ITALKSPORTS Episode 37: UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley, NBA Finals—Haliburton’s Struggles
The recent UFC Fight Night showcased the triumphant return of Kamaru Usman, who secured a significant victory against the promising Joaquin Buckley, marking his first win since 2021. While Usman's performance was commendable, it left us pondering the implications for both his career trajectory and the welterweight division at large. Transitioning to the realm of basketball, we delve into the NBA Finals, where Tyrese Haliburton's subpar performance has raised eyebrows, particularly following a dismal 4-point contribution in Game 5. This juxtaposition of Usman's resurgence and Haliburton's struggles invites a broader discussion on the expectations placed upon elite athletes in high-stakes situations. As we explore these narratives, we invite our listeners to consider the complexities of greatness and the burden of expectation that accompanies it.
Takeaways:
- Kamaru Usman's recent victory over Joaquin Buckley raises significant questions regarding his future in the welterweight division.
- Despite Usman's win, his performance indicated a noticeable decline in speed and agility due to his age of 38.
- Tyrese Haliburton's dismal performance in the NBA Finals exemplifies the immense pressure placed on star players to perform at peak levels.
- The contrast between Haliburton's expectations and his actual output in the finals has sparked a debate about his status as a superstar.
- The welterweight division's future remains uncertain as Usman contemplates his next steps after a lengthy absence from the win column.
- The ongoing NBA Finals have highlighted the critical role of supporting players in achieving success, as seen with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Transcript
They will demolish you the same way they demolished you.
Speaker A:Now there are certain expectations that are on your shoulders.
Speaker A:You don't.
Speaker A:You don't choose them.
Speaker A:They are given to you.
Speaker A:That's the price to pay for greatness.
Speaker B:Bayern beat someone 10 nil.
Speaker A:Of course they did.
Speaker A:I feel like every few years, every few years there's a game where Bayern just absolutely commits a crap try.
Speaker A:Four points.
Speaker A:One, two, three, four.
Speaker A:You want me to do it on my other hand, I can do that too.
Speaker A:1, 2, 3, 4.
Speaker A:I know I have it somewhere up there, don't I?
Speaker A:Yes, right there.
Speaker A:What the hel.
Speaker A:What the heli.
Speaker A:I had him losing.
Speaker A:I had him losing that fight.
Speaker A:I really did.
Speaker A:I really did.
Speaker A:With that being said, okcn6.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm sick.
Speaker A:You can hear Mukundi sick again.
Speaker A:What's new in the world, right?
Speaker A:We got that out the way.
Speaker A:I'm gonna sound nasal.
Speaker A:Nasally throughout the whole show.
Speaker A:At least not like that, but like it's gonna be bad and I'm not gonna sound like myself.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now that we got that out the way, what's good, bro?
Speaker B:Rich and famous.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Club.
Speaker B:The Europa Conference League.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:What's the Club World Cup?
Speaker B:Club World cup is when the best teams in club football all across the world.
Speaker B:Not just Europe, across the world.
Speaker B:Even after sundowns.
Speaker A:I was about to say sundowns.
Speaker B:There Sundowns is in the competition.
Speaker A:Are they still there?
Speaker B:For now, yes.
Speaker B:It's just opening games for opening games.
Speaker B:Opening games.
Speaker B:PSG just won 4 nil.
Speaker B:Buy and beat someone 10 nil.
Speaker A:Of course they did.
Speaker A:I feel like every.
Speaker A:Every few years there's a game where Bayern just absolutely commits a crime like every two night.
Speaker A:Every couple of years.
Speaker A:I don't.
Speaker A:I'm not even listen.
Speaker A:I don't even follow soccer, but I know that every couple of years Bayern will just do some genocide type type games.
Speaker B:This past year, they beat someone 9, 2.
Speaker B:Like, guys, it's not sudden.
Speaker B:It's not necessary at one point.
Speaker A:Like, don't y' all do that thing in basketball where you, like, you just dribble the ball out?
Speaker B:Nope.
Speaker B:No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Speaker A:If he dies, he dies.
Speaker B:If he dies, he dies.
Speaker A:If he dies.
Speaker B:Sometimes they die, man.
Speaker A:If he dies, he dies.
Speaker A:All right?
Speaker A:What is good with you, my dude?
Speaker A:Are you well?
Speaker A:Are you fine?
