into what his gift is. And once you get through the NBA games and you realize what you see on TV ain't all Superman. Everybody ain't Superman. From your TV, everybody.

Look good.

On TV. But you get up close, you start seeing their weaknesses, and you start feeling the game for yourself.

I belong.

Yeah. All it takes is one game, one moment for the click on and say, I'm a part of this. I can play here.

Ojo said he can play for the Heat right now. They got a G League. They got a G League.

Have you seen the talent over in Miami, man?

They that bad.

Hell, yeah. That's a YMCA team down there. We all are in.

The way for them. Ocho, having dribbled a basketball in probably 10 years, and you know about any... Ocho, and what I try to tell people, it's hard. No matter what profession you're in, especially if it's a skilled professional, especially where you're using your hands-out coordination, you just can't sit that down. It's like, Oh, yeah, I'm going to sit this down for three or four years and just come back and pick it up and pick up where you left off?

No, you can't do that. But then the players ain't got over there. Hey, Ojo, you got a chance with the players on it. They're just going to be in well, good condition. You're going to have to put the McDonald's down a little bit.

Yeah, for sure. The NBA is suspending, Draymond Green indefinitely. Joe Dumar, the NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said, Dre, your repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts was considered in the decision to suspend him indefinitely. This is the sixth time in his career he's been suspended. Dre Mon is expected to receive counseling and work with the Warriors and NBA while suspended. He has to meet criteria before returning to the court. But Chris Haynes report that Dre Mon will be allowed to continue practicing while serving his suspension. What the hell? Hold up. You need to tell me I can commit a crime and I could continue to work, continue to go do what I do and then not go to jail. What is this?

Basically, he ain't suspended, suspended, right? Right. He's just taking some time off. Was it a... This is load management.

This is load management. But he's just not getting paid, huh?

Hey, man, listen. It'd be tricky. It depends on who's suspending him.

I think the legs are spinning him. But Dre got to stop this. He got to stop this. I mean, come on now. I get it. But one of my problems is why is the Warriors involved? Because it's you that's allowed this to go on. I would have thought after Dre got suspended in 2016 for game... What game was that? Game five.

Game five.

He said, I cost my team a championship. I can't put myself and my team in that predicament again. Lo and behold, he constantly does it. I'm just trying to figure out where is the disconnect between Dray and I get it. He's the heartbeat, he's the enforcer, but he's going over the line continuously.

You're right. Listen, you can't turn it off. That's the problem. You have to be able to take the good with the bad. No different than Dennis Rodman. You turn off what you don't like, might turn off what you do like. So with Draymond, he's reacting in real time. When you look at the things he's doing, it's not like you can see it building up. There's no build-up to this. This is just reaction in real time and then boom, explode. So what's up happening is if you take away and you start making him think, you might lose the heartbeat. That's the.

Only problem. I like aggression, but I love controlled aggression, because right now it's uncontrollable. He's a ticking time bomb. Everybody got to the dog that when somebody come in, he's growling and everything, and it's all fun and game until he bite someone. Then all of a sudden, it's not funny anymore. It's not cute anymore. That's what's happening with Draymond. He go up to the line. You can even look over, but you can't step over. At what point in time? Because you know what? They could tolerate that they can replace it. At some point in time, they're going to break this thing up. We're going to talk about Clay a little later, because right now the only one that's worth being there is is Steph. Ain't no kind it is Steph. But Draymond he continuously put... I could see if he had done this and they got Katie, they still got enough to overcome it. But in this situation, this is not the Golden State Warriors of 2015, 16, 17, 18, 19. They can't overcome this.

If they were 17 and three, we wouldn't even care. But the fact that they struggling.

Would he have done this at 17 and three? Because maybe...

Yeah, he going to do this no matter what. It's who he is. It's who he's always been. The ticking time bomb is ticking all the time. And that's what makes him great. The reason I can't, if I'm talking to him, I can't tell him. I can't convince him to say, Hey, man, you're going to have to calm it down. When I got in trouble in the locker room and I told myself, don't be Agent Zero no more, because Agent Zero himself was a daredevil.

Right.

I was, hey, you said, hey, I'm about to jump off the building. I see you make it. Here I come.

You.

Next. Because that was fun. You can dare me to.

Do.

Anything.

But.

That's what got me in trouble. If I don't want that person anymore, I got to take away my whole aggression. Then I became docile. Now I'm not the same person anymore. When Laker is like, yeah, we need agent zero, he's no longer here. You don't want to be- You know what could happen with the leader.

Wow. Yeah, but let me ask you a question. How much longer are the Warriors going to tolerate this? Because it seems to me they're at their wits end, because he's becoming more problem than he's worth. If I'm winning championships, I'm making deep playoff runs.

It all depends on where you're trying to go moving forward. If you're trying to break this thing up, you got to go. If you're trying to build like, okay, within the next three years, we're trying to get back to the championship, you got to keep them. Trade, get rid of Wiggins, try to get into Paul, George, and try to make a trade to put step back in position to win, then you need Draymond. But if you're going to break this whole thing up, Draymond got to go first.

This ain't like a marriage, Gile. You see a lot of professional athletes get a divorce once they're done with that. Because all of a sudden, them farts, smell it, you ain't making some $10 million. They're a little stinkier now. I ain't got to put up with this. You hanging out with your boys. I could tolerate that when you bring a home 20 million. Now you ain't bringing home 20 million. I can't tolerate it as much as I once could. So we need to go out separate ways. Well, Draymond, we could tolerate this when you help us win four championships in six years. We were the pre-eminent team in the NBA. Now all of a sudden, we've fallen on hard times, Draymond. I don't know if I could tolerate it like I once could.

They like a marriage when your career is over with.

We've all seen it. We've all seen it. Hey, bro, you mad? You need to go home, man. She cool with you, man. She cool. Now all of a sudden, you ain't making that money no more. All of a sudden, you're not in the limelight no more, and you come home, where the hell are you being? Just a year ago, I was out with the boys. It wasn't the problem. It was an epic problem now.

You want me to be docile. You better get back in the league other than that. You better be normal. The 30 women you had before better go down to this just me, right? That's just how it is.

He ain't that.

Someone said that... I forgot who said it said the referees are eavesdropping on their conversation. But I think the refs are trying to keep it because we know what talking leads to, because somebody going to say something and going to get the feelings hurt. That's just the way we wire.

But no, that's football. You all wire like that. You all fighting people with your helmet on, with your helmet off. No, you all be like that. We got some sense a.

Little bit. But you all ain't...

No, you see this right here, the choke cost them 800, right? Yeah. This is going to cost some millions if he don't get his shit together. Nba players, we're not really trying to fight. The rest, E's dropping. That is the problem. You're trying to stop us from doing what? When most things that happen or reaction, and most things that's happened is because of you all are not calling that whistle.

If.

You do your job, we can do ours. But the fact that you don't want to do yours and we sitting here going back and forth, let it happen. Let it happen. You're trying to stop stuff from happening when most of the things are just right here on the instant play, it ain't when we're japping back and forth. When was Draymond talking to Nerkish?

He didn't say anything to it. It's not a damn thing.

What did he say to Rudy when he.

Put him in that figure four? Not a damn thing. Well, they should have suspended Rudy Gobert's teammates for letting that happen. That's who should have got suspended, because Kat and Aunt Man ain't do nothing. I don't care. You ain't running upon my teammate. No, you grab your teammate. I grab my teammate. You ain't touching my teammate.

Facts. That's just to lay it all out for you. Was correct. What happened was.

You see what he did? When they grabbed Clay, he's like, Oh, you all got Clay? I got your man. Like a fusion.

I got.

You, man. I won't out.

That should have been an NBA orgy over there, Mark.

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I Heart Radio. I'm Claire Crofton, and in my new podcast, The Fighty Pups, we're going out on the ice with the most violent hockey team ever. That was.

Guerrilla warfare at its highest.

The Danbury trashers wanted to win at any cost.

Big take down.

All better.

Than breaking lose here in.

Thrasher pad.

He wanted to break every bone in his body. Literally throwing him like a rag doll. Going bananas here.

At.

The Danbury Ice Arena. They can't restrain him right now. So are.

They heroes or villans? You decide. I don't know what.

To say, and I don't want to get shot.

There's the FBI side, there's my side, and somewhere in the middle is the truth. Listen to The Fighty Pucks on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You and I are going to have a problem.

