The Big Suey: Heavy D & The Boyz (feat. Eric Collins)

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1:02prevels that you get to work with your hands. It's building something that serves a purpose, proof that you have the grit to keep going. At Simblant, we understand you take your craft seriously and we do too, which is why our products are built to the highest quality. We put in the work so you can perfect yours with purpose in every detail and crafted with incension. Simblant, built on craft, visit Simblant.com to shop. Welcome to the big suite, presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan Levitard podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries that if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys. I've done it. And now, here's the marching man to nowhere, that face and the habitual liar. This episode of the Dan Levitard

2:03show is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. A lot of people are enjoying this Hornets team, but nobody seems to be enjoying this Hornets team more than Eric Collins. We will get to him in a second. He is the voice of America's team, the Charlotte Hornets. He's the play-by-play announcer for the NBA on Prime as well. But before we get to him, let's just air that Jimmy Johnson commercial for erectile dysfunction. I'm Jimmy Johnson, no not the race car driver. I'm the better-looking Jimmy. Since I recently became the spokesperson for Extens, everywhere I go, guys ask me if Extens really works. I'm here to tell you Extens works for me. I started taking Extens before I became their spokesperson. With over a billion tablets of Extens taken by men of all ages, I was sold and you should be too. Extens does things only one way. Really, really big. If you call now, Wilson to a week's supply of Extens absolutely free, call now. That is the way to introduce Eric Collins. I think I've got it wrong, though. That might not be

3:04erectile dysfunction. This might just be a general lengthening of things. So on that note, a hum diddly D and a how do you do to Eric Collins? Hello, Eric. Thank you for being on with us, sir. Hey, guys. My pleasure. Happy Monday. I would love to say Hornets are America's team, but they've lost two consecutive games. First time it's happened about a month and a half. Tough one last night in Phoenix. They are fourth and offensive rating, however. And before we get going here, let's just play for the audience again, a little montage of Eric Collins being excited. With the guts of a cat burglar, we're tied 97. Lamb's going to have to fire. Make it hurt, trade. Look at life. It's kind of trained man. Come alive. The greatest shot by the volleyball.

4:07Wow. Bridges. Hump diddly D. Oh, a double-clutch. It's a new boom. This is Hornets basketball. Eric, take me through the origins of hum diddly D, please. I'd like to I'd like to hear how it is that hum diddly D became a thing. I used to play high school basketball and I was digging the heavy D in the voice. And their big song was, we got our own thing and I always began with hum diddly D diddly D diddly D. And I used to think it was an earworm for me for many, many years and I'd be sitting in the end of the bench in high school and it would just be kind of going through my head. And everyone's smiling, I just played what happened and I'd say hum diddly D allowed him. Years later, when I got a job in the NBA, it just kind of became my thing. But that's the genesis of it. It's a it's a heavy D in the voice reference. None of the players know who heavy D is correction.

5:07No way, no chance. But he was hot for a while then back in the 80s. Yeah, yeah, I thank you Roy. I appreciate it. One of the few guys that's allowed to be the fat entertainer. We don't allow a lot of those and heavy D embraced it. But none of the players have any idea what you're talking about. The I was arguing last week, Eric, that if lamella ball is your best player, you're going to be what the Hornets have been. But if he's your third best player, you're going to be what the Hornets have been over the last couple of months, which is before this recent streak, that starting lineup was 22. They had won 16 of their last 19 and the six game winning streak they had. They were beating everybody by 15, including the last three defending champions. Is this the best time you have seen in all of Hornets history? Wow. Well, now hold on here. I saw the Hornets quite a bit back in the 90s. I was in the NBA back of the time with the Chicago Bulls. And those are really super, super solid teams.

6:09I think people kind of go to sleep on them. They had great attendance, but they actually had pretty good teams. This run right now is on par with any of the best runs the Hornets have had as a franchise. 16 and 5 in the last 21 games, that stands up to a lot of different teams runs over the years. But it is fun the way that they're playing. The matter was they're playing. You make a fantastic point with the mellow ball, because he is still the straw that stirs the drink. But the help that he's getting has allowed him to flourish physically and mentally as well. There's no, the mellow is a wonderful, wonderful player who's got a lot of things going on in his in his wonderful head. He's an artist at heart. But he gets frustrated and the frustration level has gone so far down because he's got con-canipal playing with him. He's got others, but con has made everything a little bit better, just because the gravity of who he is is a player, the attention that he commands. His ability to be a second ball handler and a second creator. All of a sudden, the mellow is not getting double team to have court. He's not getting physical. The minute he gets the ball in balance.

