Nightcap Hour 1: Suns EMBARRASS Lakers DEFENSE + Luka Doncic WHINES too MUCH + Son Knueppel BREAKS ROOKIE 3PT RECORD + Hawks hosting MAGIC CITY Night + NFL Team REPORT CARDS + Nahir Albright JOINS Nightcap
72 min
•Feb 27, 2026about 2 months agoSummary
The Nightcap episode analyzes the Suns' 113-110 victory over the Lakers despite missing key players, critiques the Lakers' defensive weaknesses and roster construction, discusses Luka Doncic's complaining with referees, and features boxer Nahir Albright discussing his draw with Frank Martin.
Insights
- Lakers' defensive vulnerabilities are systematically exploited through pick-and-roll actions, forcing scrambling and creating open three-point opportunities for opponents
- Ball-dominant players like Luka Doncic require specific roster construction; pairing him with LeBron creates offensive redundancy and limits role player effectiveness
- Modern NBA three-point volume has increased dramatically; rookies now break records in 59 games that took 80 games previously, reflecting fundamental shifts in offensive strategy
- NFL team facility investments correlate with player satisfaction and retention; owners prioritize ROI over competitive advantages gained from superior training infrastructure
- Boxing's business structure creates barriers to fan-desired matchups; promotional teams and financial considerations often override fighter willingness to compete
Trends
Three-point shooting volume explosion in NBA with rookies setting records at unprecedented paceDefensive scheme exploitation through pick-and-roll manipulation forcing help defense rotationsBall-dominant star player construction challenges in modern NBA roster buildingNFL ownership cost-cutting on facilities despite massive revenue streams from media dealsBoxing promotion gatekeeping preventing mega-fights despite fighter and fan demandPlayer-driven facility quality assessments creating organizational accountability metricsIncreased emphasis on bench depth and role player three-point shooting in competitive NBA teamsYoung players entering professional sports with established shooting volume expectations
Topics
Lakers defensive strategy and pick-and-roll vulnerabilitiesLuka Doncic complaining with referees and playing styleNBA three-point shooting evolution and rookie recordsLeBron James role adjustment in ball-dominant offensesDeAndre Ayton performance and contract value assessmentPhoenix Suns offensive efficiency and three-point volumeNFL team facility quality and player satisfactionNFL GM performance grading system and evaluation metricsBoxing matchmaking and promotional barriers to fightsNahir Albright vs Frank Martin fight analysisProfessional athlete work ethic and job experienceMinimum wage employment and economic mobilityJonathan Kaminga performance with Atlanta HawksGolden State Warriors system fit and player developmentFloyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao exhibition fight prediction
Companies
Phoenix Suns
Defeated Lakers 113-110 without top players; analyzed for offensive efficiency and three-point shooting volume
Los Angeles Lakers
Primary focus of analysis; criticized for defensive weaknesses, roster construction, and inability to defend pick-and...
Golden State Warriors
Discussed regarding Jonathan Kaminga's limited playing time under Steve Kerr despite strong performance with Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
Hosting Magic City Night on March 16th; Jonathan Kaminga scored 27 points in debut after limited Warriors minutes
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic analyzed for complaining with referees and ball-dominant playing style affecting team construction
Carolina Panthers
Dan Morgan received A grade in NFL GM report card for team management and personnel decisions
Denver Broncos
George Patton received A grade in NFL GM report card for team management and personnel decisions
Baltimore Ravens
Eric DaCosta received A grade in NFL GM report card for team management and personnel decisions
Miami Dolphins
Ranked number one in NFL team report card for third consecutive year based on player evaluations
Minnesota Vikings
Ranked second in NFL team report card based on player evaluations and organizational quality
Washington Commanders
Ranked third in NFL team report card after previously being rated last; significant improvement noted
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ranked 32nd in NFL report card for first time; criticized for facility investment and locker room conditions
Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman received B grade in NFL GM report card for personnel management and team building
Chicago Bears
Ryan Poles received B- grade in NFL GM report card for team management and personnel decisions
Houston Texans
Nick Casario received A- grade in NFL GM report card for team management and personnel decisions
People
Luka Doncic
Scored 41 points against Lakers; criticized for excessive complaining with referees and defensive limitations
LeBron James
Analyzed for role adjustment in Lakers offense; standing in corner rather than having ball in hands
Austin Reeves
Lakers guard discussed for offensive role and defensive vulnerabilities in pick-and-roll situations
DeAndre Ayton
Lakers center criticized for 2-point performance in 23 minutes and defensive ineffectiveness
Jonathan Kaminga
Scored 27 points in Hawks debut after 175 games with Warriors; analyzed for underutilization by Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Warriors coach criticized for limiting Jonathan Kaminga's playing time despite player's demonstrated ability
Nahir Albright
Professional boxer featured as guest; discussed 10-round draw with Frank Martin and title aspirations
Frank Martin
Boxer who fought Nahir Albright to a draw; discussed as potential rematch opponent
Zach Lowe
NBA analyst quoted criticizing Luka Doncic for excessive complaining with officials during games
Floyd Mayweather
Scheduled to fight Manny Pacquiao in September 2026 exhibition match on Netflix
Manny Pacquiao
Scheduled to fight Floyd Mayweather in September 2026 exhibition match on Netflix
Shakur Stevenson
Boxing champion mentioned as potential opponent Nahir Albright wants to fight for title shot
Keyshawn Davis
Boxer Nahir Albright expressed desire to rematch but indicated Davis's team preventing the fight
Art Rooney II
Steelers owner ranked last for willingness to invest in team facilities in NFL report card
Dan Morgan
Panthers GM received A grade in NFL report card for personnel management and team building
Quotes
"They can't guard anybody off the dribble. If you notice tonight, they put Luka in the pick and roll. That's what everybody does."
Shannon Sharpe•Early game analysis
"The Lakers are not going anywhere. DeAndre Ayton is not a good player if you're trying to win a championship."
Shannon Sharpe•Post-game assessment
"It's kind of hard to win with that style. That's the James Harden style. Luka plays just like James Harden did."
Shannon Sharpe•Luka Doncic analysis
"I felt like I definitely pulled it out by a round or two. I knew it was a close fight. When they announced it, I was like, all right, I can't be too mad."
Nahir Albright•Fight discussion
"I want a world title shot. Richardson, Hitchens, Shakur Stevenson, anybody like Gary Russell. All the champions in my weight, I'm trying to fight them."
