The Big Suey: Nick Wright's Anti-Wemby Campaign (feat. Nick Wright)

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Welcome to the big sui.

Why are you listening to this show?

The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan Levitard podcast.

I'm sorry.

I'm not going to apologize for that.

In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging.

I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries

that if they're just there.

That hasn't happened to you guys.

I've done it.

And now here's the marching man to nowhere, that face and the habitual liar.

This episode of the Dan Levitard show is presented by Draft Kings.

Draft Kings.

The ground is yours.

Greg Cody, Al Pacino was in the Godfather.

Yeah.

Good movie.

All right.

That concludes Greg on movies.

Nick Wright is with us now.

He and his show have been nominated for a sports Emmy for daily sports studio show Sports

Center.

NBA today.

This is some good company.

NFL live.

Meena.

His nemesis.

Pat McAfee show.

Pablo Jeremy has been nominated for three Emmys.

You're always talking about your three Emmys.

I'd be exciting if he wins all three.

He can tie me.

Pablo is nominated for three of these.

I believe this is the first time we've seen Nick since he won you guys a bunch of money.

So should you guys be thinking?

Yeah.

Little weird.

Huh?

I mean, well, it's a little odd, isn't it?

I was on.

I was coming on every other week and then the moment the wire transfer goes through all

of a sudden, you know, you don't need me anymore.

I don't know.

It felt a little.

I don't know.

Did you get proper?

Thanks from the group.

I saw some videos being made where cash was being thrown up in the air and I assumed

that that got to you.

But I also assumed that we can screw that up and possibly not show you any gratitude at

all because our video team sometimes, you know, leaves a lot of money on the floor.

You know, Dan, I'm going to be totally honest.

I think the shipping container, whatever they did or didn't do is going to remain between

us.

I thought, maybe, you know, you would invite me back on the show and the, you know, moments

after I know the next day I was just, come on, but I'm hammered.

Nick, okay, Nick, well, but you're, you're, this is a torn detail.

Yeah.

This is talked about that, but I needed a few hours to, you know, to gather myself.

It's been weeks, but it's fine.

It doesn't matter.

Every one won.

I started a little rivalry in the poker world that I didn't mean to that started on

your show because the guy got really mad that I had looted, you know, that I implied he

might not be all the way above board and then he and I got an argument in the game.

Then I won 137 grand and then everybody got paid.

It was all good for everyone.

Let's talk hoops.

Good to see you guys.

I missed your fat face.

Wembee.

How do you feel about Wembee?

If he wins the championship this year, he's going to hog many of them.

I would assume.

Well, listen, if he wins the championship this year, that is a conversation to be had.

I find the Wembee discourse already a little unique in that the, the, the press conference

he did yesterday or day before yesterday, where he's like, here's my three point plan

as to why I'm the league MVP is the type of thing that while I think you Dan historically

would like from your athletes, most in the media hate stuff like that.

He was asked.

He was asked to give his three points like it's not like he went up there and volunteered

it.

He was asked, well, he hold on.

He volunteered.

I believe I'm the MVP.

Then he was asked what the three, you know, what his three reasons were.

And I just don't typically a 22 year old who's never won anything explaining to everyone

how he's the best player and not why his team is the best, but why he is the best.

And typically the media scolds that not with this guy who sent he came into the league

has been telling us about how the spurs play basketball the right way about he just there

are a lot of characteristics of Wembe's overwhelming arrogance that I tend to like in athletes.

You tend to like in athletes.

Most of the media tends to scold in athletes and with the 22 year old French kid, everybody

applauds it and and now we're also to the place already where in defense of a guy who

while undoubtedly being one of the five best players in the league and undoubtedly being

a legitimate MVP candidate and undoubtedly being the clear cup best defensive player in

the league because his offensive numbers are so pedestrian.

We are now to the place of creating phrases and stats I've never heard of.

I learned I've watched basketball my whole life for the first time in my life yesterday

I learned about role gravity like a role gravity.

So that's why Wembe's 24.3 assists, you know, equal Lucas 34 points and tennisists or

Joker's 30 points and 13 assists or Shay's 32 points and 8 assists.

It's the role gravity and how he's carrying this scrappy group of upstarts spurs that

starts three McDonald's all American top five picks.

That's it.

That's what it is.

It just feels like we are a little ahead of our cell.

It feels like something else too, Mike.

It feels like he's doing the sort of you being an anti-Wembe guy.

