LeBron scores 40 in Lakers win, talks retirement & Embiid set to return | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

fly from New York better all the way

back all the way

back because it's April Fool's Day I

promise you a show with no jokes Rick

had a joke this morning no joke that's

where we're at he's like you guys should

all trade seats well yeah that that

would be just ratings Bonanza just no

jokes today I'm serious you can't do it

is that in addition to being arguably

the greatest athlete in American history

arguably just pure athlete okay Jim

fired up right

now there there's a discussion and Jim

Thorp can be in it too but LeBron James

is in it he also is one of the hardest

working athletes in American history

because he just did this at 39 years old

and it was 40 points on nine

three-pointers so to add something to

his game that's what that's where the

work ethic comes in when we know when

LeBron came into the league he wasn't

much of a shooter the strategy in the 20

207 finals when his first time he got

there San Antonio was to give him the

jump shot and it was the same thing in

2013 give him the jump shot all right

and now he goes out at 39 years old and

hits nine threes and it's not just what

we saw yesterday he's shooting

41.6% from three which this is a sign of

how good they shooted today he's still

only 21st in the league but still 41%

from three is incredible and so LeBron

having accomplished all he has for him

to add a the threo shot to his game it's

just a testament to his work ethic even

last year I know it was an aberration

but last year only shot 32% from three

he's a 34% almost 35% for his career so

this year he's just showing how much

work he put in in the off season and

even now and I'll say this I mean if he

had shot the three like this in his

prime there'd be no goat debate I mean

this would be ridiculous If he if he

shot it like this in his prime but still

to added this late in his career is is

impressive and shows how hard he works

well some context on that so he is right

of 21 Seasons he's played this is his

fifth best field goal percentage this is

his third best effective field goal

percentage his best ever three-point

percentage and his sixth most assist per

game of any season of his career so what

it appears to me is to offset some of

the losses in athleticism he has

compensated by improving the three-point

shot and he said when he was asked about

the difference between last year and

this year was he thought last year being

in and out of the lineup with injuries

and he talked about missing practices

and shoot arounds that he thought that

actually hampered his ability to that he

could have shot like this last year had

he been healthy but to me what he's

proving is I think he's further

validating something I said at the

beginning of the Season that I was

mocked for because it sounds silly you

know if you just read the quote but I I

don't brew and I are lucky that we have

been made fun of on the internet long

enough that it doesn't bother us anymore

one of the reasons I think Wilds refuses

to his Brew put it let the tiger out is

because he's relatively new to people

being mean to him on the internet so you

so you shy away from

it you don't brw so used to it there's

Brew can take things people made fun of

him for that he didn't actually say like

wimy is going to be better than AEM and

like you know what I I said it everybody

say I said it I said this a few months

ago and I believe it 100% to be true

he'll never be bad LeBron will never be

bad he said in the postgame interview

he's like I'm not going to play another

21 years I'm like okay well then my take

safe like in 20 years probably would be

bad but in 5 years wouldn't be five

years wouldn't be because he's you say

we don't know but we didn't Brew five

years ago even his biggest supporters

would have said in five years he will be

a shell of himself we can LeBron in year

21 has now lapped the other year 21s put

together that's all all of them that's

Vince that's Durk that's Parish that's

kg that's Willis that's Moses Malone

LeBron like when we Kareem whose

longevity was the best we had seen

before LeBron his last excellent year

was year 17 at age 38 LeBron is age 39

year 21 Carl Malone his last great year

was year 16 age 37 Kobe's was year 17

age 34 MJ's last game with the bulls was

year 13 age 35 so doing this at age 39

year year 21 seemed impossible so the

idea that he wouldn't still be a really

good player at 42 in year 24 like I I

just don't think he'll ever be bad

here's the here's the challenge for that

and it's why there have been a couple

guys that that weren't obviously in

football Tom Brady Jim Brown retired

early but the challenge for that is if

you're not bad like a lot of guys will

keep playing until they're bad you know

