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A special show this week, Jason.

Oh, I can't wait. Very excited.

Very special show.

So cool.

It's the NBA Academy Awards, wherein we. What a name. Wherein we hand out trophies that coincide with Oscar season. We're handing out a trophy for best actor. We're handing out a trophy for best director. We're handing out a trophy for best original screenplay, so on and such and such. A bunch of trophies getting handed out tonight. And better still though, Jason, our biggest episode yet. A bunch of the biggest names in basketball are joining us.

I can't believe it.

To give acceptance speeches.

Shouts to all the producers at six trophies who made this happen today. Really excited. Can't wait for you all to hear it.

A tremendous amount of work. Every time we have a winner for the category, that person is going to come in and give an actual acceptance speech. I can't believe we pulled it off. But that's the kind of stuff that happens when you become a successful award winning podcast.

Award winning.

That's what we are. People want to come on. They want to be on the show. Are you ready, Jason?

I'm ready.

Let's get started from wondering. I'm Shay Serrano.

And I'm Jason Concepcion.

And this is six trophies.

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The wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, I'm Jason gizeps, the owner.

Welcome to basketball's biggest night, the NBA Academy Awards. That's right, folks. We're handing out a bunch of special trophies this evening to some of the most special winners on the planet earth. Who's going to take home the award for best actor? Who's going to take home the award for best director? Who is going to take the award for best picture home to the Jacuzzi with them? Is any of this going to make sense at all? Of course it is. But we're going to do it anyway, no matter what you think, because this is an awesome award show and it's going to be awesome.

I'm so excited about this, Jason, what a wonderful idea this was that you had. This is everybody listening? This is Jason's idea, by the way. We were trying to figure out what's a good mid season thing we want to do. And Jason was like, I got it. I know what it is. The guests is the part that's throwing me off because we talked early on about not having any.

Zuri killed it. Let's just say, like, zuri, zuri, play.

Some applause for yourself. Yes, play some applause. You organized all of this. Jason had this idea, like a month and a half ago. Zuri spent all that time making sure we had the guests. Again, we talked about early on, you and I, Jason, separately. Like, we don't want to have any guests. It's just going to be me and you. That's right. But then when LeBron reaches out and is like, I don't want to spoil.

I don't want to spoil it. But again, just a big thank you to Zuri. I didn't think he could do it, but Zuri was like, listen, I just need five grand and I can get all these people in. And we gave him the money and he got everybody to come in.

Shouts to Zuri, that's incredible. Will you explain how this is going to work?

Shay and I are going to hand out Oscar themed trophies as a way to celebrate the fact that we've reached the midpoint of the NBA season, also the endpoint of the Hollywood awards season. We're going to list the nominees, and then we're going to give the winner a chance to give an acceptance speech. So here on six trophies, you're going to be hearing again, directly from some of the most famous, brilliant, talented basketball characters on the planet, players and coaches, as they react to whatever trophy it is that they have won.

We did have to tell them ahead of time that they won to get them to agree to come on. They wouldn't just come sit. They're very busy. Anyway, the NBA Academy awards. We also asked Zuri to find some Oscar themed music. That's the Oscar version of Top Gun. Way to go, Zuri.

Oh, okay. Awesome.

First up, best actor in a supporting role, which is given out to the second best player on a team. And the nominees. Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns, Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers, Julius Randall from the New York Knicks, Chet Holmgren from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Picture we're showing pictures of all of these people, as well as Damien Lillard from the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyrese Maxey from the Philadelphia 76 ers. And the winner is. I'm opening an envelope, I'm pulling out a little card. I'm looking at it, I'm reading it, looking to the camera, smiling, because I see before everybody else whose winner. The winner is Tyrese Maxi from the Philadelphia 76 ers. Way to go. Way to go.

Well deserved.

Well deserved. 2026 points per game, three and a half rebounds per game, over six assists per game, producing, yes, career highs and points, rebounds, assists, steals and plus minus. He's the only player in the NBA this season with at least 1000 points and 275 assists. With fewer than 70 turnovers. Tyrese Maxey has made the leap, and I'm so happy to celebrate him right now.

It changes the trajectory of the Philadelphia 76 ers. Of course, we've lost Joel Embiid for a period of time, and Tyrese's role becomes even more integral. But before that, the fact that he had taken that leap allowed the Sixers to maintain their ambition of competing for a championship. And that's all due to Tyrese. Congratulations to him.

He has played so well that we sort of all just forgot about the whole James Harden debacle at the beginning. We did season, it was like, that doesn't even matter because we have Tyrese Maxi now this season. Became the youngest player to reach 50 point mark in NBA this season and joined a hall of famer, Alan Iverson, as the only 76 ers ever with a 50.5 rebound, five assist game prior to the age of 24. This is the 21st overall pick in the NBA we're talking about.

