00:00:0000:00:00 LeBron James and the Lakers blown out by 00:00:03 Minnesota last night 10980 LeBron tied a 00:00:05 season low with 10 points on four of 16 00:00:07 shooting from the field it's his six 00:00:09 straight game shooting below 45% it's 00:00:11 his longest streak doing that since 2004 00:00:15 20 years ago here's LeBron on what's 00:00:17 frustrating him about his 00:00:20 game no just period it's everything it's 00:00:22 the Rhythm still Rhythm the last few 00:00:24 three four games we are measuring the 00:00:27 players and and you know we we we can 00:00:31 tell if a guy's running hot or whatever 00:00:33 he does a remarkable job of taking care 00:00:36 of his body and and uh getting recovery 00:00:39 um I don't know I you know I don't know 00:00:41 that's in the best interest of of him 00:00:43 and us if he does that um but if he's 00:00:47 feeling well and feeling good then he 00:00:50 should play but we we obviously um want 00:00:54 to want to manage that as as best we can 00:00:58 still trips me out seeing JJ doing his 00:01:00 thing proud of him obviously he's 00:01:01 referring to LeBron playing all 82 yes 00:01:05 Shay I want to come to you yeah Ju Just 00:01:08 talk to me about what you just heard in 00:01:10 terms of the sound and and LeBron 00:01:12 struggles well I think I don't think 82 00:01:14 is in the best interest of anyone I 00:01:16 don't know if at this point in time 00:01:17 LeBron has anything to prove by trying 00:01:19 to play 82 games considering I don't 00:01:20 know if he's ever played 82 games so at 00:01:23 this juncture of your career year 22 you 00:01:25 trying to play 82 games it's almost like 00:01:27 you're trying to prove a point see I 00:01:29 could have played 82 if I really wanted 00:01:30 to and so I don't think that benefits 00:01:32 him or the or the team but when you look 00:01:35 at it yeah he's in one of the worst 00:01:36 stretches of his career uh I mean that's 00:01:38 I mean you pick 20 year 22 to all of a 00:01:41 sudden find something wrong with I can 00:01:42 point out the years I'm just say I can 00:01:45 do that go ahead yeah I you know what 00:01:47 guys y'all y'all know me I I don't like 00:01:49 to give a guy an excuse um maybe it's 00:01:52 the Olympics maybe that's catching up 00:01:53 with him having to play um but at the 00:01:56 end of the day he's not playing well 00:01:58 it's incumbent of him in order to play 00:02:00 well nobody's really played well over 00:02:01 the stretch you look at ad he had 12 00:02:03 points uh dton connect uh second 00:02:06 straight game he scored in single digits 00:02:08 but LeBron isn't playing well he's not 00:02:09 shooting the ball well he mentioned that 00:02:12 he uh he's off Rhythm 0 of 19 from the 00:02:15 three-point line and and to shoot less 00:02:17 than 40% from the field and and I I 00:02:20 noticed something steephen is that when 00:02:22 he doesn't go to the free throw line now 00:02:23 that doesn't mean he doesn't get fou we 00:02:25 know LeBron James gets officiated a 00:02:27 little differently maybe sometimes it's 00:02:28 the Sha syndrome because he's so big and 00:02:30 they think he should play through 00:02:32 contact but LeBron I can't I can't find 00:02:34 a great reason uh I don't think he's 00:02:36 injured uh uh he's just playing bad and 00:02:39 at the end of the day it comes down to 00:02:41 are you doing it or are you not doing it 00:02:44 and he isn't doing it but do I expect 00:02:46 him to play I mean because the standard 00:02:48 is so high he's averaging 22 10 and 00:02:51 eight most people that is a great season 00:02:54 but when you're the goat that's 00:02:56 unacceptable Stephen before you jump all 00:02:57 over him I just want to know do you feel 00:02:59 like obviously we say a game of swings 00:03:00 game of runs Etc and it's still very 00:03:02 early in the season do you feel like 00:03:03 this is a a bad stretch or a bad sign 00:03:06 for LeBron I think I think it's a bad 00:03:08 stretch for him I I think this is 00:03:09 something that he'll get out of yes not 00:03:11 a bad sign huh it's not a bad sign okay 00:03:13 okay okay all you know first of all it's 00:03:15 good to see you so it's so lovely to 00:03:17 have you here in studio for this 00:03:18 particular subject at hand I mean I'm 00:03:19 just so touched that you're here right 00:03:20 now I didn't know if you going to show 00:03:21 up this morning I really did after I 00:03:23 watched them get their ass kicked last 00:03:25 night in Minnesota I didn't know if you 00:03:26 was going to show up Shannon so