transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:02] Okay, we're back at it.

Speaker 2:
[00:28] Welcome back to It Is What It Is. I'm Arabia Taylor-Ree, your host, along with Ma$e and Cam.

Speaker 3:
[00:35] Killa was good, man.

Speaker 4:
[00:38] Was good, bro, how you, man?

Speaker 3:
[00:41] Good, man. Arabia, how you doing?

Speaker 2:
[00:44] I'm amazing, I'm doing really, really good. I'm really happy to be here. This was a really fun and exciting week for me. So I just wanna say thank you to you, and thank you to Cam and Nick and Taylor and all the people who made this possible. So thanks for having me. It was a really, really fun week.

Speaker 3:
[00:59] Oh my goodness. It was really good having you here.

Speaker 2:
[01:03] Thank you, thank you. How are you guys doing?

Speaker 3:
[01:05] Taylor say I don't wanna say thank you.

Speaker 4:
[01:10] You don't. If she didn't initiate it, you wouldn't have said thank you. She initiated the whole shit. When the whole baton, the whole thing was over, you wouldn't have said thanks for coming or nothing. You had to do that.

Speaker 1:
[01:28] You know Nick, you know Nick.

Speaker 4:
[01:31] For the people who didn't see it, I have it on standby actually. When we go to break, I'm gonna show Mason's speech when he won the award for Best Podcasts, so you can see his speech.

Speaker 3:
[01:54] What is Nick doing in there? What is Nick doing?

Speaker 4:
[01:58] I have it on standby for everybody to see.

Speaker 1:
[02:05] Oh, man.

Speaker 2:
[02:06] Can't wait to see that. Well, let's get into some NBA games. We have a lot to talk about today. The Hawks beat the Knicks 109 to 108. Ma$e, what are your thoughts on this game-winning shot? The Knicks have two players who are known for their defensive prowess, but yet a player from the bench were on CJ. McCollum.

Speaker 3:
[02:25] Yeah. I mean, we knew this already, you know? This is a guy that was 5'2 at one point, right? He grows to 6'3 and then may get to the NBA. So he's really, he's really a miracle in theirself. But I knew this was going to happen to the Knicks. If there was ever a time they were supposed to win, this is it. And it looks like they're not going to get out of the first round. I don't know what Sin City is going to do with this. I can't even get my take right now. I'm so thrilled by this. Pause, you know? I really got to come back after Cam, after Cam go, because I'm just blown away. Pause, with the Knicks in there debacle. I wish Stat was here. She could see what we're talking about. This is a team that we said should go to the Eastern Conference Finals. And now look at them, they're down to one. This is crazy. Go ahead, Killa.

Speaker 4:
[03:33] When I spoke to Sin, he was in the middle of DMing Adam Silver.

Speaker 2:
[03:43] What was he DMing Adam Silver?

Speaker 4:
[03:47] That the rough say shit. They always cheated. They always dissed. This is probably, this isn't anything new. This is probably like this 9,000 time DMing Adam Silver. It's nothing new. Yeah, look, I watched the whole game. The Knicks actually did pretty good. They were down 18 points, and then ended up coming back to take the lead. CJ. McCullough had another great game. And then, you know, to Arabia, what Arabia said, you know, Deuce McBride did a real good job on CJ. McCullough in the second half. So I really wasn't mad on him guarding, guarding CJ. McCullough, Deuce McBride, that last play. But, you know, Sin was mad about that. Yeah, he was doing good the whole game, but you don't use him for the last play. You use McHale, British, whatever the case is. I tried to call the and said, that was a great comeback. They're down 18 points and came back to take the lead. We just couldn't make it happen. Another player, Sin, keeps dissing. Jonathan Kamenga. Well, I will go to state one him. Who cares if he goes to Atlanta? It doesn't matter. Came in there, busting ass again. I think he had 23 points, if I'm not mistaken. Looked really good off the bench. Jonathan Kamenga is a great asset for Atlanta coming off the bench. But it was great, man. I mean, it was a great game. I don't want to, you know, they get murdered. They saying that we hating bad everywhere, Harlem, Cap US everywhere is talking about me. And you got this problem with the Knicks. Like it's personal. Like we did. Like we made them lose for 58 years. I don't know why they mad at us about it. But, you know, I don't want to sit here and be like, yay. What's new? But it's like, what's new? Jalen Brunson, he played decent. He didn't play his best game, but on defense, he is a liability. I like, I've never seen this much of a liability in a long time. Like when people see him, it's almost worse. You know, we talked about how other point guards get excited when they see Luka guarding them, even though Luka is a great scorer, prolific scorer, and really can't do nothing about him when he has the ball. But they, you know, we have the guard saying that Luka can't play defense. Jalen Brunson may be worse than Luka on defense. He can't do a damn thing with anybody. Nobody. And what they're doing is they're setting the screens because he's not guarding CJ. McCullough. They set the screens so they get to pick the one-on-one matchup that they want. And CJ. Cooks, that's why they had Deuce McBride in the second half. He did the outstanding job just that last play. They didn't make it happen. And there's also DM and Mike Brown, because he doesn't like the last play of the game that Mike Brown drew up. You know, they had about 12, 11 seconds left, the next that is, to get a shot off, and they didn't even get a shot off. But that's what happens when you just put the ball in superstar hands and they double-team. Jalen Brunson, he ends up throwing away, and that's how they lose the game. But it's really not too much to be surprised by. I'll say this, I was more, like I said, very impressed by the Knicks' comeback and everything else, but I was just looking at the people in the crowd. I see DC Young Fly out there, TI. Tiny, Grant Hill, Chris Paul next to Grant Hill. It was looking real black in Atlanta, man. It was looking real good, man, in the crowd. I like that crowd a little better than the garden crowd. It looked like it was a food truck and a barbecue outside the stadium right after the game. Mad Chevy's, mad rims with big speakers. That's what it looked like was about to happen after the game. I like the environment. I did. I like this from the TV. I did. I like the environment. But as far as the Knicks concerned, this is the silver lining. I can say is this, you're down 18 points. You came back to take the lead with less than a minute to go, but you just couldn't execute or finish the job.