7:09You know, there's other weapons on the floor and he's thriving because of it. He's smiling again. The Hornets are playing with his type of character and his joy because he's allowed to be free again and not have to worry about some of the other things that he was dealing with for years and years and years when he was the number one option with a bullet. He's been a problem child though. No, he seems wildly immature. I wouldn't call him a problem child by any stretch of imagination. I think he's a good kid. I think he's the product of his upbringing. You know, he had a lot of things that were kind of came easy to him or maybe he didn't have a, definitely didn't have a stereotypical childhood. And like I was taking out a high school and kind of placed all across the world with his dad. It's kind of hard to kind of get a good feeling for who you are and where you are in the world and that happens. But I think he's growing into his body and growing into his game. You know, I've seen demonstrative changes throughout the course of the year. This is by far the best two-month window I've ever seen him as a professional and it's translated not just to off the floor but on the floor as well. There's no way anyone saw Kaniple being this right now, right? I did not. I'm a big believer in watching adults. I don't watch a lot of college basketball.

8:10I just get frustrated. But just everything that I read about the guy. Yeah, good shooter, good form, whatever. But the guy is fantastic. Man, he is a real player. He understands where to be on the floor. He elevates the level of everyone he's playing with just because of the literally. He gets so much attention no matter where he is because he is a knockdown shooter. I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. I never thought I'd see a better shooter with better form than Mark Price. But this guy is. And just because he's bigger and stronger and he can shoot from farther distances just because of that size. Kaniple is, man, for people who are debating Cooper flag and Kaniple, you're missing the whole point. You've got to fall in love with Kaniple just because he is so uniquely gifted and it's going to be good for so long in terms of names that you enjoy saying who finishes second place all time to con Kaniple. Well, I was early and you know, if I ever, I do a lot of, I used to do a lot of college basketball and Sandra Mamoukelish Veeley. For some reason, I perfected that name years and years and years ago. So I will find a way virtually every two or three broadcasts,

9:13even when he's not playing against us. I will find a way to say Sandra Mamoukelish Veeley because I feel so comfortable and that of my ability to say that word. So you like saying that better than even Kaniple, you're willing to say here nationally, you're willing to put your name on that. Well, Kaniple's great. But I don't want to kind of get caught sometimes. You know, it's certain names that you know, you're scared of the Nipple. I'm scared. Yeah. So it's always I've got to play it right down the middle. So it's so it's Kaniple and I don't really kind of vary. I don't kind of give too many illusions. It's just it's Kaniple. You mentioned that the Hornet had some solid teams in the 90s, but go ahead and give me the greatest moment in franchise history. Well, it's kind of it'd be relatively sad, but a lot of morning, get a jump shot in the second round of the playoffs. I don't call the year probably 94, 95 against the Celtics to eliminate the Celtics in the first round of the place. That's the only time the Hornet ever made it to the second round. That would be the biggest moment. That's the biggest shot, the biggest win

10:15and it has been 30 years ago. So that's before heavy D. It's on par with heavy D. Heavy D was probably enjoying that. That's that's unbelievable that you went to Alonzo morning preheat in order to get your biggest memory in franchise history, which got you to the second round. Yeah. Well, the bigger things was kind of off the court. You know, the Hornets, the attendance was insane. It changed basketball. You know, they're the origin of all these different things. You know, the PSL, you know, they sold out nine consecutive years. You know, they led the league in attendance with 24,000 for years and years yet. There was a buzz here, but there has been excessive winning. That's for sure. Could you solve a longstanding mystery for me because purple shirt guy in the eyes of Miami Heat fans. It's an iconic moment. He was drawing back and forth with Dwayne Wade. Dwayne Wade went demigod on him and the heat ended up advancing in that purple shirt guy never returned. It's almost as if he actually felt shame, which today is weird, but usually they doubled down and just wear a purple shirt forever and become the guy on the that's sitting courtside that will

