Beasley Back… But Where? (BMC: He Got Game)

Beasley Back… But Where? (BMC: He Got Game)

As the final buzzer sounded on the Pistons 2023 season, two diehard fans, Mickey and Harry, each passed out and witnessed a vision. They were visited by Detroit’s very own mascot, Hooper, the stallion ablaze, who told them the only way the Pistons would ever win a championship again was if these two men started a podcast. To be clear, they said, “Do we really have to do this? I mean, aren’t there enough Pistons podcast already? Seems like this might be overkill.” But Hooper dunked on them right in their face and said, “Your team needs you.” He presented them with a prophecy. Now it is their duty to help Detroit rise again and become champions. The Order of the Blazing Force. What up, Toe? And welcome back after a little break for us to another episode of the Order of the Blazing Horse. The only Detroit Pistons podcast based on a mystical prophecy. I am one of those prophets touched by a horse in a very appropriate ethereal out in the like I said the ether kind of way in a prophecy in a vision at the end of the 2023 2024 season. Joined as always by another man touched by the same horse in a similar vision at the same time. My co-prof my co-host with the most out on the West Gast. I’m Mickey Jacobs. So glad to be here with you Harry. How the hell are you my guy? Bro, I’m doing pretty good. The weather has gone from the 90s to the 70s and I’m loving it. Jealous. Jealous. It’s uh we’re we’re uh the the the weather app says 95, my car says 104. I’m baking in the valley. My god, it’s it’s hot. Oh my god, you’re hot hot hot. The grease just popping off you out there. It really is. I used to I used to tell a joke out in LA about the heat. I used to say like it it was so hot that I heard the ice cream truck from through my window and I ran outside in the middle of the street and I let it hit me and kill me. That’s uh how the bit went. Just pull me out of my misery, dude. I I’m not a heat guy. Like, I’m I’m really not all that about I like The only thing I like about the heat is I can get in the cold cold water. Get me in there. You know me. Icy boy. You’re a spice boy. I’m the ice boy. But not that kind of ice because we’re not that kind of podcast. Uh no, no, no, no, no, no. Always quick. Always quick to let uh people know uh I’m radically left on the show. I don’t think anybody was confused about it, but but yeah. Yeah. Blue sky. What can I say, bro? Uh, but we’re here. We’re joined. We got Pistons kind of news. Not really news, but we’re we’re here to talk about the team. Rumblings. We got rumblings. We got We got We’re gonna make We’re going to make mountains out of mole hills here. We got We got to stretch it into something. Mountains out of Malik Hills as it Let’s get what it’s all about. What What we started out We were going to talk about this last week and we’re here to talk about it this week. Also, did I ask you how you were real quick? I don’t I’m good, man. I’m good. I’m good. I was a little under the weather. Feel good. Feel F feel great. Sound great. Look great. Yeah. Thank you. Rocking the hat. Thank you for saying that. Oh, you know what I got to say? I rocked this hat to the deli today. Got some meats and the meat man who’s usually pretty cold uh saw my hat and we struck up a conversation. He’s a Lakers fan, but like you know, respects the respects the rivalry, respects the the game, and uh I won him over with with vintage Piston swag. So, you know, let this be a lesson to you all. Rock your rock your Piston swag out and about whether you’re in Michigan or not. It It opens doors. It opens I’m not saying he gave me a discount on that on that turkey on that sliced turkey lunch meat, but uh but you know, I got I got more of a smile than I usually do. Okay. You You didn’t get that pastrami for the price of the turkey? I did not. I did not. Did you get that pastrami? I don’t usually get deli pastrarami, but uh usually do turkey lunch meat. Then I maybe get like uh there are these they have really good prices on these steaks called Denver stakes. So every off every so often I’ll get one like half a pound was like seven bucks and these are like good good little steaks. And then um home country road steak the John Denver steak. Hell yeah. JD. Uh but uh then we also we’ve been eating Ann and I have been eating these uh I’m a spice boy. Hot Italian sausages, dude. Throwing them on the grill. They’re freaking good. But this is it. But we’re not we’re not here to talk about We’re not here to talk about my meat. We’re here to talk about We’re here to talk about uh the Pistons and Malik Beasley. Malik Beasley meeting with his landlord paying that uh bill. So, he’s in there. He paid off the barber. Didn’t he pay off the Did he pay off the dentist? He’s He’s wiping the slate clean. He’s breaking even. He’s making it rain on all his debt collectors, which which is good for him. Uh, we got a report from Shams a couple weeks ago that he was no longer the target of an investigation and everyone was like, “Oh, snap. Free agents back. Let’s We’re still back.” Uh, but he’s still apparently the subject of an investigation. So, we don’t know where we stand. Coaster, man. It’s such a It’s wild with him at this point. And like I I don’t know if he’s coming back to Detroit because like he’s got a lot of options. He was wi when he first got announced he was going to Target I peeped the Snapchat and on Snapchat he was wearing like the Barber’s bib and it had like all the NBA teams on. He’s like where should I go? And it’s like okay so maybe not Detroit. Who knows about that? Um but let’s let’s talk let’s pretend like he has been cleared completely and somebody’s going to sign him. Malik Beasley is still in uh a little bit of financial trouble, you could say. Still owes a little bit of money, still wants to make as much money as possible after this previously historic season in the NBA. Mickey, if you were Malik Beasley and you had the ability to sign uh like the Vetmin or whatever for like five mil with most teams, 7 mil with the Pistons, or just try to get paid more by Brooklyn, I guess, who just saved a ton of money by signing Cam Thomas to the uh qualifying offer of six. Uh, what would you do if you were in those teal threasley one of 11 shoes? Um, so I was you you brought up Brooklyn and that’s interesting because uh like they can pay him and there’s a lot to be said as we’ve learned for having young teams having veteran spacers but spacing isn’t really I for whatever Brooklyn’s doing like they’ve got shooters like they’ve got Michael Porter Jr. They’ve got Cam Thomas. Like that’s that’s the thing. Like where whereas like you know like a team like Washington like they need spacers to like help these young like how the Pistons didn’t have spacers like reliable vet spacers to help them grow and it really stagnated their development. Uh long story short, I do think he should come back to Detroit if the door is open to him because I don’t think anyone’s gonna give him the kind of looks that Kate’s gonna get him. Um, even though we’ve added more talent like Caris and Duncan, I uh, injuries happen and the Pistons are going to need spacers. Duncan can’t be the only one and like he’s like the only pure shooter. I I think that this is the best situation for him to either like stay and grow with the team or just build his value back up because he just had a historic season getting looks from, you know, what I think is the greatest lead guard uh, in the Eastern Conference. Um, what do you think, Harry? Uh, I I’m going to keep pushing questions to you before I answer this because you essentially say you think he should you should stay here. Do you think then first of all, do you think he’d accept the role which is a lesser role? There’s no doubt it’s a lesser role at this point because you filled his vacancy and like uh it’s not it’s just not going to be the same especially with Duncan and with Caris there and with Ivy back uh maybe with like some more Ron Holland because who knows if Fron’s gonna be playing too for like where he’s going to be overall. Also with Ron wearing his jersey number uh in there as well. That’s a factor by the way. That is that is a His thing is like MB5. He’s MB5 is going to end B5, not going to B5. End B5. But outside of just the role, let’s say he’s like, “Okay, I’m down with the role.” And you’re Malik Beasley. Do you say, “But I’m going to do a one-year prove it deal at that 7 mil.” Or are you going to try to get as much money right now as possible? Go for like that whole uh like 3 for 21, 4 for 28, or like a two for 14 deal? I think it’s a one-year prove it deal because as you said they they brought in talent. I don’t know that they you know just short of Duncan like there’s not another volume shooter that does what he does on the squad right now but the the Pistons are changing like you’ve got young guys growing into roles like they were great there. It was a great spot for him last year. I think it could still be a good spot for him this year but I think this is like a a way to boost up your value and then see what you can get elsewhere. Um, so I I because clearly he was about to make like what 14 mil a year for the Pistons. Yeah, I think I think like 14 mil to like 13.3 million ostensibly like he thinks he’s worth that. I think he probably is worth at least more than seven a year. So I I think that this is like a last year wasn’t a flash in the pan. It wasn’t a fluke. I’m that guy. I am like a I can put up like curry numbers. any team would love to have me and I would rather go make as much money elsewhere. So I basically I don’t think he would lock himself into a multi-year deal earning less than he thinks he’s worth. Okay. So to use a pretty inappropriate term of the circumstance, if you’re Malik Beasley, you would bet on yourself. