00:00So let's start with the NBA, of course, because you had Lakers Magic last night.
00:05Magic win the game by one, but how the game ended was fascinating to me, Tyrone.
00:10Luka Doncic's got the rock, has a wide open three, about three, four feet behind the arc,
00:15so not a tough shot for him.
00:18Double clutches on it.
00:19Defender comes in, takes a dribble, has another open look at a three that would win the game
00:25if he makes it.
00:26Defender closes out pretty quickly.
00:28So he pulled a LeBron.
00:30He panicked with about a second or so left on the shot clock and the game clock,
00:34and then sends it over to LeBron.
00:37LeBron's behind the three-point arc as well,
00:39because why would you post anybody up or actually move on the final possession of the game?
00:45He tries a turnaround fadeaway three-point shot, clanks off the backboard, a rim no good,
00:51and the Lakers lose to the Magic.
00:53The Lakers right now are in a bit of a free fall,
00:55as they're now the sixth-place team out west.
00:58But it's what LeBron said after the game that we need to discuss.
01:03So let's go to the locker room.
01:05George Michael Machine, we go to L.A.
01:07Here's LeBron James.
01:09Go.
01:09No, I'm not sure.
01:11I mean, obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that,
01:13but I thought he had a good look, and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance,
01:17you know, didn't have the rhythm of the ball, whatever the case may be,
01:21and it kind of allowed him to get back in front of him.
01:24You know, I was kind of off balance when he gave it to me.
01:27I thought he had a great look, but no, that's what I looked.
01:30That's my POV.
01:31Okay, so let's unpack this real quick.
01:34First, let me start with the facts of what happened, okay,
01:36because I was watching the game, and I've since watched all the slow-mo replays.
01:40In this particular instance, Luka Doncic's in the wrong.
01:44Luka Doncic had a wide-open shot, and I've never seen him in his career,
01:49to be honest, both in Dallas and the short amount of time he's been in L.A.
01:53I've never seen that guy, who's a generationally great scorer,
01:58pass up a wide-open look to win the game.
02:02So LeBron happens to be right.
02:04Now, LeBron has to be LeBron.
02:06So, of course, rather than just say, hey, tough night, I missed a shot.
02:10Yeah, we'll come back a couple nights from now, we'll play better basketball,
02:13and we'll get back to the winning.
02:14He, of course, has to say, you've got to ask Luka.
02:18I thought Luka had a wide-open look.
02:19I think he said good look, not my words in his mouth.
02:22He said Luka had a good look, but then he's got to be a LeBron, all right?
02:26He's got to say, well, I think Luka was off balance
02:30when he had the first look, and then he added, I was off balance, too.
02:36Now, we don't know what happened.
02:38LeBron James was not in the wrong in this particular instance.
02:42That's me saying it, which, again, further proves and doubles down on my statement many, many years ago
02:49that even if I don't like a guy, I'm going to be objective in how I talk about his performance.
02:54I don't like LeBron James, but last night's game was on Luka, not LeBron.
02:59The issue people have, myself included, is throwing Luka under the bus
03:04and then adding some type of off-balance scenario, which was not the case for Luka at all
03:10and was not the case for LeBron.
03:12He took the best shot he could get, which was a panic shot, not his fault.
03:16A little turnaround fadeaway three-point attempt that he clanked off the backboard in the rim.
03:21But you weren't off balance.
03:22You just took a rushed shot because the clock was running down.
03:26But I'm trying to think, think now.
03:29What does Luka Doncic have to say when LeBron James says,
03:33I thought he had a good look.
03:34I don't know why I didn't shoot it.
03:36You got to ask him.
03:37Problems in the locker room.
03:40Tyrone?
03:41See, that's what he's looking for, is problems in the locker room.
03:44I actually thought LeBron was protecting Luka by saying he was off balance.
03:48I thought he was protecting him, not throwing him under the bus.
03:50I thought that was protection.
03:52Here's the bottom line, though.
03:54Luka has to be better.
03:56And we've talked a lot on this show about LeBron,
03:58and rightfully so big that he's the greatest player to ever live.
04:01But he's an older player, and this is supposed to be Luka's team.
04:05And the biggest limitation for this Lakers team all year has not been LeBron.
04:10Yes, it has.
04:11Don't start that.
04:12Don't make this a season-long narrative that you're wrong about.
04:16It's a season-long problem.
04:16I'm absolutely right about that.
04:18Okay, what's the record without LeBron?
04:19I'll do this for you now.
04:21What's the record without LeBron?
04:23I don't have it in front of me.
04:24What you're trying to do right now is change the subject from last night.