11:17always annoy them. But he disappeared. Why was that? No one knows, but he definitely, I don't think he's even come back to the arena in Cognito. That would have been spring of 2016. Those last time that the Hornets were in the playoffs, and they probably should have won that playoffs series. You know, they were up through five games. They just needed one more and they couldn't do it. Now Dwayne Woods is a huge part of that. But yeah, I do think that there's a bit of shame. You know, the guy, we don't do certain things in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's a southern gential city. And he was ostentatious. And I think the locals thought that, you know, we don't need any of that. And I think a lot of hardcore Hornets fans thought that dude, you cost us a win, man. Why are you getting underneath Dwayne Wade's skin? And yeah, he's not been around. To the best of my knowledge. That was that was old Wade too. That was Wade at the very end. The last embers of Dwayne Wade, we didn't think any of that was still in him by that point. He was always prime Wade when he played against the Hornets. No matter what year of his career, it was always prime Dwayne Wade. I'm here to tell you. Eric, how does the Hornet fan feel

12:19about Michael Jordan these days? Well, there's always going to be a reference in respect, you know, because Michael, just of everything he meant and that only to, you know, basketball, but this particular region. But I think the time is perfect for them to be for there to be a changing of the guard. We've got literally a 180 degree different representation in terms of ownership. We've got younger guys who were not best well players who just kind of fell on love with the game and want to do things in a different way. And I think it's been a massive shot in the arm. We've got this fantastically young hip smart front office and they're working in conjunction with the coaching staff to get players that are moldable and are, you know, malleable to the ideas of, hey, this is Hornets basketball. And these are the ways we're going to have to try and win. And I just think that the the trade deadline deal of Kobe White was hugely indicative of what the Hornets can do in the future. You know, the Hornets were the young core and a lot of people just figured out just the build with Lamello that's built the brand of Miller, Brillet, Kyle Knippel. But they saw a distressed asset in Kobe White. They knew that, you know,

13:20Kobe was a guy who could fill a definitive need that the coaching staff had been talking about for months. You know, the Hornets were not great in end of quarter situations. Kobe White is fantastic and two for ones in getting his own shot and setting up guys and taking heaves. And so they went out and got him. And I think that is raised the floor for this team quite a bit. And I think they have a really good chance of doing something over the final 17 games of the season and maybe in the plan, maybe possibly, possibly get into the sixth spot. But yeah, I think things are really, really looking up right now. I think people are super excited. Do you think there is any way that we can trick that young smart hip front office into taking back Terry Rozier? No, sorry. He's all yours. Okay. That was really rough. Yes, but yes, no, that's not going to be rescinded. What it's about one trade rescinded recently and that was Mark Williams Fiasco out in that LA with the Lakers and nothing's going to happen again. How many times will you physically actually get out of your seat while broadcasting a game? I do. It's a very physical

14:20experience for me. And I've got a partner in Del Curry who kind of suffers me and he's he's totally cool with it. So it's kind of the George Costanza effect. You know, it's we started one way and the next year we take you to another level and another level it. It's all natural and fun to me. And it's just the way that I kind of enjoy a basketball game. But to give it an actual number, it's probably six times a game. I probably really six times a game. So are you ever, has there been during this stretch at any point your glutes or thighs or anything in the hamstrings or nether regions is sore the next day from the amount that you're getting up out of your seat? Nothing is ever sore, but my ego every once in a while takes a couple of hits because the people particularly on the road when they see me kind of get up and down and get excited about something that they seem to be trivial. I get glares, but I've figured out a long time in this career that, you know, having a really low bar in terms of embarrassment is probably a good thing. But yes, people think that I'm kind of a nutso on the sidelines, but who cares? It is what it is.

15:21Yeah, that sounds like a man being shaved in prison. Let me hear that again. Yeah, if I take out the ambient noise, that is somebody being stabbed by their bunk. Now, that one was more exciting. That's pretty pumped for that. Eric, thank you for being on with us. Congratulations on the success, sir. It's been a lot of fun. Thank you guys really appreciate it. Thank you. Hello, friends. Hello, listeners. I want to talk to you about Chime because Chime is changing the way people bank and honestly it just makes sense. This is fee-free, smarter banking built for regular people like you and me, not old school banks charging overdraft and monthly fees just for trying to get through the week. This is banking that actually feels like it's on your side, which is very, very important. Chime isn't just another app. They unlock smarter banking with tools like my pay, giving you access to up to $500 of your paycheck when you need it. And boy, do we sometimes need it. It even lets you get paid up to two days early with direct deposit. I know someone who would benefit from that. No overdraft fees, no minimum balances, no monthly fees.