That's right.

First time all star, fifth youngest player in franchise history to be named to the all star game. Tyrese Maxey is just. Way to go. We said enough nice things about him. And I'm so happy to tell you Tyrese Maxi is here on six trophies. Zuri, will you bring him in, please, so he can give his acceptance speech for winning best supporting actor.

I hate to reign on the parade here. I actually just got a text from the Sixers head trainer, Kevin Johnson, and Tyrese is actually running full court wind sprints right now, like this time. But he did say right at this moment, right at this very moment, he's honored by the award. And he does wish as well. But unfortunately, he can't make it onto the show.

Did he mention us by name? That's a tough say shay and jason.

He did want to give a big shout out to Shay and Jason, and he said, look out for his next on court celebration. I think there's going to be something special. Soul. He's going to do two tributes.

Okay. That's a tough start, but that's pretty cool for the.

But it's cool that he said, dedicating his next celebration to the six trophies podcast.

Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Okay. Did he, by chance send, like, an acceptance speech we need to read or anything or. No, we'll just move on.

You know what? I think he did send something along. And I checked your inbox. I think there is a message there that.

I see it.

Want to relate to the show?

I see it. I see it here. Jason, will you read that? Will you read that, please? This is from Tyrese Maxey, directly from Tyrese Maxi. It's in your inbox.

Dear award show. Thanks, guys. Really appreciate it. Who are you guys again? Who are these guys again? Siri, hang up.

What a great speech. Applause, zuri, let's play some applause. Way to go, Tyrese. Thank you. Thank you for that, Tyrese. All right, next category. I love the Oscar version of famous movie theme songs. This is a great idea. Way to go, Zuri. I love it. Next trophy. Best supporting actress, which is given out to the second best player on a team. And the nominees are. Caitlin Clark from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Wow.

Angel Reese from the LSU Tigers. These two are the best players on their team. But it's college, so they're supporting the WNBA. That's why they're on there. Chelsea Gray from the Las Vegas Aces. Now we're talking. Now we're talking. Sabrina UNESCO from the New York Liberty, Enrique Agumbawale from the Dallas Wings. And Alicia Gray from the Atlanta dream. What a category. What a stacked category right there.

What a stacked category.

And the winner is. Caitlin Clark from the Iowa Hawkeyes with the upset. Wow.

I gotta say it. An absolutely electric athlete in every mean. I can't remember a college athlete who has set their sport on fire as a singular player, quite the way that Caitlin has. And then once you start being overwhelmed by the shot making, you realize that she does everything else. Also like assists, rebounds, plays. It's like the full package. Just an incredible, incredible athlete.

I'll give you some Caitlin Clark stats. She's 22 years old. She's a senior. This is her fourth year. Played in 123 games. She has 3462 points. She's about to become the all time leading scorer in the history of the NCAA. On the women's side supplanting Kelsey Plum, who timed her?

Who timed the great Kelsey plum? Who timed her? Tweet a little bit. Her auto tweet congratulating Caitlin a little early.

She's only the 6th player ever to get 1000 career assists. She has 17 career games with 30 points and ten assists. No one in college women's basketball in past 25 seasons has more than two of those games. She has 17 since 2021. She's registered 440 point performances against AP top ten teams. All the other men and women's basketball players in college have not done it once. She's done it four times. She's 57 career double doubles. She's Iowa's all time leader in assist, three point field goals. Field goals and scoring. This is, as you mentioned, an electric basketball player.

Electric.

The way you can measure it. The way you can measure it is, do you want to sit courtside at a Caitlin Clark basketball game?

Absolutely.

$10,000 per seat. That's what it costs to go watch Iowa play basketball. Because of Caitlin Clark. She's selling out 15,000 seat arenas like it's nothing. She's in the middle right now of an indirect feud with Cheryl Swoops, the iconic Cheryl Swoops, who went on a podcast and talked about, could Caitlin Clark come into the WNBA and do what she's doing now immediately? And Cheryl argued that she couldn't. She also incorrectly cited some stats, which she then fixed later. I think this is great, though. This is great for basketball because you need this kind of stuff to happen.

That's what you need. People questioning the athletes and their abilities, the athletes answering back both on the court and off, I think this is absolutely fine. And by the way, other than the inaccurate stats, which I think she called Clark a fifth year senior. Other than that, her basic point was that there's going to be a transition period for her and for angel when they come into the WNBA. It's just going to be different. Other than like. That's correct. Yeah, that's right. There will be a transition period.

