Van Lathan
Appearances
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Nobody.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
One other thing with them, they keep, Beal keeps being mentioned in trades as if anyone's trading for him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I have Wemby sixth, Davis seventh, Mitchell eighth, Brunson nine, Edwards 10, Curry 11.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
That was our bench. The league is way better now. Number 10, the Clippers.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Yeah, I don't want that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I think Notre Dame probably has a lot of bulletin board material. People are on Ohio State like crazy. They have a ridiculously talented roster and they're peaking at the right time, right?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
However, I, despite all of the animus between LSU fans and Notre Dame fans online, I am not ready to say that Freeman and his staff up there in South Bend are not going to find a way to make this game competitive and not have a chance to win this game in the fourth quarter. I think that they will.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
So I think what happened with me with Notre Dame was the last game, I think there were a lot of questions answered. Now, we could talk about Penn State and some of the limitations that Penn State has, particularly the explosiveness that they lack in their downfield passing game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
But a lot of things that people, a lot of questions, should I say, that people were asking about Notre Dame in the game, which was... If they ever got behind, right, could they play from behind? Did the offense have enough wrinkles? Did they have dynamic enough talent on that side of the ball to get them back into a game where they couldn't play complimentary football, defense?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
We're down 14. The game is now over. But they got down 10. They got down 10 and Riley Leonard was even knocked out of the game, which honestly I think kind of worked in Notre Dame's favor a little bit because they weren't really preparing for the backup quarterback to come in there and complete a couple of passes.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
And they played from behind and they made enough plays in the passing game in that game against a quality quarterback. Not quite as good as Ohio State defense, maybe not, but it's not too, it's pretty comparable. A quality Penn State defense. They made enough plays in the passing game to go win the game. They are facing an uphill battle, but for some reason, I think the game will be competitive.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
So I think the dynamic is, it depends on which version of college football that you believe in. So if you believe the traditional college football sort of way of doing things that I was brought up on, and I'm sure Joel's brought up on too, which was the most deserving team won the national championship after a full body of work. was examined, then Ohio State's not there.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
But what I think they were trying to move to by expanding the playoff was to see if they could get to a situation where the best team wins the national championship. And that's on the field. And that means that if you slip up a couple of Saturdays, right, um,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
It doesn't matter because if you have the best roster and you're playing the best at the right time, then you get a chance to prove it on the field.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Now it's not. It's the worst loss that I can remember in that rivalry, but let's not even talk about Ohio State. Let's talk about Notre Dame, that loss at home to Northern Illinois. Right. Right? So that is a disqualifying loss. in most iterations of the old way of doing college football. It is not in this particular day.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Or it'll be like when a 9-17 beat an undefeated New England Patriots team. I was trying to be nice.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I blocked that out.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
There's a cultural question in Columbus right now, too, with my Ohio State fans. And the question is, it sounds stupid to people who don't understand college football and don't understand the rivalry.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
But it's a question that's very much on the minds of people up there. And the question is, would you rather beat Michigan or would you rather win a national championship? Now, the answer seems obvious. There's no Ohio State fan right now on the precipice of winning a national championship that's going to say, oh, man, like, blah, blah, blah, blah, like, this doesn't matter as much.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
But then, the day after The Michigan loss, the week after the Michigan loss, like when they were talking about Ryan Day, the way that they were talking about Ryan Day, they would have, they'd be lying to you if they'd have told you right now that that wasn't a soul crushing moment, that not even a national championship could completely repair and heal.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
He's lost to Michigan four times in a row. Bill, are you familiar with the Bayou Classic? I brought this up on Rosillo's podcast. Shout out to Riggs. But the Bayou Classic... At Southern University, rest in peace, Dad, like, they would rather beat Grambling than win the SWAT. That's a no-brainer.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Like, it's a one-game Super Bowl that means everything from some people that are traveling from up north in Louisiana down to New Orleans, us making a shorter drive, and it's all on the line right there. And that's just the way college football is. And if you ever get to a point... where Ohio State fans will care even a centella less about beating Michigan, you've lost the whole sport.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I'm just saying.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Oh, my God. Are you fucking with me right now?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
So this is bullshit. So it is because LSU was down in the 90s. That's for sure. LSU won the SEC a couple of times in the 80s, which was a hell of a time to win the SEC. The program was pretty good. It was very important. We had a Heisman Trophy winner, all of that stuff. You're talking about Billy Cannon? Yeah, I'm talking about Billy Cannon in 1958 at Mattis, right? We all talk about 58.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Y'all count all them titles from back in the segregated days in Boston, not in the NBA. But what I'm saying is LSU, when we came into college football, was down in the 90s. And the reason why the program was down, I'm not about to do a whole LSU defense, is because a lot of the best players from Louisiana were escaping. Warwick Dunn didn't go to LSU. Cordell Stewart didn't go to LSU.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Some of these people. What happened was Nick Saban was able to reorient. And Jerry DiNardo, to a degree, was able to reorient the position of LSU in Louisiana where we could keep some of the talent back at home. And when that started, we became a perennial power.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Oh, come on. I didn't realize Billy Cannon. I forgot about Billy Cannon. Billy Cannon.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