He's soft lawn.

And you are so smart about picking your guys, LeBron, Patrick Mahomes.

I caution you.

Aren't you a little worried this guy's got all the traits to be unstoppable.

It's like the easiest thing in the world to say, hey, Wembe's going to be good right now.

What's your doing?

It's dangerous pal.

No, so I'm not soft launching anything and I what I am do.

He's obviously great.

He's obviously at one point going to be the best player in the league.

I don't think we are there yet and I also, you know, ultimately, if anyone knows anything

about me, what I strive for in the media landscape is fairness.

And I just am not that familiar with many guys who before they play in a single playoff

game before they win a single award of substance can take to the podium and be like, hey,

I should win the MVP because I dominated the defending champ and defending league MVP.

I think that, let's just do a thought exercise, okay?

Let's say at week 12 next season, Caleb Williams is in the MVP race, but Matt Stafford,

the Stafford won MVP that anyone the title, so it doesn't work exactly.

But Stafford's way ahead and Caleb Williams takes to the podium and says, hey, here's

why I'm the MVP and then goes right at Stafford's throat as a champion as the defending league

MVP.

You think folks will, and by the way, Caleb's want to play off game, Caleb's dot, Caleb

has up to this point in his career, has more pelts on the wall than Wimbee.

You think people will be like, love it, I the wow, the confidence, everybody look out

leagues about to be his or would it be some scolding?

I think it'd be some scolding.

I the brawn 18 years in said, yeah, I think I'm the greatest player ever.

And people are like, you can't say that about yourself.

Wimbee 25 games in was like, I'm going to dominate the league and I believe that I'm

unstoppable.

And everyone's like, wow, did you know we plays chess?

I just find it interesting.

That's all.

In a second, we're going to play this sound, but just so that Tim Reynolds asked him if

he had thought about MVP.

And then there was a question about title chances and then the reporters brought it back

to MVP and here's what it is, he said.

I think right now, it is still reasonable that there is a debate.

But as I said, I want to make sure, my goal is to make sure that there's no debate

any more at the end of season three arguments.

My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that is undervalued so far

in the MVP race because I believe I'm the most impactful player defensively in the league.

The second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in a season and we dominated him

three times with the real team and four times with the more rotation theories.

And my third argument would be that offense impact is not just for us.

It's a French guy in debate club, it doesn't feel like arrogance to me the way it's being

delivered.

OK, yeah, of course, it doesn't feel like it because we kind of pick and choose that.

But let me, if we're going to do debate club, I will, you know, this is ground that I can,

you know, maybe fair fight with Wimbe on.

When he's, he is right in that defense is 50% of the game when it comes to team success.

It has never been 50% of the game when it comes to awards, which is why we have the

all NBA team, the 15 best players and the all defense team.

You know, we don't have Dan.

Hey, first team all offense, you know why because we were like, well, that's the all NBA team.

We have the MVP, the best player, and the defensive player of the year.

We don't have offensive player of the year because that's almost always the MVP.

Now, Wimbe can say we need to redo this.

This is not how it should be done.

But throughout the entirety of NBA history, we have more than a dozen MVP seasons that

nobody took issue with from objectively bad defenders.

You know, we don't have one of an MVP season from an objectively bad offensive player because

on an individual player level, offense does matter more.

Now, maybe Wimbe will change that math.

That's the first point.

The second point is, and this is where I take a little bit of issue with him using their

success against O.K.C. as a reason he should be MVP.

Those first three wins against O.K.C., Wimbe was fine.

He was 24 minutes a night.

He was obviously dominant defensively.

He was coming back from the injury, but that was to me a testament to how deep their team

is.

And then when he says offensive impact is more than points, yes, it is also points created

for teammates, which two of the other three MVP candidates are the best in the league

at in Luke and Joker.

Wimbe is three assists a game, but now I'm being told evidently that the corner threes,

the spurs are generating are because Wimbe has a gravitational pull like Steph Curry from

35 feet out.

And I just, again, whenever there is all of a sudden a groundbreaking stat that really

supports one agenda and it's a stat no one has ever mentioned in the history of stats

before.

I look at it with a somewhat quizzical eye.

That's all.

Again, I would have him third on my MVP ballot.

I think it'd be Shay, Luca, Wimbe.

I think we do a thing where Luca, who knows?

No, Yohkitch.

No Yohkitch.

I would have Joker for.

I would have Joker for.