Speaker A:Yeah, you can just tell me down there.
Speaker A:Mukundi.
Speaker A:I'm fine.
Speaker A:Mukundi.
Speaker B:I'm well.
Speaker A:Kamaru Usman is back.
Speaker A:Kamaru Usman is back.
Speaker A:And I don't know how to feel.
Speaker A:I don't know how to feel.
Speaker A:So Kamaru Usman is back.
Speaker A:UFC Fight Night.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's not.
Speaker A:It wasn't UFC major card, but it was a card with Kamaru Usman on it.
Speaker A:All right, so the Nigerian nightmare, Kamaru Usman is finally back in the winning column.
Speaker A: Since: Speaker A:And I had him losing.
Speaker A:I had him losing that fight.
Speaker A:I really did.
Speaker A:I really did.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I shouldn't, I shouldn't have slept on the goat.
Speaker A:I should have.
Speaker A:I shouldn't have slept on the goat.
Speaker A:This is the welterweight goat, in my opinion.
Speaker A:Like, there's, there's no one else, right?
Speaker A:If not Usman, then who?
Speaker A:If not Usman, then who?
Speaker A:No one has done it like him, bro.
Speaker A:The run that he had.
Speaker A:The run that he had.
Speaker A:16, 16 fight win streak, five title defenses.
Speaker A:I mean, come on, bro.
Speaker A:I mean, come on, bro.
Speaker A:He just lost to the greatest head kick you'll ever see.
Speaker A:Pound for pound, headshot, bang.
Speaker A:But besides that, Usman did well.
Speaker A:So Kamaru Usman defeats Joaquin Buckley by united via unanimous decision.
Speaker A:Now, while watching this fight, I'm not gonna lie, I was like, my goat is looking slow.
Speaker A:He's looking slow.
Speaker A:He really is.
Speaker A:He's 38.
Speaker A:He's 38.
Speaker A:And you know these divisions, from world to from middleweight going down, you know, once you hit 35, you know the theory.
Speaker A:But like, he looked good.
Speaker A:You could see that this is a champion, this is a former champion, and you could see why he was a former champion.
Speaker A:But, but he looked slow.
Speaker A:He didn't look like the Usman of old.
Speaker A:And that's very weird saying, because he did what Usman does, right?
Speaker A:Wrestled and he grappled and he used his strong points.
Speaker A:He knew that what he.
Speaker A:There was no way he was going to strike with Buckley.
Speaker A:And the minute that he started the fifth round, we can all agree Buckley won the fifth round.
Speaker A:Usman may have won all the other four, but Buckley won the fifth round.
Speaker A:And unfortunately, it was too little, too late.
Speaker A:He started clocking what he needed to do in the fifth round.
Speaker A:Now, kudos to him.
Speaker A:It takes a great fighter to make those type of adjustments during the fight.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, he did it in the fifth round when this guy is already up on the scorecard because he was dominated.
Speaker A:I think Usman had 16 minutes of control time.
Speaker A:16 minutes of control time in a 25 minute fight.
Speaker A:That's a lot.
Speaker A:It's a Lot of time to be on your back.
Speaker A:A lot of time to have a grown man on you.
Speaker A:Pause.
Speaker A:Just pounding and pounding and pounding.
Speaker A:Pause.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know the sport sometimes.
Speaker A:So Usman beat Buckley, but that's not the story here.
Speaker A:The story is the fact that.
Speaker A:Where to from here?
Speaker A:Where to from here?
Speaker A:He's 38.
Speaker A:His first fight, his first win in three years.
Speaker A: before this, since: Speaker A:The head shot, the rematch, the match against Kamzat Chimaev, which he took on short notice, and still he took it on short notice in a different weight class and he still gave the boogeyman of the division.
Speaker A:The fight of his life comes out, will tell you himself.
Speaker A:The toughest opponent he's faced thus far is Kamaru Usman.
Speaker A:And that's a man who fought him with two weeks notice, with 11 days notice, and also in a different weight class.
Speaker A:So shout out to Usman for that.
Speaker A:So the Kamzat Chimaeville take it as a moral victory, but moral victories don't count, unfortunately.
Speaker A:So where to from here?
Speaker A:Where to from here?
Speaker A:Jack Maddalena is fighting Islam for the title.
Speaker A:I could see Usman versus Islam.
Speaker A:That I see it.