Do you understand what I'm saying to you? Welcome to the jungle.

Check this out. The Lakers in-season tournament banner. Charles Barker said, You don't do champagne for in-season tournaments. If the Lakers put the in-season tournament banner up, I'm going to roast their ass on television. I got one question. Is it a championship or not?

It's this championship. The problem is we don't know where this is going to be moving forward.

You think they're going to do away with... Let me ask you a question. Is it more or less likely they'll have an in-season tournament next year and the next year and the next year, or are they going to do away with it? What's more likely?

I think this is a new thing. It seems successful. But why.

Is Charles Barkley talking?

You don't have to ask him.

You ain't raised no banner, period.

I don't know. If he's laughing at that championship, is he still giggling when Phoenix Suns in '93 put up the Western Conference banner? Because he was happy when that went up. Exactly. When the ones in Philadelphia, when they hung up his Western conference man, Eastern conference man. Was he giggling and stickling? No.

Here's the thing. What I've heard, Gilles, is that is gimmicky. Let me tell you something, and I'm old enough, I'm a little older than you, Gilles. I know something that they instituted in 1979. Chris Ford was the first one to make one, the three-point shot. They said it's gimmicky. They need to do away with it. Now if you can't shoot the three, you can barely play on the court in the NBA game. So how is that?

No, that's facts. They don't pay attention to history. There was no shot blocking back when Wilton was doing it. The fact that they're improving the game, the point line got moved.

In.

Two feet. This is the first year of it. Twenty years from now, we're going to be sitting here talking about, Oh, he got 20 in-season tournaments and five NBA. What? He's just the first one.

That's the problem. I totally agree, because I believe it's like the play in tournament. They said the play in tournament was gimmicky. Now look at it.

That counts as a playoff appearance for the team. It wasn't even the playoffs.

The Lakers got in the play in tournament and went all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

The problem.

That I got is that people pick and choose because I think the problem that they got is that LeBron won. Because had LeBron, I had not won it, we wouldn't have any problems. Everybody would have been cool with it. Because now that he win, it don't mean anything. Had he not won, he can't even win the in-season tournament.

Now that's facts. If Denver would have won it, it just continues with their dominance from last year. If Indiana Pacers would have won it, he would have got some T&T games or ESP and extra games moving further in the season. It is that LeBron's won it, but that's what's going to make it stick. Right.

But let me ask you this, you played against Kobe. So in other words, and Jordan, and as competitive as they were, they tell the story that Jordan, Roy Williams told a story that he beat Jordan and pooled. Jordan went play for two weeks. People have told the story of Jordan and he quit. He wouldn't do this. He wouldn't do that. We know how ultra competitive Kobe was. If they had this thing, if David Stern had instituted this, so Jordan going to boycott say, Man, I ain't playing this gimmicky thing. What's Kobe going to do? Say, No, I said, try it, play this, give me a key thing, or are they going to try and win?

That's a tough one. The reason because as long as it's there, they're going to try to win it. 100 %. Jordan is going to just win it. The Bulls team is to win it. If Kobe is in a position to win, he's going to win it. But Kobe was the same person who was arguing about the new ball that came in. Yes. And he said this. He said, If Jordan didn't play with it, I don't want to play with it. Don't help me try to break records. Let me do it on my own. If Jordan didn't have this ball that helps him to go in, don't get that shit to me. And that's one of the reasons that the ball got boycotted. Because those guys are like, No, I don't want it if Jordan didn't have it.

Because the ball went from spalding. It used to be spalding in Niles Wilson. I'm correct?

Yeah, but this was a spalding ball. It was that fusion ball.

Yeah, it's like that Feverball.

Yeah. Hey, I ain't going to that one.

Hey, you let me go with it.

Get that motherfucking 60 in that one. 60, 50, 40, 50. I was doing work in that ball.

George Carl. I'm really sick of George Carl. I've never met the man, but I'm already sick of him. He tweeted the bubble banner, in-season banner, stitch together would be like one whole banner. You didn't win anything. You know what? I just want to say, can one former player tweet support of George Karl? Is there any of his players that like him that play for him?

This is George... This is Matthews, right? This is Matthews?

Matthews is George Karl. George Carl.

Hey, when you don't like him, you got.

To say his middle name. Matthew.

Matthew. Matthew Carl. The one who bench Kobe when he was 18 in that All-Star Game and Kobe hated him since average 32 points a game and 17 matches in the playoffs in George Carl with the dynasty teams he was having. The man won. He had five 50-plus seasons out of nine times to the playoffs, he was out the first round, eight of them.

That's George Carl. He should go.

Ahead and shut up.

I think he might have been the first one seed to lose to an eight seed when the Nuggets beat the Supersonics in '94.

He's an underachiever.

Actually.

We should thank him. We should thank him for '92.

See, people don't know. Matthew was coaching the Spain team in '92, right? That's what he won. He got a championship in '92 over in Spain.

Okay. Yeah.

But he was coaching those players that MJ was running through. When we beat them by 41, oh, yeah, that was this.

That.

Was the team.

Again, Gail, we know why the bubble don't hold significance to a lot of people who won the championship in the bubble?

Ron. Ron?

Had anybody else won? Because what I heard, what people have been trying to tell me for the longest that LeBron James is the most mentally weak NBA player that they've ever seen. But he was the only guy and keep his team and himself in that confined space for three plus months. If you're so mentally weak where you can't go nowhere, you got cabin fever at the Yang-Yang, how was he able to stay so mentally focused while all the mentally tough teams and players succumb to the pressure?

Because mentally weak is something people just throw around because of tweets and stuff. Mentally weak is.

What the.

Clipper's were. Oh, I don't want to be here. Why should I go there? I'm scared. That's mentally weak. When you're talking about being in the jungle, fighting against players that are saying, I'm just here to win. You've seen what Booker did in the bubble. They went eight-to-no, mentally strong. The guys who went there just to go there, they were mentally strong. Now from there, it's about basketball. The Mentally Weak didn't focus on basketball. They complained about everything but the game itself.

That's the problem. You're mad at the team who was more disciplined. That's all. Yeah, Clipper fans, you can be mad all you want. Clipper fans, you can be mad at you want. But your team is the one who is complaining about everything. We can't go to the strip club. We can't do that. We can't do that.

That's the mental thing. But if you notice, all of a sudden, you notice they didn't want to be there once they got kicked out and they was up 3-1. Now, when they was up 2-1, they was up 3-1. We want to be here. This is what it's about. We're playing the game. We love no distraction. You get chased down. Now all of a sudden, we didn't want to be here, man. We had checked out. We heard people said it wasn't going to matter. So we checked out.

I heard that. Listen, they checked out just like Doc Rivers checked out. They checked all their asses out.

Of that hotel. In other words, they cost Doc his job. No, no, no.

Doc calls himself that job. He had three one playing golf every day.

But, Gil, the players just said that they want to be there.

Hey, this true story. Game seven. They come in the locker room, everybody focused. Doc talking about his golf score that he did early today, not the game itself. So he was speaking on just his golfing. And somebody mentioned to him, I hope you're ready to coach today because if you lose, there's going to be a problem. Because he was not focused on the game. He passed us out of that. Listen, during the game, I heard during the game, he done hit, Elton Brand. Hey, man, you got a job open for me? What? I'm throwing a little extra on.

Half time. He is a week later. But- Can't let the situation when he's in the parking lot and he called Katie after LeBron chased him down three months. Very similar situation. I added a little yeast to the story so it would grow. But you get the idea of it. You got it. Clay, Thompson turned down a preseason contract this summer worth $48 million. How big of a mistake was that?

At first, I was like, Man, I was dumb.

I.

Thought it was... But when you're making 43 and you jump down to 24 being Clay Thompson, I'd rather take my chances in free agency. I think financially it's a better move because no matter what he average this year, 15 and above.

He can get.

Two.

Year 48.

He can get that. So if I know no matter what I do this year, my name, Clay Thompson, I'm averaging anything from 15 to 20, the least I can get is two year 48. I'm not going to sign this deal.

