00:00And LeBron James, the key reason why, he played 40 minutes yesterday,
00:06and he had 24 points and 12 rebounds.
00:11And you would think, okay, he's 41 years old.
00:17He'll turn 42 next year.
00:19It's time to retire.
00:20Nope.
00:21However.
00:22Did you see his stats this year?
00:23Yes.
00:24And he's playing great basketball.
00:26Do you realize he's played almost four extra seasons in playoff games?
00:30I think they had 10 this year, right?
00:31He's played almost four extra seasons, and he's still going strong.
00:36And the way he was playing at the end of the game last night, I was like,
00:39who cares how old he is?
00:40Well, can I say he's made up for it by rarely playing 82 games in a season?
00:49Yeah, but you know he's played at least 60 in all but three of his seasons?
00:54At least 60 games.
00:55So you've missed a third of the season a lot of the time.
00:58That only happened, though.
01:00Excuse me, a fourth of the season.
01:02A gentleman named Bill Ryder, who is an outstanding writer, forgive me for it.
01:08It wasn't a play on his name, was on the afternoon show yesterday.
01:14And Bill has worked with CBS over the years.
01:16He used to work with Fox Sports covering LeBron in his first year in Miami.
01:21Bill Ryder was on the afternoon show.
01:23And, you know, Bill knows LeBron.
01:25He's covered LeBron.
01:26He's covered the Lakers.
01:29And the guys asked him about LeBron and his future.
01:32And he had a couple of really strong comments to make.
01:35And LeBron's saying he doesn't know what he's doing.
01:37But, you know, he's 41.
01:39He'll be 42 next December.
01:41And he's still playing really well.
01:43And Bill said this about LeBron's future.
01:47Man, it's such a mixed bag.
01:48So, talking to sources, 50-50.
01:51My guy with a co-host named Doug McCain, DMACC, he's an absolute rock star in this town.
01:55He loves the Lakers.
01:57He's one of the smartest people I've worked with.
01:58But he loses his mind when he talks about LeBron because he wants him back and he thinks he's coming
02:01back.
02:02If I'm the Lakers, I don't want LeBron James back.
02:04But I know it's not the question that you asked me.
02:05But it's so divisive among what people want.
02:08And the people that I've talked to around the league have different views.
02:11The guy that I talked to today, like the person I talked to, the former GM who I really respect,
02:15he thinks he's probably going to Cleveland.
02:17But he thinks it really depends on the degree to which the Lakers do or don't want LeBron to be
02:22back.
02:22LeBron's a rollout, the red carpet guy.
02:24LeBron's a I need to be the center of the universe guy.
02:26LeBron's a I want to be the man guy.
02:28He's not in L.A.
02:29And he's not going to be.
02:30I think Cleveland makes the most sense.
02:32I think it's where he should go for what everybody wants.
02:35I think he'll probably end up there.
02:36But even the betting markets are saying what me and my co-host are saying,
02:40what the GM's I talked to are saying,
02:41that it's 50-50 on what people think will happen
02:43and what will probably happen between staying a Laker and being a Cavalier.
02:47That was Bill Ryder on the afternoon show.
02:49His entire career has been built on this, hasn't it?
02:53Every time making teams wonder what he is going to do.
02:58And making the general public, like us right now, talk about him.
03:04Yeah, exactly.
03:07They got a master's degree in marketing without getting a master's degree in marketing.
03:12What's a doctorate?
03:13It's above master's.
03:14I mean, actually, doctors are talking to them so they can become better doctors.
03:19Think about it.
03:20I mean, they have done an unbelievable job throughout his career of making –
03:26he's like the NFL.
03:27What makes the NFL great?
03:28They're relevant almost every day of the year.
03:30You know who else is relevant almost every day of the year?
03:33LeBron James.
03:33Still, at 41 years old, it's LeBron James.
03:36Yep.
03:37Yep.
03:39By the way, opening up a new restaurant is Akron 330.
03:45It's called 330 or what's it?
03:46Oh, Buckets.
03:47Oh.
03:48Yeah.
03:49Bill Ryder had more to say.
03:51One more cut from the afternoon show.
03:54I think that LeBron and Luka don't get along very well.
03:57In fact, I know that they don't get along very well.
03:59He doesn't do well when he's in a locker room that is toxic.
04:02And it doesn't go well when he is a part of that toxicity.
04:05I've covered LeBron a lot more than Luka.
04:06I can't speak to the degree to which it's Luka Doncic's problem or he's the cause of this.
04:10But LeBron wants to be the guy and Luka wants to be the guy.
04:12And I think LeBron's put on a good face over the last few months.
04:14He can obviously still play at a really high level.
04:16I just don't think they fit together and I don't think they get along.
04:19And when LeBron is unhappy with people in his locker room, it is awkward.
04:21It is weird.
04:22It does not go well.
04:23He sucks off.
04:24He's the son, right?
04:25I mean, the physics of any locker room and team he's a part of bend to LeBron's will.