Speaker A:But also we need to ask ourselves, when are we going to let the division move on?
Speaker A:When are we going to let the division move on?
Speaker A:And also just agree that, okay, Usman is gone.
Speaker A:Let me see this welterweight division.
Speaker A:Who's.
Speaker A:Who's there?
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You got Jack Della Medelena as the champion.
Speaker A:You got Bilal as the number one contender right now.
Speaker A:You got Sean Brady, Shaft Cut Rock Monov and Leon Edwards.
Speaker A:Kamaru Usman tops it off at number five.
Speaker A:So he's still a top five contender, but who does he fight?
Speaker A:Does he run it back with Leon?
Speaker A:Does anyone want to see that?
Speaker A:I know I don't.
Speaker A:Does he.
Speaker A:Does he.
Speaker A:Does he have.
Speaker A:Does he have a dream match with Sean Brady?
Speaker A:Does he have a match with Bilal Muhammad?
Speaker A:Does he have a dream match with Shavkat Rachmanov?
Speaker A:Hell, I can even see him fighting Ian.
Speaker A:Ian Gary.
Speaker A:I really can.
Speaker A:I really can.
Speaker A:So besides this, I don't know what else.
Speaker A:What else it is going to happen in terms of Kamaru Usman's future if he's in another title fight.
Speaker A:I don't know if that would be the best decision to make considering he's lost the other.
Speaker A:He's lost three fights over the past three years and this is his first appearance in the win column again.
Speaker A:So I say let him win one more fight against the top contender.
Speaker A:I think Shavkat Rahmanov is the dream match that we want to see.
Speaker A:Usman and Shavkat Rahmanov.
Speaker A:But I'm not mad at him fighting any other top, any of the other top contenders considering the fact that Maddalena is already occupied with Islam.
Speaker A:So that means now we can have a number one contenders match.
Speaker A:But who do we put in the number one contenders match?
Speaker A:This division, you heard the names.
Speaker A:The top five is stacked, all deserving.
Speaker A:Maybe Leon Edwards.
Speaker A:But he never got his rematch as the champion.
Speaker A:But then again he, he got, he got his ass handed to him by Sean Brady.
Speaker A:So no actually put Leon out.
Speaker A:So those are the people that can contend for the title for me.
Speaker A:Bilal, Sean Brady.
Speaker A:Bilal needs his rematch.
Speaker A:He deserves his rematch.
Speaker A:Then there's Sean Brady and then there's Shavkat Rakmanov.
Speaker A:And now we have Kamaru Usman.
Speaker A:Food for thought.
Speaker A:So Joaquin Buckley.
Speaker A:I have nothing much to say about him.
Speaker A:He's gonna get better.
Speaker A:He's gonna come back.
Speaker A:He's gonna be a better version of himself.
Speaker A:And hopefully he needs to work on his ground game.
Speaker A:You can't spend the entire fight on your back.
Speaker A:You can't.
Speaker A:They will demolish you the same way they demolished you.
Speaker A:Now tell me what you think.
Speaker A:Rose number Nunes fought.
Speaker A:She's back in the win column.
Speaker A:I don't know if another title title run is do for Rose because Rose hasn't.
Speaker A:Rose is a good fighter who's beaten great fighters.
Speaker A:I don't know if that makes sense.
Speaker A:Rose is a good fighter who's beaten great fighters and she's still ranked number 12.
Speaker A:So she's a ranked fighter and I want to see her record.
Speaker A:She's lost two of her last five fights.
Speaker A:Decent.
Speaker A:Decent.
Speaker A: Her last title fight was in: Speaker A:Since then she's gone 3 and 2.
Speaker A:Is another title reign in.
Speaker A:In works.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:Rose is still a great fighter.
Speaker A:Rose is still one of the best in her division.
Speaker A:But I think her time is up.
Speaker A:That's just me though.
Speaker A:That's just me.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:That's all the violence I have for you.
Speaker A:I'm not getting too violent today.
Speaker A:Sips coffee because I have other things to address.
Speaker A:Much like these three letters.
Speaker A:S, G, A, O, K, C.
Speaker A:Don't you?
Speaker B:J, F, C.
Speaker A:Go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker A:Finish it off.
Speaker A:Finish it off.
Speaker A:OKC and six now.
Speaker A:OKC and six.
Speaker A:So the NBA Finals.