what I mean and I don't know that LeBron

would do that but that is the th that is

why you see so few guys retire I mean

Jordan to be honest wasn't bad he never

was bad but he kept he obviously retired

multiple times but yeah I I just think

it's it's an interesting point I think

five years is probably that's too I I

think that's too much he'd be what

44 uh but I I don't see I don't know if

he'll if he's still playing well like

averaging 20

that's what is he going to retire so

that's what I wanted to so while just on

a bad te in five years he's going to

average no I'm just saying I'm not think

that well that's that's kind of my point

like the because I would argue this

obviously he is not not only is he not

Peak LeBron no matter what the numbers

show you he's not close to Peak LeBron

for a lot of reasons most notably Peak

LeBron I believe was the best defensive

player in the league and now and he's

you know telling JJ like I got to pick

my spots now on that side of the ball

things but I don't think he he is

deteriorating year by year I think he is

better this year than last year yeah I

think that LeBron because he's healthy

this year is and he's shooting better is

better this year than last year by the

the advaned stats and I understand like

the raw counting stats everything's

inflated and all of this stuff I get

that part of it but amongst his peers

this season of that are playing right

now he's sixth in the league in PR he's

seventh in box plus minus he's sixth in

value over replacement player like those

catch all stats so his deterioration has

been so slow that he's gone from clearly

the best in the league to clearly in the

discussion to okay not the best or

second best or third best but in the

discussion for somewhere from 4 to 10 so

how much fur you know what I mean like

how much worse does he have to get each

year to where you get to the point of

like ah he's you know what I mean it's

Willie Mays in the Outfield it'll never

happen for this guy it'll never

happen that's I mean we'll see it

depends on when he retires you know but

I think with LeBron we just look at his

winning you know like the numbers are

nice the numbers like you said people

are putting up more inflated numbers in

this year's NBA but for him it's about

winning if he's putting up these numbers

and not winning that's the thing with

him he probably wouldn't want to play in

that situation and that's why he might

retire but now usually with guys you can

still put up numbers but you get injury

he even said that in the podcast with JJ

it's that can I have to pick my spots

you know and so that's the thing like he

can do it but can he stay healthy like

for 60 games in a year to do it so

another day another record for LeBron

chances LeBron wins another title I mean

if he stays with the Lakers for the rest

of his career I'd say quite slim cuz I

don't trust the front office I don't

trust the coaching I don't trust the

drafting like I just don't I mean even

up to this year you be like ah they

don't have a lot of draft picks because

Anthony Davis trade this year at pick 17

they took jayen Hood chafino the three

picks after him are all all helping

teams in the playoff mix right now cam

Whitmore pods for the Warriors and the

best player hakz for the heat all guys

that are you know what I mean as as and

so right after the prior to that the

biggest pick that they had you before

they traded all those guys away it was

they took Lonzo over Tatum and fox which

by the way I supported at the time time

to be fair but it's not but okay I mean

it was I don't think the Celtics would

have done it I think that the Celtics

would have taken Tatum at one so there's

that piece of it but I don't I mean he

just had the first ever 40-point game on

that few shots and free throw attempts

in NBA history he right now this season

Brew is in the fourth quarter You could

argue we can show it to you the best

player in the league in the fourth

quarter so can is he is he good enough

to still be a top two guy on a champion

unequivocally yes are the Lakers cuz I

think the Lakers Brew are going to go

after that third star approach which I

don't think is the right approach in

today's NBA I think that the talent

pulls too deep I think the approach they

had when they want a title in La is the

right approach LeBron ad and a good

Supporting Cast and so I think he's I

think he can I think with the Lakers it

be very very difficult yeah I don't

think he will now the third I agree with

you on the third star approach

unless and this is the one way I think

that he could win another championship

and this won't happen because this team

is really playing well if they somehow

were able to get Kyrie Irving and you

talking about ad LeBron and Kyrie Kyrie

knows how to play with LeBron he'll