04:29And they bend in a good way when he's happy and a bad way when he's not happy.
04:32I don't think it's a good locker room in L.A.
04:34And I would imagine, based on his love for Akron and that part of Ohio, that being in Cleveland
04:38with James Harden who he's close to, with Donovan Mitchell, you guys know,
04:41was at the Boys and Girls Club during the decision, he loves LeBron.
04:44I just think it would be a happier place for LeBron as a basketball player.
04:47And when LeBron is happy, things go well.
04:49And when LeBron is not happy, things go very badly.
04:53Okay.
04:53So you have to come back for the mid-level exception?
04:55They don't even have it?
04:57I don't even know.
04:57I can't remember.
04:58With those comments in mind, let's have this discussion.
05:02Okay.
05:05Do you remember Rich Paul's comments recently?
05:08And Rich, of course, LeBron's agent and lifelong buddy since high school.
05:13He's still going out with Adele?
05:14I don't know about Rich's dating habits, but I think there was a picture on the internet.
05:19Dude, it's Adele.
05:20Come on.
05:21Let's see the latest picture.
05:23Rich and Travis Kelsey can throw down.
05:25No.
05:26No.
05:26My girlfriend, fiance, she's the real pop star.
05:31No, no.
05:32It's mine.
05:34Okay.
05:34Anyhow.
05:36Yep.
05:36Still dating according to him.
05:37Oh, good.
05:38That is good news.
05:40Oh, wait a minute.
05:41Wait.
05:41Oh, well.
05:42Let me tell you why LeBron will come back to Cleveland.
05:47Okay.
05:48I'm listening.
05:48Okay.
05:49But I'm going to follow it with why he won't.
05:52I'm going to give you both sides of this.
05:54Okay.
05:54Why will he come back to Cleveland?
05:56That's a lot of work.
05:56Why will he come back?
05:57Because it's the perfect end.
05:59Perfect end to his career.
06:01Okay.
06:02Absolute perfect end to his career.
06:06And, Andy, he's the perfect fit for what this team needs right now.
06:12Can you imagine if this team were able to roll back?
06:15Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jared Allen, Evan Mobley, with LeBron James at small forward?
06:25He's the perfect fit.
06:28Okay.
06:29The perfect, the perfect fit for the other four guys in that starting lineup.
06:35He is perfect from a basketball standpoint.
06:40Now, let me tell you why he won't.
06:42Go ahead.
06:43I can think of one right off the top of my head, but go ahead.
06:45Dan Gilbert's done that song and dance twice.
06:49Does Dan want to do it three times?
06:51That's one.
06:53Two, as Bill Ryder just said, LeBron is the son in the locker room.
06:59I thought this was very well said.
07:02I can't imagine LeBron coming to this team
07:07and being the focal point.
07:11Even if he isn't on the floor, I can't imagine him being the focal point
07:16at the age of 42.
07:19And I don't think LeBron has to,
07:23nor maybe even should he, Andy,
07:26take a supportive role on a basketball team.
07:30Now, he might not have the game to be the man anymore,
07:34but he has the game to be really dang good.
07:39And I just, I mean, this has become Donovan Mitchell's team.
07:45And I don't know that even to bring LeBron back here,
07:50if Donovan would be, if it would work.
07:53You know what I mean?
07:54Right.
07:55But at the age of 42, where his game is,
07:58and looking at the other pieces,
07:59he's the absolute perfect fit at small forward.
08:03I totally agree.
08:04If he was willing to accept that role.
08:06Okay.
08:07I'm with you.
08:07And his role has always been, I am the man.
08:11Now, is he going to come in here for some, like, they don't even have.
08:15You can't pay him 50.
08:16You're paying Donovan 50.
08:17You're paying Evan 50.
08:19Right.
08:19Because of the second apron, do they even have the mid-level?
08:22I don't think they do.
08:23LeBron took less money one time.
08:26One time.
08:27Yeah.
08:28And guess what?
08:28He shouldn't take less money.
08:29No, I don't think he should.
08:30But he'll be 42.
08:32But what does he want to be in?
08:33Does he want to win another championship?
08:34Well, that.
08:35Like, if you put him in right now with this team, man, can you imagine?
08:39And he's the perfect fit.
08:40He is.
08:41He is.
08:41I give you that.
08:42I mean, nothing against Dean Wade.
08:45Nothing against Max Struis.
08:47Who would you rather have as the fifth guy on the floor?
08:50I think it's really simple.
08:52Is he the only reason you would bring back what you have now?
08:55If you could do it?
08:57What other piece?
08:59Let's see how the playoffs finish up.
09:00I'm just saying.
09:01Because everyone.
09:02If you drop LeBron into this starting four.
09:05Okay.
09:05Jarrett, Evan, Donovan, Harden.
09:09If James came back.
09:11Oh, my God.
09:12Even at 42, he'd be perfect.
09:15Because at 41, he didn't slow down a whole heck of a lot.
09:19And my guess is he's got at least another year in him if he wants to play.
09:22I don't know.
09:22I don't know.
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