Hour 1: What's So Funny Over There, Chuckles?
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This is the Dan Levitar Show with the Stugatz Podcast. ♪

This episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Boldest take is where we're headed, but I have legitimate tension in the room here that I need your guys' help with because...

In the space where we grow as a media company, Zaslow has gotten off to a hot start here with our show and has become a journalist in the last couple of months. The information game is very crowded. Around here so far, Mike Ryan is the only one who's wanted that lane, and he does not pretend to be a journalist. Mike Ryan says flatly, I'm a fan, I'm a booster, I'm a businessman, I care about the University of Miami first, but also...

More plugged in on NIL, more better information, starts his own business because the Canes are worth following and he's got better information than anybody. Thank you very much for the kind words. You're also selling me short because I broke the biggest story of all time. A couple of them. It's not just that story. Congratulations on congratulating yourself. No, it's just the messy one. People forget who broke that one.

Yes, you broke the... I'll put it on the poll. Do people forget that Mike Ryan broke the Messi story to Miami? For like a year and a half, your boy was on that beat. Okay, I thought we were celebrating you already. We don't need to celebrate you more. Well, you omitted... You just forgot one. You omitted a pretty big one. Okay, well, I want to get to... Because I understand what I do within the scope of the University of Miami, but I'm also a booster. But, you know...

in Miami. That was some good old school journalism. All right. So your areas of expertise, I just want to cover this on behalf of what this media company becomes. And I know that Zaslow is saying he's judge and jury over here, but I think that Greg Cody would allege he's got the greatest of the journalistic credentials here in this room. But he's a journalist. He has a degree.

Are you, Greg? I don't want to put words in your mouth. This is one of the tensions we have in here right now. The second one's worse. The second one's a good deal worse. Right. No, I've certainly, I'm the journalist here who's got the most experience at being a journalist. What have you done for me lately? I'm not claiming to have better sources than him or than Mike about UM football. No, but on the heat, he's reporting something no one's reporting. He's... Well, okay.

All right. What's funny about that? Because if it is being nationally reported that Giannis is open to talking to anybody. Right. Okay. Wide open to talking to anybody. And then somebody in the wake of that says, my sources tell me that the Heat are one of those many teams that are interested in Giannis. No, no, that's not what I said. To me, that's not a huge deal. No, that's not it. I said the exact opposite. Yeah, he had a much more detailed report. Giannis is interested. Of course.

Of course, every team...

is interested in Giannis. But is Giannis interested in every team? I wouldn't think so. I could tell you that Giannis is interested in the Heat. Journalism 101 is to understand that agents want to encourage competition. It serves the agent... You guys listening? It serves the agent and it serves Giannis to say we're interested in that team and that team and that team. Right, but it's still a report that has credence if it's coming from...

I mean, I'm not assuming where this report is coming from, but Zaz gave a true report. He said Giannis' reps called the Miami Heat. Yeah, again, like... That's actually a big-time scoop. Like, again, do you want to surmise that Giannis' people are calling every team and saying we're interested? Maybe that's true. I have no idea. I wouldn't think that that's true. I would think that there's probably only a handful of teams who Giannis is interested in. But I can tell you, I know,

one of those teams they have reached out to is the Heat. Okay, so when Zaslow says, I know, Tony, help me here with this because we're growing a media company. When Zaslow says, I know, is that bigger than Mike Ryan's that I should remind you? That Mike Ryan's that I should remind you? When Mike says that, he's saying, hey, you know I'm credible, right?

But when Mike Ryan says that with the fluff of I broke the biggest story on Messi, you know, so that I should remind you when I say something, I'm walking the line between I know it or sources and you're going to trust me because I'm credible. Correct. I broke the biggest story in those contexts. Mike is reminding you that he already knows what it is. Zazzle is just giving you the exact just dope of I know what this is. And they told me. Right. This is the first time for me. Right. Right.