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Uh okay. Here’s my my perspective. And this and this is not if I’m Malik Beasley. Uh, this is if I’m advising Malik Beasley because I think he has the same attitude is like, “Yo, I’m I’m that man. I can I can do this. Look what I did last year. I’m gonna get that money and the money that I’m being offered right now ain’t my value.” My counterpoint is the chance of him replicating the production from last season is so low. Like so so low on the Pistons. so low because he shot lights out and he had that defined six-man role which he does not have if he comes back to the Pistons this year unless someone gets injured. So the chance of him replicating that in Detroit are tough. The chance of him replicating that almost anywhere else if you look historically for him he’s played on six different teams. Detroit is the only one he had that level of success. He made 60 more threes with Detroit than he did in any other season. And I think it was like 90 more than his like third most season. So it’s yes, he’s great. And yes, he could find the right circumstance, but he has it in other places. And I don’t know who’s going to be able to generate the type of open looks or like uh picked looks that he got that Cade Cunningham was able to get him anywhere in the NBA. I know people like two teams looking at him are the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks. You think Jaylen Brunson’s going to get him the ball like that? No. No. Do you think that Donovan Mitchell is going to get him the ball like that? No. And so much of Sorry. He was just such a big part of our transition offense. Like it was and but but that was so specific to the Pistons, you know, where like Assar gets a stop, pushes it, who stops on the wing? Malik for like a a timeout causing three-pointer like with a shift, right? Like Yeah. No, it was a big part of the culture. It was a big you you expected it. you knew like um so yeah I I I know the the the minutes are diminishing for him but I still think like plus like the fan base would accept him back with open arms like and as you said like he hasn’t done it elsewhere like he’s you know he shot well but like don’t ask Lakers fans what they think of Malik Beasley. I don’t know what the Bucks take is, but uh he’s not like he doesn’t they don’t feel how Pistons fans feel about Malik Beasley. Here’s the proof of that. What did Malik Beasley get paid last year when he came to the Pistons? Was it like six? It was $6 million at the end of free agency. That was with his whole career behind him. Do you really think that he’s this one season was the turning point and that it’s going to be like that everywhere else he goes? It might be, but if I need money and I’m getting this offer from Detroit of like seven for four or whatever, 28, like 28 guaranteed at this point, I’m thinking about taking it because maybe you can get more money the next season, but like it’s not like people getting paid all that much. And uh like they’re clearly not paying guys like Cam Thomas. They’re clearly not paying guys like Norm Powell. Those guys are getting traded all over the place. he didn’t get paid before this. Like, do you want that? Do you want the longevity with a good team that you have a specific role in? And your role could be much bigger the next year average. So, here’s here’s maybe what I would I would consider if I was him. Maybe a two-year deal, right? Like take two years 14 mil. See what this Duncan Robinson in Detroit situation winds up in. And then if it works out with you in Detroit and things are going really well, then you can keep staying there because you’re such a mainstay here. Plus, it’s just longevity and like familiarity with this place that loves you, appreciates you, and cares about what you do and with these young guys that you’ve connected with so much. This was the first place that he has been considered like a leader, right? Anywhere. That’s that’s tough to come by. Like his mom lives here, too. There there’s so many factors that if I’m Malik Beasley, it’s it’s tough for me to say I don’t know if I’m going to make this much money, but if you’re guaranteed that much money and you have debts to pay and you’re in a good situation with a team that could take you to the championship, because I I don’t think this is a shocker. I think Detroit is a title contending team. uh if if like some of the growth happens, especially like if Ron gets a little bit better, if Sar gets a little bit better, if Ivy gets the full season in, like it’s a title contender. It I’m sorry, Boston’s on the way out. Chad, tell me if Harry’s tripping right now. Are we title contenders or uh is this is this homer stuff or or uh or is or is he spitting right now? Do even like people love the idea of like the Magic, we don’t quite know what that’s going to look like yet. It’s not like their offense has been proven to be the offense has been terrible. And yeah, they’ve made some fixes, but let’s let’s see how it works. And with Atlanta, people love Atlanta’s roster. Atlanta’s roster’s so good. It’s so good that the front office of Atlanta isn’t committed to Trey Young yet. You know what I mean? It’s so good that it entirely hinges on Christoff Sportzings’s health. like there is plenty of room for Detroit to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals to the championship. And in the West, it’s a straight blood bath as far as like those teams go. And I think Detroit can go toe-to-toe with any of them, especially when we’re talking about youth. We’re talking about like defensive intensity. We’re talking about having two of the best defenders in the NBA, what one of the best guards in the NBA, one of the best players in the NBA, the best lob threat in the NBA. If you have Duncan Robinson and Malik Beasley draining threes, you have floor spacing, you have rebounding, you have defense, you have playmaking, you have transition, you have youth, you now have playoff experience, you have continuity with Tan Langden, it’s not a bad place to be. You know what he said too that he’s never had more fun coming to work than he did for the Pistons. And I don’t think that’s just lip service. And I didn’t mean to cut you off, but to be clear, I don’t this wasn’t just a like turn down the money, like go with your heart. Like I think that this is a long-term money play, whether it’s in Detroit or not. I think like proving pro having another strong year in Detroit is the best way to up his value. And to your point of like let’s see how the Duncan Robinson thing goes, there’s a lot of like misunderstanding around the Duncan Robinson deal. I believe the second year isn’t even fully guaranteed and the third year, right? And the third year is a team option. So people hear like, you know, uh 339 339 and they’re like overpay what? Like for Duncan’s washed and it’s like first of all, we’ll see. And second of all, like that’s way more flexible than it may seem at a glance. And so like it’s not to say there’s not a role for for Malik just because we signed Duncan. like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley coexisted. Um, and yeah, I the Cam Thomas thing is interesting, too, because I think elsewhere, as has happened with Malik, you can get lost in the shuffle as kind of like a one-dimensional player. Like, and by the way, unbelievable lights out shooter. That’s his thing. That is his thing. He’s not a two-way guy. Like, he’s good for some steals and he plays hard. Played hard in Detroit, but like it’s it’s real easy. Norm Powell’s a really good player, but uh you know it’s it’s just like what’s being valued right now. Like talent is crazy. Like want to shout out Trevor Browning too saying spitting time to win three straight LF go right LF go. Uh it’s and like I I also like if anyone’s saying Duncan uh Duncan Robinson’s watch his statline’s insane. Like it his shooting his shooting stats are crazy. So like prolific. Let’s let’s see how that all works out. Uh so maybe the move for Malik then is sign that one-year deal with Detroit because your chances of chasing a title with Detroit, Cleveland, New York, it’s all pretty similar. It’s it really is all pretty similar. Well, and he knows they were ready to pay him like 14 a year. Like so you don’t know anyone else is willing to do that. Like right take this deal one maybe take one year deal in Detroit. see how it goes. And if Detroit wants to bring you back after that, that’s great. Like all that stuff can work out really well. It’s really just going to come down to like where he thinks he’s going to get the most opportunity. And I hope I as a Pistons fan who likes Malik Beasley. Like I I like him on this team. I think he’s a lot of fun. I think he’s a valuable asset. And the more shooting the better. If if your shooting is let’s say improved Ivy uh along with uh Duncan Robinson, Malik Beasley, Chaz Laneir, like also Intel, which is that’s what his thing is. Uh that’s not bad for Cade, that’s not bad for Ivy, that’s not bad for Asar, that’s not bad for Ron. So is I mean it’s not bad for Caris. It’s really not bad for anybody have depth at shooting. That’s pretty solid. So if I’m Malik, I mean granted we are homers. There’s there’s no doubt about it. I just think if you’re Malik, you have proof that this has been the best situation for you in throughout your entire career. This has been the best place for you to be both fun-wise and production-wise. They’re willing. They’re still talking to you. Minnesota’s apparently talking to him, too. Why? Why rock the boat? Especially when they can pay you more than anybody but Brooklyn can. like take the most money you can right now. Do it for one year. Do it for [ __ ] four years. I don’t care. But like, you know, make yourself a home. I I’m just worried that if he takes a one-year deal because the production will slip, people will be feel like, oh, last that one year in Detroit was like an anomaly. We’ll see. We’ll see. I mean, it’s it’s a hard thing to replicate no matter what. Um, but I I think it’s even harder when you have to uh like start from zero in terms of chemistry and uh rapport and vibes, you know. Yeah. this late in the offseason on top of that too, right? Like yeah, we don’t know. By the way, like Minnesota like they need more point guards like like they need more like I don’t know if they need like they’ve got Dante and I know like injuries happen and stuff but uh like he’s a he’s a shooting guard or combo guard. Yeah. Yeah. They they have they have Mike Connley or uh ye old Mike Connley, right? If you will. It’s getting up there a little long in the tooth. They they got um Oh, what what’s the the Rob Dillingham? They got Rob Dillingham as well, Billy, baby. Yeah, but I mean, he’s he’s like a little bit of a question mark. Like, we’ll see. I mean, he could be good, but he could be good. He’s young. He’s young and he is itty bitty. Uh so, who knows how it’s all going to go. I’m I’m curious to see how it goes. I’m curious to see how it plays out. But another part of the reason that I’d be great with Detroit signing him to that roster spot is because your boy, the guy that