Nahir Albright•Title aspirations
Full Transcript
This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards. Live from South by Southwest, March 16th, we'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge, and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the iHeart Podcast Award is... See all the nominees now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the underexplored pockets of F1, including the astrology of the current grid, the story of the sport's most consequential driver's strike, and plenty of other mishaps, scandals, and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent gumster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip starting March 4th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I am Greg Rosenthal. I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and Free Agents, the podcast that owns the NFL offseason. This is where teams are built. Free agency, combine, pro days, trades. Every move matters. From my draft boards and mock drafts. To my vaunted top 101 free agents and how rosters come together. Quarterback movement. Surprise signings. We'll tell you what it means and who really wins. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search 40s and free agents, and listen now. 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That's F-O-R, the people.com slash nightcap. Or you can dial pound law, pound 529 from your sale. This is a paid advertisement. Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap. As you watch the Suns take down the Lakers without their top players, and they still beat the Lakers and overcome a 41-point effort from Luka Doncic, 113-110. Y'all know who I am. I am your favorite uncle. That is my partner and co-host. That, guys from Liberty City, Bengals Ring of Fame honoree, a former Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. That is Chad Ochocinco Johnson. Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and go subscribe to the Nightcap Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts from. We'd like to thank you for your support and your continued support. Make sure you check out Shade by LaPortier. If you're looking to purchase a bottle, head over to LaPortierCognac.com if it's currently unavailable in a state or city near you. It is a premium BSOP cognac. Remember, we have the OG bottle, which is the 750. Now we have the Junior, which is the 375. It is the same great quality, same great taste, just in a smaller version. Try it, compare it against other cognacs, and you'll see. We have the best tasting, smoothest cognac on the market. Please drink responsibly and be safe. And make sure you check out Ocho's latest new soccer podcast, The Late Run. That link is pinned in the chat. The first episode dropped today. Ocho, tell the people what they can expect from your new endeavor. Well, obviously, most of you in the chat, you can tell how much I love the beautiful game. So I thought about starting my own production company. And obviously, I started off with Ocho Cinco Productions. And what's the one thing that I'm passionate about and I'm enthusiastic about that I can talk to from top to bottom, whether it's the 80s and 90s or the current game in itself? And obviously, it's soccer. Soccer is growing much bigger here in the States. And obviously, I have something that's somewhat bridging the gap. one of the few people that played American football that loves the beautiful game in itself. So why not start a show about that passion I love, I do have for the game. So I created the late run with a good friend of mine by the name of Rahimovich or Rahim. He loves soccer as well. He's of Jamaican. He's from Jamaica, of Jamaican descent. So we're having a great run. Our first episode dropped today with Bert Kaiser. Am I saying the comedian's name? Chrysler. Chrysler. Yeah. Chrysler. Chrysler. Yeah. So there's some really, really good episodes we have with some former players, Rio Ferdinand, and we have us regular folks and trying to get them involved in why they should love the beautiful game in itself, especially with World Cup coming here to the States in about three more months. So do me a favor, like and subscribe to the late run. Yep. That's a first episode dropped today. So make sure you check out Ocho's latest adventure. The Suns beat the Lakers 113-110. The Lakers led with 525 left in the third quarter by 12 points, 70-58. The Lakers tried to mount a comeback. They fell behind by as many as, what, 10, 12, maybe in the fourth quarter, but they were able to claw their way back into the ballgame, tied it up late on Austin Reed's three. But, again, the problem that befalls the Lakers every single time, They can't guard anybody off the dribble. If you notice tonight, they put Luka in the pick and roll. That's what everybody does. So now when they go by him, so just like that last play of the game, they have Luka one-on-one with Grayson Allen. Grayson Allen beats him off the dribble. Now LeBron comes to help. He passes to the guy that LeBron's supposed to be covering. Okay, Austin Reeves rotate. Now he leaves Royce O'Neal wide open for a trip. And boom, there you go. And that was the reoccurring theme all night long. They get broken down off the dribble. And once you get broken down, now you're in a scramble for the remaining of the possession. And even if they force a missed shot because you're scrambling, they get the long rebound. Until, look, the Lakers are not going anywhere. And I told you that, oh, Aiton, Aiton, DeAndre Aiton is not a good. He's not good if you're trying to win a championship. Right. If you want to fill out a roster and have a seven-footer, he's your guy. 23 minutes, two points. Two points. And obviously from watching the game, a little bit of knowledge I do have with my knowledge really growing with the game of basketball, not only do they not play defense, the bench, they're not getting enough of their bench. No, they got – what did they get tonight? They got 25 points tonight. But you look at Grayson Allen, he outscored the bench by himself. He got 28. Yeah. So that alone in itself, if you're not going to play defense, at least something has to make up for it in other areas, especially with Luka getting beat the way he does in that pick and roll. So that's the form to beat the Lakers from now on. Keep the game close if you can. If not, run away with it. But obviously, you know, the game is all about swings and momentums. But every single time, because they lack defense and they don't have depth on the bench, this is going to happen to them damn near every game. It happens every game. Austin Reeves, Luka get broken down off the dribble. Everybody's compromised from that point on. If you notice, they keep Luka in the pick and roll. And they try to hide him because at first he was up at the top. They try to play a zone. Well, now you can't because if you play him in the zone, they're going to come pick him. So now they try to put him in the back. They try to hide him, and they just can't. He's out there. He's out there. And yeah, those 41 points and those points, when you don't play defense, and it's not that somebody might be getting 41, but the guys that he's guarding when they put him in the pick and roll. I don't like the way they're using LeBron. LeBron stands in the corner or he gets the ball at the horn. So, in other words, if Marcus Smart or Austin Rees have the ball, he'll come pick, gets the ball at the middle of the free throw line or the top of the key. That's what they call the horn. So, he gets the ball there and he looks to make a – Yeah. It's just bad. It's bad basketball. They just – I don't know. I just don't see it getting any better. They just don't have guys. The guys make bonehead plays. Marcus Smart has the ball. He's walking it up like he has 30 seconds. Bro, you know you only got 80 seconds to get the ball across God Day on half court. You walk the ball up. Vando comes in the game, and he's like a blind dog in a meat house. He jumping. The guy fakes him up. Bro, why you leaving? The guy's terrible. He can't even make free throws. What makes you think he's going to make a three? You file him on a three-point shot. Luckily, he missed two of the three. the shots. Hey, hold on, hold on, hold on. You got to rewind that. He came in the game like a black dog what? In a meat house. He smelled of meat. He can't see nothing. And the thing is, is that because you compromise the defense, y'all see it. I'm not, look, look. The thing is, is that when you play, when you have three guys, really, that can't play defense, it's hard to win games. because the team's going to get great shots every time down the court. They don't have to take a bad shot because all you got to do is just swing it once, you're going to get a great look. Swing it twice, you're going to get an even better look. Swing it a third time, you've got a great look. And that's what we see all the time. I mean, the way, obviously, the Lakers are top-heavy with their best three players, obviously LeBron, Luka, and Austin Reyes. So in order for them to win games, because they're so bad defensively, they have to be super duper efficient on offense. Yes. Super duper efficient because of their compromise on defense, no matter what you try to do. You say they have Luka up top, they put him in the pick and roll. They try to hide him in the back, and they think, I mean, it's a weakness. They still find him, yeah. Yeah, they still find him. So I'm not sure what they're going to do. They don't have enough depth also on the bench to obviously help with the scoring and also play defense. No. in order for them to win games, they're going to have to, Luka's going to