No, what happened was they hired a guy. And this is a cautionary tale for any college program. They hired a guy named Curly Hallman. For most programs, and by the way, we're talking about Bama. It's so interesting that people go, LSU is not Bama. Bama was down for 10 years too. Bama was down, super down. We were kicking Bama's ass every single year until Saban comes to Bama.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
The first year Saban was at Bama, Bama loses to UL Monroe. So what I'm saying is any program out there, right, you look at when Bobby Bowden leaves Florida State, what Florida State has to go through until Jimbo Fisher gets there. You look at Texas and Mack Brown. Texas is just getting back. It doesn't matter what color your blood is in college football, if it's blue, if it's red, whatever it is,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
You are one bad coaching hire. One bad coaching hire. When we were coming up, Nebraska was an unquestionable blue blood, right? Tommy Frazier, Lawrence Phillips, all of these guys haven't been nationally relevant since. Colorado, you're one bad hire. One bad hire. Two maybe at the most from being in a situation you don't want to be in.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
We weren't.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
It's not about good, solid program. It's a good, solid program. But what I'm saying is that if you are a program and you represent a culture where football is very important, like it is in Louisiana, it's like live or die in Louisiana. It is whether it's LSU, Southern high school, whatever. you're actually one coaching hire away from being able to harness the power of your state.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
LSU was not in the same conversation with Notre Dame, USC, or historically, and probably still isn't. But I will say, since 2000, you have three national championships. You've played for a fourth national championship. Nobody wants to hear your credentials. You won the SEC. You've had an undefeated senior team. You've had two Heisman Trophy winners. Are you happy with your program? Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Are you happy? You sound like a fucking booster. It's like having Buddy Garrity here talking about, am I happy with LSU right now? No, I think we should be doing better. But to me, trajectory matters. And the entire context of where you are matters. And Coach O, who was a great coach in terms of what he was able to get on the field. What a character.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I mean, I'm going to be honest with you. In terms of, when I say he was a great coach, this is what I mean. If you put together the team that we had in 19 together, you got to at least have the potential to be a great coach, right? And so he wasn't a great long-term guy because he likes to fuck boosters' wives. Allegedly. Whatever. So he wasn't a good long-term guy, right?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
And he left the program in shambles. For what we needed for the time that we had him, he was good. He took what Les Miles couldn't do, undefeated season, all of that stuff. Now, LSU is getting back to the point to where people in South Louisiana are looking for real results from Brian Kelly. And we'll see in the next couple of years if he can deliver.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
And then what happens to the SEC? What are you talking about? We would have been Alabama. Would you have? Would you have?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Oh, no, I got actually I was confused. You're saying he went to. So if Nick Saban, what I meant to say is Saban picked Culpepper over Drew Brees because Drew had to search shoulder. What I was saying is I got a little turned around. I was saying is if Saban never leaves LSU, we'd have been Bama. We wouldn't have been Bama with Les Miles.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
So you're saying if he stays in Miami and he has a lot of success there, then he never comes back. What happens? I mean, look, yeah, for sure. I mean, that's the way things happen.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
All I'm saying is this. Whatever I've spent my life watching LSU football, I can tell you this. With the talent that is inside of Louisiana, when you look at the guys that we got out there, and y'all can say whatever y'all want to say, right, about LSU, about whatever. People can say whatever. Man, Jamar Chase. Jefferson. Jefferson.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
When you look at the talent in the NFL, I'm not talking about guys that just came through. I mean, BTJ. Neighbors and Thomas. I'm talking about guys that are from... Our receiver factory, like Derek Stingley. When you talk about guys that are from our state, if we can recruit our state, we'll be competitive with anyone.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
You're just seeing now the opportunity for people to get in people's ears and promise things that they can't then deliver on. And the college athlete who is now in a brand new world that's kind of like the wild, wild west with not a lot of protections or structures there to protect them or their family,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
It was one of my favorite TV moments in a while.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Taking a flyer on him. Could he be like Tyler Algier? What you do know is he has an incredible skill set. He can do a lot of different things on the football field. He might not have all the measurables. I'm sure he'll run like 4'6". 4'6"? Yeah, but he is a football player. He's so competitive. Who's been good since he was probably, what, seven years old? He's always found a way.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Yeah, I'm in on that, too. The tape always matters more to me than the measurables. Your tape always matters more.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Yeah, but I mean, it was tough yards, but every yard that he got, he had to take it from the defense. So he just, he proved to me what a good back he was by his performance in that game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I mean, if he does get drafted high, I mean, a lot of people say, but my thing is this, if you guys, if Will Anderson, Will Anderson, Will Campbell, Homer pick, Will Campbell is still on the board. When you guys are drafting, you guys should take the left tackle.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Right. I mean, look, I don't know what the feasibility is of him playing too much going both ways in the NFL from a wear and tear situation. Travis has been injured before. So I don't know what the feasibility is of it. I know if I was him, I would want to play the receiver. If I was him, just for the money. However... It is more money.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
They're going to want him... It's like $30 million a year at least. Yeah. They're probably going to want him to play DB. But if I was him, I would want to find my way to... It's so much fun.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
It's the most – it's one of the most embarrassing and shocking college football losses I've seen. Really, maybe, maybe since Michigan lost to Appalachian State – a couple of decades before. You know what I mean? I struggle to explain how that game happened in the way that it did.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