He had 17 rebounds, 17 assists last night.

Zach Lowe goes SGA, Wimbe Yohkitch.

No Yohkitch is like when people got bored and made Carl Malone the MVP because they didn't

want Michael to win anymore.

No, but no.

You can't knock out Yohkitch.

You can't.

Hold on, why haven't fourth?

So you're just fine with, again, the people have gotten bored with Luca before he's won an MVP.

All Luca's done, since he's walked into the league, is averaged 30 a night,

carry teams deeper in the playoffs than their seed, create more open shots for anyone,

via actual drawing double teams and actual passes, and people are like he yells at the refs too much.

All Luca's done is upset a juggernaut one seed Phoenix and make Devon Booker cry in route to a conference finals at 22,

and then upset OKC in the thunder, and then Ant Edwards in the Timberwolves in route to an NBA finals at 24,

in a season he averaged 33.9 points per game.

He is once again having a historically great offensive season,

and people are like yeah, but he doesn't fight through picks too often.

Meanwhile, Steve Nash, how's those MVPs look? Steph Curry, how's your MVPs look?

Dirk Navitsky, what about yours? James Hart and you still got the trophy?

Luca can't win it because he's bad. I got your buddy, Wilbon, yesterday was like don't even tell me,

don't even bring up Luca, don't even bring up a guy who's 33.9 and 9 on the three seed?

I don't know, and as far as Joker, maybe you'll disagree with this.

I do think historically this is accurate and it's fair that each MVP is harder than the last.

That the reason Jordan didn't win 7 and LeBron didn't win 8 was because it keeps getting tougher.

So yeah, I think Joker, the fact that, and God knows, the only MVP candidate we can talk about defensively is Luca.

Meanwhile, Shay, while a good defender, is the worst defender in their starting lineup,

and Joker has regressed this year defensively, but God forbid you bring that up with anyone but Luca,

I think Joker, when they're right, you know, at last check, I think they're the five seed,

I think that that is a fair reason to put Wimby and Luca ahead because he's hurt his knee,

the four seed because he hurt his knee.

There's something about college hoops this time of year where you tell yourself,

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This Friday, the time traveling comedy movie of the year arrives,

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Don Lebatard.

This is the quickest it goes.

Hey, this is the quickest it goes.

Stu Gatz.

Everybody, this is the quickest it goes.

Yeah.

This is the Don Lebatard show with this Stu Gatz.

Tony, you wanted to get in here?

No, I just think that he's having the best season

that he's ever had in his already won three MVPs.

He leads the leagues in rebound and assists.

And it's like, what?

You made the case, Nick.

It's not a 50-50 award of R.

What are you doing for me in a defensive end?

Like, you talk about role-gravity.

That's what Yolkage brings every single night.

So, let's, I think, Chuck, so hold on.

So, then, then, people tell me, is the argument here

that Lucas shouldn't be in the top three?

Is that the argument?

Because I know what this group thinks of Lebron as a player right now.

I know we don't, we're not going to say Deandre Aiton

is the defining person.

Marcus Smart is Mike Ryan's age.

Like, what is the, well, I didn't want to say my age

because you're younger than me, Mike.

I think he's the late 30s.

Well, you're a grandpa.

I don't know.

You're a grandpa.

You can't be coming after me.

I know, which is why Marcus Smart, Lebron is my age.

Marcus Smart is Mike Ryan's age.

I was trying to be accurate.

I think Mike's younger than me.

It's not the point.

It wasn't a shot, Mike.

I apologize.

You guys are arguing that the guy who's going to win the scoring title

on great efficiency, carrying a team

that nobody thought was going to be the three seed to the three seed

should just be an also ran in the MVP discussion.

That's the argument because it seems like you guys want

Yoke Hitch to get more credit.

Your guy's show was one of the chorus of shows

that every day prays at the altar of Wimby.

That's fine.

Nobody obviously is going to knock Shay.

He's the one seed.

He hasn't had his second best player for more than half the year.

He's 32 points a game.

He just broke a Wilk Chamberlain record.

So your guy's beef is that Luka?

Where Luka is?

Stan Van Gandhi says Luka is the best offensive player

there's ever been.

And I've been soft-launching for about two years now

that I believe Yoke Hitch is a better offensive player than Michael Jordan.

But I haven't been able to, it won't get any traction.

All right.

Well, then I would consider hard launching it, Dan.

