Best Of - First Things First's near cancelation to Emmy nomination, Wemby's MVP push, Luka's wild disrespect

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Welcome to the best of the week

for What's Right With Nick Wright.

The best takes and moments from this week on the show.

Enjoy.

Huge news.

Congratulations to you in your show.

First things first was nominated

for most outstanding sports,

the most outstanding sports studio show, Amy.

Has Wimby inspired you to campaign for the award?

I'm not gonna campaign for the award,

but I am going to be a touch self-indulgent here,

but also I'm gonna spend a bit of time on this

because I think this is instructive

for people in there.

At any, I think there are lessons,

lessons sounds patronizing.

I think there might be some wisdom shared here,

and that sounded pretty patronizing too.

As far as, yeah, the story of the TV show.

And listen, I don't know if we're gonna win the Emmy

but I, and I know the,

maybe the proper thing, certainly the cool thing

is to say, I don't care,

but I care deeply about being nominated for this.

Every year when these nominations came out,

I got upset that we were not included.

And I thought for some time,

maybe not even considered.

Now, to be fair, there was a period of time

where we didn't deserve to be considered.

But for people that are new-ish

to this show or first things first,

I will try as briefly as I can

to kind of give the history of the show

because again, there are some fork in the road moments

that I think are instructive.

So, September, Labor Day 2017, the show launches.

2017, it is me, Chris Carter and Jenna Wolpe.

And in pretty short order,

the show was solid.

And I think, you know,

they had some documented growing ratings success

at a time slot where FS1 had never had a show before.

That show, the show used to start at 6.30 a.m. Eastern.

So 3.30 a.m. Pacific and go three hours, 6.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m.

And before the end of our first football season,

we had an episode where we had more than 100,000 viewers,

which I think was way, way beyond what realistic goals

were for not only a new show,

not only a new show involving someone that, me,

that nobody knew, but a show that there

there, nobody ever woke up to FS1,

probably, you know, historically,

because we didn't have light programming on that.

And, but that show was very different.

And people that watched it, you know,

know it, the, I didn't know what I was doing.

I thought my job was every day

to prove to the audience how smart I was.

I thought my job was every day to just be armed

with all of the data, all of the facts, all of the information

to win any potential debate that popped up

while also weighing that with the fact

that my partner and the person

fronting the show, Chris Carter,

who was so good to me personally

and so good to my family and my wife and my kids

and who I had a real deep personal relationship

and friendship with, he was not really trying to argue.

And so I, and as much as I believe Chris respected

my intellect and my work ethic,

he certainly did not think

if he and I disagreed on football

or basketball for that matter,

that I had a league to stand on.

He obviously was one of the greatest football players

of all time and also had a hundred division

one college basketball scholarships

his brother coached in the NBA.

And so I was that first year plus always kind of

doing a dance figuring out how to

as strongly as I could make my case for something,

give my opinion while never actually

entering into a debate

which could turn into an argument with Cece

because that's just not what he was trying to do.

And it was his show and so there were a lot of moments

where and I'm not really a fold your hand guy

where I had really no other choice

but to kind of fold my hand.

But it was still great.

It was on TV every day.

The show was growing and we were headed

in a really positive direction along with the network

when undisputed was really starting to hum.

They were on after us.

Collins been great throughout.

The show on after Colin, he at that point in time

he was still a part of, he would do the herd

and then also do speak for yourself.

And the network was really rolling.

And then late October of 2018.

So the show's now been on for 14 months.

I get a phone call that Chris and Fox have parted ways.

And the, you know, I've been eight years

it's something I've never really talked about

but call it a reconcilable differences.

And I show up to work the next day.

I think the first day was Halloween 2018.

And they're like, well, listen, you know,

Chris Canty has been a great guest of ours.

He's gonna do a lot of stuff.

Greg Jennings will still come in.

Coach Manjini, Greg and Coach were there from day one.

Those guys will still be a part of the rotation

and we will just kind of do a rotating co-host

while we figure out, you know, who's gonna be full time?

What's what?

And that went from the rotating co-host thing

from October of 2018 to we are now in February of 2020

and there is still not a full time co-host.