have to do what Luka normally does. But Austin Reeves and LeBron is going to have to be somewhere in the mid-20s also with the other guys somewhere around 18 to 20. When you get Luka at 41 and you get Bron 15 points, you get Austin Reeves 14 points, you get DeAndre Ayton got two points. No blocks. You play, you don't, I mean, you're seven foot tall. You're the tallest guy on the court. You got out-rebounded. You got out-assisted. You got out-shot blocked. I mean, they stole the ball better than you did. It's just, they're bad basketball team. Now, I know everybody's saying, well, LeBron needs to leave. But if you think LeBron leaving, and they load up on the backcourt with Austin Reeves and Luka Doncic, if you think the Lakers are a championship contending team, they're not a championship contending team. Don't get me wrong. They're not a championship contending team with LeBron. They're not. They're not going to be a championship contending team without LeBron. I have a question. And whose bright idea is to say LeBron leaves and that fixes the issue that they have? What I think is, Ocho, is that Austin Reeves is going to be a free agent. And so you're going to have to max him out. You already got Luka on the max contract. Austin Reeves is going to get $200 million. Is it going to be there? Is it going to be with the Lakers? Obviously. I don't think they let him go. I don't think you can. Now you got Luka. I mean, you got Luka but a lot of times Luka numbers doesn't correlate to winning. When a guy has 41-8-8, you're like, damn. He only had three turnovers, which is – I mean, he leads the league in turnovers. But, you know, he had a couple of steals. But he just can't play defense, Ocho. He just can't. And he's never going to be able to play. Tonight was a little better as far as arguing with the refs because every time he's arguing with the refs, he's doing this, he's looking for a call, he's letting calls. but that's who he is. So we might as well move on past that, say, Luka, stop arguing. It's not going to happen. And he said, well, I need to stop arguing with officials. You can't. That's who you are. That's your makeup. That's him. Right, right. Huh? Oh, okay. NBA's analyst Zach Lowe recently called out Luka over his constant complaining with the refs, saying, are you playing one-on-one with the refs or are you playing the game? If every single possession now is completely out of control, is back to the Dallas level is just unwatchable. This comes in the evening that Luka is leading the league in scoring 32.5 points per game and getting to the line almost 11 times per night, which is the most in the NBA. I mean, I don't get it. Bro, so what, you want to shoot 23 throws a night? I mean, that's crazy for whoever just wrote that and said that it's becoming unwatchable, watching one of the greatest players, obviously, in today's game, and saying he's unwatchable simply because he argues with the refs? That's all he does, though, Ocho. You can't every time you miss a shot say, I got five. That's the reason I missed. Right. If you watch Luka, he turns to the official every time. Yeah. I mean, I guess. This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards. Live from South by Southwest, March 16th, we'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge, and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the iHeart Podcast Award is... See all the nominees now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app, Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and Free Agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stops. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, pro days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and Free Agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the underexplored pockets of F1, including the astrology of the current grid. Lewis Hamilton, Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. Wouldn't you know it, Michael Schumacher is also a Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. The story of the sport's most consequential driver's strike. We have one man who, upon hearing that he was going to be fired, freaked out, and apparently climbed out the window of the bathroom. And was Daniel Ricciardo's illustrious F1 career a success story, a cautionary tale, or some combination of both? He started getting all this attention, and he maybe started to think, I'm bigger than this, I'm better. And plenty of other mishaps, scandals, and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip starting March 4th on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts Yeah Bro they can I mean the game already long enough If they call the foul every time you want it wouldn't hell, the game would be four hours. Yeah, I get it. I get it. But that's him, Unc. He's been doing it. He's always done that. I'm sure that's a habit of his that he's been doing since he left wherever he was. I mean, where did he play before? Over in? Yeah, on Slovenia. Slovenia? Yeah, so that's the habit that's going to be hard to break. You'd almost have to not to care. You know what? I don't care no more. If I miss, if I miss, if they call it, they call it. Forget it. I'm just going to play ball. I don't think he can, don't you? I think he's been doing it this way for so long. Long, yeah. And, you know, he's hunting calls, so if I don't get this call, I'll put the birdie in his ear to make them look a little closer and maybe they give me the next call. Well, obviously, that might piss the refs off. that might piss the rest off and they they're they'll be a little bit more reluctant not to give you the call because you always complain about it yeah they're just look at the end of the day all that being said they're not a good team they're not a good team uh uh their best players i mean lebron is i mean he's averaging probably 20 points a game uh he i mean he's been under 50 the last three or four games that i can call his three ball has completely abandoned him you can tell he's not being aggressive because guess what he's had two he had two free throws attempts. Two. So do you think LeBron should assert himself a little bit more? He can. Luka has the ball. At least LeBron is somewhat a viable option without the ball in his hand. Right. Luka cannot play without the ball. He has to. He's ball dominant. He leads the league in usage rates. He has to have the ball. Right. And when he doesn't have the ball, AR normally has the ball. That's why I'm saying you basically get nothing out of LeBron because he stands in the corner or he gets the ball at the horn. But see, the good thing about LeBron is he is versatile being able to play off the ball. So it's not like he's handicapped in a sense. I mean, to me, at 41, 42, whatever it is LeBron may be, I mean, he's still one that can give you what he needs to without having the ball in his hands. No, but that's not his style of play. He's had the ball in his hand for the – until Luka got there, he had the ball in his hand for 22 and a half years. For 22 and a half. He has the ball. yeah can he play yes but that's yeah his game yeah right right that's not but he's not Kevin Durant Kevin Durant has really never primarily had the ball he's always had other guys to have the ball in right right he can play like that LeBron needs to have the ball in his hand for you to get the maximum bang for your buck okay okay by the same token Luka needs to have the ball So you got two guys, really three guys, because AR needs the ball also. Either AR had a great look. I love the call. I mean, we see that a lot, that slip, where, you know, Austin Reed's fake like he's coming forward, he goes back. They swing the ball over the top. LeBron sets a great pick. He has a great look. He just didn't knock it down. But at the end of the day, they're not a good defensive team because they don't have good defensive players. and the guys that can play defense, they're an offensive liability. So now you're basically playing five on four on the offensive end. Vando, I mean, he'll knock down a corner three here and there, but it's not enough to play him substantial minutes. I mean, he played six minutes tonight, and he had the worst plus minus on the court at minus 15, and he only played six minutes. DeAndre, no, excuse me, DeAndre Ayton had the worst plus minus. He was minus 24. He played 23 minutes and gave you two points. but somehow he needs like somehow, you know, he's like, oh, he's going on the max contract. Well, he'll probably get it. He just probably wouldn't get it there. Hey, how long, how long would it take for the Lakers to rebuild and make the right decisions up top to get themselves back to being able to contend, not just in the West, but in general, where they actually have a chance. come into a season when they had the when the Lakers had Shaq and Kobe you knew you know what they got a goddamn chance every single time they were there when Kobe was there by himself based on the team that was constructed you knew you had a chance until obviously after the injury or somewhat maybe before the injury when they were just really really bad and was only just Kobe how long you think another five five years it's hard it's going to be hard to get somebody to play with Luka because he's so ball dominant. He basically just needs a big to roll to the rim. He's not going to throw you the ball so you can post like a Jokic, like you can post like an Embiid, or post like a big can. That's not what he is. And DeAndre Ayton is not that type of big. And they don't really run plays for D.A. Every once in a while, he'll slip. He'll set the pick and slip and roll to the basket. They'll throw him a lob. LeBron going downhill, he'll throw him a lob. Luka throws him a lob. A.R. throws him a lob. but it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough. Luke is so ball dominant and he's a phenomenal player and I don't want people to misconstrue this. He is an absolute phenomenal player but it's kind of hard to win with that style. That's the James Harden style. Plays just like James Harden did and James Harden within his absolute apex prime at Houston. So basically even as great as he is that means the Lakers are basically handicapped for a while and trying to actually contend for a damn title. Yeah, they're going to be they're absolutely going to be handicapped. Because look how young OKC is. Right. Minnesota, you got the Nuggets. I mean, Nuggets got two of their key pieces out. They get those guys back with Jokic and Murray, and you get Gordon and Watson, they're going to be tough to beat. They're going to be tough to beat. And then you got the East. I mean, look, it's going to be a minute. It's going to be a minute. and they about to be handicapped because you're going to have two guys on a max, your two backcourt guys on a, on a max contract. Right. And neither one can play defense. So basically you have top tier guys up here and then everybody on medium salaries. Right. It's kind of hard to win like that. Ah, well, hold on. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Well, you got Shay and a J will on top 10 salaries, right? Yeah. But you got those guys on rookie contracts. All those guys are young guys. Okay. They got Chad on a max contract. They're going to have to do something because they're in the first apron. They're going to be in that second apron. Then you have to make a decision. Right. On who to keep going. Do we keep going for it every year and have to fork over a hundred million dollars? Right. $150 million. Is that what we're going to do? Yeah. Cause you got Shay, you got J-Dub and you got Chet. So yeah, they're going to have to make, they're going to have to make some decisions coming up, but they're not a good team. They're not. There's no other way around it. They're just not a good team. You can't lose to a team without two or three of their best players. No book tonight. No Dylan Brooks tonight. And you still lose? You still lose. Yeah. You let a team get up 53s. You let a team get up 53s. They make 22 of them. You're probably going to lose. I'm surprised they didn't lose by more. When you got outshot, they doubled you up. they doubled you up. So in other words, they got 33 more points from the three-point line than you did, and you only lost by three. It took a three-point shot with three seconds on the clock in order for you to win. So in hindsight, when you think about it, right, with everything Nico Harrison had to do, then does it look that bad in letting Luka go based on what you're telling me? Yeah. When it's all said and done, Ocho, we'll find out. Because if he doesn't win a championship, then what? Because the whole thing was, go back and look at when Luka got to the finals, look at what happened. He had the guard. They put him in the pick and roll. He couldn't defend. Jalen, well, JB picked him up, made him shoot. He was inefficient. Right. Nah. Dang. No. Like I said, I just don't like the luck. Like I said, LeBron is not a guy to stand in the corner. The guys had the ball for, you know, 90% of his time in the league. Yeah. Now, he don't bring the ball up anymore. That's Austin Reeves, Luka, Marcus Smart. He runs to the corner. Austin Reeves, Marcus Smart gets the ball. He'll come sit to pick. They'll give it to him at the nail. He tries to make a play. He'll pass it off. Right. They'll do the weave. He gets it. pass it off. No. It's not conducive. That style to what they have right now, were they fifth in the West? They weren't done. That's it? I don't think they match. They don't match up well with anybody. Yeah. Charlotte Conknepple reached another milestone in his great rookie season for the number four pick out of the Duke. Out of Duke, he broke Keegan Murray's NBA rookie record for three-pointers made. He's making this 207th on Thursday night. Kneppel connected on five threes in the first half and then broke the record in the third quarter. It took Murray 80 games to do it in 22-23. To establish the record, Kneppel just broke it in 59. Steph Curry holds the single-season record with 4-0-2. the way they shoot the threes now I mean it's not only the way they shoot it but how efficient he's shooting it at well I mean I think the thing is I mean think about it Ocho I mean Phoenix got up 53's the Lakers got up 29 I mean the two teams on average getting up somewhere between 60 and 73's a game man that's crazy yes I mean think about it do, he broke this record in 21 fewer games. This is unprecedented. Steph didn't really start shooting volume threes until the problem was like it's fifth, sixth, seventh year in the league. These guys are coming into the league now shooting volume threes. This is the way the game has evolved. This is what the game is now, though. It's a three-point, yeah. Guys are just running. I mean, guys don't even – they run to the three-point line. Mm-hmm. Everybody's stepping back. Everybody, I mean, they're sitting the pick so high. And we're still in the Lakers on the show. They're going up. Bro, they're shooting the lights out of the building. And you're still going up under the screen? LaRabia, you're going up under the screen? Luca, you're going up under the screen? Jackson Hayes, you got to get picked at the top. you're not going to show. So you're going to let the guy, then you come running out there with your hand up. Bro, it's too late. Mark Jackson said, hey, hand down, man down. It's too late. When that guy picks, you got to show right now. Yeah. You can't be late. Guys are too good now. I mean, guys for the other team, you ain't got to do that with the Lakers. You ain't got to do that. They can't knock down threes. And LeBron's three has abandoned him tonight. AR struggled the last couple of games. His three ballers abandoned him. Luka was sensational tonight. He was 12-21. Coming off of, what was he, 8-24 last night, if he was that. This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards. Live from South by Southwest, March 16th, we'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge, and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the iHeart Podcast Award is... See all the nominees now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stops. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, pro days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. We got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the underexplored pockets of F1, including the astrology of the current grid. Lewis Hamilton, Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. Wouldn't you know it, Michael Schumacher is also a Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon. The story of the sport's most consequential driver's strike. We have one man who, upon hearing that he was going to be fired, freaked out, and apparently climbed out the window of the bathroom. And was Daniel Ricciardo's illustrious F1 career a success story, a cautionary tale, or some combination of both? He started getting all this attention, and he maybe started to think, I'm bigger than this, I'm better. And plenty of other mishaps, scandals, and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip starting March 4th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. He was like 2 of 10 from the 3. He played much better tonight, but they're going to have to do a better job at defensively. They just, they just, I just don't understand what they think can happen playing defense the way they play. Right. Oh, Joe, the Hawks are hosting Magic City Monday, honoring the iconic Atlanta strip club at their March 16th game against the Magic. T.I. will perform at half. The Hawks will serve Magic City world-famous wings at the game, and there will be limited edition merch available. Okay. I need to get something. Hey, Lou, if you get any money from them lemon pepper, shoot your boy something. Go ahead, Ocho. I'm glad you said that. Now, me and Joe, we talked about it. I've been asking Joe, I want to come to a game. I want to be able to sit courtside. So, obviously, why don't I take the opportunity to use that game March 16th as the one to get tickets to to sit courtside with Joe? Just so I can taste the wings. Not only taste the wings, but obviously get a chance to see what Magic City is all about. Because I hear about it all the time. You tell me about it. Well, you ain't going to be able to see what Magic City is about at the game. you would have to go to the i'm talking about after i'm talking about after the game okay i'm i'm gonna tell joe to go with me i don't know if joe can get permission to go out after the game but if he if he's allowed to go i mean i would love to see what magic city is all about because i keep hearing about it and the fact that the atlanta hawks partnered with magic city that says a lot yeah that says magic city is iconic it's probably the most recognizable strip club okay, Adult Entertainment Gentleman's Club in America. Ooh. There might be some to make more money, but I'm talking about just on name recognition? Right. Ain't nothing touching it. Mm. Nothing. Nothing. Area 21, whatever they got, the Cabaret in Dallas, whatever they got in Miami, ain't nothing. As far as name recognition, when you hear Magic City, you already know where to be. I can't wait I'm excited I'm excited hey speaking speaking of speaking of speaking of adult ballet you know I'm you know I leave um I leave