Because I think what's happening is that they see all the money. The worst thing you can do is measure your worth by somebody else's contract. What they're seeing is that these guys are getting money and I'm better than him. I'm better than him. He got five years, 185. He got six years and this, that, or three years or whatever. Now all of a sudden you're like, Well, I'm better than him and you all only offer me this. Because everybody wants a max contract at 34, 35, 36. You and I both no guilt. That's not happening unless you are the elite or the elite or the elite. Now, LeBron, guess what? They'll probably get LeBron two more years, 125, me. Facts. But he's still playing at that level. Clay can't look at it and says, Well, I want four championships in six years. Well, we already gave you a max contract for that. We've got to pay you now based on what we believe you would do in '24, '25, '26. I can't pay you based on what you've done. I got to pay you based on what I believe you can do.

Now, actually, correction, they paid him off what he did in the last four years.

Right. It was.

19, zero. He ain't playing no games. He ain't play no games in 2021. He played 32 games, 21, 22, where they won the championship. He played 69 games last year and he's playing 22. Basically, in those four years, you played 101 games. You worked 48 million for two years. You know what I think? Fuck. You know what I think?

Screwed him up. I think screwed him up. This contract right here. Three year, 93 million out of Midleton. I think that's the money. I wouldn't be mad paying Clay three year, 93. I think if they would have offered him three year 93, the same as Midleton, I think he would have took that.

No, I can't. But here's the thing. Is he worth that? Was Middleton worth it? Well, same.

Amount as this.

They didn't expect Middleton to have those knee issues because Middleton... Remember Middleton and that championship, Middleton gave people the.

Gave not working.

He gave not work. Then he had that. The worst thing that really can happen is that you have an injury that you have to get opened up in your mid 30s. Now, Gil, that's a problem. Now, you don't have the youth and recoverability on your side because you already got up and down a lot. You got a lot of mileage on those legs, and now you have to go get me the scope or you get a meniscus or whatever the surgery is. It's hard to overcome that.

At 33, man, trying to squeeze out a four-year deal to put it to 37, I know that's the ideal, but it's one of those things where the bottom line is two-year 48. I know he's not starting off the season the way he.

Would have hoped.

I'm pretty sure he wish he would be average at about 25 right now where they can get this deal done right now. He can get some stress off. But the fact that he's playing horrible.

Is a two year 48 even on the table now?

No, if I'm them, to be honest, I'm going to just wait till he goes. If he keeps the same up, 15 and 19, I'm going to let Free Agency dictate what he's going to get, and then I'll just match it.

I.

Might lose them, but I'm going to be banking on this is where he lives. The only team I can really lose Clay too, is probably a Los.

Angeles team. Lakers.

That's who I'll be worried about. But then I'll probably throw in some extra lean on that he's been here four years. This is where he's been.

Because considering the Lakers will probably be only maybe they'll go, maybe they'll go that extra year and maybe not 24. Maybe that extra year, they'll partially guarantee it. Instead of the full 24, maybe we guarantee 16 of it.

They got the money to do whatever they want to do.

Both.

Got shit. Both got money. But I'm just leaning on. I'm leaning on just, hey, what's going to happen though? They could mess up. Let's say with Draymond is already gone. If Steph missed some times and Clay get in about, averaging about 28, 29 a game for about 15 to 20 game span, is he.

Still that guttogill? Is he still capable of doing that? Because you got that ACL and that Achilles, it robbed it. It's like I robbed him of what Clay was an outstanding two-way player.

Granted, as any player, as they start to age, they can't sit in the chair like they once could for an extended period of time. You said something very interesting that made me think is that you said, Clay never improved his game from being a catch and shoot, got a spot-up guy, and he's great at it. But my retort to you, how difficult is it to get a guy to do something different when he's had such success doing it that way? Why would I improve? Why would I take it with them? Why would I improve? I know you see, Steph added the layup package because Steph used to be an outside the bank guy. Now Steph added the layup package, he's even more deadly. You hug up on him, Steph will go by you. Got gray handles and can finish with either hand or either side of the rim. Clay didn't take his game to that level. It's a.

Personal thing. Are you working out to improve or are you working out to get stats and get achievements? I don't want someone who works hard. I want a hard worker. That means their self-improvement is what they build their foundation on. You're number one right now, right? Right. I can't stop you from working.

Every- No, hell, not. I'm trying to maintain that.

Yeah, the same thing. If I see a flaw in my game, when I go into the summer and I look at synergy, I'm going right, I'm bad at the left, I'm bad at this corner. The first two months of the summer, right? That's what I'm attacking. I'm attacking those weaknesses, right? I can't hide behind championships, NVPs because the greats didn't. The greats improved every year after every year to they couldn't prove anymore. And that's where I don't see Clay. I don't see Clay improving. Yeah, you got four rings.

Cool. You have a.

Scoring title. You should be trying to get scoring titles. You should be trying to be the man on the team. That's how you should be going into the.

Summer.

Working. Average of 17 to 21 your whole career.

That's cool. But what about like, okay, as I start to get older, let me add something to it. Maybe now let me put the ball on the floor and take it instead of... I don't understand the three-point is more valuable than the two, but let me put the ball on the floor and maybe I can get to the rim because people are going to look to chase me off the three. Instead of side-stepping to clear space, maybe I put the ball, take two, three dribbles and maybe kiss it off the glass from twelve.

What's so funny is I remember when I had, I valued Clay more valuable than Steph at the beginning of that dynasty. I said.

Well.

One is six, seven. If he can learn how to dribble the ball, I can put him at the point and then get a bigger shooting guard. I've been saying the same thing, learn how to dribble. What you do right here, you've learned that since you was little. That doesn't go nowhere. If Steph Curry took the summer off of shooting and worked on ball handling and stuff, he's still going to be Steph Curry. You don't lose that. I can go in the yard right now and make 75 out of 100, and I ain't shot in months. I'm lying. I'm lying, you all.

Yeah.

I shot this morning.

I'm lying. Exactly. Because you looking to catch somebody on the hustle. You're looking for the cover up.

Man, I.

Ain't shot like three, four months.

I tried to get them up. I know you did. If somebody was going to fall for that point, Gail, check this out. Katie had some very interesting things to say about Dre that's pro game presser. He said that was insane to see. Never seen that in an NBA game. He hasn't been that way when I was around or coming into the league, so I hope he gets the help that he needs. Bro, that's two people say Dre needs some help. Two people on the same team. Yeah, but he just said it.

No, we've seen him do antics. I think players like them, man, when the team ain't good, the frustration is higher. I think his job as the heartbeat, I think it beats hard, harder faster when you're losing. He don't have no time to relax. He's trying to figure out how to will this team to wins. When you winning every game, the antics don't come out. The antics is starting to come out when you... Now, when you're losing and your back up is against the wall.

Yeah. But, Gilles, you know how this thing works. You remember you were going in '67 to '15 when you was going 60, 70, 15? When you was going 73 and '90, you beat the hell out of everybody. Guess what happened when it's time to get my lick back? I'm trying to tear your.

Ass up too.

You remember, Gil, in the start of the fourth quarter, they all stay warrior. Steph, play a Dray bar day on the sideline. They're going to build up a 30-point lead. Now team is trying to build up those 30-point leads on their ass.

Yeah, and he ain't going on without a fight, obviously.

I say, man, yeah, it's a very unfortunate situation, but my thing is the Warriors. The only problem that I got with this girl, yeah, Draymond was wrong, but the Warriors. Draymond has been this exact way. Now all of a sudden you want to intervene, now that you want to have an intervention, it's like, Okay, Draymond, we're going to put an armor. Bro, you all should have stopped this. You all let the man clip Jordan Poole. No matter what Jordan Poole said, he didn't deserve what Draymond did. But I thought Jordan Poole because you know when you arguing with a man, as long as you on one side and we argue it, we fine. But I'm not going to let you close the distance, Gile. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm getting that first with off. I'm not fit to let you walk up on me and then you shut. No, I ain't no shut. Because the moment you see him at your peripheral and you can tell the different tone. I don't know how it is, but you could tell the tone when somebody like, Okay, dude might want to do something okay. Now I got to go to a different place mentally because all of a sudden, that old fun left, man, you ain't going to do nothing.

You ain't going to do that. You ain't going to do that. You do it all that talking. Now all of a sudden, I got to let, okay, you going to get what you're looking for.

Yeah, we ain't like that. We ain't like that.

You're right. You know what, Gia? I've heard NBA players say that, but being in the NFL locker room is a different level of testosterone and machismo. Because even if a guy has to take an ass cut, he's not going to let you punk him. He's not going to let you walk up on it. Because first of all, he can't.

He can't.