Speaker 3:
[08:08] Yeah, this is crazy. I mean, when you think about it, you know you're scary when people said to pick and you don't want to switch. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:
[08:18] said fight through it. They said fight through it, fight through it.

Speaker 3:
[08:23] Like you let him come fight, you leave a room for the to come through, Paul, because you don't want to switch.

Speaker 4:
[08:31] Yeah, you're telling your teammate to fight through the pick.

Speaker 3:
[08:37] This is exactly what Ron Harper was talking about when he was talking about great players, right? And he was talking about players who are only good on one side of the ball. And that's going to have to be our question next week. If you only could play on one side of the ball, are you a great basketball player? We got to really start examining that, because you can't play any defenses. Like you could get 20, but anybody you're guarding could have 24. So, I mean, how good is that? What benefit is that to the team? If you can't guard the man in your position, right? It's not like the guy is 6'5, it's not like he's 6'6, this is around the same height as you. You just not sliding your feet. This is what happened when they put, you know, players in big sneakers early. You can't, most guys who wear big sneakers, they can't slide their feet. It's something all across, all people with great handles know. with big sneakers can't play defense, especially if they're shorter.

Speaker 2:
[09:48] Yeah, I did a wellness check on Sin 2. I sent him a message to see if he was okay. So if you have Nick's fan friends, make sure you're doing a wellness check on your Nick's fan friends. The Raptors avoided a sweep and beat the Cavs 126-104. The Cavs lost yesterday, but still lead the series 2-1. James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were 4-4-17 from the 3, Ma$e. Is this just one game or should Cleveland be a little bit concerned because these two players, Mitchell and Harden, tend to go missing in the playoffs?

Speaker 3:
[10:18] Oh, these are two MIAs, man. These two together can go MIA for a very long time. If they went MIA for one game, I am very concerned. I'm not saying anything to them to make them more, you know, more cautious. These seem to be two players that can get really bothered by the outside noise. So I wouldn't say anything to them, but I'm definitely concerned with this game. Anytime that they don't get it done right away is an alarming sign. I mean, this Cavalier team have every piece necessary to win the East. And there's a few teams that have teams like that. But when you can bring Alonzo Ball in at three, when you got Evans and different people in the front court, you got every piece necessary. You got to strengthen all positions. There's no reason why you shouldn't close this out. And there's something about when a person's mind is just not in the game. I think this is worse for James Harden than it is for Donovan Mitchell. And I'm expecting James Harden to get it done. So even though this is a Lawman, I'm still riding with James Harden right now, pause. I hope they get it done next game and get this over with.

Speaker 4:
[11:45] I'm going to go with the approach, this isn't a big deal. Even though we say James Harden and Donovan Mitchell go disappearing in the playoffs, they don't never go disappearing this early in the playoffs. You know, and to the Raptors, you know, Scotty Barnes and RJ Barrett had a spectacular game. And they are home, you know, so I was expecting not to... I didn't think this would be a sweep. I don't think it would go six games. If it does go six games, I'll be very shocked. But I'm just going to count it as, you know, they had a poor shooting night, they didn't really play well. I'm talking about James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. And it was a do or die game necessarily for the Raptors. Because once you go down 3-0, you know what time it is once you're down 3-0. Most of the time, especially in basketball, I think the only people that came back from down 3-0 was in baseball. I don't even think it happened in basketball ever. So, you know, to stretch this series out a little bit, I think it was a necessary win for the Raptors, but I'm not putting too much stock into the Raptors winning this series. I just think it was a poor shoot, and I expected them to get one anyway.

Speaker 2:
[13:03] That's a really good point about when a player tends to go missing. If they tend to go missing a little bit later in the series, this really could be just a one-off game. I didn't think about it like that, Cam. So, the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets.

Speaker 4:
[13:14] I don't even think it's the series. I think it's the next round.

Speaker 2:
[13:17] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[13:18] Like, they're not really... Like, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell ain't really, like, no first-round exit. You start worrying about them in the second round, and then for James Harden in the conference finals. Donovan Mitchell is a habitual second-round... Yeah, no show. There you go. Habitual second round, and then James Harden, it could be second-order conference finals for him. But I don't really see them in the first round getting bumped in by Toronto. If that happens, then they got... Somebody put the juju on them forever. That's just that.

Speaker 2:
[14:05] Yeah, that's a good one.

Speaker 3:
[14:06] Yeah, I think when it comes to Arabia, what I'm saying is because they have this history of going missing, they need to get better at closeout games. So even when it's an earlier series, you still want to closeout because that's how you start practicing, pause that muscle so they can be able to do this when it's really necessary. But if you start fading, you know, just getting it whenever you can, then pause is going to be that way when it comes to second round and third round because you're not... They need history of execution together. This is not a team that's been together for a year or two. So every game they can closeout together, give him confidence, James Harden, about Donovan Mitchell, and they give Donovan Mitchell confidence about James Harden because in the back of their mind, they both know that both of them at some point could be a no-show. I very much believe they're aware of that.

Speaker 4:
[15:06] Yeah, but the whole thing, this wasn't a closeout game, bro. It's game three.

Speaker 3:
[15:10] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[15:12] Yeah, Ma$e, I was with you. I think originally my thoughts were exactly with you. If these two tend to go missing, if they're going missing this early, this could be really concerning. I just didn't think about it like Cam said, where if they tend to go missing later on, that this could just be a one-off. So I can see both of your sides. Both sides really make sense.