Speaker B:Hot.
Speaker A:Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, Hot.
Speaker A:Boy.
Speaker B:Hot.
Speaker A:We got OKC and Indiana.
Speaker A:The series is now 3, 2.
Speaker A:Last time I was here was 1 1.
Speaker A:We are now 32 with OKC in the lead.
Speaker A:And they do not look like they will take their foot off the gas.
Speaker A:Shout out, J Dub.
Speaker A:Shout out, J Dub.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Kendrick Perkins always says your superstars are gonna do what they do.
Speaker A:But who actually wins you the series are the others.
Speaker A:Who actually wins you the series are the others.
Speaker B:That quote is hard, man.
Speaker A:He ain't lie.
Speaker B:He ain't lie.
Speaker A:He ain't lie.
Speaker A:So the others, OKC others pulled up.
Speaker A:Well, I don't even know if we can call Jdub others because he's clearly definitely hands down the second best player on that team.
Speaker A:Sometimes third if Chet is really feeling it.
Speaker A:But Chet is still too.
Speaker A:He still gives me green behind the ears feeling, you know, he's still.
Speaker A:He still seems like a rookie to me.
Speaker A:Not seems like a rookie, but he's still the kid of the team, you know?
Speaker A:And I think he still has a ways to go.
Speaker A:I think Chet will be a great player in the future.
Speaker A:And I'm also pissed that we were robbed of his rivalry with Wemby because Wemby got hurt.
Speaker A:So we never really got to see that.
Speaker A:However, I ain't mad.
Speaker A:I mad at Chet doing.
Speaker A:Doing what he's doing right now.
Speaker A:He's playing a great game in OKC with Hartenstein.
Speaker A:The two center lineup they have is mad, bro.
Speaker A:And in Indiana.
Speaker A:Do I have it up there?
Speaker A:I know I have it somewhere up there, don't I?
Speaker A:Yes, Right there.
Speaker A:What the helly?
Speaker A:What the helly?
Speaker A:Where are you?
Speaker A:Okay, he's hurt.
Speaker A:He's hurt.
Speaker A:But as an elite player, there are certain expectations we have of you.
Speaker A:There are certain expectations that are on your shoulders.
Speaker A:You don't.
Speaker A:You don't choose them.
Speaker A:They are given to you.
Speaker A:That's the price to pay for greatness.
Speaker A:Tyrese Halliburton is suffering from his own greatness because Tyrese Halliburton is hurt.
Speaker A:But Tyrese Halliburton is on the court, and if you set foot on the court.
Speaker A:Don't do that.
Speaker A:Don't do that.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Can we be serious, please?
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Tyrese Haliburton is hurt.
Speaker A:However, he's on the court.
Speaker A:And if you set foot on the court, what you're telling me is aight, I'm good to play basketball, and I will expect nothing less than the best.
Speaker A:Your best.
Speaker A:And four points is not Tyrese Halliburton's best.
Speaker A:Four points.
Speaker A:One, two, three, four.
Speaker A:You want me to do it?
Speaker A:On my other hand, I can do that too.
Speaker A:1 2, 3, 4?
Speaker A:Do you know how many points Tyrese Halliburton had in the first half?
Speaker A:As many as you and I.
Speaker A:0.
Speaker A:These are the NBA Finals.
Speaker A:0 points in the first half.
Speaker A:4 points the entire game.
Speaker A:Sure, OKC's defenses stifling, OKC's defense will suffocate you, but you are Tyrese Halbert.
Speaker A:Hell, you're the reason the team is here in the first place, right?
Speaker A:And this is unacceptable.
Speaker A:If you can't play, get off the court.
Speaker A:I'm sorry.
Speaker A:I'd rather.
Speaker A:I'd rather be mad at you for not playing than be mad at you for playing trash.
Speaker A:Because once you play trash, the fact that you're injured is not relevant to me.
Speaker A:My job is to say, did Tyrese Halliburton have a good game or a bad game?
Speaker A:And statistically speaking, you look at.
Speaker A:You look at the stat sheet.
Speaker A:He had a bad game.
Speaker A:He had a bad game.
Speaker A:Four points are only acceptable from bench warmers and not even the leading benchwarmers.
Speaker A:The 10th man on the team there.
Speaker A:Otherwise, why are you giving us four points as our superstar player?
