Transcript of Hour 1: Dan Steals Stan's Nuggets (feat. Stan Van Gundy)

Sag mal, Nikola, hast du auch immer dieses Gefühl, bei der Steuererklärung mit einem Bein schon im Knast zu stehen?

Boah, nee, gar nicht. Wieso Steuer ist so die Steuer-App, mit der ich wirklich nichts falsch machen kann. Wow. Das heißt, damit ist alles sicher? Ja, genau. Wieso Steuer ist die Steuer-App, die dich versteht. Weil Steuer betrifft ja dein ganzes Leben. Arbeit, Kinder, Partner. Du kannst nichts falsch machen.

Stimmt. Nice.

Fühlt sich gar nicht wie Steuern an. Steuern erledigt? Safe. Mit Wieso Steuer? Jetzt kostenlos testen. This is the Dan Levatore Show with the Stugats podcast.

Look at who's here, the lead game analyst for the NBA on Prime. He's half the man he used to be. Look at him. Look at him. Stan Van Gunde with us. Sixers at Detroit, Celtics at OKC on Thursday. A special game last night in the Association. So we start obviously here with Stan talking about food. Stan, they're DTF St. Louis. They're down to feast in St. Louis at the ballpark. You got $29 get you an assortment of foods All You Can Eat Here, Stan. Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, Brotwurst, nacho chips, popcorn, French fries, peanuts, kettle chips, ice cream, and fountain drinks for $29. What does Stan Van Gundee think of that deal as a baseball fan. He's in Houston. He went to the World Base Classic yesterday. He loves baseball just as much as he loves basketball, but he loves food more than both of them. What do you think of this unlimited $29 deal here, Stan?

That's a hell of a deal. I mean, I would just make sure I didn't eat before I went to the game that night. That's a hell of a deal.

What would be your choices there? What would you go with? How much damage do you think you would do?

Well, I would have the The first line there. I would get a Diet Coke, the hot dogs, the chicken nuggets. Well, I might get a Brott, but definitely popcorn. And that would be it. But I'd eat a lot of all that stuff.

So you would make them regret their decision to make all of that $29?

I would try to make them regret it, yes.

Your love of baseball. Tell me about going to the World Baseball Classic. What did you see yesterday?

Well, it was incredible. I had never, and I didn't really think about it until I was going. But for all the sporting events I've been to, I had never been to a major international match. I was talking to my brother, and he's been to the Olympics and the World Cup in basketball. He's I had never been to the women's World Cup in soccer. I had never been to anything, and it was phenomenal against Mexico. I mean, the atmosphere before the game, there were probably more Mexico fans there than USA fans. They were certainly louder. Usa had a five-run inning and got up five-nothing, but Mexico battled back and made it interesting, and the crowd was really into it. I haven't been, and I've been to the World Series when the Marlins were in it. I've been to the World Series back in the day when I was young and the A's were in it. I've never been in a stadium that was as electric as it was last night. Judge and Roman Anthony He hit home runs, but Bobby Witt Jr. Made two of the best defensive plays. You would see Judge made an incredible throw to throw a guy out at third base.

I mean, it was just a lot of fun.

I was hurt and offended that you went on another show and told people that Dwight Howard had not only a world-class NBA IQ, but was also an All-Star farter?

I just got asked the question. I didn't bring it up. I did not bring it up.

Well, now I'm asking- I just verified the story. So what constitutes being an All-Star farter?

No, I didn't say that. I did not say that. They said that the story was that in walkthroughs and things that he would fart. And I said, Yes, that's true. That's it for me. I don't classify an All-Star. I don't know if there is an All-Star in that category.

So he's crop dusting?

Yeah, I guess.

But do you have second place? Who else is all NBA farter in your experience?

No, I don't have that experience.

But think about it for next time.

Okay. Is that Shaq? Yes. Give it some thought and make sure to get back to us on that if you would. Oh, yeah.

I'll spend a lot of time thinking about that, guys.