Speaker 4:
[15:28] But Ma$e, Ma$e, no, this wasn't a closeout game, but Ma$e does have a very valid point. James Harden didn't get there until after the All-Star break, which is in February, so they may have just a little bit over two months together. So chemistry does matter. Absolutely.

Speaker 3:
[15:49] And history, right? Like, there's certain things that you know and I know about each other that you just know. He's not trying to lose, right? We both know that about each other. So you know, you can count on that. You know what I'm saying? You know 100 percent. He's not trying to lose. And when you don't know that about somebody, that you're alongside of, that could be a real issue. Because you don't know if this n***a is trying to go to Atlanta to get some wings. You know?

Speaker 2:
[16:25] The Timberwolves beat the Nuggets 113-96 and now lead the series 2-1. Ma$e, what did you think about this game?

Speaker 3:
[16:34] Man, the Nuggets is disappointing to me, man. This is really disappointing. I mean, I thought when they got Bruce back, that it was going to be back to the old, you know, usual suspects. How are they getting cooked with Bruce? I thought Bruce was the guy that made the difference. It might be KP that they really need it. Now that I'm thinking about it, it may not have been Bruce, Bruce Brown. Is it Bruce Brown? Yeah, it definitely is something weird going on. I'm not sure what's going on. There's no way they supposed to be losing back to back games to no Minnesota with Joker, with Murray, with Brown. I mean, this team is loaded with players that could be all stars all in their own right. You got potentially four all stars on that team. There's no way you supposed to be losing to this Minnesota team. I, this is disrespectful. It's disrespectful to Joker. It's disrespectful to the whole Kiki Van, the way everybody that represent Denver is mellow. It's just disrespectful to everyone. I'm sad to hear this. They supposed to at least be up like two games by now.

Speaker 4:
[18:00] Yeah, they had a terrible shooting night. Joker, he shot seven for 26. When I watch, when I'm watching his game, he missed probably his first four or five shots, maybe six shots. He was super duper off. And when he's on, when he's off, you can't have Jamal Murray being off shooting five for 17. It isn't even like Anthony Edwards had an outstanding game. He finished with 17, if I'm not mistaken, but you know, you can't have these poor shooting nights. The real person, Ma$e, that you didn't name, that didn't play was Aaron Gordon. But Aaron Gordon matters. You need Aaron Gordon more than Bruce Brown or anybody else. And with him not being available, not just this series, you know, he played this game. The last couple seasons, he's been hurt when they need him most, you know, talking about post them winning the championship. And he was a key part of them winning that championship. So if you don't get 100% Aaron Gordon, I don't see a future for Denver. But I do agree with you saying this is very disappointing because these are one of the teams coming into the season. When we were picking teams from the West Coast, they could possibly give Oklahoma City Thunder a run for their money. Denver was one of them. But I will say this, Minnesota majors have Denver's number. They sent them home already in the playoffs. Anthony Edwards is a part of that. Sometimes you may have that one team that just may have your number. And this just may be the case of that. We'll see what happens next game. But I do know it was a poor shooting performance from Denver. Aaron Gore ended in play. But I'm not going to make an excuse for Denver. Minnesota did what they had to do. They took home court advantage away from Denver. And like Ma$e said, they lost back-to-back games. So the momentum's all in the Timberwolves' favor. We'll see how it goes moving forward.

Speaker 2:
[20:01] Before we go on to football, I did want to mention that the Bucs are hiring former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins to be the new head coach in Milwaukee. Do you guys think that this is enough to keep Yonis happy, or is he done with the Bucs?

Speaker 3:
[20:13] Who did you say was coaching him?

Speaker 2:
[20:16] Taylor Jenkins was just hired to be the new head coach for the Bucs.

Speaker 3:
[20:22] You can't have no coach named Jenkins, man. You can't.

Speaker 1:
[20:29] He just can't do this.

Speaker 3:
[20:31] It's too early in the morning.

Speaker 4:
[20:38] Why not, though?

Speaker 3:
[20:38] I thought I was bugging out. I thought I was bugging out when she said that.

Speaker 4:
[20:44] Well, why you got no coach named Jenkins?

Speaker 3:
[20:50] I'm not doing this.

Speaker 1:
[20:55] I'm just not. Yeah.

Speaker 3:
[21:01] Yeah, man. We let one coach be named Tyrone. You are not coming back with a Jenkins as the head coach, Coach Jenkins. It just don't sound like they're going to win. It just doesn't, you know. With all the names you could have got, you just wouldn't have got the Jenkins.

Speaker 2:
[21:22] So Jenkins isn't a winning name.

Speaker 3:
[21:25] No, man. It's just not. You know any championship coaches named Jenkins?

Speaker 2:
[21:32] Off the top? No, I don't.

Speaker 3:
[21:34] You know any MVPs named Jenkins?

Speaker 1:
[21:38] No, I don't.

Speaker 2:
[21:41] There's a first for everything. He might be the first, I don't know.

Speaker 3:
[21:46] Not on my watch. We're not rolling the dice with that. This is like going to get your hair done by somebody that just got their license. Are you letting them do your hair for your wedding and it's their first day with their license?

Speaker 2:
[22:06] Absolutely not.

Speaker 3:
[22:07] I'm not saying it's about Jenkins. I'm just asking you this question.

Speaker 2:
[22:10] Definitely not.

Speaker 3:
[22:11] No. Definitely not. Yeah. So if you come through all of this, this might just be the way that he's just saying, you know what, Killa, we're going to get Yannis out of here. We're going to force him to leave. Since he's acting like he want to go, we're going to make sure he go. The coach name is Jenkins now. Who is Jenkins?