Caitlin Clark is an awesome basketball player, and she's about to play against the best basketball players in the world. Not in college anymore, in the world. And if you're going to listen to anybody's opinion about this, you listen to Cheryl swoops, one of the all time greatest ever to lace them up. Listen to Cheryl swoops. But again, this is great because you have Cheryl doing that. You have Caitlin playing games. You have people showing up to the arena now wearing, don't be a Cheryl T. Shirt and then other fans responding with be a Cheryl. It's just great for the sport. It's just great.

To your point, it's so was. There were pictures from the hours before Iowa's game last weekend of people just, like, people in line trying to get into the arena, just wanting to get in. First, I didn't understand what I was seeing. And then they were like, yes. The steps that you see, like a hundred yards in the background of this picture, that's where the end of the line is. There is a line just snaking, like yards and yards and yards into the distance and then up a very far away staircase. And you're like, oh, my God. It's just great for the sport.

It's wonderful to get a better sense of this. To get a better sense of all of this. Caitlin is here to talk a little bit about it, to give her acceptance speech for winning this award. Zuri, will you bring in Caitlin so she can give her acceptance speech?

I hate to be another downer here.

Don't do this, Zuri. Don't do this.

I don't want to be this guy. I just got a call from the department. Caitlin's actually preparing for her big game this week. She has a scheduled sit down on the club Shayshe podcast with Cheryl. She does send her best, and she does very much.

Does she know that club shayj is not the 2024 winner of the best sports podcast basketball podcast award?

Does she know that? Does she know that it's not Shay Serrano? This is Shannon Sharp club Shay.

Shay is not Shay Serrano podcast. And then she went to the wrong one.

We are working to get that coordinated. I think maybe there's a typo in my message to her. But when she did send a message.

To you, Shay.

She does have something she wants to say on behalf of the mix up. I think that's in your inbox now.

Let me pull it up right?

Yeah.

Okay. Yeah, I'm seeing it now. I'm seeing it now. It says, thank you for this award, whatever this is about. Unless it's bad, in which case, I don't want it, but thank you. I can't wait to see you, Shannon. That's what it says. All right, kill it over two. Zuri. We're going to get there. We're going to get there. Let's get some more Oscar theme music. Let's keep going. Let's go to the next category. Yes. Oh, it's the rocky one. Oh, good one. I love it. Next trophy, best director.

That's right.

Just given out to the best coach or GM in the NBA.

I love.

Oh, and the nominees, big category here. The nominees are Joe Missoula, coach, Boston Celtics.

Joe the town Missoula.

JB bickerstaff, coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And what a season they are having.

Mike Malone, coach of the Denver Nuggets. Mike Dagnalt, coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Mike Brown, coach of the Sacramento Kings. A lot of coaches in here. Darko Rjokovic, coach of the Toronto Raptors.

That's right.

And Sam Presti, general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And the winner is. Sam Presti, general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Way to Sam. Yes, yes. What a job he's doing out there in Oklahoma City. One of our favorite stories of the season, Jason.

I just think it's incredible. And it shows, you know, for all the talk about some of the advantages that larger markets, LA, New York, Chicago, Miami, have these kind of glamor markets, the smaller markets have some advantages, too. And that is you can tank play for the draft with a lot less headaches. And then if you have a lead executive like Sam Presty, who, I don't know how he is identifying draft talent, I don't know what his scouts are doing, but this guy has more hits than any GM I can think of. Just looking at the draft record that he has, including bringing in Harden, Russell Westbrook, Katie from back in the day, and now Chet, acquiring SGA, they've got five or six players shooting over 40% from three. Just the things that he is able to put together. Unbelievable. Incredible. No one has more draft assets than the Oklahoma City Thunder. And Sam Presty has been this strategician, acquiring all those. Just an incredible job of team building by Sam. And I think us and the Oklahoma City Thunder fans are probably surprised at just how good the Thunder are. They've taken not just a leap, they've taken like two and a half leaps this season.

They're a legit team. You got to be worried about playing them in the playoffs is what it's beginning to feel like. We got to keep an eye on them. We talked last week about Jalen Williams, how much we're just excited about Jalen Williams in the playoffs. And there's a chance that Sam Presty could somehow get his brother, Cody Williams onto the team with him, which would be great. You're wearing your New York Knicks jacket. You were talking recently about the New York Knicks. Mix a culture in a can, how they just brought in a bunch of people who already knew each other, and it's worked out so great. Could you imagine you pair up, Jalen, with Cody on the same team? They're going to be. Oh, my God, what fun. What fun it is to be a Thunder fan right now.

It's a good time to be a Thunder fan. And the rest of the league is noticing Carmelo Anthony recently on his podcast, was giving props to Sam Presti for the job he's doing in OKC. He said, quote, I wish a lot of gms and presidents had that type of energy. You have Kevin Durant, of course, former player for the Thunder. And the Seattle Sonics praising Sam Presti. It's really cool.