Since February first, the NBA's best record, number one, San Antonio, Boston, number two. Nba net rating, San Antonio, number one, Boston, number NBA defense, number one, Boston, San Antonio, number two. Are those your NBA finals team, Stan? I don't know.

I mean, I still think, look, Oklahoma City, you look at the number of injuries they've had, and they still have the best record in the league. I mean, it's incredible. I mean, Jalen Williams has missed 40 games, and they've had numerous guys miss games. Isiah Hartenstein, I think, has missed 30 games. Sga missed 12 games. Aj Mitchell just came back after missing 20 games straight. It's incredible. I mean, they haven't had their team, and yet they have the best record. So I would still say until somebody knocks them off, they're the favorite. But I like San Antonio. I like Boston, but I think the East is wide open. New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Detroit. And then even you've got a lot of teams starting to play well now. The team nobody's going to want to face is Charlotte in the first round. So you went through all those things in the last seven weeks. Charlotte is tied for the best record in the East with Boston, and they are tied. Only San Antonio has a better record than they do. Somebody in the first or second spot is going to get them in the first and they're playing as well as anybody in the league right now.

Stan, I wonder what your thoughts are when you heard people on television or radio before Jason Tatum return speaking about how difficult it might be for the Celtics to reintegrate Tatum. Because I remember you dealt with something similar when you were coaching Orlando with Jamir Nelson.

Yeah, I didn't really worry about Boston's ability to reintegrate him. He's played with all those guys. I just am shocked that in 10 months, this guy is able to come back and has looked the way he has. Now, he hasn't shot the ball well, but he's looked like he's moving well and playing well. I've been through it with a guy coming back off of an Achilles And usually, when they come back, it's still a good long time, almost an entire season before they're back playing at a high level. And that's guys that have taken a full year or more to get back. So I'm absolutely shocked to see what he's doing out there. Obviously, he did an unbelievable job in his rehab because he looks like the same old Jason Tatum to me.

Were you tempted at all to say Miami when you said Charlotte there? Group them when you're talking about other teams in the East. You say the East is wide open. I don't agree with you. I think Boston is better than everybody, and I don't trust everybody. You caught a lot of heat for comments recently on Detroit because you know how offensively limited that team is.

Yeah. Look, I love Detroit. I mean, as a guy who really respects hard play in teams, the defensive end of the floor, the whole thing, I love them. I just know that the regular season and playoffs are two totally different challenges. The regular season is about how often your team is ready to play and brings close to their best. And Detroit has been phenomenal at that. But the playoffs are what your best is. I would agree with you right now with Tateam back, looking the way he is, that Boston's the favorite, but I don't think that they're an overwhelming favorite. I don't. I think New York, Cleveland, Detroit. Miami is starting to play well. Orlando is playing well now, and they don't have their best players. So injuries are going to be a big part of it. You give me the top four or five teams in the East, and do the same in the West. Tell me who's going to be healthiest. That's who I'll pick.

Did you just make a Cogner better than Bancaro?

Yeah, I think he's their best player if you're looking at both ends of the floor. I mean, it's close. And I will say, Paulo Bancaro, since the All-Star break, has been a different guy. I mean, he's been great. He's been much more aggressive. I didn't think up until the All-Star break that he was playing great. I thought he was playing okay. I didn't think he was playing great. But since the All-Star break, he's been phenomenal. They get those two guys, and Desmond Bain. They've rediscovered their defensive identity. I think they've got a shot. I mean, New York has stumbled in the two games in LA, but their defensive identity is back. Look, I do. I think it's wide open. I would agree with you that Boston's a favorite, but I think it's wide open.

Last night's game between OKC and Denver was really great. It was great from start to finish. Denver is down seven with a minute twelve left and tie the game even though Jokić missed a free throw. The math on that is hard. Dort, again, did a foul to Jokić, hit him in the face, and it was a flagrant. Shay Gildas-Alexander tied Wilt Chamberlain's scoring streak by getting 20 points in 126 straight games. When I say that to you, Stan, what are your thoughts just on that, that Shay Gildas-Alexander has tied Wilt Chamberlain scoring streak of 20 points in a game in 126 straight games.