Speaker 4:
[22:32] Well, I'll say this. If you hear the name, you like Jenkins, but it's a white Jenkins. So, it's not a black Jenkins. He's a white Jenkins. So, it isn't like, I know what you may have been thinking. They got this up in here named Jerry Curls. He's a white Jenkins.

Speaker 3:
[23:10] Well, Larry Brown. We had Larry Brown, he was white. You know, he had the last name Brown.

Speaker 4:
[23:17] Yeah, it's a lot of Brown. Yeah, it happens. So, that's why I was just being clear for the audience. It isn't some fried chicken, green watermelon eating these names Jenkins.

Speaker 1:
[23:36] It's a white Jenkins.

Speaker 4:
[23:41] But, he was the assistant in Milwaukee for a year before he got the head coaching job with the Grizzlies. I think, I mean, yeah, with the Grizzlies. He's the assistant coach with Milwaukee Bucks before he got the head coach job with the Memphis Grizzlies. But, they probably was under pressure to get somebody. Look, this is what you're talking about, how to push Yannis out of the night. This is what Milwaukee should do. Is, I don't know what they could offer Yannis, because after this season, Yannis is a free agent, he can do whatever he want to do. So, Milwaukee should start talking to people now about what could they get back for Yannis? Because you got, first of all, if you trade Yannis, let's say you just trade Yannis to, I'm just thinking off top of my head. Let's just say you trade him to the Wizards. I'm just using anything. Make sure you get something back. I know the Wizards aren't going to take him because he's not going to sign a long-term deal with the Wizards. Whatever team he gets traded to, they need to make sure he wants to be there. Because it doesn't matter after this year. You could trade him to the Lakers. If he don't want to be there, he ain't going to sign there. So you got to make sure if you're Milwaukee, you get something back. Because if you wait till the end of the season, hoping Yannis re-signs with y'all, good luck. I don't see that happening. So I all year, all summer and until February, I would be looking for the best deal I could get for Yannis because he's on a one year deal no matter where he goes. Do I think this coach keeps Yannis there? For what? How would he keep him there? He doesn't have any experience as far as when the champions are concerned. We've seen the plumber of the Memphis Grizzlies. We thought they were about to be something at one time and I'm not blaming it on the coach. But a lot of off the court activity from certain players and then the chemistry just got off balance. Desmond Bain ended up leaving. The center ended up going to Utah. They couldn't figure out what to do with John Moran, whatever the case may be. I'm not saying he's a bad coach, but he doesn't have championship experience. So I don't know if that's enough to keep Yannis there. I think it's going to be up to ownership and a general manager to keep Yannis there in Milwaukee if he wants to stay. What else could they possibly give Yannis? I have no idea what else could you possibly, Ma$e, I'm asking you, what else can you possibly give him? His brother is taking up, brothers are taking up four roster spots. We don't know what kind of property that any man gave him cause. What else could you possibly offer him? I'm asking your opinion outside of basketball or even basketball related. If you're the Milwaukee Bunch front office of ownership, what would you try and do to keep Yannis in Milwaukee? Besides what they've done already.

Speaker 3:
[26:40] I would give his mother a job in the front office.

Speaker 4:
[26:43] She might have one.

Speaker 3:
[26:47] The mother's going to make them stay. Mama Love is going to get them to stay. If you put Mama Love in the office, she's going to say, now listen, you did all this for your brothers, do something for me.

Speaker 4:
[27:06] But this is the thing, right? And I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm totally agreeing with you. I don't know what kind of front office experience you got, but I dig it. But I remember them.

Speaker 3:
[27:17] You don't have to do anything. Just give her a title.

Speaker 4:
[27:21] I remember. Yeah, I remember. You know, I forget if it was this green card. It was something, pardon me, it wasn't Visa. I don't know green card Visa, pardon me if I'm using the wrong terminology. But if you get turned down three times or something like that, three or four times, let's just say three for the sake of this conversation. You could never apply again. And they got, his parents got turned down twice. And he told Milwaukee, this was early in his career. Well, you know, if they get turned down again, I'm gonna have to go back to Greece. I can't stay. And then the next time they were permanently residents of America, is when they told me, they told Milwaukee that. So they already made them American citizens. Now front office, now put the brothers on the team. That's why I asked you, because I'm running out of shit to think of. I really don't know. I don't know what else you want.

Speaker 3:
[28:19] And when they say that, the Yonis is like, listen, those other things don't count those. That was for the last deal. This is for this deal. For this deal, mom need to be in the front office. I don't think anything else you could do. What else can you do with that Milwaukee team? Because people don't want to come play in Milwaukee. I can only think of probably like two other players that will want to come play in Milwaukee. Who? Drew Holliday and Jordan Poole, because he's from Milwaukee. So maybe he wants to play there. Those would be two talents worthy of adding to that roster.

Speaker 4:
[29:06] I don't know. I know you got people up there in Milwaukee. That's why I ask, what's your people name? I always forget, pardon me for getting they name up there, the family. What's the family?

Speaker 3:
[29:15] Yeah, the Hines family.

Speaker 4:
[29:17] The Hines family, I'm sorry, I always forget. Maybe we should call the Hines family and see exactly what they could, not them, but exactly what the Bucs could offer. Maybe they know something that we don't. You can get some inside information and find out what did they go for. Maybe it's a lake, maybe it's some part of an ocean. I don't know what they can offer that they haven't offered the already. Maybe they can secretly give him ownership if he decides to be a lifetime Milwaukee Bucs. And they say when you retire, it will give you 2%. I don't know. I don't know. That's why I really have no idea what to keep him in.