They have damn near 40 draft picks between now and 2030.

Insane. They could have two teams.

They could have the Thunder.

I know they're going to have to do two for one deals and just, like, attach them. Just give them away because I don't know, you can't even draft these guys.

I'm really excited to talk to Sam because I want to ask him about what he plans to do with the draft pick, how you compile him. Zuri, will you bring in Sam Preston? Because he's here to accept his award, to give an acceptance speech. I can't believe you did know.

This is just as uncanny that this happened again.

Oh, my God.

Zuri, I hate to be the bear. Bad news, but I just got a DM from Sam on TikTok.

And he.

Says he needs to.

Are you serious?

He's got an 18 hours end of season press conference he's got to work on. Now. This thing takes months and he keeps us in his thoughts, but he just didn't have the time to make it onto the show. And he does apologize and send his. He actually. I think he did also email us with a follow up.

Okay, let me look at it.

I think that just came in.

Yeah, let me look. All right, go ahead and take a look, Jason. Zuri. This is falling apart. Zuri.

From Sam at OKC Thunder.

From Sam at OKC Thunder. What's it say?

It's blank.

That one got me. I was not expecting it to be blank. Just nothing on there.

Not blank.

No subject line or anything.

No subject or anything.

Not even an auto signature. Just blank.

It's blank.

Just blank.

Completely blank.

Oh, my God. All right.

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Next category. Zuri, will you play some more Oscar music, please? Let's move on to the next trophy. Is that another Star wars? We've done multiple Star wars. All right. And the next trophy we're handing out is the best actress in a leading role, which is given out to the best player on the team. And the nominees are. Brianna Stewart from the New York Liberty. Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun. Asia Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces. Nafisa Collier from the Minnesota Links. Satu Sabali from the Dallas Wings. And jewel Lloyd from the Seattle Storm. And the winner is. Asia Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces. Way to go. Way to go, Asia. Had to be Asia. The best player in the league right now. Just stared everybody down in the playoffs. Oh, my God. Can I run through her resume for you? Please, can I run through the resume for you? Okay. NCAA women's basketball champion. She brought the first title in school history. First three time SEC player of the year. She gets drafted first overall in 2018 by the Las Vegas Aces. Since then, she is the two time league mvp. Should be three, but she's the two time league mvp.

She's a two time defensive player of the year. She's led the WNBA in blocks three times. Five time all star. Three time all WNBA first team selection. Two time champion finals mvp of 2023, which she won, oh, by the way, with the second best player on her team out, and also the starting center on her team out. She's an Olympic gold medalist. She's a feeble World cup mvp. She tied the record for most points scored in a WNBA game this season. Asia motherfucking Wilson. Best actress. Congratulations, Asia.

I mean, when you talk about a player who does it from every angle that you can, incredible defensive stopper, defensive force, absolute clutch physical scorer. Just has an ability to put their imprint on the game in a way that is, you feel her presence throughout the entire. There's never a moment where you're like, no. Even when she is not, like, shooting well or you've not heard from her, that's how you know a player is great, because you're like, uhoh, I almost wish they had been scoring this whole time, because you know it's coming. You know something is going to happen.

Just an incredible player led the Aces to the first back to back championship run in 21 years in the league. Like, that's what she did the last two years that she's had. Just unquestionably the best basketball player in the league. It's unreal that she didn't win mvp this past season, but I love that she didn't win it. And then she got mad, and then she went and she got the finals MVP trophy against the person who beat her, Breonna Stewart. What an incredible. Just an incredible run that she has had. And this one more than everybody else. I'm so excited to have Asia here because I've been a fan of her since they drafted her. The Las Vegas Aces is a team that I chose in 2018 to root for. And then Asia shows up, and it just all worked out perfect. This is going to be the first time I ever get to talk to her in person. I have 1000 questions for her. I'm so excited. I'm so thankful that Zuri was able to work this out to get her in here. Zuri, can you bring in Asia Wilson so she can give her acceptance speech for winning best actors tonight?

Oh, man. Guys, I'm honestly more bummed.

Don't fucking do this, Zuri.

I'm not sure what's going on here, but Asia, unfortunately not making onto the show today. I just got a note from range. It turns out she tripped over her two MVP awards on her way out of bed this morning. And it's just a bummer that she's not on the show. But you know what?

This is a disaster.

For some reason. She did reach out and. Shay, I think she texted you a note. I would check her phone.

Let me read it. Hold on, let me check it. Oh, I see it. I see it. Yeah, it says, text from Asia motherfucking Wilson. That's how she saved in my phone. I can't believe I won this award. What an incredible honor this is. I wish I could be there. Please continue doing the great work that you're doing at six trophies. It's wonderful.