you wanted to have Detroit sign, did not sign with the Pistons. In fact, he did not sign with a single NBA team. Mickey, tell me all about it. We uh you Harry and I were talking off off air uh as we often do and uh we were talking about certain players and we were we’re actually talking about the Sacramento Kings and uh sickos over here. But uh we we were like, “Oh yeah, Trey Lyles.” Like you you mentioned they lost him and I was like, “Oh, where did Trey Lyles end up? I I don’t remember hearing him sign somewhere.” Uh you didn’t even know this when you said it. Uh I don’t think he signed I think today or it was announced hours ago like as we were talking it was announced that he is supposed to sign with Real Madrid out of the league. I am so sad because that that means and look I’m not like I don’t want to sound crazy. I don’t think that like Trey Lyles like makes or breaks this team, but I just think that is like such shoring up the bench with with spacing for not defensive liability depth that like we needed I think we needed it. Like I don’t really want Ron to have to play the four. I don’t like I know it’s positionless basketball. I know he’s like 6’8 and he’s going to fill out more, but I just I would have liked a Trey Lyles or like a Dorian Finny Smith, but but Trey Lyles specifically like and like get the bag. Get the bag. Trey Lyles, Pistons Legend, like enjoy the weather. Enjoy enjoy Espa. Um, but bummer bummer, man. I I wanted him and it sounds like he was getable and like I don’t know if we’re saving that roster slot for a deadline trade. I don’t know if we’re going to try and get Beasley if the the he beats the allegations, but uh that was a that was a real real kick in the kick in the pants, man. I did not like that. How how are you how are you processing the news? You you know I was never like super high on them getting Trey Lyles. like not no no no shade to Trey Lyles. I think he’s a fine player and I actually do think he would have helped this team, but I don’t think the backup for position is that important nor dire the way that this team rotates wings. I just don’t I I I don’t think it’s I don’t think it’s a huge issue. And we got to get we got to get Ron minutes wherever we can. He needs to be getting 20 minutes a game men. I I want Ron getting 20 minutes a game, but I’m keeping this receipt if uh if our bench is struggling against uh uh other benches bigs. Keep it. You You and the rest of Re. I’m keeping that receipt. We’re Oh, and we will because we’re we are the worst. We are the absolute worst. Um yeah, whatever. But the Warren G. Yeah, side note, that song is hilarious because it’s Warren G rapping about how big a [ __ ] he is and Nate Dog rapping about how he’s helping him out non-stop getting all the ladies having all this game. It’s a very funny song for WG to take part in for especially for a very famous song. Have you seen Young Guns? No. The So there’s this 80s movie like with like every hot young male actor of the day. It’s got like Estz and like the whole the whole gang. And uh that’s I think what that sample is from when it’s like you got to be good with the you can’t just be some geek off the street. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s that’s what it’s from. And uh Ann and I watched uh Young Guns and it’s pretty trippy and it’s pretty funny and uh it’s a good like 80s early 90 I think it’s late 80s movie. I I love but it rocks. It’s like it’s like a full-on 80s western. Uh it’s great. But but yeah, banger song, banger movie. Uh yeah, can’t just be some geek off. But no, I I’m I’m all for the ascension of of of Ron Holland. Ron Holland the second. I I want I want those Ron minutes. I want those Ron numbers way up. I just I want I want the Ron exposure, the exposure. Ron Holland because you and I were talking I know this is going to be like a little bit of a tangent. I’ll hint at it. Uh real first first thing I want to say about Trey Lyles is like if you were offered more money a bigger role and the opportunity to not live in the United States of America right now I think it’d be very hard to turn down but that’s just me. Uh and as far as the Ron minutes go you and I talked a little bit about this offstream and Chad I’m curious what you think about this. Can Is it cool to bring this up? Yeah, go ahead. No, go ahead. I’m just I am eager to see the Ron versus Ivy Ascension competition because when I’m looking at like contracts and like the future of this team, I think that might be what Tjan Langden’s looking for right now is like, okay, if Ron’s not the four, is he potentially a two? And if he’s shooting that well, is he could we replace Ivy with that? Or if Ivy’s playing really well, then do we have to force Ron into the four and have him play backup and is he not going to make that much money? I want to see them push each other. And I’m curious how it’ll go. And the only way that this competition is going to happen is if they’re both getting significant minutes. Yeah, I mean, I think we’re going to see that. I do think Ron gets like a minimum of 20 minutes a game this season. Like I think he’s earned that. I think like the flashes we’ve seen in summer league so far are really exciting. It sounds like he’s been in the gym with Vincent. Um yeah, I think that shot coming around uh forces a huge amount of competition if that’s real. Uh, but I mean again like we’re talking about him like and look chat tell me if I need to just like chill out and be like it’s positionless basketball. I don’t know if Ron can guard like Pascal Seakkum, you know, like he’s one of the best fours in the league. I know, but I’m just talking about lineups and I’m talking about size and I’m not saying like Trey Lyles is going to stop Pascal Seakum. Look, we’re gonna want Steu guarding the other team’s best big anyway. Like that’s our that’s our big stopper, but I just wonder like size outside of height because Ron is scrawny at the moment. Like even with the the extra 20 20 lbs. Um, like we’re talking about him replacing Ivy at the two, which would be so sick to have a 6’8 two guard, but uh, like I’m just wondering like you look at we were talking about the Pacers who have Obi Toppin and Jarus Walker coming off their bench. Can Ron guard those dudes? I don’t know. Maybe. I think he can. I I think I think very much he can. I’m just asking questions. I’m just You You can ask the questions. I know you can have the questions. I can have the faith. I have the I have the faith of Hooper infused in me. I have a fiery red and blue mane that you can’t see, but it’s in my brain. Uh just I see it. No, you can see it cuz you were touched by the horse as well. Yeah, just billowing in the chat. Handsy horse. Hoopsy hoopsy horse. Hy. I’m sorry. I’m all hand or hoops. Oh, uh, Trevor Browning says, “Obviously, it was only summer league, but Ron was an entirely different tier compared to nearly everybody else.” I think he definitely really starts putting it all together this season. And that’s what we’re saying. Like, if that happens and you’re like, “Oh, okay. He’s the two.” Then you’re you’re starting back court is Cade 66, Ron 68, and Assar 66 plays like a seven foot monster. uh that could be nuts. Or if he’s your four, that’s not so bad either if he puts on a couple more pounds and like is able to is able to do that. Like one way or another, I would love to see him be a starter. Uh and I’m curious to see how that ends up. But Ron has been the biggest surprise player the Pistons have drafted as far as my expectation to when they were drafted to where they are at right now. Same. I’m very Ron Pilled and I like I knew nothing about him going in really and he’s just such a fun player to watch and uh even you know like sometimes he gets in foul trouble or uh like doesn’t make the best decisions. He is like his energy is always at 100 and like it reminds me, you know, like I’m not saying he’s a similar player to like Ben Wallace, but just in terms of like fun players to watch where you’re like something cool is going to happen. Like he’s active like you you don’t like really see him just like standing around watching. Um, so I’m really I’m really excited to see him rise and uh yeah, if he can be if if your starting back court is like 67s and 68, like that’s that’s stupid. And like with two of them defensively being Ron and right and like is there a version where like maybe if Jaden Ivy’s playing well like not in a knock to him still getting starter minutes as your sixth man off the bench? We were talking about this and maybe the question just comes down to money. Mhm. Because exactly. So if he’s the sixman, would you be okay paying him 22 $25 million a year? Say what’s the number if I If Ivy was sixman, would you be okay paying him $25 million a year? O, you think that’s too much? You think that’s too much for a six-man? I don’t think it is. I don’t Well, how much is How much was like was Malik Monk making like around that money? I think he’s making like 20 million a year or something. 