defer to LeBron respects LeBron like

that would be I think they'd be able to

win a championship but that's not going

to happen obviously Dallas is happy with

Kyrie otherwise I don't I don't see them

winning it and this is where it's a bit

baffling to me and maybe it's because

we've been spoiled by LeBron's career as

you see the numbers are very good we

know he's not quite what he used to be

because particularly defensively and

when he was in his prime he would

control the tempo of games and that's

what he can't do now because he doesn't

have the ball all the time and he

doesn't want it all the time because of

the stamina but I I gota be honest I I

think their team is good like the roster

I mean you got two legitimate stars that

whose games compliment each other Austin

Reeves uh D'Angelo Russell ruy I mean we

Tori and Prince we could go down the

line I think they've got depth they

shoot the three well they don't shoot it

a lot but they're in the top 10 they're

I think seventh in three-point field

goal percentage so it's a bit baffling

that with LeBron putting up these

numbers ad putting up these numbers and

playing great defense and the players

that they have the role players that

they're not better is it so I don't is

it that b it's not that baffling to me

cuz I think it just speaks to the depth

of talent in the league right now you're

right that on paper the roster doesn't

look terrible but when you I watch the

games though the I think these guys can

play yeah but when you stack it up

against the teams they're competing with

in the west I mean Denver's roster is

that much better yeah yes after yo

really kcp playing a huge role Aaron

Gordon who is good but nobody thought he

was all that spectacular before he's a

third guy so I think but Denver also has

the benefit of having the best player in

the league or certainly one of they

found a way to really play great team

basketball so take Denver out of it

because joic in for a lot of people's

kind of a cheat code right now like

LeBron maybe a decade ago you look look

at the Thunders overall roster far

better Minnesota's overall far better

yeah I mean seriously hold on we're

talking about after their top two guys

right cuz that's everybody agrees LeBron

and they I mean the top two guys are a

part of it no of of course I mean you

can't just say after top two cuz and

even after the top two yes Jaden

Williams and and and and Chad who's

young in his first year that I mean ched

is I get number two Josh giddy Josh

giddy uh Austin Reeves yeah I think

giddy's better and I think and I

think and Chad is definitely better as

an all-around player than DLo like and

then well Chad would be the second best

right Jay so you second best player on

OKC versus ad ORS LeBron right and then

Giddy and then Dort you go down I just

look at the I look at the rest of the I

how you can say OKC's roster is better

overall now they might have better

coaching this is what if people want to

start looking at the coaching than they

do with Darin I think Darin's a CO good

coach but I and look let's face let's be

honest the Lakers have played good

basketball for now for a few months yes

and we'll see what they do in the

playoffs so this may all you know show

out but I think the roster is good I

really do do you have a winning in title

no no you're no so and you think he

needs to leave yeah I mean that's what

you AG right you think he should leave

this I me I don't think he will leave I

think that and I'm not saying he should

I'm saying if if the question were the

if the only thing that mattered was best

chance to win a title as a major

contributor you know what I mean so

remove I'll go sign with the nuggets for

the minimum you know that doesn't exist

uh then I would say yes leave I the and

you know in my perfect world Philly

would be the Philly would work I also

told you I thought you know the fantasy

camp of he and Steph teaming up in

Charlotte was pretty neutral territory

Steph gets to go to his hometown LeBron

get LeBron gets to get a trump Jordan be

like he owned the team for 20 years they

won one playoff game oh I'll go I'll go

bring you to the finals that'd be fun

too guess who's back or almost back it's

Joel embiid reports are that the

reigning MVP could be back for

tomorrow's game against the thunder in

Philly he's been out since late January

with a knee injury brw how dangerous is

Philly if Joel returns dangerous uh look

there'll be three questions and maybe

they'd work through these in the seven

games he may play at the end of the

regular season what is there a minutes

restriction how's his stamina and then

thirdly what is Joel gonna be as great

in the playoffs as he's been in the

regular season he was playing better

than joic even in the when he got hurt I

mean they were 26 and8 with him that's