If you've been soft-launching it for two years,

it may be.

Maybe you need to pull a little more.

No, no, no, no.

You knew immediately when you soft-launched

I'm going to make the controversial argument that LeBron

is better than Michael Jordan.

You knew immediately that you had gold.

I keep getting out there with Yoke Hitch is better offensively

than Michael Jordan because he's a loaf of bread.

I can't get that kite off the ground.

No, here's the problem.

The reason I had gold was because what I had on my side

was logic, truth, and history.

The reason you don't is because people are like,

no, he's not.

That's it.

You know what I mean?

It's a little bit of a blink test thing.

People are like, yeah, no, he's not.

We're running out of time here.

Hold on a second.

Just give me a second.

Did you have something else?

Did you want something to get to something else?

Because I saw Tony and Mike were looking something up back there

and laughing.

And I'd like to know what it is you were looking up

and laughing, Tony.

No, I just, you know, Nick would appreciate this.

I'm a guy that kind of knows style and understands certain things.

And I told Mike, hey, that's a Gucci card again.

And then we looked it up and we saw how much it was.

Yes.

Well, the conversation started.

I was like, why does Nick have a bunch of 69s on his sweater?

But then it's Gucci.

It's Gucci.

Then we looked out the price.

My phone's a vintage clothing store.

This was purchased at a vintage shop somewhere.

I probably forgot.

It is Gucci, is it not?

It's got the two Gs because it's got the price tag on the sweater

all over the place.

I mean, listen, guys.

This is the second time.

Careful now.

Because this is the second time I've worn a cardigan on this show

and it's become a subject of somewhat scorn.

And in my, you know, I guess momentarily famous Teta Teta

with now three-time Emmy-nominated Pablo Tori, if not more.

The first thing he said was you wore a cardigan into my studio.

And while I focused on the 15 minutes that followed,

my wife, who dresses me, picks out all my clothes

and is, I think, a fashion icon in my mind,

is still angry about that.

She's like, yeah, I can't believe him.

That cardigan was gorgeous.

Now I'm wearing a cardigan again.

Mike Ryan thinks I'm making some sophomore sexual jokes.

And Tony, once again, even though he is my guy,

it feels like the second instance of Tony kind of pocket watching me.

I'm telling people that don't know

there's a lot of prices of what I want to make sure.

I'm not saying it's a bad sweater.

I'm not saying it's a cardigan.

I'm not saying it costs.

I made the joke with the two Gs.

Keep up, Dad.

Jeremy, before I get to the last point here with Nick Wright,

what do you have for Nick Wright?

In terms of Wembee, Nick, it on off differential, right?

The guys who, when they're on the floor, their team is better,

when they're off the floor, their team is worse.

Amongst guys that have played 1,000 minutes,

Wembee is number one, Yokich is number two.

Donchich is all the way down at like 40th in the league.

Now, your arguments that that might be,

they can have LeBron James on the floor.

Spurs are supposed to be a great team,

even when Wembee is not there.

Does that impact when he's on the floor,

versus when he's not stuck up for you in terms of the MVP?

He is.

It does.

I think being third in the MVP race is pretty good.

That's easy, too.

Like this is good.

First off, I was a talker watching.

I'm explaining to guys that don't have style.

What style looks like a mark?

I really like that cardigan.

I move to our guests who also gave us very much.

Listen, I think being third in the MVP,

being third in the MVP race is pretty great.

I just also think that there are,

we are pressing fast forward,

and we are overlooking some historically great offensive seasons.

Most notably, I think by Luca,

but that's fine.

Luca's, I've always been partial to Luca.

I also have this question.

Like, so, for the folks that have been banging the drum,

Wimbee is the best player in the league.

Not that he will be.

He's the best player in the league.

He thinks he's the league MVP.

What are the fair expectations for the Spurs come this both season?

And what are, like, that's because I think,

because again, I am a bastion of fairness and,

and try, equality,

I think that if the Spurs were to get clipped in round two

by the veteran Laker team,

there's no shame in that whatsoever.

That is the path teams almost always take.

You guys are setting it up to where,

if, certainly, they have to beat the Lakers,

and Wimbee just explained to us how they dominate OKC,

how he's the best player in that series,

so that'd be damn near a gag job if they lose the OKC.

The Spurs, the Spurs, like,

on finals or bus?

If the Spurs won the title,

it would be unprecedented for a team

that hasn't had any playoff suffering.