And while that was, you know, Jimmy, obviously not the best thing

for the stability of the show and Chris Canty didn't awesome job

because he was, he was there more than anybody.

We also, during the day, we had a lot of fun.

He was there more than anybody.

We also, during the NBA, Chris Brusard started being a part

of it.

It's how I really got to know Brusard.

And while it wasn't that lack of stability wasn't

what was, you know, really best, I think,

for the show's growth, it certainly allowed me

to put my stamp on it.

And for, you know, almost by default,

a show that was never supposed to be my show became my show.

And then in January, February of 2020,

Kevin Wilde, who was, you know, in the running

and he himself bowed out of being on the show

when it launched, had decided he did want to do it.

And they brought KWN and then of course,

when I say February of 2020, we are approaching COVID,

but right before COVID was the 2019 Super Bowl,

which was in January of 2020, or February of 2020.

KW is now, you know, getting ready to be,

or is already a part of the show.

And the Sunday night of Super Bowl week,

when we are about to do a three hour live show

in basically the middle of the night,

from wherever that Super Bowl was.

It was Miami, I think, so it wasn't really the middle

of the night, but at 6.30 in the morning,

we find out that Kobe Bryant's helicopter is crushed.

And we are going to be doing a three hour show,

the first day of Super Bowl week with a live studio audience,

reacting to this unspeakable tragedy.

And I remember

specifically requesting that Chris Rousard,

who was there in case any basketball stories popped up

during Super Bowl week, could he host the entire show with me?

And with the crew, could he be there for the whole thing?

And Brue to his credit said yes,

and we did those three hours together,

which were just the impossible, in retrospect, to think about.

Kobe had, obviously, Kobe died, but it was also other adults

and a bunch of young girls, including Kobe's daughter.

And I remember when that show ended, hugging Brue,

and telling him, man, I literally could not have done this show

without you out here.

Like thank you.

And it felt like that really bonded us.

And then six weeks later, the world shuts down,

and we still don't have a full-time co-host.

We still don't really know exactly what's what.

And COVID hits, and all of a sudden,

we're doing the show from our house with no live sports on.

And I might get some of this timeline a little wrong,

and I apologize for the length of this,

but there's a, I'm glad I'm finally kind of putting

this full thing out there.

And at one point during the first call it 12 months of COVID,

I'm told by folks who would know not sure

if we're going to continue with the show.

We never landed on the co-host,

there's no sports on that, if you guys remember,

the sports economy and advertiser economy at that time,

like the show was on, not thin ice,

but it was, I was given a heads-up that it was probably

going to be canceled, three years and four years into the show.

Again, I don't remember if this is late 2020 or early 2021.

And I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

and I don't know what changed over the next two months

other than, you know, maybe I had, you know,

the people,

I don't know what changed.

But I know all of a sudden,

it went from me telling my wife and daughters

that I think we're going to probably move Delay

that I think that, you know,

I've established myself well enough with Fox

that, even if they canceled the show,

I think they will have,

they'll want to keep me around.

I'm under contract.

And, you know,

but I think we're going to have to move to Delay.

I was,

I was setting up interviews

for my older daughter

for LA high schools.

I had,

my pal Maverick had,

you know, made,

made some calls for me

where, you know,

his friends' kids went to school.

And like,

this is what was happening.

Like, I had kind of just come to terms with it.

And then something changed in the show didn't get canceled.

And they were,

they were adding a full-time co-host

and it was going to be Brandon Marshall.

And we were still doing the show from our house.

And that was

the 2021, I think, football season.

And we did Brandon,

me, Wilds and Jenna did that show for a year

with through being our basketball guest,

coaching Greg still being on the show as guests.

And it was fine.

Brandon and I had a good relationship,

but it was also weird.

Brandon and Wilds did a show together for a year,

never once met in person.

Brandon was in Florida.

He was still COVID.

We were still doing it from our houses.

Everything was remote.

And then Brandon decided he didn't want to do, you know, Renew.

And we're approaching going back in studio.

And this is, I gave that whole background,

but this is the moral of the story and the reason I'm telling this

and spending half hour on this.

In that moment,

we knew that

Jenna was moving on.

KW's role was going to change a little bit.

And they were discussing with me,

thoughts on who the person opposite me should be.