You can't. I don't care if it's a D-line man and a wide receiver. I don't care if it's a running back or the linebacker. Respect is everything.

So when you only got 15 players and really you count on eight, for the most part, most of the stuff is not personal. It's rare where I hate you on the court and off. Like me and Karon, on the court, we bumped. Off the court, boom, we go. Off the court, me and Antoine never hung out. On the court, that's my go-to guy. You know what I mean, it's rare that you don't like each other on and off that. When that happens, you need to get treated.

For sure. Well, first of all, you punch me. Somebody got to go. Either I'm going to a different team or I'm going to jail because we got to fight every.

Day till I win. What the matter? I'm sorry. We're not built like you.

No, bro. Gail, you're not fit to let no man just punch you in your face and you all go back and like, Okay, we're going to play 82 games together.

That's why I had that thing in the locker room.

Okay. They told you. Hey, listen, that wasn't the first time I remember Karon wanted to have a meeting with me. I had the thing on me in the locker room.

Just in case. Just in case I'm popped. Just in case.

Back.

Up. But, Kim, you had to feel... I mean, bro, you brought a Desert Eagle. I have a Desert Eagle. I got the 44 Mag. You got the what? The 50 count. Bro, that's why you pulled that thing out like the joke in the first Batman. He pulled that thing out and they kept coming. Is that a shotgun with a pistico grill? Is that a handgun?

I couldn't shoot him. I didn't shoot him. I just had him.

You just tried to scare him off. I'm not scared.

We ain't trying to fight. Listen, we ain't got muscles like that to be trying to fight nobody.

I just got the muscle to scare them off. I ain't really try. I got old now. I got too old to hustle, Gilles. I ain't going to lie to you. I got too old to hustle. I'm going to get my car and drive away. This might help clear up the ball situation. Rick Carlis said in his postgame interview, he said there was a misunderstanding about the game ball. It was Oscar-Tashibi, right? I think it's to Shibby, the guy from Kentucky. First official NBA points, and we always get the game ball. We're not thinking about Yana's franchise record, unfortunately in that situation. The guy that scored 64 points, he's going to lose the ball to a guy that scored two.

They gave it to their own. Yana is going.

To have... Hold on. Check this out. Gil, the game was in Milwaukee. How the hell do you think Indiana you get to keep the ball?

I just thought about that. How the hell do they get to keep?

You're going to get to keep them, get them. Rick, you booed that. Hey, Rick, that's some.

Boo job. I can tell you this right now. That bus ain't leaving.

They.

Probably listen. They probably don't switch that ball anyway. So the one Yana's got to eat.

The real hard. If he did get it- Oh, man, that is the Yana's dirty like that.

Listen, because it's the same thing. My first two points, especially that's tradition, my first points are the M, because you can't take that back. That's my career. But to be honest, I never heard no shit like that before.

I never heard nobody. You know that. First of all, I've been in a lot of games, and I know when running backs had great 150, 200-yard games, I know when receivers had 200-yard games, I know when quarterbacks through for three. I understood, and obviously the ball is a difference because every team got their ball. It's not like basketball. The basketball is the basketball. You shoot with that ball, we shoot with that ball. But in football, the got their ball. The Raiders got their ball. But you mean to tell me that you didn't know Yanes has 64 points? The man dropped 26 on you in the fourth alone. Come on, Rick.

They won't hear me. They want him to pay for it back.

They want.

To pay for it back. That's all that is. Wait, hold on.

What's up?

The NBA is going to get that ball.

What are they getting the ball?

Do they get ball or the shoot? They get one of them. The NBA gets one of.

Them for the- Okay, for Springfield.

Yeah, they get one of them. They're going to get something. I'm trying to figure out, was it my jersey they got or my...

I should have been at that game. I should have been in Milwaukee. I said, Can I have you a jersey and him not realize it? I would have took out running.

The NBA gets one of those.

Let me ask you a question. Do you believe Zion has been overly criticized?

No.

Why not?

Because if we do not criticize him, that means we accept what he's going to be. If he keeps up the same, if he keeps gaining weight. If he keeps gaining weight, then we've accepted it. So we're like, all right, we're fine. We're going to call you a bus and just move on to the next star. So the fact that we're still talking about him means we still see the potential of what he can be.

Right. I agree. But I think the problem is more people care than he does, because at the end of the day, Gile, it's a personal choice. This is why I tell my kids all the time, I can't want something more for you than you want it for yourself. Right now, there are people that want Zion to get his training and his eating under control more so than the Zion wants to get it under control. Because that's what it is. Even let's just say, even if he has an eating problem, no matter what your demons are, we create those demons. We must chase them away. The thing with Zion, I understand. But again, Gail, when you look at him and he's doing what he's doing, he's giving you 30 and 12 and he's 200, 300 pounds. What incentive does he have? Now, if he was giving you six and eight, now he's like, man, I need to lose some weight. But because he's having these outbursts, but he should have said, you know what? Look how many games I've done missed. That's a direct reflection of my conditioning, and I'm too heavy. Let me do something about it.

You know what the problem is? Have you noticed he's heavier now than he was in training camp? He's heavier now. Yeah.

Because in training camp, you're doing a lot more running as opposed to not because all you get the game and then shoot around ain't not really going on.

Yeah. That's the problem is he's trying to be normal and this ain't football where you're coming to practice at 6:00 AM and you leaving 6:00 PM, he probably, to be honest, he probably not even burning not even 500 calories working out every day. That means he consciously, at 23 years old, have to sit at, go home and do two hours of cardio. So he has to really just, I'm going to diet, I'm going to work out. And that's not what he was built on. He wasn't built on that type of discipline. That's going to take real self-check. Soon as the summer hit and he has to lock in and say, All right, I'm going to go into the summer and I'm going to lose 60 pounds. He can't do that in a season. No way in a season.

It's.

Not during the season.

No, it's done.

What's going on? It's done. The season is over. You can't expect him to lose 30 pounds right now. No. Flying, partying, eating, traveling, sitting. He ain't losing no weight right now. That is damn near impossible. He better.

Get on some Adderall.

They better check off that drug, Tessie.

I think the thing, Gilles, is what I tell people as well. Shannon was disciplined to you. It requires you to do your best when no one else is watching. You see the problem? I bet you when people are around Zion, eating chicken breast, eating little pasta, eating fruit. But then we listen, bro, you can't food people like, well, what? A elephant eat, all he eat is grass. Yeah, but he eat 500 pounds of grass. So yeah, you can overeat even if you eat nutritious, which he's not. I've never seen someone be big young people normally grow to be big old people. And big old people don't live long.

Now listen, everyone killed me when I called it out. Luckily, me and him are still cool because I called it out. I called it out when he was in college. I said 18 years old, 19 years old at 285. That's not good.

What you think? If he's 285 and 18 and you know 18, man, I can eat anything I want to. I kept a 12-pack and I ain't talk about it in the freeze. I couldn't even really walk around in the sub I was locked up. I had so many muscles. But as I started to age, you have to work. Because as you start to get older, you either have to work out harder or eat cleaner. Sometimes you got to do both. Or both. B-o-a-f. Both. But the thing that people say, when Zion need a personal chef, Zion need personal accountability.

You all don't... They acting like he don't have a chef. He got a chef.

He got a chef. But you can't be cooking at Too Fay. You can't be cooking Jumbalah. You can't be cooking Gumbo. You can't be cooking that.

Hey, when a chef, Lee, he got Uber Eats.

Yeah. That's what he got. You can't be eating the Doves and Ben Yates.

He might eat when he's sad. He might eat when he's happy. You know what I mean? It might be his thing. It might just be his thing. He's just going to have to lock in one day and say, Listen, I don't want this no more. I don't want this for my life. Because to get something you've never had, you got to do something you never done before.

Always.

I want to be an NBA champion. I want to be that next level. I got to get rid of this.

Food habit. Yes.

It's not taking away the food, it's taking away at certain times of the day.

Right. Or the portions. The portions. That's the thing. I just wish I could sit down and talk to and say, Zion, people are like this because they care. Because if they didn't care, they would let you do what you would continue to do. You can do what you want to do. But don't think people are taking shots at you because if they thought you were a bum, they wouldn't care. They wouldn't. But people love you and they see what you can be. Sometimes people can see things in us we can't see in ourselves. I think this is a prime example. He thinks everybody is coming down. Well, if it's coming from a good place, where is where they come from, Zion? Laughter.