Speaker A:Now, I'm not expecting Tyrese Halliburton to give us 30.
Speaker A:He's never been.
Speaker A:He's never been the type to give you 30 on any given night.
Speaker A:He's more of a 20 and 10 type of guy.
Speaker A:However, where's my 20 and 10 in the NBA Finals?
Speaker A:And this is exactly why I was telling my friend, he was saying, was it you actually who said, will Tyrese Haliburton win MVP if Indiana wins?
Speaker A:And I said, nah, it's most likely Siakam, because Siakam is balling.
Speaker A:Siakam is doing good.
Speaker A:And maybe that's that championship experience they speak of.
Speaker A:But Tyrese Haliburton, I understand that if you get off the field, if you get off the court, your team is significantly compromised.
Speaker A:Now I ask you this.
Speaker A:Are you not compromising your team even further by staying on the court and giving us four points?
Speaker A:Don't do that.
Speaker A:Don't do.
Speaker A:I didn't mean it like that.
Speaker A:Why make me sound like a bad person now?
Speaker A:Like, he's just laughing, but like, yeah, if you.
Speaker A:If you.
Speaker A:If you're gonna be on the court, we expect you to give us your training and 10, right?
Speaker A:And okay, he's had a bad series and OKC has been shutting his ass down.
Speaker A:They've been shutting him down.
Speaker A:But this raises the age old question which has been asked for a long time now.
Speaker A:Is Tyrese Halliburton a superstar?
Speaker A:Huh?
Speaker A:Or is he just really good?
Speaker A:Is he an all Star?
Speaker A:Because there is a difference between the two.
Speaker A:I think he's a great player.
Speaker A:All star, caliber player, superstar.
Speaker A:Not yet.
Speaker A:He ain't Reggie Miller yet.
Speaker A:Got a ways to go.
Speaker A:And I even feel bad for saying this because it sounds like I'm hating on him.
Speaker A:He's a great player.
Speaker A:I love Tyrese Halliburton.
Speaker A:I think what he has done this postseason is nothing short of remarkable.
Speaker A:The game winners he's had, the impact he's had on his team.
Speaker A:We can't say the Pacers got here without Tyrese Haliburton.
Speaker A:Without Tyrese Haliburton, they'd have been a first round team at best, if not no playoffs at all.
Speaker A:He's the reason they're here.
Speaker A:The last thing we need is for him to be the reason they lose.
Speaker A:With that being said, OKC and six, what you got for me, bro?
Speaker B:Hallie Burton.
Speaker B:Ash.
Speaker B:Burton.
Speaker B:Your mama hurting?
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Scene six.
Speaker B:I'm actually praying for a game seven.
Speaker B:Wouldn't that be good for the NBA?
Speaker A: ame seven in the Finals since: Speaker A:Since LeBron and Curry.
Speaker B:No, no, no, no.
Speaker B:Since Curry choked.
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker B:Curry choke.
Speaker A:No, no.
Speaker B:Curry choked.
Speaker A:Let me see.
Speaker A:2017 was a sweep.
Speaker A:Sweep.
Speaker A:2017 went one.
Speaker A:Was it?
Speaker A:Was.
Speaker A:Was it the sweep?
Speaker A:One of them was a gentleman sweep.
Speaker B:And then one of them was gentleman sweep.
Speaker A:2018, Toronto 1 and 6.
Speaker B:6.
Speaker A:Toronto 1 and 6.
Speaker A:Bucks 1 and 6.
Speaker B:No, no, Lakers in 6.
Speaker B:2 and 20.
Speaker A:No Lakers and 6.
Speaker A:Then Bucks in 6.
Speaker A:Yeah, warriors in.
Speaker A:In 6.
Speaker B:In 6.
Speaker A:Y.
Speaker A:Denver in 5.
Speaker B:Was in 5.
Speaker B:Was it 5?
Speaker A:Denver in 5, dog.
Speaker B:No, it had to be 6.
Speaker A:Denver in 5.
Speaker B:I trust.
Speaker B:I trust Miami no ways.
Speaker A:That's the problem.
Speaker A:That's the problem.
Speaker A:That's the problem, dog.
Speaker A:Do I.
Speaker A:I jokic, dog.
Speaker A:20, 20, 23 gentleman sweep.
Speaker A:Proper.
Speaker A:Proper gentleman sweep.