That's awesome.

And, you know, thanks for everything. Ps. Tell Brianna Congratulations on the MVP award.

All right.

Waiting.

Okay. Wow.

Asia. That's my power forward right there. Just throw her the ball and get out of the way. There have been multiple games in the playoffs in these last two years. She hadn't lost in the playoffs in two years. It's been two years since somebody beat her in a series.

That's nuts. There's, like, a child that wasn't alive that now is speaking on earth in the time that Asia last lost a playoff.

Yeah. Yeah. And there have been games. Big games, like game five. Like swing games. They play best of five series in the final rounds of the WNBA playoffs. There have been game five or game four in the finals last year, where Asia has outscored everybody on the court and out rebounded everybody on the court and out blocked everybody on the. As you mentioned, she just does it all. An incredible basketball player. There's an interview that was going around that she did. I think we talked about this before, where she mentioned she wanted you to have to say her name when you talk about the greatest to ever do it. And then she's putting together this run where it's like, doing it. She's already here. She's already here. She's incredible. Zuri, let's get some more Oscar music. Let's go to the next one. Great song. Next trophy. Best actor in a leading role, which is given out to the best player on a team. And the nominees are the joker from the Denver Nuggets. Sga from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76 ers, Yanis Antitacumpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, Jason Tatum from the Boston Celtics.

A lot of players in this category. Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Luca from the Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Brunson from the New York Knicks, and LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers. And the winner is. Oh, my God. In an upset, Jalen Brunson from the York Knicks.

What?

He beats LeBron, Luca, Anthony Tatum, Yanis impede Sga.

The joker.

Oh, my God. Devoting body. What a pick. What a pick.

Wow.

Goodness gracious.

Well, I mean, we've talked about it on this show. His life is like a sports movie. Grew up around the team. You could see all the pictures online of him as a little kid with these full size jerseys draped past his knees. I love that. Running around the garden court when just the players are, you know, of course, that viral video of him training with his dad, Rick, and Rick putting him through his paces. And you see where he is now as a star for the Knicks, as a player who's really been doubted for a lot of his career, and then to blossom to, I think it's fair to say, superstardom as a top tier star in the league for his childhood club, with his dad on the sidelines, all these people around the club that have known him since he was a kid, still there watching him do this, it's an incredible, incredible thing. And I'm thankful every single game that I get to root for this guy.

It's impossible not to root for him. He finally gets picked. I mean, I say finally, it was never expected before, but he gets picked as an all star. He makes the all star team this season. He's just setting the garden on fire every single night. He's becoming one of those players where you're like, when you get nervous about a game, you're just like, at least we got Jalen. Just keep it close and Jalen will get us there in the fourth quarter. Yeah.

Best Knicks point guard since Clyde Fraser, who, of course. Oh, wow. Drove the Knicks to two championships in the late sixty s and early seventy s. And I don't even think it's close. Certainly the best nick that I've rooted for since Ewing. I don't even think that's a controversial statement.

Better than wonderful.

Yes. Better than Alan that had a better career than Latrell Listen, I love.

Better than Malik Rose. Better than Malik Rose.

Better than Kurt Thomas. Yes. Better than these guys. And that's no disrespect to any of the great Knicks who have played in the time since Patrick Ewing hung it up as a member of the Knicks to be traded away to Orlando and Seattle and other places. That said, jalen Brunson, what a deserved honor. Oh, a little bit of an upset, but I'm just so thrilled for him.

I'm so happy for him. Shout out Mark Jackson and Derek Harper. My two favorite Knicks point guards, John Starks, is up there, too. But those two, for some reason, I just loved Derek Harper. I don't know why.

Just something about Maverick Mavericks legend Harp was such a hard edged, hard nosed veteran. Not much more you could say about Jalen. You can't overstate his impact. It's just wonderful.

We can't say anything about it, but Jalen can. And Jalen is here. Jalen is here. We got him here. Zuri, will you bring in Jalen so he can give his acceptance speech for winning best actor? What a marquee category.

Guys, this is so weird. I actually just got a letter in the mail. It's from Josh Hart, actually. And it turns out they actually. They're keeping their podcast right now at the same time. Roommate show. Unfortunately, Jalen can't make it on the show. But I know this one stinks, especially for. And it's. I think he did also send you a letter, if you want to check quickly. I do think they have sort of a Mia culpa on why Jayden couldn't make it on the show.