We're just four guys with backgrounds and breaking big-time stories, just shooting the shit. That's what we're doing. And I'm not going to be pitted against Greg or Zazz. That's a great report, Zazz. Thanks, Leia. I want some assistance here because I believe that Zazz is very quickly— I know I can be Juan-come-lately, but I believe Zazzlo is passing—

greg cody journalistically because respect the the newspaper business is dying the information game is growing and zaslo the part of this story that you guys are ignoring like i i don't man oh man we are selfish in miami and selfish in coverage when it's like oh yannis might be interested in miami hey guys you know anthony davis is also a game changer right like we're not talking about him right now no but no somebody else worked no wait a minute we're

What do you mean we're not talking about it? They missed playoffs. No, no, no. Anthony Davis is not excited. I don't care what your opinion is of Anthony Davis. Zaz reported something. Yes, on Giannis. No, no. I also said Anthony Davis is interested in Miami. Please don't go the way they want to go now. Guys, guys, no. Yes, thank you. We need to...

Cody, Zaslow right now is kicking your ass on heat information. He's better at information. I would say that Zaslow's two reports might be bigger than any story you've broken other than my betrayal about my engagement. If I covered the Miami heat, I would be really upset that I didn't break that story. Thank you.

I'm so sorry. That feels like... Although it's still a marginal story break. No, it is not. Hold on a second. If you see someone, forget that it's me. This is a blank face right here. Not this beautiful punim. This is a blank face right here. If you heard someone locally too, so maybe they're connected. I don't know. I don't know who this person is. You heard this person is reporting that Giannis has reached out to the Heat. Would you think that's a big story?

Let me tell you how I define a big story. What's the degree of surprise? Okay? When Shams reports that Giannis is open to every team... All right, but Anthony Davis surprised me. That's a little bit more of a surprise. Well, no, but wait a minute. So this is reporting, and it's legitimate, and I'm asking you, why are you denying the credibility of his report? Well, first of all... I reported last week that Sam Bennett was not even going to have a hearing. Okay.

First of all, I don't know that it's true, and I don't think you know it's true at this point. Do I know what's true? I know my report is true. I know what I was told. I trust my sources. Okay, there you go. Wait, Greg, what are you doing? He's doing exactly what you want him to do, which is play your stupid little game. This is not a game to me. As a journalist, this is not a game.

This is my life. All right, now, I know, Billy, Mike, please, I know, I know. I'm the shit stirrer. When's it going to be on the ESPN website? Because you work for ESPN. I'm wondering why they're not putting it up. Like, who do we call? That's a very good question by Billy. Ring up to Justin Craig. What do we do here? It won't appear as a news story.

quoting Zaslow. I can promise you that. Well, should it though? It's not a definitive enough report. It is on Peacock and it is on DKN. It is on the Levitard show. Why is it not official? Zaslow's reporting it. It's all politics. We all know what was happening there when Woj was there. Maybe it's different now. I'm on ESPN tonight. Can you report a feeling

This isn't a feeling. It's not a feeling. He feels like he wants to come. It's not a feeling. He picked up a phone. I feel like I want to play for the Heat. I feel like I would like to maybe play for the Heat. He picked up a phone. There was a report yesterday that he was open-minded about everything, and his reps picked up a phone. That would be a report if it was him. His reps picked up a phone and said, hey, Miami, you're one of the ones. That's what I'm telling you. He's feeling you. You're one of the dozen. All right, so Mike Ryan makes fun. Mike Ryan says, I'm doing all of this, and yet here he is saying, like...

Somewhere after that, I shall remind you, he said the ringer took your knees out from under you. They won that championship. Congrats to them.

Credit where it's due. So journalistic outfits that have some power can affect the outcome of games. And Zaslow is reporting as a legitimate Miami audio legend. He's reporting Anthony Davis and Giannis are interested in Miami. That's not something anyone else, I've seen anywhere else. That they have both reached out to Miami. I'm looking at the ESPN's NBA homepage right now.

uh... and and i don't see okay so he has been is the only thing that validates okay so metal or media is not allowed to have any reports it's just the s_p_n_ is the only important one of the what happens there what happens then what happens then is that if it's a big enough report from metal of the choms gets to decide that any of the s_p_n_ that it uh... for regurgitates the news break

And so you're saying if Zazz were more credible, an ESPN employee, you're saying if Zazz... He works at ESPN. He's reporting it. I am reporting it, but I'm not Shams. He's the best. The Anthony Davis thing is problematic. Problematic how? Well, because he's under contract with the Dallas Mavericks. So is Giannis. Yeah, but at least it's being reported about Giannis that he's...