Speaker 3:
[30:00] That might be it. That would keep him there. That would definitely keep him there probably. But I think, cause he's already won a championship. So it's not that he wants to, he has to win a championship. That part of his legacy has been scratched off. So it's now either he just want to play in New York or he just want to be in a big market and maybe that's it.

Speaker 4:
[30:24] Now, I think he wants to win and he knows that's not going, but you're a hundred percent correct. That part of it's over. He's an NBA champion, a finals MVP, but you know, we were all assuming that they would go on another run at least to get to the championship. And they never even got back to the championship. So I believe he wants to be somewhere where he could win. Cause if not, he would just stay. You know, you gotta realize it isn't like, he experienced living in Los Angeles. So he experienced living in New York, maybe in the off season. I don't know what he does with the time, but he came straight from Greece to Milwaukee. So I think it's about, you know, I think he wants to win and he knows that's not gonna happen. My personal opinion. And I don't see it happen. There was a time when I was like, yo, Yon is about to go on a run. Right now, now you're talking about certain people saying he's not a top five player anymore. You know, it was a time when he was definitely a top five player. Not saying that on some people's lists he isn't, but now it's being questioned.

Speaker 2:
[31:33] Yeah, sounds like-

Speaker 4:
[31:34] Hi, Shami, tell us what's up. Hi, Shami, call up Ma$e and let them know exactly what they go off for yawning. So we got some inside information.

Speaker 3:
[31:45] Killa, you remember who's playing the two for them when they won the championship?

Speaker 4:
[31:50] Chris Middleton. It was Drew Holiday.

Speaker 3:
[31:51] Chris Middleton. Chris Middleton. That's who they underestimated. When they traded Chris Middleton, that's when that team really fell apart. They were thinking that he wasn't as significant as he was as a shooter and as a guard that could stretch the defense with his consistent guard play. He really made a difference on that team and they never recovered from that.

Speaker 4:
[32:20] Absolutely. But what happened was, now to your point, you don't win that championship without Chris Middleton, not whatsoever. Even though, to me, even in the championship series, he was more clutch to Giannis. Even though Giannis got the MVP, you gotta realize they're trapping Giannis. He was hittin them open shots, mid-range, three-point shots, et cetera. But for the next two post-seasons, he was hurt. And they're like, God, come on, we need you to win this championship. When are you gonna be available? They even did his contract over. He opted out, they restructured his contract for four years, and then he wasn't available again. And then they traded him after that, they say, look, man, if you're gonna sell me a lemon, shit was running good in 2021 now. Why you let them tell me the shit was gonna conk out in 2023? That's what it's like. And no disrespect to Chris Middleton, I'm just telling you from a business perspective. Shit was running good, 2019, 2021. Shit was looking good. I thought I had another seven years on this. Now I can't give them no whippa to the supermarket in bed.

Speaker 3:
[33:37] Yeah, that ain't gonna work.

Speaker 4:
[33:39] Yeah, but you're right. He was a key component to that championship team. He just stopped being available in too many injuries.

Speaker 2:
[33:47] It sounds like the Bucks have already done a lot to try to keep Yon is happy and comfortable. So I don't know if hiring his former assistant coach is enough to keep him there, but we'll see. We're gonna go on a quick break, but when we come back, more on Diana Rusini and Mike Vrabel in day one of the NFL Draft. Don't go anywhere. Welcome back to It Is What It Is. Now more on this Mike Raible, Diana Rossini story. More picks are coming out.

Speaker 4:
[35:08] Arabia, Arabia, real quick, real quick, because before we forget. Nick, can we go to Mason's speech when you won the award on behalf of It Is What It Is, real quick so we can see it?

Speaker 5:
[35:21] I was standing on the side because I thought that was my juggernaut.

Speaker 3:
[35:27] I didn't want to be in the crowd if they panned the camera and say, oh, you didn't win.

Speaker 5:
[35:34] This is amazing. I just want to thank Cameron. This is a child of mine. We had a spoke for 20 years, and then we ended up coming back to get that. This, not speaking for 20 years, he didn't pass me the ball in the garden, and we lost the championship there, and then he hated on me when we was rapping.

Speaker 3:
[35:59] This is the first time he listened to me and we won.

Speaker 5:
[36:02] Shout out to Cam, beat my head. I thank you so much, y'all, for you that watched this show, that helped this show to be a phenomenon. I thank you, and I thank Jesus Christ. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2:
[36:18] Wow.

Speaker 3:
[36:19] Yo, Ravia, Ravia.

Speaker 2:
[36:21] What's up? What's up? That was crazy.

Speaker 1:
[36:25] What's up, man?

Speaker 4:
[36:30] That was wild.

Speaker 2:
[36:31] That was crazy.

Speaker 1:
[36:33] That was crazy.

Speaker 4:
[36:35] I don't know how many times I got to say sorry. I don't know what else she wants from me. I don't know what else to do. I feel like the Milwaukee Bucks. I'm like the Milwaukee Bucks organization. I don't know what to do at this point.

Speaker 2:
[37:03] Yeah, Pam, you like that Tyrese meme. What more do you want from me? You just kind of like...

Speaker 3:
[37:07] Yeah, Tyrese.

Speaker 1:
[37:09] Yeah, Tyrese with the tits. What else you want? Nah, that was crazy. What else you want? I don't know what to do at this situation. Yo, Nick, yo, Nick.

Speaker 3:
[37:19] You wildin, Nick. Nick, you wildin.

Speaker 4:
[37:23] Let me actually say, let me actually say, let me actually say, Ma$e, about this. And thank you guys for helping us win the award. The Is What It Is Award. We really appreciate that for the fans and everything else. Ma$e, was your wife with you that night?

Speaker 3:
[37:42] No, she couldn't make it. She couldn't make it.