And out of respect to all these people,

I'm not going to say who they were, all talented,

all people I like or had good relationships with,

and all former athletes.

And I

knew in my

absolute core

that the best person for the show,

the guy who worked the hardest, had the best relationship.

We had the best chemistry with

and who had the best disposition

and was the most reliable

was Bruce.

And I also knew

that I

had, you know, probably one time I could play the card of,

let's not do what you're suggesting.

Trust me.

And it was, I really debated

whether or not

that was even smart to do,

because if you do what,

you know, your bosses or whatever are suggesting,

and you register,

I don't know if it's the best idea,

but yeah, I'll go with it.

And then it doesn't work or something happens.

That's not as much on you.

It's like, well, I, you know, I said,

but if you say, hey,

I know this is right.

I'm not the hit if I'm wrong.

If it doesn't work,

that is on you.

And in that moment,

uh, I knew wilds

thought it should be brew.

I knew in my core

that, because I listened to Bruce radio shows,

like these guys think he's just a basketball guy.

He does a daily radio show every night.

He talks about football every day.

Plus, I also knew from my own history.

I was like,

I am so such an annoying person to argue with

that there is something in my experience

for former athletes,

particularly former football players,

that if every single day they got to argue with me,

something in their brain activates

a few months in and they're like,

man, I used to put guys like him in the damn locker.

He's telling me who the better quarter shot up.

Um, and one of the reasons

I think Greg and Coach have been so great

for eight years on the show

is by around Thursday,

certainly by Friday of a week of dealing with my nonsense.

They know,

all right, I'm about to get a week away from this idiot.

And they can reset.

Um,

and so I just really didn't think

going with another former athlete was gonna work.

And I advocated in the strongest possible terms

along with Wilds.

We all agree,

me Wilds Brew let it run.

Just see.

And even after that happened,

once that was like agreed upon in the 23rd hour,

they, I was presented with, hey,

we got it done with Brew,

he's gonna be on the show,

but we think we are gonna add a fourth person full time,

not Coach or Greg,

they will still be on the show in their current role,

but in every segment full time person,

and we think we know who it is.

And I,

I laid down in traffic on it,

let, let us have this shot.

And that was August of 2020.

What?

Hold on.

Am I, do I have this?

No, that was August of 2022, right?

Two, three, four, five.

Yeah, we've done four football seasons together.

That was August of 2022.

And

I believe by August of 2023,

me Wilds and Brew along with Coach and Greg,

and the amazing folks who work on the show behind the scenes

have the best show on Sports TV.

And that's why being nominated for that award was so gratifying.

I understand there's been a half hour of self-indulgence,

but the lesson that there is a real lesson there,

which is if,

if you feel ownership over something,

and I listen,

I try to be very consistent,

and I'm being very honest,

about this is a collaborative effort,

but I feel real ownership over this show.

We are all equal partners in it,

but it's why when we were moving to the afternoons,

the other thing that I was adamant about is don't change the name.

They were like, yeah, but we named it first things first,

because it's a morning show.

I'm like, don't change the name.

Let us keep it.

Because I felt a real connection to it.

But if you feel real ownership over something,

and in your core, you know what the right call is,

be willing to put some stakes to it.

Going along to get along can be smart in certain instances,

accumulating good coworker, good colleague,

not being a pain in the ass chips along the way,

is super valuable,

because I had never once played a,

let me have this one card,

and I've only played it once really since then.

I mean, that's the only time that I've played it,

I should say since then.

And it's the greatest thing ever happened in the show.

Brew is perfect.

He works as hard as anyone in the business.

He is funny.

He is never in a bad mood.

And he is just the greatest guy to be around.

The greatest guy.

We've never had a real fight ever.

KW is one of the smartest television,

sports television creators ever.

He created really good shows,

was behind the scenes,

has all these amazing instincts,

and then like we've had this awesome group of people

behind the scenes.

Matt Katanic was our original executive producer.

He then moved on to breakfast ball.

He then moved on to other stuff a couple of years ago.

Sam Pepper was the brains behind the show for years.

He then left,

and now is the brains behind the manning cast.

And two guys who have been with the show,

the only people who have been with the show from day one,

as far as producers,

not like Christine and Wardrobe and Danielle.