20? Yeah, like 20 to 25, like that’s not bad. And like, by the way, if like you’re playing six-man, but like that’s just a a you know, embarrassment of riches thing where it’s just like, yeah, you’re playing sixman just it’s a lineup thing. It’s not a you’re not good enough thing to uh like, yeah, I’m I’m down with that. Um yeah, I mean, we’re g we’re going to see. and I was leading you is because that’s just recently what PJ Washington signed a four-year uh deal roughly 22.5 going up to $25 million a year and he’s going to be coming off the bench for that front court. I don’t think he’s technically sixman on that team but you told me you thought that was a good deal and I was like I think this is a lot of money to be paying somebody to be coming off the bench. Yeah, but I think like PJ Washington is like at least sixman good. Like I I I do like I think I think PJ Washington could start on any number of teams on any number of distance among them. Yeah. Like I mean that’s a tradeable contract by the way. But uh no I’m I’ve look I know he’s not that big in terms of height but I think he plays bigger than he is. I think he’s a two-way guy. I think he’s got some fire that you may not be a huge fan of. Um but it’s Pistonsesque. Um, I I I I think like I also have to like wrap my head around the uh CBA, you know, and just like realize that like $25 million isn’t as much as it seems like. But it it could be though if you’re paying Cade $60 million a year. Uh yeah, JI $25 million a year. This is going to be a real This is going to be a real 25 million, right? million. I think Ivy’s like the biggest like both because Sorry, go ahead. I didn’t mean to cut you off. No, I was just And then Ron, whatever. Ron’s going to get paid. Like I’m just listing off all these numbers and we’re already like eclipsing 150 uh which is pretty damn close to what the CDA is at. Look, I think Asar you want to get on as long a deal as possible, as early as possible because the with the blood clots and everything, like I don’t really think he’s begun to show his true potential and like I think he’s a long-term fixture and even if you decide to change your mind about that, you’d get him on a very movable contract. Um, but Ivy, I think, is in the most like prove it zone. Not saying he’s not a good player already, but just in terms of like the fit with these guys, the defensive identity, and you’re in a contract year. Yeah. Yeah. Make it so the Pistons have to sign you essentially. That’s He really shut me up last year because I was like, I don’t know if I like I was I was not saying I doubted him, but I was definitely in the like I don’t know if the fit is like seamless with Cade. And uh he was playing really well. He was playing really well when he went out. So, uh, you know, we’re going to we’re going to find out. We’re going to find out. And regarding that PJ Washington deal, that’s still a tradable deal for them, uh, should they should they decide to. And so, to bring it back to the Pistons with all that, I think, uh, Pistons wise, that they did not have their eyes on Trey Lyles. I think that they they were like, “Okay, this last roster spot is either going to be Malik Beasley or we’re going to keep it open and use our trade exception that we have to use this year if we’re going to get value out of it and fill that last roster spot with it.” I think you’re right. I think you’re right. We’re going to see. And uh you know, you guys are going to see, too. And if you like uh what you’re hearing and watching, uh please show it by by hitting the button specifically designed for liking things. And there’s also there’s another button, I think, where you can ring the bell and find out whenever we’re doing stuff like this cuz, you know, with the exception of last week, we’re doing it every week. You know, we’re kind of we’re pretty consistent these days. Uh we’re having fun. Hope you’re having fun. Trevor, uh history. Uh shout out history. Shout out history. uh in the waiting room maybe uh uh before we even hopped on. So yeah, tell a friend. We’re trying to break triple digits. We’re at 90. We’re so close. Nightbot is awfully flirty. I I will Some of the prompts from Nightbot are just like, “Invite me on over. Come on inside.” Exactly. Mikey, raise them brows. Well, come hitherbot. Yeah. Uh, oh, and uh, Mickey, just because you know, we we talked about uh, Charles Dickens a fair share. I was thinking about Charles Dick Dickens earlier today. This is not related to uh, the NBA at all, but I was thinking about Nicholas Nickelby and I was like, should there I wish there had been an MC named Nicholas Nickelbag. That would have been such a [ __ ] rap. Uh, that would have been good. Yeah. So if you’re if it’s been versus and uh Molly MTM Oh man. So we we just have to we have to go a little lit. We got to get lit with you. Make this podcast lit right after we right after we plug the drop drop some lit on your ass. Okay. So we tal we talked a little about the Pistons and the contracts and the players and all that jazz. Uh, let’s talk a little bit because we’re talking about like all these young allstars like Kade Cunningham, potentially Jaden Knight, potentially Ronald Hound, potentially a star, like who knows as far as like all stars go. The uh announcement came out today that they’ve been flirting a little bit with all-star game format and it sounds like one thing is for sure that is going to be the US against the world in the All-Star game. Now, the other end of that is like there’s reports that they’re looking at doing a round robin with three teams competing uh for this, which is not dissimilar from what it was last year, right? So, I’m ignorant. Uh how does that work in terms of like because US versus international like that’s two teams. What is the is the third team like the young guns like how it was last season? That’s exactly what it was last season, right? It was like the oldest. Well, there were four, right? There were four. There were I thought it was three. There were there three teams. Oh, G-League. There was G-League was the other one, right? The like young like it was like it was like the the younger start, which like I I I don’t mean to like jump in and like cut you off, but like there’s something so awesome about like to me the most appealing part and this is what like people have said for years is like if you do Team USA and International, there’s like actual like pride on the line and like incentive to win. But when you start throwing in these like miscellaneous teams, it’s all like, “Okay, well those teams aren’t going to win.” like like that you’re not gonna get like an upset from like like that’s why it was so lame to see like Cade like kind of siloed on this like you know young hungry team that’s like give like respectfully like put him in the real All-Star game and like just let him come off the bench like normal sty like yeah if there’s not two teams if it’s not like Joker Luca like Joel Embiid versus like LeBron KD like that’s what we want right like isn’t that just like the world versus father time. Is that what you’re saying? Kind of. Yeah. I mean, like, which is it’s interesting. I I’m I’m with you. I think it should be one game. And if it’s US versus World, that’s great. If it’s East versus West and the winner gets homec court advantage in the playoffs, that’s great because that is incentive. When was the last time they did that? I have no idea, man. Like, it’s been so long. Like, don’t I think they’re over complicating All-Star weekend. Like, just make it an All-Star game. We’ll watch the game and that’ll be fine and people you simple simple man. Don’t you understand that I need to be able to bet and lose money on as many games as possible? Don’t you see what’s happening? Prop bets in the the celebrity all-star game. Uh here’s Mickey. Let’s take a bet right now. How many celebrities in the celebrity all-star game will you be familiar with this year? Uh I would say the overunder is three. say that. I think for me that’s pushing it to be to be quite honest. Two two and a half. It’s It’s some wild stuff. Uh not to say they’re not celebrities. It’s to say that I’m a little I’m out of touch. Out of touch. I’m out of time. Uh you’re out of touch. I’m out of time. Uh we’re quoting 80s songs. That’s how you know how dated. Oh, we are. And not to transition from the All-Star game to another oldies thing, but we have to touch on this subject. The biggest news in the NBA right now surrounds the Clippers known as the Clippers. Your your second team, Steve Balmer, Kawhi Leonard. Uh, a investigative report by Pablo Tori on his podcast has outed the Pist I mean out the Pistons outed the Clippers as potentially having sweetened the deal for Kawhi Leonard’s extension by Steve Bulmer investing 300 plus million into Aspiration I believe is the name of the uh uh the carbon the now defined uh bankrupt company. scam company that apparent that uh one of the owners or one of the creators is in jail uh for for scamming people for defrauding people uh with with this company and Kawhi Leonard had an LLC uh with them where he got paid $28 million with the contract being interesting. Uh the the TLDDR of the whole thing is the contract says he has to do these things but he has outs to do all those things if he doesn’t if they don’t match his beliefs. Like that’s it. And the only way that it’s his contract is terminated is if he is no longer with team. That team being the Los Angeles Clippers. Although I don’t think it expressly says that. And apparently it lines up to exactly when uh Balmer put in all this money going directly to Kawaii who has never publicly uh endorsed aspiration or anything for them. uh and uh also he got paid more than any other celebrity by an extreme amount. So uh the speculation uh the speculation of the whole thing is that is a Steve Balmer sweetener from the sixth richest man in the world a net worth of over 170 billion over 170 billion. uh the NBA could reopen up their investigation, which they found there was no illdoing at first or uh no ill ill intent as far as that goes, but they could probably look into it at this point. From what I’ve gathered, if they find that there was uh this sweetening and this uh circumvention of the salary cap, they would be fined $4.5 million. Oh my god. Poor Steve. Poor Steve. Poor Steve. That’s tough, man. 02% of his net worth. You know what was cute was um uh what’s it? Mark uh Mark Cuban coming to his defense. I love the I love the solidarity amongst billionaires. Gotta we got to stick together, baby. He’s This is absurd. This is absurd. He is a He’s a Hisation. any further proof that Mark Cuban is also a scumbag. It’s right there. It’s right there. This these guys have so much money. Like so so much money. Why do you need this [ __ ] Why do you have to keep cheating the system? Like what what’s going on? And like the one thing about the story is that it could lead to a federal investigation. Steve Balmer could be in trouble. But let’s be real, there’s no [ __ ] chance that this judicial system under this administration with the court system as it is would ever even if even at the court’s best would ever get this guy in trouble. There’s no chance. No, it’s going to be a little slap on the wrist. The the interesting thing will be uh if they suspend Kawawaii because isn’t that part of the discussion as well? Yeah. So, uh that that would give Kawhai his guaranteed sit out 40, right? Right. Load managed there. There you go. Oh, no. So, it’s it’s so wild. If you guys haven’t seen uh that episode of uh of Pablo’s podcast, I highly recommend to check out. It’s it’s well worth the watch. It’s it’s really detailed. He’s an incredible investigator and shout out to him. That’s that’s a lot of time and effort put into something that might have been nothing that he was able to huge story. It’s it’s incredible and Yeah. I mean, it probably happens all over the league though, right? All All over the leak. Do you want to speculate