With the stakes for Ohio State. With everything that was on the line for Ohio State in terms of what they were playing for structurally in terms of a college football game. but also culturally. Like the fact that they have been getting their asses kicked and Harbaugh was there and this was the time for them to actually win that game 31 to 10. They couldn't fucking do it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
And not only that, they got fucking manhandled and got their goddamn manhood taken by their arch rivals.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
I mean, like, they did it on your home field, bro. I'll be honest with you, though. I think that loss catapulted them into a national championship run. It made them mad. They got pissed off. They got embarrassed. They just have not played anywhere nearly like the same team since.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
The unbeatable behemoth that we were told Ohio State was going to be this year, they've played that way subsequently to that loss. So that says a lot about their staff and really a lot about their players and their program, to be honest with you.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
No.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
You know what? You guys, I'm getting so sick of this conversation, this bleeding heart liberal bullshit that I'm listening to. You guys are talking like it's 2018. Right. I forgot, it's Trump's America now. The unwokenness happens. Yeah. Scramble their brains. Okay? If I see you out there wearing one of those soft helmets, I'm going to start trolling you and your family. Scramble their brains.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
It's over. We don't have to care anymore. We don't have to care about nothing. The great unwokening? The great unwokening has happened. We don't have to care about nothing. Put Tua right back in the game right now. Put him right back in. I don't care. It's over. I don't have to care no more. No more marches. All right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Number 23, Philadelphia. They're 15 and 24. That's really awful.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan
Embiid. This is the big thing. 13 games, 389 minutes this year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Remember, Allen Iverson goes out there and has one of the worst performances in the three-point contest that we've ever seen. He laughs about it. He goes, maybe I should have practiced a little bit more. Now with what you're going to take on Twitter and how these guys are looked at, nobody wants to be that guy. That's AI.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
That's one of the greatest ever who went out there and wasn't a three-point shooter and ended up with 10 and laughed. He laughed about it. So I just think they take themselves a little bit too seriously. We take ourselves as fans a little bit too seriously as well.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Can I ask you this? Is it possible that the basketball nerds have a hand in having ruined the All-Star game as well?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
You and I talk a lot about the differing style of basketball that we like. I like seeing a motherfucker get dunked on. I don't not like that. I get it. I think the league misses a Blake Griffin. I think the league misses a DeAndre Jordan at his height. I think the league misses some good old power basketball to get people up out of their seats. You know what I mean?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I think the fact that we don't have as much of that anymore... doesn't really translate to the all-star game being good. Because what the all-star game then looks like is a regular season NBA game where they're shooting so many threes. But when you have the best players on earth all on the same court, you kind of don't want to see them do that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
What you want to see them do is kind of dominate each other. You want to see them get into each other. You want to see all the different styles of basketball that they play clash. The old All-Star game was fun because it would be in a situation where you had the best players and everybody would have their little one-on-one thing. It would be like, okay, this guy's going to go against this guy.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Then KG is going to go against Tim Duncan. Then Karl Malone is going to go against Charles Barkley. You're going to get all of that stuff. But that's not how they play the game anymore anyway. So you're really not going to get that in an all-star game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Oh,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So that game is the Sunday game or the Saturday?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Okay.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So I like it. So here's the deal. You still have the rising stars game. Do you have the Rising Stars game? I don't have the Rising Stars game anymore.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
What happens when you get a vet in the consolation against the rising stars game who doesn't want to be there.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Let's go. Okay, so the Lakers are the 5C this year, right? Yeah, so they make it. But in the past, you might be looking at a situation where you had a team with LeBron who was in the playing.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I'm watching it too. Um, in your, uh, revamped all-star game is Victor Wimby. I'm in women. He's playing on Saturday in this one, but it's like, guess what?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Well, it would also lead to something that I think the all-star weekend needs is stakes and hierarchy. Because if you're a top five type of guy, right, and you're playing in that game, not only are you an all-star, but you're almost like a more all-star-y all-star. Because you're playing on a team that's competitive.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Those guys are playing harder because they're incentivized.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I get it. So these are the only two things that are going to stop the... the idea from Really Shining. Number one is the NBA is going to want to promote guys like Wimby, whether he's on a winning team or not.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right. And number two, I guarantee you, you get pushback from a surly vet, from a Steph, from a guy like that who happens to play on the team that's not contending right now.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Your team wins, you get 250K. So that's your carrot. And then your stick is you can't play in the game next year. You would really be that draconian about.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So you 7 o'clock Eastern, right? 7 o'clock Eastern. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
How important to the NBA is All-Star Weekend in your estimation?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Spring training. Spring training's coming back.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