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18:31In sports, championships aren't won alone. The one with the right people around you. After exactly what into a topo-tax brings to taxes. With topo-tax expert full service, match with a dedicated tax expert who handles your taxes from start to finish. The experience is seamless. Strong in person, finish online, move between both whenever needed. The dedicated tax expert keeps things updated every step of the way so nothing falls between the cracks. Think of it like having a great head coach with a solid game plan. The plays are called, adjustments are made, and the work gets done, why everyone stays focused on what actually matters. And just like GameFilm doesn't wait for business hours, neither do taxes. With topo-tax expert full service, you can get any tax question answered at no extra cost, even on nights and weekends during tax season. This is having someone in your corner running the whole operation and helping put points on the board. Get started at topo-tax.com. Only available within to a topo-tax full service expert. Real-time updates only in iOS mobile app. Don Lebatard. I've never stepped foot on that campus. If you told me right now

19:34your life depends on it, go to Santa Fe University and just just just take a picture. Stoogats. I would die. I don't know where it is. This is the Don Lebatard show with the Stoogats. Staying with basketballs as a couple of things that I wanted to get to. And today is the beginning of NFL free agency at noon. So there's going to be a lot of activity, noise, names. But there was an interesting thing that happened last week. And we have been talking about, do you fix the all-star game? How do you fix the all-star game? Well, it's nice to see the players care. Then you have Matt Ishbe going on with Pat McAfee and Tang. I know how I'll fix the three-point competition and the dunk competition. I'll offer a million dollars to each player, even though it's against the rules to get them to care. We've been talking for two seasons as Steph Curry and LeBron James age. Who's going to be the face of the league? How do they become the

20:35face of the league? John Morant falls out. Anthony Edwards. Minnesota is confusing to me. Anthony Edwards has fallen in love with the three. They're not actually that good. They're not going to win anything. How do you become the face of the league? Crying after a regular season game, because you care so much, because you're with the Spurs, you're rallying from 25 down. It is the second biggest home comeback that the Spurs have had this century. Wemby was so tired. He got help from the Clippers. Somehow Nicholas Batum just at the end of that game is standing out of bounds when they passed them. You got it. I wish you were there with me when I'm sitting on my couch watching this incredible comeback on a second TV and being like, I know this person that can't be Batum. I cannot be Nick Batum playing meaningful minutes in 2026. He's been for years for them. I can't be. It can't be. They just want him to shoot threes and he's so comfortable doing it that he caught a ball out of bounds because that's within his range. It's where they want

21:36him. They want him further and further away from the basket. But the end of that game, the Clippers disintegrated. The Spurs won and I was legitimately stunned to see Wemby exhausted crying on the court because he cares like that and it buys him so much. Do you do you know how rare it is for somebody who's not an American basketball player to take the path, the face of the league? Yokech hasn't been allowed to do it even though he's been unbelievably great at least in part because his personality doesn't reveal this kind of emotion to you. He's stoic. It seems sometimes we wonder how much he actually cares. Crying at the end of a regular season game stunned me. I love it. I love it. You know, I can't sit here. Obviously, it's a regular season game in March. You know, that he's crying over and that's a very cynical way to look at it. But I can't sit here and tell you my biggest criticism for the last however many years of the NBA and certainly of

22:39the NBA player is that they don't care because they don't and then also be critical because this player right here is is crying after a win against an under 500 team in March. Like I can't play both sides like that. I love that he cares. I love when the players care and I feel like I already I feel like I said this last week. I think the Spurs are going to win the whole thing this year. I think they're going to win the whole thing and Victor Wemba Nyama is doing something unprecedented because this is a player who came into the league with hype that that has never been topped. Now, maybe there's hype that's equal to it like LeBron was equal hype. Okay, maybe even Zion William Sim was equal hype. Magic Johnson was probably equal hype as well. Magic's not exactly a great analogy because he was drafted by a really good team number one overall because they made a trade and it gave them the number one overall pick. But for Wemba Nyama, the amount of