Speaker 4:
[37:44] Oh, okay.

Speaker 3:
[37:45] Who did you go with? She probably, she probably second-guessed it.

Speaker 4:
[37:51] Who else, who did you go with? Oh, after I told you that, who did, who did?

Speaker 3:
[37:56] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:
[37:59] Who did you go with?

Speaker 3:
[38:00] So I was standing on the side with the cameraman, the field of cameraman.

Speaker 4:
[38:07] All right. Just for the future, thank your wife. Kiss, don't leave them out next time, man.

Speaker 1:
[38:20] I should have known that's why you was acting like that.

Speaker 4:
[38:29] Just give them a shout out, man.

Speaker 1:
[38:32] It's okay.

Speaker 2:
[38:35] Wow.

Speaker 4:
[38:36] Oh, man. Yeah, but thank you to the fans, seriously, man. And thank you, Mason, everybody else who contributes to the show. We really appreciate it, man.

Speaker 2:
[38:47] Definitely appreciate it.

Speaker 3:
[38:47] Yeah, thank you, Nick. And thank you, Sadi. Thank you. Can we call her Sadi or is that reserved for AB?

Speaker 2:
[38:56] No. You can call me Sadi.

Speaker 3:
[39:00] Thank you, Stat. And thank you, Killa, for real. No, this is really cool.

Speaker 4:
[39:07] Yeah, Tris Little Maurice, Michael Irvin.

Speaker 3:
[39:12] And OJ.

Speaker 2:
[39:13] Yep, RIP to OJ.

Speaker 4:
[39:15] Yeah.

Speaker 3:
[39:16] RIP OJ. And AB, 3AB.

Speaker 1:
[39:22] Yeah. Yeah, man.

Speaker 2:
[39:24] Speaking of keeping your significant others out, more on this Mike Vrabel and Diana Rusini story. The two have been spotted together since at least 2020 with new pictures leaking. In 2021, Diana Rusini had a son and named her son Michael. Ma$e, do you think she named her son after her side piece? What's going on with these two?

Speaker 3:
[39:44] Now, see, you asking me loaded questions. Them new pictures did not look like it was nothing going on. Those pictures look like them old school records that our mothers used to play in the background. Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones.

Speaker 1:
[40:08] We got a thing going on.

Speaker 3:
[40:14] Like those old songs that you knew somebody was doing something, you can just tell when you hear the songs that their mind was in the wrong place. That's how all of those pictures look. If you're a husband and that's your wife, you feel totally disrespected. If you're a wife, I don't know how she could feel at this point. Cause it just looks too bad to just say nothing happened. What do you think? Saudi as a woman, does it give you, does it give you side piece vibes?

Speaker 2:
[40:49] Actually, no. I was gonna wait until Cam goes. I'll let him go, but I actually think that they're soul mates. But Cam, you can go ahead.

Speaker 3:
[40:57] Oh.

Speaker 4:
[40:59] I think, first thing I think after this news comes out, if I'm the son's father, I need a paternity test. I mean, that's immediate. If I haven't got one already. Cause you don't want to raise, you know, he may be in love with the kid at this point, which that's five years ago. But imagine raising somebody for five years and it's not yours. And then imagine if it is yours, you know, it's a whole bunch of scenarios to this. Imagine it is yours. But now I'm calling my son, my wife's side piece. It's just a lot to go on with this. You might got to start calling him by the middle name. The kid is confused. Why you change his name mid life, mid kid life that is. It's a lot, man. It's a lot to go with this. And I don't know, I have no idea. I know somebody in the situation similar to that, where they have kind of the side piece's last name and it's like, or first name, you know what I'm saying? And it's like, yo bro, what the fuck are you thinking about, when you do something like that? Even if it's the father's child for real, you have, you know, nobody was expecting this to come out. So she probably like, what kind of little nasty secret is that? I named them after you. They may giggle. I know, it's just fucked up. It's really fucked up, man. It's too many different scenarios that I could go with with this, but I do think that it's really fucked up. That's what I end with.

Speaker 2:
[42:39] This might be more than a fling. I really think that these two are soulmates. Diana, don't let your husband get in the way of your soulmate. I've seen some people say they've been through a pandemic since they've been together, at least since 2020. They've been through a pandemic, they've been through having children, they've been through ongoing marriages, they've been through a stint with the Browns, and a lot of relationships might not have lasted all that. Some of you out there are not still with the same person that you were with six years ago. So this might be more than an office professional romance. The same way that a lot of people say that the mad and cover is kind of a curse, Coach of the Year might be a curse. If we go through the last eight Coach of the Years, it's not looking too good. 2018 Matt Nagy, he ends up getting fired. John Harbaugh ended up getting fired. Kevin Stefanski won it twice, he ends up getting fired. Mike Vrabel now has this scandal coming out. Brian Dable ends up getting fired. Kevin O'Connell, arguably, is on the hot seat. So, Matt and Cover, Coach of the Year, both of these things seem to be cursed. So, I don't know if we gotta look at this Coach of the Year award kind of sideways now. Mike Vrabel is gonna miss day three of the draft because he's going to counseling. So, hopefully he gets the therapy that he needs.

Speaker 4:
[43:54] Let me ask you something, Rabie, you said something. Don't let your husband get in the way of your soulmate.

Speaker 2:
[44:01] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[44:01] If you got a soulmate, why would you get married in the first place?

Speaker 2:
[44:05] Sometimes you meet your soulmate after you get married. Sometimes your soulmate is your soulmate when you get married, but people change. The person who you are at 20 might not be the person who you are at 50. So, both of you guys are changing, but not changing together, then you kind of fall out and now you're soulmates, buddy.

Speaker 4:
[44:24] How long have they been together?