It's particularly bad this year where everyone was talking about the death of the NBA, the whole ratings discussion, the conversation over the product on the court. It was particularly bad this year for them to have a dud of an all-star weekend. They needed to have a good all-star weekend.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah, but that's part of it, right? That's part of the criticism. Part of the criticism is about guys like Draymond who are in those positions, who criticize the product of the league. You hear a lot of people talking about the inside NBA guys and all of that. I don't know how real that is. I do know that I personally enjoy not being babied.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I want to hear what people that are that invested into basketball culture actually think about basketball. So it doesn't bother me. I can't see how Draymond shitting on that idea to have the younger guys on Sunday night, how that puts a preconceived notion in people's mind that those guys shouldn't be there on Sunday night.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
What about something that our friend Charlamagne Tha God said?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
That the game is just suffering from it being too close to the Super Bowl, it being too close to so many other gigantic... I was at the Super Bowl in New Orleans that there is no possible way that I was going to be able to make myself get up and go to an all-star game with all those. Right, four days later. Four days later.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But what about the idea that as the NFL season kind of stretches out a little bit, that they have to figure out a way to kind of move their game away from the Super Bowl a little bit, or else it's in the halo and the glow of the Super Bowl and the Grammys and the Oscars.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Well, when you look at the things that they try to do, To me, it always looks like they're trying to appease the players, which I get. Yeah, they're a league that is run essentially by their players. The players have a lot of power in the NBA. They're the face of the league. The league pushes them in a way that a lot of other leagues don't push their players.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But it seems as if they're afraid to make the players step out of their comfort zones because. At this point, forget about everything else in the All-Star game. Forget about the game. Forget about all that stuff. If we just hone in on the dunk contest. The dunk contest used to be such an electric event. Like, even more so than the game for me. Such an electric event.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But even if you get... This is another thing. if there's a decade span and you get three good dunk contest events.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
One out of every three.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Like we can actually. That's a win for you. Okay. That's a win. Like the years that Nate Robinson won, they weren't spectacular, but people, they were memorable. And then if you get something that you can actually, they were, I mean, cause he.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Oh, but he was some kind of different type of freakish situation.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Like, how tall do we go? But Wimby wasn't going to be able to get to the point. Dwight was still short enough to where he could take flight. Remember the Superman dunk? He threw the ball in there. It was crazy. It was nuts.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But I mean, in a lot of dunk contests, people jump. Is a human a prop? Could you not jump over a person?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yes.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So what I'm saying is something as, and look, there's even cultural conversations around the dunk contest. Like I can watch on Instagram right now like Jordan Klingon and One Foot God and the rest of these dudes that I watch on the internet dunk and do dunks that are so fucking filthy. Bring them on Saturday. Now, that's an interesting thing to me.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah. Yeah, the hockey got me. It was a great watch. It was very intense competition on Saturday night.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
What's the difference between them and Mack McClellan? He doesn't fucking play. I know, but my thing is I would make the NBA guys dunk against them. I would say, hey, the NBA guys, if you want to, there's guys out there and all they're doing is dunking. All these guys are doing is dunking. They're just dunking, right? But there's a guy, he's like a seventh grade teacher or something like that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He's like a DJ Clark or something. I think for his name. All they do is dunk. I would make, I would have a dunk contest with those guys. and then make the NBA guys dunk against them. Because when the white boy, Jordan Klingon, or whatever his name is, gets out there and starts shining on Saturday night, they're not going to want to be embarrassed. I will put some stakes on it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
The three fights got me. I missed the first two fights.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
She's the biggest under 30 star in either sport. In basketball, I think that's kind of an Obama era idea. I don't think people are going to be down for that now. That's going to start a real, real, real, real dialogue.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So as much as we're talking about it, is it just over? I don't think it's over. I think there's real fixes. Is it just over? Because if it wasn't over, this is like, it's kind of like the married couple that goes to... They're in counseling for 20 years.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right. And then I turned it on for the third fight. But then I watched two... groups of players playing at the highest level who absolutely wanted to embarrass each other.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And now they're trying BDSM. You know what I mean? To kind of figure out their relationship when really what they need is to go out and be back on the market. So you think the all-star weekend's at BDSM stage? I think some of this stuff is really getting into having key parties.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
They're playing for something now. So I get what you're saying. We know it's there. You got to pull it out. I know. Well, wow. They're playing for something in that. Yeah. I don't mind your idea. I don't mind your idea because it would be interesting for me. This is the thing. A lot of these things that we're talking about, they make the game interesting for me. And that's important for you. Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
That's important.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Got to be money.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah, they kind of, they wanted to get out there and play. I mean, look, think about it, man. If you win $250,000, I mean, that's one.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
One night at Onyx for James Harden. I mean, that's a Tuesday at Onyx for Harden. That's great. It's a big win for him. So look, I remember... Baseball, in the past, I remember them, if I'm correct, they went to doing home field advantage for the All-Star game for a while. They stopped that for a while, though, didn't they?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
No one cared. No one cared. No one cared in terms of outside of the world of hockey, but they cared.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
No.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