Speaker A:Yeah, for one, dog.
Speaker B:And then the next.
Speaker A:The one.
Speaker A:Can I be honest?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:That's the one series I haven't watched since I started watching basketball.
Speaker B:Waste of time.
Speaker A:That's the hours.
Speaker A:Like I'm wasting time.
Speaker A:And these games play in the.
Speaker A:These games play in the ams.
Speaker A:I was like, I'm not about to.
Speaker B:I already.
Speaker B:I sat up and watched that.
Speaker B:That last game.
Speaker B:I watched game five.
Speaker B:And then the next.
Speaker B:Then, yeah, time.
Speaker B:No, I had a great time watching Jimmy Buckets cry at least.
Speaker B:Next.
Speaker B:Then after Jokic.
Speaker A:After Jokic was Celtics last year and they won.
Speaker A:Then did Celtics win in five?
Speaker B:No, they won in six.
Speaker A:They won in six.
Speaker A:One.
Speaker B:Six.
Speaker A:And now there was someone with someone.
Speaker B:Before the was it joke.
Speaker B: It's in: Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Now we're gonna get a game seven.
Speaker A:Please, we have to.
Speaker A:We have to.
Speaker A:Can.
Speaker A:Can we please get a Game 7 in the NBA Finals?
Speaker A:Yeah, please.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It'll be good.
Speaker A:And these teams are the teams to do it.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, these teams are the team.
Speaker A:It's literally the best offense.
Speaker B:Ty.
Speaker A:Offense versus the most potent defense in game seven.
Speaker A:I mean, come on.
Speaker A:Script writes itself.
Speaker B:Tyres her.
Speaker B:That's what he is.
Speaker B:He's.
Speaker B:Cuz he's hurt right now.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He's a.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker B:You were talking about what qualifies someone to be a superstar.
Speaker B:I don't know what that criteria is.
Speaker B:Is it that you get to the NBA Finals and put up a superstar performance even though you lose?
Speaker B:Or is it a case that you put up MVP caliber performance, you win MVPs and you don't get to the Finals.
Speaker B:What qualifies someone to be a superstar?
Speaker B:Because you're saying Reggie Miller is a superstar.
Speaker B:No MVPs, no Finals MVPs, no championship pedigree.
Speaker B:And that's a superstar.
Speaker B:Okay, then we've got Kawhi Leonard.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Who's won two chips and two finals MVPs.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:But is hurt most of the time.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:MVP.
Speaker B:Yes, he is superstar.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:And then we've got Mr.
Speaker B:Hurt a Burton who took a Pacers team that no one expected them to be here.
Speaker B:We thought first round exit, second round, they're in the finals hitting game win after game, win after game winner.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker B:That's MVP caliber type performance in the postseason.
Speaker B:Now you're saying he's not a superstar.
Speaker B:So please, Mr.
Speaker B:I talk sports.
Speaker B:What qualifies someone to be a superstar?
Speaker B:And not the obvious criteria like winning championships and finals mvp.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's obvious.
Speaker A:Excuse me.
Speaker A:So as a superstar you gotta.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, it's a hypocritical answer.
Speaker A:However, you gotta toe.
Speaker A:You gotta be the best of both worlds.
Speaker A:You gotta be likable enough that we can still market you as a brand, as the league.
Speaker A:You can still be a draw, right?
Speaker A:You can still draw and put butts on chairs and put buttons, asses on seats, as they say.
Speaker A:However, your game must reflect that, right?
Speaker A:Be it championships, be it MVPs, be it great play, great playoff runs, whatever it is, be it you're playing the regular season, you need to also stand out in that sense, right?
Speaker A:And Tyrese Halliburton doesn't do that.
Speaker A:In the sense that he still needs to work on the media side, right?
Speaker A:On the PR side.
Speaker A:He has everything you need for a superstar on the court.
Speaker A:Off the court, he's still.
Speaker A:He's not the most marketable player.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And because of that, it's going to be hard to draw him, to make him a draw, especially when he's in Indiana.
Speaker A:Now you look at Kawhi Leonard.
Speaker A:Kawhi Leonard's resume says he's a superstar.
Speaker A:It speaks for itself.
Speaker A:His gameplay on the court speaks for itself.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And his personality, funny enough, is the reason he's a superstar.
Speaker A:The mystique brings people that.