04:27They're 15 games over, 500 without LeBron.
04:29They're 500 with LeBron.
04:30Stop.
04:30Now let's just get to this play.
04:32You also have to look at the opponents, though.
04:34Of course, that's what LeBron people do.
04:36LeBron people have to find excuses.
04:38That's what LeBron fans do.
04:40The matter is, Luka has certain limitations that keep him from being the best player in the league.
04:45And last night, that was one of them.
04:47He has certain limitations because he's not perfect.
04:51So while we're ripping LeBron, go ahead and rip him.
04:53But to try to put this one in any way, shape, or form, before, during, or after the game on
04:59LeBron is pure hateration.
05:02Pure hateration.
05:03This was 100% on Luka.
05:05And LeBron tried to protect Luka after the game by saying he was off balance.
05:09He wasn't off balance.
05:10He was scared.
05:11LeBron said that he was off balance.
05:13LeBron said, I thought he had a good look.
05:15You'd have to ask Luka what he was thinking about passing me the ball.
05:18I think he was off balance on the first one.
05:21He absolutely said that.
05:22He just played the video of it.
05:24People heard it.
05:25I believe he was trying to protect them.
05:27This is a 100% Luka issue.
05:29LeBron should not be talked about today in any way.
05:31It's funny because I thought I was done working with Nick Wright.
05:35I thought when I left FS1 and came over here to do this podcast that I wasn't sitting next to
05:41a LeBron stand who's on the payroll.
05:43And that finds nothing ever wrong with anything that LeBron James does.
05:47Let me unpack a few of the ridiculous things you just said there.
05:50Meanwhile, I didn't call you Skip Bayless not one time while you do a Skip Bayless impression.
05:53I never brought that up.
05:55That's okay?
05:55Right.
05:56I never brought up Skip Bayless at all.
05:57You are Nick Wright.
05:58As you be a poor man Skip.
05:59You just became me great.
05:59And you are Skip Bayless then.
06:01You became Skip Bayless.
06:02You're on the clutch of payroll.
06:04You love Tebow too.
06:04Yeah.
06:04You love Tebow too.
06:06Yeah, it's full skill.
06:07By the way, don't start with Tim Tebow.
06:09I do like me some Tim Tebow.
06:10See what I mean?
06:11See what I mean?
06:12Not as a quarterback.
06:13As a handsome guy that if I was going to be gay,
06:15Tim Tebow is the first guy I call.
06:18I'll be the first to tell you that.
06:20I got no shame in my game.
06:21I happen to be straight, but if I was gay,
06:24Tim Tebow is the first.
06:25I'd speed dial Tim Tebow.
06:27Yeah.
06:28Take that shirt off.
06:28Run in the rain again, Tim.
06:30Throw me a couple of footballs.
06:31I got you.
06:32By the way, playoff winning quarterback Tim Tebow as well,
06:35which is another story for another day.
06:38Look, I opened up the show by saying that last night's game,
06:43Luka's got to take that shot.
06:44I am not putting that on LeBron James.
06:46That's a wide open look for a great offensive player.
06:49That's what Luka is.
06:50I cannot believe he passed up the shot the first time.
06:52I can't believe he passed up the shot the second time.
06:55Because after the stop dribble to the left,
06:58he's got another open look if he wants it.
07:00And he chose not to take it.
07:02Now, I'm not sure if he was trying to defer to LeBron because,
07:05you know, he knows LeBron gets all sensitive.
07:07If he doesn't get the ball in that spot.
07:09But you're talking about a team that is Luka's team.
07:12That is better when Luka's on the court.
07:15And Luka Doncic did not take that shot.
07:18And I'm shocked he did not take that shot.
07:20But when you go out there,
07:22and you've been an NBA veteran for 23 years now,
07:25and the reporters say to you, walk us through that last play.
07:28And we all know what happened.
07:30Luka passed up a shot, and we don't know why.
07:33Because we've never seen him do it before.
07:35And LeBron James says, I thought he had a good look.
07:39You'd have to ask Luka why he didn't take that shot.
07:42He might not have meant it, but I know exactly what happens.
07:45He threw Luka Doncic under the bus,
07:47and that's not going to be a problem for your six-seed L.A. Lakers.
07:51And I was just thinking about this, Tyrone.
07:53You know, if the Lakers wind up the six, the seven, the eight, the nine, the ten,
07:57whatever it is, that's kind of the norm for the LeBron James Lakers.
08:02I'm not sure why anybody would be surprised
08:05that a team led by LeBron James these days
08:08is not a top-four seed, not a top-five seed.
08:12And when it's all said and done,
08:13we'll probably be in the playing tournament.
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