Yeah, no, look, that's phenomenal. And we have their game Thursday night, where he will more than likely break that record. I mean, if If you tell me a guy scored in double figures, 126 straight games, it's phenomenal. I mean, but 20 points in basically a season and a half straight worth of games, it's mind boggling. And anytime you're doing something in a scoring realm that surpasses Wilt Chamberlain, it's incredible what Shea Gill, just Alexander, has done. I mean, not only has he been great, but that level of consistency is incredible.

Quick break to tell you about a special Miller time I had with my good buddy, Mochette. Mochette texted me the other day. He said, Hey, what are you doing for the game? I said, I'm just on my couch right now doing nothing. In enjoying it. He's like, Hey, do you want some company? I said, From you, Mochetta? Absolutely. Mochetta comes over to the house and I pull out the Miller light. Miller light made that casual hang. A memorable good Miller time with my good friend, Mochetta. Because Miller light brought us together. We took that first sip after we toasted our beers and we knew we made the right call. We watched a game. All of a sudden, we're standing up on our feet. Big threes are being drained, and white cans are being clanged. See, times like these, that's exactly why Miller light is my go-to. Clean, refreshing, easy to drink. Brewed for taste with simple ingredients. The original light beer since 1975, and it still hits different for yours truly and his good friend Mochette. Cheers to legendary moments made with Miller Light. Great taste, 96 calories. Go to millerlight. Com/dan to find delivery options near you.

Or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3. 2 carbs per 12 ounces.

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Don Lebatard.

You know how these late-season games are? We don't know. It's a big game for the Knicks. We have absolutely no idea how Boston will play. I don't know who they'll play, who they won't play. Stugatz. Okay. All right, that's fine.

That's an excellent promotion. I love that. That's great. Sold. That's it. That's perfect advertising for the national game on TV today.

I was going to watch.

Now, I'm not going to watch. Holy shit.

That was a shitty sales job. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

Windhorse has mentioned that empirically, numerically, Exactly. The Lakers are good when it's Luka and Austin Reeves, but not when LeBron's on the court. What do you do with that?

First of all, I would say that they don't have enough of a sample size with all three of those guys healthy to to really know what's going to work and not work. But look, I looked at those numbers the other day, and Luka and Reeves has been better than either one of those guys with LeBron. So it's true. I just don't know if it's meaningful in the sample size that we have. I still think the big problem with the Lakers is going to whether or not they are able to defend at a high level. They're going to score.

They're not going to be able to defend at a high level. What are you doing?

I don't think so either.

No, they're not going to. What are you talking about?

And I would agree with you. But it's the question, if they can, then they've got a chance. But I don't see how, because your three best players, none of them are plus defenders. Lebron used to be. He was as good a defender as there was in the league. But at 41 years old, he's not an above-average defender anymore. And Luka and Reeve certainly aren't. It's going to be very, very tough. For them. And the West is just really difficult. The team, I think, in the West that can give San Antonio and Oklahoma City a run is Denver. They have not been healthy all year, as we know, and yet they're still hanging in there. And when they get everybody back... I didn't think it was a good sign last night, though, because they were fully healthy last night, and Oklahoma City was with the outhard Einstein- Aaron Gordon was great.

Aaron Gordon was so good last night. He's important to them.

Well, he's very key to them. But I would have thought, even though it was on the road, last night, they should have been able to pull that one out with with no Jalen Williams, no Chet Holmgren, no Isaiah Hartenstein. I mean, that was their chance. No Alex Caruso. And still, Oklahoma City wins. I mean, That's what I'm saying. I mean, Oklahoma City, they have the best record in the league, and these guys have missed a ridiculous amount of games.