Somebody's got to be first. Okay, but we're learning about Anthony Davis's availability by him and his reps. What's so funny over there, Chuckles? If I were a Mavs fan, I'd be like, what are you doing? Is this what the franchise is blessing? You're doing what now? You're reaching out to other teams? This is a whole tamper. You might have actually gotten your Miami Heat in trouble. I heard this before.

I was told this before last night. Maybe Anthony Davis is like, oh, you know, number one pick. I'm not interested in anything but Dallas. Now that's just my opinion. I think you got your franchise in trouble, bub. You're reporting old news then? That's a bigger story. Chuckles? Chuckles he called you? That's a bigger story. Okay, look, look, look. But that was old. We don't know how he feels after last night. Chuckles, he just called you. He hit you with Chuckles. And this is what I wanted to say from before. I was chuckling at the time, in fairness. Chris Cody.

I'm in a dangerous emotional space with your father. Your father is willing to take 20 years of beating from me in the name of loving friendship. But lest I say a foul word about his son, I lose him emotionally for sometimes days and weeks because he will abide no man disrespecting his son in public. He'll give him a chicken wing.

And so I don't like to make your father mad here, but he's enraged at me. And Zaslo, Zaslo, you saw it, right? Because Zaslo was looking at your dad and it's the first time he's seen, oh, oh, wait a minute. This isn't a character. This guy would like to take Dan's head and throw it into the ocean. It's one of the things that like I had now that I'm around more often and I love being here. It's one of the things that I, I have to start.

Not getting used to, but I'm trying to still figure out, you know, like what's okay. What is making some people upset? And I certainly don't want to step on toes. You just called him Chuckles. Well, he would like he's. Were you chuckling? I was chuckling. Chuckles. Yeah. A bond has been formed. Look at that. It was a chuckle. If that's not the levitard story here. Chuckles bond formed over Chuckles. What a pathetic slogan.

That's what we're writing. We've been accused of being a chuckle fest for 20 years. Right? Okay. Well, your dad's not chuckling about this is what I'm telling you. Well, I hope you're happy. Well, no. You got him mad. He'd like me to apologize to his son on air. I didn't say that. You'd like me to. I mean, I don't think you have it in you. I don't think you feel the need to. I don't want you to do anything that you don't feel the need to do. It's a call out.

Was it disrespectful? Hell, in the extreme. Was it disrespectful for you to say that his son did not earn nor is capable of doing his current job? Yeah, a little bit disrespectful. Probably a debate to be had there. Pretty good argument. Well, which is it? I'm a judge. Was Levitard disrespectful to Greg Cody's son by saying that?

He didn't necessarily deserve and is not necessarily good at his current job. Disrespectful. Thank you, your honor. I would also say continuously calling him Greg Cody's son and not Chris Cody because he has a name. Also disrespectful. I feel nothing. With prejudice. Always. Always.

Already risen. Are we willing to allow Zaslow to be judge and jury? We've confirmed him. Are we going to make it judge and jury and executioner Zaslow because he's a journalist, he's getting into the information game? Mike, you know this can be scary, right? Chris, you know this can be scary. I'm sorry, I've got to smile from ear to ear right now because Udonis is weighing in on Jimmy Butler's effort last night. Hang on.

Did you expect more from Jimmy Butler without Steph? Four of nine from the field? Just six reruns? Hold on, say that again. How many shots from the field? Just five of nine from the field. Nine shots and basically an elimination game. 40 points. I expected more. Thank you, Utah. And more than I did. Judge, it seems like we're not going to get an apology. Well, that's not up to a judge's ruling. My ruling is just if it was disrespectful or not. I haven't handed out damages or anything like that. Okay.

So I know that all of this is bothersome. With prejudice. Thank you, Zaslow. I appreciate these edicts. I don't actually want to do the silly storyline stuff around the basketball today. I really do want to because the hockey playoffs are magical enough, the Oilers.

The Oilers coming after Greg Cody's McDavid's overrated. And just watching championship good teams look championship good. You guys told me this would happen to Washington when the playoffs come because it's just such a different style. But...