Like, they would be unprecedented

if they won the title this year.

I agree.

He's the host of FS1's first things first,

and what's right with Nick Wright, the podcast,

we've got to get him out of here.

But before you go,

you said you're interested in fairness along the media landscape.

What is your issue with Ian Rappaport,

and do you have any thoughts on Dan Arlovsky

being the only guy out there saying the Thai Simpson

is the number one quarterback,

while also being repped by the same agency.

Okay, so all of you are both of those in reverse order.

I think the agent's stuff is so wild,

one fair and ridiculous,

and what Dan said yesterday is correct.

The idea that we work for agents,

it's the opposite of that.

The agents get a cut of our money.

Agents work for us.

So I used to catch this stuff about clutch and rich,

and because my agent is partners with rich,

like they work for us.

So I think the idea that Dan is catering

is takes to CA clients.

CA's got a million clients broadcast and sports.

So I think that's unfair.

I am not a college football film expert,

but I do respect that I think Arlovsky has an opinion

that he knows will be controversial,

and he's not couching it.

Like he believes in something he's arguing for it.

And so I respect that.

As far as Rappaport, and this is going to make my life awkward,

but again, bastion of fairness.

I have no problem whatsoever with the impersonally none.

I've had dinner with him a couple of times

and group settings.

He's a nice guy.

We have mutual friends.

And I think in general, he's good at his job.

But I think we have crossed the Rubicon from

reporting the friendliest possible contract details

because it makes the agents look good

to outright misleading the public.

When you report that Travis Kelsey

signs a $3.55 million deal that could be worth up to $58 million,

and that then is on the bottom line of shows,

fans that are not dialed into spot rack,

like wow, $3.55 million.

The Swifties are excited about it.

When everyone knows and knew two weeks ago

that it is a $1.12 million deal with $3 million of incentives

that in year two and year three pays him the league minimum

and five days into year two.

If he's on the roster, he gets a check for $40 million,

which was put in as a dummy year

so they can spread out the cap hit,

you've now misled the audience.

Travis Kelsey does not have a $3.55 million deal.

He has a $1.12 million deal.

If he does not retire, he will either be cut

or that will be reworked prior to the fifth day of next league year

because they're not going to give him a $40 million check.

Travis doesn't expect it.

Chiefs don't expect it. His agents don't expect it.

So to then report that he has something

because it's technically true when it's wildly inaccurate

because milk honey sports now owes you a favor

is I think ridiculous.

He's got to go. He's the best doing this right now.

I was thought it was Spotract by the way.

I thought it was Spotract. No, it's Spotract.

You know what, it might be.

I might have gotten that, you know what, bad job by me.

That'll probably cost me the Emmy soon.

On an island on your own now, Greg. See you later.

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Don Lebertard.

A woman who was out swimming with her friends

has believed to have been swallowed whole by a 13-foot shark

without any of her friends noticing.

That's the weirdest part about that story.

You're swimming with friends, you're having a good time

and then all of a sudden people are looking around go,

where's Shelley?

Like nobody screamed?

Every friend group has a Shelley though

that if they go missing because a shark ate them whole,

you wouldn't notice.

Classic Shelley.

Exactly right.

Yeah.

She went quietly apparently.

If I'm swallowed whole by a shark, you're going to know it.

This is the Don Lebertard show with its two gods.

Let's find out what the truth of that is in a moment.

We're going to update our tournament in a moment

and we ran out of time or I would have just told him

how some of his teams have been knocked out of our looks like tournament.

But let's do that now.

North Dakota State was represented by the Nick Wright conference.

That means this is gone.

Nick Wright looks like a Geico caveman.

And number 15, Queens, also out of the tournament.

That means this is out of the tournament.

Nick Wright looks like Adam Driver if he wore his Kylo Ren helmet

for a month straight.

We will update the rest of our tournament

and tell you about the matchups that are coming up this week.

But I wanted to get to this Paul George story

as he returns.

The 76ers would be and will be formidable if Paul George

and Joel and Bede can play in a seven game series.

When those guys are out on the court together,

that is a team that could beat anybody in the East.

They're just rarely out on the court together.

Maxi, Edgecom, Paul George at some level

or capacity that is efficient and Joel and Bede

could challenge everybody.

But Paul George has said,

and I want to walk carefully here

because I don't want to disrespect anyone's mental health.

But I think he's hiding behind it here in a way

that seems frothy.

