00:00Well, I was already in, but I thought that it was going to be difficult,
00:04and now I know he's playing with my emotions, but you know what?
00:07I get emotional over a lot of things, and I've gotten emotional over some things
00:12that just seem to be a waste of time.
00:13I got people who were yelling at us about the – and I wanted them to.
00:16I invited it.
00:17We had some people yelling at us over the Miles stuff yesterday,
00:19and I go, hey, don't blame me.
00:20Blame the Cavs.
00:21We should have been getting ready for game six,
00:22but they got swept right on out of the playoffs by the Knicks.
00:25So we all of a sudden pay attention to Miles Garrett again
00:29and all the other things.
00:31I'm an emotional person, and I got emotional when I saw the LeBron James
00:35Instagram story of the highlight of him with the Cavaliers,
00:39the old throwback clip of him with the Cavs.
00:41And now I'm going, let's bring him back.
00:43Let's wake up the echoes and let's do it.
00:45I didn't – now, I was always like, yeah, I'll take LeBron back.
00:49That's fine.
00:51I think there was one time two years ago where I'm like, eh,
00:54but the arguments that I've heard so many times,
00:58they just – they're old arguments.
01:00They don't work anymore.
01:01The drama stuff, there's no point of the drama stuff anymore.
01:05There's – I don't think that he becomes the GM of the team anymore.
01:08He's just not – if he comes back, he's not going to be here long enough.
01:12So there's always like, oh, you got to do LeBron's bidding.
01:16Do you?
01:18If he's on a retirement tour, I know it's awkward because you're trying to win a championship,
01:21so we're going over a guy's history while we're trying to go out
01:25and accomplish something great, so that would be weird.
01:28If he were to – because I think if he's coming back, it's not –
01:31with no intention to not retire, I think that he comes back and it's like,
01:35okay, at the end of this season, this is my last year.
01:37This will be the final season.
01:39And I think it will be kind of awkward at times some nights.
01:43I think he'll get weird gifts from certain cities,
01:45and we'll go over them the next morning and things like that.
01:48But you are trying to do something incredible while you are also honoring a great career.
01:55That pointed out, the typical drama and the stuff that we've argued about now
02:00for the last 20 years when it comes to LeBron, I think that goes out the window.
02:05There might be fresh arguments there.
02:07But when I saw the clip, I know that he still has lift.
02:11I know that there will be game management here.
02:14I know we were going to be excited about the playoffs and the playoffs only with the guy.
02:18And that brings in a regular season excitement because if you have the guy,
02:21then we can see some of the things that happen during the regular season
02:24and the retirement tour.
02:26But it did.
02:27It got me going again, and I'm going, okay, let's see what we can do to make this happen.
02:30Because I just don't think that this team is going to be together how it is
02:34for very much longer regardless.
02:36If they don't get LeBron back – like, there's plenty of good reasons
02:39Jason Lloyd shared with us yesterday why LeBron would not come back to Cleveland.
02:44But I think if he wanted to come back, there's plenty of great reasons.
02:47And some good basketball left to give us a chance to win a championship town.
02:51Well, okay, a lot of mixed emotions here because obviously I think the Cavs
02:56are never in a world where they should say no to LeBron James
02:58based on also how LeBron looked this year in the playoffs.
03:02Like, yeah, he's – at this stage, he's going to have ups and downs.
03:06But he still looked like a borderline top 15 player in the playoffs, which is crazy.
03:13In the regular season, he's going to have – he's going to have games where he looks
03:16like he doesn't even belong in the league.
03:18Like, believe it or not.
03:19Like, that's me saying that about LeBron.
03:20Like, he's going to have games like that, but I don't care.
03:23Because you guys have all told me in this city the regular season doesn't mean
03:26anything anyway.
03:28So, at the very least, like, let's give – let's give the fans of Northeast Ohio,
03:34especially a place where LeBron, with many of you, is on hallowed grounds,
03:39is on another level.
03:40Like, none of you would have said in the 60s – none of you, if there would have
03:45ever been an era – because we know that Jim Brown walked away from the game,
03:48still the borderline in his prime or falling out of his prime.
03:52Nine years in, I think he's still in his prime.
03:54Yeah, nobody here would have been like, I don't want any more Jim Brown.
03:58And a guy that makes news –
04:00Oh, with the way the league was back in the day?
04:01Yeah, you needed more Jim Brown.
04:03Yes.
04:04And by the way, there was drama with Jim Brown.
04:07Let's not act like it was just on-the-field stuff.
04:10But nobody would have said, I don't want that.