I really do want to celebrate in our wheelhouse the historical glory of being able to watch both the Knicks and the Celtics at the precipice. And I've got to be honest, I think we'd all be honest about this. Even in the precious days of we all know what the transactions mean.

All of us on Bridges were like, what are you doing? What are you doing on Bridges? And the answer is trying to fight the Celtics. Like specifically them, not everybody. Celtics won five picks for Bridges. You crazy? Go bear five picks. What are we talking about? Oh, Bridges is the third guy specifically on the perimeter with the game. The way it's changing might be useful on Tatum doesn't have a moment. And when Bridges is there at the end of the game,

Tatum doesn't get a shot or a pass off because Bridges five first round picks for that. That's why he's there. New York, tricky relationship with him. Third guy's hard. Drew Holiday's done it well. You go from star to different usage rate. But ah, number two. Isn't this interesting? Carl Anthony Towns. Hmm.

They've got themselves a Porzingis too, and he shoots from anywhere. And God, I wish he were more physical because that's the best shooting big thing I've ever seen. That is wins three point contest. What? Oh, that's your number two. Interesting what the Knicks are building there specifically to challenge the Celtics. No one else. That's what it's built for.

Everyone in the sport saw, oh, the Celtics are galloping up in head. They got the top first-round picks. And the Knicks, run by James Dolan, a buffoon, a clown, doesn't deserve one clap from what this Knick run is. The Sphere has been praised by a lot of people. Seems like a fun venue. It does. I got to admit that. My wife loved it. It's still there. It does.

James Dolan's team is not a lovable thing, but what they've built, because it gets to be an underdog now, I really do want to both look at the joys and the awful in one of the stars of the game goes down in pain crying. We all know what it means. That stinks. We didn't want to see it decided that way.

But the Knicks are in the game now, and the Knicks haven't felt like this in 25 years. Legitimately, that game last night is the best feeling there's been in that place this century. The Knicks are massive winners right now. I mean, for everything you just said,

The Ananobi deal, which I know wasn't in the offseason, it was last year, but Ananobi and Mikel Bridges are specifically brought in to defend on the perimeter. And then you also get Bridges in the fourth quarter of, you know, game two, where he was phenomenal, and last night where he was phenomenal. Bridges and Ananobi were making all sense.

the shots in the fourth quarter until Jalen Brunson decided, okay, I'm the guy and I'm going to make shots too. But it's not just that. New York having a funny, testy relationship with, we gave up five picks for you. What did we give up five picks for? Oh, what we gave up five picks for is a guy who is tough enough

to go with the Celtics and be something in the fourth quarter that can bother Tatum. I kind of disagree, though, with the narrative about, you know, gave up five picks for him. He's not worth the five picks. It's the same thing with giving up the five picks for Rudy Gobert, where they're not necessarily saying that Mikel Bridges is worth five picks. They're saying in order to complete their team so they could be who they want to be,

that's worth five picks. If they didn't have Towns and they didn't have Ananobi, they wouldn't have given up five picks for Bridges. Not a lot of people wanted that Towns contract. The other thing, too, is you got Michael Bridges because he was able to do what he did last night, kind of take over the game in the fourth quarter while Jalen Brunson got a breather. You can't have Jalen Brunson out there, all six, two of them, running around for 48 minutes in a game. Mikel Bridges got buckets in the mid-range, too, which is tough.

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Balls question. It's just ridiculous. Balls.

The New York Knicks of today, not popular for 25 years with the rah-rah frat of our old guys limp on the sidelines. Back to Clyde Frazier to feel that feeling it felt like in this garden in New York once upon a time. For that Knicks team to be built to fight the Celtics and go through this story arc. I loved Hartenstein. Harten, Hartenstein, and Thibodeau playing the grit minutes. That's my favorite team. They made me feel so good. Better than Carmelo. DiVincenzo. Oh my God.

That's such a cute story. Don't break up that lovely team that gets squashed by the Heat and Tyler Hero and bam, and gets squashed. And oh, that's not good enough. Don't fall in love at your own peril there. That's not good enough. Oh, Cat, I don't know if he's tough enough. Do we really? Is that tough? Is that garden grit? No, but it's 40 footers from a seven footer who can score 35 in a game. And when you need him against Tatum,

He can, like, on any given night, that guy could go from long range. He could do what Tatum does any night. It's the best thing like that I've ever seen, and they got Brunson. So now what you have is the story of Bridges and Brunson and Cat are tough enough.