for Houston tomorrow I'm going to watch my baby run at College Station obviously uh it's SEC championship that's what it was I couldn't think of what it was SEC uh championship uh it's outdoor right now at at College Station but I'm going to do indoor season indoor oh it is indoor season right now right yeah so I'm going to go there and if I'm not mistaken we have nightcap Saturday night right we got nightcap Saturday yeah yeah no we're debating okay well let me know because if we do have it I'm going to do nightcap from area 29 okay yeah speaking of the Hawks it took Jonathan Kamingo 175 regular season games with the Warrior to record his first performance in which he scored at least 27 points. In his Atlanta Hawks debut, Kaminga did that in his first game. On Tuesday night, Kaminga dropped 27 points in 24 minutes, and tonight he dropped 17. If Kaminga continues to play like this, what do you think, Ocho? Does that look bad on Steve Kerr? because for whatever reason, he wouldn't let the young man play a whole bunch. I don't know why he wouldn't let him play, Unk. I mean, everyone said it. Those that I know that watched the game of basketball said how good Kaminga was. But obviously, it's a pecking order. There's always a pecking order. That's why I always ask you and Joe, is there a certain individuals that are allowed to have the green light? We talked about Cade Cunningham and the amount of shots he put up. And obviously, offensively, everything runs through Steph Curry. So I said, I asked you and Joe before, well, how come as good as Kaminga is and as much as he wants the ball and wants to assert himself offensively, why are they not allowed to allow the offense to run through him? And I'm with Steph Curry on the court. See, that's what I'm saying. Knowing that he's an offensive juggernaut just as well. Why not? You have two people that can score. You have two people that can get you points. I don't see what the problem is. But he goes where he goes now, and he's putting up points like this. 27 one night, 17 the next. And this is probably now that he has the green light to be able to play as freely as he wants to, this is what you're going to get. The warrior system is predicated on ball movement. Kaminga is predicated on having the ball in his hand moving. So he needs to take it. He needs to take the ball. he needs to have the ball and take you off the bounce. Where Golden State is a hot potato type of team. Right. I mean, okay. You're right. And he's like, look, this style has won four championships. It's gone to six NBA finals. Right. Okay, now I got you. I got you. I got you. Kevin Durant fit perfectly in this system. Right. I be damned if I didn change my system for Kevin Durant I be damned if I going to change it for somebody That not the equivalent of Kevin Durant I got you I got you All right It makes sense It makes sense So right right player just wrong system Yes I got you Yes While the NFL won the grievance against the NFL PVA to prevent annual release of teams report card, it wasn't enough to stop the leak. The Dolphins ranked number one in the report card for the third consecutive year. According to the report, the Vikings ranked second. The commanders rattled out the top three after the commanders at one point in time was rated dead last. But the Steelers checked in 32 for the first time on the report card's four-year history. Steelers received low marks, especially facilities. Owner Art Rooney III, I think, or the second? Okay, second, ranked last for willingness to invest in facilities. No surprise, Steelers are cheap. Steelers locker room, which also had a failing grade. The Steelers ranked last by a wide margin on the field, highlighted by the need for more investment to increase the standard. Acroshore Stadium grass turf was subject of a discussion after it was particularly torn up during week six between the Steelers and Browns. Ocho? Yes, sir. NFL won the grievance. they're like you can't release this because you're releasing this in bad faith and you're bad faith and you're trying to make our team look bad right but why can't but i'm just saying but what what's you don't want the player's opinion you got all these sites that have an opinion they grade the players which is third party yep that's and a lot of people base that their grades and how they play players on those grades. So a player that actually plays there to see it day to day, say, you know what? The training facility is not up to par. The craft services, which is the food, is not up to par. The family, where the family resides, it's not up to par. I mean, I'm confused. Why, Ocho? Yeah, listen, that's a good thing. And obviously you think about it too, right? You think about the owners and what they choose to invest in. I mean, what's most important to them? Obviously, everything starts with the product. The product you're putting on the field. Obviously, along with the product, you want to have the best services for said players to keep everyone healthy, strength and conditioning, nutrition. Some of the things that that that come come to hand right away. Obviously, outside outside of that, all the other amenities, I think most owners don't see it as important as as said players, which is why those that have bad grades, they have them for a reason. then Ocho. Yes, sir. The objective is to make as much money as I possibly can while spending. I look at ROI, which is return on investment. Investment, yes. I invest a little. I get maximum in return. Hey, Knight. If I upgrade my facilities. If I get a new weight room, if I give the facilities where families can come and the kids can come. Right. That's money. I got to pay for that. Talk to me, Knight. No, no, no, no. no, no, no. I want y'all to end up saying dilapidated facilities. Yes. I expect you to win. Yeah. While we get 400 million from TV revenue. Remember the caps only 305 million. So that's 95, you're 95. Mm-hmm. Already you're 95 up. Yeah. You haven't sold tickets. You haven't sold concession. You haven't sold parking and you haven't sold merchandise. Yeah. and you have it sold local TV and broadcast. Right. You're 95. Now, okay, you pay your coaching staff. Let's just say for the sake of argument, Ocho, you all in on your coaching staff at $30 million. You still got 65 plus the five things that I just left added. So at worst case scenario, you're probably coming home with $100 million. That's worst case. Cowboys you're probably coming home with 300 mil but even the worst franchise is coming home with 100 mil after they pay all the players after they pay other coaches that's what you're coming home with I mean that's always been the owner's mindset that's always been the model for any business especially an entity of this magnitude ROI can I pay Pay less, but maximize more. Always. That's always been the motto. It is. Because guess what it is, Ocho? As we see food prices where you go, these restaurants, where the prices are going up, guess what's not going up? The employee's wages. So while the prices goes up, we're going to make more. We paid them the same. See, that's how you do it. It's been a business model for a very long time. Somebody's going to need the jobs. Yeah, absolutely. Now, there are some jobs, and the people are like, well, why they coming across here? Why they coming? Because they're doing jobs you don't want to. All I know is when I'm driving side the road and I'm seeing people clean weeds and doing all that manual labor, they don't really be looking like me. They don't be looking American to me. Right. Because when they be showing them clips of people in the fields, Yeah. I've done that type of work. Yeah. Ever key. Mm-hmm. It let me know. I didn't want to do that as an adult When you go to the hotel go Joe who cleaning the rooms? Oh, yeah, it's not when you come to the would you come out here to On the strip. Yes, I did in rooms. Yeah, not us so There's always going to be someone in the fast food industry that wants those jobs even though they're I don't know to make I mean, I see sometimes I go see a pastor paying $15 an hour. We're paying $17 out. So I don't know what they, I don't know what the average is. Y'all would have to tell me what, uh, uh, what you make at a fast food restaurant. Cause I don't know. 316, 16 and a half. Oh, okay. 16 and a half an hour. You work eight hours shift. I guess they work. You think they work eight hours shifts? Oh, Joe. Yeah. That's that. That's sound about right. Huh? Yeah. That's $128. That's about $133, $134 a day. Yeah. I mean, that's good money. That's a little check. Boy, I could imagine what I could have done with $134 a day. Can you imagine? I'm trying to think. You know, I used to work at McDonald's. Obviously, it was my freshman year. My freshman year in high school, there was a McDonald's in Liberty City on 62nd Street, right by the highway, maybe about 15 blocks away from my grandma's state. I worked there my freshman year in high school, obviously at McDonald's. And I can't remember what minimum wage was back then. And this is way back in 1993, 92, something like that. Hey, boy. And you know my check had to go straight to grandma. Oh, yeah. Piggy bank. You got to put this up in your bank. You got to put this in. Hey, I got to teach you how to save. $725, yeah. yeah somebody say hey okay millionaires but you see you look at ocho that now you didn't say that when we was coming up wait so what so hold on wait what was ocho and shannon sharp from the ages of five until we made it to the nfl i didn't make that kind of money until like 94 so i'm just trying to say because see and that's the thing everybody look at what they see now ocho but they don't