04:13I don't want that on my team.
04:15So, obviously, there's a business element to having LeBron in his final year.
04:18Like, season ticket holders are going to be like, yes, please.
04:21Yes, can I actually sell games to fans from all over the world and get my money back
04:27and actually have this be a good investment?
04:29And then I get to take my grandchildren to see LeBron in his final year.
04:33Nobody realistically is saying no to that.
04:35You can act like, oh, he left us twice.
04:37I'm not going to be a certain word that people bring up all the time.
04:41You're just lying.
04:42Like, your kids and grandkids would absolutely love to see LeBron James at his final year.
04:47Because I saw how it worked with Kobe.
04:49I saw exactly how that worked with Kobe Bryant.
04:51And nobody was like, that was a terrible year for the Lakers.
04:55Well, I can't claim I would.
04:56I know I haven't been to a Cavs game in person in a very, very, very, very long time.
05:00How many of you going if all of a sudden you know it's LeBron's last year?
05:02I would have to find a way to go to a Cavs game.
05:03I did it for Peyton Manning.
05:04I did it for Tom Brady.
05:05I did it for Deion Sanders.
05:07I've done it for a lot of players that I loved.
05:10Yeah, I would do it for LeBron.
05:11And as a 40-year-old man, I would do it for LeBron.
05:14And it's not like you're getting final year Akeem Olajuwon out of this.
05:19Like, you're getting somebody who still has moments, even in the playoffs,
05:23of being able to dial up old LeBron.
05:25It's not going to be as frequent, right?
05:27And the highs aren't going to look like the highs of LeBron.
05:30Okay, that's how many years ago.
05:32But he's still very good.
05:34And, you know, I'm listening to Jason Timp does an excellent job.
05:37I think he's on The Volume with Colin Coward.
05:39And he was on the afternoon show yesterday.
05:41And he's basically, you're just not good enough.
05:43And if you're in the camp that the Cavs aren't good enough,
05:47basically no matter what they do outside of going and getting Giannis.
05:50We got a very interesting question we're about to set up here.
05:53I know that he said that.
05:55I know that what Scalabrini said it yesterday, too.
05:58A lot of people saying, guys, you just aren't good enough.
05:59You got to stop making excuses.
06:01All right, well, you got a bunch of different options here.
06:05All right, Giannis is out there.
06:06LeBron is out there.
06:07It's been a weird week.
06:09We lost at the beginning of the week.
06:11The Western Conference Finals is still going on.
06:15San Antonio won yesterday or last night.
06:18So they're going to have a game seven.
06:20And I think a lot of us are going to check out about the NBA Finals.
06:23You won't.
06:24Some other people won't.
06:25But a lot of people will probably check out of the NBA Finals.
06:27Well, the ratings will be through the roof.
06:29The Knicks are in it.
06:30They're going to be huge.
06:30But I think here.
06:31You're going to hear about it like you heard about the World Series ratings.
06:33I think here are some people, even myself, even to some degree,
06:36might have to let some air out from under the collar with how the season has gone.
06:40I just kind of want to know, are you willing to give up on the future for the now?
06:44Because I've got some pushback yesterday.
06:47And I love it.
06:48I love the conversation.
06:50That, hey, we really got to examine whether or not we need to get rid of Evan Mobley to bring
06:57in Giannis,
06:57or we need to get rid of Donovan Mitchell to bring in some of this stuff.
07:03Now, a month ago, saying you were getting rid of Donovan Mitchell over Evan Mobley,
07:08I know the guy's eating nuggets on the thing, is heresy.
07:13It would have been seen as something you just can't say.
07:16Now, I think that everything's up for grabs.
07:18So, I kind of want to know, like, we keep bringing up future, future, future.
07:22That was the whole reason that anybody who was against the trade with Darius Garland,
07:25that was reason number one.
07:26You got significantly older.
07:28Are you ready to give up on the future?
07:31Evan Mobley's part of the future.
07:32He's 24 years old.
07:34The reason you would hold on to him is you believe that he would blossom.
07:38You've got a lot of older guys.
07:39Donovan's turning 30 for crying out loud.
07:42So, are you willing to give up on the future for the now
07:45to take your best run at a championship with LeBron?
07:49With LeBron James.
07:51I know Giannis is a conversation.
07:53Tom Haberstroh talked about it yesterday.
07:55But I want to know with LeBron.
07:572-1-6-4-7-4-0-0-92.
07:59I want to know without Donovan Mitchell.
08:01Or without Evan Mobley.
08:03Are you willing to let Evan Mobley?