He's the lead game analyst for NBA on Prime. As I mentioned, Sixers at Detroit and Celtics at OKC on Thursday. On Friday, it's Cavs at Dallas and T-Wolves at Golden State. On Saturday, it's Hornets at San Antonio. That's this week on NBA on Prime. I want to speed stand up, though. I'm going to make his answer short. Tony's dying to get in here with a thousand questions, so we're going to speed you up. Let's give him some music here. You mentioned LeBron was a great defender in his Prime. The best defender in the league right now is Blank.

The Thompson Twins Both of them, they're just equal.

You're making-Doctor, doctor.

You know what? Yeah, I would have said- Call me now. I've been early in the year, but watching Asar as the year has gone on, I think he's his brother's equal at the defensive end. A men's a better offensive player.

The best shooter in the league after Steph Curry is blank.

The best shooter in the league, period, just shooter, is Luke Canard.

Better than Steph.

Well, just as a shooter. Yeah, but Luke can't get his shot.

All right. Put it on the poll at Levitard Show. Is Stan Van Gundee crazy for saying that Luke Canard is a better shooter than Steph Curry?

Okay, see, you never let me explain myself. Luke can't get his own shot. Steph is by far the more dangerous shooter and player. But if we're just going to stand there and shoot the ball, Luke Cunard is the best shooter in the league.

The best front office in the sport is blank.

Well, you got to have in Oklahoma City, but San Antonio is pretty damn close.

Is Connipel the most fun name to say on a broadcast?

We haven't had their games, but yes, it would be, and I would love to do that. Though I will say this, okay? I had a college game. The only college game I did before I do March Madness, Tuesday night. And the point guard at, and this is his true name, the point guard at that Xavier is, his last name is Wright. His first name is All. He is All Wright. And now, crazier than that, his brother, his brother who plays, I want to say it like Rio Grande Valley or something, his first name is Always.

Do you have a Hornets game? Can we get you to say some form? Can we get you to shout some form of Genuflect before the Nipple?

No, you're not going to get me to say that, but I do hope we get one of their games. We have Amazon Prime has the play-in games. They're going to be in that. We have all the play-in. So hopefully I'll get a Charlotte game because their turnaround has been incredible. I watched them early in the year, and I thought, same old Charlotte, and now, literally, they're as good as anybody. I mean, we're Talking about Boston, and they're the favorite. Great, I agree. But Charlotte's been just as good over the last seven weeks. Charlotte has had the best offense in the league since the 22nd of January. And the sixth best defense. I mean, they've been phenomenal, and Konkanipal has been a huge part of that. I think he's the rookie of the year just on availability and team success.

Why won't you say bow before the nipple? Why won't you say it?

You guys, I'm not going to say it. Yeah, you're not going to get me to say that.

Coach, obviously, you mentioned Concanimple is your rookie of the year. This has been a super tight race between Cooper Flag and Concanimple. Do you feel like Concanimple, who's now the betting favorite, will win?

Well, I do think he'll win. I think it's more on availability. He's played more games. He's on a better team. Cooper flags fabulous, but I think Concanipple is the rookie of the year.

Everybody talks about Wemby and glowing praise and all that. Can you give me Wemby's flaw, his one flaw?

You can turn him over. At 7'4, he's got a high dribble. You can attack him on the dribble, and he can, at times, become a mistake player.

Kawhi Leonard having his best season after 14 years. Can you describe what he's doing?

They're 26 and 11 in their last 30 seven games.

I mean, that's the other great turnaround this year. They started 6 and 21, and Kawhi has had to absolutely carry that team offensively, and he's been up to the challenge. The thing with Kawhi, too, is he not only puts up big numbers, but he does it so efficiently, and he does it with defenses loaded up to him.

What do you think the penalty should be if all of this around Kawhi Leonard is true, the way that Pablo Tori finds out, it keeps making it seem like it's all true?

Well, to me, it's not a matter just if it's true. It's a matter of who was doing it and what the motivation was. I mean, I do not think that Steve Ballmer was involved in this. I don't think either directly or indirectly. Why? I don't have any idea. Why? Because I just don't I don't see why. I mean, the guy's making all kinds of money. I mean, I don't see why. I really don't.

It's tens of millions of dollars that are being hidden there. You think that escapes his attention?