They can dethrone the champion. Man, Jimmy Butler told me Cat's not tough. He's mentally weak and we've been making fun of his voice. He's not strong enough to be a number one. You can't trust him in the garden against Tatum and the champs, can you? Well, remember Draymond also said he wasn't tough. The whole TNT crew did it to him. When he ended up being out of

funeral and that's why he missed the game it was because he wasn't tough it validates ballsy moves that people were right to question I think especially when it came to the mental fortitude however there's an opposite side of the coin people were questioning the mental fortitude of Boston this entire run and

and thought that they might have gotten lucky with how the injuries broke. And now they're going up against a team whose individual superstars and collectively, people have questioned their toughness. And Boston's falling short of that? It makes me look at that championship real funny. This is why you're a big Knicks fan. For the next couple days. Precisely. I might switch to the Pacers. Really? I like calling them the Sirs.

The thing is, the teams that are left are all rivals of the Heat at one point in time. I think I have more reason, certainly in my adult life, to hate the Indiana Pacers than I do the New York Knicks. Why? They never did anything to us. We own them. Knicks didn't do anything to me. Took them to the brink, though. A couple of times. Took the Heat to the brink. Please. Ended their season every time. In hindsight, yeah. I do like Halliburton, and I do like saying Sirs. No, in real time.

Billy, I'm frustrated today, Cody, because it's a Greg Cody Tuesday headed into a Wild Willie Wednesday, and things tend to go off the rails here. And if you throw Zaslow in the mix on playoff newcomer, basketball playoff newcomer over there, Mike Ryan thinks nobody's going to notice that now all of a sudden he's interested. Tony, like the hypocrisy next to you, dude. Where's the hoops talk from him been in November when we were still trying to figure out certain things? There's no hypocrisy.

All I asked was for good, compelling basketball. I got that last night. And I told you I'd be the first in line to say it. We had great, compelling basketball in January. Pacers started running like 40-14. You've been bandwagon basketball guy in a way that's a little bit offensive to Amin and everyone else around here. I'm glad you guys toughed it out through such bad basketball. I've also toughed it out through bad basketball on mute.

And last night, guess what got the big TV treatment with the sound? Really? Good. Mode management. Really? NBA basketball got the big time treatment with the big time TV because that's theater. That's drama. That's what I miss about the NBA. Okay. It was also a terrible hockey game opposite. It was. That's been a bad series. But, you know, my complaints aren't like I'm done with this sport. My complaints are fix it.

Fix it. Give me something compelling to watch, and they did last night. Playoffs fixed it. Playoffs have been rough and tough. You said you love the Oklahoma City, Denver. Mike, Julius Randle, any comments out here? You called him trash. If we're admitting we're wrong, like you want to know? Jury's still out on him. Jury's still out. You can show me something. I'll step up. Julius Randle.

Good player. Mike Ryan. Mike Ryan. I'm not giving him that. With prejudice, always. Playing the Warriors without Seth. What are we doing? Got Draymond there. Like, Draymond's still there playing defense, right? Playing the Warriors without Seth. Did you see him last night, by the way? Seth makes everything work for that team. Julius Randle was incredible last night. Did you see Seth Curry last night? I didn't. That's right.

But Steph is not going to guard Julius Randle. No, no, no, but Steph is going to bring guys like... But on the offensive side, Julius Randle's been incredible. He's had a triple-double. He's got 30 points. I got your ass, dude. He's going to stretch him out worse than Sue Hart in the dungeon. Yeah. Good reference. Tony, Mike Ryan just worked you.

And he worked you because he said, did you see Steph Curry out there? And then, no, of course, Steph Curry wasn't out there. You could have checkmated him if you had simply said... Did you watch Steph Curry? And you weren't watching Minnesota Golden State either. It wasn't on your big television. You don't care enough. The sound wasn't up. You know nothing about that game. You don't know how good Julius Randle has been in that series. Of course. But I thought that was obviously something that we all knew, that he's not watching. He's faking it. Went to bed. He just got here. Went to bed. He's just...