23:42hype that he was came into the league with and if he wins the championship this year in just his third year in the league, LeBron didn't win a championship until year seven and it wasn't with the team that drafted him for him to go to a team that was terrible. And if he wins the championship in year three, matching, meeting all of the expectation, we'd ever seen anything like this before. I thought he might potentially because of his size and his game be so unstoppable in this league that he might ruin it. And he's basically the terminator and terminator too, which is like he's humanity's greatest salvation. Potentially, he is going to save this league. He's not jaded yet as a superstar. He goes to the All Star game and you would think that complacency would bleed over to him and he'd get affected by it, trying to impress all the vets in that room. No, he's going to try and everybody follows his lead. It's a refreshing perspective to be reminded. Oh, these guys played games for a living. This should be fun and superstars should care like that

24:44for a regular season game. It's like here in Roger Bennett, talk about the ideals of America. You have this appreciation for someone that is coming to you wide eyed and looking at you full of the potential and hope and and striving for who you desire to be. I think Wempinyama is great for this league. And Zaz, whether he wins a championship or not, he could get bounced in the second round by by Yokech, right, going head to head with him. But what he's done for the league this season, moments like this with with crying after a regular season win and showing the emotion that comes with just playing a great basketball game, doing what he did for the All Star game. It felt like he saved the All Star game and partially it was the format, but the way that he motivated a guy like Anthony Edwards, like I pray that the Timberwolves can build a good enough team around him so that we can see those guys going head to head despite positional differences for years to come when B is doing something for this league that is rarely seen. One of the things that I find most interesting about this, I'm not going to make it the most

25:47interesting thing, but it's pretty damn close. You mentioned Anthony Edwards, John Morant, face of the league. These people are a bit superhero in terms of human dimension. I've told you before that I was sitting court side during a game with my wife and she says, how tall is that small guy out there? And I'm like, he's taller than I am, Valerie, that's not a small person. That's a six five person who looks small compared to everyone else. Kobe and Michael get credit that Kareem doesn't because we don't give the giant guy this. I've told you guys before that when it comes to reading and publishing, the people who read the smaller the ball, the more people read and shack, even though he's a spokesman for everything, whenever they put him on magazine covers, they would always fail because of how much he had to overcome as Goliath. This is the perfect player at the perfect time. You're not noticing that he's got an unfair advantage over everybody that

26:50does threaten to wreck the league because if he cares like this and stays healthy, he's too tall to play against. Okay, see slaughters everybody and can't do anything against the height of him and the disproportionate nature of that sport. Where if you've got one guy like that, you don't even have to build the team around him. They have, they have good players around him, but still you don't have to have that many when you have that at the center of everything. I think it speaks to the level of problems that the league has because it's so systemic with the superstars. It'll follow the lead of the superstars. Superstars aren't playing and they're willing to go with it and they don't care and they all kind of have this laissez-faire attitude and everyone's like, well, I wish we're like the 90s where there was intensity and people cared about things like all sargames and they wouldn't miss, they wouldn't miss games. That leads itself to a mentality discussion and for whatever reason this generation of players do not have that mentality. Wampanyama is a shock to the system because he cares so deeply. He's trying to reinvent the way that those, those fans participate in their

27:57games doing the chance, injecting this European soccer influence into it and he's basically the rising tide there. Not just for that franchise, but I think for the game as a whole. That's where Quince shines. With their premium fabrics considered design, everyday essentials that feel effortless season to season. I'm telling you this because actively as I speak to you right now, I am currently wearing one of my favorite Quince pieces which is my Mongolian Kashmir hoodie and I'm talking to you about their lightweight Kashmir sweaters, their short sleeve Mongolian Kashmir polos, linen shorts, aunties and 100% Pima cotton. These are the pieces that actually make your wardrobe work.