I don't have any idea. I really don't. On the business side of things, I just don't have any idea of what's going on with any of that or what he's been doing.

You haven't I haven't heard any of Pablo Torres' episodes, have you? You just don't want to live it.

I have heard. I've read stuff. I have not heard any of them. But listen, I do think Pablo Torres... I think he's a good journalist. I think he does a good job. I'm not slightly him, but no, I haven't. Listen, it's the same thing, you know this, when you start talking to me about sports and in basketball, about potential trades and salary cap and free agent signs. I'm interested in the games. I just don't get caught up in a lot of the other stuff.

Stan, the Hornets sent the Heat a second round pick yesterday from the Terry Rozier trade from two years ago. Should the Heat be upset about that whole situation?

About the Terry Rozier situation? I mean, everybody's upset about all of this. That stuff has affected the league in a bad way. So if, again, Depending on what everybody knew, and if they knew what was going on and sent the heat, Terry Rozier, and didn't tell the heat, yeah, the heat should be upset. The heat should be more upset that Terry Rozier didn't play very well for him.

Let's play some sound here of Steve Kerr and get Stan Van Gundee's reaction to this.

I know this will not be a popular opinion in the league office, but I will continue to say it because it's obvious we need to play fewer games. We need to take 10 games off the schedule. I think it would be great for the league. I get it. It's revenue, and you'd have to get everybody to agree to take a little less money, and that's a really hard thing to do. But what I know about the league, about coaching, about how hard it is to play the modern game with the pace and the space, I think it would be a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games.

Stan?

Well, look, I agree. I think that to me, the best way, if we wanted just great quality of play, the best way to play the league would be a very balanced schedule. Everybody would play everybody twice. We'd play 58 games, and we would take our best teams into the playoffs. But I do think something's missing from the argument. I don't think fewer games in and of itself is enough. I think the biggest problem with injuries is not the number of games. I think the biggest problem with injuries is that people have stopped practicing, and the league-wise My way to do things has been to do less and less and less. I think the players are deconditioned. And yes, the game is more demanding than ever, but it's nonsensical to me that as there are great Peter demands, we do less in preparation. No other sport would think of doing it that way. Ask the swimmers if as they meet more demands, they do less and less and less. No, you do more and more and more. I think we've deconditioned players. I don't think we practice enough. I think that's the problem. I think that there are people in the scientific world who are coming around to that.

But listen, here's the thing. It's a CYA situation, and no strength and conditioning coach, no coach is ever going to be chastised for doing too little. The guy got hurt and you haven't practiced enough. That's never going to happen. But if they think you're working guys too hard, playing guys too many minutes, and they get hurt, then you have a problem. All I know is this. We're doing less and less and less in terms of practice. We've load managed, we've given guys games off, and injuries continue to climb. Something isn't working, okay? Whether that's too many games, there can be a lot of answers, but something isn't working.

That was a heroic effort by you keeping down that burp. Mike Ryan thought it was a yawn. I don't think it was a yawn. I think it's too many diet sodas in the morning.

Yes. Well, it's not too many because I'm on my first one, but yes.

That sounded like the carbonation. I thought that was courageous.

It was the carbonation.

You pushed it down and you fought through, and I salute you. It's why you're the lead announcing for Prime on all things basketball. Don Levatard. Punctuate this segment with what is your strike three call?

Strike one would be, strike.

And then you stand up and you give a good point to the right.

Stugats. That's the same for strike two. But strike three, you get down low. You got your hands behind the catcher. The right arm goes up into the air. And then you finish You finish it with the punch. The right arm flings way up into the air.

I wish I could see that. It's terrible. The audio is great. This is the Dan Levatard show with the You got.

Stan, why are they practicing last? When did that start?