There'll always be one. There's just not enough room on the mountaintop for everyone. There'll always be one. The moment that rap beef's in, there's no more hip hop.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Fundamentally, you have to have it. Fundamentally, you have to have, like, I hope everybody's paying attention right now to like what Kanye West is doing. Kanye West, like, made it like he had all of these philosophical reasons for hating Drake.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
uh during that whole time back in the day when me and kanye were you know uh going back and forth or whatever when we went back to the teams he actually emailed kanye and then he emailed me back and he went through this whole rant and in the middle of the rant he just mentioned drake for no reason this is 2018 he's missing drake for no reason it's like because the radio was playing drink drank ain't talking about nothing i was like this guy must really not like drake but really the reality of it was that the only reason why he had a problem with drake is because drake was on top
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Because Drake was threatening him. And now you see Kanye.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah. Kanye's sniffing around a little bit. And he's acting like he wants it with Kendrick now. So there's always going to be that one.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But there's always going to be this competitive thing in hip hop, just like there is in sports to where some guys are going to want to take with some other guys.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
They were despondent. When they... I learned some stuff. Now, what is it called now? When a power play happens, okay? The power play... And then after the power, when they... When they become even sides. When they become even sides, what is that called? Killing the penalty? They've killed the penalty successfully. They've successfully killed the penalty. Yeah. I heard this term.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Well, the problem with that is that you're never going to the rap beef you don't have as much control over, right? Because somebody can decide that they're going to diss you for any reason. And once they do, you almost got to say something. Well, if you're on equal footing. If you're on equal footing.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Sometimes if you're not on equal footing, sometimes you can let it slide. Some guys don't choose to let it slide. With this one, it's particularly interesting because I'm starting to think that this rap beef is going to do irreparable harm to hip hop.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
This is tearing rap apart. Like, it's one thing to... If you have... If you take any of the other beats, right? If you take Jay-Z and Nas, if you take Big and Pac, if you take... Well, Big and Pac both died. Yeah, but not because of no rap beat. That was over some time. No, but... Yeah. But it is... Tied together somehow.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah, it was like just messing around, but that was really over some other shit. Y'all can go to VladTV.com if y'all want to... He got the whole scoop over there. Vlad got the whole scoop. But... this has become such a flag planting by each side that the seriousness of the allegations, and there's always been serious allegations and like, you know, some hyperbole and all of this stuff.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But right now it like says something about you. If you're a Drake fan, it says something about you. If you're a Kendrick fan and it's like, it's this weird hip hop version of the Democrats and the Republicans and the division that we see politically and culturally, like in America, like in music is, And that just means that everybody can't party together.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And you have Kendrick who's actually saying it's time to let the party die. And then you got the girls that's going, well, we still want to shake our asses. Is it okay if we shake our ass? And then we don't really know if it's okay. Is it okay if we don't care about some of the social causes and issues that Kendrick cares about?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And I personally don't, I think you should care, but there's always been a part of hip hop that was just about the fun. This is casting people in such distinct roles, and it's so vicious. Maybe I'm getting older. I could be getting older.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But this one is so particularly vicious with the fans going at it and really trying to sabotage each other that it feels like it's time for everybody to take their foot off the gas a little bit. Just relax.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Particularly this post-Elon, every... no-holds-barred version of Twitter and social media.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right. And so, like, right now, it's getting to the point to where, okay, so... Drake dropped. It came out. It was very successful for them. Wasn't my favorite music in the world. The one Friday, the one that just came out, sexy songs for you, Drake and P and D. Um, wasn't my favorite music in the world. However, you could listen to that and tell that somebody going to like it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And it doesn't mean that you have, it doesn't make you a bad person or, uh, it doesn't make you an asshole. If you like Drake and it doesn't make you righteous, uh, If you like Kendrick, like they're they're both two entertainers that that represent and do different things.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
When they've successfully killed the penalty, the excitement from the crowd, because they didn't give up any goals during the power play. I was on edge the whole time. I'm watching the power play tick down and I'm like, oh my God, are we going to score? You're getting roped in. I can feel it. I got roped in. It's good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And while I probably gravitate a little bit more towards the not don't probably gravitate a little bit more towards what Kendrick does. Yeah, I think he's a very important, very important artist with really something to say and really represent something. I like a lot of Drake records. And I've always liked Drake. And I've always liked listening to him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So I just think it's being taken a little too far now. A little too far now. Taking a foot off the gas a little bit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I'll be honest with you. Drake was beaten in this as decisively as I've seen any rapper ever beaten in any movie. Was it like a Foreman Frazier thing? Wasn't a Foreman Frazier because that joint was two rounds. But I would say it was... Pacquiao Marquez 4? See, it's not Mayweather Gotti because Mayweather Gotti was... Ali Cleveland Williams? Oh, hell no.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
If you guys ever want to see a killing machine, go watch Ali versus Cleveland Williams. No, you know what it could be? It could be a Hagler-Hearns. I'll tell you why. So it's a short fight.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Longer than three rounds. Yeah. A short fight. With a lot of action. With a lot of action. However, at the end of it, Hagler brutalized Tom.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah. Hagler brutalized. At the end of it, it was clear. They both went crazy, but it was clear, very clear and decisive who the tougher motherfucker that guy was.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I thought, oh, well, yeah, Brockston, right?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Half hour from Boston. 35 minutes. Brockston. So is that Boston?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Oh, that's why I was so mad. Cause he grew up black in Boston. So he had to, he had to beat. Why did I open myself up to that? Why did I do that? That's why he was so pissed off. That's why he was beating people up like that. That's why he had to do it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Sugar Ray won the fight. He won the fight.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He eked it out.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