Speaker A:Otherwise he wouldn't have an endorsement deal with New Balance, he wouldn't have had one with Nike before then, and he wouldn't keep them going till now.
Speaker A:He's still a superstar.
Speaker A:He's a great.
Speaker A:He's a great player.
Speaker A:And the last thing a superstar needs to do that Tyrese Haliburton also does is just elevate your team.
Speaker A:Just elevate your team and also be recognized as one of the best players in the league.
Speaker A:Like, if you're a superstar, I should be able to say this guy is top 10 in the league.
Speaker A:And you shouldn't even debate with me.
Speaker A:I don't think we can do that with Tyrese Halliburton right now.
Speaker B:At what point could you do that with Reggie Miller?
Speaker B:I'm just.
Speaker B:I'm just.
Speaker A:Reggie was one of the best players in the 90s.
Speaker A:Like top 10.
Speaker B:In the 90s.
Speaker A:In the 90s.
Speaker A:Simply because here's this dude shooting threes in the 90s.
Speaker A:And he, the skinny, led the Pacers to game seven against the Bulls.
Speaker A:Only team to do that throughout that entire dynast run.
Speaker A:So because of that, there was an.
Speaker B:Old bullseye and she's like.
Speaker A:But, but like if you're.
Speaker A:If you're a superstar.
Speaker B:Ah, I get you.
Speaker A:If you're a superstar, then we should be able.
Speaker A:Like I should put you in mvp.
Speaker A:Not even if you.
Speaker A:Not the clear cut mvp.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But if I say, here's my sleeper for mvp, you should be like, you ain't lie.
Speaker B:Okay, fine, there's that.
Speaker B:Then there's Mr.
Speaker B:Okc, Mr.
Speaker B:Secretary General, Administrator SGA.
Speaker B:What he's done is nothing short of phenomenal.
Speaker B:Yes, he's one MVP.
Speaker B:Even though he didn't deserve it, in my opinion.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker B:But for me, Jokic was still the mvp.
Speaker A:Yes, me too.
Speaker B:It's just racism at this point.
Speaker B:It's just racism.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:Hey, it's racism.
Speaker B:It's race.
Speaker B:If you put Jokic on okc, they definitely are winning the chip.
Speaker B:You put SGA on the Nuggets.
Speaker B:Do they win?
Speaker A:I was having this conversation with my friend.
Speaker A:I don't think I was having this conversation with my boy.
Speaker A:And he said, if you take Jalen Brunson and you put him on the.
Speaker A:On okc, they still get to the finals.
Speaker A:If you take Shane, you put them on the Knicks.
Speaker A:They wouldn't even sniff the conference finals for.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:I was like, you know, that's what.
Speaker B:MVP is without you.
Speaker B:Can they still compete?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That should be the criteria.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:How valuable are you?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:If you take Yogic out of Nuggets, they're not even the Pl team.
Speaker A:Ah, it's Chai.
Speaker A:It's Chai.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But what he's done is phenomenal anyway.
Speaker B:He's winning MVP.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Conference finals MVP.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker B:Michael Jordan never did that thing about that.
Speaker B:LeBron James never did that.
Speaker B:I mean, like, hey, look.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker B:And then he's definitely going to win finals mvp if he somehow gets it done.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Now with all of those, can you tell us, Mr.
Speaker B:I Talk Sports, is he the greatest OKC player ever?
Speaker A:Next question.
Speaker B:All right, that's it.
Speaker B:That's all I got for you.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Damn.
Speaker A:All right, man.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:OkC.
Speaker A:Definitely OkC in six.
Speaker A:And if they win, Shay is definitely Mr.
Speaker A:OkC, but I am not saying he's a greater player than the other two.
Speaker A:That's an entirely different conversation.
Speaker A:Franchise wise, it's.
Speaker A:Hey, hey.
Speaker A:It's a Vince Carter, Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors situation.
Speaker A:Get back from your mic.
Speaker A:Back away from your microphone.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yes, yes.
Speaker A:Because your resume makes you the greatest players to play there, doesn't make you the best player to play there.
Speaker A:We'll leave it there.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:This has been episode 37.
Speaker A:Tell me what you think.
Speaker A:These are just some thoughts of a dude sitting on his chair in Joburg.
Speaker A:Until then, just go out there, watch more sports, be nice to your mother, and as always, enjoy the violence.