My wife and Wardrobe have been there from day one.

But the people who put the TV show together

have been there from day one.

Me,

guy named Stephen Hubbard and Dustin Wade.

Dusty started as my researcher,

and now is the producer of the show,

and Hub started as,

I don't know, an AP,

like a low-level producer,

and now is an executive at the company,

and the executive producer

of the whole afternoon block.

We've been working together for eight and a half years,

the three of us.

And,

and so I,

again, maybe this is a bad use of time,

and maybe people have skipped ahead or they've tuned out.

However,

I don't know if we're going to win.

I do know

that nominated for that best sports studio show, Emmy,

is ESPN's flagship NBA show,

ESPN's flagship NFL show,

ESPN's flagship,

this is where all the biggest guests in the world go.

Radio slash YouTube slash TV show and McAfee,

and sports center,

the defining sports highlight show

of, you know,

in television history,

those four shows

and us.

And I am,

I'm really, really, really proud of it.

And it is a gratifying thing every day

to work on something

where so many people work so hard,

and I didn't mention all the behind-the-scenes folks

because I've terrified that I will, you know,

mention nine of ten and leave someone out.

And,

but people work really hard

and people care,

and it's just really gratifying to work on something

that you feel like is good,

and I feel like it's good.

And,

I don't think we,

not I don't think.

I know the only way first things first

is ever nominated for anything

is if it's me,

wilds, and brew out there doing it.

And,

I'm really, really, really grateful

to all of you guys or my partners.

Deeply grateful.

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So when we made his case for MVP

after the game in a presser,

and here's what he had to say.

My first one would be that

defense is 50% of the game

and that is undervalued.

So far in the MVP race,

second argument would be

that we almost swept

OKC in the season,

and we dominated him.

My third argument would be that

offense impact is not just points.

Okay.

So before I even get to

the actual merits of his point,

what do you like,

dislike, or your ambivalent

demands a, on him,

stumping for, I know he

was asked the question.

He was asked what are your three point,

but that he is stumping for himself

to win MVP.

I, I actually like it

because I feel like some guys

probably go the opposite way

and they might feel on the met

and themselves that they should be

MVP and might not be saying it.

And I think Wimvy deserves it.

I like it.

Oh, so you think he is the MVP?

Oh, yeah, I'd say that's pretty fair to say.

And I also just like Wimvy.

Yeah.

And you don't like,

you don't like the thunder.

Okay.

So let me go through his points

because

Brue and I got into a more heated

than is typical for our show,

argument discussion,

whatever, yesterday about

kind of Luca versus Wimvy.

And

the first point people make

is the one he made,

which is defense is half the game.

And that sounds smart

and that sounds correct,

except for the fact that

when it comes to winning MVP of the league,

defense is not

and has never been half the game.

And when it comes to

individual impact,

a player can have,

it has never been

and should not be

50% defense, 50% offense.

This is evidenced by

the entire history of awards voting

up to an including,

the awards we have to give out.

We have the All-MBA team,

the 15 best players in the league,

and then a supplemental

all defense team.

You know what we don't have?

The All-Off defense team.

You know why?

Because they're like,

yeah, that pretty much

just be the All-MBA team.

We have the

most valuable player award,

and then a supplemental award,

called defensive player of the year.

You know what we don't have?

Offensive player of the year,

because that would be redundant

to MVP almost every season.

Furthermore, just this century,

we have had

damn near 10

MVP seasons

by objectively

bad defensive players.

Yeah.

Both Steve Nash years.

Dirk's year.

Some would argue

Russell Westbrook's year.

Certainly James Hardin's year.

Steph's years.

At least one or two of

Joker's years.

Certainly the first one.

So now, those are all again,

varying levels of bad defenders.

Yeah.

But they are at best.

Me, Joker's gotten way better defensively.

I should say, by the way,

somewhere from mediocre

to a Nash's case,

downright damaging.

Steph's first year.

He was, they were a great defense

despite him.

His first year winning MVP.

Now, let me go ahead and ask folks

this question.

This century or any century.

How many league MVP's have we had

where they're downright bad offensive players?

The answer is none.

It is not how we,

now, when he's saying he thinks

that's a flaw in the system.