I give 00:03:28 you a lot of props and when you say of 00:03:30 19 from the field I'm glad you broke 00:03:31 that up because I was wondering whether 00:03:33 I over for 19 from three over the last 00:03:34 four games you didn't mention the last 00:03:35 four games but it's okay the bottom line 00:03:37 is you threw out that stat because I 00:03:38 wanted to make sure that you threw out 00:03:39 the Nuggets did you know I don't know if 00:03:41 you knew this stat do you know that the 00:03:44 Los Angeles Lakers have been outscored 00:03:47 by 111 points on the floor when braon is 00:03:51 on the floor yes okay so we have to get 00:03:53 into that so because we understand he's 00:03:55 Mount Rushmore we understand he's one of 00:03:56 the top four players in the history of 00:03:57 one of top three players in the history 00:03:59 of basketb 00:04:00 we ain't going to say he's or that's all 00:04:03 I'm say he's two he ain't number one a 00:04:06 no goat okay goat in terms of longevity 00:04:09 I'll give that to him that's about it we 00:04:11 have to get to a point when we're 00:04:13 looking at LeBron James and we want to 00:04:15 be we we want to be fair the man is 00:04:17 phenomenal he's great he's a treasure to 00:04:19 the NBA we all appreciate 00:04:20 him but when we talk about slippage I 00:04:24 got to look at the totality of his game 00:04:26 I'm seeing him get burnt on defense a 00:04:28 lot I'm seeing him not getting back on 00:04:30 defense line not knocking that he's go 00:04:32 he's approaching 40 years of age he 00:04:33 shouldn't have to he should have more 00:04:34 help okay and so ultimately we have to 00:04:37 get to a point where at this stage and 00:04:39 point in your career we do have to 00:04:40 legitimately ask LeBron James what 00:04:42 you're playing for because guess what 00:04:43 Lakers ain't going nowhere let's call it 00:04:45 what it is and I'm very proud of JJ 00:04:46 reick I'm very proud of the job that 00:04:48 he's done and I think he's going to be a 00:04:49 damn good coach in the NBA years to come 00:04:51 I really really believe that this is no 00:04:53 shade on him I'm looking at the roster 00:04:56 I'm looking at the development or lack 00:04:58 thereof of the players around him 00:04:59 whether tcha Mora whether it's D'Angelo 00:05:01 Russell Mr Cruz control himself that's 00:05:02 what I call him okay or whomever else 00:05:04 you want to come up with Austin Reeds 00:05:06 High one day low another whatever the 00:05:08 case may be when you are a squad that is 00:05:11 literally relying on Anthony Davis who's 00:05:13 the top candidate for League MVP on this 00:05:15 is year top cand he's one of the top 00:05:17 candidat for League MVP he deserves it 00:05:18 but when you're relying on him and 00:05:20 LeBron James and you have nobody else to 00:05:22 point to that you can trust right corre 00:05:24 all right other than rookie Dalton 00:05:25 connect because I like what I'm seeing 00:05:26 from him and he's only going to get 00:05:28 better that's a damn shame 00:05:30 and so when we look at the Los Angeles 00:05:31 Lakers and LeBron James I'm saying to 00:05:33 myself you going into these games you 00:05:35 kind of know that you can't afford to be 00:05:37 what he's been at certain intervals yet 00:05:39 he he he he you know usually he'll 00:05:42 recognize that and say all right I got 00:05:43 to step it up right this particular 00:05:45 instance that's not the case right now 00:05:47 Shannon so what I'm asking you is what 00:05:50 is this year about with LeBron James was 00:05:52 it really about having that moment with 00:05:54 bronnie and making sure you had that you 00:05:55 know on your bucket list and now that 00:05:57 that's achieved you're just going 00:05:58 through the motions of a season is it 00:06:00 age and attrition that's finally kicking 00:06:02 in I don't know the answer to this 00:06:03 question but I do know 00:06:05 this I don't expect 0 for 19 but it's 00:06:07 not like I expected him to be a prolific 00:06:09 three-point shooter corre and right now 00:06:11 the way that he is struggling the Lakers 00:06:14 are on a fast track to Nowhere theyve 00:06:16 what is it they lost like seven of their 00:06:17 last n or five of their last seven 00:06:18 something like that right all right 00:06:19 after six after a five game winning 00:06:21 streak they're on a fast track to 00:06:23 nowhere shanon I want to know what are 00:06:24 you going to say when that happens 00:06:27 ultimately well I think it's a 00:06:28 combination Stephen A I think he really 00:06:30 