They ended up in jokes. We've been laughing at it for a while. It started in Summer League when he was sitting on the bench after his first game and had that belly. He's just packing a lot of weight. I think they have to make it at 23. They have to make losing weight fun. They got to treat him like a little kid. Hey, come on, baby. Good job. You lost two pounds. Keep going. One of those, you're going to have the baby until it becomes a routine form where he's happy doing it.

Yeah, I believe the first person given his body type, the first person he should have contacted once he decided he was going pro with Charles Barkley because Charles Barkley had a very similar situation. He said, Charles said, Moses Malone told him, say, you fat. He was similar to that, You fat. Hold on. No, you're fat. You fat and you lazy. Sometimes it takes blunt, harsh criticism for it to resonate and stop because maybe that's the problem. Everybody's like, come on, Zion. Drop a couple of no. Tell him the hard truth and hopefully it resonates. But I want the guy to get it because we've never seen somebody that size, that explosive. He has a Ferrari engine in a Mac truck body.

Yes. He's moving it. The fact that we are laughing and talking about it, and he's averaging 23, 6.

And 5. The thing is, the guy can win me up. But here's the thing. When you're that size and you're that explosive and you jump up and down in an NBA game over the course of a season, that size wasn't made to do that, Gilles. That body wasn't made to do.

Six times the weight coming down. So every pound he gains, that's six times.

He needs.

To be realistically... If he can get back to... He's only 23. So if he can get back to250, 260.

250, 260, 250, 260.

Because that'd be him right before he went to Duke. If I'm him, I'm going to tell LeBron James, Hey, I'm sorry, but I'm spending the whole summer with you.

Yeah, for sure. What you normally pay your chef, don't pay her because I'm going to pay her. She's going to cook. I'm going to live in the guest house.

I'm.

Going to live in the guest house. I want to see that man got 21 years and he's going strong. It looks like he's going to be going for 22, 23, knock on wood, nothing unforeseen happens because he's going to get the car. He's going to call a shot. He's going to walk away when he wants to.

Yeah, I'm bringing the luggage. Ain't no... Lebron ain't going to be able to tell me no.

I'm going to do LeBron like Kobe did Jordan. I'm going to nag the F-A-T out of him and you go, Hey, come on, boy. Come on, son. I'm going to take a like to it. Cildare Village will.

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Do you understand what I'm saying to you? Welcome to The Jungle.

Check this out. Life and love. Gil, what's the simplest thing someone can buy for you that would make you happy? The simplest thing.

That they can buy for me?

Yes.

Man, at this age, man, I don't want nothing that costs. The things that I want don't cost nothing. That's peace, loyalty, honesty, love.

I thought you were going to set up for some potato chill for a.

Candy bar. I thought you're going to sell them for some potato chill for a candy bar. The things we're looking for out of just a partner themselves and people that's around that trust, dignity, loyalty, that's what I want. Because you can't buy that no guilt. You can't buy it?

That's why. What about a shirt? Can we Can we get you a shirt? Can we get you a pair of teeth? Can we get you a pair of vintage, Asian Z-Royce?

You can buy me some sandals and be a cheater. Right there. No, thank you.

I won't. I won't.

I won't. I don't got the sweaters and all that stuff.

Then find out. I already know what the key. Look, give me a card. My kids don't buy me anything. Just give me a card because they already told me, Daddy, what can we buy you that you don't already have and you can't get yourself? Get your daddy a card and we're good. They're going to stick some movie tickets, but they don't do movie tickets anymore because I don't go to the movies like that. But just get me a card. But you know what? I was dating this young lady and I didn't tell her anything, but she was just very observant. When I came home, I came home one Friday because what I do, I go to practice, and then I would go get my hair cut, and then I come home. It think I wouldn't get home until probably about four o'clock, five o'clock. She had watched me over the course of like, and I'd never say anything. She had three zero bars, candy bar zeroes. You like the zeroes?

She.

Had three zeroes. I've always drank ginger ale and she had a the Honey barbecue corn chips. Obviously, the gingerale was in the refrigerator, but the zeroes and the Honey barbecue corn chips were sitting there. When I walked in, because she had never bought me this before, but she just saw and I just walked in and while I walked in, I just gave a hug. I said, Thank you. Because I like observing. Yes. We was having a conversation, me and some of my teammates. They were talking about their wife and all this and talk about Sharp. You ain't even married. I said, I tell you what, I bet you and I bet you. I bet each of you 100,000. I said, I want you all to do just what I want you to do. Pick any fast food restaurants, Burger King, McDonald's. There's a restaurant called Black IP or Cimbarro with a piece of place. I said, I tell you what, call your wife, tell her to go there. Go to one of these places and don't tell her to get you. And you tell me what she going to get. Now, I'm going to call my girlfriend and I'm going to tell her to go to one of those places.

I'm going to bet you, you and you, $100,000 a piece. I bet you she'll come back with whatever I told you she going to get. No, man. No. You all talk about your marriage and your wife know you so well. I'm going to take my girlfriend of two years and I bet three of you, $100,000 a piece. Guess what, Gil? Ain't nobody want to take the bill. No. But I say, I tell you what I'm going to do to show you how you lost your damn money. I called her, go to black IP. I hung the phone up. I said, I hung the phone up. I said that she's going to come. She's going to bring me corn. She's going to bring me a chicken breast, plain rice, corn, green beans, and two rolls.

That's what she brought?

I know she did.

Absolutely. Thisis when women ask me and I told women, Stop asking this goddamn question to men. Stop asking, What do you see me? What are you looking for? We don't know until you give it to her. We have a vision, but you need to bring something that I.

Saw something out here on her.

Bring me like, Men never been love. We don't know how to.

Receive love.

That's one thing. We're not taught how to receive it. So when someone like, I don't know what I'm looking for, but when I see it, God damn it, I know that's it.

Yeah.

And that's what it is. You're doing the things that you're looking at my life and you're beating me to it. I put my clothes in a hamper, boom, it's clean the next day. Like, oh, my sandals, boom, it's clean. The water is running at 5:30 AM because that's when I wake up, you woke up, turned it on because I'm going to be getting up in 30 more minutes. You're doing the things before, and I don't have that- Ask.

You for it. -ask for it. Yeah, but my thing was, Gil, I've had a couple that knew me better than I knew myself. Because I ruined it because I was afraid. I'm like, How did she know me? But she just watched everything that I did, everything that I said. Shannon, this one's birthday. Shannon, it's your mom's birthday. Shannon, it's Libby's birthday. Shannon, you need to do this. Well, such and such. It was just like clockwork. It scared me so because I had never had anybody that took the time to get to know me like this and to know what I like, what I didn't like and to you want me to pick this up? I'm going to such and such. What do you need? Do you mind? I have to do it because I didn't know. What... I didn't know. Because growing up, that's not how... My grandmother never said she loved me. My grandfather never told me that they love me. Love, when you got a roof over your head, you got food in your stomach, and you got clothes on your back. That was love to me. They didn't tell me, but I knew it.

I could feel it. But as I got older, that's like, I didn't know my gifts is my love. That's the way I show you that I love you. I'm trying to get you things that everybody can't have. My therapist said, Shauna, the problem that you have is that you and your partner speaks two different languages. You speak Mandarin, she speaks Spanish. Now, one of you guys need to learn the other language or it's not going to work. That's my problem. Plus the thing is it was easy to say, you know what? Doing my career gild, it was easy to say effort. I ain't working on nothing. Only thing I'm working on is my game. If you ain't part of the game. You go by. It's easier.

It's easier to give up when it's.

Foreign to you.

Yes. If you loving me, this is foreign. Yes. I've never received it before. And that's one thing in.

That capacity.

That's one thing that men, we have to do a better self. Ask your father, he being like, Hey, how were you love? I know what it looks like. Was it rubbing your feet, saying this and... Because we don't know. We think when we're young, breaking my window, keeping my cars love.

Yeah, hell, no. She love me.

That shit, hey, I got served... Listen, I got served on basketball court. They're like, Why you have four kids with her?

I thought it was love. Yeah, I.

Thought it was love. Not just.

Motherfucker, just crazy. I mean, it is love. You ain't got no bleach on your clothing. You ain't got no bleach on your clothing, ain't love. You ain't got to do it at least one time. You got to bleach about stuff up one time.