He just got here on basketball, and he's going to whiff three quarters and snort sports three quarters at a time. Fake Knicks fan. I don't know what this whole— For right now, it's one of the things I care about most of my life. Let me tell you something about Knicks fans, fake Knicks fans. Hmm.

If they lose in the next series, which is fairly likely, in my opinion, it's going to be the same. We're crowning the Knicks right now. They'll be favored. We're crowning the Knicks right now. If they lose in the next series, it's going to be the same old Knicks. It's going to be the same old misery, 50 years, 25 years. Here's hoping.

I can't wait for that day. That's great. He's a Pacers fan next round. I don't know. This whole show is about a gotcha thing, and I'll just lean into, yeah. You got it wrong on Julius Randle last night. You did get it wrong on Julius Randle. I mean, just say you're wrong. This whole series, this whole playoff stand has been incredible. Just say you're wrong. It's okay. Was Julius Randle good last night?

I wasn't watching. I don't care about that. 31-5 the game before that, 24-10-12, triple-double. Confusing player. Confusing about Rudy Gobert, too. If they make it to the NBA Finals, I'm going to maybe need to do some apologizing. 24-11-7 the game prior? You have called him trash. Yeah, he's a trash can. He's not a good player. He's a bad player. Numbers don't lie, buddy. Sometimes they do. They do, especially when it comes to Julius Randle. You can't talk to this. Jimmy Butler was minus 30 last night and took nine shots. The numbers are telling all sorts of truth there. Mike told you about that.

Warriors fans are so confused. Why didn't he shoot that? He has a layup, and he just kicks it out for a throw. Why didn't he shoot? Welcome. Oh, man. That's good stuff. That's good stuff. I should have stayed awake for that. I really should have. I've got to tell you, though, it is funny. But are you watching the rehearsal? This is nuts.

That's nuts. That's crazy. Try to describe episode three to a friend. Never in the history of television. I'm just saying never in the history of television has anything like this ever been attempted. It's that good? Well, it's that different. It's that ambitious. It's...

I actually think this is more ambitious, but I actually think Nathan, for you, is a better of the two concepts. But this is so ambitious and it is such an abuse of a budget that they've given. Put it on the poll. It's wasteful. It's not unlike Greg Cody at Michelin restaurants. Please put it on the poll. Is the rehearsal the most ambitious show in the history of television? Like I literally could assemble an argument for making it as ambitious as Game of Thrones, but on stupidity.

on just sheer degree of difficulty where all you're watching for, you might not even find it funny. You're like, why did they waste so much money on this?

For this guy's mind? Because he's weird? Yeah, but he's not weird. What he's trying to get to might actually save lives. It might. That might be the pot at the end of this particular rainbow, but all of it's absurd. He's as smart as anybody and has been. By the way, going on a decade, going back to the Nathan For You days, this guy has been operating at a different intellectual comedic plane than anybody. And

seemingly HBO just gave him a blank check to follow his heart's desire and tell like the most ambitious twisted tale he possibly could and like I said if you watched episode 3 find someone that knows nothing about the concept and just try to explain that episode you just did you told me that they got air from a city and blew it in a dog's face that's like yeah that is like honestly doesn't crack the

the top 50 in crazy things from that episode. It's a little bit hard to explain the rehearsal to people who aren't interested in it. It's not very hard to understand. It's just a very ambitious project. I saw a story in the trades yesterday about a singer that fell for the trap in his wings of voice or whatever it's called, the singing contest.

and was flying back and forth across the country and spent over $10,000 to try to be part of this singing competition just to find out it was all just an elaborate ruse and is now upset by the fact that she spent $10,000. That's the thing. It seems really mean. Is it an elaborate ruse if we're saving lives? Do they get reimbursed? That is a contribution she is making. No.