Here it is. Dear esteemed members of the academy, I never thought I'd be standing here holding this Oscar trophy. Does he think he. Okay. It's almost as unexpected as Josh Hart's rebounding. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to the academy for this incredible honor. Winning an oscar feels like hitting a three pointer from the half court line. Completely unbelievable. A huge shout out to the New York Knicks organization, my teammates, and even Josh Hart, who keeps stealing my rebounds. Thank you, New York. Thank you, academy. And a special shout out to you, Josh Hart. Keep hustling those boards. Go, Knicks. I think he thinks he won an Academy award. Zuri.

Zuri, what was happening in his email exchanges with these people? Why is everybody. You're over five. Zuri, you told us you had them all.

Yeah, but we do have one more. We do have a final trophy, and hopefully things turn around. Let's see what we get there.

All right.

From wondery. This is black history for real.

I'm Francesca Ramsey, and I'm consciously.

What do most people think about when they hear the words black history?

Well, in that case, Rosa Parks reconstruction, MLK, February, Black History Month.

Exactly. There are so many stories of black history that we just are not really talking about or thinking about, especially outside of February. And we are about to flip the script on all of that. Follow black history for real on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen everywhere on February 5. Or you can listen early and ad free on wondery plus starting January 29. Join Wondery plus on the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. I think you should know, black is beautiful.

Let's do our last one. Give us some more Oscar music to.

Get us into it.

Our final big trophy, best picture. Oh, this is a big one. This is the big one, which is given out to the best team in the league. The best team. The number one team. The nominees are. The Denver Nuggets, who have a record of 36 and 18. The New York Knicks, who have a record of 33 and 20. If the Knicks win this one, I'll give you the Jalen Brunson one. If the Knicks win this one, jason, I quit. I quit. Cleveland Cavaliers, who have a record of 35 and 16. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who have a record of 36 and 17. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who have a record of 36 and 16. The Boston Celtics, who have a record of 41 and twelve. And the Los Angeles Clippers, surging. The surging Clippers, who have a record of 35 and 17. And the winner is. The Boston Celtics. I mean, best picture.

That's right.

That's correct.

It's got to be them.

The only team in the league with over 40 wins currently. They had the incredible 20 game home stand where you just couldn't beat them as a fortress. They look so good right now. This being best picture, we'll run through the. We'll just make sure we say everybody's name like they do. Head coach Joe Missoula, assistant coaches Charles Lee, Sam Cassell, Tony Dobbins, Emil Jefferson, Matt Reynolds and DJ McClay. What a team.

What a really, you know, as, as a person who roots for a team in the Eastern Conference, they just have a million ways to kill you. Of course, the two stars are electric. Jason Tatum is a perennial MVP guy. Jalen Brown is a two way beast. And then you start bringing in the other pieces. Christ. Porzingis is in probably the perfect role for him and adds so many dimensions. Derek White is a guy who could be an all star in any given year, depending on things. And he's like, their fourth option adds so much stability and smarts to that team. They're just incredible.

They're just really holiday, really good. Richard Horford, come on.

This is a team that just can lock you up and then burn your house down. And then you mentioned the home stand. They are going to be really tough. They're going to be really tough. Every other team in the east is thinking, how do we avoid playing them for as long as possible? When we get to the postseason, that number two and number three seed is going to be very important because you want to stay out of Boston's way.

There's that scene, that great scene in the matrix, when Neo and Trinity decide they're going to go rescue Morpheus from the clutches of the agent fortress. And Keanu is like, they ask him what he's going to need, like, guns. A lot of guns or whatever. And then they cut to him and trinity in the white room. And then the guns just come like fucking shelves and shelves and shelves of guns. And it stops right there. And now he's surrounded by a billion guns. That's how I feel when I look at the Celtics roster or when they're like, bringing in somebody off the bench and I'm like, fuck, this guy have just too many pieces. There's too many pieces to deal with. Are they right now, Jason? Are they feeling like the favorites to win the championship?

Do you think so?

Right.

Well, I mean, I would probably pick the Nuggets as the slight favorite to win. That said, I fully expect Boston to be in the finals, and I'm glad you used that matrix metaphor. I'll use another one. They remind me a little bit of, like, that moment in the Matrix after Neo. It's at the end, right? Neo gets seemingly killed and is down, but then all of a sudden gets up, shot in the chest. All of a sudden, he gets up and then he can see the matrix. And all of a sudden he realizes, wait a second. I'm much more powerful than I thought. I feel like the Celtics, with some of the disappointments they've had in the last two, know, losing in the finals to Golden State in what, in retrospect, is one of the most amazing finals that we've seen in recent memory. And then just getting kind of bullied.

By the Miami Heat.

I think they just got out. They lost the head game, and then they got bullied a little bit. And now it's like, you kind of feel like this team is like Neo after that moment where he thought he was dead, but actually he's alive. This is a team that's taken major, major hits. And if they can take all those things, process them and put them together, and then reach the level that we all know that they're capable of, this is a really scary team that's young and they can be good for a long, long time. Scary squad.