wanted to play in the Olympics he knew 00:06:31 this was his last chance to play on the 00:06:33 international stage with KD and Steph he 00:06:35 had never played with Steph before on 00:06:37 the international stage and I think 00:06:39 that's something that he really wanted 00:06:40 he mentioned this five maybe five six 00:06:42 seven years ago about the opportunity to 00:06:44 play with his son bronny now he has that 00:06:47 but at the end of the day because as if 00:06:49 you're a great player Molly and Stephen 00:06:51 A you know this if you are a 00:06:52 historically great player they don't 00:06:54 compare you to other great players they 00:06:56 compare you to a younger self and so if 00:06:59 we measure LeBron by himself he playing 00:07:01 awful if you measure him against that 00:07:04 most people would take at any year 22 10 00:07:07 and 8 but that's not how we measure him 00:07:10 because we haven't seen the 00:07:12 greatness in great stretches like we're 00:07:15 used to seeing do I expect him to shoot 00:07:17 40% when he's a career 50 uh 50 and a 00:07:20 half% shooter from the floor do I expect 00:07:23 him to continue this trend no I do not 00:07:25 the thing that concerned me the most 00:07:27 Evena is his turnovers there was a for 00:07:29 the league lead with Brandon Ingram 00:07:31 since November 13th yeah but why can't 00:07:33 just be a slump that he back from we see 00:07:35 this with players all the time if 00:07:37 anybody's going to figure it out it's 00:07:39 LeBron James unless you're saying it's 00:07:41 attrition no but I think the thing is is 00:07:43 that when you're great you're not 00:07:44 supposed to go through slumps that's 00:07:46 what we say because man nobody ever had 00:07:48 this if we have to wait till year 22 to 00:07:51 say this man is in a slump we seen him 00:07:53 in slump before stop that we've seen him 00:07:56 SLP before that's what you do that's 00:07:58 what you do when LeBron James has never 00:08:00 been in a slump now he might not have 00:08:02 been in a slump like this since his 00:08:03 rookie year and I get that part but he's 00:08:04 been in slumps before here's what I'm 00:08:06 saying to you and this is the point to 00:08:07 get to your point Molly yeah you might 00:08:10 measure guys against their younger self 00:08:12 that's an argument that's valid but you 00:08:14 know what else we do we do get to a 00:08:15 point when you're a champion we ask why 00:08:17 you still playing as opposed to stepping 00:08:20 away when you on a high because if 00:08:21 you're the Los Angeles Lakers and you 00:08:23 ain't going anywhere we're asking I 00:08:25 think it's getting to a point where we 00:08:26 might have to start asking ourselves 00:08:28 well what you still playing for 00:08:32 ask you a question did you ever pose 00:08:33 that question to the guy that went to 00:08:35 Washington oh no no no no I did not let 00:08:37 me tell you why I did it let me tell you 00:08:38 why I didn't it we all know that Michael 00:08:40 Jordan all of us that cover the NBA 00:08:42 knows that Michael Jordan went to 00:08:43 Washington because he thought he was 00:08:46 going to get an ownership stake from a 00:08:48 Poland at the time the owner of the 00:08:50 Wizards and what happened was is that 00:08:53 all right you want to own a piece of 00:08:54 this team we want you to come play for 00:08:55 the franchise that was why Michael 00:08:57 Jordan came out of retirement it didn't 00:08:59 work out and then he ended up rolling to 00:09:01 Charlotte with former bet owner Bob 00:09:03 Johnson the point is the only reason he 00:09:05 came out of retirement to go to 00:09:07 Washington was for ownership that's what 00:09:09 happened if he had won a championship so 00:09:11 that Championship wouldn't have matter 00:09:12 I'm sorry if he had won a championship 00:09:14 in Washington yeah of course it would 00:09:16 have matter why that's not what he went 00:09:17 there for he didn't went to win a 00:09:18 championship I understand that but what 00:09:20 I'm saying to you is he first of all 00:09:22 they weren't good enough we all know H 00:09:24 you tell the goat you me to tell me the 00:09:26 goat can't BL everybody Al you can't 00:09:28 play can't wa when I get that just like 00:09:30 LeBron can't play one but check this out 00:09:33 if I'm going in there to get ownership 00:09:35 and everybody in their Grandmama knows 00:09:37 that's why I'm there that's entirely 00:09:39 different than me going on the court 00:09:41 every day I'm still a king I got cats 00:09:44 like Shay Shay