Well, and also had to sign an NDA, which she is now broken and is basically saying like, okay, so the story's out there. I guess now come after me and see how that goes. Because there are...

silent victims in these games of his, right? Where people are getting their hopes up on things that are not realities. They're just kind of for Nathan's entertainment. And I like the show. I like the show, but there are people like... If you watch this week's episode, you kind of have to feel bad for the pilot that they were focusing on and his love life. They picked these people that...

are susceptible to being his victims. Tony, I know you're lost. So is it about a dog or a pilot? We didn't even get into recreating shot for shot Sully Sullenberger's life. Yeah, that was something. Including breastfeeding? Yeah, that was something. So, Tony, forgive me for Billy's yammering. I was watching Julius Randall. That's what I was doing.

Spoiler Wednesday's tomorrow. I'm not spoiling anything. I will tell you something else that is funny about the New York Knicks and this present enthusiasm that the New York Knicks are feeling when I'm here to tell you that unless there are major injuries, that team has zero chance of winning the championship. Zero chance. The New York Knicks this year are 3-11 against the Cavs, Celtics, and Thunder. Those three victories are in this series.

3-11 against the best teams in the league. I don't care how gritty you think this version of the Knicks are, which is a more beloved version than last year's version because it's Brunson and better. They believe in heart, but that team cannot win the championship. And I don't care how brave you think Sully Sullenberger was, we do not get that act of bravery without evanescence. 3-11 is obviously terrible.

But when you then also point out that those three wins have come this round, doesn't that just increase the Knicks' chances of winning? Because, hey, the regular season must mean nothing against those teams then, right? And then you look at Boston. Obviously, they've won those three games. The Cavs are basically done and dusted. OKC's still over there, and that's going to be tough. You've got the Cavs dusted. Dusted. The Pacers can play with anybody, right? Yeah. And they're not afraid. Yeah.

It's a weird thing to say, is it not? The Pacers can play with anybody in the new evolution of what it is. Well, if Halliburton's going to hit them from 30 feet and we can have a legitimate argument any night, well, who's their best player? Siakam or Halliburton, but both of

them can do it. You're not believing in any of it, Michael. No, no, I believe in them. You're invoking names like Siakam and OG and Inobi. Everybody wants, if you're viewing this from the Heat fan perspective. It's a new game. I'm a Knicks fan, so that's one of the teams that actually went out and got these guys that could make an impact. Bridges,

OG on Inobi. Everyone gets so, everyone romanticizes the whale. They whiffed on Lillard. They miss on Harden. They miss on Durant multiple times. They miss on all these guys. They also miss on Siakam. They also miss on OG. Let me ask you something. How do you know that the Heat didn't try to trade for those guys? No, I know that they tried to trade for those guys. I'm reporting. Whoa.

I know they tried to. And I know they failed. The back report. And I know they failed. They failed in trying to get those guys. That is my lament. Not only are you failing for the top guy,

You're also deciding, oh, we're not going to part with these pieces because we don't think OG and Siakam can get us where we want to go. And then I see Siakam and OG take teams where they want to go. We're missing pieces. So there's just people just like to go top line talent. No, no, no. The dysfunction and failures from this organization is actually quite the tale. We've woven quite the weave of tale together.

when it comes to their failures. In the last five years, how many finals did the Pacers and Knicks appear in? Well, that math is about to change. I think we're in two of them. Didn't you say, what have you done for me lately? To Greg! We're talking about journalism! Journalism! Well, ask the NBA and those two teams in particular next week when they're in the Eastern Conference Finals, what have you done for me lately? Because all you've done for me lately is get me to the play-in.

Back-to-back ECFs for the Pacers, by the way. Jay Williams is getting roasted for saying on GetUp that the Mavs should consider trading the number one pick for a player like Giannis, Devin Booker, or Maxie. Look, nobody's a bigger Tyrese Maxie fan than I am.

That might end Nico Harrison's tenure in Dallas. I was getting mad when I saw Maury with a chance at this number one pick. I was getting real mad. I was too. I was getting real mad. You see him face down on the thing, though, when they put him on the third kill. That was the one place that flatly could not get the number one. I was good with San Antonio and Dallas if the alternative was Philly. We all know that Charlotte would have been perfect. I didn't like that. I think we can be clear on this, even though Joel Embiid, pretty special physical talent.

It all starts with Giannis. Any of the dominoes are after that. Everyone understands that if you can get Giannis, you get him because the next three years of Giannis can be close no matter who you put around it. And of course, everyone's in that game. That part seems obvious, right? Not no matter who. I mean, he bounced in the first round. No, but you'd have a chance as soon as he signs his name to something, correct? Yes.