But that's what we think is love when it ain't. We got to learn as men, how to be love. We know how to be a woman. We know how to be love from a woman. We're getting it.

And we see a.

Rough patch.

We take it off. Gone.

Gone is easy. I can get six mold to just do this thing. I don't need this love shit. I can just do this part. Hey, how are you doing? That's easier for us. Sitting there just taking the.

Responsibility sometimes. Yeah. I mean, I think the thing is I wish I had had the mindset, the mentality that I have now in my 50s, I wish I had had that in my 20s, because I'd have saved a lot of money and a lot of heartbreak from myself and some women. Because I know not only have I been heartbroken and disappointed, I'm sure I've done the same. I've let some good women go in my life. I know too, for 1,000 % certain. 1,000 %. 1,000. If I had it to do over again, things would be a lot different in my life. But hindsight is a magnificent science because I have the luxury of knowing today what I didn't know yesterday.

Two got away, two got away. Two more coming. That's all you got to look at. Two more coming. They're coming down the pipeline, but you only need one of them.

But here's the thing. But how much time do I have to vet? I look at my life in summers, bro, hopefully, if I'm lucky, I got 25 good summers to go. You got to spend at least five of them veting somebody.

What the hell are you veting? Obviously, whatever vetting routine you got didn't work.

God damn it. It did this. No, it wasn't no vetting process back then. Oh, you look good. You stacked up like larger in the dorm room. Come on, you work.

Back then, everything was based on esthetics.

You.

Look good, curvy, that worked. But then all of a sudden, once the allure of the curves and that face, now what? What am I stuck with? You hail. All you do is argue. It's never good enough. The one thing that I hate worse than a woman is ungratefulness, because I've had women no matter what I did, it still wasn't good enough. That irks me because I'm giving you all... And maybe that was my problem, Gail, is that what I was giving, they didn't want. Or I didn't know what they wanted, or I couldn't give them what they needed. But I gave them what I thought, because that's all I can do. I can't do. I can only be or give you what I think you want. You told me at the time that's what you wanted.

That's what.

You wanted. That's why for me, I hate buying gifts for my significant other because I really want you to have exactly what you want. I would just rather go write you a check or give you cash and let you go get it. Because what I hate, Gilles, is that I get something like, oh, and you could tell when they don't really want it or they don't really like it, I'm crushed.

We all have the same problem. We all have the same problem. But if I go out and buy something, especially with the time.

We have, we.

Go get you something and I come back and give it to you and it's like, oh, okay, this is what's up. You know what I'm doing? Well, I know... You came by what I just bought you first of all. You can't give me what I just got. You think whatever gift you gave me is going to be good? I have to say, Yo, because we don't get gifts. So whatever gift you give me, I'm going to love and.

Appreciate.

In a way. I'm expecting the same thing. So when you don't like this gift or I give you this gift and you trade it and all that.

It'd break my heart.

All you're doing is breaking my heart little by little.

It'd break my heart. Because man, Gil, I bought this young lady a Cartier. Because here's the thing, this was during pandemic time, maybe shortly a little bit after. It was hard not the Cartier store. Back in the day, you just roll up on the Cartier store.

But.

I had to make a reservation. I made a reservation, and I'm standing outside. Yeah, me, I'm standing outside waiting to get in the Cartier store. I bought this. I was like, Oh, man, this would be nice. I mean, she ain't going to beI've seen it. I saw it on one time.

And then women think we like... See that's what I said. Women think we play us and not realize our actions now are because of something that happens. Same thing. I bought a... You know the Birkin bags, right? Yeah. And I had one custom. It took one year to make it custom. Her favorite color, custom just for her.

Yeah.

I seen it on eBay four months later because they need to rent money. Never get... I ain't getting you a gift card. You can't even get a Starbucks $20 card no more.

From me. It happened to me because I got... Because I used to. I still buy some stuff from Louis Vuitton. The guy would call when they get exclusive stuff in, they're like, Mr. Sharp, we got this in. Would you like to take a look at it? I would run down there and take a look at it. Like, Yeah, I like that. Get it. Man, I probably had 25 of those bags between Gucci and Louis. Probably the cheapest bag, 2,500. Most expensive, probably 10 bands. We broke up. He poned them all. Maybe the last one of them.

I.

Was like- Instead of that, Gail, I would have rather her say, You know what? I really need the money. Times have gotten tough. These bags that you... I'd have bought them back from her.

Exactly. Oh, my God. Yes.

I'd have bought them back from them. My daughters, I got a daughter, I got two daughters and I got a sister.

Could have gave them to us.

I got a homeboy, homeboy. I got two home boys. They got wives. Hey, pick one for your wife.

I could have bought them back.

I would have bought them back. I would have. I already.

Spent them. That's the funny part. We already spent the money. We will spend more money just to get back what our blood and sweat was into.

Because I would rather my daughters, my sister, my mom would have got a bag. My mom probably doesn't really want no bag like that. My homeboy wife, because at the end of the day, at the end of the day, forget the end, in the middle of the day, in the morning, all I want you to do is appreciate what I've given you because I bust my ass to get you that.

I think when it comes to how we obtain our money, it's easier when you don't make it to spend it for us. So when we come out and we buy you stuff and we are willing to open up the pocket, but you have to really understand we're opening up years of our work ethic.

For you.

This is years of our work. These are line drills I'm giving you. I'm willing to give you these line drills. For you to just be like.

It's cool. Thank you.

Appreciate it. Throw it in the closet. It hurts. That's what hurt us.

Yeah, for sure. Here's the thing. Here's another question. Would you take before, not now, because I already know the answer now, would you take $100,000 wired to you right now or a coin flip for 10 million? Before. You're from Cali, right?

Yeah.

Let's just say 20 years ago, 25, 20 years ago. Okay. Somebody says, Okay, I'm going to wire you 100,000 or a coin flip for 10 million.

I got a flip. The only reason is I got a 50-50 chance to win 10 million.

You've got a 50-50 chance to go home with your hands in your pocket just like you came with nothing. Hey, 20.

Years ago, I'm a high school kid. She and my dad going to take that money anyway.

That's what I said. I said, right now? I'm telling you right now, it's a no-brainer for me. But you talk about me in high school or college? Oh, damn, that coin. As a matter of fact, I'm going to put the coin in my pocket and say, give me that, make sure you get that 100,000. I don't know. It's two ends. It's two, S-H-A-N-N-O-N.

I don't believe it.

No, no, no, no, no. Oh, Gil. Gil, you have to understand. I didn't have indoor plumbing. I didn't have running water. Do you know what $100,000 would have did for me in the '80s?

I know, but the athlete going to kick in.

Yeah, they're going to kick in.

You're going to take that 10 million just to flip?

I got heads. I could have had somebody put some indoor plumbing in my grand house. I could have got some paddling. I could have fixed that roof.

I'm sorry. I was middle class. I didn't have to worry about nothing.

I was not middle. I was middle class. I almost didn't make it to middle school. I went to my.

Middle class.

Oh, no, no, Gil.

I went to school with 10.

Tamara.

Brandy. Brandy? Yeah.

You showed up middle class.

Damn, Gil.

Okay, hold on just a second, Gil.

All right. What's up, Chad? How are you all doing out there? Everybody good? Hey, sunny side. Yeah, I've never been on Crenshaw. You're right.

Hey, Gil. Someone just donated five bucks and they said, Would you guys level of fame and money, how do you know if someone is genuine or just wants you for your money?

That's going to always be our Achilles heel, because there's no real engagement of finding out if somebody wants us for us. I think turmoil determines that throughout the relationship. We can determine that during or at the beginning. There's nothing that person-.

There has to be conflict.

Yeah, it has to be conflict to see what happens. Even though we don't want the conflict, it has to be to see if that person is going to dip on us or cheat on us or whatever.

We have to go through something as a couple. Because I know when it's smooth sailing, it's like in the Bible, when the devil's told God that they the only reason Job serves you is that you give him everything. He said, if you remove this hedge, he will curse his very maker. He said, look, you could take everything, but it's light. So if everything is always good, I mean, if you're in the roads or you're in the billy, you got the BMW and we got the $6, $8, $10 million home. We get to fly private three or four times a year. We get to the villa that's 15,000 a night for a week. What's to complain about? I need to see some choppy waters. I need to see some bumps in the road. I need to see some turbulence and to see if you're going to walk with me. Because now if I only see one set of footprints, when it gets rough, that's going to be a problem because I know you left me alone and you left me to do this by myself.