The last couple of games that they played, the most recent one that they played was against the Heat, right? And they ended up beating the heat.

Which they didn't just bully them back. They almost broke a dude's arm on the court.

Yeah, it was a lot. But if we're looking at the last however many games, I think they're on a four game winning streak right now. Four, maybe five. But over this last little run, it's the first time all season that I'm sitting there watching them play on tv. The first time that I felt like, fuck, they might be able to beat the Nuggets. The Nuggets have to me, felt like, okay, they're going to be there. They have Murray, they have jokic. They have three players who at this point now feel like you're not going to intimidate them, they're not going to get scared. They're not going to get nervous in the big moments because they've done it. They already did it. And so how do you beat. And so it always felt the whole season, you go back and listen through the old episodes. Denver was just like, they didn't have the best record, but it felt like that's the scariest team. And for some reason, over these last few games, watching the Celtics, it's like, fuck, they might have put it together. They might be ready. I might fall for the trick. I might fall for.

They've been tricking me for the last three years, but maybe this year, maybe this.

Know, Joe Missoula can't stop talking about the town. He's doing brazilian jiu jitsu in the like. This is a testy, testy squad that you just better watch out, better watch out for, watch. I hope they don't put it all together.

Let's get some insight from their leader. Their leader, the big pool. Zuri, can you bring in Jason Tatum? You got us Jason Tatum to give his acceptance for the Celtics winning best picture. I'm so proud of you, Zuri.

We were all geared up to hear from Tatum on the show, and unfortunately, it's a clean sweep this week where he was able to show up. No, I did get a voicemail from Brad Stevens. There's a lot in here I can't repeat, but the long and short of it is he found out that we all actually hate the Boston Celtics. He respectfully declined to come on the show, but he does send his best is, I think there is another email from Brad just following up on a really profanity voicemail.

I got this. All right, let me see it. Let me pull it up. I see it.

There is a note there.

I got it. I got it here. All right. It says, just making sure you got my other email. Yeah, that's it. We got it.

Check your spam, Zuri. Check your spam. Check your spam.

I'll follow up if we do get a response, but I think that's all.

We'Re going to get from the Zuri six. Zuri, you promised us. Play some. No.

No applause. No applause.

Let's do Jason, let's do the little trophies.

Yeah, I guess we have to now.

Little trophies. All right. For these ones, let's just, Jason, let's just pick some other categories that they do at the Oscars. Best documentary, best costume design, best foreign language film, whatever, and come up with some NBA related winners for each. You want to do that? Let's do that.

Yeah, let's do it.

Okay. For my first one, then I'm going to go with best adapted screenplay. And the winner is Doc Rivers, new coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. I'm not fully sure like how Doc Rivers connects back to best adapted screenplay. It makes sense in my head. There's definitely something there, perhaps about him having to adapt as this is the first time he's ever taken over a team midseason or something about the Bucks having to adapt to a new coach, which they've not done that great a job of. They're not looking so hot right now or something. I don't know, but it makes sense. Congratulations. Doc Rivers, winner of best adapted screenplay.

Wow. Great one. My first little trophy is the award for best visual effect. And the winner is former Miami Dade police officer and current NBA ref Jason Goebbel for calling a foul that didn't exist.

I knew this was getting into the.

Show somehow, but was so, I guess, realistic in his mind with the CGI and all that that he called it. It was a foul on an Aaron holiday three. The foul was on Jalen Brunson. The Knicks had fought back from 16 down, hard fought game. Brunson getting fouled every which way. Very physical rockets, very physical team, especially at home. And then former Miami Dade police officer Jason Goebbel, who I guess just decided, like now I want to be a ref, has become a ref and made this really incredible call that caused a fellow Hollywood elite person, Ben Stiller, to complain over social media at the NBA saying, how could you do such a thing? Congratulations to Jason Goebbel. Referee Jason Goebel of the NBA. Remember the name they came out, by the way. One more thing. Here's the last two minute report from crew chief Ed Malloy. Question from Fred Katz of the Athletic after seeing the replay, do officials believe that it was the correct call made by Jason Goebbel? Ed Malloy, after seeing it during post game review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor.

The contacts which occurred after the release of the ball, therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called by referee Jason Goebel. Congratulations to him.

What a win. What a win. For my second little trophy, I'm going to do best original song. Best original song. And the winner is. The Denver Nuggets fans chanting where's Mbat when you sat out that game between the Sixers? Zuri, can we hear that? Can we hear it? Just makes me smile. Best original song. Oh man, oh man.