anybody else that might have happened to him? You brought up a name that uh that uh I I thought was interesting. I I Yeah, not not because there’s any guarantee and there’s no nothing that says that this happened, but we do speculate this happens probably a lot. And if I were to like dig my nose into it a little bit, maybe the first person I check out is uh on the New York Knicks, someone who took a seemingly insane teamfriendly deal and why someone would do that because who knows? Uh just just say friendship for friendship you cynic because of Villanova. And I’m not saying it’s the case. I’m not saying that it happened. It might not have happened. And I’m not like you even say any names or anything. I’m just saying just asking questions. I’m just I’m just saying if if there were more of it happening, that would be a place I would look out of that whole thing. But it’s pro even if not all over the place. Money money from rich people. You’re of course speaking of campaign, right? You got it. Yeah. in my campaign. Uh, but Mickey and I wanted to play a little game because maybe the Pistons are doing it. Who knows? Maybe maybe the Pistons could pull it off. Tom Horus is uh not exactly known as the the coolest man as far as money goes and he’s clearly willing to let a little coin drop. Uh, yeah. In the in the legal sense, like he paid Monty Williams a [ __ ] ton of money. And in the prison phone sense, in the prison phone, he let the coins drop there as well. We’re going to play a little game called Sweeten the Pot. Uh, which I don’t have a graphic for because I was working earlier today and I also thought of this game. We don’t need it. We don’t need mowing the lawn today. We don’t need it. It was good. Uh, and so in this game, we are going to propose uh speculative ways Tom Gorez could swing the pot under the table for some of these players. Uh, and you know what? I’ll start out because Mickey, I already pitched I pitched you one already. So, this is the first way I think that whole sweetener could be there. Uh I think Tom Gores with the the prison phone system could set up a 1900 number where all the proceeds go to uh said players, not like whatever player you’re trying to Sweden, their their LLC, and all that money is actually just coming directly from the uh the prison charging system. Okay, I could see that. I could see that. I got a riff on uh because I was thinking of like fake companies that he could set up that are just like designed to funnel money to to our beloved Stones. Um so, you know, we’ve got the Dog Pound, right? We’ve got uh Ron’s Dog Pound Jr. We got uh we got I think Assar is a member. We got Stew and Duran. Uh so this is a dog pound prison phones company. So, you know, he does them for real prisons. Why not for dogs? And you know, no one has a hard time believing that that’s real. So, uh, that’s that’s how we can funnel money to specifically the dog pound players. Gotcha. Gotcha. Dog I pups need to make calls too, dude. The the the arms of the angel song is playing in the background. Mlacklin’s in on it. Get locked in. Mactton. [Music] Mlack. Uh, Silent Mlaks and all she does for for the Puffers. I Here’s here’s my next one for you. How about Tom Gorus has a little party at his house. He invites you over and you’re you’re a player. You’re just watching him hanging out. He offers you he’s like, “Hey, it’s a party. You know, I’m going to do some drugs. You have a problem with it?” And he’s like, “You know what? I’m a player. I’m not going to do drugs. I can’t be seen doing drugs.” And he’s like, “Okay, let me do drugs.” And he snorts his his lines of blow through $10,000 dollar bills. $10,000 bills. Okay. It’s a snort. Then he says, “Hey, can you get rid of this trash for me?” And he just licks the tra he gives them the trash from Smart, smart, smart. He’s like, “Just take it to the trash, but take it to I need this thrown away in the year 2029 when your contract is up.” That’s when you have to get rid of it by clever. So, that that would be a way to uh to sweeten it up with a little sugar on the uh on the bills. Speaking of blow, um this is a uh JD uh snowplow business. This is a it’s a seasonal business. Um and ostensibly, you know, they they they plow driveways. They do uh you know, they salt as well, but uh really it’s just funneling his uh nose candy and uh hooking up uh the Piston Starting Center with drug money. Okay. Drug money is a great way to go. That’s what a story for. It’s on brand. It’s on brand. It’s the That’s Gors, baby. The the the Gor Shores way. The JD Plow. I I love JD Plow. That’s the name. That name again. A JD Plow. Yeah, you know how it goes. This This is the last one I’ve got and I pitched this one to you already. We have a the You sign with the team. You’re Oh, you’re on the team. Well, also just like a a little promotion for the show. We’re going to do a reality TV baking show, right? And so you got you got to bake some stuff. You got to be on the show. Bake some stuff. Show show us what you can bake. Uh and you’re allowed to take whatever. You can take the ingredients after because we’re just going to throw all this stuff away anyway. And the bags of sugar are filled with what? Oh [ __ ] That’s where I put my extra Well, you can put Coke in there if you want to sell it. I’ll just say money. Just put money in those bags. Oh, sorry. I’m It’s all It’s all coke to me. It’s all It’s all I’ve got. That’s all. No, but that’s smart. That’s smart. That’s good. That’s good. I Yeah. And the my last one is another fake business. Um it’s a soup restaurant that only serves beef stew. It exclusively serves beef stew. It’s like But it’s like, you know, there are these like companies that are like, “This is obviously fake.” Like the the one adjacent to me, uh Battery Hut, where Kade did his little infomercial. You think that’s not a front for something? And I’m not trying to blow up their spot uh because it’s a local Burbank business, but uh the hell’s going on there? What the hell? Do you think that their business has gone up since that uh Jimmy Kimmel uh sketch? Have you seen this foot traffic go up? No. No, I have not. Although I did when I went to take a picture outside of it, they were like, “Do you need anything?” I’m like, “No, no, no. I’m good.” Just like wearing a Pistons hat. I’m out of here. I got to go. I I also want to shout out Trevor Browning again who says that the NBA is going to make Sterling take the team back over. Wouldn’t that be just so appropo of America right now? Trade one controversy for another. I will say though, this this story is uh like would make for a better miniseries than the Don Sterling. That one was not good. I don’t know if you watched that, but it was I I I watched it to see what actors played what uh athletes and in personalities, and it was rough. They don’t have they don’t have to make a miniseries out of literally everything. Like some stories it ain’t worth it for. Uh FX does though. FX certainly does series. Uh okay, so that that was a pretty fun game. Uh hopefully don’t look into Gors’ uh filings too too harsh here. And also like it’s not like the Pistons have attracted anybody. Pistons have paid everybody to come here a pretty good amount of money. So, yeah. And at the end of the day, like, stop being so mean to billionaires, you know? They’re people, too. They’re really They’re really uh sympathetic figures in my in my mind. I think they I think they get a bad rap. I And I hope And I hope nothing bad happens to them. Mickey’s clearly been all over my Instagram uh stories and uh see what I got to say. All I’m saying is team worker. Team worker all day. Uh that’s my black and white issue in stance. Uh scariest creature on the planet taking out the scariest person on the planet. So uh it speaking of miniseries and speaking of productions, we have a a fresh new movie in our segment of basketball movie club. And this one, who pitched this one? Was this pitch pitched by asend? I think it was. Yeah, this is the asend one. Uh, he pitched he got game the Spikeley joint. And Mickey, before I even asked you what you thought of it, uh, I know I didn’t tell you when that got pitched. This movie is one of my favorite alltime movies. Not just one of my favorite basketball movies. I think this is one of the one of the f one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen made. I’ll get into it. Why? Tell me how you feel about it. I think it’s going to be really hard to beat uh, as we watch these. It was so good. I had never seen it. Uh, I absolutely loved it kind of from jump. It really like just grabs you and uh like it’s like a very like filmmaky movie. Like there are choices being made. There are like fourth wall breaks. There are things they it’s just so on point. Like it really landed for me. Um, and like it’s long and there’s some stuff that I like wasn’t like crazy about, but like overall absolutely loved it. Like one of the best Spike Lee movies I’ve ever seen. Um, I I don’t blame you for it being like one of your favorite alltime movies. I think it’s fantastic. Uh, Denzel was so good. Maybe like the best Denzel movie I’ve ever seen. That was that was the first Denzel Washington movie I ever saw. And I was like, this man is one of the best actors, if not the best actor of all time. Turns out I was right. Like he really is. But like, hey, you called it. You called it. My god. He did have game is the fact of the matter, right? Certainly did. Uh, th this movie was so influential. This movie came out when I was in seventh grade when I made my first uh basketball team. I watched it because I uh Railsplitter. I was That was my 18 and up basketball team name with uh Jake Charlesworth. That’s so dope. Yeah, it was it was sick. With of course the sleeves cut off with the white t-shirt underneath it. Uh this and the brand new Jay’s. You know, I bro I went on eBay and bought those Jordans. Uh those are sick. They’re they’re [ __ ] nuts. like uh I I don’t remember what the number they are. 11 maybe if either 11 I think 11 is correct but don’t don’t quote me on that. I I’m not good with the shoe numbers. Aggregate it. Quote them. He said they’re 11s. But like when that movie came out, I had appendicitis so I couldn’t play. I was out for like almost the entire season. Uh painful. Yeah, it that was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. Uh with without a doubt. uh ahead of my nose breaking uh by a considerable amount and right ahead of the tattoo on my spine, but the penicizer is just