see where we came from. I did everything. I ain't see y'all be talking. I did. My working in the fields is documented. I got a question too. Not only did you work, we all know your story because you talk about your story all the time. Do people think I worked at McDonald's when I was at Santa Monica. I worked at KB Toy Stores in Fox Hills Mall. I worked in men's land at Fox Hills Mall. I literally had no choice. My grandma, when she hit me with that, when I got thrown out of Langston and I came back home and she looked at me in my face with tears and said, I've done all I can. I washed my hands and I had to go live with my mom in LA. I had no choice. I had to survive at that point. Yes. Well, you're a grown man. Oh, so you think you're grown. I see you somewhere to get you education, and you still want to do it your way? You know what? You got to go to your mama. So I had to get a job. But Hurricane ain't play that? But guess what, Ocho? You nor I thought we were too good to have any job. I never thought a job was beneath me. Man, I ain't doing that. Never that. Never that. I had to work. I ain't have a choice. I had to. How I was going to eat. I know this mom. What's a normal shift for a fast food? Anybody know? How long do you work? How long do you guys work in a fast food? You work six hours? You work eight hours? You work ten hours? What's a shift at a fast food restaurant? Anybody that's worked there that knows anything? Because I have no earthly idea. Huh? Eight hours? Okay. because you working in the field it wasn't no eight hours it wasn't no eight hours I promise you that well you got to work longer or shorter yeah you work longer than eight hours we got to the point we got to the point Ojo if you finish if you like we we go by the barn yeah you finish you can get off that wasn't always like that we would just start right so we would start say seven o'clock and we knock off around six you get an hour you get an hour so from the time he dropped you off at home yes whatever time that was they were gonna come back pick you up to go back to the field so from 7 to 12 so we probably get off at 12 it all depends uh we try to finish at one end or another well we try to finish on the end this area that's closer to the truck right you want to finish have to walk way down here and walk so we you know even if we like say it's 12 o'clock uh i remember mr joe was like guys we can make it and you know you get an extra you know just an extra 15 minutes lunchtime okay our lunchtime scarf the food down and me and my cousin my brother and what we had they're playing basketball yeah so it wasn't no like no rest my grandma like boy y'all come out that sun y'all gonna have a heat stroke did you not see us just come out the field right you ain't nobody no heat stroke but playing basketball you will have a heat stroke so uh that's when i'm like i tell i tell kids today Ocho, work a lot of jobs because it'll let you know what you don't want to do when you get old. Because if you can't do it when you're young and spry and vibrant, you damn sure not going to do that in your late 20s, your 30s, your 40s, and you damn sure not going to do it when you're in your 50s or 60s. So work some things, work, let you know what, man, ain't no hell way in hell. I want to work 12, 14 hours a day. If I'm working 12, 14 hours as a kid, but a young adult, you're a teenager, you're in your early 20s. Nah, this ain't what I'm trying to do. This ain't what I'm trying to do. Now, everybody is not going to be able to parlay and flip that into something more prosperous. Yeah. I mean, you know what's funny too, Ang? Is most of the time, you think about it, we all have to have a plan B. We all have our plan A. Our plan A is what we actually want to do. And the fact that I think about, let's say if football didn't work, if football didn't work out, you know? Obviously, I still have the discipline to understand and I still have to make a living. I still have to eat. hold on i still have kids so i still would have the structure and discipline to go out and get a job it might not be the one thing i want to do it might not be the nfl yes but but even if it's not i still have the ability to go and get a job i don't see working as being beneath me absolutely not i just don't because i had no choice but to do it growing up and i i did it at places that people would somewhat frown upon maybe i ain't working in no fast food place. Well, hell, I started at McDonald's. Hell, I was at Christmas season at KB Toy Store. That'd be nice to work in air condition. I work in the clothing store at Crenshaw Mall and Fox Hills Mall. Men's Land. I wonder if Sam's still there. Anybody in the chat that's from LA, you know what I'm talking about. Man. Six hours. They say they work six hour shifts at restaurants. Oh, that's not bad. That's not bad. That's not bad. Well, here's the thing on your door. It's not bad, but when you only making $10 an hour. Let me get all them hours. Let me get 10, 12 hours. I don't like that. I don't like the part. Now you get a better understanding is the shifts are so short and they don't make enough. Now you get a better understanding of why I've been tipping the way I do the past 20 years every time I go out. It's ridiculous. Yeah. It's tough. Look, I understand because I've been there. I've been there. Been dirt poor and and you know you got to make ends meet you know we we work me and my brother we take half our money you know we got to buy school clothes right but we got to help granny pay bills you know light needs to be on telephone bill got to be paid gas bill got to be paid sometimes we run short of money in the winter because we're not really working like that yeah oh cho hey we got to pull that hey we got to open that fireplace up boys you you you you granny short this month We're going to have to use the fireplace. Okay. It wasn't like, oh, man, this is for the birds. No. Yeah. You ain't had no other way, huh? Granny doing the best she can. Boy, it used to break my heart every time she would send. Because, you know, Ocho, they send cash. We ain't have no checking account. We ain't have no money order. Grandma would send cash. They have to have liberty to send me cash in Savannah State. But she would put it in newspaper. because you know people gonna hold it up to the light oh they got money in there you never see it you never see it so my grandma would have my sister put it in the newspaper my sister put a note ready to say this all she it ain't much son this all I got it's five dollars man that's all I got is five dollars Ocho oh she'd give me a spank and say well here boys here's some money here's a piece of money she gives $5. I get $2.50 Spanky get $2.50. Well Spanky gonna hold on to his. Not Shannon. Shannon's gone. Back then sodas was a quarter. Honey buns were a quarter. Bag of chips and back then bag of chips filled all the way up to the top. Not half the chips and then the rest of the half is air. Yeah. That old job they be pulling on us now Ocho. Oh yeah. Man I get me three sodas three honey buns two bags of chips. but I tell people all the time, Ocho, the easiest job I've ever had, playing in the NFL. Because you know why, Ocho? Because that's something I really wanted to do. Wanted to do, yeah. I ain't want to clip no damn onions. I ain't want to catch chickens. I ain't want to crop tobacco. I ain't want to bail hay. I ain't want to goddamn load watermelons. I ain't want to do none of that. Right. The only thing I ever wanted to do was play in the NFL. Because it looked fun, and when I saw they was making $50,000, $100,000 in the late 70s. What? Do you know how much money that is from a kid from Georgia that's living in a shotgun shack? $100,000, Ocho? Yeah. Big money, boy. What? You know what, Ocho? I would take you down. I would let you do so many jobs that I used to do. Come on, man. Come on. Bring me down there. But catching chickens have gotten a lot of ease, Ocho, Because now what I hear is they got the coops, they got the chicken cages in the house. See, we used to have to catch the chickens. We open the back door. We take a flashlight because it had to be dark because the chickens are huddled up. And we just have a flashlight standing up so you can just barely see the chickens. And you catch three in one hand, three in the other hand. You walk them out. You walk them up. You hand them to the guy. He takes them. Hand them to another guy that was stacking them. Now they got them in there. You ain't gotta do nothing, they didn't take a forklift and do all that. I said, what kind of bulljive is this? Hey, hey, I need you to take me out there, right? Okay. And have him out there in the field, wow. Have him out there, wow, I'm gonna put on some cleats. No, no, no, they're in the chicken house. They might be eight, 10,000 chickens in the house. You just have to go, but that was, Ocho. I wanted the way you did it. I wanted the way you did it. That's the way I did it. Oh, okay, it was in the house. Okay, okay, okay, okay. That's too easy, man. Okay. I don't know, Ocho. Now your back going to be on fire because you got to realize that's a lot of bending over. Yeah. I mean, my back was hurting. Hell, I'm 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. My back hurting. So I can imagine with a grown person that ain't you, boy, you might be in traction. Man, I'm ready, boy. I'm ready. Boy, set that up for me. Set that up. Get the cameras ready. the NFL the GM report cards A grade with the Dan Morgan of Carolina George Patton for the Broncos, Chris Ballard less need obviously Adolfo Mensah he got an A and got fired John Snyder and Adam Peters A with DaCosta A- with