wearing goat mask on 00:09:46 National Television telling everybody 00:09:49 it's the goat and then the minute The 00:09:51 Narrative doesn't twist in your favor 00:09:53 you got your you got your peeps calling 00:09:55 Folks up getting on us about what what 00:09:58 we're not the the narrative that isn't 00:10:00 accurate enough for their liking yeah 00:10:02 Michael Jordan didn't have to do that 00:10:04 but you get me started with that you 00:10:05 ain't going to win this argument my guy 00:10:07 is in a six game slump I know a guy that 00:10:09 was in a twoyear slump and a nobody say 00:10:11 a word who who would it be because he 00:10:14 was a six- time champion who would it be 00:10:15 because he was undefeated in six trips 00:10:17 to the finals in MVP in every single 00:10:20 final could it be because he was 00:10:22 unquestionably the greatest player that 00:10:24 that God has ever graced a basketball 00:10:27 court with you mean that's reason why 00:10:28 look at num look at them numbers look at 00:10:31 them numbers right there now one guy one 00:10:33 guy was in year 22 look at look at them 00:10:36 numbers hold on excuse me are you really 00:10:39 going to compare that to the to the 00:10:41 softest putty game that I mean it's like 00:10:44 it's like listen listen today's NBA 00:10:47 bring monitor closer I got to see that 00:10:49 monitor bring that closer for the man is 00:10:51 Ste right there that's why smiling like 00:10:53 that cuz he know I got him you know good 00:10:55 and damn well today's NBA game is T 00:10:58 himount to f I mean it's telling about 00:11:00 the flag football compared to what it 00:11:02 was in the 80s and early '90s you got to 00:11:05 be kidding me you can't compare the two 00:11:07 man 29% matters what 29% we we don't 00:11:11 went through a straight we don't went 00:11:12 through a SL was a three-point shooter 00:11:14 the threes wasn't implement the threes 00:11:16 existed but it wasn't implemented to the 00:11:17 degree that it is now the days of Mike 00:11:19 dantony with Steve Nash and all of those 00:11:21 guys changed the game you got cat now if 00:11:24 he could have made him listen we see 00:11:26 excuse me if he could have made I saw 00:11:28 the brother drop about six in the first 00:11:30 half of an NBA Finals game against 00:11:32 Portland did you forget that and by the 00:11:34 way by the way he wasn't 00:11:37 69250 but he still went to the hole all 00:11:39 the time all the time what are you 00:11:42 talking about you have no argument here 00:11:44 on was he going to the hole when he was 00:11:46 in Washington who Mike not as much of 00:11:49 course not he was 40 my got 40 again I'm 00:11:53 GNA hold on I'm G repeat this I'm gonna 00:11:56 repeat this again today's game is tanam 00:12:00 out to flag football compared to the NFL 00:12:03 the NBA now and I'm not disrespecting 00:12:06 the players I'm talking about the game 00:12:08 and how the rules CH the game is are you 00:12:10 going to deny that the game is 00:12:12 considerably softer today than it was it 00:12:14 was Far More Physical back in the day 00:12:16 but I believe the players are more 00:12:17 skilled now okay I'm not even refuting 00:12:20 that but I'm saying to you if you 00:12:21 consider 00:12:23 more if you could get called for a foul 00:12:25 for passing gas in today game last year 00:12:29 and when Michael Jordan was playing you 00:12:30 would getting mugged and they would 00:12:32 still you wouldn't even get a flagrant 00:12:33 you were all right hold on talking about 00:12:35 Steph we're going to break in a second I 00:12:36 know where Shannon stands he's just 00:12:38 saying not a break we're going to we're 00:12:39 going to football Jeff St saying right 00:12:41 there but but you're saying on this I 00:12:44 don't know if it's preaching he's all 00:12:46 hype but you're obviously you're saying 00:12:47 for LeBron it's a bad stretch I believe 00:12:49 it's a bad stretch I don't believe I 00:12:50 don't believe it's for where where are 00:12:52 you cuz You' thrown out a lot of 00:12:53 narratives like did he just come back 00:12:54 for his son and check out I'm saying to 00:12:57 you my LeBron James is still on the 00:13:00 Mount Rushmore one of the greatest 00:13:01 players to have ever lived he's one of 00:13:02 the greatest players in the game right 00:13:04 now okay I'm not taking that away from 00:13:05 him what I'm saying is he's not what he 00:13:08 used to be there is some slippage and 00:13:11 when you're playing on a team that 00:13:14 clearly ain't going any damn where 00:13:16 