And a lot of NBA players, a lot of athletes themselves are finding that out when they're done playing. When they're done playing because that's when the rule gets choppy, because that's when the player himself is trying to find out who he is.

Yeah.

You're not the NBA or the football player no more.

You are a.

Husband and a father. We're trying to figure out who we are and those women leave.

Without that. Because at the end of the day, Gilles, you're absolutely right. Because at the end of the day, who are we? No, you're not an NBA player. You're not an NFL player. That's what you did. Who are you? Well, no, Glenville, Georgia is where you from. Who are you? Well, for the longest time I was from Glinville, Georgia. I was an NFL player. That was my identity. At this present time, I don't know who I am. I need time to find out who I am. Are you going to stay with me while I go on this trip? It's tough, and I'm not going to tell anybody it's not. But the thing is, with me, again, for me, is that I've been very fortunate is that if I got it, if it's with a reason, I'll help the person that I'm with. Because I've always believed that I'm going to get it back, but I'm going to get it back threefold. I'm going to get it back ten-fold. Whatever I gave you, 50, 100,000, I'm going to get it back. Then what? I'm always going to win because I'm always moving in a place with a good heart, no ill intent.

That's just the way I am. And if I could help somebody, I've been very fortunate that God has blessed me, given me the ability not only to play the game that I love of football, but to transition into my second career. The same thing with you, Gil. God gave you the ability to play at least a decade in the NBA, transition to your second career. And pretty soon people are going to forget that you were an NBA player, and then all of a sudden, you're just going to be your celebrity. I would... I was a pretty good people forgot that I did play in the NFL, and I was okay. I did okay. But for me, it's hard. I don't really know what the answer is. Without turbulence, without conflict, I don't know if we can ever find that diamond because that's what makes diamonds is pressure.

Yeah, you're right. And they said, Yes, sir.

Someone donated 10 bucks, I think, JJ the King. Shannon and Gil, does money make you happy with yourself? The tangible product itself doesn't do anything for me. I love money for what it allows me to do. I can do things for my family I can only have dreamed of. My kids, my mom, my sister, my brother, my homeboy, that they need something, I can help. Honestly, I buy very, very little. My agent last year, because I hadn't bought anything for myself in a very, very long time, and this was going to be the last year, they were going to make the Challenger in a gas model. They're going to the EV model. I was showing it to my agent, and he's like, get it. I'm like, no, I think I'm okay. He said, no, get it. He said, you haven't gotten anything. He says, every time I turn around, you're doing stuff for your kids, doing stuff for your mom, doing stuff for your sister. At what point in time are you going to do something for yourself, Shannon? I was like, but it's like, no. He says, You can only save so much and not be happy because all you're doing is saving.

He said, What do you think is going to happen? We got your trust in your state squared away. You think they're going to save this money or they're going to enjoy it? Were you making it, you probably should enjoy some of it yourself while you're here. I wouldn't got it.

I wouldn't got it.

I wouldn't got it.

When people say money don't make you happy, this shit don't make me sad. I can tell you that.

No, Gil. You know what I say, Gil? Ain't no crime on the yard. Ain't no crime on the yard, Gil. When you're 35 feet up in there. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You reached the comfortable cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight. We got a travel time of 4 hours and 30 minutes. Oh, I'm pretty good. I ain't crying. For me, it's what money allows me to do that it puts my family-minded ease that healthcare and things of that nature, Gail, things that I'm worried about as a child, things that my family worried about as when I was a child or having to make ends meet or we can't pay the phone bill, but we got to pay the light bill. We can't pay the light bill. We got to pay the gas bill. There ain't no more worries. I tell my kids, I'm last option, not first choice. I said, You guys should not have anything to worry about. Do what you're supposed to do and everything's going to take care of itself. I said, Mom, why are you worried? I'm worried about what? All you got to do is pick up the phone and call my sister.

I've given her the green light. Whatever you need is done. It's taken care of. My sister, I've given her the green light. Whatever you need, take care of it. Everything is taken care of. My brother, same thing. He going to call her, Hey, bro, just wait. Bro, you're good. That's what the money does for me. I mean, having to know I got it, but no, it's what it allows me to do. It's the peace of mind that it gives me, Gilles. Because like I said, I ain't really spending no money on me. I'm spending money like my family. I want to see them happy because my purpose, I found out my purpose is to work. That is to see people, is to see my family and the people that I care about happy.

I think the real behind does money make you happy, are you making the money doing.

What.

You're.

Gifted at?

Yes. When I retired and I got all the money in the world, I was not happy because I didn't do what I'm doing. I don't know who I am. I'm not playing what I know. Since 2018, when I got in the podcast and this is what makes me happy. And if I switch the best of my ability, the money is coming, but I'm not doing it for the money.

You.

Can get 10 shows. I can be in here, I'm happy.

Yes.

On Sunday, I can't wait the Monday come.

Yes.

Monday isn't around yet. Come on, Monday.

I'm sleeping.

I'm going to go to sleep early so I can wake up on Monday to do what I'm doing. These are the fastest years. I play basketball.

Yeah. Your purpose and my purpose is the same is work. That's our calling. That's where we're most at peace. That's where we're most in our element is to do this, is to talk about, like you said, to do what you love and to get paid. Think about it. Most people don't get an opportunity to do what they love. They're working a job that they don't love. I can't wait to the weekend. Bro, it's Monday. You just came off the weekend. You just came off the weekend. What the hell you mean? First of all, you got another six hours in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and you told me you can't wait till the weekend. But to get up and to do something that you love and to do it for the people that you love and the appreciation that my fans and my subscribers and my listeners, that's what makes it worthwhile. That's really what makes it worthwhile.

Man, you can see it. I'm not even going to lie. Behind the scenes when we talked and I was like, man, listen, all I pay attention to is the greats, why they are great at.

What they do.

The jobs everyone's getting, the momentum, everyone is not on accident. You love this. I can see it.

Yeah. You know what I mean? When you're doing it at that purpose, you can only be great at it.

I think the biggest thing for me also, Gil, is that I saw during the pandemic, hell, I saw them print money. Why do I need to be jealous of somebody else because they got a bigger platform? Let me work hard and see if I can grow my platform. Hell, they print money. Because you get some of it, that would mean it takes from me. We've got to get out of thinking that if somebody gets something is coming from me. No, this is just my opportunity. I don't think people see the work that goes into something like what we do. People just think that we click the button and we just start talking. But there's a lot of work to come up with a format, to come up with a rundown, to come up obviously with... But when we talk about sports, and I think it's the same for yours, people might come for the sports, but they stay for the stories. Yes, sir. Because of the reliability. Because you're talking about two guys and you're talking about myself and you and Ocho, is that let's see how similar some of the things that they've gone through is what I went through.

Because sometimes people think because you got money, it solves all your problems. No, it might give you an opportunity. Sometimes you're better equipped to get out of situations. It helps you solve them, but it does not absorb you of them. So for me to do this and the opportunities that I've been afforded to have people to help me get to this point and to push me and to be genuinely happy, man, that's what it's about. That's what it's about, Gilles. That's what it's about, really, though, bro. It really is.

I love doing the research part of it. Just the media itself. When people talk about TNT, ESPN, people don't realize when I go on those jobs, I'll call the directors, Hey, what can I say? Which words is banned? Which words is it leave? I want to know it all. I treated like basketball. When Dwayne Wade told me say, Hey, listen, when you go into your second job, this is what you are good at. Don't go in there as Gilbert Areneas, three times all-star, three all-NBA. You go in there as a beginner.

Yes.

You learn what the greats know. Pay attention to the greats, they're there.

For a reason. Yes. You don't know what you don't know. You're not there. That's the mistake that a lot of people make is because just because you're good at something doesn't mean that you'll be good at something else. Are you willing to put the time? Are you willing to put the energy in it? Because for me, I've worked just as hard at this job as I did football, even though I was better at football because God gave me ability to be able to talk. But there's a difference between just talking when you're in the barbershop, talking with the homeboy, and talking with a mic and a camera in your face. It's something entirely different. So we got a question. They said, Hold on, let me get this. Gile, Tim Groover talks about how you're one of the hardest workers, such as training. How was a regular day of training with him?