DaCosta, Brandon Bean, Ryan Poles Brad Holmes, Nick Casario James Gladstone, John Spicek Chris Greer he got fired too John Lynch and Todd and Jason Light B plus was Terry Fontenot, Brian Gutekus, Brett Veach Joe Hortiz Elliot Wolfe and Mike Borgonzi but here is D plus, Joe Sean Sean, Joe Sean he was the Giants GM And you notice the GMs, the GMs, they got good grades. Jerry got a B. Jerry got a B. Jerry got a B. Jerry got a B. Jerry got a B. His players get – well, that's the GM. But, Jerry, what else did Jerry get a B for? Hey, hold on. Who did the grades, though, huh? The players? The players. The players. Okay. Okay. Okay. Hey, that's amazing. I've never seen – I've never seen – actually where players get the grade you know the GM's I've never heard that before that must be something new yeah they give them no they give them every year they've been doing it for like the last four years where they can't do it anymore okay hey I know some GM's especially those that got bad grades they probably piss these sap suckers they done gave me a D and I'm the one man Yeah. Brett Beach. Brett Beach got a B plus. Terry Fontenot, Gunikens, Brett Beach got B plus. Omar Khan, I don't know how he got a C plus from the Steelers because he ain't found a quarterback yet. Duke Tobin got a C Andrew Barry I don know how Andrew Barry Well I mean considering he had a defensive rookie of the year and he found Harold Fannin Jr We'll see what Shador, if Shador is able to parlay the last half of the season and turn that into something positive moving forward, then I can understand why he got the grade that he had. But what about all those other grades? He's been there for a minute. This ain't his first year. But that's it, Ocho. you won't get no more GM grades moving forward. Where's Howie Roseman? Howie should have got an A. Oh, Howie got a B. He got a B. Yeah. Who, I mean, how many GMs got an A? The Saints, he got a B. Some of these guys, I don't know who, obviously Eric DaCosta is with the Ravens. Chris Greer was with the Dolphins. Brad Holmes is with the Detroit. Nick Casarios is with the Houston Texas. Ryan Poles he's with the Chicago Bears. Les Need is with Les is with not Kansas no he with Seattle or is that John Schneider with Seattle? Schneider with Seattle. Okay Les Need is with the Rams then. Yeah. Spitech is with the Raiders. So. But there goes your grades. No more grades. I'm sorry. But. Oh! We got a special guest joining us. Now it's time to welcome Nahir Albright. He had a great 10 round bout with Frank Martin that ended in the draw. Did you think you had done enough? Well, first of all, thanks for joining us. We really appreciate that. Did you think you did enough to get the win to eke out a narrow victory? Yeah, I did. I felt like I definitely pulled it out by, like, a round or two. I mean, I knew it was a close fight. So, you know what I'm saying? Like, when they announced it, I was like, all right, I can't be too mad. But I felt like I won. You buckled him early, though. You caught him early. I was like, damn, he might get old boy up out of here. Yeah. Hey, obviously, I'm sure you watched the fight by now. and looking at some of the things you could have done and not allowing it to go to the judge's scorecard, I'm sure there will be a rematch. I'm not sure if you guys have talked about it. What things do you do based on what you've seen, watching what you did in the past fight, do you think you need to do in the next one if one comes about that where it doesn't have to end up in the judge's scorecard or actually in the judge's hands where it won't be a draw and it goes in your favor? Yeah, I feel like I started kind of slow. I feel like, you know, if I put pressure on him earlier, you know what I'm saying, I could have definitely got the knockout. Let me ask you a question. What was going on with the mouthpiece? Because I felt that you were giving him an opportunity with the mouthpiece. You were stopping the fight and getting him a chance to break. I was like, man, bite down on the mouthpiece and keep the pressure on him. I know, yeah. So, like, I had, like, a cheap mouthpiece because, like, I had, like, a Walmart mouthpiece. I had a boy. I was going to say you with the Dixie got a mouthpiece, bro. It was a Walmart mouthpiece. It was last minute. My other mouthpiece, I had lost it. So I heard up and grabbed a mouthpiece, boiled it down, and I was like, all right, I'm going to film me. Go fight. And then, yeah, Tim Brown came out. I'm like, damn. You know what I'm saying? What happened to you? Don't y'all have custom mouthpieces? At least, I mean, you get a custom mouthpiece for a little or nothing here. You get a couple of mouthpieces for like $250, $300. I know, yeah. Yeah. For sure, definitely in the future fights. I'm going to have a great move. Also, I have a question. At your guys' level, obviously the elite level, when you think about your game plan, going into a fight and saying, well, maybe if I did this, let's say you want to say, you know what, maybe if I press him a little bit more, doesn't that put yourself at risk, you know, being able to take chances like that, pressuring the fighter, knowing that he can exchange and punch through punches? Do you ever think about stuff like that? and when you started off slow, were you a little bit more cautious because you're not tired yet, everyone is fresh? No, you're right. Like, you know, you definitely got to be strategic and things like that, but it was a lot of openings. Like, when I went back and watched it, it was a lot of openings that I saw, you know, that I could have exploited. So that, you know what I'm saying? In that aspect, I could have still started early because I saw, like, certain openings that I could have did. You know what I'm saying? I don't think you ever felt, I don't really felt that you felt like, like oh but he got power i can't come in here i mean you walked in the front door it wasn't like he hit you with anything that really got your attention nah um he called me one good shot probably like i think it was brown five it was like two years yeah he called me with a good shot feel me it buzzed me a little bit but i i ain't mind that i'm like this is my opportunity so look he gonna have to do more than buzz me i'm gonna keep coming all night like that's my opportunity so hey it's gonna be what it's gonna be like that's my mindset right so I'm not sure I don't know if you can tell us but obviously superb superior fight great performance from you and with you having a performance like that I think you should be able to get the fight you want to especially depending on who you want to call out or who you want to fight is there anybody in mind if you don't get a rematch right now with Frank is there anybody you'd like to fight next yeah to be honest I want a world title shot like feel me Richardson Hitchens Shakur Stevenson anybody like Gary Russell like all the champions that's in my week I'm trying to fight them I feel like I'm ready right now as Ocho mentioned you said okay those are the guys that you want so you want those guys are you willing to are you looking to bypass the rematch I don't know if there's a rematch clause or anything I don't know if they're clamoring for it but you say I want a title fight so are you looking past a potential rematch in order to move forward I mean, if the rematch is there, we could run it back because the fans want to see that. Like, you know what I'm saying? I'm trying to entertain the fans and things like that. So I'm going to give the fans what they want. Me and Frank could run it back. But if that's not there, yeah, I would love to fight for a title or, like I said, a title eliminator. How much time do you take off from the gym before you get back in there? obviously you want to give your body a chance to recover, you know, for whatever. Now, I'm not saying you're injured, but obviously after a football game, you're sore. You know, you're banged up. And so when it comes to boxing, after a fight like that, 10 rounds, how much time do you get yourself off to relax, take a vacation before you get back in the groove of things? Yeah, I just take off a week. That's it? Yeah. But, like, when I come back, though, I'm not, like, going crazy hard. Okay, okay, okay. Yeah, I'm going through the motions and stuff like that. But I take off a week where I'm like, I go get a massage. I'm soaking. You know what I'm saying? Resting, spending time with my daughter, things like that. Okay, that's what I ask for. How sore are you after a fight? I mean, obviously, I mean, you're somewhat sore. You done got punched in your face. You got punched in the arm. You got punched in the chest. So if the sore, are you more sore after the fight or say maybe the next couple of days? Nah, it take like two days to hit you. Like the first night, first night you feel it a little bit. You feel me a little too. But two days later, you feel like a car hits you, bro. I promise you. Like, you're like, dang, I thought I was good. But no, I don't sneak up on you. Like, definitely, like, two days later. Right. Yeah. You're familiar with the Davis brothers. Do you see yourself in a situation fighting Keyshawn again? Yeah, I've been to Keyshawn, let's run it again. Like, I've been to Keyshawn, let's get it popping. But I don't know. I guess his team, like, it seemed like his team telling him not to fight me or something like that. I think he want to fight me too, but his team, like, nah, just stop mentioning his name or something. Hey, you know what? We always talk about it. Uncle and I, we always talk about it. Obviously, me being a boxing enthusiast, do you think there are too many people in the way