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30:19After we toasted our beers and we knew we made the right call, we watched a game. All of a sudden we're standing up on our feet. Big threes are being drained and white cans are being clanged. See times like these? That's exactly why Miller Light is my go-to. Clean, refreshing, easy to drink. Brewed for taste with simple ingredients. The original light beer since 1975 and it still hits different for yours truly and is good friend Mochetta. Cheers to legendary moments made with Miller Light. Great taste 96 calories. Go to MillerLite.com slash dan to find delivery options near you or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company will walk you Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Don Lebatard. I win in the margins. I'm like I'm like you're money ball of sex. I'm basically Scott Hattibur. A lot of f***ing. Still got a lot of walks but I'm on base. When it comes to sex a lot of f***s. Other dudes they can be jambi. You know your role you play. I know my role. This is the Dan Lebatard show with this two gods.

31:28Yokech says he's glad he's retiring soon. Before Wemba Nyama takes over the league he says quote he's changing basketball. I'm glad that I'll probably retire before Wembae holds the entire league in a chokehold. I object to what you guys are saying there and I know it's common perception. You can't do what those people do for a living and not care at all. It's just not possible. The people who don't care get weeded out by all of the people in management who are investing and will not allow you to not care. Now the all-star game is a different animal. That is obviously not caring. Guys aren't playing in there's load management because of how the game has changed. Physically how much people are getting hurt. Don't tell me Norman Powell doesn't care. I'll tell you James Hardin doesn't care. Okay but he plays all the games though like you say he doesn't care but one of the things he's always out there like he's not one of the ones load he's not one of the ones load management. There's so many of these guys and there's just an

32:32attitude to them. Mike I can't let you say an MVP of the league doesn't care. You can't be better than everyone else in that sport not caring. It's not possible. I think we're having a semantics discussion. Okay fine Wembae cares more and it's obvious. This is not this is not an opinion thing. The guy's crying after a regular game. I'm just objected. It's quite Leonard who I can never tell if he's going to be out there. I'm just so many guys to you saying flatly that nobody out there cares. It's not true. It's it's the collective nature of the care because what it is is so many of these guys when they come in the league with hype are trying to earn their max contract. They're looking at their individual success and their individual growth and so that random regular season Friday night game against a team that you're probably not gonna I mean you might face in the playoffs but you're probably not going to face in the playoffs. It's just a random comeback might not mean as much that you got the victory. There's trash talk. There's moments.

33:34There's work in the gym. There's all sorts of guys who do that but I think what we're seeing and the reason this is standing out is you're looking at an individual who has an opportunity to to be one of the greatest individual players of all time but what he cares about is the collective right from the jump of his career and that's rare. That's that's how I feel. I think I think there's a difference between caring meaning you you want to you want to win a championship like big picture you care. I think there's a difference between that and caring every time you're out there and like I think went by Nyama cares every time he's out there and I think most guys most guys just care about the big picture which is I want to win a championship it is very important and you have a generation of superstar that is like why like why aren't you having fun. This is this is this is games. You have to rent who seems miserable. I think there's a difference. Jimmy Butler is surly. Kyrie willingly said I'm not I'm not taking that vaccine. I want to play these games. I'm just not going to show up. Harden doesn't care. This is like when Nyama is not going to get up there

34:37to press copper to complain about playing about. I don't I never know when Joel and beat is playing. These are not small names. These are some of the biggest names at times. There were guys that were you know considered potential face of the league. It's even jaded Yannis to the point that now he's becoming the disenfranchised superstar. So to see the optimism that is very clear along when the himself and his fans it's a breath of fresh air. I'm objecting again and again to you guys thinking in any way or form that anyone can get to something as competitive as the meritocracy of sports where all of them care about money. You could say they don't care about other things. All of them care about money. You can't be MVP of the league because you're so prenaturally gifted that you can beat a whole bunch of other people who are caring while you don't care. I'm not following you to that hard line. I'm not having that discussion with you. They very clearly care about their profession and making their money and on court success is cool, but they'll play it cool. They all

35:40play it a certain way when B doesn't. He cares differently. And that is obvious to everyone else. And that's the space that I'm living in. I'm not going to get into a debate. What Julian Brunson doesn't care about basketball. He very clearly does. I'm not saying that. I'm saying does he care night in night out to play? You guys want cars? You guys want guys crying at the end of every game where it doesn't stand out unless when he does it because no one else is doing you're taking me to the extremes. No, don't you doesn't have to cry every game, but it's great to see occasionally. What I'm saying is it's all blessing. What I'm saying is the easiest thing in the world. When be cares and ways that are different and obvious to everybody and it's refreshing more of that please. I think that what is sort of the irony within all of this is that for Mike individually, he is looked at a team over the last five years or so where their superstar and Jimmy Butler is the example of what he's talking about. Someone who cares so deeply. He does. You won't find a deeper competitor or a guy who cares about his craft the way that Jimmy Butler does. At the