08:04It's a better question even without Evan Mobley.
08:07Because you've got the over-the-hill gang.
08:09And James, how old is Jared Allen?
08:10Isn't that old.
08:11But you've got a 30-year-old, a 37-year-old, a 41-year-old on that starting five.
08:17You've got an old basketball team on that team.
08:19You've either got to do it now or you're not going to do it.
08:21And then we really will go and break this thing up going into 2027.
08:25Or 2027-2028.
08:27As you're going to find out, this is an agonizing, weird spot to be in,
08:32yet still be relevant and good.
08:34Yeah.
08:34That you're a top.
08:36I know they were in the Final Four.
08:37I didn't think they were the fourth best team.
08:39They probably will end the season as, like, the seventh best team in the NBA.
08:43There are so many teams that would do anything they could.
08:46They could move heaven and earth.
08:47Sacramento Kings, the Washington Wizards, like the Brooklyn Nets.
08:50They would do anything they could to get to.
08:52The Chicago Bulls would do anything they could to get to where the Cavs just got.
08:56And yet, everybody around the league, when you get to the Final Four like this,
08:59and you're seeing the other teams with wings and athleticism and youth,
09:03like, you're just not there.
09:04So, there is no magic wand move that they could make.
09:08And so, that's part of the reason.
09:09And I'm like, yeah.
09:11Yeah.
09:11I'm ready to do it.
09:12Move some contracts around to get LeBron next year.
09:14100% I would do that.
09:15Even if it includes Evan Mobley somehow?
09:17No, I don't.
09:18It wouldn't.
09:18Evan Mobley.
09:19Yeah.
09:19Evan Mobley somehow?
09:20It wouldn't.
09:21It wouldn't at all.
09:22If he was fat, you knew he would be doing that.
09:24Thank goodness he's not fat.
09:25The types of moves I'm seeing would be having to do with Max Strews, Dean Wade,
09:30maybe at your worst have to give away Jared Allen.
09:33Yeah.
09:34I would do it.
09:35I would do it.
09:35To have LeBron's final send-off year.
09:37If you guys are all telling me they can't win a championship anyway,
09:40then why wouldn't I take LeBron?
09:41Why wouldn't I?
09:42If you can't win a championship anyway?
09:43Yeah.
09:43Even if you got LeBron, you couldn't win a championship, you're saying?
09:46He's, he's...
09:47I mean, the odds are against you.
09:48San Antonio, Oklahoma City, they should be together again next year, right?
09:51Oh, yeah.
09:51Okay.
09:52The Knicks should be together again next year, right?
09:53They will.
09:54Okay, so in the, well, I don't know about the Celtics.
09:56Is there anybody else out there?
09:57Oh, Minnesota?
09:58Minnesota should be together again next year, correct?
10:01Yeah, but I mean, we're...
10:02All right.
10:02So, I'm just bringing it up.
10:03We're on the opposite side of the bracket anyway.
10:04I understand that, but what I'm saying, you're doing this for a championship.
10:08So, you're either all in or all out now.
10:10But all...
10:11Because I'm willing to do it.
10:12I'm willing to go that far.
10:13Every NBA guru and capologist is like, there isn't a move.
10:17There isn't a move.
10:18Like, yeah, going and getting Giannis makes things really, really interesting.
10:20And then maybe that would entice LeBron, okay,
10:22be like the Avengers.
10:24You'd be very old.
10:26Most likely, that team also wouldn't win the championship, too.
10:28But it would be interesting.
10:29I didn't sit here and have...
10:30Let me talk to you as a fan, okay?
10:32Let me just say it, and then we'll go...
10:33I want to know from people.
10:352-1-6-4-7-4-0-0-92.
10:36I didn't sit through the arguments over Colin Sexton
10:38and then trade him away for Donovan Mitchell
10:40just to finish in the Eastern Conference Finals
10:42with three first-round picks.
10:43I didn't argue over Darius Garland
10:45and then trade him away for James Harden
10:47just to get to the Eastern Conference Finals
10:50and giving up even more picks and all the other stuff.
10:52I didn't go through all that as a fan.
10:54Like, this has to get...
10:55Put all those guys that you have done nothing
10:56would have let you, like, on the outside
10:59looking in to even make the playoffs.
11:00Exactly.
11:01That's what I'm saying.
11:02So I sat through all that.
11:03I went through all that.
11:04We had those fights.
11:05These are moves that I, on the air,
11:07several times over, said,
11:09yes, make the move.
11:09So why wouldn't I want to make the move here?
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