It all depends. When I was with Tim Grover in the summer, I'll get up about 5:30, take my shower. Even the still regimen of the day, get up 5:30 shower and then get there. I'm going to get there probably about what? 7:15, 7:30. I'm on the court about eight o'clock. 8:10, 8:11, my first workout, take about an hour, two-hour rest, and I'm back in the gym around two to five. Then I'm going to go eat, dinner, maybe, depending on if I'm going to go back in probably about 6:00 to 10:00 and then have that final name. Iwas working. I was trying to do... I was trying to really put in an eight-hour shift.

Wow.

Because that's what Kobe was doing. That's what Michael Jordan, that's what I heard. You know what I mean?

I'm trying to...

When I heard Kobe went to a special ops guy, when I missed those two free throws against LeBron.

We're just.

Ops guy. San Francisco, here I come. The elite is the elite for a reason. Right.

And if.

You're only seeing what you're seeing around, you can only be this. They're all stars in here, but he's a superstar.

I.

Want to do what the superstars do. I went to Grover because Kobe went to Grover. Jordan went to Grover. I'm going to give you my stuff. I'm going to give you my regimen. Is it good enough? You judge me. Is it good enough? What? So he can say, Well, Jordan was doing a little bit more. What else was he doing?

I.

Went there to show him my work ethic so he can critique it.

Wow. This is what I tell guys all the time. There's a price for greatness, and if you're not willing to pay that price, you don't deserve to be great. Facts. There's a price. There's a selfishness that you must have. There is not one great player that's unselfish. You have to be unrelenting. You have to be demanding of your time and give less than a damn about somebody else's. It's got to be look at the greats. Look at the greats. When you mentioned Kobe and you look at Mike and you look at Tiger Woods, the greats of the greats, there's a selfishness that is demanded. It's mandatory. And people are like, Oh, no, bro, I'm telling you.

And what's the first thing they say with a player that's good? Oh, you're too selfish. Yeah, because I'm trying to be great.

Yes, it's mandatory. It's mandatory. I can't be willy-nilly with my time. That my time is the most important. Time is the number one currency. Don't let anybody tell you different because it's the one thing that you cannot recapture. If I lose a million dollars, I can go make two million and make it up. But the one thing I can never get back.

Is time.

It's the number one currency.

Then people like, me and my chat, we good. But outside the mother chat, they'd be like, Man, you arrogant. I work my ass off to be. Itried to what?

I.

Work eight hours, nine hours with you. Yes.

I'm.

Number seven. That's six people in front of me. I'm a watcher. I want to be number five of them next year. The people behind me, fuck them. That's not my problem.

I could kick it, though. Yes.

I work my ass off to be here. I'm going, yes.

Because I.

Know they're going to pay. Just like if I score 60 on somebody, I know they come in.

Right.

I know they come in. When they come, I'm going to be prepared. I was an athlete. I'm going to wear it on my shoulder because I know if I don't, somebody going to wear me on theirs.

Yeah.

You're absolutely right. I work too hard to be humble. I work too hard to be humble.

It the thing is not, Gil, is that we're in a different arena, something that we got a late start. See, a lot of people that's in this space, they've been doing a lot longer than you and I have. In football, it's the one thing that I could do. I could determine how successful I was going to be. They throw me the ball, I catch it, I take off. I'm asking someone else to critique me. Let that sink in now. I got no saying I didn't vote myself number one. Nobody else on the list voted me number one. There was a panel that says, you know what? We think this guy, based on what he's done, should be the number one on the list. That's right.

Like I said, and the guys that's on that list that I have so much... I congratulate all 25 people. But there's something special when you have a relationship when you know the guys that's on the list. So being around Steven A for the last four and a half months to be around Pat McAfee, like I said, I would bump into Ryan Clark, so I knew who he was. But we've gotten a little closer and to see you and having a conversation that you and I have been talking behind the scenes trying to come up with something together. And it's like, man, man, look at us. Man, look at us. This isn't our chosen profession. Let that sink in.

You can go to school for this?

No. You can't go.

To school.

For this? To be an athlete and to change over, you see, I had a professor once told me, he said, son, those that can't do, those that can't teach or talk about it, he says, You're able to do. Now I can no longer do. I have to talk about it. To be able to talk about it, and because I put so much time, I put so much energy into being great at this like I was football, it's everything.

It's everything. Transferring your work ethic.

Over- Transferring the energy to something else.

That's why I think the athletes are moving faster.

Because we.

Have the foundation of a work ethic. All we do is just have to take it, take the work ethic part, even though we don't know what we're doing, and just put the work ethic on learning the information, understanding why this person is good.

I watch... Yes, I.

Got a TV here, here, here, here. One right here. I got a Jumbles tron up there that got four TVs. I have everything gone moving at one time.

I'm.

Just exorbitant information styles. When you launch the nightcap, there's no surprise it's successful.

It's you.

You put the time into doing it. People are successful. People are successful for a reason all the time. Because when they're doing it, they put their passion and their love into it.

Yes, that's what you have to do. And when you love something, you work for it. You work at it. Gilles, someone asked, what were some of your favorite memories from the All-Star Game? They asked me what was some of my favorite memory from the Pro Bowl? Well, the Pro Bowl is different than the All-Star Game. See, when I went to the Pro Bowl, Gilles, they actually tackled. It wasn't just two-hand touch stuff that they did away with it. It got so bad that tackle football is like tackle football. You really not need to put somebody on the ground. But it was the fact of going over there, seeing a lot of the people that I had when I was in high school, watching seeing the Jared Rysers being over there and rest is so Reggie White and a lot of the guys and meeting with Deion Sanders and some of the all-time great players for the very first time. But to go to make the pro-bo, me and my brother, we made it. We went '92 and '93. We were both starters in '93. That was... That was probably my fondest. Making it for the very first time in '92, but to go in '93 and he and I were both starters, that's my crowning achievement for the pro-bo.

Yeah. When you're selected one of the 24, 12 in the east, you're recognized for your talent. I was excited. I know there's a video out there like, We get to keep the rope. You're getting to see all the stars, all the elite in the same building at one time. You got the Shaquille, the Iverson, the Cobies, the Yau Mings, LeBron, the Wayne. I made my first all-star with the Wayne, Wade, LeBron, and Bosch. I have a big old painting on it, and I have everybody's signature on it. Because I never knew if I was going to make it back again, but this was going to be a memory that you couldn't take from me. I was like a little kid. I only had to play in a game. Just my name being called as an All-Star was everything. Because I remember Magic Johnson when he got diagnosed and that.

All-star Game. '92 in Orlando.

Orlando was my favorite. That was my biggest memory for All-Star, just the whole atmosphere. So being selected to it, it just put me part of that crew.

Wow. Brandon, can you do us a favor? Can you stop spamming cash out? Stop begging people for money because ain't nobody giving you a damn broke ass no money, Brandon. Because every time Ash put you in time out, you pop up in another Brandon. So you ain't getting no money. Nobody giving you a broke ass any money. So get out of here, okay?

Is that.

From your chat or mine? I think it's mine. It's from my chat, right? Yeah, it's from my chat, Gil. Brandon, get your broke ass out of here. Go get a job.

You got to change your name to B. Wood.

Damn.

You should have been my ex. That might be my ex in there begging.

For money. No, I don't think it's one of your exes, Gilles. I don't think she's shooting that bad right now.

You don't know my ex then.

Make sure you hit that like button. Make sure you hit that subscribe button for Nightcap. This is a very special basketball edition with Gilbert Arenas. Gil, you can tell them to click yours, hit your like button, hit your subscribe button. It's Gil Arenas, right?

Yeah, Gil's Arena.

If.

My chat can see me on this side, what's happening in chat? Thank you all for showing up. I appreciate it. Hit the like to subscribe. When we.

Get to.

430,000, I'm giving out 5,000 tomorrow. Hopefully you all we don't get there so I can save my goddamn money. But if you all get me there.

God damn it, I can't. Get it there. Let it be, the buddy. Let's be cheap.

I love throwing the money. I'm not getting it.

Not.

Getting it. Give me the full 30 and.

They don't get me that cool. I can put it back in my pocket. They're going to get you there. Thank you for tuning in tonight, ladies and gentlemen, for a very special edition of Nightcap. We did a great collab myself and Gilwood Areinas. Ocho, I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for joining us. I'm your favorite sports hook, Shannon Sharp. He's your favorite number zero, Agent Zero, Gilwood Areinas. Good night, everybody.

Good night.