00:00Nothing but excitement right now for the New York Knicks and their fans.
00:05Quite the opposite, I'd say, over there in Cleveland at the moment, D. Fish.
00:10After what we just saw, and listen, I know what everybody in L.A. is thinking.
00:14They think this show is just going to be the full-on,
00:16what's LeBron going to do next show?
00:18And that is just not the case.
00:19We're going to be talking all things sports all day long,
00:21but if we're going to sit here and pretend that LeBron James' offseason
00:24isn't an enormous story, and LeBron James' choice on where he decides to go
00:31doesn't have massive implications to multiple teams,
00:34most of all probably the L.A. Lakers themselves,
00:37I think people would just be fooling themselves.
00:39We kind of need to get to some details about LeBron James, don't you think?
00:43Yeah, it would be no different if Tom Brady was in New England.
00:48Absolutely.
00:49Was making a decision about where he was going to play football next
00:52and what was going on.
00:53That would happen if Patrick Mahomes was a free agent in Kansas City
00:56and there were questions around whether he's returning or not.
01:00That would be the talk of the entire NFL offseason.
01:03So it's not shocking necessarily, but yeah,
01:07it's something that we're going to talk about
01:10and he's one of the greatest players to ever play basketball
01:13regardless of how you feel about him personally.
01:16And so it's part of the new cycle in terms of sports
01:20and basketball specifically.
01:22Yeah, and listen, after watching this series,
01:25you and I discussed it last week going like,
01:26well, if they bring back Harden,
01:29is LeBron a fit over there with Cleveland?
01:32And I'll just ask this very honest question.
01:34If you were the Cavaliers,
01:36we all agree what James Harden is.
01:38He's a phenomenal player.
01:39He always has been.
01:40But if you had your choice, if you're Cleveland,
01:42just say in a perfect world,
01:43you could choose between having LeBron or Harden.
01:45Who would you pick, Derek Fisher?
01:49That's a good question.
01:51I mean, Cleveland's in a win-now kind of all-in situation
01:57just due to how their roster is set up from a salary cap perspective.
02:02So they're not in kind of like a reset, rebuild phase
02:07where you even need players that are going to be playing
02:10three or five years from now.
02:12Like, everything's about right now for Cleveland.
02:15Otherwise, you know, you'd have to start tearing the whole thing down
02:19and starting over.
02:21But they've been through that, you know, post-LeBron already.
02:23So my vote would probably go to LeBron
02:27if I'm looking for a guy that, you know,
02:33can play at a certain level over the course of an 82-game season,
02:37but then also in the postseason can kind of help anchor
02:42and offset some things in a way that, you know,
02:45in big games and close games, you know, he has shown
02:49and I think for another couple years could continue to show
02:53an ability to elevate his performance in the postseason
02:56and also then elevate the performance of people around him.
03:01So that, you know, that would probably be my choice in particular
03:04if it's next to, you know, Donovan Mitchell
03:06or you at least need one or two other, like,
03:10ball handler, playmaker type guys.
03:13But if I was choosing between those two guys
03:15and, like, we want to win a title in 2027,
03:19I would pick LeBron.
03:21Yeah, I think I'm with you.
03:22And part of that is also kind of the,
03:25listen, I know it's a narrative
03:26and I know sometimes narratives can be lazy,
03:28but it's hard not to see the glaring fact
03:30of certain things around Harden when the playoffs hit.
03:33And, you know, we all watched game one
03:35and we all made our jokes about him not putting his hands up
03:38and, but you made the eloquent point,
03:40listen, James Harden shouldn't be put one-on-one
03:42against Jalen Brunson to begin with.
03:44So he was kind of set up to fail in that particular spot.
03:46But Dom on the chat right now says,
03:49Harden is going to end up another Melo
03:51if he's not there already.
03:53Incredible offensive talent,
03:54but couldn't get the team to the promised land.
03:57What is your thoughts on that?
03:58I mean, by the way, it's not like Melo,
04:00being compared to Melo is the worst person
04:02in the world to be compared to, by the way.
04:03Right, true.
04:05I mean, there are some similarities in terms of,
04:08I mean, both guys are, you know,
04:09probably scored a million points
04:12and are clearly, you know,
04:14first ballot Hall of Fame guys.
04:18So there are some similarities.
04:20But, you know, in a team sport,
04:21it's no one person's responsibility
04:23to get the team to the promised land.
04:25Yeah.
04:25You know, you could argue
04:27there's been some things missing around those guys
04:30that, you know, have limited their ability
04:33to get to the promised land, quote unquote.
04:35I don't know if you go back and break down
04:37the teams that Melo was on in Denver or in New York,
04:41the teams that James has been on in different places.
04:44Like, you know, if the roster was necessarily
04:46built to win a championship,
04:48I know for a fact the roster was not built
04:52to win championships when I coached Carmelo.
04:56That's why I'm sitting here.
05:00And so, you know, I don't know if James Harden
05:04has necessarily been in a situation where, like,
05:07everything else was in check.
05:09The boxes were all checked.
05:11And James Harden was the reason why
05:12they didn't get to the promised land.
05:14I don't know if we could really summarize it that way.
05:16Well, let's find out.
05:17Let's get to the calls.
05:17855-97-LA-FAN.
05:20Walrus in Encino.
05:21Talk to us.
05:22You're on with Derek and Decker.
05:24Hey, good morning there, Cody.