Speaker 2:
[44:26] I'm not sure. I have to look that up.

Speaker 4:
[44:29] Okay. Yeah. I mean, I'll just ask them, because neither one of them is 20. They both grown as, you know what I'm saying? But I do like that slogan. Don't let your girlfriend, your husband, your boyfriend, your wife get in the way of your soulmate. Yo, that's crazy.

Speaker 3:
[44:54] That's crazy.

Speaker 1:
[44:56] Let me hear that again.

Speaker 3:
[44:58] Let me hear that again. All right.

Speaker 4:
[45:01] Don't let your... You can say it.

Speaker 2:
[45:03] Don't let your husband or your wife get in the way of your soulmate.

Speaker 4:
[45:08] I'm going to tell y'all this, right?

Speaker 3:
[45:12] How are you going to... So you're saying you could be married to one person with somebody else as your soulmate?

Speaker 2:
[45:20] Absolutely. You might have met them too late. You might have changed as a person, and now the person who you married isn't... You know, yeah, there's all kinds of reasons why you might be so close with somebody else.

Speaker 3:
[45:29] That's crazy.

Speaker 4:
[45:31] I kind of agree with that to a certain extent, right? Like, it depends on the age, and that's why I asked how long they've been together, right? Because you may be with your childhood sweetheart. I'm just using an example, right? Not me, I'm just giving an example. And then you say, okay, cool. I'm gonna be a professional basketball player. I'm gonna stick it out. But this ain't who I love, man. It's like, you grow up, you grew up with them. So you might grow apart and you meet somebody and you be like, yo, this ain't who I want to be with. I don't want to be with this person, but you feel obligated to the person that you've been with this whole time. I remember I was in a relationship years and years ago, long, long time ago. And I, you know, I was like kind of out of it. And I was staying with this person, this female. And I had somebody else I was dealing with. And we could, me and the girl that I was dealing with on the side, had went to, went on a vacation together. And I remember when the vacation was over, and I couldn't even see her, and a lot of you, I had tears coming down my eyes because I had to go back home to who I didn't want to be with. And I wanted to be with the person I had just went on vacation with. I'm not saying it was my soulmate, but me and that person had a lot of fun together. And I was like, fuck. Now I gotta sit here and be, God damn, man. What I will say is this, do not take Arabia's advice if you live in the state of California. And of course, you're trying to find your soulmate. You're just a soulmate.

Speaker 3:
[47:07] Arabia is wild, yeah. Arabia, you know what you're speaking about? New hotness, right? Whenever something is new, it seems better. But as you spend more time with it, it's probably going to be the same. But for that moment, it seemed like the best thing ever. And you know what I was thinking about when you were saying this? Like, just think about, there was a guy on Love & Hip Hop, right? They was showing him sitting there, Killa, and his wife was all happy. And they said, look at him. She won't, he wants to move on, but she keep forgiving him. And then, that is foul.

Speaker 1:
[47:56] They said, look at him.

Speaker 3:
[47:59] He's miserable. He just wants to move on, but she keep forgiving him.

Speaker 1:
[48:04] I was like, wow.

Speaker 4:
[48:10] Good now, you'll have a reason to leave. But to Arabia's point, I'm not going to say this is new hotness because there's kids being named after each other. She just said they were through a pandemic together. This ain't an overnight thing. They've been together for some years now. But now what I will say is this with Arabia, she's spilling our information as she talks and I'm listening. If you never did nothing or did anything wrong, why are you going to counseling? And you're missing the draft. So now to me, that's like emitting guilt. Because I've been like, I'm not going nowhere. I'm going to counseling for if I didn't do anything, especially during the draft.

Speaker 2:
[48:56] I don't think.

Speaker 3:
[48:57] And she's a sports reporter, right? So she's always around these kinds of guys. She could be, I mean, he could be her first pick, but she's not his first pick. That's what I get from it. You know, like sometimes you're a girl's first choice, but she's not your first choice, but you enjoy it because she's your first. I mean, you're her first choice, if that makes sense. That's what it seems like.

Speaker 2:
[49:25] Yeah, that makes sense. I think they definitely did it. And the reason why he's going to counseling is because he did it. Like, he's missing the draft when he's going to counseling because they definitely did this, in my opinion. Again, I wasn't there, I don't actually know, but I'm assuming.

Speaker 4:
[49:39] I agree.

Speaker 2:
[49:40] Based on all these things. And to answer your question, Diana Rusini and her husband have been married since 2020. Mind you, Mike Vrabel and Diana Rusini have been spotted together in a Tribeca Tavern since 2020. So I don't know who she knew first. She might've knew Mike Vrabel first and he was married. So she was like, oh, well, he got a husband, he got a wife. Let me just go ahead and marry him because the one I actually want is actually taken. So we don't know. They both was, they got married and she was spotted out in the same year.

Speaker 3:
[50:08] How long has Mike been married?

Speaker 2:
[50:10] Let's see.

Speaker 3:
[50:16] Arabia beyond his data.

Speaker 4:
[50:19] He like her and she like him, man. This is five years.

Speaker 2:
[50:22] 30 years. They've been married since 1999.

Speaker 4:
[50:28] That tired. It's new hotness for him. That's why when you end up long-term relationships, you got to keep that shit spicy, yo. You got to, man. You got to, man. You got to keep it spicy, man. Because you don't want to get tired, or the person got to be like your best friend, you know what I'm saying? Like, they got to, you got to finish each other's sentences. You got to like the same shows. You got to be a lot of shit, you know what I'm saying, for that, for you to last that long. See, I remember Chris Rock making a joke about it, but it was dope. He's like, my parents been married for 50 years, because he had just, Chris Rock had just got a divorce, and he was just explaining the reason his parents lasted 50 years, because he said it was no technology. She can only see him when he leave the house for work, and he work a 12 hour shift. He come home and eat and got to sleep for eight hours. That's already 20 hours without commute. You know what I'm saying? So, they only got about an hour and a half a day together. He said, that's why I laughed, because she couldn't FaceTime him, she couldn't text him, she can't call his job, talk about what you're doing. So, I will see.