And I'll explain it to you when you read some of these quotes.

Tony, look up the quotes for me here

so that we can read some of the quotes

because it sounds like Paul George is saying,

I was playing poorly, my body hurt, I got sad,

it affected my mental health,

therefore I used PEDs.

And that's not how mental health works.

Like you got sad because you were playing poorly

isn't something that you file under the umbrella of mental health

to try and get away with your cheating

because you know people will be careful

about attacking something that they need to be careful about.

But the way that he's presenting this

shows a basic misunderstanding of mental health

and the way he's communicating it makes me feel

like he either doesn't know what mental health issues are

or is articulating them poorly.

But just because you're playing poorly,

you can't just say mental health, mental health,

you're sad because you're playing poorly.

Like this is how aging works.

The body starts to betray you.

You can't just file it under,

hey, my brain chemistry has something wrong with it

because you're sad because you're playing poorly.

Here's the exact quote from PG.

The most difficult thing is when your body isn't

so you know it needs to be or where it once was,

disleads and bleeds to the mental side of things,

knowing that you're limited.

But for me, I feel good.

My body's feeling great.

Mentally, I know I'm capable of doing what I need to do

and I've been able on the court for years now.

So this part is difficult because I don't know

the depths of his mental health issues.

But if you're going to get suspended for 25 games

and then use it as the armor against our questions,

you need to explain it better.

Like if you're going to volunteer that that's the reason

we shouldn't go after you for cheating,

you need to do a better job of explaining to us

what the issues are with the darkness and the brain chemistry

that would make it slightly more believable

that you're not just sad because you're not the player you used to be.

Another quote reads,

being a pro athlete takes a toll on you.

My body wasn't where I wanted it to be the expectations

to perform because of my body not being where it needed to be.

Obviously, I'm going to have expectations for myself

and that's what led to a poor decision at the time.

I will say as I said before.

That's ownership at the end, Dan.

I will say, as I've said before,

professional sport is a mental health obstacle course.

You're getting to work every day

and competing with others who want to take your job

and your money.

You're competing against a desperate world,

war-torn countries,

the inner cities over money.

You're at the top 1% of the top 1%

and every day you come into work,

they're trying to figure out a way to get someone younger and cheaper

to take your dollars.

The whole thing is a difficult mental health challenge

for every single person who has to work in that environment.

I cannot tell you the number of athletes who have articulated to me

no joy in the doing of their work

except when those three hours of play are taking place.

No joy anywhere else around it.

Not before, not in the travel,

not like the lifestyle, sure.

I'm going to say parts of the lifestyle.

People don't understand the lifestyle.

Getting to every city at 5 a.m.

and having a walk around in a hotel ballroom

doesn't feel like whatever you imagine

is the height of athletic fame and glory.

Many, many athletes, all they like about sports

is the three hours of performance.

But most of life is not that three hours of performance.

Most of life is a mental health challenge.

I believe Paul George,

when he says there's a link between his mental health issues

and his using PEDs.

I don't have any reason not to believe him.

The question is that a legitimate excuse

and I don't think it would be seen as one.

It is a legitimate excuse

if mental health issues are real

and you're taking some sort of medication

that helps you with your real mental health issues.

But again, the way he's articulating this to me,

you're shaking your head at me, Mike.

But the way that he's articulating this to us

and the quote is saying,

I'm sad because my body wasn't where it was.

And that's why a lot of guys use PEDs.

All right, so there's a lot to chew on here.

And I don't know if he's self-diagnosed.

I don't listen to his pods,

so I don't know if he's consulted people on this.

Here's what I do know.

He broke the rule.

And that's a very clear rule.

And he could be taking stuff that is in line with the rules.

There is no confusion to these NBA players

as to what's allowed for them to put in their bodies

and what's not.

It's so easy to find out too.

And he broke the rule.

Now, he may be offering up an explanation.

It could also be looked into as an excuse

and it could play into what you're saying,

which is holding that up as a shield

as he knowingly breaks the rule.

I think that there are two things at play here.

And I think he can have his struggles.

And I think he can be honest about him.

And he can even tout advocacy.

But he broke the rule.

And there's no real explanation for that

as, meekly, as he tries to offer one.

Is it possible that he doesn't even,

like, is he lying?

Is it possible that he's lying?

And he's just using the mental health part

because, yes, it's very difficult to question someone

when they say that they're having mental health issues

because there are, there have to be plenty of athletes,

plenty of players in the NBA who are using antidepressants

to do it.