Well, it was a gradual thing over the years, and it became the idea that the game is more demanding, so these guys need more rest. It makes sense. It's just not working. I don't think practices need to have the contact all the time, but I do think these guys need to be getting up and down the court on a on your regular basis. I look at a lot of these soft tissue injuries, and I'm saying, wait a minute now. We shouldn't have as many pulled muscles and things like that as we have. You're not going to get away from the knee injuries and things like that. We've always had those. But with pulled hamstrings and groins and all of that, I don't know. To me, that's as much a conditioning issue as anything. There's not many people going to agree with me on this because, again, the do less is really attractive to players, to coaches, to everybody. They just do less, don't get criticized for it, show up and play games is a popular way to go about it.

Put it on the poll, please, Juju, and I should remind people, Juju has got new music out today. His name has been changed from Juju Gatti to Juju Got It, and you can find it wherever it is that you find your music. You can do so by looking for the song Blue flame. Let's speed Tony and Stan up again here because Tony He's got a lot for Stan, and I want to get to it.

Stan, are we going to fall for the Minnesota trap again, where they look good at the end of the season, then getting to the playoffs, they fall flat and fizzle out?

No, we're not going to fall for that.

They always get us, too. I'm like, I think Anthony Ores can do it. No, not anymore. What else you got for him, Tony? We got to speed it up.

Are the Wizards heading in the right direction as a franchise?

No.

That's good, Stan. It doesn't even need an explanation. Stan has gotten good at this game. Stan has gotten good at this game. What's your next question?

I would like to see if we could change the music for a second and do a stat of the day with Stan. Is that possible?

No, it is not. No, a third no for you. The Knicks, are you believing that they are something that can actually be for real this year and get to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Yes.

What are you believing in there? Their defense? You're believing that- Their defense has really started to step up, and they are an elite offensive team.

So, yeah, I believe they've got a shot. I think they and Boston could be a terrific series.

Last time that you were on with us, you said that, not Jokić, I'm sorry, Luka was the best offensive player you had ever seen. Are you sticking to that?

Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's he and Jokić. And I said the other night, because we had all three of them in the same game in Denver, Jokić, LeBron, and Donchik, the three certainly best all-around offensive players, can handle the ball, pass, shoot from range, post up, take the ball to the basket, pass off the dribble. I mean, those three guys are the only guys I can think of that can do everything required in the game at an elite level.

True or false, Wemby is going to start hogging all the championships?

Man, certainly possible. I don't know that anybody can totally dominate. There's going to be some good teams, but God, that team is really good And he's unbelievable.

You don't seem to understand true or false.

It's true or false. Okay, well, I'll say false because I don't think anybody's going to hog all the championships. But if anybody's going to, it would be him.

There you go. Wait a minute. How did that get in here?

Did Roy overrule me?

Commandeering the ship, Dan.

I got overruled.

How do I get overruled? It's like a mutiny. You better watch it, man. The League leader in points per possession on Isos is not who you think it is.

Obviously, we have incredible offensive prowess in the NBA. The number one person in the NBA on points per possession on Isos is Payton Pritchard at 1. 3 points per possession on Isobal. Stan, can you tell me how of a season Payton Pritchard is having, if that's number one?

Well, I think what's been phenomenal, he's having a great season. But what's been unbelievable to me is this guy got his opportunity to start. They decided it would be best for him to go back to the bench, and he's played better off the bench than he did as a starter. So he's not a guy who'd spend any time pouting. He's averaged more points off the bench, higher percentage field goal, higher three-point percentage, higher free throw percentage, more assists. I mean, he's been better off the bench. I mean, incredible. I mean, that team in what they've done in that organization in terms of developing talent and understanding talent. I should have thrown them in.

I thought that's what you were going to answer. I thought that's what you were going to answer when I asked your best front office.