Speaker 3:
[52:00] What show is that?

Speaker 1:
[52:01] I got to speak to you. That was hilarious.

Speaker 4:
[52:06] It's a stand up, I'll send it to you. It's a stand up, I want to stand up some time. Chris Rock got a lot of good stand ups because they make sense. He said, that's why I laughed, man.

Speaker 3:
[52:19] He worked for 12 hours, he sleeps for eight, and only four more hours left.

Speaker 4:
[52:26] Yeah, and he said, you ain't counting the commute, you're just tearing back the work. Yeah, cause now, let me ask you this, I've seen this question on Family Sheer, I've seen this question on Family Sheer, right? And Arabia, I would ask Arabia, but Arabia seems a little more like cool, like she don't be trippin. But you know, they asked the question, what's the only reason for your spouse not to be answering the phone for more than an hour? For number one answer was cause they in the hospital. I was dealing with the God thing, you know what I mean? Girls, I curve when they be like, try to FaceTime me. And I was like, and they be like, so you in there by yourself? I'm like, yeah. And they be like, turn the camera around. I'm like, who are you talking to, see? But you know, some who really want to mess with me. Yeah, cause they don't believe you. Like, let me see the room. But you know, it's some who don't have, you know, it's some niggas murder who don't have what we got. So they'll be like, look, look, there's nobody in here.

Speaker 1:
[53:54] No, look, yo, you bugger, just look, look, all right.

Speaker 4:
[53:57] Yo, go in the bathroom.

Speaker 1:
[54:00] Look, there's nobody.

Speaker 4:
[54:01] Pull the shower curtain back. Yo, who doing all that? Come on, man. Arabia, have you ever been in that type of relationship where you had to feel like that?

Speaker 2:
[54:15] Feel like, feel like what?

Speaker 4:
[54:18] Like you questioning that the person is lying to you and then you'd be like, yo, stop playing with me.

Speaker 2:
[54:25] Yeah, back in my early 20s, I definitely was in a relationship where he was definitely playing with me and instead of leaving, I just cheated on him back. So all the times I talked about being a side chick is because my man was cheating first and I was like, oh, I can do that too. And I just started cheating too instead of leaving, but got older.

Speaker 4:
[54:39] But did you like question them before all that? Like, yo, why you not picking the phone up? Where was you at?

Speaker 2:
[54:47] Yes. But I tend to put my hands on people and it's not good. And I'm not, it's not, don't do that for sure. But yes, I've got question him and I get a little violent.

Speaker 3:
[54:58] You put your hands on him?

Speaker 4:
[55:01] You beat him?

Speaker 2:
[55:02] I did.

Speaker 3:
[55:04] Open fist or close?

Speaker 2:
[55:07] Well, you know, this is in the past. It's too early for this. But what I will say is that in order for your relationship to last, I'll do it.

Speaker 4:
[55:14] Tom is a good tom.

Speaker 2:
[55:15] Yeah. I'll do it on top of me. How about that? Well, I'll do it on top of me. Or later on. How about that? We got to get back to the topic at hand. I don't have time for this. It's too early. But another thing we got to do to make our relationships last is hide. You got to hide your significant other. Don't be posting your significant other. Don't be telling people who your significant other is. If you want your relationship to last, hide your significant other. Don't post them. Don't do none of that. That's what I think.

Speaker 4:
[55:44] I agree too. I totally agree.

Speaker 3:
[55:46] There's some truth to that.

Speaker 2:
[55:48] Yeah. It's treasure versus trophies.

Speaker 4:
[55:51] The reason I agree with that as well is because people are just nosy. I've been in a public relationship. One thing I will tell you is this. Even if the man is right, the man never wins. You can catch the girl dead wrong in the bed, but as naked like, well, she had to do that.

Speaker 3:
[56:14] Yeah. What did he do to her to make her feel like that? She needed to do.

Speaker 4:
[56:20] Right. Exactly. I'll tell you that right away. Yeah, it is what it is.

Speaker 2:
[56:28] It is what it is. The way it was explained to me was treasure. If it's really your treasure, you hide it, you bury it. You don't tell anybody where your treasure is. But a trophy, you hold up in front of the world, and every man, it gets passed around year after year, and every man competes for it, and you put it up on a case, but that's not something that you want to do if it's getting passed around. You bury your treasure, and you don't tell nobody where it's at.

Speaker 4:
[56:53] And then let me tell you another thing. That's a great way to put it. I like that a lot. And then what happens is if you are posting your significant other, and then let's just, y'all posting each other two, three times, four times a week, and then y'all mad at each other and don't post for a month with each other, they like, what's going on with them? Why haven't they posted this?

Speaker 3:
[57:13] Trouble in paradise.

Speaker 4:
[57:16] Yeah, yeah, they get real nosy, man.

Speaker 2:
[57:19] Exactly.

Speaker 4:
[57:19] They'll start figuring it out, yeah.

Speaker 2:
[57:21] Yeah. Well, that's all the time that we have for today. Thanks again for having me this week. And as always, it is what it is.

Speaker 4:
[57:28] Arabia, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it and enjoyed you.

Speaker 2:
[57:32] Anytime, thank you.

Speaker 3:
[57:33] Thank you, Arabia. Don't put your hands on me.

Speaker 2:
[57:36] I won't. I'm a changed woman.