where fans want to see certain fights and boxers actually want to make those fights happen, but they have too many people that in the way of great fights actually happening? Oh, yeah. It seems like the team is in the way of the fans getting the fights that we want to actually see. yeah absolutely it's a lot of like business that goes into the um boxing world and it definitely do like block mega fights and stuff like that right yeah you know if you notice though cho i don't know if you and you let me know what you think about this everybody talks about how they want to fight everybody i fight everybody everybody until they get the belt and then they want to pick and choose who they fight they don't want to fight everybody no more everybody says that because it sounds good. Yeah, I fight anybody. Whoever's at 140, who's at 145, 130, 135, I fight anybody. The moment they get a belt, nah, I'm good. But now here, Mr. Albright, doesn't it become a business at that point? Once you do get a belt, whoever you do fight has to make sense from a business perspective and being able to maximize as much as you can make because it's called prize fighting for a reason. And once you get that belt, you're able to command a little bit more than normal, huh? Nah, yeah, that's true. Like, you will want to make the mega fights instead of, like, fights that's not going to bring in as much money. Right. But, you know what I'm saying? I feel like you got to have it in you also to build a legacy, give the fans what they want to see too. Like, you know what I'm saying? And I feel like when you fall in love with a sport like that, that's going to bring the biggest money. You know what I'm saying? When you really, when you take shortcuts and, like, just try to chase the money, I feel like that's going to block your blessings forever. Right. Yeah. Would that Andre Ward say, my legacy is what I'd leave for my family? That's my legacy. Right. But here's the thing, Ocho. You know how business works. If you don't get to people what they want, soon enough you'll be out of business. People want to see fights. If the fights with you and Keyshawn or the fights with you and Shakur or the fights with you, hey, fight. Hey, let's get it on. And because like you said, Ocho, it's what people want to see, they're going to watch it, and people will paint. For sure. Definitely. Who are your inspirations growing up? I'm sure you've been boxing for a very long time. Obviously, watching your performance, you were sharp as hell. You were able to fight on the inside, sitting in the pocket. You were able to fight at distance. So you have to have some inspirations that you look at, that you study, to be able to perfect your craft and stealing bits and pieces from them and adding them to your game. Yeah, for sure. I like Sugarwood Leonard. I like Sugar Ray. I like all the sugars. I like Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Sugar Mosley. Like, bro, bro. They all got that explosiveness to them, the smoothness. Yeah. So, yeah, I like it. Well, I'm sure you've heard the news by now. We're not breaking news to you. But in September, I think September 16th, Floyd Mayweather will take on Pacquiao. Yeah, yeah. Floyd Pacquiao too. Early prediction. What you think of how this thing is going to play out? Both are pretty much past their prime. It's what, 48, 49 years of age, two guys. It's on Netflix. It's going to be, you know. What you thinking? I'm thinking, I think Floyd going to do what Floyd do. I think Floyd going to leave off right where he left. I think he going to pick Manny apart. That's my prediction. I think Floyd is a master at his craft. And he going to pick up right where he left. Left off. look a lot of people say man i don't want to see that i want to see shakur and and and kishan i want to see shakur and and tank or i want to you know i want to see a fight like that why we got to get guys we got guys in their 20s that we should be that got belts that we should we shouldn't have to wait for guys that's in there all damn near 50 years old about to get an aarp car to fight You said you'll fight. Hey, hey, the man said you said you'll fight. Yeah, like, give me a title shot now. I need a title shot now. Feel me? Are you trying to fight again? So when are you looking? Okay, you just fought last week. So when are you looking to fight again? I think I'm actually scheduled to fight May 16th on RDR Promotions card. That's my current promoter, RDR Promotions. So it's going to be in Newark at the Prudential Center. so I don't have I don't have an opponent right now but they're looking for somebody so obviously if you come off a fight against Frank Martin like that when you fight again you know and you said in May yeah May 16th would a fight like that be a tune up for a bigger fight maybe before the end of the year or do you pick someone of the same caliber as like a Frank Martin nah I think it's going to be more so like a tune up to stay sharp Yeah, okay. Yeah, just waiting on either, like I said, a world title or Frank Martin again. You know what I'm saying? My prediction is I think me and Frank Martin are going to end up on a Floyd versus Pacquiao card. Ooh. I'm putting in the air. Yeah, 2026, I'm putting in the air. Me and Frank Martin are going to be on Netflix fighting on the undercard of Floyd and Pacquiao. I like that. Can you imagine in Vegas, Mr. Albright? Frank Martin Albright to at the at the Las Vegas spear spear how you say on sphere? Yeah, yeah How many times have you fought three times in a year because if you fight you say you got a potential to know May 16th and then again, you'll flip it around and do it again on September 16th Yeah, that'd be your third fight. How many times in say the last three four years have you fought three times in a year? You got you got me there It's been a couple years since I fought Like Consistently But I feel like the more you active The sharper you're going to be though That's working in my favor It's never a bad thing But you remember the guys that you mentioned Guys used to fight back in the 70s 60s, 70s Guys used to fight 3, 4, 5 times in a year Yeah, used to fight like every other month For real But I think the thing is now is that the payday is so big because they weren't making the money like you guys make now. And so now you can fight once or twice and get the money that they were getting and they'd have to fight six, seven times to make the money that you guys are making fighting once or twice. So I get it. If I don't have to take that unnecessary risk by fighting multiple times, three, four times in a year, because that's what Floyd normally fights. Cinco de Mayo, and then he fights in the fall. That's it. Yeah. I like it. where you train at? What stage you in? I'm at Jersey. Oh, you right down the street? You right down the street? I'm going to have to come down there and get some work with you, man. Oh, yeah, for sure, bro. You trying to sport? Yeah, I mean, if that's what you want, I only use my jab hand, though. All right. Hey, hey, hey. I mean, don't do it too bad. Just hit him in the body. Don't mess this up. Just hit him in the body. All right, for sure. I'm good. I'm good. I mean, take a little something off it. Nah, nah, nah, nah. You ain't got to put that barbecue. Don't put that barbecue sauce. Don't put that barbecue sauce, that sweet and sour on it. Hey, it's good. It's good. I like chicken nuggets, huh? Whatever he bring, it's going to get blocked. Okay. Yeah, we good. Yeah, man. Well, I want to say congratulations, but that was a great fight. It was a draw. Really, really good fight. You didn't get the outcome that you wanted. Very good. But you didn't lose. You didn't lose. So that's Nahir Albright. Good luck down the road, man. So hopefully we have another tune-up. If you have the tune-up in May, come back and talk to us. All right, for sure. Can I sing a song for the ladies on this drum? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, hold on, hold on. Sing that thing. You know, I sing too. We can do it. Word? Yeah. Oh, word? It's a battle. I'm going to let you go. Go ahead. Go ahead. All right, ready? We belong together. And I know that I'm right Why do you play with my heart? Why do you play with my mind? Said we'd be forever Said we'd never die How could you love me and leave me And never say goodbye? Although we go to the end of the road Still I can't let it go It's unnatural You belong to me I belong to you Now here Albright, thank you bro, appreciate that I appreciate y'all Hey boy, you got pipes on your butt? Uh-huh One last thing, shout out to my little brother, man. He next up too, Isaiah Johnson. He is South Pole, man. Y'all gonna see him. And my cousin, Quiderio Albright, another knockout artist on the way. Y'all gonna hear about him. Appreciate it, man. Thank you, bro. I appreciate y'all. Hey, y'all make sure y'all clip that that we don't lose monetization. Y'all couldn't... No, cut that down in like 20 seconds. I think he's got a limit If we cut it down we clipped that in 20 seconds Hey hey He got a voice like me Oh no Well we good Hey I can't believe that We belong together This is the biggest night in podcasting The countdown is on to our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards Live from South by Southwest, March 16th, we'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge, and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the iHeart Podcast Award is... See all the nominees now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app, Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. Ready for a different take on Formula One? 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