My second little trophy is the award for best costume design. And this one goes to, and I think no surprise here to Jeremy Grant of the Blazers. We're stylish young man is a stylish young man who I think is notable for having the most billowing outfits in the NBA. A young man who seems to be wearing like a clippership amount of sail cloth on his body at all times. Just billowing, flowing outfits that are always like moving in the breeze. He seems like almost like a genie sometimes. I just love seeing what he's wearing. I could never pull any of this stuff off.

But Jeremy really to. I was going to do best costume design, but Lamello's neck tattoo that they cover up the one behind his ear. But I like yours better. I like yours better. Jeremy Grant, what a fun player. For my final little trophy, I'm going to do best sound mixing. And the winner is. Eric Collins, play by play guy for the Charlote Hornets.

Wow.

I don't know if you watch any Hornets games and I do this just. This poor man is rooting for a team that's terrible. If they ever get a team that's good, he's going to burst into a lightning bolt of confetti and thunder. He just shouts out it'd be like a fast break. And he'll just start shouting out, shit. You never know what he's. How do you do ecstasy? There's one. He just shouted ecstasy on a fast break. He loves a chicken salad deluxe. He loves shouting hum diddly. D. We have, like, a montage of these sounds. Zuri, can we hear, like, 25 seconds? This is so Eric Hollins just shouting stuff at a game. Irving upset, didn't get the call. He. Who's the guy from the WWE who would shout all of this stuff?

Good God.

Jerry Lawler. That guy.

Yeah, Jerry Lawler.

There's like, another guy. Oh, my God. He's like a Wwe announcer. Oh, no, that guy. What's that guy's name? Somebody who listens to or watches wrestling?

I think there is. Lawler. It is Lawler. Lawler.

You know who I'm talking about. There's a different guy, though. I thought. I don't know. Okay, but Eric Collins, I love you. Keep doing what you keep it.

Let's keep it in Charlote for my final little trophy, which is the lifetime achievement award to Charlote native. Moved there as a kid. Grant Williams, now having played two games as a member of the Charlote Hornets. Both wins. And had this to say after his first game in Charlote. Quote, it's great to get a win for this city and really play for the jersey that's across your chest, not the one on the back. So I was fortunate to be part of a team that really wanted a win. It was super exciting. The playstyle was fun. Everybody touched the ball. We trusted one another. A team that had never played with each other or practiced with another. Every single person seemed like they had each other's back unsaid. There is. This was clearly aimed at the team that Grant Williams formally played for that then traded him the Dallas Mavericks. But welcome home. Grant Williams. Two wins and a wonderful performance off the bench in their last win over the Indiana Pacers. 2021 points, I think, off the bench for Grant Williams. He's really adding to something there. Congratulations to him. And that's it.

We did it. We did it again, Jason. We made it through another episode. We were perfect. Somebody else was over six. Somebody else was over six. We don't have to say.

Shut up, pop.

Oh, my God. We close every episode just by saying the names of underappreciated old basketball players with no context at all. While the theme music carries us out. Zuri, will you play the theme music, please? I'm Shay Serrano. That's Jason Concepcion, producer Zuri in the shadows, making the noises. See y'all next week. Matt Bonner.

Nice. Jimmer Fredette.

Jackie Butler.

Jackie Butler. It's legend number one draft pick. Anthony Bennet.

Melvin Eli.

Volleyball star Chase Buddinger.

Brent Berry.

General Grievous Vasquez.

Yes. Bruce Bowen.

Chris the Birdman Anderson if you like six trophies, you can listen to every episode ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at slash survey.

Six trophies is hosted and executive produced by Shea Serrano and Jason Concepcion. Our senior producer is Zuri Irv. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for wondering. Our managing producer is Olivia Fonhy. Senior producers are Peter Arcooney and Andrew Goldstein. And our executive producers are Dave Easton and Marshall Luke.

Okay, so if you had a time machine, how far in time would you need to go back to be a dominant basketball player of that era?

I need to go to when Bob Koozie was playing the plumber days. 27 year old Shay would give Bob Koozie the business. He's not guarding me.

Hi, I'm Jason Gutepsion.

And I'm Shay Serrano. And we are back. We have a new podcast from wondering. It's called six trophies.

Whoa.

And it's the best.

Each week, Shay and I are combing through all of the NBA storylines, finding the best, most interesting, most compelling ones, and then handing out six pop culture themed trophies for six basketball related activities.

Trophies like the Dominic Toretto I live my life a quarter mile at a time trophy, which is given to someone who made a short term decision with no regard for future cons, twits.

Or the Christopher Nolan Tenet Trophy, which is given to someone who did something that we didn't understand.

Catalina wine mixer trophy the Lauryn Hill.

You might win some, but you just lost one trophy. Follow six trophies on the wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to six trophies ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus.