Transcript of Did The Miami Heat Accidentally Leak The LeBron News? | Local Hour

Summer is pretty much my favorite time to be a sports fan. The biggest soccer tournament of the summer just wrapped up, baseball's on every night, racing never takes a weekend off, and my calendar basically revolves around first pitches, green flags, and whatever game everybody's texting about. I realized I'm the MVP of my group. I'm always the friend that says, "Hey, I've got it. I've got a place, I've got some ice cold Miller Lite, I got the TV, I got a big comfy blue leather couch, come on over." That's the behavior of a Miller Time MVP. I almost never watch the big ones alone. I'd much rather be with my friends. And if I am alone, we're texting, we're sipping on our Miller Lites, toasting the day, toasting the big games. For me, Miller Lite is just a part of a big game routine. It's brewed for taste with simple ingredients, clean, refreshing, and easy to drink, especially in the Miami heat. It's a true American pilsner and the original light beer since 1975. An all-American summer starts with an all-American beer, Miller Lite. Go to MillerLite.com/Dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Lite 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.

Finally, after more than a decade, we are gonna do that penalty kick challenge today. Greg Cody is going to do it., and his son has returned with not nearly enough shame on him. So before we talk to, uh, you know, I've heard all morning, you've heard it too, right? Uh, Chris Cody just said, hey, I'm not wrong, I'm early. Like, you know, I don't know why I sounded like Biden there, but you've heard him all morning trying to deflect. Uh, how much shame, Zaslav, should Chris Cody have on him today as a star member of Metal Ark Media who has done the most egregious of things, which is just flatly get a report wrong?

Oh no, I—

you're See, again, you're framing it that it's Chris Cody getting it wrong from Metal Ark Media. I think, I think the guy that got it wrong was Chris Cody from the Greg Cody Show.

Guys, alright, you know what, I'll do this here. Actually, I'll wait for the main show. I don't want to do this now. I don't know what a source is.

Speaking of not knowing what sources are, I don't think Chris knows this even though his father's a journalist. Maybe none of you know it. The standard in newspapers is you don't actually protect your sources at at all costs, you have to go tell your boss who your source is so that the newspaper's not liable. One person has to be told, or at least that was the standard when I was doing it. I wasn't allowed to report stuff with sources that my boss didn't know who the source was.

Then how come in every movie when the newspaper editor says, "Who's the source?" they're like, "You know, I can't tell you that." So, you want me to tell you?

Who the source was? I mean, Tony knows.

How does Tony know?

Told him.

I was trying to defend him. Notice the only guy that was defending him.

You gave up the goods.

Notice the only one that was defending him.

I know you tried to not protect your source on top of getting it wrong. Like you told Tony. You didn't tell me.

You hadn't asked me. I didn't know this rule about you got to tell your boss.

Leaky Fostertart too. He can't tell you.

That's true. That's true.

Yeah, that's true.

You know I can't tell you.

Yes, you can.

I got to protect you.

I can't tell you.

Got to protect the big man.

You plausible deniability, Dan. That's what that's called in the court of law.

What? What do you mean?

What?

What do you mean?

What? What court of law are you talking about? You're talking about people can get sued and then you go, you're liable. I'm talking about journalistic practices. I'm not talking about court of law. And I'm talking about the fact that he just got it wrong.

Whoa. All right.

You want me to get defensive?

Because I'll get defensive. Looks like the Heat were hearing the same thing as me based off last night.

That's not defensive.

Somebody. Somebody.

Yeah.

I mean, if we're going to do the Shame Olympics here. Cast a peek, a gander over across the street. Sloppy shop.

That place, I'm imagining, is going to fire someone. Is this place?

I hope not.

I like to imagine they just have a Chris Cody that was in charge of the LeBron introductory press conference and the Giannis jerseys.

Somebody's going to get fired, right? Somebody at the Heat is going to get fired. Somebody on the Heat?

No.

Well, no.

Well, hold on a second.

First class.

Hold on a second. Someone's getting fired if this made LeBron mad.

Yeah.

I mean, if it loses LeBron, that's my main concern here.

All of this.

You are listening to the Dan Levitan Show in partnership with the DraftKings Sports app, now live in all 50 states.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm genuinely curious how Chris Cody felt from like 5 p.m. 8:00 PM yesterday. And we'll see if we get some serious answers to these questions because he's trying to deflect things. But first, we're going out to his father because his father, a 71-year-old man who thinks he's far more athletic than he is— and the last time we had him kicking things, he tore a quad and said he could make a 50-yard field goal and then, you know, made 1 of 10 extra points and left the field.

He is with Emerson Butcher, who's going to stop every single one of his shots.

He's the FIU goalie, and FIU is very very good at soccer. And Greg, you are still maintaining after just watching Emerson warm up, you're still maintaining that you think you're going to make more than 3 of 10 penalty kicks?

I think I'm going to make 3 or 4. Yeah, there's no question about it. I've got a psychological edge. I found out in conversing Emerson Laken Palmer is a good goalie. Don't get me wrong. I call him the Pink Panther.

But you laid out for a reaction.

FIU, FIU is the Championship game.

Hold on, you actually did pause for applause there on the Pink Panther? That's what you just did?

Yeah, he's a panther, he's wearing pink, he looked beautiful. Number 30, not even a goalkeeper's number. I mean, this guy—

can I talk to Emerson for a second? Emerson, before you get into goal here, how many kicks is he going to make against you? How many penalty kicks do you see him making?

Zero.

I'm normally a good penalty saver, so probably nothing.

Okay, I'm assuming nothing. Yeah, that's, that's what my guess is.

He's got an accent, he's going to be good.

Overconfident.

He's got a lot of things going for him.

All right, uh, Greg, what's up? What should be the— what should be the wager here? What are we wagering? Uh, do you, uh, would you be willing under any circumstance— I, I—

if to—

if you get zero goals, can we announce your number one catchphrase on our show instead of yours?

If you make zero goals.

Good. No.

Okay.

How's that for shutting down a bet?

All right.

So would you like to make more?

I'll make a goal. There's no question about that. Nope.

Nope. No chance.

Will you?

You don't think? I don't know. It's a big goal, man. That's a wide-ass goal.

Do you know what foot you are?

I'm ready. Will I kick with my left or right foot?

You wearing shin guards?

In step. Yeah, you know why? Because we got a rumor that Emerson here, as soon as I let up the first— he lets up the first goal, he's going to come out and try to kick my lower leg. So we decided to, uh, to put me in shin guards.

Emerson, have you ever tried to stop the shot of someone less impressive and generally weaker than what you're about to do right now?

No, I mean, nah, I've never seen somebody this old in my life.

All right, in general, he's—

he's—

yeah, Greg's winded from talking.

All right, let's get started here. Let's get— let's get started. Why are you shadowboxing? You're not allowed to use your hands in this sport. Uh, okay, let's— let's go ahead and get started.

Emerson, go ahead and get in goal. Thank you to Emerson for his time. We're going to get started here.

Can I just give people—

before we get started, can I just put up on the screen the video just to give people a taste? We got a practice run from Greg Cody against his granddaughter, and it didn't go well. It was pretty terrible. So let's just put on the screen the one time we've done this.

I'm not getting that.

Go get it.

She jogs away because she listens to to her father.

Uh, does anyone in the, in the shipping container believe that Greg Cody is going to make a single goal? Is there— does he have anybody who's an ally?

I thought the number was 3.

That's so high.

I will take yes if we're just doing one. I think he will score a goal.

Yes.

I saw Greg warming up and he kicks the ball better than I anticipated, but I still think it's zero.

I'm not an ally.

Yeah, I'm not sure he's got enough pace behind this.

Do we want any sort of side action on the idea that there will be several, more than half, that Emerson doesn't have to do anything? He's just going to miss that.

Just going to miss the target.

Just he's going to—

it'll be over to the side.

And I, I mean, I don't have to give Emerson a scouting report, but if I were to, I'd say stay central.

All right.

Let's get started here because this is very exciting. And I urge the audio audience to find us on YouTube here.

Ready?

Yes, give me just a second here. Jeremy, would you— you're the closest thing we have to a play-by-play person here. Can you, in a golfy sort of way, just sort of help the audio audience along on some of this?

You got it.

So now usually there's one ball set up at a time. He's got three lined up. Is he doing a thing of trying to trick him of like, which one am I going to go to?

He's really winded.

He's trickery.

His hands are on his hips and he's genuinely winded. All right, let's watch this, Greg. And Jeremy, you just tell us what's going on.

Winding back.

Golf?

It's not golf.

I told him, you just told me to do this in a golf voice.

I told him to do it that way.

I don't know why.

He's looking at the camera.

Because he's not a play-by-play guy.

Bent to a knee, looking like he's going to kick a field goal. And the kick right at the goalie and it's blocked with two hands.

So far, hey, but it was on target. That's a shot on target and it had some pace. He didn't catch it.

It was like directly at the goalie's face.

Alright, you said central.

He's lined the three balls back up.

Putting his hand behind him like a relief pitcher and—

Oh, he has to dive!

He did have to dive.

0 for 2.

A dive to his left, right on your screen.

Greg's doing better than I thought.

No, he's not.

Yes, he is. He's got some hayball.

Another one up in the middle. And he backs up. Let's see if he puts his hand— yep, just like a relief pitcher once again, Craig Kimbrell. He kicks straight at the goalie.

Just kicking it right at him.

There's nothing on these kicks.

Could have been.

Nothing on it.

He caught that one.

Holy—

Aim one way.

More saves than I thought.

3 balls lined up, and here's the kick.

Oh, there's nothing on it.

Not the, uh, for some orphanage.

And he's gonna get tired now. No chance.

Now Greg Cody seems exhausted.

We've got a second screen action here.

Here it goes, and the kick, and he kicks it right at the bar.

He kicks it, it's like he's playing catch.

We should talk to him here, we're halfway through.

All right, Greg, hold on.

How many have I taken? 5.

5.

0 for 5.

Now are you trying to set him up for something here? Maybe go at him like 5 times in a row.

A readjustment, just double thumbs up, a smile on the face, States across his chest, a kick straight ahead.

Hey, they're all on target. He hasn't taught it.

He's just trying to accumulate shots on goal.

He has not missed the net. Goalie suggested he kick to the right and he kicked it straight once again.

Moved a little to the right, ever so slightly.

How many I got left? 3 more.

3 more.

Good job, Rose.

Try to go upper 90 on this one.

Try and hit like—

see where the post is.

Goalie giving some suggestions.

A deep breath, a backup from Greg. Here he goes.

Oh, we got close.

That's a good save.

Close.

That was a great diving save to the right.

At this point, we all have to be rooting for him. No, come on.

Well, I'm—

2 more shots.

I'm gonna add—

and he is windy.

Hold on, Greg, hold on, hold on.

Hands on knees.

Here's a kick.

Oh, that's on you though, Dan.

You can't tell him to hold on. You're talking in his backswing.

All right, I'll give him another one. He's still on number 8 because I distracted him there. But the reason I was telling him to hold on is because I think— and, and Chris, you tell me, because I don't know what human resources would say about this cruelty— I think we stay here until he makes one.

I'm worried about his health.

He'll die. No, he's—

I'm worried about his wind.

He's looking rough. He's pretty winded.

No, but I want to see if he's like 0 for 99. Like, I want to see them get slower and slower over time.

And I want to see—

Are you ready?

Yes, go ahead.

Here's kick number 9.

And—

Oh, he didn't even go for it!

It was blocked by the feet of the goalie.

He's showing off!

He jumped in the air.

Wouldn't you?

He jumped in the air and just blocked it with his feet.

And that is why they call him the Pink Panther.

One more, technically. One more shot on goal.

Cody sets it up.

Try a little hesi.

Look, the goalie has both hands behind his back.

Chop your feet and stop right before you're gonna strike the ball to kind of fool him, get him guessing one way.

Here's a kick.

Oh, that one had a chance at least.

Wide left.

And that is it.

Oh, for—

Emerson should have saved one with his head.

His hands are on his hips, dejected.

All right. Regardless, if we do more, we're taking a break here. Let him catch his wind.

Yes, I'm going to— I'm going to give him a chance, though.

I'm going to give him a chance for a do-over.

I really do want to stay here until he makes one, because I think he's going to— are you, Greg, do you want to keep going or do you want to quit? Because Emerson has made this—

5 more.

Okay, take a break here. We'll come back to you. All right.

Catch your breath in 5 minutes.

I don't want to harm you. I don't want you to, to, to be under so much duress that something bad happens on air.

Live podcasters, how's this going?

Something worse happens on air.

Jerry's helping, I think.

Yeah, well, the golf voice also allows him to be totally trampled.

Yep.

And all of us to talk over him. That's exactly right.

It looks like Greg's ready to keep firing.

By Dan Levitow.

Looks like he's— Greg, are you gonna go again?

Almost just fell over there.

I'd like 5 more minutes.

Yeah, 5 more minutes.

Uh, yes, but do you want to go now or do you want to catch your breath? You seem winded and it seems like it's going to affect both your accuracy and the speed with which the ball travels.

No, I'm good.

Hydration break.

All right.

Nope, we're good.

Okay, I believe that Emerson is gonna start blocking these with his head. Go ahead.

Hands on hips.

Are we ready?

Are you?

And here goes Cody.

And the kick.

A grunt.

No!

And a goal!

Oh, shenanigans.

Yes!

Buckle straight hand.

Does seem as though things are starting to fix.

Oh, that was good placement. That was a—

there it was!

Yeah, so he was 0 for 10, but the extra ball got him.

He always wins and loses.

Bit of controversy.

Just gonna keep going.

Yeah, that's right.

At the goalie.

He got one, dude.

He did get one.

And it was a nice one.

Don't know why he would continue to kick it.

It's funny because every time he's aiming for the sides and they just go at the middle every time.

1 for 13.

Nasfar. Here goes Cody stretching out the right leg and the approach.

I tweaked the back of my knee. Oh no, there you go.

You happy, Dan?

No, this is Dan's fault.

It's totally—

it is 100% Dan's fault. Honestly, sorry about that, Greg.

Get ready to pay the medical bills.

All right, uh, it ends at 13.

All right, you got that good insurance in Meadowlark?

Uh, yes, of course, you know.

Uh, grabbing a knee better than grabbing a chest.

Greg, all right, Greg, we got to be done. Don't do any more here. You already injured yourself.

It's a success.

You're trying to tell us that I injured myself?

Through the pain.

Yes, it has paid off. You made a goal, 1 for 13, and you injured yourself. We can't do better than that. That's the best we can do.

He's too tired.

Shout out the Pink Panther.

Yeah, Pink Panther.

Yes, thank you. So look, bring him here real quick. Bring him over so that I can speak to Emerson real quick and thank him and also find out just how surprised he was by the fact that one goal was successful when he had his hands behind his back and was trying to stop it with his head. Like, clearly wasn't— he underestimated Greg after being tenderized for 10 bad kicks. You notice that. Emerson, can you tell me your— how are you feeling about how you did?

I mean, I think I underestimated his power, especially after I put my hands behind my back. But I did what I was going to do. I was going to stop everything. I handicapped myself from the score.

Emerson, let me ask you something.

Straight on. I didn't go for the post.

Emerson, let me ask you something. Did you give up a goal or did you give up a goal?

I think— or I was— I stopped trying.

Wow.

Chanho Park did.

Yeah, I think he— I think because the first 10 were so easy, he got surprised that the last one was accurate.

The one that he made was a solid goal.

Agreed. But Emerson, would you have stopped it if you hadn't had your hands behind your back and clearly were underestimating him at that point?

I would have stopped with my eyes closed.

Yeah, yeah.

Greg, are you really hurt? You seem really hurt.

Yeah, I tweaked a muscle right behind my right knee. I don't know what that muscle is called.

It's called the hamstring.

You gonna be able to bowl tonight?

You gonna be able to bowl?

No, no, like lower, like right here.

Yeah, sorry.

Stretch him out.

All right.

All right.

Get back to— Emerson was great, by the way.

Yes.

And really cocky for a backup goalie. But he's, you know, he's pretty good. He's pretty good.

Emerson, thank you for being on with us. Thank you for doing this. Greg, get back into the studio so we can make fun of you here, please. Thank you. The sound of a lawnmower, a weed whacker.

That's a massive place over at KSP, by the way. Mike's Hood Local Pitch.

I got emotional looking at it. It's like Ted Williams going back to Fenway.

Summer is pretty much my favorite time to be a sports fan. The biggest soccer tournament of the summer just wrapped up, baseball's on every night, racing never takes a weekend off, and my calendar basically revolves around first pitches, green flags, and whatever game everybody's texting about. I realized I'm the MVP of my group. I'm always the friend that says, "Hey, I've got it. I've got a place, I've got some ice cold Miller Lite, I got the TV, I got a big comfy blue leather couch." Come on over! That's the behavior of a Miller Time MVP. I almost never watch the big ones alone. I'd much rather be with my friends. And if I am alone, we're texting, we're sipping on our Miller Lites, toasting the day, toasting the big games. For me, Miller Lite is just a part of a big game routine. It's brewed for taste with simple ingredients, clean, refreshing, and easy to drink, especially in the Miami heat. It's a true American pilsner and the original light beer since 1975. An all-American summer starts with an all-American beer, Miller Lite. Go to MillerLite.com/Dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Lite 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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Down Levitar!

Can't wait for 39.

Yeah, I can't either. 40 comes first.

Do you know what 40 is yet?

Not yet.

See, what are we doing? Greg, did you just laugh? Did you just laugh out loud at something Lewis said in your ear?

Greg Cody! Yes.

I couldn't help it, it was funny.

Yeah, but—

Thanks, Lewis. Gaggin' the Goose.

Of course.

Choking the frog. I mean, there's a million of them.

Of course.

Half of them would sound dirty if we keep doing it.

This is the Dan Levitan Show.

The big story of the night that we have not yet gotten to is, uh, either Somebody at the Miami Heat made a terrible, honest mistake during a practice run, or the Miami Heat are lying and LeBron James is going to be introduced on the 27th. Because toward the end of last evening, the story that this week everybody's waiting for an answer on in sports— the Heat did something that made it seem like they know that LeBron James is coming to Miami next week and they're preparing for that. Uh, Zaslow, how did you absorb everything that happened last night? Because I, I believe this is a mistake that is going to haunt an employee there, because you cannot take this away from LeBron, given that the decision is something that he did, and it did not come out until they did the decision. The Sports Illustrated thing is something that he did. You cannot have the right to make your announcement your way and have your first act before you've even signed with the team be an act of incompetence that sabotages you having control over the announcement?

I do think it's something. I do. I think it's something. I think it was obviously a mistake. The Heat can say whatever they want. I think it's something. And I'm, I'm worried that LeBron looks at that and is annoyed by it and maybe, you know, maybe changes his mind. I don't buy the idea that you have to set up a YouTube stream 6 days in advance. I'm sorry.

So we think that LeBron, one of the greatest businessmen of this generation, is influenced by the fact that there may have been a YouTube set up in advance, likely not for the day, considering, by the way, like, us as a company have done the exact same thing a month ago.

It's not the same thing.

How is it not the same thing? We set up a, a live stream for 3 days later for a Giannis trade that had yet to happen, that we had no information as to whether or not it was going to happen.

Right. It's not the same thing because we were going to jump on a stream immediately after Giannis is reportedly a member of the Miami Heat. When LeBron— if LeBron is announced as a member of the Miami Heat, the press conference is not immediately happening.

I don't think you heard what he said, though. Didn't you just say that we did it 3 days early?

We said it. We said it for a Sunday night. On, I believe, a Thursday or Friday, with no knowledge as to whether or not it was gonna happen on that Sunday night, but we picked a random time to set that YouTube livestream for.

Okay, that's interesting.

Because that's what you do, you have to set up a potential time. That's interesting. And so, okay, there's a world in which they were just setting up the potential stream. Maybe it happens earlier, maybe it happens later.

No, you're right, that is similar. You're right, you're right, that is similar, but I But, but as far as like LeBron, this greatest businessman— oh, hold on, greatest business—

I mean, you know, I know what he's doing. He's just trying to stroke him.

But he's still come here.

But to set that part up where, you know, this— why would that deter him from coming to Miami? You're right, maybe it does absolutely nothing, but it definitely doesn't make him happy.

No, but there is actually something that happened, wasn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong, guys. When he made the decision to go to Cleveland and everybody was wondering where he was going Wasn't there something with his website? A web designer started putting Cleveland skyline in the background and Cavs colors, and people were like being detectives about that, and it was like his own site.

One of the great things about watching all of this over the last 16 years, there's just not been in my memory 16 years of adding a dollop of mystery to things in a way that people now enjoy podcasts, because you got these stories where you're trying to be a sleuth and you're trying to figure out who murdered someone. This engages social media in a way that is not only unique to LeBron, he's done it 3 different times, 3 different ways, trying to milk the mystery out of it in a way that helps him and the people around him, because there's nothing bad that happens with everyone still talking about you. When you're the oldest player in the league. It's, it's a real insanity how he has captured the interests of people so that everybody last night is sleuthing. Did the Heat make a mistake? Was it incompetence? The amount of attention economy around this person makes it so that what is the, uh, result of last night? Do most people think that this was the Heat? No, if they think that we knew something on Giannis when it was an innocent mistake, are they now thinking that the Heat are doing something because they know something that the rest of us don't?

Didn't we do this last week with the PTI podcast? Essentially the same thing, where the PTI podcast description was Steph Curry and LeBron still Warriors.

The reason that it's not the same thing— you're having trouble with this first hour on what is the same thing and what isn't the same thing. The reason it's not the same thing. It's because it's the team doing it. Like, there's no information coming out from anybody from the teams. Like, we've already established the media doesn't know shit. Like, we've—

that other than Steve Kerr saying put it on Twitter.

That's correct. No, I think he said don't put it on Twitter. I think he asked them not to put it on Twitter.

But you're right, Steve Kerr, that's one of those no means yes kind of deals.

Steve Kerr did, uh, did do that.

It's essentially the same thing, right?

Says I think it's the same thing.

What happens, uh, with last night? Most people now think what? Because—

I, oh wait, I think we're spending too much time on it. Like, these social media teams have to prepare for these things. They get an edict from on high. Most of the time it gets to stay private. Also, most of the time there is an internet sleuthing being done about this. I can understand the level of which people are looking for clues. It was a mistake. It's something that they have to prepare for. There might have been a decision made, but I don't think that Miami Heat have been told officially that LeBron is coming. I think we'd know that, and I think that they're just preparing for that possibility.

So that is your opinion, and my question was, most people think what? Because I don't think that's what most people think. I understand that that's what you think.

They have internet brain. There's always like some massive conspiracy.

I like internet brain.

Go ahead and go to the whiteboard with your internet brain and see if you come back with something that, uh, rots our brains even It's not just internet brain, though, and it's not just the rampant love of talking about conspiracies, and it's not just that this is the sports story of the moment. It's also the, the fact that the mystery makes it so that everybody does want to cluck about this thing that is the core of when it is and how it is the transaction became more important than the action in sports. Led by this guy 16 years ago, making it so that we just love the idea of this kind of mystery. I believe the grand majority of people— I don't know if the market price changed at all.

It did.

It's been going back and forth.

I'm glad you mentioned that.

I was about to make that point. Now the transaction is a business. People are always looking for an edge. And so what you don't account for is the way that people mine for crypto. They're mining for information right now on LeBron James because they can make make a pick right now on, uh, on the DraftKings Sports app. You can absolutely make a, uh, a pick on whether or not LeBron James is going to go to the Miami Heat. And LeBron's next team, the market price just changed. It was at -108, and I put a little shekel on that, and then I, I moved the line, boys. Market price down to -104.

Wow.

Uh, do you know the worth of a shekel? Uh, put that on the poll, please.

I also don't know how odds work because I didn't move the line. I moved in the opposite direction.

Oh.

@LebatardShow, go ahead and put on the poll, do you know how much a shekel is worth? Because I don't know what a shekel's worth. I also don't know when we stopped using shekels. Can you look that up for me, please? When it is that the shekel died?

I don't think we ever use shekels here in the United States, by the way.

I don't know where it is or how it is that we use shekels. I don't know the history of shekels. I don't know what they are worth. And I would like some information on the shekel, as much information as you can get me. On the shekel as fast as you can get me that information.

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Down, Levitar!

Jessica thinks you're pathetic. I saw the look on her face. It can never be the lane to victory.

No, I think Jeremy's pathetic.

Jeremy, you should hear him back here. So sad.

Most absurd theater kid basketball analysis line that I've ever heard from him.

Jeremy, touché.

My dad was talking about the adjustments that Spoh made and criticizing him last night. And Jeremy, just back here, his adjustments were spectacular. It's just like they lost, they're down 0-2.

This is the Dan Levatar Show.

I did want to play some sound for you guys, okay? And I've told you guys that Nick Wright is a take master. He wants the throne. In sports of he is the best at giving the sports take. But I have found some of his work recently to be a little bit frustrating. First, when the Heat signed Giannis, he then predicted the, the next 4 rounds of the playoffs that were 12 months away without knowing any of who's going to get injured or who's going to play with Giannis. Just an asinine prediction. That can't be wrong for many, many months. So it's just something filling the time. But what he just did recently, you guys, all of you, please explain to me what is happening here when you are presented with an absurdity of a little while ago, Nick Wright had one opinion, nothing changed, and now he's got a totally different opinion.

To say that there are 4 teams that are— that there are only 4 teams that are realistic possibilities. How I am stacking them up in my own head as far as most to least likely has changed considerably from last week. Um, where I think last week I said it was Cleveland, then Philly, then Golden State. I think right now the team that I didn't have on the list, Miami, might be the team that I think might be most likely. I might stack the list right now: Miami, Philly, Cleveland, Golden State. But with that said, there's a lot of mites.

How about saying something with your chest out?

With that said, cliffhanger at the end. We probably could have said that part out. With, with that said, what, Nick?

With that said, what?

Well, given what came before it, I'm not exactly dying to hear what came next.

I thought I'm stacking Cleveland third and Golden Seyforth was interesting. You asked like what changed here off mic, and what changed is Nick's got really good LeBron info. Nick is very plugged in. I think this gives voice to when we were vamping whether or not LeBron knew where he was going 2 weeks ago, where we were all certain he knew.

He didn't. He didn't.

He went through the decision-making process. What changed was LeBron got new data. LeBron LeBron sat through pitches. LeBron had it explained how teams were going to build around him and build for the future. That all happened since everyone assumed that he had already made his mind up. And I think Nick talked to sources and that's the new data.

I think the only thing to discuss with LeBron is how much money they were going to pay him. LeBron's smart enough to look at the roster.

It's not a small thing.

I know it's not.

Yeah, that's a—

I'm saying that's the only, that's the only thing that I think could have been discussed. LeBron knows what the rosters look like. He knows how he would fit on these teams. He's sold that.

How?

Miami's roster is still an incomplete picture. We don't know what Miami's roster is going to look like with or without LeBron.

It's not like Pat Riley could say, hey, once we sign you, we're going to be able to get this guy or get that guy. They don't— they can't predict.

Rich Paul has said the money's the same every place though.

It's not though.

It's not.

Miami actually, without making any moves right now, Miami can offer almost double what the other teams can offer. Still not a lot, but it's almost double.

It's still not a lot for what it is that would be going wherever it is that it's going, um, because, uh, instantaneously, uh, still somehow, even though he's the oldest player in the league, um, this is such a business shifter. Not just because Adam Silver is saying, I can't make the schedule until I know, uh, the Miami Heat are going to be on television a hell of a lot more more if LeBron James plays, plays for their team. You've seen the broadcasting problems the Heat has been having because of how all of the regional outfits are sort of falling apart and that the Miami Heat are going to be on free television this year. And that's probably not how they wanted that to go. You're going to get LeBron James on free television if he, if he comes here.

I mean, I don't And I don't know how that affects them. I think they get their money either way, whether it's behind an RSN paywall. I think they're absolutely thrilled that they're on network television down here locally. And who knows how these deals are crafted, but sometimes teams get sales inventory, especially if it's something that's perceived as more of a risk. I think the Miami Heat are over the moon. They're accessible. I like— it was a struggle figuring out how to watch the Miami Heat. Yeah, it was, it was weird. I'm so happy they're, they're on PLG.

The more and more you think about it, it is truly amazing what Adam Silver said the other day, where Adam Silver is actually letting everybody know there is a player, or just players in general, in this spot. Player has all the leverage, has all the power over our league. In a sport where we know when you sit down at the table, the union versus the league, big and it could be a battle and it's always a leverage play, where Adam Silver just gets in front of you and tells you how much power the players have when it comes to our multi-billion-dollar television deal.

I'm curious, and I'd have to ask some questions on what Mike said, because I wasn't asking whether the Heat would be thrilled to be on free television. I think being on free television costs them money, and I think that if all of these teams wanted to be on free television, then they would be on free television. Like, would get the local— local channels are hurting enough right now for content, and everybody would want the content of having LeBron James play games on their local television.