horrible. Like just straight double over. Anyway, back to uh back to that. I asked my mom to rent me the movie. She read me the the VHS. I’m watching it in my in the room by myself and everything about it hit. Like literally everything about that movie hit for me. Ray Allen is an incredible basketball player. is a beautiful shot in like the I I that movie is part of the reason I started wearing uh overalls uh with shorts like short overall with wife beater. I was way too short to be wearing that. I I actually might bring that back now. I think I’m the right height for that and like build for that now where I can pull that. Plus, you’re like farming too. I feel like that fits the aesthetic. Like I know that was like, you know, in New York and [ __ ] but like it’s versatile. It’s versatile. M I I could go to I’m going to go to the value world and get a pair of uh overalls this week. I’ll rock them on the next pod in the next stream. Uh but like the it the movie is so it looks grimy like the the actual picture it it it feels grimy and gritty and dark and dirty like the whole mood of the movie is. I mean if you don’t know it’s about uh this renowned talent high school basketball coming out and everyone’s trying to get a piece of him. His dad is in prison and his dad gets let out of prison by the warden because the governor is trying to get Jesus the name of the character Jesus Shuddlesworth to commit to was a big state I believe. Uh so he’s out on a job to try to get him there to get a sentence committee. The I I know you’re down on some of the per performances. Let’s talk about that a little bit. Well, well, first of all, I just think the premise is so strong. Like the the the whole setup is like and it it’s just like mired in like corruption and like they’re talking about commuting his sentence because the governor is like a huge fan of of the fictional university that he wants him to go to. And uh it it’s just like immediately one of those like all right, you’re like you’ve got to pretend like you’re reconnecting with your son who hates you, but you really have this ulterior motive. Like it’s it’s just really powerful. Um he is he he is trying to connect reconnect with his son a little bit though. That’s like a little bit of the struggle. It’s like but it’s that thing of like was this all a bet, you know? or was this all like, you know, you you like, yes, you’re here for me, but you’re right. Like, but that it’s it’s such a great riff on that trope and such a like emotional like thing of like, oh, I like yes, I want to reconnect with my son and I want to get back in his life, but it looks terrible because you’re right, everyone wants a piece of him and it’s like you’re coming out of the woodwork and jail literally for that reason, right? And he’s torn because he does want that, but he also wants what’s best for his son, right? like in this that’s what he was trying to push him for. It was never so like to watch this movie coming after Hoop Dreams is like so insane, right? Because I mean how how perfect would the coach from Hoop Dreams have been as a character in this movie essentially one of those guys, right? Jean. Yeah, Jean. That’s I was like Gary. What was it? Jean. Jean could have been in this movie easy. Like there’s no doubt about with his Chicago accent uh as as you do. So you got to make the conference. You got to make the conference. Everyone’s got their hand out. Uh, and what I loved about this movie, and you brought it up, is like all the corruption. Spike Lee really did say, “Hey, I want every single element of this kid’s life, this kid’s universe to be tugging at him, to be asking for this thing from him, to be asking of him. And he’s really just trying to push forward.” And I I I love the way it was shot. Like I think so many of the camera angles and like uh some of the uh frantic energy in scenes, the basketball playing is like unbelievable in it like with with the slow motion and like the actual skill watching old I mean like watching young Jesus play old Jake and then watching old Jake play older Jesus at the end like those scenes are so intense and the music the music is so incred the score is unbelievable The score of this movie is it’s outrageous how [ __ ] it is insanely powerful. Yeah, cuz there’s like, you know, Kas one and like Public Enemy and all that sort of stuff, but then there’s also like classical music and uh the score is its own thing. Like just the classical score is its own thing. The soundtrack I have uh there’s the it was the second album I ever bought. Uh the first like explicit album I ever bought uh he got game because the song was so [ __ ] awesome. that really got me into uh uh public academy and shout out uh flavor of flave uh Detroit man. Uh like just just incredible incredible uh musical accompaniment in in this movie and it it makes you feel things like when he’s playing in jail and you hear like the the high strings and the intensity just oh my god dude. Uh Jim Brown I think is great in this movie. Uh like the two cops that are like watching go around and whatnot. Uh we already talked about Denzel there. You can’t say much about Denzel that’s not phenomenal. This is just like an all-time performance. It’s so good. It’s so good. And like by the way the intro too is like just a bunch of people hooping and it’s just like you really to to I forget is it John Henry or like whatever the score is. Um, but it’s it’s just so like it really touches on like the universal like element of the game, you know, and uh it just like there’s so many like choices like when the rail splitters are talking to camera about like what basketball means to them. Like if you haven’t seen it, basketball’s just it’s just poetry emotion. It makes it makes me feel handsome. It makes me feel powerful. It when you take a guy left, you take dude so vulnerable right in his face. Right in his face. And then you look at Yeah. It’s so vulnerable and so real and so like I I believe it like I don’t know some of these things like you hear them out of a context and it might sound cheesy. It really hits like it is it’s sincere like it’s earnest and I think that’s so much it there’s there’s not really anything snarky about it. Uh, Denzel. And by the way, like there I don’t think Ray Allen’s performance is great, but I also Let’s talk about that ed you you said I was like down on some of the performances. He was tasked with doing so much. Like when you think about what basketball players are asked to do in movies, it’s usually not the heaviest load that they have to carry. This was massive. like way bigger than Penny or Shaq in Blue Chips or like Michael Jordan in Space Jam who’s basically just like being Mr. Cool. Like the there is like for any actor this would have been a lot. Let alone a non-acctor. And so I also think like he’s a little stiff. He’s a little like uncarismatic. He’s playing a high schooler. It works. Is that is that what you’re gonna say? That’s what I wanted to say. like after watching Hoop Dreams, watching those kids and watching them talk to like the camera and like the more kids I I I’m exposed to like in in the high school world like just in the universe that I I’ll run into or like my friends kids and stuff like that. This didn’t feel like a wooden performance to me. This felt like a real character. This felt like a real person. Like the way he has to be guarded, the way he has to be grown up, can’t be that emotional. If it had been a more acty performance, I don’t think it would have hit home the same way. I don’t think it would have felt That’s a really good point. correct to me. Like with with Denzel, yes, get it. Get it all out there because you’re dealing with so much else. And also, you’re an adult. With Ray Allen, you’re a guarded kid who has to have the the shield up all the time, who has to be the man all the time, like under a microscope. Yeah. That that felt so appropriate to me. And I know that it’s it’s not like he was trying to pull off this performance. I think it was just phenomenal directing and phenomenal casting by Spike Lee in in that moment. I just think I just think it was so so good. Like uh and speaking of their basketball scene, I saw either this year or last year Spike Lee talking about their one-on-one game, like the the the ultimate one-on-one game between the two. And in the script, Denzel was not supposed to score a single time, but Denzel has real pride. So, he was like really working on his basketball. And I guess he played like high school basketball in his day. And in the first take, he scored on Ray Allen. And Ray Allen’s like looking at uh uh Spike like, “Wait, what? What is this?” And Denzel just wouldn’t stop. So instead of going with the Z, they just went with the actual intensity of the game. the intensity. I’mma go around again. I’mma go around again. Like, man, it’s it’s just you you feel it. You feel the tension in that scene and the fear in that scene and like you feel the dynamic between those two the whole way through. It’s it’s just real nice, man. So, here’s here’s what I found. Uh, apparently Spikeley wanted AI for the role of Jesus Shuttleworth. uh he would not audition and then he offered it to Kobe but Kobe turned it down and so it ended up going to Ray Allen. And I don’t know that anyone could have done better. I think I think you make a really good point about like being a guarded high school kid and like having the weight of the world on your shoulders. Um, and like not everybody’s like Anthony Edwards where you just like, you know, like your your gigantic personality just like looks great on screen and like you don’t you’re not like nervous or anything. Like I think the nerves and the like like withdrawn sort of nature of Ray Allen in this movie really really works and it he’s not just like a cocky [ __ ] who’s like got the world on a string. Um, but I think that’s interesting like in terms of who Spike wanted and who he got and just like, you know, there’s there’s all sorts of stories like that with casting, not just like with athletes, but just in general of like, oh, blah blah blah was supposed to play this role. Um, you’re talking about Denzel, right? Like that that sort of thing like it could have been who what could have been, right? Um, so in that opening scene where Denzel is shooting around in the prison yard, I thought his jumper looked a little busted. Oh, it looks it looks terrible. He’s he’s doing the offhand thing. He’s like cuz I’m not a hooper and like I I cop to