Yeah.

And when he's defense is so sensational

that maybe it bends the rules a bit

on impact.

And individual defensive player

can have on the offense.

He also affects the offensive side

pretty well too though.

Right?

Does he not?

So, so that's what I want to discuss here

because this is where brew and I

got into it a bit.

Okay.

But let me stay on the defense just for a second

and then I'll get there.

Okay.

So I do agree when it comes to a team

winning the championship.

Defense is as important as offense.

And history backs that up.

And in fact,

a truly elite,

elite defense has been as big

if not slightly bigger historical

signifier of championship chances

than an elite offense.

And so, team wise,

I agree with that take.

The distinction is one singular talent.

Can impact a team's offense

more than one singular talent

can impact a team's defense.

And again,

Wimby might actually be changing

those rules in real time.

Like his ability,

he might be an unprecedented defensive performer

with defensive impact.

And then we get to Wimby's offense.

Which is where

I am not comfortable

for someone we have never seen

do it.

Assign them the ability

or the credit for doing things

they don't do.

It's one thing

when Kevin Durant goes to Golden State.

People like, well,

he could be averaging 30 plus.

It's like, well, yeah,

we've seen him do it a bunch.

Wimby averages 24 points

and 3 assists again.

And folks seem to want

to say, yeah,

but he could average 30.

It's just not how the spurs do things.

Okay, I'm not,

I am not going to say

that you get to have everything

when it comes to your MVP argument.

And by that, I mean this.

Folks seem to believe

that the spurs

as brew puts an egalitarian style

of basketball

is what's best for their ability

to win games.

Okay,

so if Wimby took more shots,

maybe they would have a slightly worse record.

He shouldn't get the MVP boost

from the better record

that is caused by the style they play.

And then also a boost of

but hypothetically,

he could be averaging more points.

Unless in that hypothetical,

we're also going to draw away

a few of the wins.

That's first point.

Second point is this.

I don't know

if Wimby would be

quite as impactful defensively

if they added to his offensive workload.

So what I'm not comfortable with is saying,

we know if he were

taking way more shots

and playing more minutes,

he would be played a play

as dominant defensively

because what we have seen from every player

across league history

as their offensive workload increases,

their defensive impact

tends to decrease a bit.

Quylinner is a great example.

Quylinner's best defensive seasons

were before he became

the team's number one offensive option.

And it is,

now Tim Duncan would be the argument

as to a guy who won MVP's

without gaudy offensive numbers.

I would argue MVP Duncan

was a better offensive player

than Wimby is at the moment.

But I don't think right now

Victor Wimby Nyama

as great as he is.

And again,

I'm not trying to be the anti Wimby guy.

But it does seem like

there is a bit of a

long way to go.

There is a touch.

Just a touch.

It feels like it is an ongoing

contest for Wimby hyperbole

at the moment.

And so here is the question

that I would have.

And this is where

one of the arguments

grew when I got in yesterday.

I don't think Wimby

is a better offensive player.

I don't think he is one

of the ten best offensive players

in the sport yet.

Doesn't mean he won't be.

But I think,

and I'm going to do this off top

my head,

I think Shay is a better offensive player.

I think Joker is a better offensive player.

I think Lucas is a better offensive player.

I think Steph Curry is a better offensive player.

I think Devon Booker

is a better offensive player.

I think Donovan Mitchell

is a better offensive player.

I think if we're going to give him

a sum he gets back to himself,

I think Jason Tatum

is a better offensive player.

I think Kate Cunningham

is a better offensive player.

The one I threw out yesterday

that Bruce lost his mind on,

but I thought it was like

I was shocked it was so much pushback.

I think Tyrese Halliburton

is a better offensive player.

And I think we're seeing

how much of that offensive

was relying on him.

But even if you want to take Tyrese out,

who am I?

Oh, Jalen Brunson.

I think is a better offensive player.

And I am not saying

Wimby won't get there.

I am not saying Wimby

maybe he is already there

and we're just not seeing it.

But what I'm not comfortable with is saying,

he gets credit for things he has not done.

He is not doing

and he has not yet done.

And so,

I think that if I were right now voting

for League MVP,

my ballot would go.

Number one, Shay.

Number two, Luca.