Absolutely. You'd also have to build around him. Like, if you're the Heat, you have to get rid of your star pieces and you just have him. So, Billy, are you objecting to what I'm saying? That Giannis makes any team better as soon as you get him? Depending on the pieces that are on the team that he's part of. I mean, they gave him Boone and Holzer and Doc Rivers to work with.

But I'm saying, like, you're assuming that he's just going to come to the Heat and have this same roster. You have to get rid of people to get him. If you get rid of Bam to get Giannis. I'm sorry, Billy. Bam and Hero. So, Billy, I don't want to do this whole thing again, but you do understand that the – this is not up for dispute. You've got to make the salaries match. But I would assume that if Giannis is interested in the Heat, the Heat's response to that is anyone you want, make the contracts match up, take anyone you want. You don't have to assume I reported it.

Take any four or five pieces that need to match up. Why are you saying that so definitively? Because last time they got into the pursuit of a superstar, it was like, Tyler Hero, take it or leave it. And by the way, phew. I'm saying it definitively because Giannis is a reset on what...

architecturally a GM's job is go find the other 11 pieces the one you never can develop yourself is that one and there are like four in the league it's not 10 Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid's body is not enough no what you will get is a superstar who cares face of the league immediate injection into your season ticket system an economy of wealth that brings Giannis the business with his brother by the way you're gonna have to take the whole family that's how that one's gonna work so now you only have 10 slots

And any team in the league would want him. And I think just about any team in the league would trade any one player they have for him. Like, maybe Jokic is an exception, but nobody else. The league's changed, too, by the way. Like, it's not the way it was 10 years ago, where let's just acquire as many stars as possible. We've got to get a big three. Like, Phoenix just tried that, all right? The league's not like that anymore. If you can get one, maybe even two, if you can get your hands on two really good players...

But it's really about filling out the rest of the roster now. The league's different like that. So if you get your hands on a guy like Giannis, all right, we'll add other pieces around it. It's not necessarily about getting as many stars. I will tell you that Dallas had just won the lottery. However unpopular their general manager, his thought process is, well, Luke, I don't trust his body to be one of these five pieces in three years. Like,

That's how they presented that. I need to win with defense. Which is why we traded for Anthony Davis. I mean, he's an idiot, but you understand. Process over result. This is why Nico being a winner today is uproarious. Can we go back to Boost Mobile, please? I thought you never asked that. I'm coming around on this. It's on a heater right now. The callers are getting better. Keep getting sharper, please. The telephone number is 305-486-GOTS.

G-O-T-Z-4-6-8-9-3-0-5-4-8-6-4-6-8-9. The Boost Mobile Boldest Take from the Weekend is presented by Boost Mobile, the newest 5G network in the country.

Hey, what's up guys? Stugatz Army here in San Francisco. I think every sports writer should have to be hit with a fastball in order to write about sports. Thank you. Hey guys, it's Brian in Albuquerque. Does Stan Van Gundy look like the guy at the meatball sub shop behind the counter wearing a shirt that says legalized marinara? I'll hang up and listen. Hey, this is Will in front of a computer. Um...

There are 94 different types of apples according to apples.com. That is 92 too many apples. You just need a red one and a green one. If you were to blind taste test, I don't think you could tell the difference between a Golden Rust, a Sweet Tango, or a Cosmic Crisp. I'll hang up and listen. Hey guys, this is Stu from Boston. First time, long time. Here's my limited fake...

Hey, this is Joe calling from the Magic Conch. I think that people who listen to music out loud in public or at work are the worst people on the planet. Even worse than people who don't return their shopping cart.

I'll hang up and listen, pay the whales. Hey, this is Kit. In the NBA, once your team misses 23s, you don't get any more threes. You can shoot it from wherever. It's worth two points. The Chipotle fork is the best fork in the food industry, and it should be a first ballot fork Hall of Famer. I'll hang up and listen.

This was one of the weaker episodes until that last point. That one is a great take. Certified banger. Okay. And it's a thing on the internet. People know about this. I take extra. Yes, it's great. It's better than actual silverware. And the napkins.

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