Okay, Steve, San Antonio and Boston have been phenomenal. I think But I think what all those three teams have done, too, is they have done a great job in talent evaluation, all three of them. And then their coaching staffs have all done an incredible job in developing players. And if you're just talking Boston, look, Payton's Richard and Sam Hauzer. I remember, God, I don't know how many years back, I watched them in a series against Miami, and they tried to play those guys, and they couldn't. I mean, Miami just abused both of them. And Joe Mizzula stuck with those guys, and now they're two very important players. And then I watched Baylor Sheyerman as a rookie, and I'm like, God, I don't know if this guy will ever be an NBA player. Now I watch him. And over the last eight games here, he's averaged over 10 points a game and shooting phenomenal percentages. Nemeas Keita, I think, is better for them than Christops Porzingas was for what they need. They just keep finding and developing players. I think San Antonio and OKC have done the same thing. Yeah, that's three phenomenal organizations. And Brad Stevens, to me, for somebody to have the success he had coaching and then the front office success he had, there's not too many people who have done that.

Obviously, Pat Reilly right there in Miami has had success A phenomenal success on both sides, but probably the next best behind Pat would be Brad Stevens.

You're not going to believe this, Stan, but as we were leaving ESPN, there was a giant wrestling match for our intellectual property, and we somehow were able to wrestle this away from ESPN.

Now, time for Stan Van Gondi's top NBA Nugget on a Tuesday. Show.

We're bringing back the nuggets Stan Van Gundi. Do you have some nuggets for us?

You are- You know what? Here's the thing. I had nuggets prepared, and then we've hit on most of them. I had my Charlotte nugget because I didn't think people realized how good they were. I will go this, though, since we're talking MVP race a little bit. So we talked about SGA and his streak, 126 straight games. I'll give you a nugget on that. The second longest active streak, Kawhi Leonard, who we talked about, it's exactly one-third of SGA's streak. He scored 20 plus in 42 straight games. That's the second active streak. And by the way, Wilt Chamberlain also has the next longest streak. He had another streak of 92 straight games of 20 over. So that's a very long nugget. And then my third one would be on Jokić, no one has ever, at any point in their career, had a season where they led the league in rebounds per game and had a season where they led the league in assists per game. And Jokić is on track to do that in both categories this season.

I think he's a better offensive player than Michael Jordan. People think that it's offensive to say that, but- It is. Okay. If you say any If anybody's better at anything in basketball than Michael Jordan, you are going to get a ton of pushback.

I mean, it's just the Michael Jordan fans are out there like, Here's the one I got pushback on, and I don't even see how you can get pushback on this. We could argue all day on who the best player is and everything else. But the thing you cannot argue to me is no one has had a career even close to LeBron James. No one's had a career close to him in the NBA. Now, you want to say at their prime, who's better, everything else, fine. Go ahead, argue, but you can't. I mean, this guy is going to put the scoring record out of reach, and that's not the best part of his game.

Last two minutes here, and it's not enough time. The state of American politics at the moment. Go ahead, Stan. Have at it.

Listen, I mean, It's almost unthinkable that we're where we are. I mean, it's just like, forget, let's try to even put aside the ideology, okay, which is hard for me to do. An ideology of hate and racism and prejudice that half the country has embraced. That's unthinkable to me. But even beyond that, even if you're on that side and you're a consultant, conservative through and through. Can we hire people that have some experience and some qualifications? Can we hire some people with intelligence? I don't think you can hire a less competent administration if your goal was to be as incompetent as possible.

That's the discount. Thank you, Stan. Always good seeing you. We miss you around here. Please make your way around here more often. We I love you.

Love you guys, too. Keep having fun. I see all your... You're getting ready for March Madness, so am I. I'll get my assignments on Sunday and find out where I'm going.

That I love you had a question mark on it, didn't it? He said that in a way that was, I love you, too.

I think it was a burp that he was trying to sequester.

Again, another burp. Okay, you're right. See you later, Stan. All right, guys.

Good seeing you. Spectacular stuff. 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 Jägermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.

Everything else?

Everything else.

Wearing clean underwear every day?

Well, that's just a personal decision.

Brushing your teeth?

Obviously smart, but not a rule.

Never PP on an electric fence.

Okay, maybe there are two rules, but the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Jägermeister must be drink ice cold. Or don't drink it at all. Damn, that's cold. Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.

Drink responsibly. Jägermeister L'Core, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by Mass Jägermeister US, White Plains, New York.