Number three, Wimby.

Number four, Joker.

Number five, Cade.

But Cade's going to fall off

for eligibility.

So Jalen Brown would take his spot.

That's what my...

And again, if we want...

So I guess right now technically,

I've Cade five, Jalen Brown six,

Jalen Brunson seven

is how I would stack it

and he's going to lose out on the spot.

Um...

But...

there are...

people are so fascinated

by what Wimby is already doing

that we're doing some weird

psych...

psychological things on.

So...

Go ahead.

It is...it is most valuable player,

like you say,

Wimby's averaging 24

and 3, 23 and 3 right now.

SGA's averaging 31 and 6.

I think it is most valuable player.

I think that with Witt,

Wimby does on offense

and the amount of shots that he affects

on defense, I think together,

it makes him the most valuable player.

Like, in my opinion.

I think that's how I think of it.

So I get that.

And I...

No, no.

I totally understand that.

What I'm saying is,

I think we have...

Wimby is...

but statistically,

the exact same guy he was last year.

Last year is 24, 11 and 3.

This year is 24, 11 and 3.

Efficiency is the same.

I guess you can argue

he got better defensively

but it feels like he has been

basically the best defender

in the league since the moment

he walked into the league.

Um...

And...

To me, the big difference

is the Spurs team

around him

has gotten so much better.

Now we can...

Now...

The Spurs defense,

he is the sun, the moon, and the stars for that.

I don't feel that way about their offense.

I don't think like Wimby's presence

dramatically makes

Deer and Fox a better offensive player.

Or the...

Harper and Castle

are blue chip guys.

And so...

And I think it is

noteworthy that they're 10 and 5

in the 15 games he hasn't played.

It's not...

Again, I'm not negging his case

but it's not as if

they fall apart entirely

without him.

And so if we are...

I...

The...

The guy who...

by eye test

the team is...

team is absolutely most reliant on

to be anything

is Joker.

Now they actually went on...

I think they did decent the time he missed.

Um...

It feels like everything revolves

around him entirely.

And I'm not...

It just feels like people

are pressing fast forward

and have been throughout Wimby's career.

I, in the, you know,

my pal Bill Simmons

yesterday on his pod

for a reason I still don't

totally understand

did a...

Wimby's in year three.

But I want to compare him to all of the best

year two's ever.

And part of...

Now I understood

why he wanted to do that

um...

when it came to

Duncan and Karim, guys who played

four years in college.

But...

like LeBron was younger than Wimby

when he came out of school.

And LeBron in year three

was second in the MVP race

and averaged 31 points a game.

Younger than Wimby is right now

took a team to the NBA Finals.

And so

the

Jordan in his rookie year

rookie year

Michael Jordan was 28

again.

Jordan's year two, he got hurt.

Jordan's year three, averaged 37.

So like...

I do think...

So you feel silly about like Josh Allen

you think similar thing is being done

but...

This is actually very different than Allen

because Allen was not this

phenom like this

this start for Wimby before he was drafted.

Um...

This was you know

Woj saying people think

by his third year

he can be the best offensive

and defensive player in the league.

And again

offensively

I think he's a real...

He's a great offensive player

I don't.

I think he's a really good offensive player

far and away the best defensive

player in the league.

And if that is enough to make him

league in VP on a two-seed

so be it. Like I don't think it's outrageous

to say his league in VP.

What I am saying is

this

because a lot of this has come up

in the Luca

MVP discussion.

The defense has half the game

and for the MVP award

no it is not

and it never has been

and the last five guys

to win defensive

player of the year

did not you know

got a combined

the five guys one defensive player of the year

got a combined

one

fifth place

MVP vote between the five guys

if defense were half the game

when it comes to voting

for MVP then

they be so I just

I don't think that is how

it's been done

and so there's my

30 minutes on

Wimbee and the MVP award

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So, Yokech had a near 2020 in 20 game. Murray went over 50.

Where would you rank these guys on the list of duos over the NBA?

So, here's the thing. I mean, we're talking about like contemporary right now.

They're obviously as good as anybody.

Historically, here's what I'll say about Yokech and Murray.

It's hard to rank them anywhere historically because Murray is simply not

consistently that caliber of player to where he, all of the great,

the truly great duos that we talk about.