that. I’m not saying I’m I have a good shot. But I’m seeing the like the both hands and then but then he holds the follow through on the one like Yeah. You know what’s that? That’s goose to quote to quote the movie. Great. You’re you’re right. I agree. Yeah. From that’s one thing for the movie I hated. I was like, “Oh man, that shot’s so bad.” But I just forgive it because he’s not the star. Like he’s just another dude like he’s right. And like look like some people have unconventional jumpers and it falls and like Jesus was the one who was like great. Yeah. You know, it’s the whole point isn’t like Jake could have gone pro. It was just that he pushed his son really [ __ ] hard. Yeah. Um, man, I love the part when he was talking about how he named him Jesus after Earl Pearl Monroe and not after Jesus. Like, oh my god. And the footage of Earl Monroe, too. Like, there’s so much good footage. And, uh, I watched Winning Time, whether you like it or hate it, uh, like it’s very like mixed media collagey kind of, and it borrowed so much from this movie. And I just I I agree with you. Like I think between the music and the editing and the the like cinematography, it’s just such a like you really feel the emotion of it. There were like multiple times where I’m just like I have chills right now. This is incredible. Um and uh like it it’s like really like scorsish, you know, with like when uh when Rick Fox is like breaking down like you’re going to have temptation, like girls are going to be throwing themselves at you and it’s just like a montage of sex and like Well, that that wasn’t that wasn’t Rick Fox. That was That was uh Oh. Oh. Oh, you’re right. That’s big time or whatever. No, the Rick Fox thing comes later where he’s like, “You’re going to have girls throwing themselves at you.” But you’re right. That’s that’s the other that’s the other montage. You know, you spell [ __ ] H I V, right? Like that. I mean, that scene’s powerful as hell, right? It really is. And you get the fear and the temptation and and Yeah. And then Rick Fox comes in and is like telling him about what college is like. Bro, do you know how disappointed I was when I found out TechU wasn’t a real place? You’re like, “That’s where I’m going.” I was positive again. Seventh grade when I saw that movie. I was like, “You want to Oh, can we talk about John Churro’s handle?” Uh, yeah. I actually did want to bring it up. I I did want to bring it up. So, he he goes between the legs and then he like dee him. Yeah. I think he was smiling because he actually pulled off the between the legs. I don’t think he’s got handle. It looked not good. But like the there were so for for an for an old for an old dude just uh just uh walk doing it mid mid monologue. Yeah. Come on. I’ll I’ll give him John Turo because he’s a great actor like an awesome actor. Another a great a great performance. Little tween. Little tween walking talk. I I want to say this about like Rick Fox, John Toro. Uh we’ll we’ll pass on right now because her role is actually bigger than the other roles I’m talking about uh in this like but uh like big time uh in this movie. Uncle Bubba uh as well uh and uh the the agent, whatever the the agent was. He’s so good. He is so [ __ ] good. They all played the same way. And I don’t mean like they all had like the same energy. The same way I meant is that they don’t have a shred of humanity to them. They feel like fiction, like just caricatures of something, right? Like Yeah. this it’s almost like the the devil enticing you in this moment the this this vision of a thing trying to get you to do this thing and I mean Uncle Bubba less of a person trying to get you to be do a thing more like a person taking that thing and trying to get you to like join him with him but like the agent is like it’s so agent just so crazy agent without like crazy rich agents is uh his movie I guess yeah and like with like an Italian like mafioso kind bend to it. Forget about it. Yeah, it’s it’s but like the their their monologues are all so good and you can just feel them like hard cell like pushing pushing pushing. Um yeah, he he that guy was really good. He like stole the [ __ ] out of that scene. Um [ __ ] Rosario Dawson killed it, man. She is so good and she’s just she’s incredible. She she she rocks his I forget who plays uh his little sister. She’s really good, too. Mhm. You should see. He’s so good right now. When he’s playing at video games, too. He’s like, “Say it.” Yeah. He’s like, “I’m getting better.” He’s like, “I’m getting better. I’ve been working on it.” He’s so funny in that movie. He’s just like such a pathetic character. It’s hilarious. I love when Dark Denzel comes out. Like, you see it. The first time we see it is in the flashback, but then Yeah. when he accosts Booker. Get the [ __ ] out of here. Like on the street. Yeah. You got any money? You got any money? You got any [ __ ] money? Yeah. Like Yeah. That’s when uh KRS1 comes on, right? Unstoppable. It’s it’s it’s really good, man. He is like not a particularly likable guy. Um and he’s in prison. I won’t spoil why. Like, if you haven’t seen the movie, you have to see the movie. What? We’re not spoiling it. We can’t talk about He’s in prison for for manslaughter. I mean, they say it’s murder, but it’s, you know, it’s manslaughter, right? Like, he pushed his wife. She hit her head on the on the fridge or stove or counter or whatever it was. He dies. accidental thing cuz she was defending him when he was like being hard on his boy essentially beating his boy. Yeah. That oh my god when he’s drinking playing basketball with this kid and just like dominating him like oh my god it’s so uncomfortable. It’s just such an uncomfortable scene. Well, yeah. And you’ve got the the friend being like all right he’s up on him. He’s like tell me how to raise my kid. Like it is so intense, so good. Like so real. Um yeah, man. It it rocked. Like I really loved it and I I was like really affected by it. I I like I mean Hoop Dreams is a documentary like obviously that’s super emotional but I don’t this is going to be really tough to beat like I’m not trying to like stop talking about it or anything. I’m just like I was pretty blown away like it it feels like big and like like uh theatrical like a like a Scorsese movie. I mean like Spike is a dude like that in his own right. Like it’s just like all the choices and all the like like like unbelievable editing and just like like so much great footage and uh like it it it’s long. It’s definitely long. Um like I I think like some of the Denzel Ma Jovovich stuff. I mean there there’s some weird stuff with there where it’s like okay Denzel Denzel and I’m not trying to like poke holes in a great movie like but but uh so he Damn brother no do it. It’s uh uh so he is like let out for a week to to try and convince his son to go to big state and uh but in order to like sell it for some reason they have to like give him food poisoning like he has to like really seem sick which is like this whole thing is like a scam for the governor anyway. I don’t know why they have to to make it like look believe but whatever. He gets actually sick and then these two these two cop like guards or cops that are like escorting him are like all right you can’t like do any and then like pretty much give him cart blanch and I guess give him money to buy brand new Jordans. Um I don’t know where he gets that. Um and then yeah, he strikes up a relationship with uh this prostitute staying uh like sort of in the in the same over. Yeah. Um and I mean but like it you know what he falls for her. He’s been locked up for six plus years. Like they strike up a relationship. It’s I I think part of it is meant to like humanize him because he’s like pretty rough around the edges a lot of times. Yeah. Like I I like wasn’t nuts about that storyline cuz it doesn’t like really go anywhere. But I think it’s just all about like him sort of like figuring out what kind of man he like wants to be like now that he’s like got a chance at freedom and you know just him like acclimating to to being out. What how did you feel about it? My interpretation of that is like uh him you have to show the him dealing with prison and like the death of his wife and that feeling. So like a romot a romantic or at least sexual relationship is like key like that that has when you come out of prison after like six years I imagine sex is like on your mind you’re right next to a pro you’re in a bad part of town. That’s where prostitutes are supposed to be right. Yeah. So there is that. I think also her storyline mirrors his in that she got herself into a pretty bad situation here. And while she’s not she’s she’s more of a victim than he is, they’re both prisoners in their circumstance. Her being prisoner in this uh sexual uh sex worker with a very abusive sweetness sweetness. That’s what I was quoting earlier when I said damn brother. Yeah. Who fancies himself a director which is kind of an interesting little he’s like referencing movies. Yeah. Yeah. He’s talking what’s the movie? Vertigo. Yes. Right. And uh so she’s trapped in the circumstance and they’re they’re they’re both like rough uh around the edges. I think I said to you off air it’s not it’s not like a a sex worker with a heart of gold. It’s just like a sex worker who’s like a real person who’s going through something for real and she doesn’t she doesn’t feel worthwhile. She feels worthless. She feels like probably like she’s where she belongs or where she deserves to be and she says as much. She said you’re right. You’re right. Right. And then by the end of she has this relationship with Jake and he gets her to let down her guard at the same time he goes through his like uh premature ejaculation climax. By the way, love that scene. So, it’s a great like so re real and vulnerable and like he’s been locked up for six years and it’s not like a cool hot sex scene. It’s it’s it’s this guy’s [ __ ] broken like this guy’s Yeah. And I think that breaks her too because at the end of the movie she leaves like she gets out of town. So while he doesn’t get his redemption, he helps her see that she’s not locked up like he is. there is a way out and that they both are just humans trying to make up for the decisions they made and to take responsibility and hopefully have to have served time and to be forgiven, right? Like the Jesus says it later. Do you think God’s forgiven you for kill? I believe he has. I I believe he has. Yeah. Right. Uh or I hope he has right at this