I don't know why you're like being on network on local over-the-air television that you don't need a satellite or a subscription. Like, that is a dream, and it's not afforded to many teams because most of those local channels have network affiliates. Down here in Miami, PLG eschewed ABC because being a network affiliate became too expensive for them. And actually, they leaned hard local. It makes a ton of sense for PLG, which is starting cutting— starting to cut deals with teams around the marketplace. And I think the ratings have reflected a boom since PLG leaned very hard local. And now the local Fox affiliate, WSVN, then also has an alternate ABC channel. Miami is very unique in terms of a major market that has a broadcast network that is available free, that is presumed to be network, free of a network affiliation, and that gets the heat money in ways that doesn't make them have to run around and sell their own stuff.

Like, where they—

I, I think that— I don't, I don't know how much money there is if they do like their own paywall thing. The ORSN you know, like it wasn't like that was their option. I, I think if the Miami Heat cut a deal with PLG, it's because it was the best deal afforded to them. And it wouldn't be surprising at all if they have some sort of inventory deal where they can go out and sell their own spots.

I mean, that deal changes if they knew in advance they had LeBron.

Yeah, I, I maybe— I mean, it's a very fluid situation right now, broadcast rights and network television. And like the— what used to be a set standard where you can look around the marketplace and say Team X got this, so this is what we're worth. That has all changed.

Uh, before we get to Jeremy and his whiteboard that is filled with brain rot and conspiracy theories, uh, Jeremy, did you hear what we were just talking about? As someone who works with what the Marlins are doing, Marlins.tv, and has seen, uh, some of the tumult and tempest around what is happening to some of these regional broadcast networks, what's right here in terms of the business? Do you have any idea? Do you understand the business enough to know what's right here about the Miami Heat being on local television?

I think the reality here, Dan, is that WPLG pays a fee to the Miami Heat for rights fees. Um, there was a negotiation amongst the team and the network amongst other networks, and ultimately like they come to a number to pay, unlike Marlins.tv where that's run by the league on its own. So what the Marlins are doing is raking in all advertising. WPLG, in working with the Heat, I'm sure there's a deal for advertising money that can come in, but the difference is, is they pay a rights fee no different than some of the other broadcast networks have in the past.

So what do you have on your board there?

Okay, so we're doing some math here. So what I'm trying to figure out is where these numbers all connect. Okay, so if we're looking at a YouTube that was dropped for 7:27, now we're trying to get to 7. How do we do that? Well, if you look at 7:27, what also equals 7? Giannis's old number 34 minus his number 7, that's also 20. 7. You were just talking about WPLG, that's channel 10. Well, what equals 10? LeBron's old number, number 23, minus Bam's current number, number 13. That equals 10 as well. Things are starting to come together here, okay? The Marlins have lost 8 games in a row. Messi had 8 goals in the World Cup. Those things cancel each other out. Miami, Miami, things are even. We also haven't had the conversation yet about Louis Tomlinson, a member of One Direction. Okay, he was selling tickets to a concert that's supposed to be Friday night at the Cassaya Center on 7/24. 24, 2 plus 4, that equals 6, LeBron James's old number. But that's moved over to the Watsco Center, where in Miami— so is the Cassaya Center, but that's not what matters right now.

Louis Tomlinson, what do you think of when you think Louie. You hear the name Louie, of course you think King Louie, like LeBron James is the king. And of course, One Direction, the number 1, when you associate that with the Heat, what do you think of? You think of Chris Bosh. That's number 1, a former member of the Big 3, just like Giannis and Bam and now LeBron are obviously going to make up the new Big 3. 3, Dwyane Wade's old number, the statue that's out there and the graphic that was on the YouTube leaked by the Miami Heat, the Wade statue retired.

Thank you, Jeremy, for the additional brain rot. I don't know how many people are interested in the business quicksand of this, but according to the Miami Herald, the Heat received $55 million a year from Main Street Sports, and Mainstream stopped paying the team early last season. The new rights fee is undisclosed, but it's believed to be a little over $10 million in a 1-year deal. Before LeBron. That's a good deal the local television station got. That local television station that is doing something different than all of the other television stations because they've gone all in on local news, on journalism locally, on stuff that people are ignoring. You're basically giving away LeBron James. That's— that right there, if those numbers are right from the Miami Herald and LeBron James ends up here, You're giving away LeBron James. And it's the— and it's the most beautiful things as customers are getting priced out, as everyone's going to be able to get what could be LeBron James's last year if he comes to Miami for free on network television. It's the rare situation where the customer ends up winning.

Well, that would be the point, right? For the— for this year, if it's LeBron's last years, expect that to change after the one.