This is going to sound so crazy and people wonder about these obsessions I've had. I've watched two different broadcasts of the fight.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And then I've watched the fight with the sound off as well.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And the announcers too. He made a couple of tactical mistakes, but I was doing all of that stuff for a podcast. But he made a couple of tactical mistakes. He came out, I think Hagler came out orthodox in his softball. He tried to box with Leonard a little bit. He made some mistakes in the fight. I do think that had there been a rematch, that Hagler would have fucking destroyed Leonard.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
There was no rematch.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah, I mean, once again, this is Leonard at middleweight. Leonard had come up from 47. But he was smart.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Anyway, but look, I get it. Drake lost the rap beef. It's over. He lost decidedly.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Oh, this might be the biggest rap beef.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
It's certainly the biggest rap beef of 12 years.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I could make an argument, and look, you'd have to get 9th Wonder, you'd have to get Sway, you'd have to get Ebro Charlemagne, all of those guys that live and breathe hip-hop. Um... I can make an argument this is the biggest rap beef ever. I can make an argument this is the biggest one ever.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Why would you?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I get it. And I was there for that one too.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I didn't think it was possible, but that's what makes it different to me. So big and pot come out. And remember, there was also some personal stuff that was going on in that beef. Oh yeah. There's some here too, but not quite as much. This seems to be different to me because it's almost more akin to Jay and Nas because this is the culmination of an entire generation of hip hop work.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
You have two guys that come out roughly around the same time. Drake beats Kendrick by two or three years as far as on the national scene. And then for a decade, A decade plus, they dance around each other. They poke at each other. There's disses on records. There's references on records. There's interviews. There's all of this stuff.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But these two guys, along with Cole, are recognized as the two biggest stars of their era. These are the two biggest guys in their era. And then they essentially fight or spar or battle for the kingdom of that era. They battle to decide who's music and who's more influential, who matters more. And there's so much behind it. You're talking 10 years of work.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
You're talking two different outlooks on hip hop. Like two completely perfect foils. Even down to the fact that one guy represents this long legacy of hip hop that comes from Southern California. from Compton. Think about all of the Compton artists. Post OJLA. All of that stuff, right? And then you have one guy who is an upstart coming from with a new style of hip hop. The grassy high zone Drake.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Okay, so certain things culturally expire. Game shows. Game shows. For example, when I was growing up, Gilligan's Island and all of these shows from the 60s and the 70s were still in reruns, but they were still in reruns prominently. I still knew all of these characters. I still was aware of all of this stuff. And then one day, it just gets to a point, nobody cares about Gilligan's Island anymore.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
The grassy, all of that stuff, but still has roots in Memphis, right? It's almost like it was, and I don't want to overstate it. It wasn't just a hip hop battle. It was a
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
cultural litmus test in a way which is another reason why i think people are taking it so so seriously it was like a battle to of what the truth of hip-hop and hip-hop culture is so it was very very very high stakes and the song that won was obviously a song that accused drake of a lot of things but the one thing that accused drake of more than anything was not being a part of hip-hop
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And so it just ended up being incredibly high leverage in a way that I don't think that I thought it was going to be. So I can make an argument that like this, because of those reasons, that this is the most consequential one that I can remember.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Well, it was going to be difficult for, first off, fuck your bitch and the clique you claim to really, really go pop. So it was going to be difficult for that to really, really go pop. But I would say that culturally, Hit Em Up was being played in the club. Like, this is different. This is a number one record.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
They weren't going to play Hit Em Up.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Here comes Hit Em Up. Here comes Pac. Oh, he's got a lot of red on. But they weren't going to play that. But this one, it went everywhere. And that was also, once again, it was kind of Kendrick saying, you know, not that he hadn't had hit records. It was Kendrick saying, I can make a hit record that dances on your grave. You know him for making the people dance.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I can have those same people dancing on your grave. And he did that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Drake is insanely talented. Kendrick takes himself. Kendrick is.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He'll never be recreated. He makes more important music. I think the music that he makes is probably a higher difficulty. I don't want to take anything away from Drake's talent, but he's insanely talented. Kendrick, you can't make that many great hits without being talented. Dot is something that we ain't never seen. I mean, and we knew this.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He's just, it's almost like he didn't want to, like he's something that we ain't never seen before. To me, to me. And a lot of people would feel that way about other artists, about Drake. Like Kendrick's ability to communicate, but also to be relatable, all of that stuff. He's just different to me.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He talked about the fact that he's short though.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