05:26Good morning, D-Fish.
05:27Huge Lakers fan over here.
05:28Appreciate you, number two.
05:30One thing I wanted to clear up for you guys.
05:32Those Knicks, they have two championships.
05:34Don't go ahead and forget about Willis Reed.
05:36Game seven, 1970, man.
05:38Sorry.
05:39That's when they first got it done.
05:40And then, no, it's all good.
05:41And then, 94, you can't forget about that.
05:44Finals with Elijah one.
05:45And when OJ was on the screen at the same time.
05:48I'm sorry.
05:49You're right.
05:49I was so locked into that trial.
05:52I completely forgot about that.
05:54My bad.
05:55You're good.
05:55I'm not trying to show you up at all, man.
05:57I just love Hoop, man.
05:58My bad.
05:58When it comes to LeBron, I really believe that something that needs to be factored in
06:05is Bronny.
06:06Because if LeBron leaves the Lakers, I don't know how secure Bronny's going to be when it
06:11comes to the Lakers organization.
06:13I don't know if he'd be able to hop over to Cleveland with his father.
06:17You know, in my opinion, you know, LeBron has a year, two years, whatever left in his
06:20career.
06:21Bronny has his entire career ahead of him.
06:23So if I'm LeBron James, I'm really thinking about my son, who's starting to develop pretty
06:27nicely with the Lakers.
06:29And I don't really think he's going to go to Cleveland and win a title there.
06:32So what would really be the point?
06:33So that's really what I think about LeBron.
06:35Hey, great show, guys.
06:36Great, great show.
06:37Appreciate the call, Rollers.
06:38Very, very much.
06:40What are your thoughts on that?
06:41The Bronny aspect, which, you know, it's been mentioned, but we haven't really gotten
06:45into.
06:46How much do you think that plays?
06:48I mean, I doubt it's the main factor, but it's definitely a factor.
06:53Yeah, it's a factor, but I don't believe it's a factor at a level that would prevent
07:02whatever decision LeBron is going to make.
07:05It will have been considered and factored in.
07:08It will have been considered and mapped out in terms of if it's Cleveland, for example,
07:17you better believe the necessary conversations around what would it take to sign Bronny or
07:24trade for Bronny or whatever that situation would need to look like.
07:30Or, you know, if the Lakers were, OK, we're going to release Bronny so that he can sign
07:35with Cleveland.
07:36Yeah.
07:37You know, and then LeBron's going to say, like, nobody, trust me, nobody's going to
07:43stand in the way of those two guys being able to be together.
07:45If that's what they so choose.
07:47Yeah.
07:47Now, if LeBron decides he's going back to Cleveland and Bronny stand in L.A. because the Lakers
07:52believe in him, JJ Reddick believes in him, and that's what's best for Bronny, they'll
07:55do that as a family.
07:57But trust me, if LeBron decides he's going to sign in Cleveland and they, as a family,
08:02have decided Bronny should be there, too, it'll happen.
08:05Yeah, absolutely.
08:06Will happen.
08:07Yes.
08:08Oh, I have one basis already to prove that one.
08:11I mean, fact.
08:12Let's go to Mitch and Callie.
08:14What's up, Mitch?
08:14You're on with Derek and Decker.
08:17Good morning, Cody.
08:18Derek, good show.
08:20Love the station.
08:22Welcome.
08:23Yeah, I hope you guys had a good Memorial Day weekend.
08:27Sorry you had to work yesterday.
08:28I want to talk a little bit about LeBron.
08:30I'm sorry.
08:31I don't give you a chance.
08:32I don't hear what you just said.
08:33My mistake.
08:34It's me.
08:34Not you.
08:36LeBron and James Harden.
08:38LeBron, I think they could use a small forward.
08:42Cleveland, you know, small.
08:44The guy's like 6'8".
08:45I think he could play center, which if the Lakers put him at center, that'd be an improvement
08:50because he comes to play every day.
08:52He gives 100% and he pulls through.
08:55So I hope the Lakers can add and keep LeBron.
08:57And with James Harden, you know, win or lose, you've got to have the same positive attitude.
09:05So if somebody wants to bring their kids, and I'm sure James Harden has plenty of time,
09:11plenty of opportunities after his losses, all the postseason he's been in and not come
09:15through.
09:16And another thing, Carmelo never had a great supporting cast.
09:21I mean, look at James Harden.
09:22Look at the teams he's been on with two other Hall of Famers.
09:25With the Nets, I think the Rocks are a pretty good team.
09:29It's incredible.
09:30I can't keep up with him.
09:32He travels more than Vance.
09:33Some Vance don't travel as much as he does.
09:36But maybe next year, like the old Brooklyn Dodgers.
09:39Wait till next year.
09:40I love it.
09:41Absolutely love it, Mitch.
09:42Great phone call.
09:43Yeah, there is that aspect that Harden has been filled with a lot of teams, with a lot of guys
09:51on it.
09:51The Philly run, which didn't go well, the Brooklyn run, which you just mentioned, which didn't go well.
09:57Yeah, but those other guys aren't free of the same level of criticism.
10:01You are absolutely right.
10:02You know what I'm saying?
10:03I don't know why we've decided James Harden is the only variable.
10:05That is interesting that he is the one we're all picking on.
10:07Yeah, like the other guys that we're talking about also haven't won championships, you know, as well.
10:14So I don't think it's just about Harden.
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