like a 62 win Pace I believe and so they

were playing great basketball but we

look at his numbers regular season

versus playoffs rebounds is fine but

scoring field goal percentage three

point go way down and I would I I tend

to think it may be because he's always

banged up in the playoffs even if he

plays there'll be a g game or two here

or there that he has to sit out or he

plays but he's only 80% and that's where

this year could really help now if he

comes out this year and looks good in

these last few regular season games and

then in the playoffs his numbers drop

off like that then you know okay there's

it maybe it's not quite James Harden but

there's something like that going on but

I think look outside of Boston now they

if they the eighth seed then they

probably face Boston I don't see them

beating Boston but outside of Boston and

this team because they play So Hard

Miami you're believe I think they have a

shot you don't think they'd have a shot

against Miami no I think no I think

they'd have a shot against Miami but I'm

saying that'd be a tough one for him to

win because of the way Miami's played

just the grit Boston I think would beat

him after that I'm not saying I'd pick

him over my Milwaukee but I give him a

good shot against Milwaukee and anybody

else obviously last three series for

embiid he's played uh 13 games but he's

missed four games missed the first two

in Miami then he rested that close out

against the Nets remember we were like

that was smart which you know is a

problem we're like hey it's good to rest

when you're resting within the playoffs

and then he missed game one in the

Celtics end up losing LeBron of course

is has never missed a playoff game so

you see sort of like the dichotomy on

the a block of like all right LeBron's

never missed still going strong at 39

and beid kind of needs legitimate load

management and we think this is going to

I mean might be good for right the glass

half full ideas that he got the inj not

I don't want to say got the injury out

of the way but is going to be fresher

for this postseason than before the

glass half empty is this is too

drastically different teams and we can

like the fact that the Sixers have

fallen as far and as fast as they and if

we can show you them with and without

embiid I mean that win percentage like

Bruce said would was right on Boston's

heels and without him they're the

Raptors which I know I pitched this in

the meeting and you guys said you didn't

want to do it I'm doing it anyway this

is why if they are the eight seed the

Celtic shouldn't have to play them

that's right this is why that the number

one seed it can you imagine if you get

the one seed you're Boston you get

Philly and you're Denver and you're the

one seed and you have sitting there at

the six line are the Sacramento Kings

with no Malik monk or it's like hey by

the way congrats guys here's the Suns

they've beaten you twice in a row

they've got Durant and Booker that's

your per that's your uh prize for being

the one seed of course the top seed

should be able to pick their playoff

opponent if you're Philly though you

don't want to play Boston round one

obviously I agree with you guys that

they are super dangerous they would be

to me similar to the Lakers last year

where they're a seven seed in name only

and for the Lakers it was because they

remade the team on the fly at the

deadline for the Sixers it would be we

were going to be have one of the two or

three best records in the sport our guy

went down but now he's back and so yeah

I mean they would be to me the third

most dangerous team in the East but if

they stay in the playin one of those two

teams ahead of him is going to have to

play them in round one and so that'd be

a huge bummer for either CS it's a good

idea it will never happen but it's a

good idea really I don't I don't you

don't think can I just Pi real I mean

you like you you would say last year it

could come into play but maybe that's

what I don't know I I just think you

play who you play right but I'm old

school I understand but in the old

school can I just tell you something

real quick in the old school guys

everybody played almost 80 or 80 82

games there was no ducking opponents

there was no right but now that that

does exist

you have to do things to mitigate it

what we don't want is teams being like

we could be the one seed but it's better

for us as you know a top seed to lose

games at the end of the year so we then

drop in the seeding you know what Joe

moula would do I don't know try to block

embiid shot I don't know what he would

do he we want Philly no I mean Lula

would probably be like give us the Bucks

round one we'll take it give a th yeah

moula is out of his mind thanks for

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