The problem is, is that you'll do that. But the reality is like, then you look thin skin. No, it's an extra thing with Kendrick. Cause Kendrick on one of these records, Kendrick says, uh, it might be on Dodger blue. He says, have you ever ran a fade? They ran three more back to back. If not, then shut the fuck up and keep it wrapped.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And that's basically, he's saying like, if you want to fight, we can fight. You know what I'm saying? If you want to fight, we can fight too. The thing is, with how psychotic we've seen that he is, you just don't know the level that he won't go to. So it's like, the best thing to do is just to rap about it. Just rap.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
It's time to let it go. Kendrick doesn't want to... Kendrick's not letting it go. He doesn't want to make the mistake of orienting his career around training. You won. Get back to pushing the culture forward like you always have. You've done the victory lap. There's no bigger victory lap than the Super Bowl. Get back to doing the same shit you always have.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Nobody cares about Three's company anymore. These shows just evaporate.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Okay, two pieces of advice. First of all, Tom Hagen, not a wartime conciliar.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Maybe Sonny was just a terrible player.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
She was the best and I've had them all over the place. Now you get your ass out of here. He doesn't get that movie. What would I tell Drake to do? Number one, the first thing I would say is just remember that you're Drake. Yeah. Okay. Remember that you are literally the artist of the decade for the 2010s. So number one, it's going to be okay. Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Take a breath, go to booby trap, chill out for a second. And also remember why people love you. They don't love you because you are the most devastating battle rapper of all time. They don't love you because of that. You already occurred out of one battle. They love you because you make hits. So come back with some fire. Chill and come back with some fire. And I'd say something else.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I said this on Higher Learning and Rachel disagreed and the entire audience disagreed.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
If I were Drake... if this is possible with Jay-Z running things, right? Because I know they don't have the best relationship. If I were Drake, I would do the Super Bowl next year. Interesting. Yep. If I were Drake, I know it seems like he's coming behind Kendrick, but let me tell you what, if Drake does the Super Bowl next year, let me tell you what can happen. Number one, he can do something.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He can answer the Lil Wayne question. Because Lil Wayne wants to do the Super Bowl. Lil Wayne and Drake could do a whole set at the Super Bowl. Then Drake looks like, for the entire South, which...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
likes drake anyway so now this is it's almost like politics you're trying to win the south you're like now it looks like drake is the one who it looks like kendrick took the superbowl stage away from wayne and drake is the one who gave wayne his due you can do the young money thing drake could do a whole superbowl whereas kendrick did a superbowl that was very dedicated to his audience and didn't have some of the hits that he knew before drake could do a whole superbowl of just hits
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
It could be just hits. If people are talking about they love hits, Drake could do such a low stakes Super Bowl.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
There's like there's a bunch of buffer years there. Seinfeld and Friends made it to DVD. And because they made it to DVD, like a DVD release that everybody was like, oh my God, it's coming out on DVD. And they lived a little bit long in syndication on TBS and stuff. They're these kids' version, and it sounds really, really bad, of Gilligan's Island, of these older shows.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I'm talking about Nice For What, Hotline Bling, Miss Me. I'm talking about so many joints. I'm talking about all the joints. And it could be hip hop because he could have Gunna and Lil Baby out there if those guys will be on the same stage. He could have Thug out there. He could have literally a Super Bowl full of hits and pop records. And people would like it. And he could leave reasserting.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But that's 11 months from now. I know. For that 11 months, you got to, I mean. You do the Will Smith? You chill. You're just gone? You chill. I mean, he already dropped the album, so he's probably going, he's on tour. Ben Simmons thinks he's dead. He's not dead.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
That could be true, but I don't think it's true, but that a lot of people care less than they did, but even his back catalog. Even his back catalog is enough that Drake will never be out of the public eye.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Also, I'll just say this. Drake, his, his, his support was cratering a little bit before this because Drake had, in my opinion, made some really weird moves. Like the decision to kind of support Tory Lanez and dismay the stallion where, when black women had been the ones that had been supporting Drake and, and like, even when other black men would be like, ah, Drake too soft.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I like the way it was black women that held Drake down and really like him. really kept him at the superstar level. And I just remember when he made the decision to make light of Meg getting shot and to outwardly support Tory like that, a lot of women were like, what is he doing? Like, what's the deal?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And so a lot of the insulation that he would have had from getting his ass lit up like he did was gone for a lot of different reasons, right? For a lot of the... He had decided for some reason before all of this started to go heal a little bit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
They want their own music. But once again, another reason why it was smart that Kendrick did it, the timing. He, he,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
drake was at kind of a little low a lower point he's still making hit records clb for all the dogs all those things still so really well and he hit him when he was down a little bit so we'll see but everybody is okay to like kendrick and drake it's okay van lathan just trying to heal america hey it's okay to put music not like us didn't listen to family matters it's okay to listen to push-ups
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And Euphoria. I listened to Non-Stop this morning when I was walking the dog. It's okay, you guys. You guys can like both guys. It's okay. It's all right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Some of the records are going to get played. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Some of the records are going to get played. It's tough.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
he's a lot of great huh the guy the Gaza the Gaza he's a he's a real it's tough it would have been nice like six years ago if he just like moved to Australia and just started raising cattle yeah just moved to a different point in his career yeah you know what I don't want to talk about he's an anti-Semite I don't want to piss anybody off it's rough yeah it's it's not great