36:43same time, he looked at the regular season as a tune up for the post season. And so as someone who's consuming the product all season long, Mike became someone who didn't really want to watch regular season games of his own team because he felt like on any given night, Jimmy might coast through that game might be conserving energy for another game later in the year. So what I'm intrigued for is when be later in his career, once he's one, one, two, three, four championships. Is that a motion still going to be there the way it was with someone like Michael Jordan, who every single night was that competitor? I actually think so, but that's really I think where this comes from. I think the modern NBA player is a lot like Kevin Durant in that. I know you care. Kevin Durant, very clearly only cares about I think is the game. But why is so miserable? Okay. We're playing games. Okay. He's he's miserable, though, because of everything that surrounds the games. If indeed you believe he's miserable, I think he likes this one thing and is exceptional at this one thing and cares deeply about this one thing. But I'm just going to continue to stop you when you

37:46tell me that I play in I'm watching the era of Steph Curry's the greatest shooter I've ever seen. How did he get that way? How did he become not following you there? I know Steph cares, but Lebron Lebron, how is Lebron an unprecedented player? How does that happen? Do you care every night? Do you care the way that I care watching the TV? Because I want you to care. I buy your jersey. I'm buying a ticket. You don't care to play because you're doing the league is at a different place right now. They're they're saving their legs and there's minutes restrictions and all this and that. The person watching TV wants people to care the way that Wembee does and what I'm saying is more of that police. How do you guys not notice? So honestly, like I I get how it is that basketball used to be and the way that we long for a different time. But how do we forget so quickly the lessons of the pandemic, which is when these guys weren't traveling all over the place, weren't tired, it's the best basketball you've ever seen. When they

38:48weren't flying all over the place, having practices in different places, trying to get like because I really don't think that the average fan sports fan, not basketball fan, understands that these guys after the Miami heater playing two games because they've changed the schedule at home against Brooklyn that they're flying out and they're getting to Charlotte at five o'clock in the morning that they're flying overnight and they're arriving in a city at five o'clock in the morning after I know they fly private and everything else, but they're flying on airplane like they're they're sleeping on airplanes. How do you guys forget that during the bubble we saw better basketball than we've ever seen at least in part because these guys were simply rested. I'll just give you an example. I mean, I was on the Miami heat broadcast for 12 years, okay. And there would be home games where it's the first night of a back to back. And so the team is going to fly immediately after the game. And Mike Englis, who was our play by play guy was the only one of our radio team who who traveled with the team. I didn't travel. Obviously, John Crawdy didn't travel back then. He was on the radio

39:49with us. And after the game, like, we'd get up and I would leave and Mike would head toward where, you know, the team is going to go to travel. And I remember thing myself, like, holy shit, it sounds really terrible to get on an airplane right now. And I'm just a broadcaster. And these guys are going to play, but this sounds miserable if I had to go get on an airplane right now. I do think that most people listening to this simply lose sight because they are such majestic athletes. And the past did us no favors by making 82 games a regular thing. But we've seen all of these organizations care less about the regular season. And you guys keep blaming the players for care and less. And it's never, it's never management doing this because they're trying to get to the playoffs healthy. You're never putting that blame on management because systemically, they're allowing guys to take off who are making a bunch of money because they're trying to protect their bodies. In a world full of koais, be a wimby. Put it on the pole at Levitard

40:53show in a world full of koais B a wimby. Mike, you know, I have one rule to live by, right? Don't place parles on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero. Always drink your Jaeger Meister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion. Everything else, everything else. Wearing clean underwear every day. Well, that's just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth. Obviously smart, but not a rule. Never pee pee on an electric fence. Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Jaeger Meister must be drank ice cold. Or don't drink it at all. Damn, that's cold. Exactly. You're finally starting to get it. Drink responsibly. Jaeger Meister liquor 35% alcohol by volume imported by mass Jaeger Meister U.S. White Plains, New York.