[laughs]

No, they had like a pool party and all that.

I'm like, "There's no way campus is like this every day." Um, I get the opportunity to go to the Hawks versus the Heat playoff game, game one, and I'm like, "Wow, this is amazing." I'm in Miami, riding around in nice cars, going to NBA games.

Uh, then we got opportunities to go out and party, have a good time.

But it was one of my funniest memories because it's like, no way Miami is like this every day.

I know school cannot be like this, going to South Beach and doing those things.

But it was just a great visit.

I mean, imagine they were like, "You're not-- we're not even in the picture here due to UNC?"

So this perhaps isn't the major step forward for the wider cancer community that some on the face of it might think it is.

It's not a one-size-fits-all.

A lot of people are excluded from it by virtue of the timeframes involved.

But it is a step in the right direction.

And I think what needs to happen now is the campaigners and everyone that has been actively involved in this, this is only one step.

And to ensure that the timeframes involved are reduced.

to include more people.

Will they all cautiously welcome this? Will it give them, I suppose, renewed hope to continue the fight, given how long it's taken to get to what may be viewed as incremental progression?

Lay it out to me.

Two and a half minutes.

All right.

Well, look, this goes back to the same thing that the left has been trying to do to Tommy Depperville, has been trying to do to Donald Trump.

And that's when a true conservative is running.

They try to disqualify them.

They try to find some legal loophole or some way to get them dragged down.

Did you ever live in Tennessee? Like have a Tennessee driver's license? That seems to be the angle they're going with.

In other words, what's it like for these guys that are being projected for five years, you come out of Ca- Carolina, go to Kentucky, and you're not even sure what's going on in October, then you become the number one pick.

Yeah, well, interesting, 'cause like I haven't been since eighth grade, but since my 11th grade year, I was like projected to be number one, so I kinda felt that pressure and I knew what it was like.

But like I always say, see, I tell you this all the time, freshmen go to college and make it look easy sometimes.

It's not easy.

We're going to play against grown men.

They don't wanna see a young 18-year-old, 19-year-old come in and dominate.

But guess what? These young guys in this class, they went and dominated.

AJ and Cooper Flagg are kind of from a different area, from Boston, coming out of that situation.

So do you think he'll be traded

before the season or at the deadline? I think he could be anything.

Anything's possible.

It could be a trade tonight.

It could be trade before the deadline.

I think so.

I think at the same time, he wants an extension.

Could he be a 20 and 12 guy? Maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assists.

In my opinion, I don't.

So do you think he'll be traded before the season or at the deadline? I think he could be anything.

Anything's possible.

It could be a trade tonight.

It could be trade before the deadline.

I think so.

I think at the same time, he wants an extension.

Could he be a 20 and 12 guy? Maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assists.

So do you think Anthony Davis is going to be here for a full year? I don't

believe so.

In my opinion, I don't.

So do you think he'll be traded before the season or at the deadline? I think he'll be anything.

Anything's possible.

It could be a trade tonight.

It could be a trade before the deadline.

Could he be a 20 and 12 guy? Maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assists.

He made a point before the pick that – everybody knows how aj pressures the rim and we don't really have guys like that you pressure the rim as a point guard train doesn't really do that he can the basket he can finish but that element that aj brings how important is that

it's super important because now with the nba is so much spacing if you got guys that can knock down shots it wasn't like when i came in when the paint was back it's more spread now so you can have shooters around them you can put them in different positions he can You can run pick and roll, you can make plays.

You can put him in the mid post, you can run him off pin downs.

But most importantly is you wanna get in the bonus as quick as possible.

And he's one of those guys that are gonna put pressure on the rim and get you in foul trouble and give you opportunity to get to the free throw line when it's late in the game in those four quarters.

Could he be a 20 and 12 guy? Maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assists.

Listen, you got that guy coming in the door.

It's got to be a little less ball handling.

He can the basket he could finish But that element that AJ brings how important is that?

It's super important because now with the NBA is so much facing if you got guys that can knock down shots It wasn't like when I came in when the paint was back.

It's more spread now So you can have shooters around them.

You could put them in different positions.

You can run pick and roll and make plays and You put him in the mid post to run him off pin downs.

But most importantly, you want to get in the bonus as quick as possible.

And he's one of those guys that are going to put pressure on the rim and get you in foul trouble and give you opportunity to get to the free throw line when it's late in the game in those four quarters.

Could he be a 20 and 12 guy? Maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assists.

be traded

before the season or at the deadline? I think he'll be anything.

Anything's possible.

It could be a trade tonight.

It could be trade before the deadline.

I think so.

I think at the same time, he wants an extension.

Could he be a 20 and 12 guy? Maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assists.

all right john thanks for joining us it's always great to talk hoops with you and i want to begin with aj de bonza and the story we've now have heard about you seeing him in indiana for the first time he's 14 years old it's an aau tournament and you guys now famously as we know went to dinner at benihana afterwards so let's go back to that day did you know who aj de bonza was before you walked in the gym and what impressed you about him at that age that you wanted to get to know him more and break bread?

For sure I knew about him.

Come on, man.

He's a high school star at the time.

I know almost every high school star there is.

But shout out a guy named Neif.

He helps, like, does stuff for Nike basketball.

And then how do you prepare for draft night?

Mercedes is looking at it, like other OEMs, other partners, uh, and fully engaged?

Yeah.

I mean, I think, uh, I think it really resonates.

Obviously, it wasn't new to a lot of our, our customers.

We'd- we'd been working together for a while, and, and we've been talking to potential customers.

I think there's a recognition that this is something that's required to ease, uh, the development of, uh, the systems within the vehicle going forward.

I think it's not a hard, it's not a hard sell from the value proposition perspective or from the need for it.

Yeah

Um, what does that mean? How did that come to be?

It's just a great opportunity.

I mean, just blessed to be able to continue to learn and grow the game and understand what the business is of that side of the game.

Uh, you know, e- eventually one day I wanna be a general manager of something in the NBA.

But I can just...

It came about because I became a captain of a day one day and went to a game and talked to the team and just being around those guys.

And, and shout out to Coach Blakey and them, they gave me opportunity to step into this role.

Yeah.

Um, what does that mean? How did that come to be?

That's a great opportunity.

I mean, you're just blessed to be able to continue to learn and grow the game and understand what the business is of that side of the game.

Uh, you know, e- eventually one day I wanna be a general manager of something in the NBA.

But I can just...

It came about because I became a captain of a day one day and went to a game and talked to the team and just been around those guys.

And, and shout out to Coach Blakeney and them.

Yeah

Do you think anybody can beat Oklahoma City four times out of seven, or are we just watching a march to a second straight title?

Um, easier said than done, to be honest.

Um-I don't know.

I mean, I feel like the Spurs did a great job in the regular season, but, you know, the regular season doesn't really mean nothing when you get to the playoffs, but you also got to give the Timberwolves some credit.

Um, I have the Spurs winning that series, and I think that would be a great playoff series against Spurs and OKC.

And I think the key is, you know what I mean, Jalen Williams coming back to win that series against the Spurs.

I think that would be a great, great playoff series.

team.What do they need to add? What would you add if, if you're in Denver right now to keep Jokic and to put yourself back into the conversation in the West with San Antonio and Oklahoma City?