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So that's their, this is an old TV show. To a kid now, it's Friends, it's Seinfeld. That's their old, it's an old TV show. Yeah. But yeah, so things just, they go and they never announce when they're leaving. They never tell you, oh my God, this is the last year that this is going to be relevant. So it can happen. And the question is, could it happen to, the NBA won't ever culturally expire.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah. Not awesome. Not a great, not a great turn of events. It's just like, it's just weird. You can't, you can't, but then.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
What about all of the lights though? What about streetlights? What about.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
To the All-Star game. Has it happened to All-Star weekend? Has that culturally expired?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
It's the best all-star game by far.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So funny, as much as we have in common, like the different lives that we've lost. In 2000, I remember hiring somebody from the neighborhood so that I could steal cable. And you were getting the DirecTV.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
The cable guy literally knocked on our door and was like, hey... I done taken it off again. Don't have him come back. I'm going to have somebody come out here. So, yeah, here's the thing. The last All-Star game might have been 2003. Okay, I can understand that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But was that MJ, Kobe? Kobe has a red jersey on and him and MJ are going back and forth.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right. However, the weekend endured for a little while longer because there were still such memorable moments from the weekend. There was Blake Griffin jumping over to.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah. Right. And then there was one of the greatest spectacles we've ever seen from the All-Star game. The Aaron Gordon, Zach Levine dunk contest. We're still having moments where there's still signs of life. It's still kicking. But it hasn't had a pulse now in a while. There hasn't been anything to make you go.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
As a matter of fact, the only thing I can think of was Steph Curry versus Sabrina, the shootout that they had. And they didn't do that this year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
You go against your own, huh?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
interesting well it was a big weekend for the whites it was a gigantic weekend for the whites three point dunk hockey but you became a hockey fan yes huge snl 50 one of the whitest tv events yeah they tried to they tried to make fun of it we know the truth though um but so look there's just no this used to be something to where you saw all these celebrities and all of these people there not because it was a corporate thing which is kind of how it feels now right kind of
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Right. Now it feels like every time you see somebody famous, they're at the meta party or the Pringles event or the whatever. It seemed like before that they just wanted to be there because it was the biggest party of the year or one of them. Yeah. Super Bowl weekend and other things like that. Notwithstanding. But now it is. it all feels forced. None of it feels like fun.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
None of it feels grounded in basketball culture in any actual way. I actually went on Twitter and I asked what killed all star weekend.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And the variety of answers, it was so wide. But they were also all plausible, which tells me that the NBA has not just one problem with All-Star weekend, but several. There's a player culture problem as far as how they view the All-Star game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
They don't want to get embarrassed.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Endless highlight feed type of situation, right? There's a top-down NBA problem, some people were saying, with Adam Silver. There's the way we ingest culture. The enabler, Adam Silver? The enabler, Adam Silver. So there's all of these different issues that's going on with the All-Star game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Three-pointers. And not one clear way to fix it. Not one clear way to say, hey, this will bring the magic back to the weak end.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
They're trying to make the, the all-stars play. And they figure if they put the young guys out there that they won't win.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
Yeah, he's the biggest star in the league. We don't have too many more all-star games to enjoy him. So everybody wants to see him. Everybody just wants to see him out there. It's an odd thing. So, you know, as I try to make myself watch it, like I didn't try to make myself watch it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I love basketball. So I'm going to watch NBA players doing cool stuff. We're the audience. There just wasn't NBA players doing cool stuff. That's what the all-star game is about. It's about NBA players doing cool stuff. Even the dunk contest. You have Mack McClellan doing cool stuff. He's kind of not an NBA player, though. So it's still not NBA players doing cool stuff.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
He should have won, maybe. He's pretty good. He's pretty good. But so, you know, it's just it's tough, man. Like there was a clip going around of the Thompson brother from up there in Detroit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
flying did you see this clip well I mean those guys are the best athletes probably in the league right now he flew from like the restricted area and dunked the ball it looked almost superhuman and I'm like that kind of energy and stuff is what you see at the dunk contest it used to be one or two stars And then two or three, oh my God, this guy's a crazy athlete guy.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
And that mix of guys was enough to make that night electric. And it's just gone. Now we're hoping that they don't fail. And it just doesn't feel the same anymore.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
I would love it. My thing is I would wonder whether or not these guys could take the loss. You know what I go back to? Do you remember when LeBron was adamant about hiding the video of getting poked on at his camp when the Crawford kid? I don't remember that story. Which Crawford kid was it? Oh, it was, it was Jordan Crawford. It was Jordan Crawford. I vaguely remember it. So, oh my God.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
So Jordan Crawford dunks on LeBron at his camp and they hit the video. They like, they deep shadow protocol, Midnight Boys, pew, pew. They deep shadow protocol the video. Wow. And I just remember at that time thinking, this has been made into such a big deal. Getting dunked on is something that happens. Anyone can dunk on anybody. You get caught from behind, you get lobbed, backdoor, whatever.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
An NBA All-Star Fix, Kendrick Vs. Drake, and the 'SNL' 50th Anniversary Show With Van Lathan and James Andrew Miller
But to me, that vision of yourself as a player and yourself as an entity is the same reason why these guys can't let their hair down a little bit and have fun in an all-star game. Because at an all-star game, for it to be fun, Somebody has to kind of lose. It's competition. It's fun. Somebody's going to lose a three-point contest.