point. So I think that’s the purpose that she serves. She is the redemption that he does not get in this movie because plenty of people are trapped in those circum circumstances. And her character is also like very guarded, very angry, and like yet kind of simple, but also that’s how she got there is by being this way. So, I I buy it. I I like her character. I’m I’m fine I’m fine with it. I buy it in the story. I buy that. It uh it leads into this this seedy underground whole vibe of the thing and it gives uh Jake another way to like uh express his storyline. Maybe not directly, but like in a transitive way. Uh and I I I kind of I just kind of dug it, man. I I didn’t find faults in it. I didn’t find faults with her character. No, it’s a really good point. They’re very kindred and uh I I like that take. I I think it’s it’s just a stellar flick. It’s it’s it’s so good. Uh say one more thing that I really like about this movie. This this movie does not have in your most obvious way the hero’s journey, right? It’s not like it’s not like a okay person unfamiliar place not sure of themsel then they have something to overcome and they almost get there but it goes away and then they do defeat it and there’s a happy ending. This movie just keep it’s just like tension and question marks and you feel it building. You don’t even really know who the protagonist of this movie is. It’s is it Jake? Is it Jesus? Like, who is it? What’s going to happen? And then your two potential protagonists who are also antagonistic with one another. Battle. That’s what that’s what the climax of this movie is is this battle. And and then then what? Then Jake goes back to [ __ ] jail. And Jesus does go to big state. But because he didn’t sign the paper, the governor’s like, “Well, I don’t really have to commit to this promise.” The system fails. It lied to Denzel straight up. Which he said the governor always keeps his promises. [ __ ] doesn’t, right? And then the the shot at the end where he’s like walking up and you think he’s going to get shot and he just like shoots the b throws the basketball over and it comes bouncing back into uh the the big stage. Really cool. Really really cool. really really emotional, really well done. Yeah, man. It’s I’ve never seen anything really like it. Yeah. No, it’s it’s super unique and it knows exactly what it’s doing and uh No, I I even though like that that Mila Jovovich storyline I’ve like come around on because you you really put it into context for me and I uh it’s it’s really like height of his powers spike just just abs and like waiting in waters that he knows and loves like it’s it’s so good. Um, and by the way, to your point, like Jesus is not perfect. Like, no, Jesus is a flawed individual as well. Like, it’s it’s it’s really like honest and brutal and like real. Like, it feels like as as big and like theatrical and dramatic as it is sometimes and like choicy, like it it just like doesn’t feel it never feels false. If if you’re a basketball fan, if you’re a film fan, yes, you have to see this movie. It’s it’s really a masterpiece. The This comparison is going to be like I I don’t mean like these movies are similar. I This is just for me like a a kind of um comparing the work of like a renowned director as far as like where where it ranks in in their stuff. the I I look at it this way like with Wes Anderson, he made like the Royal Tenon bombs uh and uh that that felt like a pretty big um the wow this is this movie is who he is sort of thing or he made let’s say Bottle Rocket and like he’s really putting a stamp on who he is and then Rushmore when Rushmore came out that movie to me is his uh magnumopus just like that is the most definitive I think best well most most complete storyline most acceptable like just the biggest accomplishment whether he thinks it is or not I think that’s the biggest accomplishment the best distillation of his voice right yeah and with Spike like do the right thing arguably his best movie people people would say maybe Malcolm X or like in in those range but uh do the right thing feels a little more raw. The same way Bottle Rocket felt like a little more raw. And like Malcolm X is like a great story. It centers around like, you know, the life of this man, which it is. It’s an incredible movie. Uh, and that’s a little bit like Royal Tennon Bombs. Like, wow, this is really well done. But to me, he got game has all the breaking of the fourth wall, the taking chances, the visual looks, the insane storyline, the complete universe where everybody is culpable in the in the problems surrounding this story and like not a not a beautiful uh or not like a perfect ending, a beautiful ending, but not like a completely resolved ending overall. So, so to me, I just I just think it’s I I just think it’s an absolute phenomenal movie. Yeah, it blew me away. Uh like again, I I really think this is like the one seed if we’re making brackets at the end of this thing, which I don’t know that we’re going to do. We might. We could, but uh yeah, but hey, you know, like a really good way to find out is to uh like and subscribe to the podcast. You’re so on it. You’re so ring that bell for notifications. Tell a friend, please. We just need 10 more here. Just get us 10 more. 10 more. Um, but uh yeah, the movie rocked. I’m having a lot of fun with this. Uh, next up, we got Eddie. Yeah, that’s right. A, uh, a Whoopi Goldberg vehicle, uh, set around uh, the Knicks, it sounds like. We’re going to have uh, a special guest on. Did we already reveal who that guest is? No, we didn’t reveal who the guest is. The guest we’re we’re bringing bringing back your boy Douglas, baby. Doug Burns. He’s gonna be back. One of our favorite guests. He’s just an incredible dude. Like, shout out to Doug. He’ll have some projects that we’re gonna like promote for uh him as well. Talk some Nick stuff. Uh we won’t bring up what we said about uh one of the players on that team potentially uh as far as investigation stuff goes. But we’ll talk about uh Eddie in that movie and have Doug on here next. Trevor Browning says not to take away from He Got Game or basketball movie club, but do you have any thoughts on Rebound, that film about Earl Managot? I have always thought that was another really solid film. Sheided was great in it. Have you seen that movie? I have not, but it sounds like we just got uh a new one on our made in ’05. Um I love Don Shield, too. Yeah. Wait, am I am I looking at the right I think so. No, I don’t know if I am because this is this is like a comedy, a Martin Lawrence comedy. Is that is that what you’re talking about? I don’t think this is the Don Don Cheetel movie. Hold on. I’m looking it up right now. Rebound the Legend of Earl the Goat Monroe. Wait, man. Man, uh Mano. Thank you. Um 1996. Oh, no. I’ve heard about the Let’s Let’s add it to the list. Let’s do it. It’s not It’s not the Martin Lawrence vehicle. No, it’s not. Let’s let’s break down who this movie is going to be, though. Like next week, we’re having on Doug. It’s going to be Eddie. The week after that, y we’re bringing on Mike Benner, who is a Philadelphia 76ers fan. He was also a former writer uh for King of the Hill. He wrote uh the movie uh I believe it’s Kill All Neighbors. Uh sorry, sorry, Mike. You’re my good buddy. I know I know Neighbors is in it. Uh but it the movie is great. It’s it’s a great horror came out. Uh and we’re going to be watching uh Hustle. Uh, that’s the the movie for that. So, the week after Hustle. So, in three weeks Oh, got it. We will watch Rebound: The Legend of Earl the Goat Manag. Sounds I love that, dude. I I feel like I’m trying to remember if one of my friends recommended because I was just talking to my friends about how No, that was not recommended to me. So, this is uh this is exciting. This is exciting. We got a new one on the list that I’ve not even heard of. Me either. And I I know so little about about Earl unless I’m gonna look a little bit up uh a look a little more into Earl. I did have this book about um like uh Rucker Park and like the history there. Uh I’m not entirely positive if Earl is from that area. It looks like No, it looks like he’s from somewhere else, but we’ll see. All right, so we’ll we’ll find out. But this has been a wonderful show and know Trevor dude way. number one for a reason. Shout out to Trevor. Follow him on Blue Sky if you’re not already. Uh Trevor R. Browning. Let me give you the actual name on there. Trevor Browning.com. Uh he’s a director, producer, writer, too. I didn’t know that, dude. So, talk films with us anytime. Uh let’s let’s see what you got. I’m going to check out some of your I you know what? Straight up, I will check out your uh your work. I’ll go to your web page a little bit later tonight and uh peep peep all that stuff. Uh, so Mick, you got anything before we close this whole thing out? I don’t. I just I had a great time and uh I’m excited for next week. Uh, always always glad to tap in with our boy. Me, too, man. I’m always glad to talk to you even though I talk to you even more than just this podcast. You’re one of my good buds. Is everyone you should know? Isn’t it? Uh, thank you, Trevor. We appreciate it. Looking forward to having you back as well. And for everyone watching, thank you for being here. will be back next Thursday again with Douglas Watchdaddy. Get your hands on it. Go to the library. Support your library if you can get it there. Uh it probably is there. If you’re in LA, it’s probably there. Uh we’ll see if I got it over here. Otherwise, it’s going to be torrent season. And we close the show the same way that we do literally every time. And that is by saying the acronym OBH because that’s how we think the horse would say of the blazing horse. Anyway, so I’ve been Harry and I’m Mickey.

Malik Beasley MAY be cleared? Maybe not???? Rumors are that he’s been in talks with the Pistons the whole time, but also that he has interest in teams like the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Is he looking for a prove it deal? Is he looking for as much money as possible? Is he looking for a title run? Harry and Mickey discuss all the possibilities and debate his (and the Pistons’) best case scenario. They also talk some moves around the league (Cam Thomas, PJ Washington), the All Star Game, and the Steve Ballmer/Kawhi Leonard scandal – which leads to a little game we call “Sweetening the Pot.” Plus, this week’s edition of Basketball Movie Club – this time it’s the Spike Lee joint “He Got Game”.