We have a legend and an all time great.

And whether that's Magic and Worthy, Burnham and Kale, Jordan and Pippin,

Shack and Kobe, that's two legends there.

Duncan and Tony or Duncan and Manu.

Bronn and Wade, Bronn and Kyrie, Stefan Clay, Katie and Stefan.

Jamal Murray, when Jamal Murray is rolling like he was last night,

they are, they look as good as anybody ever.

He's just not consistently that guy.

And it's a testament to Joker's greatness.

And I'm not, listen, Jamal Murray scored 50 last night against the tanking maps.

I'm not taking anything away from the guy.

But I don't, I don't look at them as anything close to an all time great duo.

Now, maybe they peeled the title this year from the four of the five line.

Maybe we look at them differently.

But right now, I don't look at them like that.

I know you have another Joker question.

Oh, yes. So he's gone 60, 50 and 50 over his last three games.

Are we forgetting about him in the MVP race, you think?

Listen, I don't, I think I have him fourth.

I know a lot of people have him third over Luca.

I would like to just, if I may for a moment, make the Luca.

Well, let me talk Joker and then I'm going to pull up this Luca note.

Okay.

Are we a little numb to Joker's consistent offensive excellence?

Sure. I think that's fair.

Has, because he has been.

So it's not like he's short on accolades.

The guy's got three MVP's.

Okay. He's got the same number of MVP's is Larry Bird.

He's one short of LeBron.

So he's not a guy that was like, well, you know, he's disrespect.

He's disrespected far from it.

He is to a point in his career where there is not much to do other than win more.

And that's why, that's why we are somewhat numb to these crazy numbers.

And speaking of being numb to the numbers,

Luca just averaged 40 a game on a road, a six plus game road trip.

That has not been done since Michael Jordan 40 years ago.

40 a game over a six game road trip.

Last guy to do it, Jordan in 1986.

Luca also is going to average 33 plus on a 50 win team.

And this is where I will get a little upset, so to speak.

I'm going to say in the last 60 years.

Here are the guys who averaged 33 or more on a 50 win team and their MVP finish.

Wilt in 1966, he won it.

I want to make sure I'm right about that.

Yeah, of course I am.

Wilt in 66, 33 and a half a game on a 50 win sixers team, he won it.

Kareem in year two, 35 a game on a box team that went on to win the title.

He won the MVP.

Jordan in 88, 35 a game on a 50 win bulls team.

He won the MVP.

Jordan in 90, 33 a game on a 50 plus win bulls team, he came in second.

James Harden, 36 a game on a 50 plus win rockets team in 2019.

He came in second as the defending league MVP.

So Jordan and Harden, when you first said I was like James Harden didn't do it recently.

No, he did it in 2019.

Yeah, he came in second and voting, but he had won it the previous year.

Jordan did it in 90 after doing it in 88 and winning MVP there.

Joellen Bied in 2023, averaged 33 a game for a 50 plus win sixers team, he won it.

So we have in the last 60 years, will Kareem Michael and in B won the MVP for 33 plus on a 50 win team.

Jordan came in second another time when he had already won an MVP.

Harden came in second when he had already won an MVP.

And then Lucodonchich, two years ago, 34 a game on a 50 win team, came in a distant third,

four first place votes out of a hundred, four.

And Lucodonchich this year, who people think is going to finish third or maybe even fourth.

Every other person to do this, this high volume of scoring on this good of a team,

either as won the MVP or coming second and the guys who came in second had already won an MVP's,

except for Luca, who did it once already before.

And that year came in third and MVP voting, but it was 79 votes.

Yochich, 15 Shay, four for Luca.

And Luca this year, who people think is going to finish either a distant third or fourth,

probably with only two or three first place votes for it.

I think that's, I think we are approaching a bit of lunacy when it comes to recognizing his utter and complete dominance as an offensive player.

And I think we've overstated. Here's the thing, is Luca a good defender? No.

Do the Lakers, does the Lakers defense go from an average defense with Luke on the court to a horrific defense with Luke off the court?

115 versus 121? They do.

So I just, I, Luca's going to average 33 a game on a 50 plus win team and nobody cares about me. It's weird.

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