Like, there are hundreds of antidepressants out there

that you're absolutely able to use prescribed by a doctor

that is not going to get you pinched against the league's PET.

I think what it's saying is super important.

Paul George is definitely not the only person

in that league struggling with mental health.

He is definitely so many players.

He is the only one though getting the rare 25 game suspension

from a league that doesn't do a lot of that.

That's right.

That's right.

That's right.

That's also a credit untruthful.

Right.

That's also a credit to the players that are going through this

that know the rules, that have what they feel

is like the very same excuse

and are choosing to follow the rules.

I wouldn't go as far as to slap him with the pejorative of lying.

To me, this sounds like someone who's not properly informed

on the spectrum of mental health issues

when he articulates it in a way that says to you flatly,

it's the opposite of lying.

It's a little too honest.

I'm sad because my body doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

It's not lying.

He's speaking, he's being too truthful about what it is he did

and why he did it and that's making me question.

Not whether he's lying about mental health as an excuse,

whether he understands what he's talking about.

If Paul George is someone who is predisposed to depression,

he's been someone who is open about mental health throughout his career.

Not necessarily, for example, articulating it as well as Kevin Love,

who is one of the guys who has been outspoken about these things

and has gotten into some really deep, in-depth conversations

about his own treatment.

Paul George is not saying here I took a performance enhancing drug

to help my body because my mental health was failing.

What he's saying is my body was breaking down,

which sent me into some sort of depressive state here

and so I took something that was banned.

So what we don't know is was he trying to self-medicate

in some sort of way with his mental health.

Maybe Paul George is someone who is already taking some sort

of pre-approved, anti-depressant that is okay within the league.

But then he decided to self-medicate and he says,

I made a bad decision at the time.

Look, I'll be somewhat vulnerable here.

I've gone through major ups and downs with my own mental health

and have gone through stages where I have self-medicated

in ways that I wish I wouldn't have.

And now I've gotten the proper medications diagnosed by a doctor

that helped me stay stable in those things.

Paul George maybe is someone that didn't consult with a doctor

and should have.

He violated the rules.

He was suspended.

And now he's showing up vulnerably and saying,

Hey, I made a mistake.

It's my fault.

I'm owning it.

I'm explaining to you why.

And now after 25 games off, my body feels good.

I'm not going to make this mistake again.

I don't think that we need to necessarily like criticize him

for using mental health as a crutch.

As much as it's a seemingly real and vulnerable explanation.

You're saying he's explaining it.

And I'm saying he's not explaining it well.

He got fine $12 million and had 25 games to think about

what he was going to say when he got back

and how he was going to say it.

These people have management and all sorts of people around them

to help them with the delivery of that message.

The way he delivered it didn't reach me as someone

who's predisposed to compassion and empathy

in all of these circumstances.

I'm reading this and I'm saying this is an affront

to other people who are dealing with mental health issues.

And it's not because of what he may or may not be suffering.

It's because of how he's explaining it to me.

I don't want to question what the depths of his despair are.

The way he explained it to us though is like,

I wasn't playing well and so I did something I shouldn't have done.

And while he may not have consulted a mental health specialist

as has already underscored,

they are being consulted as to what is legal

and what is not according to the bylaws of a league.

He did mental health advocacy.

No favors in any of these.

I agree.

And his logic could be applied to anybody

that has ever taken performance and answers ever

because I'm not good enough and that is weighing on my mind.

Totally fair.

Unhappiness at work, of course, is a struggle

deteriorating your body when you're competing against people

whose bodies are functioning better.

Yeah, that's a hardship.

But you gotta explain it better than that.

Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?

Don't place parlays on multiple long shots.

Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero.

Always drink your gig or myster ice cold.

That's the rule.

Everything else is merely a suggestion.

Everything else.

Everything else.

Wearing clean, underwear, every day.

Well, that's just a personal decision.

Brushing your teeth.

Ugh.

Obviously smart, but not a rule.

Never pee pee on an electric fence.

Okay, maybe there are two rules.

But the one that is a hundred percent

that I insist on completely,

Yeager Myster, must be drank ice cold.

Or don't drink it at all.

Damn, that's cold.

Exactly.

You're finally starting to get it.

Drink responsibly.

Yeager Myster Lakora, 35% alcohol by volume,

imported by mass Yeager Myster U.S.

White Plains, New York.