unless he leads them at age 40 there 00:13:20 does come a point in time where you as a 00:13:22 basketball fan are asking well damn 00:13:25 since you're a four-time champion why be 00:13:27 a part of this 00:13:29 did you but but did you think it was 00:13:31 going to be this way did you think yes 00:13:33 yes I didn't expect much from the Lakers 00:13:35 you felt like he should just I I want 00:13:36 listen listen personally speaking we all 00:13:38 know me we know I it's about my social 00:13:40 life in May and June I want to be in La 00:13:42 I mean I ain't going to apologize I want 00:13:43 to be in LA in Miami that's my dream I'm 00:13:44 still mad that during the lockout Miami 00:13:46 and La played in the finals all of these 00:13:48 years that was my dream match up and 00:13:50 they had to do it in a bubble because of 00:13:51 Co I'm still depressed about that that's 00:13:53 my dream scenario but that's the only 00:13:55 reason listen damn it I find myself Roo 00:13:57 for the Clippers half the time because 00:13:58 they Los Angeles I mean this is what I'm 00:14:00 trying to talk about I'm not going to 00:14:01 apologize you know what let's get je a 00:14:03 chair but you know what I wish uh Lebron 00:14:05 James could have taken four years off 00:14:07 during his 00:14:08 career you feel like 00:14:10 that you should be 00:14:13 ashamed that is nonsense scandalous hold 00:14:16 this hold on hold on Saturday hold on 00:14:18 for a second this is the thing that sh I 00:14:19 want America to see that I want y'all 00:14:21 put the camera on me damn it I want an 00:14:23 ISO shot right here this is the problem 00:14:25 with Shannon sh right here this dude in 00:14:27 the wait room 00:14:29 man still he got muscles coming out of 00:14:32 here he work out all the time he's the 00:14:34 epitome of physicality but he going to 00:14:37 ignore how physical the game was when MJ 00:14:40 was playing compared to what it is now 00:14:42 for LeBron he he got four years off can 00:14:45 you 00:14:46 imagine Molly can you imagine if if 00:14:49 LeBron James had said he need timeout 00:14:51 because he was mentally and physically 00:14:53 fatigued can you imagine the media would 00:14:55 have been all over him did he say it 00:14:57 stepen a I just want to know one thing 00:15:00 one thing no no you're right did he say 00:15:02 that yeah but remember what happened 00:15:03 though let's be sensitive to that the 00:15:06 first go around this first time we know 00:15:08 what about the next what about the next 00:15:09 time what about the next time well the 00:15:10 next time he retired he only came back 00:15:12 for ownership that's the point we don't 00:15:14 do that you don't do it you don't come 00:15:16 back for ownership really really what 00:15:20 well if you com wrong with you something 00:15:21 wrong with you come back and be a owner 00:15:25 because if you're on the basketball 00:15:26 court all I'm looking at is you as 00:15:30 they did not facilitate him just coming 00:15:32 in as an owner a Poland said I'll give 00:15:34 you a piece of the pie if you come back 00:15:36 and play for my team and you could be a 00:15:38 part owner they went against and he and 00:15:41 he couldn't get that team to the playoff 00:15:42 the goat the goat couldn't drag those 00:15:44 guys long that's what you ask LeBron to 00:15:46 doable that's what you ask LeBron to do 00:15:49 because today's game is the soft as 00:15:51 cottel tissue compared to the ' 80s and 00:15:54 early '90s and the man of Steal should 00:15:55 know that should know that should know 00:15:58 that je do you want to say 00:16:01 anything michaelan go to Stephen A is 00:16:04 100% right 100% right they one goat and 00:16:09 that man's a Tar Hill don't even get the 00:16:11 rest of this nonsense all this he about 00:16:14 can you imagine Michael Jordan at 40 00:16:16 trying to go in with the bash Brothers 00:16:18 trying to lay hat on people back if we 00:16:20 if we ask people at home who do you 00:16:22 think won that debate oh Stephen A 00:16:24 really 00:16:29 understand how you're you're what time 00:16:32 we I don't know 00:16:34 know cuz we Hot Blooded that's all it is 00:16:41 [Music]. give me the timing of what point at which point could become an interesting cut then create a striking title that grabs attention and starts with FIRST TAKE example of a title: FIRST TAKE | Pat Riley says the Heat could have won 6 championships if LeBron had never left - Shannon Sharpe. remembering that it is for an nba cuts channel the video needs to be at least 8 minutes long